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Shark Pet Plus Review

As a more affordable option from Shark, this model excels on both carpet and hardwood floors
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Shark Pet Plus Review (Unfortunately you'll need to find a safe space to lean this vacuum against the wall for effective storage.)
Unfortunately you'll need to find a safe space to lean this vacuum against the wall for effective storage.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Price:  $330 List
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Manufacturer:   Shark
Rachael Lamore
By Rachael Lamore ⋅ Senior Review Analyst  ⋅  June 27, 2025
Contributions From: Chris Maxcer
66
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#10 of 18
  • Carpet Performance - 30% 7.2
  • Hardwood Performance - 25% 6.6
  • Pet Hair - 20% 5.4
  • Ease of Use - 10% 7.2
  • Filtration - 10% 7.0
  • Battery - 5% 5.8

Our Verdict

As Shark's budget model, the Pet Plus delivers great cleaning performance at a lower price. It handles everyday messes well, especially on hard floors and low pile carpet, and it picked up pet hair decently in lighter use. It doesn't include some of the user-friendly features found on Shark's higher-end models, like the hinged wand that helps you reach under furniture or the dual brush rolls that make switching between floor types feel seamless. If you're okay with a few missing conveniences and just need something simple, effective, and easy to steer, the Pet Plus is a practical choice.
REASONS TO BUY
Simple to maintain
Cleans all surfaces effectively
Lightweight and nimble to operate
REASONS TO AVOID
High setting requires holding trigger
No storage option
Not great for edge cleaning
Editor's Note: We updated this page on June 27, 2025, with different charts and new scoring based on adjustments to our test metrics.

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Shark Pet Plus uses a HEPA filter, which helps trap smaller allergens and pet dander better than standard filters. The inclusion is a nice bonus at this price point, and it likely helped this model score a good ranking in our filtration test.

We test all of our cordless vacs extensively, including a rigorous pet hair test.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Carpet Performance


Because so many households need to vacuum all sorts of messes, large and small, we use three debris types to test carpet performance. We start by measuring then spreading 1.5 total cups of sand, rice, and Cheerios over 9' x 3' sections of both low pile and high pile, shag-style carpet.

Carpet Cleaning Performance (%)
ProductLow PileHigh Pile
Best9454
Shark Pet Plus9249
Average82.142.8
Worst2435

We allow each vacuum 24 seconds to collect as much debris as possible, which we weigh for comparison to the original amount. This is a very hard test, revealing which materials each vacuum is better at handling on two common carpet and rug surfaces.

Low Pile


This little vacuum impressed us on low pile carpet, effectively scooping up 92% of our test material.

With a lower front gate on the cleaner head than we saw on the Vertex Pro Lightweight, the Pet Plus tended to push Cheerios around before finally rolling over them, but it still performed admirably in this tough test.

When I measured and examined the amount it collected, most of the leftover debris was still from sand in the carpet. This was similar to the results I've experienced with vacuums with lower measured suction power — they tend to struggle with sand.

High Pile


This machine collected 49% of the material on a shaggy surface, which is slightly above average for this very difficult test.

On shag carpet, it scored much better than most cheaper vacuums I've tested, but again, I noticed that it tended to push Cheerios around like a bully before rolling over them and gobbling them up.

Headgate height openings can affect how easily they roll over larger material (Shark Pet Plus on the left, Shark Stratos Cordless on the right).

In comparison, the Shark Stratos Cordless uses a dual-brushroll cleaner head with a very tall headgate that allows larger material to slip underneath more easily, making it a better choice for households that face larger debris challenges, like leaves, cereal, or potato chips.

My high pile test reinforced our experience with low pile carpet and led me to a key takeaway: If a person is patient and gives this little vacuum a few extra passes over tough spots in their home, I believe this stick vacuum will clean up most messes.

shark pet plus - i found that the shark pet plus needs more time to ride over larger...
I found that the Shark Pet Plus needs more time to ride over larger debris or suck up embedded sand.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Those with high pile carpet and heavy small debris like sand should also consider our high pile leader, the Tineco Pure ONE S11. It comes in at a similar price point, but its suction power is significantly stronger, which helped it excel with sand.

Hardwood Performance


As more homes and apartments forego carpet in favor of vinyl and hardwood, more people are turning to do-it-all vacuums that can clean all surfaces. Who needs a broom and dustpan when a vacuum can do the job? To find out if today's cordless vacuums are up to the task, we again stress-test these machines with three types of material: 1.5 total cups of sand, rice, and Cheerios spread out over a 9' x 3' area of hardwood.

shark pet plus - we repeat our hardwood cleaning tests 2-3 times for each vacuum to...
We repeat our hardwood cleaning tests 2-3 times for each vacuum to establish accurate percentages for our results and ratings.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Similar to our carpet test, we limit our hardwood test to just 24 seconds to help us reveal cleaning effectiveness. The cleaning prowess of the Shark Pet Plus is often overshadowed by powerhouse stick vacuums that cost five times as much, but the numbers don't lie with how well it did in our hardwood floor testing.

Cleaning Performance


Based on its remarkably low suction power in our tests, which we'll detail below, I was surprised and delighted by how well this model was able to suck up debris. Even though this vacuum lacks power, its brush roller and head design outworked most of the competition on hardwood floors.


In fact, with an average pick-up of 93%, only vacuums that cost more were able to suck up higher percentages on hardwood.

Edges


The one drawback to this vacuum's hardwood performance is its dismal performance near walls or baseboards. When attempting to clean coffee grounds parallel to the wall or head-on, neither method was effective. Head-on, the problem seems to be a very thick front bumper on the cleaner head that keeps the roller and suction from getting close enough to the coffee grounds to grab them.

After its good flat-floor collection capabilities, I was disappointed with our edge test. It left a constant deposit in the deepest part of the edge and periodically left larger mounds.

Before Testing After Testing
Before Testing photo comparison After Testing photo comparison
The edge test results revealed that I needed to break out a crevice tool attachment to clean near baseboards with this machine.

Pet Hair


Our pet hair test is incredibly tough. To start, we weigh and spread 4 grams of pet hair over our 3' x 4.5' test carpet sections, then add long hair extensions to mimic the inclusion of long human hair. We then mash it all into the carpet to simulate typical traffic on shed pet hair in home environments.

shark pet plus - what does our test hair look like when we vacuum it up? this photo...
What does our test hair look like when we vacuum it up? This photo shows just a portion of the amount we put down.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

To keep this test consistent, we give each vacuum just 12 seconds to clean up as much hair as possible.

Pet Hair Cleaning Performance (%)
ProductLowHigh
Best8474
Average73.648.3
Shark Pet Plus7240
Worst4820

This model sucked up 67% of the pet hair on low pile carpet, which is very competitive with vacuums that cost 2-3 times as much. High-pile carpet performance was still competitive, but our lead tester noted that this model tended to backplow hair and required adjustments to her path pattern to get errant clumps of hair sucked up.

This cordless vacuum performed well with pet hair, but long hair wrapped on the brush roll.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

With each test run, the long hair wrapped around the brush roller, and I had to cut it out to remove it. Frankly, I was expecting a bit better showing here because, after all, this is a cordless stick vacuum with “pet” in the name. I can't help but wonder how well this vacuum would do if Shark built it with a bigger motor for more suction power.

Filtration


To assess filtration, we vacuum 1/3 cup of flour in a controlled testing room while using two Dylos air quality monitors to track any increase in fine particulates. Because flour particles are so small, they can escape ineffective filters and identify vacuums that could leak concerning levels of airborne contaminants, including pet allergens or dander. Measurements under 75 are excellent, 75-150 are very good, and 150-300 are good.

Filtration Particle Count
 Shark Pet Plus
Small Particle Count260
HEPA Filter
Dylos Air Quality DesignationGood

This stick vacuum exhibits good filtering ability. The amount released was small and unlikely to bother most people, but those super sensitive to allergens might consider a vacuum with excellent filtration if needed, such as the Shark Vertex Pro Lightweight, which caused only 33 small particles to register on our two air quality testers.

Ease of Use


The Shark Pet Plus ranks slightly above average in our ease of use category. At just under 4 pounds at the handheld, it's not too tough to handle, but it's not the lightest cordless stick vacuum out there. All the included attachments satisfyingly snap into place without any issues as well.


One glaring issue I found was due to the lack of a storage option. No wall mount is included, and it doesn't bend in half like some other Shark vacuums. You'll need to find a safe place to lean it securely against the wall. This is a bit of a letdown, but it is somewhat understandable given this stick vacuum's streamlined and affordable nature.

Maneuverability


This vacuum is super nimble as it glides effortlessly across various surfaces and around typical obstacles in a living room. It can easily transfer from hardwood to carpet and back again while cleaning effectively.

shark pet plus - the pet plus glides over typical carpets, rugs, and floors with ease.
The Pet Plus glides over typical carpets, rugs, and floors with ease.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Maintenance


General maintenance is a breeze. I like that you can easily rinse and remove everything and that the filters have a built-in pictogram so new owners can see how they sit on top of each other. This makes the whole process uncomplicated and straightforward.

shark pet plus - cleaning the filters is super easy.
Cleaning the filters is super easy.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

However, one drawback is that the brush roller is not removable, so when hair gets tangled in it, it's hard to remove without cutting it away. This is similar to the DuoClean brush system of other Shark products, where removing the Powerfins brush is impossible, which also tends to accumulate long hair.

In addition to annoying brush roller maintenance, this model doesn't come with a wall mount or alternative storage option. Because it's not self-standing, I had to lean it against something to store it. Depending on a home's availability of leaning options, this could be annoying.

Uphostery & Attachments


The Pet Plus comes with an upholstery tool and effectively cleans coffee grounds from pillows and other soft materials around the house, though it will likely need a few passes compared to more expensive vacuums with powered attachments and more suction power.

Before Testing After Testing
Before Testing photo comparison After Testing photo comparison
Only a few coffee grounds were seen after our upholstery tests, providing versatility within a simple vacuum.

Battery


In our battery runtime test, this model could only run 43 minutes on its lowest setting, making it suitable for smaller households and quicker cleanup jobs.

Measured Battery Runtime
ProductLowHigh
Best689
Shark Pet Plus4314
Average44.111.9
Worst2911

With a solid runtime of 14 minutes on high, most will likely be able to power through tough spots without running dry.

shark pet plus - unfortunately you'll need to find a safe space to lean this vacuum...
Unfortunately you'll need to find a safe space to lean this vacuum against the wall for effective storage.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Should You Buy the Shark Pet Plus?


It's not the most capable vacuum in the Shark line-up, but it's still a solid cleaning sidekick that won't set you back too much financially. It falls into the budget territory, which grabs our attention since recent stick vacuum prices have seen exponential growth in recent years. Overall, we think this stick vacuum is supremely effective and can serve a wide variety of households.

What Other Stick Vacuums Should You Consider?


If you're not necessarily looking for the most budget-conscious device, the Shark Stratos Cordless beats the Pet Plus in every category, but it'll cost you quite a bit more. For the most budget-conscious folks out there, the Levoit LVAC 200 represents some of the best performance you can get out of such a low-cost vacuum, plus it's one of the easiest to maintain.

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Overall Score Sort Icon
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Bottom Line This stick vacuum is surprisingly effective while maintaining a low priceThis stick vacuum has all the cleaning performance most need in a lightweight packageThis vacuum delivers an impressive clean for a budget-friendly model, holding its own against competitors that cost two or even three times as muchA vacuum that gets the job done without breaking the bankA bit clunky in maneuverability and below average on hardwood, its powerful suction redeems itself on carpet
Rating Categories Shark Pet Plus Shark Vertex Pro Li... Smoture VAC01 Levoit LVAC-200 Tineco Pure ONE S11
Carpet Performance (30%)
7.2
7.3
6.4
6.2
7.4
Hardwood Performance (25%)
6.6
8.7
6.9
6.4
6.1
Pet Hair (20%)
5.4
6.2
5.0
5.1
6.0
Ease of Use (10%)
7.2
8.7
7.8
8.0
5.2
Filtration (10%)
7.0
8.2
7.2
8.0
6.8
Battery (5%)
5.8
6.1
5.8
5.3
4.0
Specifications Shark Pet Plus Shark Vertex Pro Li... Smoture VAC01 Levoit LVAC-200 Tineco Pure ONE S11
Max Mode Runtime 14 min 12 min 14 min 17 min 11 min
Low Mode Runtime 43 min 48 min 43 min 35 min 29 min
Storage Wall mount Foldable standalone Standalone Standalone Wall mount
Handheld Weight 3.6 lbs 3.8 lbs 3.5 lbs 3.3 lbs 3.5 lbs
Suction 75 Pa 323 Pa 249 Pa 274 Pa 1294 Pa
Low Pile Cleaned 92% 90% 87% 86% 90%
High Pile Cleaned 49% 56% 42% 42% 56%
Hardwood Cleaned 93% 96% 85% 77% 83%
Pet Hair Cleaned 56% 67% 54% 52% 62%
Charge Time 2.8 hrs 3.2 hrs 4.1 hrs 2.8 hrs 3.5 hrs
Dustbin Capacity 0.3 L 1.0 L 1.5 L 0.8 L 0.6 L
Noise Level 77 dBA 77 dBA 80 dBA 80 dBA 80 dBA
Trigger No No No No No
Variable Suction Control Yes Yes No No Yes, automatic
Model Number IZ361H IZ662H VAC01 LSV-V201-WUS Pure ONE S11

Rachael Lamore and Chris Maxcer