Shark Pet Plus Review

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.

Carpet Performance

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 larger material around. It is worth noting it was able to finally rolling those large pieces eventually, but just took a couple extra passes. While premium vacuums can navigate the house more efficiently, this vacuum still held its own compared to lower-performing models that struggled to pick up larger debris, no matter how many times we tried to push them over.

When we 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 we've experienced with vacuums with lower measured suction power; they tend to struggle with sand.

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

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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.

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

Hardwood Performance

Based on its remarkably low suction power in our tests, which we'll detail below, we were surprised and delighted by how well this model was able to suck up debris. Although this vacuum lacks power, its brush roller and head design outperformed 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.

However, 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 appears to be a very thick front bumper on the cleaner head, which prevents the roller and suction from getting close enough to the coffee grounds to grab them.

Before Testing After Testing

Pet Hair

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.

With each test run, the long hair wrapped around the brush roller, and we had to cut it out to remove it. Frankly, we were expecting a bit better showing here because, after all, this is a cordless stick vacuum with “pet” in the name.

Filtration

This stick vacuum provides good filtration, but for those sensitive to air quality, even a small increase in fine particle count can raise health concerns. If that's a priority, we suggest considering other models. In our tests, we measured a spike of 260 small particles in the air. For reference from the Dylos air quality chart, measurements under 75 are considered excellent, 75 to 150 are very good, and 150 to 300 are good.

Ease of Use

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. Luckily, it 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.

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, we had to lean it against something to store it. Depending on a home's availability of leaning options, this could be annoying.

The Pet Plus comes with an upholstery tool and effectively cleans 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

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.

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

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?