Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus Review

In our experience, the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus is the perfect tool for quick pick-ups. With our kids and pets making messes across the house, we loved having this mighty little vac around to get things nice and tidy without hauling out the big vacuum.

Cleaning Performance

The Shark's dual cyclonic air streams are designed to create a completely unobstructed path straight into the dustbin, which means even larger pieces of debris can pass through without getting stuck. This is a big difference compared with older, simpler handheld vacuums, which tend to clog because their designs limit what can get into the bin. So when you're cleaning up big cookie crumbs in the car or chunks of bark tracked in from outdoor play, this vacuum makes it simple to get the job done.

This vacuum was able to pick up glitter from every surface we tested, which is impressive since glitter is one of the most stubborn types of debris and tends to cling to everything. On the couch, it took a couple of passes with the rotating brush to collect all of it, but nothing was left behind. Every last piece was gathered, showing just how thorough this vacuum can be. We appreciated that glitter did not get trapped in the rotating attachment, as can happen with other vacuums we tested, which can cause it to fall out later while cleaning a different mess.

We were particularly impressed by the crevice tool, which is very slim and can pull dirt and debris out of even the smallest spaces, with suction strong enough to lift crumbs, dust, and other particles from spots it can't quite reach. It worked well in tight areas like windowsills, between couch cushions, and along baseboards.

The scrub brush, as its name suggests, is designed for getting in there and using some elbow grease, but that is exactly why we love motorized brushes, because they do the work for you without requiring as much effort. The short, stiff bristles on this tool are different from the longer, softer bristles you usually see on dusting brushes. Because they are short and stiff, this brush is not ideal for dusting, something that is missing from this tool set.

Ease of Use

The Pet Pro Plus weighs 2.2 pounds, making it a lightweight handheld. Its slender body allows it to slide into tighter spaces, and the longer design gives you extra reach compared with other bulkier competitors. The combination of length and slimness can be a bit limiting in very cramped spaces, though.

A blinking blue light on the Pet Pro Plus indicates it is charging and turns solid when the battery is full. In our testing, it took about three hours to reach a full charge. It is helpful to know exactly when the battery is ready, but the runtime itself is a limitation. The vacuum lasted just under 15 minutes in our tests, which can be frustrating if you are trying to clean a larger area or a particularly stubborn mess.

The dust bin held more than it appeared it would at 0.43 liters, and it was easily opened with a spring-loaded button push. Debris came out of the dust bin easily, including hair, so there was no need to reach in and pull things out, as we experienced with other models.

The Pet Pro Plus registered at 73.2 dB, which was average, but it didn't have any particularly high-pitched or irritating tones. For maintenance, cleaning the filter was simple because it is washable and not made of paper. Once you have finished the job, there is no storage mount or stand for the vacuum, and no dedicated place for attachments, which raises the risk of losing them.

Pet Hair

The motorized brush of the Pet Pro Plus removed all the visible hair from the couch cushion in under a minute, though it took a few extra passes to catch every last strand. It performs well enough that we would not dread using it to clean an entire couch. It did similarly well on the car mat, although it took two to three passes to lift stubborn hairs embedded in the carpet.

The extra passes required make it just a step below the top pet hair cleaners, as it is not quite as efficient to work with. The motorized attachment is narrower, which can make jobs take a little longer, but it helps when angling around corners and allows you to reach tight spots like the edges of couch cushions. This is the trade-off we sometimes appreciate when cleaning those tricky areas.

Using the scrub brush attachment helped with particularly stubborn hair, but we did notice that hair tended to wrap around the bristles, so you still need to pull it out of the attachment. This is common with this type of tool. The crevice tool performed very well for picking up hair from corners and tight spaces in the car where hair tends to collect. When you do not have much space to reach, it is reassuring to know that the crevice tool's strong suction performs well even in those narrow sections. Our tester was pleasantly surprised to reach long, embedded areas in her car that she had never been able to clean before.

Should You Buy the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus?

Overall, the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus delivers plenty of cleaning power and offers strong all-around performance, giving it great versatility where other handhelds may only excel with specific types of messes. It does, however, fall short in battery life, so it may not be the best choice if you need to clean for long periods without recharging.

What Other Handheld Vacuums Should You Consider?