Housekeeping House Cleaning Products and Tools The 6 Best Shark Vacuums for Pet Hair of 2023, According to Testing These vacuums will clean pet hair, kibble, and other messes with ease. By Barbara Bellesi Zito Updated on May 31, 2023 Fact checked by Marcus Reeves Fact checked by Marcus Reeves Marcus Reeves is an experienced writer, publisher, and fact-checker. He began his writing career reporting for The Source magazine. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Playboy, The Washington Post, and Rolling Stone, among other publications. His book Somebody Scream: Rap Music's Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power was nominated for a Zora Neale Hurston Award. He is an adjunct instructor at New York University, where he teaches writing and communications. Marcus received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Learn about BHG's Fact Checking Process Share Tweet Pin Email In This Article Expand Jump to a Section Our top picks Reviews The Bottom Line Our Testing Process What to Know About Them Other Shark Vacuums for Pet Hair We Tested Your Questions, Answered Who We Are What Is BHG Recommends? We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Better Homes & Gardens / Marcus Millan If you have pets at home, chances are their hair is all over your floor and couch. While you may be able to brush it off, a powerful vacuum is the easiest way to keep your home clean. “Pets are wonderful companions, but sloppy roommates, as they tend to leave a trail of fur wherever they go,” says Melissa Homer, cleaning expert and chief cleaning officer at MaidPro. “The only way to truly solve the problem is to invest in a quality vacuum with strong suction, HEPA filtration, and powerful rotating brushes for the floor and the upholstery.” Shark has long been a go-to brand in the vacuum industry, and it offers a line of vacuums specifically designed for pet owners. To find the best Shark vacuums for pet hair, we tried out a variety of models in our Des Moines, Iowa testing lab, as well as at home with our furry companions for six months. Each was tested by picking up kibble and hair on hard surfaces, carpets, and upholstery. We chose the best Shark vacuums for pet hair based on their effectiveness, portability, and maneuverability, as well as their noise level, simplicity of setup, ease of emptying the dust canister, and overall value. In addition to consulting with Homer, we also tapped into the expertise of Becky Rapinchuk, cleaning expert and owner of Clean Mama, and Alvin Pullins, CEO and founder of Nerd in the House. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Shark Navigator Pet Upright Vacuum at Amazon Jump to Review Best Cordless: Shark Upright Stick Vacuum at Amazon Jump to Review Best Robot: Shark IQ Robot Self-Empty XL RV1001AE at Amazon Jump to Review Best Handheld: Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ Handheld Vacuum at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Hard Floors: Shark Pet Bagless Canister Vacuum at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Everyday Use: Shark Pet Pro Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner at Walmart Jump to Review Best Overall Shark ZU62 Navigator Pet Upright Vacuum with Self-Cleaning Brushroll 4.8 Amazon View On Amazon View On Lowe's View On Wayfair Our Ratings Effectiveness 5/5 Maneuverability 5/5 Ease of Emptying 3/5 Portability 3/5 Noise Level 3.5/5 Why You Should Get It It was easy to navigate and effective on both hard floors and carpets. Keep in Mind It might scratch your vinyl floor. Overall, the best Shark vacuum for pet hair is the ZU62 Navigator Zero-M Self-Cleaning Brushroll Pet Pro Upright Vacuum. Though it’s billed for pet owners, it’s got enough suction power for everyone’s cleaning needs and could certainly function as your home’s main vacuum. We were impressed with how well this vacuum picked up cat food and dog hair on both hard floors and carpet, even deep-pile rugs. We found it navigated between both surfaces well, too. We appreciated how all we needed to do was flick a switch to change the suction power and transition from hard floor to carpet. We did find it more effective on tile or concrete floor—it can scratch vinyl, so keep that in mind if you have that type of flooring in your home. At 16 pounds, this Shark is not a handheld vacuum by any means. The cord is long enough to allow you to carry the vacuum up and down the stairs; however, this vacuum is quite hefty. Over the course of six months of use, we found ourselves using it for deep cleaning instead of everyday messes. While testing, we liked the extendable hose, which was great for getting into corners, even up on the ceiling. The dustbin takes a bit of effort to remove and empty, especially if you’re vacuuming up hair and dander. But since it’s a whopping 2.8 quarts, you probably won’t even have to empty it that often. Price at time of publish: $280 Product Details: Weight: 16 pounds | Dustbin Capacity: 2.8 quarts | Battery Life: N/a | Accessories: Not listed Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Best Cordless Shark Navigator Freestyle Cordless Upright Vacuum 4.2 Amazon View On Amazon View On Home Depot View On Overstock Our Ratings Effectiveness 4/5 Maneuverability 4/5 Ease of Emptying 4/5 Portability 4/5 Noise Level 4/5 Why You Should Get It The swivel design makes it easy to maneuver. Keep in Mind It’s loud and the canister is on the small side. We loved the swivel steer design of the Shark SV1106 Navigator Freestyle Upright Bagless Cordless Stick Vacuum, which made it easy to move and maneuver around the floor. It held up well over the course of six months and even replaced the vacuum we were using previously. During testing, we found out quickly that this cordless vac is great for picking up pet hair on the carpet. While trying it out at home, it easily cleaned dust bunnies, hair, and dirt. We noticed that it does have to work harder on hard surfaces, especially for kibble, so keep that in mind. With this vacuum, it’s very easy to remove the dust canister; however, emptying it was a different story, as hair tended to get caught on top. It’s small, which means you’ll have to take the time to empty it more often, too. However, we were thrilled to notice that there was no hair wrapped around the front roller, so we’ll take the tradeoff. We appreciate that it has different settings for carpet and hard floors. We liked how it was easy to get around corners and baseboards, though it would have been great if there was an adjustable handle. It’s also a bit loud, so you might have to keep your fur babies in another room while you work. All in all, it’s an effective vacuum for picking up pet hair, and we think it’s well worth the price. Price at time of publish: $130 Product Details: Weight: 7.5 pounds | Dustbin Capacity: 0.64 quarts | Battery Life: Not listed (4 hours to charge) | Accessories: Precision charging base Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Best Robot Shark IQ Robot Self-Empty XL RV1001AE 4.2 Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Wayfair Our Ratings Effectiveness 2.5/5 Maneuverability 3/5 Ease of Emptying 3.5/5 Portability 4/5 Noise Level 4/5 Why You Should Get It It’s truly hands-off, even when emptying the dustbin. Keep in Mind You’ll need another vacuum for the stairs. If you prefer a robotic style, the best Shark vacuum for pet hair is this unit. We found this vacuum did a great job on hardwood floors and low-pile carpet, though it did need to work a bit harder to remove kibble from the deeper-pile carpet. It picked up hair quite well, but we noticed it worked better on individual strands than clumps, so it’s ideal for pets that don’t shed much. We noticed some hair and even kibble got stuck in the beaters, but since the vac does everything else—except stairs, unfortunately—we’d still recommend it. This robotic vacuum even fits under couches, which is something you can’t say about many vacuums. This model will bump into things that get in the way, but we noticed that it does so gently; still, you’ll want to keep those cords out of its way so things don’t get tangled. You can pick it up midway to redirect it or have it go over another part of the area for cleanup, but otherwise, this is a hands-off vacuum. It even re-docks and empties itself—later, just push a button to remove the canister to dump out the contents easily. Price at time of publish: $600 Product Details: Weight: 13.23 pounds | Dustbin Capacity: Holds up to 30 days of debris | Battery Life: 30 days | Accessories: Self-empty base, side brushes, and filter Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Best Handheld Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ Cordless Handheld Vacuum 4.6 Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Target Our Ratings Effectiveness 5/5 Maneuverability 5/5 Ease of Emptying 3/5 Portability 5/5 Noise Level 5/5 Why You Should Get It It’s lightweight and easy to maneuver. Keep in Mind The dustbin can be challenging to empty. At just under 3 pounds, we found this handheld vacuum lightweight, easy to use, and one of the best Shark vacuums for pet hair. Setup is very easy—just snap the two pieces together and charge it up. It comes with attachments (stored separately) so you can customize it when needed for cleaning crevices and dusting surfaces. Kibble spilled on the hard floor was no match for this vacuum, though it proved to be more difficult to pick up on the carpet. Oddly enough, we actually didn’t even see the attachments—they’re stored separately—until later on in our testing, which should give you an idea of how well this handheld vacuum works on its own. Though it won’t have the same power as a bigger upright, the size and strength of suction make it a great handheld vac to keep around for quick pickups. We were impressed at how well it picked up cat hair from upholstery and crevices. Even though we’ve seen fur balls get stuck in larger vacuum canisters, that was not the case for this Shark. We were impressed with the battery runtime on this cordless vac—it powered off on its own at the 25-minute mark, even though the battery is only slated for a 15-minute lifespan. Emptying the canister proved to be a bit of a challenge. We did have to reach in to dislodge pet hair that had gotten stuck, but there’s some really good news: We found that nothing got stuck around the brushes. Price at time of publish: $100 Product Details: Weight: 2.8 pounds | Dustbin Capacity: Not listed | Battery Life: 15 minutes | Accessories: Charger, crevice tool, dusting brush, turbo brush Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Best for Hard Floors Shark CZ351 Pet Bagless Corded Canister Vacuum 4.4 Shark View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Target Our Ratings Effectiveness 4/5 Maneuverability 4/5 Ease of Emptying 5/5 Portability 4/5 Noise Level 5/5 Why You Should Get It It’s lightweight and easy to maneuver. Keep in Mind It struggles to clean up deep-pile carpet. Canister vacs tend to have a lot of pieces, but we were impressed with how easily we were able to move about with this Shark model. Kibble was cleared from hard surfaces in a flash, but it struggled to clean up all of the stuff that got embedded in the deep-pile carpet. We found that on upholstery, it picked up hair—all of it!—rather quickly. On the floor, we noticed clumps of hair came up easily, though some did get left behind on the edge of the carpet when the vacuum made the transition from between floor surfaces. It would have been nice to have a different setting to take on deeper pile carpet cleaning, but we think it’s great for hard surfaces and shorter-pile carpets. Overall, we thought it felt lightweight and easy to maneuver, though if you’re not used to this type of vac, you might need a couple of cleaning sessions to get used to it. It takes just the click of a button to empty the canister. Price at time of publish: $400 Product Details: Weight: 17.2 pounds | Dustbin Capacity: 1.9 quarts | Battery Life: N/a | Accessories: Pet crevice tool and upholstery tool Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Best for Everyday Use Shark Pet Pro Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner 4.2 Wayfair View On Walmart View On Walmart View On Target Our Ratings Effectiveness 3/5 Maneuverability 5/5 Ease of Emptying 2.5/5 Portability 5/5 Noise Level 4/5 Why You Should Get It It’s especially good for hard surfaces and it comes with a useful crevice tool. Keep in Mind It’s not ideal for deep-pile carpeted homes. If your pet sheds often, the best Shark vacuum for pet hair is the Pet Pro Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner. The effective cleaner makes it easy to clean up messes and has a long battery life as well. This is a great vac for picking up kibble on hard surfaces. However, keep in mind that it took many passes on the carpet to finally pick it up. Deep-pile carpet proved to be an even bigger problem because the debris got stuck deep in the fibers. With carpet, we found that the trick is to put the vacuum directly over clumps of hair for the most effective results. During testing, some hair did get stuck on the rollers, but this is a common issue for vacuums, especially those used for pet cleanup. Though it was easy enough to remove the dust canister, we needed to consult the manual to see how to empty it. We were impressed by the crevice tool not just for corners but picking up hair on upholstery. This vac comes with a pet attachment, but strangely enough, we found the crevice tool to be better at picking up pet hair on upholstery. We tried out the Max Power button and found it didn’t do much more for picking up hair. However, the regular settings proved to be effective enough on their own. Price at time of publish: $330 Product Details: Weight: 6.92 pounds | Dustbin Capacity: Not listed | Battery Life: 50 minutes | Accessories: Crevice tool and pet grooming tool Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek The Bottom Line We were most impressed by the variable suction power of the Shark ZU62 Navigator Zero-M Self-Cleaning Brushroll Pet Pro Upright Vacuum. Plus it’s got a self-cleaning brushroll, a HEPA filter, and a super-large dust canister. Our Testing Process To find the best Shark vacuums for pet hair, we tried a variety of models in our Des Moines, Iowa testing lab, as well as right at home with our pets for six months. Using a pre-determined methodology, we evaluated each model based on seven categories: effectiveness, maneuverability, ease of emptying, portability, noise level, ease of setup, and overall value. To start, we timed ourselves to see how long it took to set up each one, including charging times for the cordless models. We then used a decibel meter to measure the noise output of the vacuum on the highest setting. Using kibble and hair as the testing debris on carpets, floors, and upholstery (the latter was excluded from the robotic vacuum testing), we evaluated how well each vacuum was able to pick everything up. After vacuuming, we emptied the dust canisters, noting how much each was able to contain and how easy or difficult it was to empty. We also took into consideration any hair that was trapped on the brush roll. For models with washable filters, we took into consideration any challenges while cleaning those. In terms of maneuverability, we took into consideration how easy it was to transition between different surfaces, as well as its ability to get underneath furniture. Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek What to Know About Best Shark Vacuums for Pet Hair Before Shopping Suction Strong suction is everything when it comes to vacuums, especially when you’re trying to pick up after your pet. But those that are billed for pets are indeed better suited for furbaby cleanup. “I've used so many of [pet vacuums] and I can say the difference is their ability to handle pet hair and dander more effectively,” says Pullins. “They often have strong suction power, efficient filtration systems, and specialized attachments for cleaning pet hair from upholstery and carpets.” That said, the ones on our list that we liked the best have variable suction power, which allows you to make the transition from hard floor to carpet easier. If you have carpet with varying pile heights, you’ll especially want to look for a vacuum with adjustable suction. Filter If you’ve got pets at home, it pays to buy a vacuum with a HEPA filter. “The HEPA [filter] manages pet dander so your human guests aren't constantly sneezing,” says Homer. HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air. The US Department of Energy sets the standards for HEPA filters. In order to get the HEPA label, a vacuum air filter must remove at least 99.7% of pollen, dust, bacteria, and any other airborne particles (0.3 microns in size). Attachments Not all pet vacuums—Shark or otherwise—come with attachments. But of those that do, Pullins says you should look for attachments that clean hair more easily from upholstery and carpets. We also found that the crevice tool was also quite helpful in picking up stubborn hair from upholstery and stairs. “My preference is a bagged vacuum cleaner and definitely on-board attachments,” says Rapinchuk. Corded vs. Cordless This is the age-old question for vacuums regardless of whether you have pets. For ease of movement, cordless vacuums are great because they’re lightweight and easy to use. You can’t beat them—especially the handheld models—for quick pickups. However, they do not typically have as much suction power as their electric-powered (and much bigger) counterparts. Corded vacuums, on the other hand, can be quite heavy and sometimes hard to maneuver, but their suction power is superior. Plus, you won’t have to worry about charging them. Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Marek Other Shark Vacuums for Pet Hair We Tested Shark NV356E S2 Navigator Lift-Away Professional Upright Vacuum Even though we liked the swivel head and the different suction settings for various surfaces on the Shark NV356E S2 Navigator Lift-Away Professional Upright Vacuum, we found it hard to pick up hair and kibble on surfaces. Emptying the dust canister was difficult, too, and we needed to remove hair that got caught around the roller and wheel every time we used it. Your Questions, Answered What makes a pet vacuum different from a regular vacuum? According to Pullins, pet vacuums have a better knack for picking up pet hair and dander than “regular” vacuums. You’ll also find some models that have pet hair attachments better for cleaning upholstery and stairs. Unfortunately, your pet probably won’t like either of them. Even though some of these vacuums have lower noise levels, don’t be surprised if you hear them scurrying out of the room when it’s time to clean. How much should I expect to spend on a Shark pet hair vacuum? When it comes to the best Shark pet hair vacuums, the price is impacted by the style, as well as any accessories and technology. You can expect to spend a few hundred dollars at least, with some options going up to at least $600. Who We Are Barbara Bellesi Zito is a freelance writer from Staten Island, New York, covering all things home and lifestyle for Better Homes & Gardens. To compile this list of the best Shark vacuums for pet hair, Barbara analyzed lab insights from the BHG Tested team based in Des Moines, Iowa. She also consulted Melissa Homer, cleaning expert and Chief Cleaning Officer at MaidPro; Becky Rapinchuk, cleaning expert and owner of Clean Mama; and Alvin Pullins, CEO and founder of Nerd in the House. What Is BHG Recommends? Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed our BHG Recommends seal of approval. Products that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make sure they're worth a spot in your home. We buy most of the products we test ourselves, but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if buying isn't an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit