Top 10 Best Shark Vacuum For Apartment for 2026 – Expert Tested

Customer Review: We have had the Shark Navigator for so years or so. It is still running fine but we moved it upstairs to not have to be carrying one u and down to clean. The new one is better than the basic model we had. It has unbelievable suction and clean wonderfully. It is a bit harder to move and is a bit noisier. Perhaps because it is so new and needs to break in. I think the noise is from the self cleaning on the roller. However with two dogs and long haired women it is worth it. Highly recommend. I have had Dyson, Kirby, Electrolux and Sears over the years and NONE of them come close.

Customer Review: WOW!! I had a Shark Navigator Lift-a-way, and after 15 years of faithful service, the hose tore and duct tape didnt work. After reading the reviews here on Amazon, I tried to find it in a store. But NONE. I pulled the trigger and ordered it earlier this week. Today, it came and I put it together. My carpet was ready for a good vacuuming. This Shark is AMAZING. SUPER STRONG SUCTION. I had to back the suction off a bit (easy to access, just like the old Shark. PERFECT! I used it on my carpeted steps. Perfect! The attachment for steps is not motorized and actually does a better job than the old Shark. (It had a motorized attachment not unlike the full-sized carpet sweeper) Now I wont hate doing steps!!! I used it on my smooth kitchen floor….works great. GREAT VACUUM!! The price is right. Everything I saw at Kohls, Walmart, were either way low-quality or too high of price. Glad to be able to post a positive review on this. I was worried to never find another vacuum as good as my old Shark. Hope this helps you make a decision. 🙂

Customer Review: Excellent vacuum. Powerful suction and lightweight, easy to maneuver, design. I like the larger tank which affords longer use without need of emptying as frequently. The lift away is great for blinds, curtains, overhead vents, et al. Another great feature is the three position power switch: 1) off, 2) on/suction only, and 3) on/suction and brush. The suction only is particularly useful if you are vacuuming an uncarpeted hardwood, or tile floor.I’ve been hard on vacuums in the past and gone through some highly rated models but I feel like this Shark model might actually go the distance.

Customer Review: This is a long one, but it’s worth the read if you’re doing some serious shopping for a vacuum cleaner:I picked this up in October so I’ve been using it for a few months just to get a genuine sense of how this vacuum really performed and I am absolutely impressed! This beats my Dyson AND my Kirby hands down. Superior suction, amazing maneuverability, lighter than either the Kirby or the Dyson. ( If you’re wondering why I own so many vacuums, I clean for a living.) I bought this for the house. I have two cats and a husband who’s into Warhammer so you know there are sprew bits and cat hair everywhere and this thing handles it like a champ! I wasn’t sold on how small the floor attachment was until I used it: I can get underneath my barstools so much easier now and my entire house ( approx. 2000 sq ft.) is done in 20 minutes, tops! There is a learning curve, but that’s something you get with any new vacuum. I was also super impressed by the ease with which I can switch from floor to handheld attachments. Some of these other vacuums I’ve used are so bulky and difficult to handle all the small attachments… Not this one! I’m able to switch back and forth from floor to handheld quick, fast and in a hurry. Bonus points that it’s lightweight. I’m not killing myself just to vacuum my house. It’s really saved my back! And it was so much less expensive than the Dyson or the Kirby. The window on the floor attachment gives me a clear view of the roller brush ( yeah, it makes me accountable which is a good thing. It’s harder to ignore when I can see it so thanks for that, too. ). The cord is a tad short, so I went ahead a bought a small extension cord to go with it, but other than that, I’m very impressed! I wish I had bought this years ago. I will never buy another vacuum from anyone else other than Shark again. Good job, guys! I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a serious little vacuum.

Customer Review: I’ve been using my Shark Cordless vacuum for a few months now. I still love it. I was waiting to make sure it kept working before reviewing. So far, so good. I haven’t had the best luck with the less expensive cordless vacuums. One was so hard to clean I just sent it back. Another had a problem with the rollers not spinning. I managed to keep it going for 2 years but always presented problems. This one is easy. The rollers stop the nanosecond a problem is detected and nothing has gotten wrapped up in them. This one is not so expensive that I couldn’t afford it and is what I was looking for. It seems durable and hopefully it will last more than a few years.It’s easy to use, lightweight and empties very easily. Just hold it over the garbage can and push the button. Nice. It’s also easy to charge. I just plug it in next to a wall and let it charge. My only complaint is actually that the charge barely lasts long enough. I have 1204 sq. ft. on 3 levels. I use a larger, corded vacuum for the top level that has 2 carpeted bedrooms. So, I’m only vacuuming the hard floors on the 2nd level (with some throw rugs) and the carpeted living room on the ground floor. Also 18 total carpeted steps. So, I wish the charge would last another 10-15 minutes for a more complete job. That said, it works so well, that I’m still very happy.The best part is that it’s small enough and light enough to make cleaning the stairs a lot less of a chore than with a full-sized regular vacuum. The rollers pull strongly and the suction is quite adequate. Not overwhelmingly so but does the job. I have 2 cats and need to be able to have a handy device especially for the steps where they love to play.

Customer Review: As a disclaimer, our home is 1700ft2, and about 2/3 of it is carpeted.The vacuum works phenomenal on the regular carpeting and hardwood in the house, but struggles a little bit with the wool area rug. The variety of ways this vacuum can be assembled makes it extremely versatile. For example, using the regular brush roll head while removing the extension works wonders on the carpeted stairs. The short “handheld” version with the scraper does great on the couch. And the extension, with the small ended nozzle, works great for after the initial vacuuming, getting all the dirt along the edges of the rooms and furniture. It lays down almost flat, so getting under things like the dog food bowls, the couch, the dining room table etc are a breeze.So the reason I made the title the way it is, is related to battery life. To realistically clean our first floor (mostly hardwood/tile + wool rug) and the second floor (totally carpeted) will eat up the entire battery. The battery is NOT fast to charge. The runtime is based I believe on the vacuum running in “handheld mode” (aka without the brush head). So, if you’re home is over 1500ft2 and mostly carpeted, you’re going to have to throw it on the charger for a while most likely. I think it would greatly benefit Shark to come up with swappable batteries, think Milwaukee or DeWalt style. If you’re handy you can do this yourself, but it would greatly benefit the company to have a proprietary design for this.Another con, though I hesitate to call it a con based on the portability of this vacuum, is the power. As mentioned, it does great on our regular carpeting, but just isn’t as good as the corded Shark we’ve had for almost 10 years. This is to be expected as the motor in the corded vac draws significantly more power than the cordless battery version, but still worth mentioning.The vacuum is very light and easy to use. The blue light on the front of the roller head is AWESOME, and will show every spec of dirt on any uncarpeted surface.Overall, for the sale price we got it at (I want to say between $175-225, can’t remember exactly) it has been excellent. Just keep in mind how much you’re going to want to run it at once, as if you’re living space is too big, you will have to take long breaks to recharge the vacuum.

Customer Review: I am where vacuums go to die. With 4 dogs and 5 cats, living on a mountain farm, I kill vacuums on a regular basis. I’ve managed to take out everything from an old Kirby to a new Dyson & everything in between. Even the ones designed for pet hair didn’t last long. Then I got a shark navigator. It was true love! It was like having a Catholic priest come in on a regular basis to perform an exorcism on my carpets. For years, me & my Shark performed miracles in my home, proclaiming from my mountain top… THIS HOUSE IS CLEAN! Then we moved. I allowed a stranger to take my beloved Shark and haul it 2600 miles. By the time it arrived, it was too late. I founded it shoved behind a pile of boxes, hidden by the movers until after they left. It was literally in pieces, it’s hoses and cords shredded and pulled from thier sockets. The handle snapped off at the neck, there was no chance of resurrection. I couldn’t imagine what kind of torture my poor loyal side kick had endured, and was in doubt I would ever know such admiration for a household appliance again.I started the quest for a new vacuum, of course I knew it would be impossible to find such perfection again. Each year the new models get cheaper in parts while more expensive in price. After days of exhaustive searching… thinking perhaps I could find a remanufactured version of my old pal, I gave up. It was time to admit I had to buy something different. Still, my Navigator had been so wonderful, and I hadn’t found anything on the market that seemed better so I ordered a newer model, and set my heart to disappointment. Certainly I would never find another who could make my heart pitter pat like that again!My new Shark arrived and I pulled it from the box. It was pretty, shiny, and a lovely color. I assembled the parts easily, hearing the click as each locked in place. It had a good weight to it, though I felt a bit like betraying a loved one as I tucked it into the closet… not yet ready to actually turn it on for a test run.The puppy took advantage of my distraction, as cable & internet providers came and went. The pup shredded anything he found tempting that had already been unpacked, including packing material. Little Styrofoam pieces and bits of a silk flower arrangement littered a bedroom floor. A calendar lying on top of a box would no longer adorn our wall. And fluffy bits of golden retriever dotted the carpet where he had rolled and played during his destructive frolic. I cleaned up what i could by hand and then instinctively reached in the closet for my Shark.It was not my dear, loyal soldier that heeded my call for assistance. No, there was a new soldier at the ready and it was time to see if it could handle the job. I plugged it in, and turned it on.The Shark came to life, illuminated with the power surging through it. With a light touch, the new machine moved as though floating over the floor, and followed my directions as though reading my mind. The shredded debris was instantly gone, nothing missed, no second pass needed. It was so efficient we were done before I knew it. I popped out the tank, emptied it and slipped it back in with ease. I rewrapped the cord and rolled the vacuum back to the closet. As I tucked it in to its spot I gave it a quick pat and whispered, “That’ll do Shark. That’ll do.”It had done its duty well, with no hesitation or complaints. My old friend was laid to rest, and a new one had come to fill the hole in my heart & my closet. My dogs & cats fur would not be allowed to over run my home. I had a new champion that promised to fight the good fight. All that remains to be seen is how long it will last.A s we all lived happily ever after.

Customer Review: Best vac I’ve ever owned. We have Golden Retriever who sheds constantly and this vac does great on carpet, tile and hardwood. Replaced an LG Stick and this is way better. More capacity, suction and wider so doesn’t take as long to sweep the house.

Customer Review: Afier 6 months, changing to 5 stars from 4. This one replaced a mini cleaner from the “D” company, that fell apart after 15 years. (We bought a new one but they are inferior quality now and too big for me.) My review is geared toward older adults with physical issues, either short or long term. I’m older (60’s) and sufferedthe long Pandemic-19 illness after a family member visited and this person and adult daughter took mum to a packed weekend buffet; mum got ill, then passed to me. Physically, I was left weak after it settled in my joints, with back ache after smallest chores for over a year, so I needed a light-weight vacuumas exertion left me with DOMS. This was on a very good price (1/2 of now), easy to assemble, good alternative to the old vac. It’s light enough that I don’t have to recover for days after using it, but sturdy enough that I think it will last. This Shark works, though I wish thehead part of it fit better under my couch, but it’s easy to change to the wand. Will never go back to the awful, expensive “D” cleaners, especially for the company that claims to have they’ve “got just what I need.” So glad I found this vac here. After owning and using for 6 months, I’m adding another star. It’s easy to set up, easy to use, easy to clean, easy to store, and really works well. The vac has a max and min setting. I didn’t realize and was happy using the min setting. After switching it on max though, it blew my old cleaner away off the face of the earth. I’m so happy to have a solid machine that I can handle.

Customer Review: I’ve been a loyal Dyson user for about 10 years, always replacing one with another whenever it wore out. But this last time, I decided to try a Shark—and honestly, the difference blew me away. Dyson is a good vacuum, but Shark is officially my go-to now.I have six cats and a dog, so I need a vacuum that can really keep up with the constant pet hair and mess. This one absolutely does.Here’s what stood out to me:It’s super lightweight. I didn’t even realize how heavy my old vacuums were until I started using this one. It glides across the floor effortlessly and is really easy to push.The canister is more secure. It has specific buttons and latches to open and empty it, so it feels less messy and more controlled.The deodorizer capsule works. I was skeptical, but it actually makes the air smell fresher after vacuuming, which is a nice touch, especially with pets.The floor light is amazing. I had no idea how helpful a vacuum light could be on tile floors. When I vacuum with the lights dim, every bit of hair and dust lights up, and my house looks noticeably cleaner.The hose handle release is super handy. It makes it really easy to clean around animal cages and window sills without having to wrestle with attachments.Bottom line: I’m SO glad I bought this vacuum. It’s made cleaning easier and more effective, and I won’t be going back.

Customer Review: One of the other reviewers mentioned she was skeptical of this machine, but after using it she changed her mind. That got my attention as it seemed a lot of money for JUST a cute toy. However, IT WORKS VERY WELL!!The app works well on my Android phone, After I followed the download and installations directions Completely and enabled LOCATION (which I Never do) after which the machine found the phone and they had a little chat.Neither Wi-Fi nor the app is strictly necessary for this to clean your house, but only to program cleaning areas and schedules. For example, before I got it to pair with my phone, after charging completely of course, I simply turned it on to see what it would do.First it got its bearings, spinning a couple times, located the dock, kissed it just to make sure, and then started cleaning my wood floors; All of them! It found its way around the dining table/chairs, didn’t get stuck under the wood rocking chair, cleaned the area rug in the living room Just Fine, wandered into every room and did a Very Good Job of cleaning, even the back hall by the back door! It even found a little pile of course sand in husband’s room and got it all (I wouldn’t recommend feeding it sand deliberately. I don’t think it was happy with that!) I was quite astonished how much hair and lint it picked up!There are things it can’t do; toe-kicks for example as it’s too tall to get into most of them. And being Round, it has a bit of trouble with some tight corners., and some edges at interface of floor and wall. Some of these places might need Human Intervention, such as in a broom or small hand brush.It can’t really do a good job plush pile carpet if it’s very dirty. It simply lacks the power and heavy beater bar of a monstrous upright. (But it doesn’t claim to compete with those.) [EDIT] So I cleaned mine Really well with the upright monster to give the Shark a head start, and it worked very well. After a couple weeks of Matrix Clean every couple days it’s even begun to lift the pile in high traffic areas,. Today for example, the carpet hasn’t looked this good in Years!![/Edit]There is a setting in the App to allow it to return to the dock to recharge and resume cleaning, and one to empty itself and resume. What a Good Idea! I recommend that one for sure.I would Highly recommend this machine for Anyone, not merely for an elderly person. The Entertainment Value alone is worth what it cost me, not to mention the time saving issue.This Robot is nothing sort of Brilliant!Just Brilliant!**

Customer Review: This Shark Robovacuum is great. We’ve had it in use for about 2 weeks. It vacuums half of my home (living room, kitchen, spare room and a bathroom) every night because of our 2 dogs and 3 cats. Make sure you find the little edge brush, its tucked into a corner of the packing material. I was happy to find out that it will eventually climb over my threshold between my living room and kitchen with is pretty tall (for a threshold) due to my kitchen floor being decorative stone. The Shark Robovac is a little loud when doing its job, but not horribly loud. When it backs into its docking station, the vacuum that sucks out the robovacs onboard dustbin is pretty loud…kind of like a shop vacuum. Its only on for a few seconds. Overall, I’m impressed with its cleaning ability. Its nice waking up eveymorning to clean floors. The other half of the house is a step down, so my wife has those rooms mapped out separately and has to put the robovac on that level to clean rooms individually. So far so good.

Customer Review: If you have floors, this is the best vacuum you can own.It might be pricey, however, it’s just great for picking up small crumbs and debris, pet hair on the floor. We have cat litter and birds, and this vacuum can pick up all. The vacuum is not too loud and moves around on the floor effortlessly. It’s lightweight and swivels perfectly to navigate corners. This vacuum is easy to empty the holder with just one press, and the container empties instantly.I used to use a hand held vacuum to get fine particles and now, I use this cordless vacuum from Shark. We have the circular Shark cordless vacuum that can vacuum the whole home, however, it often gets clogged or needs to recharge to finish the home.This upright stick vacuum is something I should have purchased years ago.Also, it is something easy to put together.….I did buy the protection plan because I am so tired of vacuums that just stop working and then I need to buy a new one.

Customer Review: This vac is pretty awesome. It is lighter than I expected. Some said that it was heavy at the top, which is because the battery is mounted there. Instead of trying to hold it up, I let it rest on my hand and move it around. The vac does a great job on hard floors, as it has two types of rollers – one is with the “blades” and the other is a microfiber material, which means it not only picks up debris, it also sweeps and cleans the dust that has settled on the floor. It also will pick up when moving forward and reverse. Some cordless vacs only pick up when moving forward. It passes the Cheerios test, and picks up crunchy cat food on the floor with ease.This vac has 3 settings – high and low, and then the Clean Sense, which allows the vac to determine which speed and power is needed. On hard floors, I let the Clean Sense do its job and by doing so, the battery lasts longer. I also will start with the auto feature in the rooms with carpet, but sometimes I will notch it up to “high” to get a little deeper into the carpet. Initially, I was concerned that the battery would not last throughout the house, but it does for the most part. Once I have run through the house, I dump the collection bin, fold up the vac for storage and then I plug in the battery charger to top it back off. I never put it up without charging it fully again. After it fully recharges, I unplug the charger from the vac. The folding feature of the vac is a great way to store the vac, though I worry about the plastic tubing being bent up 180 degrees. Based on some reviews about the folding feature breaking something in that area, I am very careful when folding it up. It also is still confusing which button I press to fold up versus opening the bin to dump out the contents. So far, I have not accidentally dumped the container by pushing the wrong button. I’m still learning a month into it.I like the odor neutralizer, as it leaves behind a pleasant smell. I am very sensitive to fragrances and the little cartridge that comes with the vac smells really good. My house has a fresh smell after vacuuming. You can dial in the amount of fragrance to be released, and I have it on low. It will also last longer the lower the setting used. I also note that there are replacement cartridges from other sellers for this vac, so I will not worry about using this one up without replacing it.This does not replace my Rainbow vacuum, but it sure is a heck of an easier way to keep the floors tidy. I also have the robot vac by the same manufacturer and sadly it is not getting used as much now that I have this cordless stick. With this stick, I can spontaneously decide to clean up the floors, but the robot requires me to go all around the house picking up everything small enough to get the robot stuck. I also have a handheld cordless vac by another company and I occasionally use it instead of the hand vac on this vac. This vac comes with two attachments – one for dusting and one is a crevice tool. I so far I have not utilized either one, but the dusting tool has microfiber all around it, so I am excited to try dusting next.So, overall I am pleased with this purchase. I will need to use this over time to report back on the durability and quality of the build to fully conclude the value. If this vac dies on me, you can be sure I will immediately revise my rating, since this was a luxury purchase for me and I expect it to hold up. But, for now this is a welcome addition to my home.

Customer Review: This vacuum is a game-changer for my all-hardwood apartment. The DuoClean rollers actually pick up everything—no more pushing dust bunnies around. I love that it automatically adjusts when I go from the kitchen to the living room rug. It’s so light I can carry it one-handed up the stairs. The odor cartridge is a nice bonus; my place always smells clean after using it. Much better than my old stick vac.

Customer Review: I was skeptical about the “detect” features, but they actually work! The brushroll speed changes as I move onto the rug, and the suction feels stronger on carpet. It’s incredibly easy to use—just plug and go. The self-cleaning brushroll means I never have to pull hair out of it, which is a huge plus with two cats. For a corded stick, it’s the best I’ve ever used on hard floors. Highly recommend for small spaces with mostly hard surfaces.

Customer Review: This powerful vacum is simply Genious. Very powerful, quiet and so adaptable it was simply amazing. Never seen anything like it. From reaching way under the bed to the top of my ceilings. The floors are spotless, nothing cleaned my floors so well. Love the led lights too. Long cord, and easy cleaning. Their Warrenty is the best there is too. 5 years and you get the whole piece of the machine broken. Unbelievably!

Customer Review: This specific Shark model was on sale for $70 off and was the unit I bought. It’s hard to determine the actual advantages of one model over another, so even though I read the specs on a lot of them, I still wasn’t sure what to buy.So this unit. It ships very well packed. Shark gets points for packaging. Most of it was recyclable. The vacuum itself iseasy to assemble. The parts snap together. What are the pros of this? It has good suction. And I’ve found it works better on my thick Karastan carpet – better than the old NV352 I discarded. It also has a long cord so you don’t have to keep moving to a different plug. As with the other Shark products, the vacuum unit detaches for working on high areas. The hose on this specific unit is much easier to deal with than the 352, which was like pulling teeth to stretch it out. The head unit is also easy to maneuver into tight spots, which makes cleaning a lot easier. The unit also has a no-hair rolled to prevent long hair from fouling the brush. That’s nice, especially if you have lots of long hair falling out all over the place. The noise is loud, but it isn’t irritating. It’s in the lower range so not terribly obnoxious. It’s always amazing just how much dirt is on my carpets. I have to vacuum at least 2 days per week, usually 3 or 4. It’s also satisfying to see all of the mess it picks up.The vacuum has an extraordinarily long 5 year warranty – keep your receipt and all documentation. The unit has three different pile-height settings. There is a bare floor setting and a high and low pile setting. The bare floor setting works great, which is not always the case. There is also a 5 LED light bar which I have found very useful for identifying cat litter.The cons. This unit is HEAVY. About 14 or 15 pounds, so it requires strength to move it. As it has three rollers (brushes) you need to select the right carpet setting. If you don’t you will find yourself having to force the vacuum along the carpet. The other issue is that the head is crazy flexible, so if you are trying to vacuum straight ahead, you will be constantly fighting to keep it straight. The last ‘con’ is that the dust collection bin is small. This just means you have to empty it more often, and that might be something that pushes a buyer away.So far, these issues aside, it’s working for the purpose intended.

Customer Review: Love SHARK products! A week before I bought this one, I bought another Shark Mop/Vac, the VM252, as I was putting my old one in my shed for easier clean up there, and wanted a new one for the house. It came and I loved it! The light is super bright, to make it easier to see stuff on the floor. Loved it so much, I ordered a 2nd one, or rather my husband ordered it. We didn’t realize it wasn’t the same model, but when it came (this one), I was totally happy! It has the brightest blue light…I “hate” it (lol…not really, but…) it shows up EVERY TINY SPECK OF DIRT, DUST, what-have-you, that you have always missed (???). So it’s going in my bathroom where it’s really needed! We have long hair, and cats. I’m glad I got this one, too! Both are excellent! I highly recommend them! They both have great suction (we also have 9 birds, so lots of feathers and seeds on the floor). I buy the pads by the box so I always have them on hand.

Customer Review: One of my favorite household purchases to date! We are a busy family with 4 kids and multiple dogs (who like to get muddy), and this thing keeps up! It is very durable! We have primarily LVP flooring throughout our home. I can use this without vacuuming before, and the pads still manage to collect all the dust and hair and dirt. It has great battery life and is lightweight and so easy to use. Does not take long to charge at all! I have used different mopping floor cleaners if I run out, but the Shark is best and leaves my house smelling great. It is great value for the money, and I have purchased this for gifts and always recommend to those looking for a great vac mop. 10/10!