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.

Performance Comparison

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.

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.

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.

Overall Carpet Cleaning Performance

Overall, this affordable Shark vacuum earned above-average carpet cleaning scores, easily besting most machines that cost less and competing well against those that cost more.

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.

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.

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.

Crevice

For our crevice test, we replicate how a vacuum will do when we run it over crevices. We tested its abilities by dropping sand in between slats on a bamboo rug, pushing the vacuum over it four times, and then measuring the amount it was able to capture. This is a very difficult test because the brushrolls can't reach and whisk all the sand, requiring raw suction power to get it all up.

This model was able to suck up 87% of the sand, which is significantly above average but still behind higher-priced competitors.

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

Overall Hardwood Cleaning Performance

Overall, this machine surprised us with its solid performance on hardwood and with crevices.

It can tackle all debris on flat floors, effortlessly cleaning up high percentages of sand, rice, and Cheerios in a single pass — though it's not great at edge-of-wall cleaning.

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.

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

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 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 & Suction

Those sensitive to allergens might want to select a cordless vacuum that doesn't spray fine particle debris when it runs. While some low-power vacuums have great filtration, low suction can sometimes result in longer runtimes to clean up messes, which can increase particle disturbance due to longer runtimes. We test both filtration and suction to help you find the characteristics that are right for you.

Not surprisingly, given its more affordable price point, the Pet Plus recorded below-average measurements in both filtration and suction.

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.

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.

Suction

The overall Pet Plus suction power was near the bottom of all the vacuums we have ever tested. I tested its suction at the cleaner head at just 75 pascals. This is remarkably low. The fact that this vacuum could perform well in our difficult tests so well means the cleaner head designers at Shark should get a raise. Seriously, we're impressed by what Shark was able to accomplish with so little suction power. Kudos.

Of course, the lower suction makes the vacuum very easy to push around, making it easier for kids or aging adults with less arm and shoulder strength.

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.

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.

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

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.

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