Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus Review

The Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus is one of the better options out there for picking up tough messes and pet hair as it includes a pet hair-specific attachment with a rotating brush. But, compared to the group, its design lacks convenience, keeping it from a podium spot.

Performance Comparison

Dust & Dirt

We started our testing process by examining how each handheld vacuum managed typical dust and dirt. Our tests included cleaning up flour statically bound to a smooth surface, caked-on grime, and coffee grounds from the top of a baseboard and window sill with the brush attachment. The Pet Pro Plus fared very well in this set of tests, meriting one of the better scores in our lineup.

This vacuum took around 27 seconds to remove all the flour from our testing surface, a slightly faster than average time. The shorter, stiffer bristles on the brush attachment left some streaks on the first pass, forcing us to complete a second to clean it thoroughly.

We used the more oversized brush head with shorter bristles to clean small ledges and sills, including a baseboard and tight corners. We noticed that the task was more difficult than others due to this tool's size and shape. However, this brush head made removing caked-on dirt and mud effortless. The stiff bristles loosened the grime with minimal scrubbing actions, making the overall clean-up quick.

Tough Messes

Next, we moved past the typical messes and tested these vacuums with more involved tasks. We scattered flour and crushed oats on a couch cushion and carpeted car mat, as well as Mini-Wheats cereal to imitate larger particles. Additionally, we measured the airspeed of each product using an anemometer for some side-by-side objective results. The Pet Pro Plus again did very well, earning an excellent score.

The motorized brush on this model made pretty quick work of removing the flour from couch cushions, doing a noticeably better job than other products without a motorized attachment. It also did very well at extracting the flour from car mats, though we think that a bristle brush might have done a bit better job than the plastic fins on the motorized attachment.

The Pet Pro Plus did even better with the crushed oats, delivering one of the best showings of the entire group. It efficiently removed all the larger pieces, only leaving behind a few minuscule fragments and some dust. Thanks to its sufficiently large opening, it also did very well with the Mini-Wheats.

This vacuum finished out with a slightly below-average performance in our anemometer test, only clocking in around 1000 feet per minute (fpm) of airflow, with the average being closer to 1300 fpm.

Hard-to-Reach Areas

After our cleaning challenges, we looked at how easy the vacuum cleans confined areas, like cracks and crevices. We vacuumed multiple test locations, such as a window track, underneath car seats and kitchen devices, and under a nightstand.

This vacuum got off to a solid start with the window track, sucking up all the loose debris in just a single pass. Unfortunately, the bulkier attachments limited how far it could clean under appliances or furniture very well. We were only able to reach 4-5 inches under a simulated oven and nightstand gap, 1.25" and 3", respectively.

Battery Life

Our next series of tests focused on the cordless aspect of these handheld vacuums, with scores based solely on their battery runtime. We ran each product on maximum power and timed how long it took to deplete a fully charged battery. The Pet Pro Plus yielded lackluster results. On average, these vacuums last for around 17.5 minutes on a single charge, but the Pet Pro was usually less than 14 minutes.

Convenience

We compared each product's weight and noise levels for this metric, plus the ease of emptying the collection bin and storing the attachments. The Pet Pro Plus is about average in weight, tipping the scales at 2.3 pounds without any of the tools attached, and with the heaviest tool, it weighs 2.7 pounds.

Compared to others, the Pet Pro Plus is also relatively average for noise level, measuring 77.4 dBa on our meter, and this increased to 81 dBa when using the motorized attachment. We took these measurements roughly an arm's length away from the device.

The dust collection bin is a bit small at 0.43 liters, which is a disappointment, but it makes up for this by being very easy to empty. Press a button while holding the vacuum over a trash can, and the bin pops open.

Our only real complaint is that there isn't any integrated storage for three attachments, which can be a bit of a pain.

Pet Hair

Our last set of tests assessed how well the Pet Pro Plus picked up pet hair. Overall, this task can be difficult for handheld vacuums, but we think it's a critical performance component to know for pet owners. We laid out donated pet hair from a local pet groomer on a couch cushion and an automotive-style carpet sample. This vacuum, no surprise, had one of the better showings of the bunch, earning it an excellent score for this metric.

The motorized brush removed 99% or more of the hair from the couch cushion in less than a minute, requiring 1-2 passes to clean the surface. It works well, to the point where we wouldn't dread using it to clean an entire couch. It did similarly well with the car mat, though a few hairs embedded themselves in the carpet and dodged the motorized rubber fins, no matter how many cleaning passes we made.

Should You Buy the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus?

Overall, the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus has plenty of cleaning power but vacuuming hard-to-reach areas is one of its weaknesses. It's a decent option, and it will likely work for most needs, but with better performers in our lineup, as well as other cleaning machines on the market, we think a higher-scoring choice will provide greater user satisfaction.

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