When my husband first saw me using the Shark stick vacuum, he skeptically asked, “Is that a Dyson?” The British brand has become synonymous with cordless stick vacuums, making it hard to believe we wouldn’t have one. It’s like buying generic Q-Tips – who does that? Even the Shark’s color scheme is intentionally similar to Dyson’s.
After testing the Shark cordless stick vacuum for a month, I can confidently answer my husband’s question – no, the Shark is not a Dyson. While it may not have the same level of engineering and attention to detail as the premium Dyson vacuums, it still has a lot to offer. The display isn’t as nice and the build quality isn’t as solid, but it does have features that most Dyson vacuums don’t. And at a quarter of the price, it’s definitely worth considering.
In terms of size, the Shark vacuum is comparable to the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine, which is the model I currently own. The Shark is slightly shorter, but it takes up more space overall because it comes with a freestanding cleaning station. I found this cleaning station to be incredibly convenient, especially since I struggled to find a good spot to mount the Dyson’s docking station near an electrical outlet.
The Shark also comes with a 2-liter self-emptying bin in the base, which I found to be a major improvement over the Dyson’s design. With the Dyson, you have to unlatch the tube and empty the bagless bin from the bottom, which can be messy and inconvenient. The Shark’s self-emptying bin eliminates this issue and makes cleaning up even easier.
Overall, while the Shark may not have all the bells and whistles of a premium Dyson vacuum, it still offers great functionality and performance at a fraction of the cost. As a tech journalist, I highly recommend considering the Shark cordless stick vacuum for your cleaning needs.
