The Best Shark Vacuum For Carpet, Hard Floor. The Best Under $200

Let's break the Shark vacuums into categories that would make choosing the best easier.

Best Shark Vacuums 2022 compared

Shark has a lot of models starting with a $100 machine and ending at up to a $500 price tag. We are going to talk about what is important when getting a vacuum cleaner and so, based on that which model is the best for different cleaning needs.

Weight & Lift-Away

The vacuum's weight is important as the lighter the cleaner, the easier it is to push around. But there is a thing to keep in mind, the power of the cleaner. You have to trade something for the power and normally it's the weight. So the powerful machines usually are heavier.

So we can't say the lightweight Shark is better than saying, the Vertex as the last one is more powerful and is better in almost every aspect.

The Lift-away function lets you to clean above the floor without the need of carrying the whole machine around. All you have to do is to use the Shark as a stick vacuum leaving the main canister on the floor. 

Powered lift-aways should not be confused with just lift-aways which is where you can lift-away the canister from the nozzle to make it easy to carry around for above floor cleaning tasks. But you can't use it necessarily like a stick vacuum, to put it another way.

Not all Shark Lift-Away are powered lift-aways. But all powered lift-away are also lift-away.

Dust bins & Filtration

The dustbin size matters when you have to deal with lots of dust and debris. One more Shark's pro is the dustbin design that can be opened at both ends and is easy to clean.

Another thing Shark is famous for is filtration. Even the cheapest classic models have a sealed filtration system which is safe for everyone since the dust stays inside the vacuum as you clean. A sealed filtration is not that rare but mostly is there in premium models when the cheapest Shark uprights also have it.

Even the cheapest Shark vacuums have a selaed filtration system

Power & Cleaning abilities

The vacuum's power is the main thing to look at when choosing the vacuum. But good power numbers do not always mean the cleaner is good at dealing with lots of debris or vacuuming carpets. Surprisingly, all Shark vacuums are powerful enough to deal with both. Another Shark's pro is the cleaning technology.

The oldest models have Zero-M that resists hair tangles. The newer Sharks has DuoClean which is so far one of the best cleaning systems for picking up things on hard floor and carpet. The PowerFins does an even better job dealing with hair tangles. Even tho the newer models have upgraded cleaning heads, they all do an equally good job dealing with pet hair.

Those that have any kind of an anti-hair wrap system, get an extra point.

Power does not mean much for hard floors. Especially if the Shark has the DuoClean nozzle, it is fine for hard floors. However, power does mean a lot for cleaning carpets so before getting one, make sure it has enough power to vacuum carpets.

Attachments

The premium models normally come with a bigger accessory kit while the budget Sharks do not come with many attachments.

Best overall

Two of the best overall Shark vacuums would be the Stratos and the Vertex which are almost identical and both show great cleaning performance. The Stratos, however, is a more expensive model with the newest cleaning head and an anti-odor cartridge. All that adds some costs to the Stratos making it the most expensive in the lineup.

Shark Stratos AZ3002

The newest cleaning head with amazing cleaning ability

Eliminates odors

$399.99 on Amazon

Considering there is not much of a difference between the two and the Vertex being cheaper, there is no reason why it might not be one of the best values.

Keep in mind, that those two are powerful machines which means they are on the heavy side.

Shark AZ2002 Vertex DuoClean

The best value

$359.99 on Amazon

Best value: hard floor

The best version for mostly hard floors is the Shark Rotator ADV. Compared t the Vertex or Stratos, the Rotator is not a powered lift-away but it is much lighter which is the reason why it is the best for hard floors.

Shark Rotator ADV

The best value

$319.95 on Amazon

Best value: carpets

One of the cheapest models from Shark is the Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 which is the best budget option for carpets. It is one of the oldest models out there and is not as heavy as the premium machines. Even tho it is under $200, the Navigator has a sealed filtration system which you can rarely find at this price range. The cleaner does not have the premium feature like DuoClean or LED lights but you can get any extra part online and if you don't need those things, and have only carpet that has to be done with, consider getting the Navigator.

Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352

Best budget for carpet

$179.99 on Amazon

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