
Running these analyses costs money. Buy through my links to help keep lights on! I may get a small commission.
Reddit Reviews
Canister vacuum all the way. I used to have an old kenmore that I bought used. You need to get one with a power head for carpets and a hardfloor attachment. Or I have a shark now where the power head can be used for both. The only time this type of vacuum is a pain is when you are doing a house that's fully carpet, because it's a pull behind vacuum you need to kick it beind you as you exit the room.
Everyone says Shark. I had many Shark vacuums. The filters suck. The canisters suck. The brush rolls suck. When they broke or died it was impossible to find anyone who was willing to repair them. I decided to switch to a bagged canister style vacuum. I started with a kenmore because I wasn’t sure I’d like the canister style and Kenmore vacuums are fairly inexpensive. I really liked it. Although it was super heavy. The bags are much cleaner and easier to deal with than the shark canisters. One bag lasts a week or more which means I’m not dumping the canister multiple times during one clean. Filters don’t get as dirty. The Kenmore died after a year but I was able to get it repaired for cheap enough (was a fuse or something). I saved up $ and bought a Miele bagged canister style vacuum and I love it so much. Superior suction. Superior filtration. Light weight. Will never go back to the crappy shark vacuums. I’m a Miele for life. And I can get it repaired or serviced at my local vacuum repair place. I probably spent as much on all the sharks I bought as I did on the Miele.
I have a Shark and the canister is a good size and it worked awesome on pet hair and it’s like super light and generally they are much more cheaper.
I totally get the satisfaction of seeing the dust bin fill up — there’s something weirdly motivating about it. And honestly, I’m not sure why Shark gets so much hate here. I’ve had a Shark Pet for about three years now and it’s still going strong. It is kind of a pain to empty and I sometimes wish I’d gone bagged,, but if you prefer bagless, it’s actually been a solid option for me. If you want to compare bagless canisters side by side, there’s a [vacuum comparison sheet](https://www.reddit.com/user/lacking_foyer48/comments/1lj76h3/vacuum_cleaners_compared_comprehensive_datasheet/) another Redditor put together that covers all the different styles, specs, and features. Makes it a lot easier to see what you’re really getting for your budget.
We have a Dyson Animal and a Shark Canister style vacuum. We prefer the Shark. Suction is just as good as the Dyson and it’s infinitely more user friendly as far as the attachments and hose cleaning goes. Plus smaller head fits more places like under the bed. The Shark is just a better design.
Why? I like my shark and it’s a canister and it has a few filters. Cleans well, but I’m curious to see why bagged is better
I do actually have to corroborate this because I do see people complaining (which is their experience) but in my many warranty requests with shark, they were pretty easy to work with, a the most I did was a little video call with a representative but tbh thts kinds nice because it's a person who's talking to you and affirming you're about to receive xyz products in the mail for free and here are the links to using it installing them. Sure the warranty is 4years maybe on their most premium vac (what's it today y'all?) and they will die eventually afterwards without parts. But hey the company is mostly upfront about their marketing first, wowing upfront performance and shorter life cycles (implicitly) and honor their contracts easily.
A shark apex was the first vacuum I bought myself as an adult. I grew up with a miele canister. After a year ish I immediately bought a miele canister on marketplace and ofc it was much better for slightly cheaper (a miele UniQ!). I cleaned up and gave that shark to my bestie's family who still use it (and know how to maintain it well). I bought my brother and Apex for his housewarming (before I got my uniq) and it's a great vacuum for them too but they're not very meticulous users (and have a German shepherd) so it died in under 4 years. As a vacuum nut who acquires new/user vacuums for fun for my loved ones, sharks best stuff does work better than 90% of the crap that's out there... But knowing what I know now after a decade+ of vacuum nuttery, things like a miele/Sebo noticeably and materially outperform a shark, no contest. The economics of shark ownership are really not there in my experience.... ESPECIALLY compared to a Kenmore... Also being a canister vacuum nuts makes me resent shark a little. Though I got my cousin to buy the shark canister and it's great but they're also not meticulous users so I should've found them a miele 🤷🏾 Sharks aren't bad~ but they're always worse... So why not get the better performer (Germans) or the better value (Kenmore)? This is also ignoring the consumerist plague that is the sharkninja company... Their products always mostly work but are also almost always mostly outlcassed by their peers. Overall, it's a "why bother" from me. But get off the cross buddy, you're not a Dyson owner 😂
Corded shark stick vac. Not as powerful but man they're easy to move around. I also have a more powerful shark that's a traditional canister. Not as easy to move around but the suction is noticeably stronger.
Rankings by Use Case
Top recommendations from others in the same boat
Best for Cleaning stairs

Top pick
SEBO - AIRBELT E3 Premium
Best for Deep cleaning thick carpets

Top pick
SEBO - AIRBELT E3 Premium
Best for Hardwood and delicate floors

Top pick
SEBO - AIRBELT E3 Premium
Best for Heavy pet shedding

Top pick
SEBO - AIRBELT E3 Premium
Best for Long-term durability (buy it for life)

Top pick
Numatic International - Henry Canister Series
Best for Quick daily maintenance

Top pick
Dyson - V15 Detect Series





