Shark vs Dyson: which vacuum cleaner brand is best?

Over the past few years, US brand Shark has been doing its best to take a bite out of Dyson’s share of the competitive UK vacuum cleaner market. Neither brand is cheap, so if you want to spend your money wisely, you need to know whether one brand is better than the other. 

We’ve tested pretty much every model there is from both brands, and we've found some brilliant options as well as some less exceptional ones.

Which one is right for you depends on a lot of factors, including budget, the type of home you have, and what features matter most to you. 

Read on to find out more about what each brand brings to the table (or carpet).

Alternatively, head straight to our cordless vacuum cleaner reviews and corded vacuum cleaner reviews to look at Shark and Dyson vacuums.

Shark vs Dyson: how do their cordless vacs compare?

Both brands focus on the premium end of the cordless vacs spectrum. Models tend to cost £200 or more, are packed with features and claim to be great for gathering dust.

This is the kind of cordless vacuum that aims to replace your traditional upright; it will convert to handheld cleaning mode and comes with mini tools for tackling crevices and upholstery as standard.

Even lower-priced Shark cordless models come with various features, such as LED headlights to show up stray dirt, a hinged cleaning tube, swappable batteries and the new anti-hair wrap that detangles the brush bar for you. They have a longer warranty, too. 

Shark models tend to be heavier than Dyson, but some of this weight is in the bulky floorhead, so you won’t necessarily feel the effects. 

On its higher-priced models, Dyson includes the latest tech, such as:

• Digital control display This tells you in minutes exactly how much battery life you have left, and updates depending on the cleaning mode selected 
• Automatic cleaning mode This means you don’t need to worry about switching settings when you move from carpet to hard floor.

They also have a dust-ejection system designed to minimise dust-clouds, and a larger capacity, which means fewer trips to the bin. 

These features can make a difference to how pleasant the vacuum is to use, but which brand you prefer depends on what your biggest vacuuming bugbears are, the size and shape of your home, and how big your budget is. 

Here are some things to consider:

1. Capacity and emptying If you have a larger home or are prone to allergies, you may be grateful for a bigger or easier-to-empty bin. If you find your vac gets tangled easily with hair, a simple-to-clean brush bar is key for maintaining good suction. 
2. Storage Do you have a space to install a wall mount, or would you rather a vacuum that self-stands or folds down? 
3. Battery life If you have a larger home or a lot of carpet, you’ll want more battery life so you don’t get caught short. 
4. Accessories If you have carpeted stairs or pets, a mini turbo tool is a handy extra. 
5. Power trigger Most older Dyson models require you to hold down a power trigger while cleaning. This is to save battery, but if you have a lot of floor space to cover, it can get tiring.

The V15 Detect Absolute, one of Dyson's newer models, comes with a number of innovative features. Read our Dyson V15 Detect Absolute review to see how it fared in our tests.

Around the same time as Dyson launched its V15 collection, Shark released a new addition to its popular Anti Hair Wrap cordless vacuum range. 

Take a look at our review of the Shark Anti Hair Wrap with PowerFins and Flexology IZ300UK review to get our initial thoughts. 

On a hunt for a bargain? Check out our guide to the best Shark vacuum cleaner deals and the best Dyson vacuum cleaner deals on sale now.

Shark vs Dyson: how do their corded vacs compare?

Dyson says it’s no longer developing corded vacuum cleaners and has switched its focus solely to cordless technology. 

A small range of corded models, including the Dyson Big Ball Animal 2 cylinder vacuums, and bagless upright models such as the Dyson Ball Animal 2, are now only available second-hand on online marketplaces.

Shark, meanwhile, is focusing mainly on bagless upright corded models. It has one of the most extensive ranges around, as many other manufacturers have followed Dyson’s lead and dialled back their corded vacuum development. 

Here’s an overview Shark's corded vacuum key specs:

Again, you’re more likely to get fancy features on the Shark range. 

The lift-away canister, found on most upright models, allows you to hold the dust canister while using the flexible tube to vacuum the stairs, so it's less of an awkward balancing act; meanwhile, the anti-hair wrap can help reduce the amount of brush bar detangling you have to do. 

Shark also produces some corded stick vacuums. These are slim and versatile, like a cordless vac, but cheaper as they still plug in rather than running off a battery.

This could be a good compromise if you’re after a more compact vacuum but your budget won’t stretch to cordless tech. 

Take a look at our Shark Lift-Away Upright Vacuum Cleaner with TruePet NV602UKT review, one of the corded vacuum offerings from Shark.

What about other big brands?

Not sure where to start when choosing a vacuum cleaner? Here’s an overview of what the other big brands offer:

Gtech 

Gtech’s original Air Ram model was one of the early cordless cleaners. It now has a range of bagless and bagged cordless stick vacuums, including the ultra-light and compact Hylite.

You can expect to pay £130-250 for a Gtech vac.

Take a look at our Gtech cordless vacuum cleaner reviews to find out how this brand measures up in our tests.

Vax

Vax still makes a range of corded vacuum cleaners, most of which are relatively cheap (£80-180), but it’s gone big on cordless too. Its popular Blade range offers a good compromise between price and specs.

Models hover around the £80-250 mark, but the top-end ones, such as the Vax Blade 2 Max and the Vax Blade 4, have decent battery life for the price, and handy extras such as a side-emptying bin and LED headlights.

In our tests, some models have impressed while others have been really poor, so it’s worth checking our reviews before you buy.

See all our Vax corded vacuum reviews or Vax cordless vacuum reviews to find out which models we recommend.

Hoover

Hoover is another brand that tends to price its vacuums at the value end of the market, but that hasn’t stopped them dabbling in some wacky new features in recent years. 

Some Hoovers are wi-fi-enabled, so you can connect them to an app on your smartphone and get updates and reminders about how much you’ve cleaned, calories you've burnt and maintenance alerts. 

It’s another brand that’s produced a real mix of results in our tests, with some great-value Best Buys and some truly awful models.

Check out our Hoover corded vacuum and Hoover cordless vacuum reviews for the best picks from this brand. 

Miele

Miele is one of the most prolific cylinder vacuum cleaner manufacturers. 

It was also slow to develop a cordless vacuum, releasing its first cordless range, the Miele Triflex, in early 2020. Top-end models include the Miele Triflex Cat & Dog and Miele Triflex HX2, while at entry level there's the Miele Triflex HX1.

Find out how Miele vacuum cleaners and Miele cordless vacuum cleaners fare in our tough tests.

Numatic

The classic Numatic bagged cylinder vacuum remains largely unchanged, and is a good-value option (around £160), particularly if you want large capacity and minimal maintenance.

Henry has moved with the times, though. There’s now a cordless version with a rechargeable battery, a Numatic Henry Allergy version, which comes in pale blue, or Henry Quick, a cordless handstick version of the vac.

See our Numatic corded vacuum reviews and Numatic Henry cordless reviews to see how this retro-style vacuum compares with more modern rivals.

Alternatively, read everything you need to know about Henry Hoover.

Other contenders worth considering

Just like Dyson, and Shark before them, there’s a constant stream of new vacuum cleaner brands looking to crack the UK market. 

Tech giant Samsung and Tineco, part of the Eco Vac robotics group, are starting to challenge the big brands with a handful of premium cordless vacuum launches.

We’ve also tested models from brands such as AEG and Beko that are better known for their big kitchen appliances. 

Some have even beaten the established brands in our tests.

See our corded vacuum cleaner reviews or cordless vacuum cleaner reviews to find out which are worth buying.

Where to buy a Shark or Dyson vacuum

One of the easiest ways to buy a vacuum is directly from the manufacturer. Shark and Dyson sell their vacuums online, as do Gtech, Hoover, Vax, Numatic and Miele on their company websites.

The most popular retailers stock both brands, which can sometimes be cheaper than buying direct. 

• Amazon carries almost every brand of vacuum known to humanity. You can order most with two-day delivery, which is free if you subscribe to Amazon Prime. You can browse the Shark selection, and the Dyson stock.
• Argos stocks vacuums from the majority of big brands. You'll have to pay or delivery, starting from £3.95, or, if you don't want to wait, you can collect from most Argos locations. Browse the selection of Dyson vacuums and see what Shark vacuums it has in stock.
• Currys, like other retailers, sells vacuums from nearly all the major brands, but is more selective in the models it carries. Most vacuums have free standard delivery, otherwise you can pay an additional £7 for select-day delivery. You can browse the Shark and Dyson models they have in stock.

Choosing a vacuum cleaner that will last

As well as testing how good each individual vacuum cleaner is at cleaning your home, we also conduct large owner surveys every year to get a picture of how well your new vacuum cleaner will last with everyday use. 

Our unique survey helps us uncover which brands are the most reliable and make their customers happy, and the ones that are prone to breaking down. 

See how Dyson, Shark and the other brands stack up in our guides to the most reliable vacuum brands:

• Best and worst vacuum cleaner brands
• Best and worst cordless vacuum brands

Not sure where to start? See our guide to the best vacuum cleaners for 2023.

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