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Shark vs Dyson: which vacuum brand is best?
US brand Shark has been doing its best to take a bite out of Dyson’s share of the competitive UK cordless vacuum cleaner market. But which is better?
We’ve tested pretty much every model there is from both brands and have found some brilliant options, while others are not so great.
Whether Shark or Dyson 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.
Neither brand is cheap, so if you want to spend your money wisely, read on to find out what each brand brings to the table (or carpet).
To find the top performers according to our tests, check out the best cordless vacuum cleaners
Shark vs Dyson: how do their cordless vacs compare?
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| Shark cordless vacuums | Dyson cordless vacuums | Which brand is better? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average price | £387 | £582 | Shark |
| Typical warranty | Five years | Two years | Shark |
| Average weight | 3.725 kg | 3.05 kg | Dyson |
| Average dust capacity | 0.86 litres | 0.98 litres | Dyson |
| Average test score | |||
| Customer score | |||
| Reliability star rating |
Table notes: Average test score, price, weight and dust capacity based on models assessed in Which? labs. All other data is based on a survey of cordless vacuum cleaners owned by 4,402 Which? members and members of the public, conducted in July 2024. The reliability star rating is based on a brand's proportion faulty score (50%), average time to first fault (25%) and the impact of faults on day-to-day usage (25%). Brand loyalty based on percentage of owners who would buy another vacuum cleaner from the brand.
Sample sizes: Shark (776), Dyson (1,547)
Cordless Shark vs Dyson: the verdict
- Price: Shark cordless vacuum cleaners that we test are on average nearly £200 cheaper than Dyson models.
- Weight: Shark vacs are heavier than Dysons, but some of this weight is in the bulky floorhead, so they won't necessarily feel heavy to use.
- Capacity: Dyson vacuums have a larger dust capacity on average, meaning fewer trips to the bin to empty them.
Log in or join Which? to get the complete verdict, including test scores and insights from our survey of real Shark and Dyson customers
*Popular means the most visited Dyson and Shark cordless vacuum cleaner reviews on which.co.uk in the last six months. But 'popular' doesn't mean 'brilliant'. We'd still recommend checking our reviews before buying.
Check out all our Dyson cordless vacuum cleaner reviews and Shark cordless vacuum cleaner reviews.
Shark vs Dyson: how do their corded vacs compare?
Dyson no longer makes corded vacuum cleaners and has switched its focus exclusively 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, still produces a range of mainly bagless upright corded models. Despite many other manufacturers following Dyson’s lead in dialling back their corded vacuum development, Shark has one of the most extensive ranges around.
Corded Shark vs Dyson: the verdict
Dyson no longer makes corded models, but we test plenty of Shark corded vacuum cleaners and many are good enough to become Best Buys.
Find your perfect model in our Shark corded vacuum cleaner reviews.
To compare all the vacs we've tested, head to our cordless vacuum cleaner reviews and vacuum cleaner reviews, where you can filter by brand, price and more
What about other big vacuum cleaner 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; 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 vacuum cleaner reviews or Vax cordless vacuum cleaner 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 vacuum cleaner reviews and Hoover cordless vacuum reviews to discover the best models 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. Read our review of the Miele Triflex HX2.
Find out how Miele vacuum cleaner reviews and Miele cordless vacuum cleaner reviews 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, and a cordless handstick version of the vac.
See our Numatic vacuum cleaner reviews and Numatic Henry cordless vacuum cleaner reviews to see how this retro-style vacuum compares with more modern rivals.
Samsung
You might not associate Samsung with vacuum cleaners, but it has a fairly decent range of cordless vacuum models. The majority are bagless, handstick models that are aimed at the premium end of the market, with high price tags to match.
See our Samsung cordless vacuum cleaner reviews to see how the tech giant compares with more established vacuum brands.
Other vacuum cleaner brands 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.
Tineco, part of the Eco Vac robotics group, Halo and Tefal 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, which are better known for their big kitchen appliances.
Some have even beaten the established brands in our tests.
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
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.
On the hunt for a bargain? Check out our guide to the best vacuum cleaner deals on sale now
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 surveys every year to get a picture of how well your new vacuum cleaner will last.
Our unique survey of appliance owners lets us find out which brands are the most reliable and make their customers happy, and which are prone to breaking down.
See how Dyson, Shark and the other brands stack up in our guides to the most reliable vacuum brands:
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