Shark is a household favourite in the world of vacuum cleaners, with several of its vacuums consistently being ranked among Ideal Home‘s top-rated models. So, when I learned that the brand had quietly dropped its most powerful handheld vacuum last month, I had to test it out for myself.
Naturally, I was keen to see whether the new Shark PowerBoost Pet Handheld lived up to expectations and if it deserves a spot among the best handheld vacuum cleaners. Here’s everything you need to know.
In a nutshell
After testing the Shark PowerBoost Pet Cordless 2-in-1 Handheld Vacuum (which is a bit of a mouthful, so I’ll refer to it as the Shark PowerBoost Pet from here on) in my busy family home for two weeks, it’s fair to say I’m impressed.
The suction is more powerful than I expected for a handheld vacuum, and it handled crumbs, dust and general mess with ease. I found myself reaching for it far more than I’d expected, as its lightweight design and decent battery life made it ideal for quick clean-ups when I didn’t want to pull out my full-size vacuum cleaner.
It also includes a car detailing kit, which consists of a flexible hose and various small tool attachments designed to clean computer keyboards, air vents, and car interiors. While I found the results a little underwhelming overall, particularly when using the extension hose, the smaller brush attachments are handy for tackling intricate hard-to-reach spaces.
The motorised hand tool, with its rotating brush roll, is a standout attachment. I noticed a difference when I used it on upholstery and carpets, where it helped lift more stubborn debris and embedded dirt, making it the most useful part of the kit. Cleaning and maintenance are also straightforward, with the dust cup opening with a simple button release. And although its capacity isn’t huge, it was easy to get into the habit of emptying regularly, which makes it feel low-maintenance.
How I tested
Specifications
- Max. run time: 40 minutes
- Charge time: 4.5 hours
- Bag/ bin capacity: 0.25L
- Weight: 1.13 kg
- Dimensions: 24.21 cm L x 8.89 cm W x 33.6 cm H
- Modes: 3
- In the box: Car Detail Kit, Charger, Motorised Hand Tool, Shark PowerBoost Cordless Handheld Vacuum
- RRP: £229.99
Unboxing, set-up and first impressions
The Shark PowerBoost Cordless 2-in-1 Handheld Vacuum packaging was fairly plain and compact, and light enough to carry single-handedly.
One thing I really like about Shark products is how eco-friendly the packaging tends to be. There was no plastic at all; everything was protected in paper bags and cushioned on top of a layer of moulded cardboard, with the user manual placed on top. It’s a small detail, but always one that I think makes a noticeable difference.
The contents were also refreshingly minimal and included the handheld vacuum, motorised hand tool, charger, and a car detail kit comprising an extension tube, a crevice tool, and precision attachments.
With everything out of the box, I then popped the motorised hand tool onto the end of the vacuum (which clicked into place easily), and took a couple of minutes to take in the design.
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The first thing that stands out is how lightweight the Shark PowerBoost Pet feels. At 1.1kg, it sits on the lighter end of the range for handheld cordless vacuums, but it still feels sturdy and built to last. The charcoal grey and blue finish also adds to its premium feel.
The digital display sits neatly at the back of the unit, and there are only two buttons – power and mode- which feels refreshingly straightforward.
It also stands upright when the battery is resting on a flat surface, but it topples when the motorised hand tool is attached. I initially wondered if I’d find this inconvenient during use, but given how easy the attachment is to remove, it’s not a dealbreaker.
Before getting started, though, the battery needed to be fully charged. I discovered that it can be removed to charge, but because of its compact size, I didn’t feel this was necessary, so I just plugged the charger into a power socket before inserting it into the charging port on the side of the battery.
When it’s charging, the battery icon on the digital display flashes until it reaches full charge, after around 4.5 hours.
What’s it like to use?
I live in a three-bedroom home with my husband and three children, and it would be accurate to say I vacuum multiple times a day to keep on top of the mess that comes with family life. Generally, I rely on my Dreame V20 Pro Cordless for most of my vacuuming, and I also use the Shark Stratos, which converts to a handheld vacuum. For the purpose of this review, I switched the Stratos for the PowerBoost to allow a fair comparison.
The PowerBoost Pet has three modes – auto, eco and boost – which you’ll be familiar with if you’ve used the Shark Stratos. When you switch it on, the digital display cycles through the modes before settling on auto mode, so I tended to stick to it for general clean-ups. I know from using the Stratos and similar vacuums that boost mode will drain the battery much quicker.
To get a proper feel for the device, I took it on a full lap around the house, using it on both carpets and hard floors. I was impressed instantly at the suction power; it handled everything in its path with ease. I found it particularly effective at reaching along skirting board edges and between the crevices of my bar stools, which are a magnet for stubborn crumbs and dust.
I experimented with the motorised hand tool attachment, as the user guide doesn’t specify where it should be used. On carpet, I generally found it improved cleaning performance, particularly when tackling stubborn, embedded debris within the carpet’s fibres. The motorised brush helps loosen dirt that suction alone sometimes struggled to lift.
As part of our testing process, I put the vacuum through our flour test to get a clear visual of pick-up performance. On hard flooring, I removed the hand tool attachment, and it had no trouble picking up the flour, collecting most of it in a single pass.
On carpet, I was equally impressed with the results. I used the brush tool for this test, and I’ve got to say, to my surprise, it glided effortlessly over the carpet and lifted the flour with ease.
There is a car detailing kit included with the Shark PowerBoost Pet, which includes a flexible hose and various different tools and brush attachments. As the manual recommends that the detailing kit is designed to clean hard-to-reach spaces like computer keyboards too, I thought this would be a good place to start before moving onto the car itself.
After attaching the extension hose onto the end of the vacuum, I used the round brush to try and extract the crumbs and debris that had built up in between my laptop screen and the keyboard. While it lifted some of the mess, I immediately noticed a drop in suction compared to using the vacuum without the extension hose.
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I switched to the wider brush tool, which did improve performance, although I wouldn’t describe the results as transformative. In fact, I did find myself checking the vacuum was drawing enough suction a couple of times.
That said, given the small surface area of the detailing tools, I think the emphasis is on precision rather than outright cleaning power. They feel better suited to tackling hard-to-reach areas rather than cleaning larger surface areas quickly.
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I’m completely outing myself here, but my car is embarrassingly messy, and it’s honestly the one job I’ll put off cleaning for as long as possible. As I’d familiarised myself with the attachments, it felt like the ideal next test.
As with the keyboard, I noticed a drop in suction when using the extension hose. It did still pick up lighter mess but wasn’t as powerful as when I used the motorised hand tool or the main unit directly.
I found the angle brush was the most useful attachment in this setting, particularly for reaching tight, fiddly spaces, such as the space underneath the seat belt buckle. And while my car did look cleaner by the end of the cleaning session, I was left slightly underwhelmed by the smaller tools.
Cleaning and maintenance
I’ll always favour a floorcare appliance that’s low-maintenance when it comes to cleaning – and thankfully, upkeep for the Shark PowerBoost Pet is really straightforward to keep on top of.
Although the dust cup isn’t the largest, I found it was more than enough to tackle several clean-ups around the house before I needed to empty it.
When it does fill up, emptying the vacuum cleaner is really simple. There’s a button on the side that releases the bin, and it swings open. I’m used to vacuums that open from one end and can be a bit fiddly to empty, but the PowerBoost Pet opens outwards making it much easier to drop straight into the bin.
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The filter is just as easy to access. It pulls out of its housing once released and can be rinsed with water before being left to air dry for at least 24 hours. I’ve not needed to give it a full deep-clean yet, but when I did disassemble it, it was covered in flour and dust, so it’s worth getting into the habit of keeping on top of.
The manual also includes a section on additional parts and accessories, which I thought was a useful touch as it highlights how versatile the vacuum can be. Replacement filters can be bought for just under £10, and there’s also the additional option to purchase additional tools, including a wider upholstery tool and a duster crevice tool.
Given its price point, it would have been nice to see a couple more tools included in the box, but it’s still useful to know what’s available if you want to pick up any other accessories down the line.
How does it compare to similar models?
Ideal Home‘s top-rated handheld vacuum is the Dyson Car+Boat thanks to its impressive suction power and deep-cleaning capabilities. It does come with a much higher price tag than the Shark PowerBoost Pet, positioning it firmly on the premium end of the handheld vacuum market.
Within Shark’s own range, the PowerBoost Pet feels like a natural step up from the WandVac 2.0. While both are designed as lightweight, grab-and-go cleaners, the PowerBoost Pet offers stronger suction, a larger dust capacity and three power modes. The trade-off is it is more expensive, slightly heavier and bulkier than the WandVac.
The Shark Cordless Pet is currently rated our best handheld vacuum for dealing with pet hair, but the PowerBoost Pet arguably has the edge when it comes to versatility thanks to its motorised hand tool. During testing, I found this attachment particularly effective on carpets, rugs and upholstery, making it a strong option for homes with pets.
Beyond Shark’s range, there are a couple of other handheld vacuum cleaners worth comparing to. The Gtech AIRAM Multi Platinum (in handheld mode) is another Ideal Home favourite. That model impressed our reviewer with its cleaning power, generous battery life, and large dust canister. However, it’s bulkier and pricier than the PowerBoost Pet.
If you’re looking for something ultra-light, the Gtech ProLite is one of the lightest handheld vacuums we’ve tested and has a more affordable price tag. That said, its bagged design means you’ll need to factor in the ongoing cost of replacement bags.
How does the Shark PowerBoost Pet Cordless 2-in-1 Handheld Vacuum rate online?
On Shark’s website, the PowerBoost Pet currently hold a 4.6 star rating from 24 customer reviews. The feedback was largely positive, praising its powerful suction as well as how lightweight, convenient and easy to use it feels. It’s worth noting, though, that the majority of these reviews did come from users who had received free products.
On Amazon, there are 19 reviews, and the product has a 4.5 star rating. The performance feedback was slightly more mixed, with some highlighting how powerful the suction is, while others weren’t as impressed. The price point was also flagged as a drawback by one user. Again, most of the reviews were incentivised, but I’d expect to see general feedback increase over time, as it has only recently been launched.
Should you buy the Shark PowerBoost Pet Cordless 2-in-1 Handheld Vacuum?
If you’re looking for a powerful handheld vacuum that goes beyond tackling the usual sofa crumbs and everyday carpet refresh, the Shark PowerBoost Pet Cordless 2-in-1 Handheld Vacuum is a brilliant option. The suction is genuinely impressive, the motorised hand tool makes a noticeable difference on sofas and stairs, and the three power modes mean you can adapt it to whatever mess you’re tackling.
The smaller dust capacity means you’ll be emptying it fairly regularly, and the car detailing kit isn’t quite as effective as the main unit, but these feel like fair trade-offs given its overall performance.
While it won’t replace a full-sized vacuum, I found myself reaching for it far more than I’d expected during testing. It’s lightweight enough to grab for quick clean-ups, and the battery life is long enough that you don’t need to worry about constantly recharging it.
For busy homes, particularly those with pets or children, I think it’s a solid, reliable choice – and it’s certainly earned a permanent place in my cleaning routine.
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