My Dog's Fur Destroyed Two Vacuums Before I Found This Powerful Option

There’s nothing quite like waking up to dog cuddles every morning—but all those snuggles come with a downside. Along with spreading plenty of love, my pup is responsible for an abundance of pet fur in my apartment. The loose strands are magnetically drawn together to form little tumbleweeds of hair, and they collect in every nook and cranny of my space. So as much as I love my four-legged cuddle buddy, I fondly look back at the days when I didn’t have to vacuum every 12 hours. 

Thankfully, the daily chore is way less painful these days thanks to my Shark Vertex Pro Cordless Stick Vacuum. The powerful cordless vacuum is the key to keeping my hardwood floors free from fur and dander—and unlike my past vacuums, it’s actually up to the task. Here’s why.

The first vacuum her coat destroyed was an old corded design picked up secondhand. It struggled to suction up clumps of fur and was eventually replaced by a more modern, cordless option. The new lightweight device managed to keep up with her fur for about six months before it started to lose suction power. Eventually, it became so weak that cleaning up a pile of dust took at least three passes and often still left behind a trail of dirt.

Luckily, the powerful Shark vacuum was sent my way right in the nick of time. An Amazon favorite with more than 2,000 perfect ratings, it’s designed to bring the power of a full-sized vacuum into a lightweight, cordless device—and it delivers.

Beyond giving me plenty of variety with three cleaning modes, the vacuum is super adaptable to any space. It offers a cleaning mode for both carpet and hardwood floors; selecting the first releases a special brush with flexible fins that help pull debris out the shag, while the latter releases a soft roller that traps particles and dusts to leave floors squeaky clean. 

Regardless of the brush used, you don't have to worry about long hairs or fur getting trapped and slowing down the rotations. They're designed to be self-cleaning to minimize upkeep. Other design perks include LED lights on the vacuum head to help you track down debris and a HEPA filter on the dustbin. A standard set by the Environmental Protection Agency, the high-energy particular air filter is required to trap up to 99.97% of all particles at least 0.3 microns in size—including dust, dander, and pet allergens. The result is a vacuum that doesn’t just make your space look cleaner, but actually improves the air quality of your overall environment.

Of course, my favorite part of the design is actually the flexible hose. It not only allows the vacuum to fold in half for compact storage, but the flexible joint also allows the hose to bend at a 90-degree angle. This allows me to reach hard-to-clean places, like under the couch or bed, without contorting myself into weird positions or lying on the floor.

For smaller messes or detailed cleaning, I can also remove the hose altogether and just use the motor as a hand vacuum. In those scenarios, I have the choice of three different attachments, including a tool for narrow crevices, a special brush for dust, and a multi-tool for pet hair. A 60-minute battery life means I can easily rotate through all three on spring cleaning day.

While there’s not much to dislike about the design, my only qualm is the dust bin. On the upside, it’s relatively large and can hold a lot, but emptying the vessel can be a pain. Popping open the container requires both hands and I’ve accidentally knocked out the dust filter more than once. I totally admit it’s human error, but it’s an annoying inconvenience nonetheless.