Shark vs Dyson: Which vacuum brand is best for you?

We also asked families in our Top testers club what they think about their Dyson and Shark vacuums too.

Dyson are also well known for their tower fans, so we tested them out to see if they'd work well for families.

Compare all Shark and Dyson models here: cordless and corded.

Shark vs Dyson at a glance

Best Budget Options

• Best budget cordless Dyson: Dyson v8, £229.99
• Best budget upright Dyson: Dyson Ball Animal, £230
• Best budget cordless Shark: Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum, £179
• Best budget upright Shark: Shark Classic Upright Vacuum, £199

Best Large Capacity Options

• Best large capacity cordless Dyson: Dyson v15 Detect Absolute, £699
• Best large capacity upright Dyson: Dyson Ball Animal Multi-Floor Upright Vacuum, £279.99
• Best large capacity cordless Shark: Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Cordless Vacuum, £299
• Best large capacity upright Shark: Shark Anti Hair Wrap Upright Pet Vacuum, £369.99

Best Lightweight Options

• Best lightweight cordless Dyson: Dyson v12 Detect Slim Absolute Cordless, £529.99
• Best lightweight upright Dyson: Dyson Ball Animal, £229.99
• Best lightweight cordless Shark: Shark Classic Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Pet Vacuum, £379.99
• Best lightweight upright Shark: Shark Classic Upright Vacuum, £199.99

Best Long Battery Life Options

• Best Dyson for long battery life: Dyson v8 Absolute, £299.99
• Best Shark for long battery life: Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Pet Pro Cordless Vacuum, £329

To make it easier to find what you're looking for, we've broken up our guide into all the different categories you might need to consider when buying either a Shark or Dyson vacuum cleaner. Use our jump links to find exactly what you're looking for.

• Jump to our verdict
• Jump to what our top testers say
• Jump to cordless or corded comparison
• Jump to price comparison
• Jump to technology comparison
• Jump to capacity comparison
• Jump to weight comparison
• Jump to battery life comparison
• Jump to attachments

Shark vs Dyson: our verdict

Both Shark and Dyson are leading household brands for a reason. They both make great products and you can’t really go wrong with any of the options above. That being said, we know everyone has different priorities and before we dive in deeper we wanted to give you our overall verdict.

If budget is a concern, we’d suggest looking at Shark. They make quality vacuums that won’t break the bank and come with solid capacity, useful technology like its Flexology system and great battery life.

Which you pick will also depend on your cleaning needs. Shark's 'Anti Hair Wrap' technology is great if you have any pets or long haired children living in your house. Similarly, Dyson's filtration and smart technology is industry leading, so if you're looking for the most high-tech cleaning solution then Dyson is the way to go.

Best overall Shark vacuum: Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum, £179

If you don’t mind spending a bit more money and you’re looking for a vacuum packed with all the latest tech, then Dyson is probably the brand for you. The higher-end Dyson models are packed with some fantastic features an LCD screen that shows data on your cleaning.

Best overall Dyson vacuum: Dyson v10 Absolute, £429

Shark vs Dyson – what our top testers say

We asked our Top Testers club if they have a Shark or Dyson vacuum and if they do, how they feel about it.

• 29% answered I have a Shark and love it
• 24% said I have a Dyson and love it – a very even split
• 23% said they've owned both Shark and Dyson but prefer a Shark
• 2% said they've owned both but prefer the Dyson
• 9% have a different brand vacuum cleaner, showing just how much these 2 brands dominate the vacuum market

Here are some comments from the top testers:

• "I have both a Shark cordless and a Dyson cordless. The Dyson has a better suction but the Shark has better battery life and is easier to empty." – Katie
• "I love my Shark, it's fantastic for cleaning up after the puppy and toddler." – Cat
• "I actually thought I wanted a Shark but when we tried them in the shop the Dyson was so much lighter." –Laura
• "After having a Dyson for many years and loving it, I couldn't think of any reason to replace it until I went over to my friends one night and tried her Shark and have never looked back!" – Sarah
• "We have 2 long haired cats who moult a lot! We've used both Dyson and Shark pet specs and Shark's anti tangle works so much better than Dyson's." – Robert

Shark vs Dyson: cordless or corded?

You’re probably wondering if you should go for a cordless or corded model. Both options offer positives and negatives, so we thought we’d give you a brief overview to help you make your decision.

Cordless models are all about convenience. Gone are the days of wrestling with a tangled-up cable or struggling to hit that one corner of your home that’s too far away from the plug socket. The cordless models also tend to be smaller which means they’re usually lighter and built to hit those hard-to-reach spots in your home. This is perfect if you’re looking for something to quickly clean up a mess as it happens.

With that convenience, you do also get a few drawbacks. If you’ve got a big home with lots of rooms, you might struggle with the battery running out, especially if you forget to charge it between cleanings. The smaller size also generally means a lower capacity which can mean more frequent trips to the bin to empty out your vacuum.

Best overall cordless Shark vacuum: Shark Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum, £179

Best overall cordless Dyson vacuum: Dyson v15 Detect Absolute, £699

Corded models are the classic for a reason. These large-capacity vacuums are designed to last and will cover much larger surface areas before needing to be emptied. The cable also means you’ll never run out of battery mid-clean so you can get all the hoovering done in one go.

That cable can be an inconvenience too. You might find that the cable isn’t long enough to reach certain parts of your home, leading to awkward attempts to stretch out to cover all the ground you need to. Corded models are also much heavier making them more difficult for use in multilevel homes and potentially more time-consuming for those quick cleans.

Best overall corded Shark vacuum: Shark Classic Upright Vacuum, £149

Best overall corded Dyson vacuum: Dyson Ball Animal Multi-Floor Upright Vacuum, £229

Shark vs Dyson price

Dyson and Shark vacuum cleaners are in a similar price range, with most models starting at around £300. However, although Dyson's cheapest cordless model is slightly cheaper than Shark's, their highest model is £160.99 more than Shark's most expensive offering.

When it comes to corded vacuums, Dyson models are a little more expensive than Shark, but only very marginally.

Dyson

Dyson's cordless vacuums range from £329.99 for the Dyson v8 to £659.99 for the Dyson v15 Detect Absolute + Vacuum (gold).

Dyson's corded vacuums start at £279.99 for the Dyson Ball Animal and go up to £429.99 for the Dyson Ball Animal Complete.

Shark

Shark's cordless vacuums start at £349.99 for the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum and go up to £499 for the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum (double battery).

As for Shark's upright vacuums, the Shark Classic Upright Vacuum starts at £249 and goes all the way up to £369.99 for the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Upright Pet Vacuum.

Shark vs Dyson technology

Shark and Dyson vacuum cleaners both use very similar technology, but the brands use different terminology, which can be confusing.

If you want more data on how clean your house is, then Dyson is probably the best option for you. However, if your focus is on practical elements such as a flexible wand and anti-odour technology then Shark may be better for you.

Models from both brands have built-in illumination and detangle/anti wrap technology to stop hairs getting caught around the roller. However, although both brands offer levels of smart cleaning, they both do it in slightly different ways. Some Dyson vacuum cleansers can actually track your level of "clean" and the volume of particles collected. Shark does this work behind the scenes.

It's important to note that although we've listed some of the great technology each brand offers, this is not to say that every vacuum they make offers these features; some of these functions are only available on premium models.

Dyson

Illumination – The vacuum head has a precisely-angled beam so you can detect particles and dust you wouldn't normally be able to see to get a fuller and deeper clean.

LCD screen – The handy LCD screen on the cordless vacuum displays the battery life, and on some models such as the Dyson V15 Detect it even shows the size and quantity of the particles being sucked up.

Measures microscopic dust particles – The piezo sensor counts the dust particles passing through the inlet 15,000 times a second and increases suction power depending on how many particles it detects.

Scientific proof of a deep clean – You can see just how well you're cleaning by looking at the size and number of particles you've cleaned up for proof of a truly deep clean.

De-tangle technology – The vacuum's head has a detangling comb with 56 polycarbonate teeth to prevent hair tangling around the bristles.

Advanced filtration – The vacuum has a 5-stage advanced filtration process which captures dust and seals in 99.99% of microscopic particles to prevent dust from escaping.

Shark

Twin tech floorhead – The DuoClean brush-rolls work on both carpet and hard floors. You don't need to change the floorhead as one head has the technology to vacuum both surfaces.

Flexology – With Shark you can reach under and over anywhere. The wand is flexible and bends to go under sofas and tables. It also makes it great for storing compactly too as it can fold down.

De-tangle technology – Similar to Dyson, Shark also has anti hair wrap tools to stop hair getting tangled around the brush.

DuoClean PowerFins – To help you pick up more hair the DuoClean head with PowerFins can dig deep into carpets for a deep clean.

Clean Sense IQ – This feature automatically detects dirt and adjusts cleaning power accordingly. The floorhead illuminates as the suction automatically increases and then decreases again once all the dirt has been vacuumed up.

Anti-odour technology – Some models have a unique cartridge system which guards against dust cup odours which are caused by pet hair, dust and dander.

Illumination – Like Dyson, Shark vacuum cleaners also have lights to help detect and show dust for a more thorough clean.

Shark vs Dyson capacity

Both Shark and Dyson cordless vacuums have very similar capacities. However, if you want a very light one with a small capacity then Dyson is the best option.

As for corded vacuums, Dyson offers a much larger option at 1.8L compared to Shark's larger capacity vacuum at just 1.3L.

Dyson

Dyson's cordless vacuum's capacity ranges from 0.77L to 0.35L. Our pick for the cordless Dyson with the best capacity is the Dyson v15 detect absolute. The Dyson with the smallest capacity, just 0.35L, is the Dyson v12 detect slim absolute.

The upright corded vacuums have a much larger capacity than their cordless counterparts, which is to be expected. They range from 1.1L (the Dyson Ball Animal Upright Vacuum) to 1.8L (the Dyson Ball Animal Multi-Floor Upright Vacuum).

Shark

Shark's cordless vacuums all have a capacity of 0.7L other than their Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuums which only have a capacity of 0.6L.

Their corded vacuums have a capacity of 1.1L, Shark Classic Upright Vacuum, to 1.3L, Shark Anti Hair Wrap Upright Pet Vacuum.

Shark vs Dyson weight

Carrying a vacuum around is not easy, especially when trying to do the stairs. If you want a super light cordless vacuum then Dyson's are much lighter– almost half the weight – starting at just 2.2kg instead of 4.1kg.

But this changes if we're talking about a corded vacuum. Shark's corded vacuums start much lighter at 5.2kg compared to Dyson's lightest model starting at 7kg.

Dyson

Dyson's cordless vacuums vary in weight from 2.2kg for the Dyson v12 Detect Slim Absolute Cordless all the way up to 4.9kg fr the Dyson v10 Extra Cordless.

Their corded vacuums are 7kg to 7.4kg with the Dyson Ball Animal being the lightest and the Dyson Ball Animal Multi-floor being the heaviest.

Shark

Shark's cordless vacuums start at 4.1kg for the Shark Classic Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Pet Vacuum and go up to 5.7kg, for the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum.

As for their corded vacuums, they range from 5.25kg to 7.21kg with the Shark Classic Upright Vacuum being the lightest and the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Upright Pet Vacuum being the heaviest.

Shark vs Dyson battery life

If you have a bigger house that will take longer to vacuum, then a Shark may be best for you. Thanks to the twin battery options they have a lot longer run time, almost double that of a Dyson. However, extra batteries do add to the cost.

Dyson

Dyson's cordless vacuums have an average battery life of up to 60 minutes, depending on the power mode you're using. The Dyson V8 Absolute vacuum have a run time of up to 40 minutes.

It can take up to 4 hours to fully charge your Dyson battery.

Shark

Shark's cordless vacuums have, on average, a longer battery life than Dyson. The average run time is around 60 minutes, depending on power setting. However they have some cordless models with up to 80 to 120 minute run time thanks to their twin batteries.

The Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Pet Pro Cordless Vacuum offers up to 120 minutes with it's twin battery pack, which is double Dyson's average.

The longest time available with a single battery is 60 minutes. There are some models such as the Shark Classic Anti Hair Wrap Cordless which only offer 40 minutes.

The Shark vacuum battery also takes approximately 4 hours to charge, the same as Dyson.

Shark vs Dyson attachments

Both vacuum brands offer a selection of tools and attachments with the vacuum, although, how many you get included depends on which vacuum you buy. The attachments can also be bought separately too.

Dyson

Accessories for cordless vacuums:

• Scratch-free dusting brush, £30
• Awkward gap tool, £39
• Hair screw tool, £50
• Light pipe crevice tool, £35
• Up-top adaptor tool, £30
• Low-reach adaptor, £35
• Crevice tool, £30
• Combination tool, £25

Accessories for corded vacuums:

• Groom tool, £35
• Flexi crevice tool, £25
• Mattress tool, £25

Shark

Accessories for all vacuums:

• Anti hair wrap motorised pet tool, £29.99
• Anti-allergen dusting brush, £14.99
• Crevice tool, £9.95
• Duster crevice tool, £14.99
• Dusting brush, £14.95
• Upholstery tool, £14.99
• Wide upholstery tool, £14.99

Shark vs Dyson cordless models

Dyson

Dyson v8, £229.99

Technology: Detangles, fully-sealed filtration, transforms to handheld | Battery life: 40 mins| Capacity: 0.54L | Weight: 2.5kg | Attachments: Digital motorbar, quick-release mini motorhead tool, combination tool, crevice tool

Available from: Dyson

Dyson v8 Absolute, £299.99

Technology: Detangles, fully-sealed filtration, transforms to handheld | Battery life: 40 mins| Capacity: 0.54L | Weight: 2.5kg | Attachments: Digital motorbar, quick-release soft roller cleaner head, quick-release mini motorhead tool, low reach adaptor, combination tool, crevice tool

Available from: John Lewis

Dyson Cyclone v10 Total Clean, £499.99

Technology: Fade-free power, whole-system filtration, transforms to handheld | Battery life: 60 mins| Capacity: 0.77L | Weight: 2.6kg | Attachments: Digital motorbar, soft roller cleaner head, low reach adaptor, combination tool, crevice tool

Available from: Amazon

Dyson Cyclone v10 Absolute, £425

Technology: Fade-free power, whole-system filtration, transforms to handheld | Battery life: 60 mins| Capacity: 0.77L | Weight: 2.6kg | Attachments: Digital motorbar, soft roller cleaner head, mini motorised tool, low reach adaptor, combination tool, crevice tool

Available from: Amazon and Very

Dyson v11 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, £429.99

Technology: Advanced filtration, hygienic bin emptying, interchangeable battery | Battery life: 60 mins| Capacity: 0.76L | Weight: 3kg | Attachments: Motorbar cleaner head, combination tool, crevice tool

Available from: Currys

Dyson v12 Detect Slim Absolute, £529.99

Technology: Illumination, piezo sensor to measure dust particles, scientific proof of deep clean, LCD screen, transforms into handheld | Battery life: 60 mins| Capacity: 0.35L | Weight: 2.2kg | Attachments: Digital motorbar, illuminated cleaner head, hair screw tool, low reach adaptor, combination tool

Available from: John Lewis and Dyson

Dyson v12 Detect Slim Absolute +, £479.99

Technology: Illumination, piezo sensor to measure dust particles, scientific proof of deep clean, LCD screen, transforms into handheld | Battery life: 60 mins| Capacity: 0.35L | Weight: 2.2kg | Attachments: Digital motorbar, illuminated cleaner head, hair screw tool, low reach adaptor, combination tool, crevice tool, mattress tool

Available from: Dyson

Dyson v15 Detect Absolute, £699

Technology: Illumination, piezo sensor to measure dust particles, scientific proof of deep clean, LCD screen, detangles, transforms to handheld | Battery life: 60 mins| Capacity: 0.77L | Weight: 3kg | Attachments: Digital motorbar, illuminated cleaner head, hair screw tool, low reach adaptor, combination tool, crevice tool

Available from: Very, John Lewis and Dyson

Shark

Shark Classic Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Pet Vacuum, £379.99

Technology: Anti hair wrap, twin tech floorhead, flexology | Battery life: 40 mins| Capacity: 0.7L | Weight: 4.1kg | Attachments: Motorised pet tool, crevice tool, dusting brush, upholstery tool

Available from: Shark Clean

Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum, £279

Technology: Anti hair wrap, flexology | Battery life: 40 mins| Capacity: 0.7L | Weight: 4.74kg | Attachments: Crevice tool, upholstery tool, pet tool

Available from: Very, Shark Clean and Amazon

Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Pet Vacuum, £379

Technology: Anti hair wrap, DuoClean + PowerFins, flexology | Battery life: 60 mins| Capacity: 0.7L | Weight: 4.58kg | Attachments: Crevice tool, multi surface tool, powerfins pet tool

Available from: Very, Shark Clean and Currys

Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Pet Vacuum (double battery), £449

Technology: Anti hair wrap, flexology, LED lights | Battery life: 80 mins| Capacity: 0.7L | Weight: 4.7kg | Attachments: Crevice tool, upholstery tool, pet tool

Available from: Very, Shark Clean and John Lewis

Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum (single battery), £179

Technology: Anti hair wrap, flexology, LED lights | Battery life: 40 mins| Capacity: 0.7L | Weight: 4.7kg | Attachments: Crevice tool, upholstery tool

Available from: Very, Shark Clean and John Lewis

Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum (double battery), £449

Technology: Anti hair wrap, flexology, LED lights | Battery life: 80 mins| Capacity: 0.7L | Weight: 4.7kg | Attachments: Crevice tool, upholstery tool

Available from: Very, Shark Clean and Amazon

Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum, £349

Technology: Anti hair wrap, flexology, LED lights, DuoClean + Powerfins | Battery life: 60 mins| Capacity: 0.7L | Weight: 4.58kg | Attachments: Crevice tool, multi surface tool

Available from: Very, Shark Clean and John Lewis

Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum (double battery), £322.25

Technology: Anti hair wrap, flexology, LED lights, DuoClean + Powerfins | Battery life: 120 mins| Capacity: 0.7L | Weight: 4.58kg | Attachments: Crevice tool, multi surface tool, anti allergen brush

Available from: Amazon

Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Cordless Vacuum (single battery), £299

Technology: Anti hair wrap, flexology, LED lights, clean sense IQ, anti-odour| Battery life: 60 mins| Capacity: 0.7L | Weight: 4.1kg | Attachments: Crevice tool, multi surface tool

Available from: Very, Shark Clean and John Lewis

Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plug Pet Pro Cordless Vacuum (single battery), £429

Technology: Anti hair wrap, flexology, LED lights, clean sense IQ, anti-odour| Battery life: 60 mins| Capacity: 0.7L | Weight: 4.1kg | Attachments: Crevice tool, multi surface tool, pet tool

Available from: Very, Shark Clean and Lakeland

Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Pet Pro Cordless Vacuum (double battery), £329

Technology: Anti hair wrap, flexology, LED lights, clean sense IQ, anti-odour| Battery life: 120 mins| Capacity: 0.7L | Weight: 4.1kg | Attachments: Crevice tool, multi surface tool, pet tool, anti allergen brush

Available from: Very, Shark Clean and John Lewis

Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner with Flexology, Pet Model (single battery), £279.99

Technology: Anti hair wrap, flexology, LED lights| Battery life: 40 mins| Capacity: 0.7L | Weight: 4.74kg | Attachments: Crevice tool, upholstery tool, pet tool

Available from: Shark Clean

Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum, £399

Technology: Anti hair wrap, DuoClean + Powerfins, powered lift-away portability, LED lights| Battery life: 60 mins| Capacity: 0.6L | Weight: 5.7kg | Attachments: Dusting brush, wide upholstery tool, crevice tool

Available from: Very, Shark Clean and Amazon

Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Pet Vacuum, £299

Technology: Anti hair wrap, DuoClean + Powerfins, powered lift-away portability, LED lights| Battery life: 60 mins| Capacity: 0.6L | Weight: 6.2kg | Attachments: Dusting brush, wide upholstery tool, crevice tool, anti hair wrap pet tool

Available from: Very, Shark Clean and Currys

Shark vs Dyson corded models

Dyson

Dyson Ball Animal, £230

Technology: Detangles hair, no loss of suction, advanced filtration |Capacity: 1.15L |Weight: 5.6kg |Attachments: Combination tool, quick-release tangle-free turbine tool, stair tool

Available from: Argos and Dyson

Dyson Ball Animal Multi-Floor, £229

Technology: Detangles hair, no loss of suction, advanced filtration |Capacity: 1.8L |Weight: 7.4kg |Attachments: Combination tool, quick-release tangle-free turbine tool, stair tool, soft dusting brush, flat out head

Available from: Very, Argos and Dyson

Dyson Ball Animal Complete, £429.99

Technology: Detangles hair, no loss of suction, advanced filtration |Capacity: 1.8L |Weight: 7.4kg |Attachments: Combination tool, quick-release tangle-free turbine tool, stair tool, soft dusting brush, flat out head, mattress tool, reach under tool

Available from: Dyson

Shark

Shark Classic Upright Vacuum, £199

Technology: Lift-away portability, anti-allergen complete seal, LED headlights |Capacity: 1.1L |Weight: 5.25kg |Attachments: Crevice tool, multi surface tool

Available from: Very, Shark Clean and Amazon

Shark Anti Hair Wrap Upright Vacuum, £349.99

Technology: Anti hair wrap, DuoClean, lift-away portability, LED headlights |Capacity: 1.3L |Weight: 7.21kg |Attachments: Crevice tool, multi surface tool

Available from: Shark Clean

Shark Powered Lift-Away Upright Pet Vacuum, £299.99

Technology: Lift-away portability, anti-allergen complete seal, LED headlights |Capacity: 0.83L |Weight: 7kg |Attachments: Crevice tool, multi surface tool, pet tool

Available from: Shark Clean and Amazon

Shark Anti Hair Wrap Upright Pet Vacuum, £369.99

Technology: Anti hair wrap, DuoClean, lift-away portability, LED headlights |Capacity: 1.3L |Weight: 7.21kg |Attachments: Crevice tool, multi surface tool, pet tool

Available from: Shark Clean and Currys

Shark vs Dyson warranties

Dyson and Shark both offer guarantees to ensure you don't lose out. They're roughly the same but they're slightly different for each model so be sure to read the terms and conditions beforehand. If you buy from a retailer (such as John Lewis) they too may offer their own warranty or guarantee too.

Dyson

Dyson cordless vacuums come with a 2-year guarantee and you can get a 5-year guarantee for corded vacuums. This covers parts, repair and replacement. If you want to upgrade your vacuum and pass your old one onto someone else then this guarantee can still be transferred to them.

Shark

Shark offers a 5-year guarantee on their corded vacuum cleaners and a 12-month guarantee on their cordless models which can be extended for up to 2 years. If you buy from their site this is activated automatically. If you buy from a retailer then you can register it online to receive your guarantee.