Shark Pet Pro - Pros & Cons
- Details
The Shark Navigator Zero-M Pet Pro is a recent bagless upright vacuum from Shark and it is designed for homes with pets, although it is equally as effective in homes without pets. The Pet Pro has a host of great features including Shark’s Zero-M Technology which helps keep the brushroll free of hair. But the unit still has a few drawbacks. In this article we walk through both the good and the bad.
PROS
Suction Control Slider
This feature allows you to lower the suction under the cleaner head or at the end of the handle or wand. Lowering suction under the cleaner head will sometimes make the vacuum easier to move and maneuver on carpet. Lowering the suction at the end of the handle/wand allows you to use a tool on a delicate surface that may otherwise be damaged by strong suction (like delicate drapery for example).
Long Hose
The hose on the Pet Pro stretches out to a very respectable length. We measured a cleaning reach with hose and wand of 10 ft and 7 inches. Shark states that this is a 12 ft hose but we weren’t able to get quite that much reach – but 10+ feet is still good. This is longer than most hoses on Shark upright vacuums. A long hose is handy when using the hose/wand/tools for above the floor cleaning, and especially for accessing stairs.
Good Pickup on Low Pile Carpet
When we tested the vacuum on small-to-medium sized debris (flax seeds, chili flakes, ground fruit loops, split green peas), pickup was good.
Good Pickup on Bare Floors
When we tested the vacuum on both small-to-medium sized debris and larger debris (full size fruit loops), pickup was good – better than several other Shark uprights we tested.
Zero-M Technology
This technology is designed to limit hair wrapping on the brushroll. Shark often refers to this as a self-cleaning brushroll. Our tests show that this technology does work – at least with a reasonable amount of hair. Although we have read of some owners dealing with large amounts of hair who still get hair wrapping. We tested Zero-M on both long human hair and short pet hair.
Edge Cleaning
Edge cleaning tests showed that the Pet Pro does a good job of cleaning up close to the baseboards. We placed lightweight chili flakes up again the baseboards of our wall and did two passes of the vacuum. Pickup was fairly good.
Large Dust Canister
A large dust canister is very handy when you want uninterrupted cleaning. With this machine you will not have to empty the dust canister frequently as it has a capacity of 2.8 quarts (larger than most).
Quality Air Filtration
The vacuum comes with both a HEPA filter and a sealed system. A HEPA filter is able to remove very small particles from the air – such as pet dander, tobacco smoke, mold spores, etc. A sealed system ensures that ALL air entering the vacuum gets passed through the filters before being exhausted by the machine (no unfiltered air escapes through poor seals). This is a good feature for households with folks who may suffer from asthma or allergies.
Not too loud
We recorded peak decibel output using a digital noise level meter placed 3 ft in front of the cleaner head with the brushroll ON. The Pet Pro was tested against a number of other uprights and it was found to be the quietest. However, in our opinion this is not an extremely quiet vacuum – it just isn’t too loud.
This feature allows you to lower the suction under the cleaner head or at the end of the handle or wand. Lowering suction under the cleaner head will sometimes make the vacuum easier to move and maneuver on carpet. Lowering the suction at the end of the handle/wand allows you to use a tool on a delicate surface that may otherwise be damaged by strong suction (like delicate drapery for example).
Long Hose
The hose on the Pet Pro stretches out to a very respectable length. We measured a cleaning reach with hose and wand of 10 ft and 7 inches. Shark states that this is a 12 ft hose but we weren’t able to get quite that much reach – but 10+ feet is still good. This is longer than most hoses on Shark upright vacuums. A long hose is handy when using the hose/wand/tools for above the floor cleaning, and especially for accessing stairs.
Good Pickup on Low Pile Carpet
When we tested the vacuum on small-to-medium sized debris (flax seeds, chili flakes, ground fruit loops, split green peas), pickup was good.
Good Pickup on Bare Floors
When we tested the vacuum on both small-to-medium sized debris and larger debris (full size fruit loops), pickup was good – better than several other Shark uprights we tested.
Zero-M Technology
This technology is designed to limit hair wrapping on the brushroll. Shark often refers to this as a self-cleaning brushroll. Our tests show that this technology does work – at least with a reasonable amount of hair. Although we have read of some owners dealing with large amounts of hair who still get hair wrapping. We tested Zero-M on both long human hair and short pet hair.
Edge Cleaning
Edge cleaning tests showed that the Pet Pro does a good job of cleaning up close to the baseboards. We placed lightweight chili flakes up again the baseboards of our wall and did two passes of the vacuum. Pickup was fairly good.
Large Dust Canister
A large dust canister is very handy when you want uninterrupted cleaning. With this machine you will not have to empty the dust canister frequently as it has a capacity of 2.8 quarts (larger than most).
Quality Air Filtration
The vacuum comes with both a HEPA filter and a sealed system. A HEPA filter is able to remove very small particles from the air – such as pet dander, tobacco smoke, mold spores, etc. A sealed system ensures that ALL air entering the vacuum gets passed through the filters before being exhausted by the machine (no unfiltered air escapes through poor seals). This is a good feature for households with folks who may suffer from asthma or allergies.
Not too loud
We recorded peak decibel output using a digital noise level meter placed 3 ft in front of the cleaner head with the brushroll ON. The Pet Pro was tested against a number of other uprights and it was found to be the quietest. However, in our opinion this is not an extremely quiet vacuum – it just isn’t too loud.
CONS
Struggles with Large Debris on Carpet
When we tested the vacuum on large debris (full size, intact fruit loops) we found that quite a few fruit loops were left behind the machine on the pullback – more than several other Shark vacuums tested.
Feels Heavy
The Pet Pro weighs in at 16 lbs. This isn’t too heavy (we have a Dyson that weighs close to 20 lbs) but it isn’t particularly light either. You can feel the weight when moving the vacuum back and forth and when turning. In addition, we don’t feel it turns as well on carpet as some other vacuums (such as the Shark NV752).
Only Holds 2 Tools
The vacuum comes with 3 tools – a crevice tool, a dusting brush, and an upholstery tool. However, there is only room on-board the vacuum for 2 tools so one has to be left behind.
No Headlights
Many Shark uprights have one or more LED headlights on the cleaner head and some even have an extra headlight on the handle (to illuminate the area when working with tools). However the Pet Pro has no such lights. Headlights are handy when vacuuming in dimly lit areas.
Short Power Cord
The power cord on the Pet Pro is 25 ft long. This is, in our opinion, on the short side. We’ve been reviewing vacuums for 12 years and have noticed that owners tend to be pleased with power cords 30 ft or longer but they are often unhappy with power cords less than 30 feet. Folks don't like to spend time searching for and changing power outlets.
Brushroll Cannot be Turned Off
The vacuum does have carpet and hard floor settings, however the brushroll is ON in both settings. The brushroll simply spins slower in hard floor mode. This is generally ok but it could be an issue for some folks with very delicate flooring.
No Lift Away Feature
The lift away feature is handy when doing a set of stairs and for above the floor cleaning. It allows you to carry the motor/dust-canister assembly with one hand while using the hose/wand/tools with the other hand. It provides handheld-like versatility (with extra reach using the wand). The hose is reasonably long on this vacuum but it still would have been nice to have the lift away feature.
When we tested the vacuum on large debris (full size, intact fruit loops) we found that quite a few fruit loops were left behind the machine on the pullback – more than several other Shark vacuums tested.
Feels Heavy
The Pet Pro weighs in at 16 lbs. This isn’t too heavy (we have a Dyson that weighs close to 20 lbs) but it isn’t particularly light either. You can feel the weight when moving the vacuum back and forth and when turning. In addition, we don’t feel it turns as well on carpet as some other vacuums (such as the Shark NV752).
Only Holds 2 Tools
The vacuum comes with 3 tools – a crevice tool, a dusting brush, and an upholstery tool. However, there is only room on-board the vacuum for 2 tools so one has to be left behind.
No Headlights
Many Shark uprights have one or more LED headlights on the cleaner head and some even have an extra headlight on the handle (to illuminate the area when working with tools). However the Pet Pro has no such lights. Headlights are handy when vacuuming in dimly lit areas.
Short Power Cord
The power cord on the Pet Pro is 25 ft long. This is, in our opinion, on the short side. We’ve been reviewing vacuums for 12 years and have noticed that owners tend to be pleased with power cords 30 ft or longer but they are often unhappy with power cords less than 30 feet. Folks don't like to spend time searching for and changing power outlets.
Brushroll Cannot be Turned Off
The vacuum does have carpet and hard floor settings, however the brushroll is ON in both settings. The brushroll simply spins slower in hard floor mode. This is generally ok but it could be an issue for some folks with very delicate flooring.
No Lift Away Feature
The lift away feature is handy when doing a set of stairs and for above the floor cleaning. It allows you to carry the motor/dust-canister assembly with one hand while using the hose/wand/tools with the other hand. It provides handheld-like versatility (with extra reach using the wand). The hose is reasonably long on this vacuum but it still would have been nice to have the lift away feature.
In the following video we discuss most of the pros and cons described above. We show cleaning tests, compare the Pet Pro to a host of other uprights, and highlight important features. It’s worth a watch if you have an interest in the vacuum:
You may also want to read our detailed Shark Pet Pro review.
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