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Product Review: Shark Cordless Pet Perfect II 18-Volt Handheld Vacuum

        
          

A daily battle in most pet friendly households is dog hair.  For us, we seem to find dog hair in the most unlikely places:  in our microwave, in the refrigerator, on the toilet seat, and on our ceiling fans.  Over the past year it has become increasingly clear that my Daredevil handheld vacuum cleaner was no longer able to keep up with the amount of fur my two dogs were shedding.  After a quick online search, I came across the Shark Cordless Pet Perfect II 18-Volt Handheld Vacuum and immediately purchased it after reading the raving reviews.  Below is my opinion of this life-changing product. 

Shark Vacuums

Prior to my desperate internet search, I had never heard of the Shark brand.  I was immediately impressed by the number of positive online reviews.  I specifically wanted a handheld vacuum cleaner that was designed to pick up pet hair.  The fact that what I wanted existed (and with three different vacuum heads!) made my search an easy one.  I came across the Shark Cordless Pet Perfect II 18-Volt Handheld Vacuum quickly.  The main criteria I had were handheld design, a long battery life, a variety of attachments, and powerful suction. 

The Problem

We have two medium-length haired dogs.  One is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel mix, and the other is a Beagle/Chow mix.  Both shed heavily.  In addition, our dogs spend a lot of time rolling on the ground outside, meaning they bring pollen and mold (two of my worst allergens) indoors.  Therefore, we try to eliminate their hair from the house as much as possible. 

My old vacuum cleaner had a difficult time picking up dog hair because of poor suction, a short battery life, and a non-motorized vacuum head.  Frequently, the bristles would stop spinning completely because of a dog hair clog.  There was also no variety in the attachment heads. 

I wanted an attachment for a handheld vacuum that could be used to clean between crevices in the furniture.  Since we have wood floors throughout the house, we often find dog hair piled up in corners and underneath furniture.  These difficult-to-reach areas pose a problem with our current solutions. 

My Review of Shark Cordless Pet Perfect II 18-Volt Handheld Vacuum

My first impressions of this dog hair vacuum were the size, capacity, and weight.  The Shark was slightly larger than my Daredevil and seemed to have a significantly larger capacity.  I like that the dirt storage area is translucent, allowing me to see how much dirt and dog hair I am picking up.  The unit is lightweight, and therefore very easy to maneuver. 

The Shark Pet Perfect II has a charging base that sits nicely on the floor, or it can be mounted to the wall.  Three different heads come with the vacuum:  a motorized pet brush, a crevice tool, and a dusting brush.  The mounting station has areas for holding each of the attachment heads. 

The Shark Pet Perfect II is bagless and contains a filter that catches the dirt, doghair, and debris.  This vacuum is easily opened so that the dust cup can be emptied, and the filter washed periodically.  Removing the filter is very easy.

What I Liked about Shark Pet Perfect II 18-Volt Handheld Vacuum

The main reasons I needed a new vacuum cleaner were because my old one no longer held a charge, and it was not adequately picking up dog hair.  On my first trial run with the Shark Pet Perfect II I was blown away by how much dog hair was removed from only two chairs in my living room. 

I struggle to comfortably use our upright vacuum cleaner because the vacuum’s design places a lot of strain on my back.  The handheld vacuum has been perfect for spot-cleaning areas in our home, such as chairs, throw pillows, crevices, corners, underneath furniture, and in hard-to-reach areas. 

So far, battery life has been great.  I have only had to charge the unit twice, and I estimate that I get 8 – 10 cleanings per charge.  The docking station is convenient for our household.  I enjoy the instant gratification of seeing how much dog hair is removed from our furniture and have found myself using the Pet Perfect II every day.  While our dogs may not be shedding less, I do feel as though we have better control over our dog hair problem.


Attachment Review

There are three attachments that come with the vacuum:  the motorized pet brush, the crevice tool, and the dusting brush. 

The motorized pet brush is perfect for vacuuming pet hair from upholstery.  I am extremely impressed with the suction of this tool, and the effectiveness.  The motorized pet brush also works well on bare floors.  However, the suction is too strong for other types of furniture and surfaces, such as throw pillows, yoga mats, and our leather couch.

The crevice tool is my second favorite attachment.  This tool works well to vacuum pet hair from beneath furniture, out of corners, and from in between couch cushions. 

I am less impressed with the dusting brush.  I have tried using it on the leather couch, on the throw pillows, and in dusty areas but I do not feel as though it has been effective.

What I Disliked about Shark Pet Perfect II 18-Volt Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

There are few things I dislike about this vacuum cleaner.  In fact, my main “dislike” has to do with how well the vacuum cleaner works.  Emptying the cartridge can be difficult because the pet hair, dirt, and debris cling to the filter.  Therefore, to effectively empty the cartridge, one must physically peel dog hair away from the filter.  Obviously, this isn’t the worst problem, but it is annoying to have to get your hands dirty when cleaning.

The company also recommends replacing the filter regularly, approximately once every six months.  However, with how dirty the filter already looks after one month of use I believe we will have to replace the filter more frequently. 

Were the Claims Met?

The Shark website makes the following claims about the Pet Perfect II:

  • Will clean any surface
  • Twister Cyclonic Technology provides consistent suction while cleaning
  • Wall mount charging stand uses LED lights as a charging indicator
  • Easy-to-empty dust cup enables extended cleaning without interruption

For the most part, I am satisfied these claims have been met.  I think the Pet Perfect II is most useful for cleaning dog hair from upholstery, beneath furniture, and in hard-to-reach areas.  I do believe suction is consistent for 2 of the 3 accessories.  I do not think the dusting brush is as effective as the motorized head or crevice tool. 

The LED light on the wall mount charging stand is convenient.  There is no lock-in-place mechanism, so seeing the LED light is helpful to know that I have placed the vacuum cleaner correctly on the wall mount.

Finally, I would contest that the dust cup is easy to empty.  While the dust cup is easily removed, pet hair clings strongly to the filter, making removal somewhat difficult. 

Bottom Line

I would recommend the Shark Pet Perfect II 18-Volt Handheld Vacuum to anyone with a pet hair problem.  In our household this powerful handheld vacuum cleaner has improved our ability to remove pet hair from upholstery and hard-reach areas.  I am very happy with this product after one month of use and am strongly considering purchasing a Shark upright vacuum as well. 

 

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Anna Weber

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