The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.
If you battle allergies and can’t empty your vacuum canister without breaking out in sneezes, Shark’s new Wandvac might be the answer — if you can afford it. Normally priced at about $330, Amazon currently has a 9% off deal on this lightweight, cordless vacuum that empties itself, bringing the price to $300.
The Shark Wandvac works just like any vacuum, picking up dust, debris, hair and dirt, but once you put it back on the charging base, it will self-empty into a large canister with HEPA filtration and a seal that Shark says is tight enough to prevent allergens escaping into the air. The brand says the canister captures and traps more than 99.97% of dust and allergens, keeping allergies at bay for 30 days at a time, depending on how often you vacuum and fill the canister.
The Shark Wandvac weighs 13 pounds altogether, but much less when it’s not on the base, and only 2.1 pounds when converted to a handvac. The vacuum also incudes a self-cleaning brushroll that Shark says won’t trap hair, a duster crevice tool for tight spaces and a multi-tool used for pet hair and upholstery.
The current sale has the device marked down by 9%, at just under $300. Shark sent me one to review for Simplemost so we could figure out whether this new vacuum is worth the price tag.
I used the Wandvac on both hardwood floors and carpet around my house. As advertised, I found that it was lightweight and moves on floors and around corners with ease. It also easily turns into a handheld vacuum and the self-emptying feature works exactly as Shark described it.
The self-emptying feature is great for anyone that doesn’t like emptying their vacuum all the time, but especially helpful for someone (like me) who has allergies. The vacuum automatically empties itself when you put it back on the base, so you don’t even have to push a button. You can, however, turn it on Mute mode, which means it won’t self-empty when you put it on the base and you can empty it by hand if you have vacuumed something you don’t want sitting in the canister for long.
While I love the self-emptying feature and the lightweight body of the Shark Wandvac, the fact that it’s cordless is actually my favorite feature. I also love that simply putting it back to where you store it will keep it charged, so you don’t have to search around for plugs and it’s always charged when you need it. I was also pleased that it doesn’t require any extra purchases beyond what’s in the box, as you won’t have to buy replacement filters or anything else for the duration of its life.
You can see how low-profile the Wandvac is, even in its base, in the picture below. However, that design feature does lead to my biggest knock against this handy cleaning tool.
My main issue with the Shark Wandvac is that it simply doesn’t hold very much debris. So, even though it self-empties each time you use it, it doesn’t come close to the capacity of other vacuums, including the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe, which I’ve also got at home. For whole-house vacuuming jobs, it would be worth it to keep a full-size machine around and maybe reserve the Wandvac for quick touch-ups and daily maintenance.
My only other complaint is that, while it comes with some great accessories, there is no dedicated place to stick the attachments, which means you end up having to stash them in a closet. While it’s not a make-or-break for me, it would be helpful if all of the accessories could stay together with the base, especially since the entire product is built around convenience.
While the Shark Wandvac only has a handful of reviews on Amazon so far, there are more on Shark’s website, if you’d like to read some other opinions before purchasing. While the majority of reviews are positive, a few customers have complained that the suction power isn’t strong enough — which I should note I disagree with. I found the suction to be quite powerful. Other negative marks agreed with me about the meager size of the canister.
If you have allergies that can be helped by the self-emptying feature or just want a lightweight stick vacuum for simple clean-ups, I’d say the Shark Wandvac is worth the $330 price tag. When you consider that the similar Dyson Cyclone starts at $600 and doesn’t self-empty, it looks even more attractive. (Amazon does have one on sale right now — it’s marked down 17% from $699 to $580.)
That neat feature makes the Shark Wandvac a bit higher priced than the brand’s other cordless stick vacuums, so if you want a similar vacuum and don’t mind emptying it yourself, the Shark Cordless Ultracyclone is regularly priced at $150, but is currently on sale for just $99.
Weighing just 2.8 pounds, this vacuum can handle above-floor messes with a detachable hand vac or you can use the floor nozzle for jobs on bare floors.
You’ll also find some self-emptying robot vacuums on Amazon, including the iRobot Roomba J7+ (regularly $800), and the Dreametech D10 Plus (regularly $500), which I was also able to test. The Dreamtech also includes a mop feature, so it’s great for those with hardwood or tile floors.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
