Shark Rocket versus Dyson Vacuum Review

As a family of 6 with four long haired cats, we find ourselves vacuuming daily. Not solely because our kids are messy, but also because my husband is a neat freak and likes to “know” the floors are clean. Even more so we vacuum daily because we live in a house filled with carpet in every single room (except the bathrooms and kitchen)! Carpet by no means was my choice but it’s what we have, so we vacuum that cream carpet daily.

A 6 years ago I got my dream vacuum, a Dyson DC40 Origin Upright Vacuum Cleaner. I remember when I got that vacuum I was in heaven. I loved how well it handled. It picked up the animal hair with easy and it finally made my carpets feel clean. So when I received the Shark Rocket Ultralight Upright to review and compare against my Dyson I was very skeptical that it could even compare. Especially knowing that it is 1/3 the cost.

So here we go. I opened up my Shark Rocket right away and begin to test it out! It came with several pieces, however assembly was very easy and only took a few moments. My first impression after using the Shark Rocket was, “WOW this vacuum has some kick!” Considering the Shark Rocket is an extremely light weight upright vacuum I figured it would take a little elbow grease to keep it moving across the carpet…boy was I wrong. The Shark has the power of a “Rocket”. No joke this thing has kick. It takes a little to get used as it almost seems to want to pull from out of my hand. But once I got used to the power behind it, I was really impressed with how easy it was to maneuver. Because of it’s light weight, small structure the Shark Rocket is able to more easily get to areas my Dyson sometimes struggled to reach. Whether I was tackling cat hair on the stairs, crumbs in between toys or under the tables and beds, maneuvering the Shark was a breeze. I also love the 30 foot cord that comes standard with the Shark. I am able to plug in my Shark in a central location in our house and reach nearly every single room!

Let me be totally honest with you. Even though the Shark is so easy to use and works amazingly. I do find myself torn between my Dyson and my Rocket. I find myself keeping one vacuum upstairs to use and one downstairs, so that I can use them both. Yes I know it’s silly, but I just love both vacuums so much I can’t decide. I will tell you though that the Shark works 100 times better on our stairs to pick up the hard to reach cat hair than my Dyson (however this could be in part because my Dyson is 6 years old now). Also I have found the Shark easier for my kids to handle than our heavy Dyson.

We have been working hard at teaching our kids the value of participating in household responsibilities. With this we want our kids to help around the house with no expectation of payment. We feel that a part of being in a family and living in a home is helping out and taking care of it. My kids each have their own set of daily “chores” that they must maintain. We have been wanting to add vacuuming the house and stairs, however our Dyson was too heavy for the kids to handle, and way too difficult to use on the stairs. With the Shark we can take the long handle off and they can vacuum the stair easily. This mama is one happy camper!

My overall opinion of the Shark Rocket is that is….it rocks!  I will not go as far as to say that the Shark Rocket is “better” than the Dyson. But for 1/3 the cost of the Dyson you are getting an excellent machine. You will not be disappointed. Just keep in mind that there is a bit of a learning curve when using the Rocket. It has a lot of power and will feel like it’s pulling your through the house. But along with that power pulling you, keep in mind that is power picking up dirty and grime from deep within the carpet, crevices of tile and so forth.

There are two things about the Shark that I do not like in comparison to the Dyson. First the container/filter area is WAY smaller than the Dyson. I find myself having to empty it two time more often. Secondly, I do not like how the Shark Rocket cannot stand on it’s own. It has to be hung or leaning against something. Now the Shark Rocket Professional is supposed to be more similar to the Dyson Upright (which is the one I have) but since I did not receive that one to compare against my current Dyson I cannot compare. Finally, I feel I should be honest and remind you that I am comparing a brand spanking NEW Shark Rocket against my 6 year old Dyson. My Dyson speaks for itself that it has lasted 6 years through all the massive amount of daily vacuuming we do. I cannot tell you if the Shark Rocket will last as long as a Dyson.  Also I am sure my Dyson is not functioning nearly as well as a brand new Dyson would. So in comparing my “research” study I did in my own home has been slightly compromised! I would love to receive a brand new Dyson and compare against my brand new Shark Rocket. Now that would be an awesome test!

Buy the Shark Rocket Ultralight Upright (HV302)on Amazon for just $199.99 shipped (I paid over $400 for my Dyson DC40)!