Shark vs Dyson (Which is Best?)

Two of the best vacuum cleaner brands out there, Shark vs Dyson both are leading brands for a reason – and both produce some of the best and most innovative vacuum cleaners on the market.

Each of the models I am looking at today is cordless, and as someone who always finds themselves tripping over cords and forever looking for a socket, they solve a whole load of issues for me.

I have owned cordless vacuum cleaners in the past, with Dyson being my usual choice, but I also own a Shark steam cleaner – and it is one of the best cleaning tools I’ve ever bought.

As a result, their cordless vacuum cleaner range has always been very appealing to me, and in this guide, I am going to take you through a detailed comparison review.

I will be taking the Dyson V8 Animal and putting it up against the Shark IF200UKT, and the Dyson V10 Total Clean to compare with the Shark IF250UKT. Who will be the winner?

Shark vs Dyson; What you need to consider

Before you decide to invest in a cordless vacuum cleaner, in this case a shark vs Dyson there are a few things to take into consideration.

If you get frustrated with the hassle that comes with cords and how restrictive they can be, or you never seem to have enough sockets to reach the entirety of your home, going for a cordless vacuum cleaner is probably the right way to go.

The Dyson models can even be mounted on the wall to charge and be stored. One of the things you might want to watch out for with cordless models is the charging time. 

While there are some that need less than three hours, those with longer battery life do tend to need three hours and above to fully charge.

There is usually a quick charge setting that will allow you to blitz the house before guests come if it’s not quite ready yet, but the wait for full charge can be frustrating. 

If there is a turbo, or boost, mode on your vacuum cleaner, the battery life for this setting tends to be very small indeed.

They do provide more power for those tough areas of flooring, but a corded vacuum cleaner will give you more life in this regard without needing to worry about the battery cutting out. 

Presenting the Shark DuoClean IF200UKT / IF250UKT and the Dyson V8 / V10 

The Dyson V8 Animal was part of the second range to be released in the V series. Made to impress, it solved many of the issues that the V6 range faced, boosting the battery life and increasing the suction.

It is sure to give your home an excellent clean, promising a truly thorough job that leaves no mess or debris behind.

Plus, this model was designed for pets and so can tackle all of their fur and fluff. This model comes with a superb range of attachments for reaching difficult areas and removing pet hair.

It is the perfect model for those with one or more pets, but it should be noted that the dust canister is a little small and it has a long charge period.

Pros

• 40-minute running time
• Very powerful suction 
• Powered Lift away into handheld 
• Comes with excellent tools 
• Great filtration system 

Cons

• Small dust capacity
• Turbo mode lasts less than 10 minutes 
• 5-hour charge period 

The Shark IF200UKT powered lift away is one of the early members of the IF2 range, and it incorporates some really interesting technology, like the dual brush floorhead, to create a vacuum cleaner that is able to tackle almost any kind of a mess.

Ideal for pets, it has both powerful suction and comes with tools that have been specially designed to deal with the hair that they leave behind.

The rest of the tools are equally great when helping you out, and this cordless vacuum cleaner even lifts away into a handheld model for ease of use and reaching tricky areas.

While it is a great choice for homes with pets, the running time is quite short when compared to other cordless vacuum cleaners, and the canister is very small.

Pros

• DuoClean brush technology 
• Works across all floor types 
• Excellent range of attachments 
• Lift away into a handheld model
• Designed for homes with pets 

Cons

• Running time is only 22 minutes 
• Small dust capacity 
• High price considering battery and capacity

The Dyson V10 Total Clean is one of the models that is featured in the V10 series of vacuum cleaners. It was designed to be a better and more efficient version of its predecessors; the V7 and V8. 

There are loads of reasons why the V10 Total Clean is such a good vacuum cleaner, as you’ll be able to see below, and it does make for a machine that is both handy and reliable.

It allows you to clean your home quickly and efficiently, and the battery is one of the best on a cordless model. Not to mention all the great tools that it comes with. 

Whether you want to use it on hard floors, or you have more carpet, you will find that it does an excellent job with both.

Plus, there is a new emptying system that makes the canister much simpler to remove as well as quick and clean to empty. The only downside to the V10? It’s not a great choice if you’re on a budget. 

Pros

• 60-minute running time
• Very powerful suction 
• New system for bin emptying
• Comes with excellent tools 
• Great filtration system 

Cons

• Price is very high
• Turbo mode lasts less than 10 minutes 
• Heavier than previous models

The Shark IF250UKT is another model from the IF2 range, and it is great for those who want a little more time to clean their home as it boasts the best runtime out of the entire collection.

This is because it has a twin battery system to provide you with a little more energy, and it is a great model for getting every area of your home nice and clean – all thanks to the powerful suction that can reach even embedded grime in your carpets.

It comes with some really good accessories, and you will find them especially handy when it converts into a handheld model to reach the stairs and other difficult areas – it’s perfect for every kind of home. However, it should be noted that this model does have a very small dust capacity.

Pros

• 44-minute running time
• Lift away into a handheld model
• DuoClean floorhead technology
• Excellent suction 
• Compact and lightweight 

Cons

• Dust gets stuck on the shroud 
• Small dust capacity 
• High price 

Features and Benefits of the Shark DuoClean IF200UKT / IF250UKT and the Dyson V8 / V10

Key Features

Dyson V8

• Suction Power (MAX): 115aw
• Suction Power (REG): 28aw
• Weight: 2.61kg
• Battery Life: 40 minutes
• Charge Time: 5 hours 
• Type: Cordless stick and handheld
• Price: £349.99

Dyson V10

• Suction Power (MAX): 150aw
• Suction Power (REG) 35aw
• Weight: 2.68kg
• Battery Life: 60 minutes
• Charge Time: 3.5 hours 
• Type: Cordless stick and handheld
• Price: £449.99

Shark IF200UKT

• Suction Power (MAX): 100aw
• Suction Power (REG): 44aw
• Weight: 4 kg
• Battery Life: 22 minutes
• Charge Time: 3.5 hours 
• Type: Cordless stick  
• Price: £313.50

Shark IF250UKT

• Suction Power (MAX): 100aw
• Suction Power (REG): 44aw
• Weight: 4 kg
• Battery Life: 44 minutes
• Charge Time: 3.5 hours 
• Type: Cordless stick 
• Price: £419.00

Power and Design

The Dyson V8 Animal is a cordless stick vacuum cleaner that has a slim design to help it reach tight places with ease.

It has a purple wand to let you know it is an Animal model, and the way it has been designed means that the process of emptying it (hold it over the bin and press the release button) and vacuuming are very easy and require minimal effort.

The Shark IF200UKT lift away is also a pet vacuum cleaners as well as a stick vacuum cleaner. However, one of the main and most interesting differences in design is that this vacuum cleaner has a flexible wand.

This means that when you are trying to vacuum under furniture and other tight locations, the whole thing will bend in order to reach it.

The Dyson V10 Total Clean is also a cordless stick vacuum cleaner, and while the design is quite similar to the V8, you’ll find that the wand is red and actually goes directly through the dust canister.

This means that the wand needs to be removed for you to empty it, but the process is incredibly easy – something that we will look at a little later in this review. It is also easy to handle when cleaning your home.

The Shark vacuum IF250UKT, once again, is a cordless stick vacuum cleaner, and it has a design that is almost identical to the IF200UKT – the only real difference is that this one has a twin battery instead of a single.

It also has the flexible wand that will bend so that it can reach under furniture, making everything easier and also providing you with a much better radius overall. The Dyson V8 Animal comes with a main floorhead in the form of a brush bar.

This works well on all floor types, as well as hard floors and has been made to deal with pet hair and dirt in an efficient manner. It reaches right into the deepest crevices of your carpet to get embedded fluff, while also remaining gentle and reliable on hard floors.

Both the Shark IF200UKT and the IF250UKT have the same floorhead, and this is an innovative piece of technology.

It uses the DuoClean feature, which consists of two different brush rolls working in unison to give your carpets and hard floors an incredible clean, and one that will reach even the deepest levels of dirt, all while restoring its natural lustre, leaving it good as new.

The V10 Total Clean also has two floorheads that you can use, and each of them serve a different purpose. The first of these is the usual brush bar, and this is usable on both carpets and hard floors. Its speciality is cleaning up dirt and grime that has become one with your flooring.  

The second of these is the soft roller brush, and this has been designed for hard floors as it provides a gentler clean while still remaining very thorough. With power and suction, there are a few differences between each of the models.

The Dyson V8 Animal produces 115aw of suction, which is quite impressive. On the other hand, the Shark vacuum IF200UKT has 100aw – which is still good, but not as much as the Dyson.

Looking at the Dyson V10 Total Clean, that model produces an incredible 150aw, and the Shark IF250UKT manages 100aw.

Both models from Shark vs Dyson are able to be transformed into a handheld vacuum cleaner so that you can reach tight areas like the stairs, as well as your furnishings.

However, the Shark goes a step further, and makes it so that the flexible wand can be folded down too – creating an incredibly compact vacuum cleaner that can be stored away just about anywhere.

Each model here has great benefits, as well as a few shortcomings. However, for both sets of comparisons, the Shark wins this section.

It may have less power, but as a whole it is way more compact and also offers extra features, like the flexible wand, to make things much easier.

Battery Life 

This is really important, because you want to be able to clean your entire home in one go.

The Dyson V8 Animal has a total running time of 40 minutes, which should give you more than enough time to get the average home clean, all while collecting pet hair and grime at an efficient rate.

However, the turbo setting only lasts for around eight minutes. The Shark IF200UKT only lasts for 22 minutes, however, and this is only really enough time for small homes and apartments.

While it is still a decent running time, it is not ideal, and the turbo power setting will last for five minutes or less.

It still does a good job of picking up dirt though, as we explored in the previous section. The V10 Total Clean has three power settings, which makes for a nice change from the usual two you find with Dyson.

When using the standard setting, it will give you a good hour of battery life; ideal for even larger homes. 

When you are using the medium power setting, you get an excellent 20 minutes of battery life. However, the turbo mode will only provide you with eight.

The Shark IF250UKT has a better battery life than the rest of the range, and this is because it has a twin battery instead of a single one.

As a result, it lasts for 44 minutes on its regular setting, which is more than enough time to clean medium and slightly larger homes. The turbo mode does only last around eight minutes, but it is only really needed for really grimy areas – like most turbo settings.

In this section, the best model for battery life is won by Dyson on both occasions. Each model has better charge than its competitor, and this makes them the better choice when it comes to finding a cordless vacuum cleaner that can really scrub your home.

Charging Period 

The time it takes your cordless vacuum cleaner to charge is also important, as it means that you know how often you are able to use it each day.

The V8 Animal was actually designed to have a significantly larger battery than the V6 that came before it. This means that it has a longer charging period than the rest of the V series, coming in at five hours. 

As a result, it may not be available for a good part of the day. The Shark IF200UKT only needs three hours to charge, and while the battery life is shorter, it does mean that it is more readily available for use.

They also have removable batteries, so it can be charged up in any location that is convenient for you.

The Dyson V10 Total Clean has a larger battery than most in the V series as evidenced by the longer running time, but the charge period is only 3.5 hours. This means that you can pick it up for use a few times a day, so it is readily available when you need it most.

The Shark IF250UKT has a charging period of three hours, and this means that it is even more readily available than the V10.

Additionally, the removable twin batteries mean that you can put it on charge anywhere in your home without the bulk of the vacuum cleaners main body.

When it comes to the charging period, the Shark IF200UKT and IF250UKT are both faster than their Dyson comparisons.

Therefore, if you want a model that charges really fast, the Sharks are the way to go – although the IF250UKT only takes 30 minutes less than the Dyson V10 Total Clean to charge fully.

Filtration System 

The filtration system within your vacuum cleaner is an exceptionally important feature, even if you do not have allergy or asthma sufferers in your home. As an interesting point, the Dyson V8 Animal and V10 Total Clean have an identical system installed.

Both models have a HEPA filter, which is the highest grade possible. These are able to capture 99.7% of allergens and dust, keeping the air in your home more breathable. 

Part of its brilliance is in the way it actually keeps the allergens in the filter, ensuring that only clean air is thrown back into the home. Both the Shark IF200UKT and IF250UKT use the same filtration system as well.

It consists of two tiers and filters, each of which aims to collect the majority of dust and allergens that pass through – leaving you with cleaner air being pushed back out of the machine.

However, the main filter is very messy to reach, so it is advised that you don’t take it out over your freshly vacuumed floor.

When it comes to filtration, there is no real winner here as both systems use an excellent and advanced system to minimise the amount of dust going back into the air. Plus, they both have multi-tiered practices to ensure safety and comfort while you clean.

Weight 

The Dyson V8 Animal only weighs 2.61kg, which makes it a lightweight model and one that is very easy to handle when you are cleaning your home, and it has a flexible floorhead as a bonus feature.

On the other hand, the Shark IF200UKT weighs 4kg, and while this is still a light model, it could become heavy over the usage period.

However, it is still pretty good in terms of handling. The Dyson V10 Total Clean weighs in at 2.68kg because of its large battery. However, this is still very light, and it is also able to provide smooth and easy handling throughout your cleaning experience.

The Shark IF250UKT weighs 4kg, and so it is heavier than many cordless models, although this one does have a twin battery.

It still remains great in terms of handling though. Between the competing Dyson and Shark models, the former of these wins both times.

The Dyson V8 Animal and V10 Total Clean are lighter than their Shark counterparts by nearly two kilos. While each of the vacuum cleaners here is pretty easy to handle, if you want to go for the lightest models, Dyson is the one for you. 

Dust Capacity 

You want a good dust capacity because it means that you don’t have to empty it every five minutes, and it is an area that cordless vacuum cleaners are often lacking in because of their lightweight and compact designs.

The Dyson V8 Animal has a capacity of 0.54L, which is decent but does mean it will need to be emptied more frequently.

Both the Shark IF200UKT and IF250UKT have 0.3L capacities, and while these are not bad, it does mean you will have to prepare yourself for more frequent trips to the bin in order to get rid of the built-up dirt and dust.

Plus, the shroud does have a tendency to get fluff and hair stuck on it. The V10 Total Clean has a larger capacity of 0.76L, and it uses Dyson’s new emptying system as well.

The fact that the shroud cleans itself is part of what makes this model so appealing. No more clumps of trapped dust, and the process is exceptionally smooth. When it comes to the dust capacity, the Dyson wins every time without a doubt.

This is because both the V8 Animal and V10 Total Clean have much larger capacities than their Shark counterparts, making them the better choice for those who would like less frequent stops for emptying.

Attachments 

Pretty much every vacuum cleaner will come with some tools that you can use to make the cleaning experience smoother. Below, you will find the ones that are included with both Shark and Dyson. 

The Dyson V8 Animal comes with the following:

• Main floorhead (as discussed)
• Soft floorhead (as discussed)
• Docking station and charger to mount the vacuum cleaner on the wall for storage/charging 
• Combination tool
• Crevice tool 
• Mini motorhead 
• Quick release dusting brush

The Dyson V10 comes with the following:

• Main floorhead (as discussed)
• Soft floorhead (as discussed)
• Docking station and charger to mount the vacuum cleaner on the wall for storage/charging 
• Combination tool
• Crevice tool 
• Mini motorhead 
• Mattress tool
• Quick release wand adaptor for flexibility 

The Shark IF200UKT comes with the following:

• Motorised pet tool 
• Crevice tool
• Upholstery tool
• Dusting brush

The Shark IF250UKT comes with the following:

• Motorised pet tool 
• Crevice tool
• Upholstery tool
• Dusting brush
• Anti-allergen dusting brush

What makes the Dyson V10 Total Clean different from all the rest, however, is the new quick-release system for attaching tools to the wand and the handheld section.

The tools clip into place, ensuring that they do not come loose from wear, or end up jammed in place from too much force.

Each of the vacuum cleaners here has an impressive selection of tools for you to choose from, but the Dyson V10 Total Clean has the best and widest.

If you are going to go for one model based on the tools, it should be this one – especially with the new quick-release system in place.

Social Proof 

Of course, I don’t expect you to take my word for everything here, and it is important to see how other customers felt about the vacuum cleaners that they bought.

To give you further insight, I scoured the internet and discovered these great reviews for each of the Shark and Dyson models that we have listed here.

Final Thoughts – Shark vs Dyson??

We hope that this guide has helped you to learn more about each model, as well as which one will work best for you. It’s difficult to choose which is the best because each vacuum cleaner listed here is reliable and comes with some great tools.

They provide powerful suction and also sports additional features that are unique to the brand (looking at Shark’s Flexi-wand).

However, the Dyson V10 Total Clean is the overall winner because it sports an amazing battery life, dust capacity, filtration system, tools, and suction. It’s our favourite and one that is sure to serve you well.  

What did you think of this Shark vs Dyson guide? If you would like to check out the Dyson V8 Animal, you can click here, and for the Dyson 360 Robot, just follow this link.

For the Shark DuoClean IF200UKT, you can go here, and the Shark DuoClean IF250UKT can be found by following this link. They are all great vacuum cleaners, and we would love to hear your thoughts on them below.

Last Updated on February 13, 2022 by Gemma Tyler