Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus CH951 / CH950UKT review

Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro: two-minute review

Shark has become a popular choice in the home cleaning market in recent years, offering a range of vacuum form factors from uprights to cordless models, and the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro (sometimes referred to as the Pro Plus, and known as the Shark Classic Handheld Pet Vacuum in the UK) is one of its dedicated handheld models. 

It has a compact, lightweight form factor that makes it one of the very best car vacuums around, as well as being the best Shark vacuum for quick clean-ups around the home, on worktops, tables, soft furnishings and so on. It comes with three accessories: a motorized brush aimed at collecting pet hair, a crevice tool and a dusting brush, which cover most use cases. It promises 10 minutes of battery (although actually performed better than that in our tests) and has a 15fl oz / 450ml bin, which is fairly generous in this market.

If you're looking for something more versatile, Shark's WandVac range is designed specifically to be able to convert from handheld to floor vac (read TechRadar's Shark WandVac System review to find out how we got on with that one). However, if it's a dedicated handheld you're after, you'd be hard pressed to beat the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro / Classic Handheld Pet Vacuum.

Despite only having one power setting, it proves plenty powerful enough for the majority of tasks asked of it, including tackling pet hair with ease, and it has sufficient battery life to do a good clean of your whole car on a single charge. Its versatility with the included tools makes it flexible in use too, making it perfect for busy families, particularly those with pets.

Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro review: price & availability

• List price: $89.99 / £79.99 / AU$199.99

At list price, the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro costs $89.99 / £79.99, and is available directly from Shark in the UK and US, as well as from Amazon and other online retailers. Do double check which tools are included when buying – some versions have a different selection.

There are cheaper car vacuums available, but we haven't tested any that come close to the Shark in terms of performance (see our Black and Decker 12V Dustbuster Flexi review for an example). 

Shopping events like the Black Friday sales can be a particularly good time to shop for vacuum cleaners, and keep an eye out for Shark promo codes to take the price down too. 

Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro specs

Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro review: design

• Cordless design with 15fl oz / 450ml bin
• 3 attachments, including one for pet hair
• LED headlights to illuminate dark areas

Measuring 20.5 x 3.7 x 4.3 inches / 52 x 9.5 x 11cm, the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro / Classic Handheld Pet Vacuum is on the larger side of compact, and is probably better suited to being stored in a cupboard rather than on a countertop. It’s still an ergonomic design though, and feels good to hold, with the handle built into its main body. 

The power button sits at perfect thumb height on the top of the vacuum and offers a single level of suction, while the yellow bin-release button sits towards the nozzle end and releases the bin downwards with a single firm press. The 12.8fl oz / 450ml bin feels plenty big enough for general car cleans, as well as cleanups around the house. 

Considering that I have two dogs, two children under four, and very little time to keep my car in an acceptable state, I managed to get through testing without needing to empty the bin, which is pretty good going. The bin mechanism isn’t the smoothest when you do need to empty it though, and we often needed to use both hands to help the bin to open. 

This style of handheld vacuum cleaner gives good control over your cleaning, while the three different attachments (motorized pet hair tool, crevice tool and dusting brush) provide versatility too, giving you all the tools you need to tackle tougher dirt and pet hair, as well as harder-to-reach areas. It’s a pretty comprehensive package considering the low price.

At 3lb / 1.39kg it’s lightweight enough for you to be able to perform a full car clean without tiring your arm, and as handheld vacs go it looks pretty sleek too. 

Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ review: performance

• Good pickup, but we'd prefer a second power setting
• Tools mean it can tackle a range of tasks
• Averagely noisy

The Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro is one of the better handheld vacuums we’ve tested, so it’s easy to understand why it’s so popular. Its size, shape and weight make it perfect for cleaning your car, with its range of tools helping to ensure it’s always best suited for the task at hand.

We found the motorized pet hair tool and the crevice tool the most useful for car cleaning. The crevice tool was particularly helpful, as even though this vacuum is relatively compact, its all-in-one design still means getting into the harder-to-reach areas behind foot pedals or inside door bins would be tricky without it. It’s not the longest crevice tool we’ve used, but it’s helpful at getting into tight spots all the same.

The motorized tool is a great size for more widespread clear-ups on carpets and upholstery, and made quick work of both smaller and larger debris in our standard tests. It’s the perfect size for the job at hand too, collecting a wider surface area than the crevice tool without becoming unwieldy or imprecise. Its one power setting means that sometimes we needed to go over an area again to get the finer crumb or remnants of the debris, but overall the single power setting copes well with most tasks.

Outside of our standardized tests, a more generic clean around my car found the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro /  Classic Handheld Pet Vacuum did best when clearing up more surface-level debris, and couldn’t entirely shift older dirt that had been more worked in, particularly in carpet. It also struggled with picking up the wiry hair from my Jack Russell in the boot carpet, but that’s a hard job even for more professional tools.

For what you can realistically expect from a vacuum of this size and power, the Shark  performs admirably, and considering its handy form factor, it’s easy to have on hand to clear up any mess before it gets worked in. 

In terms of noise, the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus measured at 88dB, which is about average for this kind of vacuum, and suction power stayed pretty consistent until right at the end, when you could hear it start to waver as the battery depleted. 

Do take the time to wash out the filter after any particularly heavy-duty clear ups though, and regularly otherwise, as this will help to ensure the vacuum’s suction stays as strong as possible. Simply remove the filter and run it under warm water, then allow it to dry completely before using it again.

Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro review: battery

• Lasted longer than the quoted 10 minutes
• Around three hours to recharge
• Battery not swappable

The Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro promises a 10-minute battery life, but we found the battery performed better than that, and we squeezed out almost 15 minutes from it on a single charge. You can expect that to drop a little with the motorized tool attached, but we had plenty of time to make our way around our car on a single charge, with even a little power to spare at the end. 

Shark also seems to have been liberal with its quote of four hours for a full recharge, as in our tests we found it charged from flat to full in around three hours. You can’t swap out the battery though, so you will need to make sure you keep it charged so it’s ready when you need it.

Should I buy the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+?

Buy it if...

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First reviewed: April 2022