Living with two dogs and a cat means my life is filled with joy, companionship, and an endless supply of pet hair. For years, cleaning felt like a losing battle. I’d drag my heavy, corded vacuum from room to room, constantly unplugging and replugging it, only to find new tumbleweeds of fur minutes later. The frustration was real; a dirty home feels chaotic, and the dander was a constant concern for allergies. I knew I needed a more agile, powerful, and pet-focused cleaning tool.
Cordless stick vacuums exist to solve one of life’s great annoyances: the chore of cleaning. They offer the freedom to move untethered through your home, tackling messes as they happen without the hassle of a cord. This makes them perfect for quick daily clean-ups, spills, and maintaining high-traffic areas. The ideal customer for this type of vacuum is someone living in an apartment, a small to medium-sized house, or anyone who needs a powerful secondary vacuum for convenience. Pet owners, in particular, benefit immensely from the grab-and-go nature of a cordless stick model to stay on top of constant shedding.
However, they aren’t for everyone. If you live in a very large home with expansive, thick-pile carpeting, a cordless vacuum might not have the battery life or dust cup capacity to clean the entire space in one session. In that case, a full-sized corded upright might still be a better primary choice. Before you buy, you must consider several key factors: real-world battery runtime (not just the manufacturer’s best-case claim), suction power across different floor types, the quality of the filtration system (especially if you have allergies), the overall weight and ergonomics, and what attachments are included to handle tasks beyond just cleaning floors.
- POWERFUL SUCTION: For everyday messes and high-traffic areas.
- UP TO 40 MINUTES OF RUNTIME: Removable battery with up to 40 minutes of runtime, measured at the hand vac in standard mode.
- POWERFINS BRUSHROLL: Continuous cleaning contact to dig deep into carpets and directly engage hard floors and carpets.
Unboxing the Shark Pet Plus Cordless Vacuum
The Shark IZ163H Pet Plus Cordless Stick Vacuum arrives with a clear promise: to deliver the deep-cleaning power you expect from a Shark vacuum, but without the cord. It’s specifically engineered for homes with pets, focusing on powerful suction and hair pickup. Inside the box, you get the handheld vacuum motor, the MultiFLEX wand, the PowerFins floorhead, a removable battery with its charger, a crevice tool, and a pet multi-tool. This specific product is tailor-made for the person who is tired of pet hair dominating their floors and furniture. It’s for someone who wants to make daily cleaning fast, easy, and effective. It may not be the best fit for someone needing to clean a commercial space or who wants a vacuum that can run for over an hour on its highest setting.
Pros:
* Exceptional at picking up pet hair.
* The self-cleaning brushroll genuinely prevents hair wrap.
* Lightweight design is easy to carry and maneuver.
* MultiFLEX wand provides excellent reach and compact storage.
* HEPA filtration effectively traps allergens.
Cons:
* Battery life is significantly reduced when using max power mode.
* The dust cup is small and requires frequent emptying.
* The LED lights are only on the floorhead, not the hand vac.
- Powerful, convenient, and easy to use.2033.0 watts.Specific uses:hard floor,carpet,dual action
- POWERFUL SUCTION: Thorough deep carpet cleaning, and powerful pet hair pickup on all surfaces.Specific uses:Stairs,Furnitures,Hard Floors
- 3 in 1 design with onboard crevice tool allows you to customize your vacuum for your needs. At only 4 pounds, you can take the Eureka blaze anywhere.240.0 watts.Specific uses:hard floor,carpet,dual...
A Deep Dive into Performance and Features
After using this vacuum for a long time, I’ve come to appreciate how its specific features work together to solve the core problem of keeping a pet-filled home clean. It’s more than just a collection of specs; it’s a thoughtfully designed cleaning system.
Suction Power and PowerFins Brushroll
The heart of any vacuum is its ability to suck up dirt, and this is where the Shark IZ163H truly shines. It offers two main cleaning modes—one for hard floors and one for carpets—plus a “Max Power” trigger for an extra boost of suction when you need it. On my hardwood floors and tile, the standard setting is more than enough. The brushroll, equipped with soft fins, maintains constant contact with the floor, sweeping fine dust and larger debris like kibble directly into the suction channel. Unlike older vacuums that sometimes scatter messes on hard surfaces, this one captures everything in its path.
When I move onto my area rugs and carpets, a simple switch on the handle increases the brushroll speed. This is where the PowerFins technology proves its worth. The flexible silicone fins dig deep into the carpet fibers to agitate and lift embedded dirt, dander, and stubborn pet hair that other vacuums leave behind. The first time I used it on a rug I thought was “clean,” I was shocked by the amount of fur and dust it pulled out. The difference was visible and immediate.
The Freedom of Cordless and Runtime
The single best feature is, without a doubt, being cordless. The freedom to go from the kitchen to the living room and then up the stairs without being tethered to a wall is a complete game-changer. It turns a planned, hour-long chore into a simple, five-minute task. Shark claims up to 40 minutes of runtime, and it’s important to understand what that means. That figure is based on using the vacuum in standard mode, as a handheld without the motorized floorhead. In my real-world use, cleaning a mix of carpet and hard floors with the main nozzle, I typically get around 20-25 minutes of solid cleaning time. While this is more than enough to clean my main living areas, it’s a key disadvantage to be aware of if you have a larger home. The battery is removable, however, which means you can purchase a second one to swap out for extended cleaning sessions.
The Self-Cleaning Brushroll: A Pet Owner’s Dream
If you have a pet with long hair, or even a human with long hair in your household, you know the dreaded task of flipping over your vacuum and taking scissors to the tangled mess on the brushroll. The self-cleaning brushroll on this Shark Pet Plus Cordless Vacuum is not a gimmick; it actually works. A specially designed comb and fin system actively separates and removes hair from the brush as it spins, sending it directly to the dust cup. In all my time using this machine, I have never once had to manually cut hair from the roller. This feature alone saves so much time and gross maintenance, solidifying its place as an indispensable tool for pet owners.
MultiFLEX Technology for Reach and Storage
Another brilliant piece of engineering is the MultiFLEX wand. With the press of a button, the rigid wand hinges in the middle, allowing the vacuum to bend. This lets you clean far underneath couches, beds, and coffee tables without having to kneel or bend over. It makes reaching those dust-bunny-filled areas incredibly easy. The second, and perhaps more crucial, benefit of this technology is for storage. When you’re done cleaning, you fold the vacuum completely in half. This not only cuts its vertical height by half but also allows it to stand on its own for compact, freestanding storage. For anyone living in a home or apartment with limited closet space, this is a fantastic feature that sets the Shark IZ163H apart from many of its competitors.
HEPA Filtration and Anti-Allergen Complete Seal
Cleaning up pet dander is only half the battle; keeping it out of the air you breathe is just as important. The lightweight deep cleaning vacuum includes a HEPA filter and what Shark calls an Anti-Allergen Complete Seal. This system is designed to capture and trap 99.9% of dust, allergens, and dander inside the vacuum. Many vacuums can spew fine particles back into the room through unsealed connections. The complete seal technology ensures that the air being exhausted from the motor is cleaner, which is a noticeable benefit for anyone in my home who suffers from allergies.
Versatility and Attachments
The vacuum easily transforms into a powerful handheld unit by detaching the wand. At just 3.4 pounds, it’s light enough to clean curtains, shelves, and car interiors without fatigue. The included crevice tool is perfect for getting into tight corners and along baseboards where the main floorhead can’t quite reach. The pet multi-tool has a stiff bristle brush that is fantastic for pulling embedded hair from upholstery and carpeted stairs. Finally, the dust cup, while small, features a CleanTouch Dirt Ejector. A simple slider pushes all the contents out into the trash, so you don’t have to reach in and pull out clumps of hair and dirt yourself.
What Other Users Are Saying
After scouring the internet for other long-term reviews, I found that my experience is very common. Users consistently praise the Shark IZ163H Pet Plus for its powerful suction and incredible ability to handle pet hair without tangling the brushroll. Many call the cordless design and lightweight maneuverability “life-changing.” While some users note the battery life on max power can be short, the general consensus is that for everyday cleaning and maintenance, it’s more than sufficient and an excellent value.
The Final Verdict on This Pet-Friendly Vacuum
The relentless cycle of cleaning up pet hair can be exhausting, and a cumbersome vacuum only makes the problem worse. The Shark IZ163H Pet Plus Cordless Stick Vacuum is an outstanding solution to this problem. It excels thanks to its powerful, pet-focused suction, its truly revolutionary self-cleaning brushroll, and its smart, flexible design that makes it easy to use and store. It transforms a dreaded chore into a quick and satisfying task. If you’re ready to reclaim your floors from fur and make your cleaning routine infinitely easier, Click here to check the price and learn more about this fantastic vacuum.
Last update on 2025-10-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API