The modern cordless vacuum is nothing short of amazing. They cram so much suction power into such a small and light package. But they’re not all created equal. So we did what we do. We tested all of the most popular ones on the market.
When we were done testing them all in real-world scenarios, we were left with two. And as we’re comparing Shark and Dyson stick vacuums, we’re effectively pitting the two biggest names in the industry against each other. Who’ll win?
- Shark ION F80 Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum
- Dyson Cyclone V10 Animal Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner
Shark Ion F80 vs Dyson V10 Comparison
Usability
This is a toss-up. Both are great, but they have different distinguishing characteristics that make them better at different types of tasks.
The Shark’s wand bends. That is an incredible feature that lets you get the wand just about anywhere. You probably won’t have to move furniture to vacuum under it at all. And just think of what you can do with it in your car.
You may have to move your sofa to vacuum underneath it with the Dyson, but it has so much more power. It really deep cleans carpeting and upholstery.
Decide what is more important to you: the raw power of the convenience of the MultiFLEX bendable wand.
Emptying the dust collection bin on any vacuum can be a messy task. Luckily, both of these vacuums have bins that are easy to remove and empty.
One big advantage that the Shark has is its washable filters. Keeping the filters clean keeps the suction strong and prevents premature motor wear.
The Dyson has a HEPA filter that traps microscopic particles and dust, but you can’t wash it. And it is rather expensive to replace any HEPA filter, regardless of size or application.
Shark ION F80
Dyson Cyclone V10
Weight And Maneuverability
Both vacuums are light compared to other cordless sticks. The Shark Ion F80 weighs just nine pounds. Surprisingly, the Dyson V10 weighs only six pounds, making it one of the lightest cordless vacuums.
That’s three pounds lighter, despite being almost exactly the same size and having quite a bit more power.
The Shark and the Dyson are tied as far as maneuverability goes. But there has to be a winner here, right? Well, the Shark wins the maneuverability award, thanks to that awesome MultiFLEX wand. With it, you can get anywhere you can reach your arm.
Design
All cordless stick vacuums are built pretty much the same way. The Ion F80 and the Dyson V10 are about the same size, but the Dyson is about three pounds lighter.
The main drawback to the Dyson V10’s design is that you have to lean it up against something if you have to set it aside for a minute while you’re vacuuming. The Shark can stand on its own.
The Shark Ion’s drawback is that it doesn’t have a wall-mounted charging dock. The Dyson V10 does. This is convenient for storage, and it just looks neater.
Noise Level
The Dyson V10 surprised us again here. You would expect that a vacuum with so much power would be louder than its weaker competitor. But due to the aforementioned special motor design, it’s actually quieter.
We were so shocked that we thought the Shark we were testing was perhaps defective somehow, and that it was making too much noise compared to the Dyson. So we got a new Shark. There was nothing wrong with either vacuum. The Dyson is just that quiet.
That’s not to say that the Shark is loud, It isn’t noisy by any metric. Both vacuums are quiet. The Dyson V10 just has some impressive sound suppression technology.
You can use either vacuum with someone sleeping in the next room, and you wouldn’t wake them up. In fact, they may not hear it even if they are awake.
It is important to point out that the Dyson does make more noise on the higher power settings. But the noise level it generated on the highest setting is comparable to the Shark’s noise level on its one setting.
Value
This is what it all comes down to. We are committed, even obsessed, to helping you find products with the best value. That’s why you visit us, isn’t it?
Now, the way you determine value is by comparing the cost to the benefits. But it is rather subjective. Let’s help you decide.
The Dyson V10 is a premium battery-operated vacuum. It is an absolute powerhouse that comes with a variety of useful accessories for deep cleaning your entire home, and even your car.
The engineering that went into the design of its motor to make it so powerful and quiet is impressive. But all of that comes at a cost. That cost is about $600. It is a very steep price for a vacuum. You pay for the quality.
The Shark stands out with its price. It hovers around $350. And it is also an impressive machine. You’ve got the MultiFLEX wand and the two batteries that come with it. So what will you be sacrificing if you decide to go with the Shark?
Power and accessories are the two main things you’ll be missing out on. The weight that against the approximate $250 you’ll save. That’s how you calculate your value.
Charge And Run Time
Both vacuums’ batteries take 3-½ hours to fully charge. But there are two other criteria that you must consider. They’re run time and actual cleaning time. Let’s look at them.
The Dyson has a maximum run time of 60 minutes per charge, which is a full 20 minutes longer than the Shark’s run time. But keep in mind that the Shark comes with two batteries. If you start out with both of them fully charged, you can actually clean for 80 minutes with the Shark. So you actually get 20 more minutes of cleaning time.
The power switch bears mentioning here. The Dyson V10 features an innovative touch button. Think of it as a dead man’s switch of sorts. When your trigger finger is touching it, it’s running. It shuts off when you let go. You don’t have to flip a switch or push a button. It senses when you’re not using it and shuts off to save battery power.
The Shark Ion F80 has a traditional push button. You work it the old-fashioned way. Push it to turn it on, and push it again to turn it off. It’s just as easy to use, but slightly less convenient.
Shark Ion F80 & Dyson V10 Reviews
Shark ION F80 Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum
Features
- Washable filters – You can wash both the foam pre-motor filter and the post-motor filter to extend their lives
- Two battery packs – It comes with a spare battery for double the run time. When the juice runs out, just put your backup in and keep cleaning
- DuoClean brushroll – You can effortlessly go from carpet to hardwood flooring, thanks to the DuoClean technology. The stiff bristles pound dirt out of the carpet, and the soft roll attracts small particles and dust
The Shark Ion is awesome at cleaning under furniture and other places that the Dyson V10 can’t reach. That’s because of it MultiFLEX wand. It’s like a cross between a hose and a long nozzle that bends to get into small areas.
Accessories and Parts
The product comes with the shown below accessories.
- Crevice tool – For getting into books and crannies
- Upholstery tool – This corresponds to Dyson’s combination tool
Pros:
- Affordable compared to similar models
- MultiFLEX wand bends to get under furniture
- Slightly more narrow
- Washable filters
- You get an extra battery
- Stands upright on its own
- Goes seamlessly from carpet to hardwood
Cons:
- Less power compared to the Dyson V10
- You don’t get as many useful attachments
- Only one power setting
- High noise-to-power ratio
Dyson Cyclone V10 Animal Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner
Features
- Seven-cell battery – More power and longer run time
- Three power settings – Choose low for longer battery life, Boost for deep cleaning, or the middle for everyday vacuuming chores
- Whole-machine seal – Air can only escape through the HEPA filter, so virtually all microscopic particles and allergens are trapped
- Acoustic sound isolation – Specially engineered motor design and materials drastically cut noise and vibration
The key word here is power. And that’s a huge consideration when comparing cordless vacuum cleaners. The Dyson V10 has a totally redesigned battery that provides more power and runs longer, up to 60 minutes per charge. That’s 20 minutes longer than Shark’s contender here.
Accessories and Parts
The product comes with the shown below accessories.
- Motorized brush head attachment for the wand – You can clean small spaces just as effectively as you could the carpet in the middle of your living room
- Dust brush – This is great for cleaning ceiling fans, on top of door jambs, and other out-of-the-way places that accumulate a lot of dust
- Crevice tool – Get between couch cushions and between furniture and walls
- Combo tool – This is great for upholstery
Pros:
- Very powerful
- Three power settings
- Quiet
- Soft-touch power button
- True HEPA filtration
- Longer battery life
Cons:
- Expensive
- Not quite as maneuverable
What Consumers Are Saying About Both Products
Each vacuum has a good number of fans. There are also some gripes about both of them.
Either way, what people say about a product is a valuable gauge that can tell you not only how happy you’ll be with it when you first unbox it, but how much you’ll like it months and even years down the road.
First up is the Shark Ion F80. What do folks think about it? The scuttlebutt is generally positive.
People who bought it were usually looking for a good, light, and strong cordless stick vacuum that wouldn’t totally break their budget. They were really happy along those lines.
We found that many of those who went with the Shark F80 were some of Shark’s loyal returning customers. The company has built up a solid fan base, that’s for sure. Quite a few of those customers compared the F80 to some of the earlier versions in its lineage.
They say that it’s smaller, lighter, more powerful, and quieter. So it looks like an improvement all around the board. You should be happy to hear that if, at this point, you are considering the F80 and currently own a good Shark vacuum cleaner.
The biggest brags about the Shark F80 center around the flexible MultiFLEX wand. It’s a big hit. The dual battery pack got some rave reviews as well.
Some have complained that the wall-mount charger should come with the initial purchase instead of having to be bought separately, and perhaps they’re right.
The biggest complaint is that it isn’t ideal for getting pet hair out of high-pile carpeting.
Now let’s move on to what people are saying about the Dyson V10. Many people are thrilled about it.
There were some complaints about the price, but that is to be expected. Despite the amazing power and other cool features, that steep price tag did cause some buyer’s remorse.
As far as the actual performance goes, many were surprised at this combination of suction power and energy efficiency in such a light and quiet package. It does the job very well.
Conclusion
Which lightweight cordless vacuum is better? Well, that’s completely up to you. Let’s recap.
The Dyson V10 is super powerful and has just about every attachment that you would need to deep clean your entire home. And it’s surprisingly quiet.
The big obstacle for many people is the price. If you want to best overall cordless stick vacuum, the Dyson V10 may be the best cordless vacuum for you.
Are you on a budget? Many of us are nowadays. You can still get a great vacuum cleaner at a fair price. The Shark F80 has plenty of power at a cost that doesn’t suck if you’ll pardon the vacuum pun.
It has some cool perks for such an affordable machine. It can clean under furniture, and it cleans hardwood just as well as it does deep-pile carpet.
