Sometimes you come across products in a supermarket where you think: this shouldn't be sold here at all, should it? Bram arrived at the office last week with a hand-held vacuum cleaner he had bought at a supermarket. It turned out to be the Shark Ultracyclone Pet Pro (CH950).
The Shark hand-held vacuum cleaner looks nice at first glance: it has a transparent dust container and the name reveals that it can probably be used well for removing pet hair. I have decided to test it extensively. Discover my experiences in this comprehensive Shark Ultracyclone Pet Pro review.
Unboxing Shark Ultracyclone Pet Pro
Like all my other handheld vacuum cleaner reviews, I always start my review with unpacking the packaging. The Shark Ultracyclone Pet Pro should be suitable for pets: I'm curious if there is a motorized turbo brush for pet hair in the package. Let's take a quick look.
- Shark Ultracyclone Pet Pro: the handheld vacuum cleaner
- Motorized mini brush: for removing pet hair
- Furniture brush: a brush for vacuuming sensitive surfaces
- Crevice tool: a nozzle for crevices and hard-to-reach locations
- Charger: to be able to charge the cordless handheld vacuum cleaner
Of course you will also receive an instruction booklet. Here you will discover how the handheld vacuum cleaner works, how you can clean it and what you should pay attention to while vacuuming.
Suction performance of this Shark hand vacuum cleaner
This Shark should be very suitable for removing animal hair, but is it? I have extensively tested the suction performance of this hand vacuum cleaner on various surfaces with different dirt sizes. From dog and cat hair to uncooked macaroni shells.
Suction performance on wooden floors, soft floors and pet hair
Thanks to the included dusting brush, the hand vacuum cleaner is suitable for wooden floors. The soft bristles on the brush are so protective that the risk of scratches or streaks on vulnerable surfaces is minimal. So this can be interesting for vacuuming the desk and the windowsill.
The Shark is also very suitable for soft floor types and surfaces (think of chairs, sofas or other fabric furniture). Pet hairs are easily removed thanks to the motorized mini brush. The rotating roller brush easily pulls animal hair off the sofa or chair.
The crevice tool makes it very easy to vacuum between the cushions or in hard-to-reach locations. Think of the cracks behind the desk or between the skirting boards of the floor.
- Hardwooden floors: 7/10
- Carpet: 7.5/10
- Pet Hair: 8/10
Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro
Suction power and airflow of the Shark CH950
In order to be able to compare the hand vacuum cleaners with each other, I also test the suction power in addition to the suction performance. I test the suction power with a vacuum tester (in Kilopascals) and the airflow with an air speed meter (in meters per second).
The suction power I measure is 4.5 kilopascals. Compared to other hand vacuum cleaners, this is an excellent suction power for a hand vacuum cleaner.
If we look at the airflow, I measure an airspeed of 11.2 meters per second. It is also comparable to many other handheld vacuum cleaners.
User-friendliness Shark cordless handheld vacuum cleaner
An important part of my reviews is the user-friendliness of a vacuum cleaner. In the field of handheld vacuum cleaners, this mainly concerns the weight and battery life of the device. A cordless hand vacuum cleaner must also fit comfortably in the hand, not make too much noise and of course be versatile in use.
Weight, noise level and battery life
It is nice if it is lightweight in order to be able to ‘get to it as quickly' as possible. Although the weight of the vacuum cleaners is often stated on the packaging, I always measure it. The Shark CH950 comes out at 1.17 kilograms on my accurate scale. This is different from what the manufacturer says. The product specifications of various web shops state 1.8 kilograms. So this is a stroke of luck.
Surprisingly enough, I don't see any information about the noise level at any point of sale – including on the Shark website itself. After my noise measurement, I understand why: with a noise level of 78.9 decibels, it is not a quiet choice.
The battery life of this wireless Shark hand vacuum cleaner is 10 minutes. This is the maximum battery life of most handheld vacuum cleaners. Still, Shark makes it seem like it's longer than usual. For example, the packaging says “Long lasting performance”. The charging time for a fully charged battery is 4 hours and 10 minutes.
Versatile handheld vacuum cleaner thanks to accessories
In terms of versatility, I am very satisfied with this Shark hand vacuum cleaner. The crevice tool ensures that you can vacuum in hard-to-reach places, the dusting brush protects vulnerable surfaces and the motorized turbo brush makes it possible to remove pet hair.
This last brush is unique in the world of handheld vacuum cleaners. Only in the Black + Decker BHHV520BFP review did I come across a similar mini brush.
Maintenance Shark Ultracyclone Pet Pro
The Shark CH950 is – like almost all handheld vacuum cleaners – bagless. So you don't need vacuum cleaner bags. In this Shark Ultracy Cylone Pet Pro review, I tested whether the hand-held vacuum cleaner is easy to empty and whether you can clean the filter.
Emptying and cleaning
On the front of the hand vacuum cleaner I discover a yellow button that opens the front. You can easily empty the hand vacuum cleaner above the trash can in this way. With a dust container of only 0.45 liters, you will have to empty it after every cleaning activity.
On the back of the hand vacuum cleaner I discover another yellow button. This releases the entire dust container from the hand vacuum cleaner. With this action you can remove and clean the filter, which can be found behind the dust container.
It turns out to be washable filters. You can wash them with cold water under the tap. Afterwards, you should let them dry for at least 24 hours before using the hand vacuum cleaner again. Shark recommends not to speed up the drying process with, for example, a hairdryer.
Specifications Shark CH950
Now that we have made all the measurements, it is time to put everything in order. View the specifications of the Shark CH950 in the overview below.
| Specification | Test result |
|---|---|
| Suction power | 4.5 kPa |
| Airflow | 11.2 m/s |
| Battery life | 10 minutes |
| Hardwood floors | 7/10 |
| Carpet | 7.5/10 |
| Pet hair | 8/10 |
| Capacity | 0.45 liters |
| Weight | 1.17 kilograms |
| Noise level | 78.9 decibels |
| Price indication | From $ 79,95 |
Conclusion Shark Ultracyclone Pet Pro review
If you sometimes want to vacuum some crumbs, a hand vacuum cleaner can be a pleasant extra. The Shark Ultracyclone Pet Pro meets the requirements for a vacuum cleaner for quick access: it is lightweight, has an excellent battery life and is versatile in use. This Shark hand vacuum cleaner is particularly interesting for pet hair, thanks to the motorized turbo brush.
Robbert Tigchelaar
Robbert Tigchelaar is the founder of Vacuumtester.com and is a true vacuum cleaner guru. With more than 10 years of experience in the world of electronic devices, he knows better than anyone what is important in a vacuum cleaner. When a new vacuum cleaner appears, he is eager to test it extensively.
