Thank you to Shark for providing a complimentary vacuum sample for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.
We have a messy house (a very messy house). Cleaning up after 3 kids, 3 cats, 3 hermit crabs, and 3 fish is not easy, especially with our schedule. It seems like by the time we get done with everything at the end of each day, cleaning is the very last thing we have the time and energy for. And as result, we welcome anything that can make those tasks easier.
Over the years we have tried many different vacuum cleaners, all with varying degrees of success (or failure). My basic theory now is that big and expensive vacuums are better than small and “gimmicky” vacuums. We must have tried 4-5 lightweight and compact vacuums over the years in the hopes of making the task easier. I would say all have failed as we stopped using all of them. It is really a shame too, because lugging my full sized vacuums up and down the stairs is not a joy.
When I learned of the opportunity to try the Shark Rocket Ultra-Lightweight Upright Vacuum, another compact vacuum, I was equally weary and excited. Weary because of our history with small vacuums, but also excited because it was a Shark, a brand I have always had some luck with.
The Shark Rocket Ultra-Lightweight Vacuum is very compact and sleek in appearance. It looks a great deal like a ultra high end competitor’s vacuum I see for $400. It has a pistol style grip, bagless canister, and a long tube leading to the powered vacuum head.
This Rocket comes with all of the accessories you would expect with a full sized vacuum, let alone a compact machine. In addition to the standard assortment of accessories, this Rocket comes with a “Pet Glide Tool” (hard floor head) that can also do furniture and a telescoping crevice tool.. Both the standard powered head and the hard floor head pivot for maximum control. Just flip your wrist and the head turns. It required very little effort to pivot both heads.
Two items that came with the Rocket Ultra-Lightweight Upright that really made me happy was a wall hook for storage and a giant bag to keep all of the parts together. Can you imagine that? After all of the years I have owned vacuum cleaners this is the first one that did anything at all to account for all of the extra parts. I wonder why such a simple and inexpensive solution to an issue we all have took so long to fix, and so simply? Kudos Shark.
How did the Shark Rocket Ultra-Lightweight Upright Vacuum clean? Pretty darn good. For a compact and lightweight vacuum it is fairly powerful. I was easily able to clean out the crevices in my laminate wood floor. This Rocket was a joy to use on the stairs with the super long cord. The unit is so light and easy to control and it made short work of piles of cat hair and dust.
Emptying the unit is as easy as standing over your trash bin and pressing one button, gravity did the rest. I didn't have to reach in and pull anything out manually, all the dirt, cat hair, and dust just fell out. To change or clean the filter is as easy as flipping a tab on the top of the unit. Shark did a great job of making this Rocket easy to maintain, a feature easily as important as being lightweight.
The Rocket Ultra-Lightweight Upright does what it is supposed to do. It is light and easy to use, has great suction, and comes with all of the accessories I need to keep my house clean. The Shark Rocket Vacuum is likely the nicest compact vacuum we have owned to date. It is so light and user-friendly, my 9 year old son just lost any excuse to not vacuum the floors….
You can buy the Shark Rocket Ultra-Lightweight Upright Vacuum most places vacuums are sold for the retail price of $179.99, but Shark sells this Rocket directly for just $159.80.
