Shark WV201BLBRN WANDVAC Cordless Hand Vac, Lightweight and Portable at 1.4 lbs. with Powerful Suction, Charging Dock, One-Touch Empty for Car & Home, Cove Blue

After receiving delivery from Amazon of Shark’s WV201RGBRN WANDVAC Cordless Hand Vac, I learned the following: 1. Receiving a product from Amazon does not mean that the product received is as-intended at time of purchase. I received an unsealed product box with an attachment missing. As directed by the product brochure, I called the SHARK Customer Service number. (The brochure is -- and should be -- enclosed in the product box.) I spoke with a very kind, responsive, and responsible SHARK CUSTOMER SERVICE representative. He advised me to register the Shark product (which I did by providing him with the requested information). He IMMEDIATELY facilitated dispatch to me of the missing attachment to the vac. NOTE: I called SHARK on Tuesday (after receiving delivery and checking the product box contents) and received the attachment from SHARK on Saturday. SHARK provided contemporaneous information re. fulfillment, dispatch, and delivery. I rate SHARK OUTSTANDING. (Thank you, SHARK!) 2. It was only after I called SHARK that I noted two Amazon coded stickers on the product box (a red and a white sticker that I have not previously encountered with prior purchases). Accordingly, I reached out to Amazon to ask if the product I received was new product or returned merchandise. I did NOT receive an answer to my question but noted that Amazon unilaterally began a 'RETURN" process -- directing me to go to a UPS Store that same week -- within a couple of days. When I objected and noted that I had registered the purchase and intended to keep it, I was also told that replacement (that I, also, did not request) would NOT be possible. 3. By this point in time I had watched multiple Youtube videos about the Shark Ion handheld vac and I used the vac; I realized that, among other things: a. It is an effective and impressive cleaning appliance b. It has small dust cup capacity and needs to be emptied perhaps more frequently than experienced by some consumers with other product.. c. If not emptied and/or if the filter needs cleaning/changing, the fully charged vac may, among other things, cut-off and/or otherwise not effectively perform. (Some posted that the product may feel warm.) d. Per the instructions, even fully charged produces minutes of operation. (The internet -- consumer postings) indicate ranges of time from 3 to 8 to 10 minutes; the outer end (not often mentioned) was 30 minutes. e. Despite what may be considered practical operational 'limitations', the effectiveness of the fully functioning vac is lauded. It is important to keep in mind the manufacturer's representations regarding intended use (such as small spill cleanup). 4. My personal conclusions: a. This product, perhaps designed as a limited-use handheld, is so effective in short-time use that consumers wish there was longer operational time and larger capacity. It is lightweight and well-designed. It is VERY effective/powerful when appropriately functioning. b. This clean-up tool is not designed for longer time and larger capacity use. c. SOME CONSUMERS report longer operational time and less need to clean or change filters. d. It may be prudent to have a supply of filters on-hand. e. SHARK has evidenced caring about its product and consumers being able to use their products effectively. f. YOUTUBE videos, as well as information provided by SHARK in its brochure and other product-related information, help even the most unmechanically-inclined consumer to understand product operation and care. 5. I have encountered challenges with my purchase of this product but at this point in time I would not hesitate to purchase additional Shark products from SHARK At this point, given the foregoing about the handheld vac I have had for less than one week, I am impressed that SHARK cares about its products and consumers of its products. I have concerns about long-term full functionality and keeping the product plugged in/charging continually but will rely on SHARK instructions.

Excellent small vacuum! I purchased this Shark WANDVAC to use on my car. The size is perfect, not bulky like many small handheld vacuums and it holds a charge well. I've used it many times in the last several months and continue to be happy about the size, the way it fits in my hand, the way I can get in to small crevices in my car, and the ease in releasing the captured dirt. One of my best purchases and I've recommended it to family. members.

Purchased the vacuum about 4 months ago. I can count on one hand how many times it was used in the last several months since I mainly use it for hard to reach areas and the car when I’m doing a big clean. All of a sudden I noticed that it wasn’t charging and called customer support. They told me it wasn’t the charging base but the handheld unit itself. They said it was within the warranty, so they would ship me out a new vacuum handheld unit. I mean really… even if it wasn’t under the warranty, I barely used this thing, bought it like 100 days ago and I just paid over $100 for a glorified Dustbuster. The real reason I’m placing this 1-star review isn’t even that it stopped working after 4 months of light use, it’s also that I paid so much for it and they charged me over $20 to ship the new unit which is supposedly still under warranty. Not okay. I thought for sure since shark is cheaper than dyson, and tends to get pretty good reviews (I found this one only after my searching on the best handheld on consumer reports), that it would be pretty solid, but maybe a bit worse than dyson. As far as performance while it worked, I was pleasantly surprised. It picked up the tiniest speck of dust and large pellets from around my pellet stove. Cleaned sand out of the car like nobody’s business. I’m short, before it suddenly died, I would have given it a solid 5-stars, which is saying a lot given my standards for product performance. So disappointed that this just stopped working tho, I was thinking it would be as solid as some other more expensive items that paid for themselves over time because of how sturdy they were. I bought 3 cheap immersion blenders which all proceeded to break working minutes to a couple weeks of using them before buying a Bamix. It was 5x the cost, but it’s going strong still (bought it in 2009)!! That is what I hoped for with this being way more expensive than a $30 Dustbuster, but my parent’s Dustbuster has been going strong for 5 years. It’s not the best suction, and it’s clunky and unsightly, but it’s lasted. I have another plug-in large shark vacuum, which I have to say has done well since we got it a few years ago, so I started trusting the brand, but this has me thinking otherwise. I’ll try to update this review once the new handheld unit comes in. Hopefully they just don’t send me another faulty unit especially since making me foot the shipping charge. Update 2/2/22: After Shark made ME for shipping of the new handset (that is what they said the faulty part was), it arrived today. It was dirty, used, and contained no battery. I thought for sure it must be easy then to remove the battery from the old model and place in the new one. It definitely was not. I ended up destroying my knuckles and bleeding everywhere. I finally got the old battery in the new handset and it does not work or charge. I also noticed that the "new" handset is an older model. Now I'm out over $150 for this glorified dust buster. We're definitely going to call again and see if they will fix this mess.

I am really liking this vacuum. It's great for cleaning up after my cat with all the food he drops on the floor. Has great suction. I have a pliable plastic mat under his food and it's so strong it kept sucking it up. The attachment works much better for that. It has a quick release button for the canister. Doesn't take up much space. I currently have it on my counter until our pantry is redone and there is electric in there.

Consumer Reports was my first stop before purchasing this. They're a great first step before purchasing a category of product you have no experience with. This is a CR top pick. Vacuum Wars is also good resource. Side note: Immediately after unpacking and before charging, remove the filter housing and look at the label that lies underneath. There appears to be 3-4 versions (more?) of the WV201, all advertised as the WV201 in the primary advertising. You'll have to dig a bit to find which version. Poor marketing from Shark and/or Amazon. I have two of these. One of the hidden labels ID's the model number as 'WV201 14' and the other 'WV201 U4'. They are virtually identical in external appearance. Both were advertised as WV201. No distinction between the two in the primary advertising which may be as far as most consumers are likely to go. The 'WV201 14' is rated at 10.8v and the 'WV201 U4' at 7.2v. Both were advertised as new, not used. The docks are likewise identical externally but have different wall warts. The 'WV201 14' wall wart is rated at 13.3v and 0.9a and the 'WV201 U4' wall wart is rated at 9.6v and 500mA. This is important for three reasons. If you have two in the same household and accidentally place one in the wrong charger, it probably won't be dangerous but may lead to charging issues as I found out. When swapped, I got a continuous double blink from the vac's LED and it didn't charge. The batteries have the same form factor and are interchangeable. If you buy a replacement battery look carefully at the voltage before buying. The WV201 U4 battery is rated at 7.2v and the WV201 14 at 10.8v. When the 7.2v battery is inserted into the WV201 14 vac, it won't power on. Lastly, the 'WV201 14 has noticeably more suction than the 'WV201 U4'. The review below is for the more powerful WV201 14. The 'WV201 U4' gets the job done but in comparison, the 'WV201 14' will be more effective for things like pet fur on cloth and carpet and pulling out debris from recessed areas. When used side by side, the difference is very noticeable. If you do not receive a WV201 with the higher power, I'd suggest returning it. In my view, you'll be justified in doing so given the muddled marketing. To differentiate the 201 variants, Shark should clearly identify these. Maybe the WV201, WV201 Turbo or something that stands out in the primary advertising. Short take: Truly powerful suction for a cordless hand held. Sophisticated external design. Ergonomically excellent. The important part: as long as the filter is removed and cleaned *frequently* and the tank is emptied more frequently than you would with a larger vac, expect reliable long term performance. The filter is very small and not as forgiving about being cleaned compared to larger vacs with larger filters. Filter removal and cleaning is easy, ~1-2 minute process. Great product. After ~15 months of usage, very happy customer. Long take. Probably stating the obvious, this is a great product in its swim lane but it won't replace a more capable vac with a larger ingress point, larger tank and more power. This is first and foremost a supplemental cleaning device for short duration vacuuming of small, light and dry debris. That said, I’ve found that it has enough performance overlap with larger and more powerful vacs to dramatically reduce the need for a larger vac. I like that it can be staged just about anywhere without drawing attention to itself. It's a design I'd expect from a Scandinavian or German design studio. It doesn't look like a science project or a Fisher Price child's toy as so many cordless hand vacs do. The motor is surprisingly powerful and more than up to the task of what this seems to be designed for. You'll get a confidence inspiring palm slap when testing it with your hand and the suction is strong enough to hang it from your palm. Ergonomically, it's nearly perfect. It's long enough to reach the floor without having to stoop as much as you would with many other handheld vacs. Very comfortable to use. With the ~6 inch crevice tool attached, you’ll have additional reach for both floors and ceilings. Given the dock, it’s always ready to go, no preparation required. The dock is a tip back design which saves some vertical space. It measures 15” tall when docked. It fit easily underneath my kitchen countertop cabinets. The accessories mount single file behind the vac which keeps the front profile low. It mounts quickly and easily in the dock. No issues aligning with the charging contacts in the dock. It drops into place every time. The passageway into the collection tank measures approximately 1/4" x 1". Although this seems large enough for a variety of debris, my experience is that it has trouble pulling in solid objects larger and heavier than a pea. It does well with refrigerator debris, small onion skin remnants, packaging remnants, crumbs, coffee and pepper grounds, etc. It’s great for pet food crumbs and fur on hard floors, table and counter top debris, and window sills. It has the reach and slim size to work well in drawers and cabinets. It’s also great for debris on and around stove tops. It did a fair job with spider webs. Probably great for cat litter too. I wouldn't recommend this for cars if things like sand, gravel and moisture are in the mix. Aside from lacking the power of a corded vac, it's awkward to work with in tight spaces. Cordless run time is an issue as well. Most cordless hand vacs seem to have run times of about 9-15 minutes at high power which won’t be enough for some to get the job done. If vacuuming and detailing your car/truck is something you enjoy doing at home, there's no substitute for a powerful corded wet/dry shop vac and attachments. Further, every house should have a wet/dry shop vac at the ready in case of a plumbing mishap. Many other uses as well. It might be the ultimate stairs vac. Light, one hand to use, the other to brace yourself as you move up the stairs. No cord to trip on or hose to manage. Good for everyone but great for people that might be a bit unsteady on their feet. The pet hair attachment exceeded my expectations on a thinly carpeted stairway and was almost as effective as using a powered beater brush. It did a great job of removing embedded dog fur from the stairs. Good insect capture device too - confirmed once with a large slow moving gnat on a wall and later with a medium sized cockroach on my garage floor. Large cockroaches might not make it through the intake into the tank but the suction will be enough to keep it attached to the intake until you dispose of it. Good bathroom vac. Stray hairs, nail clippings, small pieces of packaging, etc. I tried vacuuming single sheets of single ply TP. It pulled one sheet in easily, two stacked sheets pretty well but with three stacked sheets I had to help push it in. If you try this, remove the TP immediately after. The TP will block the filter intake and block air flow to the motor and exhaust. Photoshop alert: The advertised picture of this pulling in a torrent of cereal from about 3 inches off of a counter top was almost certainly created in Shark’s art department. It’s more than up to the task of vacuuming the cereal but you’ll have to be closer. To be fair, vacs rapidly lose effectivity with distance. Even an inch can mean dramatically reduced performance. I'm not sure my 12 gallon, 5.5 horsepower shop vac would be able to do what the advertised picture shows. If vacuuming a lot of hair and pet fur on cloth and carpets is the primary battle, a more powerful corded vac with a hose attachment and beater brush is a better choice. Or a cordless handheld with a powered beater brush. For short duration clean ups, the WV201 and pet tool attachment works surprisingly well. Shark sells another cordless model called the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus. I purchased this for a family member and can attest to its effectiveness with pet fur, hair and general debris. Compared to the WV201 wandvac, it’s larger, doesn’t have quite as much suction and does not have a user replaceable battery. That said, it has a surprisingly powerful motorized (not suction powered) anti-tangle beater brush attachment which is highly effective at what it’s designed for. The UltraCyclone is usually about about 20 dollars less than the WV201. With the motorized anti-tangle brush doing most of the work agitating and releasing debris, having a lot of suction isn’t as important. Two others to consider based only on good reviews are the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Handheld Vacuum and the Black+Decker 20V Max Dustbuster AdvancedClean+ Handheld Pet Vacuum. Frequent emptying of the tank will be required for optimal performance. I'd suggest emptying it after every use. Hold it over a trash can, release the access door and gently tap out the debris. Best to visually check the interior when doing this. Occasionally things like a small leaf or piece of plastic will hang and have to be pulled out. ~10-15 seconds from start to finish. Note that the tank door doesn’t always spring open fully. A light push or tap will be required when this happens. The tank door is removable which allows for easier cleaning. The filter should be cleaned frequently, significantly more so than larger vacs with larger tanks and filters which are more forgiving about the frequency of cleaning. I usually remove the filter and tap it out over a sink after about 4-5 uses. Doing so is quick and easy, ~1-2 minutes from start to finish. I occasionally take it outside along with another filter from another vacuum and blow out the filters and vacuums with compressed air. If you don’t have a compressor, a can of compressed air works just about as well for this filter but for larger filters, inadequate. A leaf blower works faster and is more effective. Be careful about getting too close or using too much power. With my blower, this means no more than medium power and no closer than about 2 feet. The filter is easy to remove but it takes a little technique. Step 1: release the tank access door so it is fully open. Step 2: With interlocked or overlapping fingers, cup the vac in both hands so the open tank is facing you. Step 3: use both thumbs to push the filter housing out and into the tank. Step 4: remove the filter housing from the tank. Step 5: remove the filter from the filter housing. When new, the filter housing can a little hard to push out but it smooths with usage and becomes easier. The filter that ships with this Shark is HEPA compliant. This is unusual for cordless hand vacs. The Vacuum Wars site did roundup of 15 cordless hand vacs in 2021. Only four did well with the HEPA test. This was one of the four that did well. HEPA compliance means that it will filter 99.97% of debris down to 0.30 microns. For reference, a human hair is roughly 70.00 microns thick and there are 25,400.00 microns per inch. I consider HEPA filtration to be a baseline requirement for indoor residential vacuum cleaners. it’s good to know that the nearly invisible debris that HEPA filters catch is not passing through and going airborne. If you're sensitive to airborne allergens and dust, HEPA filtration is important. Use caution when buying third party replacement filters within Amazon. Definitely read through the advertising and specs before purchasing. There are quite a few third party options but not all mention HEPA filtration. As of this writing, Shark charges $15.95 for one filter in its website. Unknown what the shipping charges are if any. Reference filter model # XHFWV200. Shark’s Amazon store front currently charges $24.95 for one filter. Third party suppliers sell multi-packs for far less. The least expensive I found was 8 for $15.95 or about $2.00 per. The only downside is that it’s almost impossible to know if third party filters from mystery suppliers are manufactured to the same performance/filtration specs as the original. Against Shark usage recommendations, I tried vacuuming small 13mm steel screws but it wouldn’t pick them up. Not enough surface area for the vac to catch them I suppose. Don't try this. Really bad idea and potentially damaging to the interior plastic parts. Regardless, I had to know and was willing to accept the consequences. Bonehead science. Among the ‘DO NOTS’ in the manual, Shark cautions end-users that this should not be used for drywall dust, fireplace ash, screws, nails, glass shards, etc. I’d add finely ground powders such as flour, talcum powder, baby powder, etc. Finely ground powders and ash will become impacted in the filter and cut off airflow to the motor. When this happens, the motor can overheat. If finely ground powders and fireplace ash need to be vacuumed on a regular basis, an ash vac or shop vac with the appropriate filtration (HEPA bag followed by a HEPA filter to be safe) should be used. These are somewhat generic warnings given that most if not all indoor residential vacuums should not be used for these things. That said, you can probably get away with vacuuming very small amounts of powders if the filter is removed immediately after, tapped out or blown out. Maybe even washed given that the filters are washable. Regardless, not recommended for this or any indoor residential vac. I read an Amazon review that said this was loud. Compared to other vacs I've used over the years, this seems to be marginally quieter than others I’ve used. I'm unfairly comparing this to larger vacs for the most part. Nitpick: The exhaust ports are side mounted and can stir up dust when working in enclosed spaces like deep cabinets. A hose vac is a better choice for this type of cleaning. On the upside, this will reach into areas that many other hand vacs will not. Perhaps future revs of this vac will baffle or re-route the exhaust ports in such a way to mitigate this. Not an issue ~95% of the time. The instructions say to turn it on immediately after purchase and let it run until the battery is depleted. After doing so, it should be docked until it is fully charged. I didn't find anything in the manual about having to condition the battery more than once after unpacking it. It probably wouldn't hurt to do so once in a while but maybe not necessary. If you’re experiencing run time issues and have ruled out a clogged or highly restricted filter, it wouldn’t hurt to turn it on, let it run until depleted and then put it in the dock and try again after it’s fully charged. It should be docked at all times when not in use. Shark customer service says a charge is good for 9+ minutes. A video review I watched seems to confirm a run time of about 9.5 minutes. I haven't measured but experience with many other battery powered devices points in the direction of advertised info being somewhat optimistic or measured in a laboratory-like environment under ideal conditions with a new battery. Maybe not tested at all and calculated based on the motor’s power draw and battery specs. Probably best to assume that a charge is good for ~90% of advertised in real-world conditions. Li batteries lose capacity over time with charge cycles so a year or two in, expect less. If the battery fails out of the warranty period, Shark sells replacements. There are also third-party options. Note that among the customer reviews in Amazon, you’ll read two types of complaints about the battery life for this vac. One has to do with battery life of only about 8-10 minutes. This is normal. Shark says this will provide 9+ minutes of run time so the estimated 8-10 minute complaint is a non-issue. Note that battery powered floor and handheld vacs designed for home use rarely get over 15 minutes of run time *at high power*. Those that advertise more are measuring at low power or using questionably effective variable power schemes. Even a modestly priced corded model will have more power (usually), have unlimited run time and will probably have a longer service life. Corded vacs often have hose extensions for detail cleaning, something most cordless vacs don't. Cordless models rarely have the power needed to strongly draw air into the hose. Until there's a breakthrough in battery tech, cordless vacs are still very much niche products. The only way around this currently is to use much larger, heavier and expensive batteries. The other type of reviewer complaint has to do with the vac powering itself down very quickly after turning it on. I have this model and the WV403BR. I'd guess that the WV201 has a design feature that will shut it down if airflow is reduced to a point where the motor starts to overheat. This is a common design strategy for many products and one that Shark probably uses. This is why it's important to empty the tank and clean the filter frequently. Doing so will keep airflow optimal. I’ll speculate that the reviewers were not cleaning the filters as frequently as needed. It could also be that they didn't know how to remove the filters to clean them. Or maybe the filter reached the end of its service life and needs to be replaced. The filter is mounted in a small housing which slides into a recessed area. It’s not visible when installed. Very little will kill a vac motor more quickly than blocking or greatly restricting the air flow necessary to keep it within the thermal limits of it's design. If and when the battery needs to be replaced, it’s easy to do. The battery is user replaceable but unlike the Shark WV403BR Wandvac which is very similar to the WV201, this does not have a pinch-to-release battery design. Instead, it has slots which will require a small pry tool. I’d suggest an automotive pry tool for plastics and delicate surfaces. Use keyword 'spudger' to search. They won’t gouge plastics. There are two materials used for these as far as I know. ABS and nylon. ABS is harder, won't deform or twist as easily. You can also use a flat head screwdriver but it’s likely to leave small gouges. Use it first on one side to disengage, then on the other side to complete the lift. If during your research for this vac you stumble across a video review from a guy who demonstrates how to remove the battery by gripping the top of the battery with one hand, the vac with the other and then twisting and pulling the battery to remove it, don't do that. It wasn't designed for this and seems likely to break something. Potentially dangerous too if the battery housing cracks. Bottom line, great product. Definitely recommended. In my experience, it's become one of those products that I wouldn't want to be without. Max convenience, time saving and high performing. Nice work Shark. Lastly, avoid the shameless mystery companies that were quick to copy the design and sell at less cost. Maybe some are good, maybe not but Shark is a well established brand at this point and is backed by solid and responsive customer service.

Just got this but my first use was very satisfactory and what I expected from the description. I really like the streamlined shape and the ease of emptying. The suction appears strong, it is lightweight, and it is simple to use. As usual with these, how you angle the nozzle affects the effectiveness of the suction. I really like this for picking up hair and lint and dust between vacuuming and mopping days and since the hair is removed by this machine hair doesnt get tangled around the big vacuum rollers and need to be cut out. It appears as well made as my other Shark items. It has a high price for something like this but I bought it on sale so that swayed me to order it. Not too noisy. You are supposed to keep it in the charger so I will have to wait a while to see if the batteries hold up or are compromised by the constant charging.

I live in a small space with a cat and he tends to scatter some litter everyday even with the shield on the box and a litter mat. It just looks messy and I'm sure isn't nice on his paws (or my feet!) so I was looking for something with a small space footprint that was still powerful as cat litter is tricky for vacuums with its weight and dust. I have a powerful full sized vacuum but hauling it out of the closet every day and unwrapping the cord and plugging it in for a little bit of scattered litter...let's just say I'm lazy. Plus, it terrifies the cat. You can see it in the video but this little Shark does great. It doesn't pick up every last piece down in the carpet and crevices, but to be honest, I was really surprised at the power it had to pick up most of it, even where I had spilled a little pile with the new bag. It's enough to make it look nice and tidy, keep the litter off the floor, and use daily when I scoop the box. It's surprisingly quiet for the power and doesn't terrify the cat if he's in the other room. It's sleek and looks nice in my small living space plugged into the wall. It also picked up dirt off the chair after the cat decided to play in my potted plant one day. I cleaned up in just a minute without the big vacuum. It doesn't run a really long time (maybe 5 minutes? I didn't time it) but that's perfect for my needs. I'll trade more power for less run time. The filter did get a bit clogged so I'll have to make sure to periodically wash that so the vacuum stays in good shape, but that's very typical of cat litter. It's hard on vacuums. One nice feature is the cup filled up the first time I was trying it out and I didn't realize it and it shut itself off. I emptied the cup and wiped off the filter and it started right back up. Probably a safety feature but good if you're not paying attention and accidentally overfill the cup or clog the filter. I don't think this would work for a multiple cat home or cat rescue. You have bigger cleaning needs with longer run time and power needed. But for a small living space and 1-2 pets, it's perfect. Sleek and gets the job done in between large vacuum days. I'll see how long it lasts but so far am very happy with my purchase.

It's great when it works. But it holds a charge for a very short time. Sometimes, it just keeps turning off after 10-20 seconds, but you can turn it right back on. Over and over again. Sometimes, it stays on for a few minutes. Those are the good times. That said, I keep the little guy plugged in and am happy to have the option to use it.

Great quality product. Highly recommended.

Great vacuums powerful light weight great for home or car . Will buy again or promote product to others.

You'll need a 2 pin plug adaptor. But an excellent small vacuum.

It is compact, powerful, and very handy to hoover up small amounts of crumbs, dust etc.

Excelente producto! Cumple con su función.