When it comes to the types of vacuum cleaners available, handheld vacuum cleaners have always been a lot less reliable at spot-cleaning than their full-sized counterparts. But Shark aims to change the way customers perceive these portable devices. The Shark CH951 is supposedly a game-changer that delivers enough suction to clean up after your pets. Please read our review of the CH591 to see whether this is the case.
2 Cyclonic Air Streams
The CH951 is a compact vacuum cleaner that’s chock-full of surprises. The most prominent of which is Shark’s latest intake technology: 2 Cyclonic Air Streams. Unlike previous Shark-made handheld vacs, the CH951’s intake has a more straightforward design that promotes increased airflow (up to 28 CFM), thereby becoming less prone to clogs.
Handheld models generally struggle at picking up cereal-sized bits of debris, but not the CH951. Best of all, it can suction in extra-fine to extra-large debris, as well as pet hair, on both bard floors and carpets. There’s not another all-around and pet-friendly handheld vac that tops this one.
3 Cleaning Attachments
As you might expect from an all-around handheld vacuum cleaner, the CH951 comes with multiple spot-cleaning tools for tackling different surfaces with ease. The first cleaning attachment is a standard crevice nozzle that concentrated inward airflow through a narrower slit to pick up hidden dust in between cushions and other hard-to-reach areas.
Then there’s the standard scrubbing brush that works beautifully at removing dried bits of food from carpets and upholstery. The secrete sauce behind the scrubbing brush’s performance is the stubbier-than-normal bristles, which also help immensely at cleaning car mats.
Motorized Detachable Brush
The third cleaning tool—the motorized detachable brush—deserves its own section. It’s a one-of-a-kind cleaning attachment that uses paddles instead of bristles to agitate carpets and upholstery for a deeper clean.
The motorized detachable brush is your go-to tool for cleaning low-pile carpeting to the shaggiest of rugs. This awesome excels at removing embedded pet hair from upholstery, pet beds, and blankets, thanks to its anti-tangle design. Don’t bother using this tool on car mats—its paddles don’t produce the deep-clean you’d need to agitate sand and mud from the ultra-low fibers (that’s why the CH951 comes with a scrubbing tool).
Lightweight
At only 2.7 pounds with the motorized detachable attachment, it’s safe to say that the Shark CH951 is a lightweight device. In fact, the only other notable handheld vacuum that’s lighter than this one is none other than Shark’s very own Wandvac W1. The lightweight design of the CH951 lets you spot-clean above-ground and vertical surfaces easily, but it’s weighty enough to push down onto carpets and car mats for enhanced deep-cleaning performance.
12-minute Runtime
Another thing that might surprise you is the CH951’s runtime. Now, it’s not the longest-lasting battery, but considering its weight and suction performance, we’re looking at a handheld vacuum that ranks slightly above average.
With 12 minutes of cleaning and roughly two hours of charging, the CH951 is one of the more efficient handhelds you can get your hands on. Plus, its battery maintains a consistent charge for a longer period of time, per customer reports.
0.45-quart Dust Capacity
The CH951’s dust bin isn’t as large as other handheld vacs, but it’s not small by any standard. At 0.45 quarts, there’s plenty of space to accommodate dirt and debris from multiple cleaning sessions. The bin is a transparent piece that’s attached right on the CH951’s belly. It has a swinging latch to remove the contents in a swift motion.
As for the bin-emptying mechanism, we’re sure you’ll love this one. The CleanTouch Dirt Ejector is a one-touch system that launches debris out of the transparent canister for quick and easy cleanup.
However, hair and other lighter particles tend to get stuck in the deeper ridges, so you’ll have to fish them out manually.
Louder than Most Handheld Vacuums
For a handheld vacuum, we were quite surprised by how loud the motor is. The motor produces roughly 77 decibels of noise, which is right up there with standard uprights and heavier-duty stick vacuums. It’s not excruciatingly loud, but it is shocking that such a small device can make that much noise.
  |   |   |   | |
| Shark | CH951 | CH901 | HV292 | WV201 |
| Self-cleaning brushroll | Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Product weight (lbs.) | 2.8 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 1.4 |
| Wattage | 80 | 65 | 400 | 115 |
| Amps | 8 | 9 | 3.4 | 10.6 |
| Cord length (ft.) | N/A | N/A | 15 | N/A |
| Dust cup capacity (quarts) | 0.45 | 0.45 | 0.31 | 0.08 |
| Filter type | Fabric Filter | Fabric Filter | Washable Foam Filter | Fabric Filter |
| Price | Check price | Check price | Check price | Check price |
No Filters
Something you won’t find in the CH951 is a filter. There’s no mesh, no sponge, not even a thin layer of paper to separate fine from large debris. But to be honest, many handheld vacs don’t come with a filter, so the Shark CH951 not having one is certainly not a deal-breaker.
- Two ultra-powerful cyclonic air streams for incredible suction and long-lasting filter and...
- Detachable self-cleaning Pet Power Brush eliminates hair wrap from the floor, upholstery,...
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Last Update: 2024-04-18 | Affiliate links/Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
