Shark Rocket HV300 ultra-lightweight upright vacuum review

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Vacuum cleaners or “sweepers” as we call them here in Southern Indiana, are not a product that I would normally think of as a gadget, but some of the latest brands of vacuums are starting to add features that put these home appliances in that category. In the last month, I have been offered three different vacuums to review. I’m going to start off with the Shark Rocket ultra-lightweight upright vacuum. Although this one doesn’t have any gee-whiz gadgety features like the other two vacuums I’ll be featuring soon, it does suck – but not in a bad way.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

Hardware Specs

Voltage: 120V, 60Hz
Watts: 500W
Amps: 4.2A
Weight: 8 lbs 11 oz with carpet attachment

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Package contents

Shark Rocket ultra-upright vacuum
Attachments: dusting brush, pet/upholstery tool, crevice tool and dust-away +1 pad
Drawstring bag for attachments
Wall hook
Owner’s guide and quick start guide

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Our main vacuum is a Kirby, which we purchased over 20 years ago when we were first starting out. Back then I think we paid $800 for it, which was crazy expensive, but we figured buy once, cry once. It’s served us well, but it is built like a tank and weighs about as much as one too. When we had a one story house it was no big deal, but since we moved to a house with a basement, and an upstairs bonus room, the Kirby is a hassle to carry up and down the stairs. We’ve tried various light weight stick vacuums, but none of them pick up dirt as well as the Kirby.

When I read that the Shark Rocket can clean carpets better than a full sized Dyson vacuum, I was intrigued enough to try it. Could this light weight stick vacuum that performs like an upright and a handheld work better than my old Kirby. I wanted find out.

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The electronics for the Rocket are housed in the top section of the vacuum, along with the rubber covered pistol grip handle, 32 foot cord and the dust cup.

The Rocket does not use bags, which is a huge advantage. I loath having to buy and change bags on the Kirby. First of all, it’s a pain and secondly, it’s just another expense.

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The Rocket has a foam and felt filter under a removable cover on the main unit. The manual says to rinse and air dry the filters once a month so you can avoid loss of suction.

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The dust cup has a no mess design. When it gets full, just hold it over a trash can and press the button so the bottom lid falls open and the dirt falls out. This is so much easier than dealing with bags. The only issue I can see with the dust cup is that when you empty it, some dust and dirt will puff into the air. If you live with people that have allergies, it’s probably best to empty the cup outside.

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The Shark Rocket comes with the main attachment designed for carpets, rugs and bare surfaces, and a dust-away attachment just for hard floors like wood, vinyl, tile, etc. The carpet attachment is the one I used most since the majority of the floors in my house are carpeted. This attachment has a window in the front so that you can see the brush. This comes in handy for checking to see if you’ve accidentally ran over something that has wrapped around the brush. There’s also an LED indicator on the top that lights up in green when the brush is rolling.

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The carpet attachment has two large wheels in the back and two tiny wheels up front. Screws allow access to the bar in case there is a blockage.

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The dust-away attachment is for hard floors and comes with a reusable microfiber pad.

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The pad wraps around the back part of the attachment and helps pick up fine dust on the floors, while the front section vacuums up the larger dirt particles.

To test the Rocket, I swept all the floors in my house and the furniture as well. The Rocket is noticeably lighter weight and easier to navigate than my old sweeper. It has a swivel base that let’s you maneuver it without feeling like you’re wrestling it.

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I love that it is able to sweep under most of my furniture like chairs and beds.

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The one thing I did notice is that all the weight is in the upper area of the vacuum, so felt different than a typical upright vacuum. As I swept the floors, it felt like it couldn’t be doing that thorough of a job because it didn’t feel heavy enough.

The Shark Rocket can also be used as a hand vac, but when I removed the bottom portion and used the hand tools on my couch, it felt awkward and a little bulky. I wish a long flexible hose had been included so I could set the base on the floor and use the hand tools more naturally.

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After I finished sweeping just the basement floor and couch, I looked at the cup and could see that it was half full of gunk.

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And here what it looks like when you dump the dust cup. Yuck… Most of that is probably cat hair.

Next I had Jeanne sweep all the floors upstairs so I could hear her comments on the vacuum. She swept carpet, and vinyl floors. She commented that she could hear the vacuum picking up dirt as she ran it across the floor and that she didn’t notice that with the Kirby. She agreed that the Rocket feels a little awkward when using the hand tools and also that she wished it would stand upright when you need to stop to move something while sweeping. I agree with that observation.

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It’s also important to note that storing the Rocket requires installation of a wall hook (included) or you can remove the main unit and snap it onto the bottom carpet attachment section as shown in the image above. This arrangement does not work with the dust-away attachment.

After using the Shark Rocket ultra-lightweight upright vacuum for several days, I am impressed by the amount of dirt it is able to pick up. I like that it is easy to carry up and down the stairs compared to my other sweeper, doesn’t require bags and can also be used as a hand vac using the included tools. I do wish they would have included a hose for the hand tools.

In my opinion the Shark Rocket is a very good vacuum for an excellent price. Combine that with their 5 year repair or replacement warranty and it’s hard to go wrong with this one.

Updates 03/19/15

I have continued to use this vacuum, but I have a feeling that I’ll be using it less often now that I have a Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal + Allergy vacuum. The Dyson is obviously bigger and heavier, but it’s more convenient to use because you don’t have to completely disassemble it to use the tool attachments and remember to wash the filter, which I’ve only done once or twice with the Shark. I still recommend it as a great little vacuum for the price.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Shark. Please visit their site for more info.

 

Product Information

Price:$179.80
Manufacturer:Shark
Pros:
  • Great suction
  • Bagless design
  • Comes with several attachments
  • Long cord
  • 5yr warranty
Cons:
  • Attachment usage is awkward
  • Attachment storage is awkward
  • Doesn't stand up on its own

54 thoughts on “Shark Rocket HV300 ultra-lightweight upright vacuum review”




  1. Gadgeteer Comment Policy - Please read before commenting
  2. Nice. I’d be interested if anyone can compare to the Dyson cordless/handheld vacuums. (Which have about the same sets of features/attachments, depending on which set you get.)

  3. That’s what I meant: The comparable Dyson. (I have one as well, and one of their older uprights.) I was just wondering how they compare.

      1. The flexi tube in the brush head does crack after a couple of years but easy to buy this part on amazon and cheap.changing it is awkward but patience preface.apart from that one of the best hoovers around and have converted all the family to sharks now so figure I should get a free shark lol

  4. @Julie,

    Is the tank/cup large enough to hold several rooms of dirt before you have to empty it?

    The upcoming reviews you will be doing are going to be interesting. I have a stick vacuum out in the camping trailer. I believe it is a bissell, and the cup or tank area is totally full every time I use it. I use it daily when camping, and the whole camper is only 24′ long.

  5. Dyson is cordless and the Rocket is not. You can’t really compare the two. Corded models will allow a unit to have more power because of the cord.

  6. Nice review. Thank you. I have two questions though: you say the vacuum does not stay upright but in the photos it is upright? Not being able to stay up seems silly. Who would want to use that? Second question: does a person have to use the dust cover on the hard surfaces I.e.wood floor, linoleum floor, etc because it seems like that would be very annoying to have to stop and put that on going from a carpet to a harder surface. I would not like that.

    1. @Jeanette The Shark stays upright when you prop it up against a wall as shown in the images in the review. It will not stand upright all by itself in the middle of a room because most of the weight is at the top.

      You don’t have to use the hard surface / duster attachment. You can use the main brush attachment too. However, the duster attachment probably does a better job on dark hard wood floors where you can see dust.

  7. sure hope someone invents a gadget to make this stay upright. I bought this when my ancient Oreck began to fail and the most annoying thing about the old Oreck was that it no longer would remain upright when I let go of it. I might return this shark rocket HV300 for that reason alone. in a large room there isn’t always a handy place to lean it. I can almost hear it hitting the floor with a thud.

  8. All the positive comments mentioned I agree with – however on the negative side
    I have noticed two other problems with this vacuum.

    A. The motor blasts hot air out the back directly at the operator.
    This might be nice in a cold house but it is uncomfortable in average or higher temperatures.
    A small diverter should have been designed to deflect the blast to the sides. I was uncomfortable on a 70 degree day. It is like having a 500watt blow dryer aimed at you.

    B. Also I noticed that the rotating brush winds up a hair ball faster than any vacuum I have ever seen. After a few weeks of use in our house I found that when I used it the bottom cover had to be removed and it took me 20 minutes to get my wife’s hair out of the roller and bristles. A nickel fits the 3 latches perfectly and scissors can speed the removal process.

    Plan on checking the roller for hair periodically.

    1. Yes I also noticed the hot air blowing out. I’ll be putting up the AC just to vacuum. And looks like I have to give myself 20 minutes to get my hair off the brush, maybe longer!! I have issues with this on normal vacs. Apart from that, & the birds freaking out over the new evil thingy, I agree with all of the above pros & cons. Not a bad little vac so far. For the size I am happy with it’s capabilities….so far.

  9. Does anyone know where I can purchase one of these in Australia as electrical current is 240v so American ones won’t work here.

    1. Narelle, for now you can only get them through TV Shop when they advertise it on TV. Flick through the channels every now & then until it’s advertised again. It’s one of the shopping TV channels. It’s how I got mine.

  10. Just had hardwood floors installed and was told not to use sweepers/vacuums with plastic wheels as they may scratch floor finish. The specs do not show if the wheels are plastic or rubber, nor is it shown in your review. Do you have that information?

    1. I use my Shark Rotator on my laminate floors all the time and it has the same wheels as this Shark model. I’ve not had any damage to my laminates and they are more easily damaged than hardwood. I believe you’d be safe to use it.

  11. Ronald Vanderhoof

    A comment for Narelle in comment #14 above: Just use a step down transformer or voltage converter. You will also need a power adapter to adapt the power cord to Australian outlets. I used a step down transformer or voltage converter in Europe for all my American 120 VAC appliances with no problem. Of course some worked a little slower since in the USA we use 60 Hz power while Europe and Australia uses 50 Hz.

  12. I bought one love it. Got it Nov 2013 but for some reason can’t find a replacement felt filter. On sites I found the sponge filter but not felt filter. I ordered from amazon but received filter for hand shark vacumn. I was so sad. Please help . Because without that felt filter doesn’t suck that good and debris drops out once vacuum is turned off. So appreciate the help.

  13. I LOVE MY ROCKET 🙂
    I clean for a living. I have 3 Sharks & this one is my favorite! Wow!

    Can anyone tell me where to buy replacement filters??
    They wash easily but I could use another set ot two with my business!!
    Thank you!

  14. Looking where to buy felt filters for my shark rocket.I tried looking on the official website. They have replacement foam filters but not the felt filters. I ended up buying the hand held shark vacumn filter thought it was for my shark rocket. Should be heck of a lot easier to find the filter I need.Thank you

    1. Hi Kathy,
      I know this is kind of late but just wanted you to know that SharkClean.com has the foam AND the felt filter kit. I have two Sharks, different models, but they take the same filters. The HV300 and the HV302 (I think). One has more attachments than the other. The part number for the filter kit for my Rockets is XFFV300 and is priced at $12.95 plus shipping and tax.

      I was a bit frustrated at the fact that I could find all kinds of filters for other vacs….including Sharks…..but not for mine…on other sites.

      I hope this helps.

      Jamie

  15. I called Walmart for a replacement filter for my HV300W26 Rocket Shark and they told me to order it on line. He said free shipping to Walmart and on the order form there is a shipping charge.

    1. Donna,
      I’m not sure what the W26 part of your model number is but I have an HV300 Shark Rocket. It is the orange/copper colored one. I looked on Walmart’s site and couldn’t find the filter for that model. Actually, I couldn’t find it anywhere except for SharkClean.com.

  16. The Rocket (which I love ) does collect a lot of hair on the roller, as Dan said. I have 2 dogs and 2 cats in a 2 story house with a finished basement. I usually check the roller before I start and take a small razor (there’s a line that runs across the roller just for this ) and run it across the hairy junk. It only takes a minute or so to yank it off. Almost every vacuum cleaner I’ve ever had has gotten like this with long hair pets. Oh, and not being able to stand it up is a small price to pay for not having a sore back and being able to reach everywhere to clean.

  17. I have the ultra light shark rocket and love it. I had the rainbow vacuum and got sick of dragging the bulky thing out every time I needed to sweep Plus the dirty water was gross and annoying. The only thing I don’t like about my rocket is that it won’t stand on it’s own. But it is excellent at cleaning my carpets so I guess I can put up with the fore mentioned. I have 2 dogs that shed like crazy and can sweep my whole house without emptying the dirt cup that’s also a plus. Great vac would recommended it to anyone looking atbit.

    1. gary ceccarelli

      A couple of helpful hints: First to clean hair and carpet fiber off the roller brush head, simply use a scrub brush by “sweeping” the roller bristles. In fact, you can even use an old toothbrush if the buildup iss not too thick.
      Second, I found it cumbersome to empty the dust cup, which fills pretty fast, so instead of carrying the vacuum head to the garbage can, just lay two sheets of newspaper on the floor when you first need to empty it and bring the cup/head back to the papers a second third or fourth time and when done wrap this up and throw it in the garbage.
      Who cares that the Rocket can’t stand on its’ own, just lay it on the floor if you need to stop or lean it against a chair….anything!

  18. I just brought my shark, the first time I used it, I hurt my back from the pulling that the rollers on the bottom piece, it also has not worked again properly, it will not pick up, can anyone tell me what is wrong?

  19. I’m not sure what you mean by pulling that the rollers on the bottom piece… Can you explain? Are you not getting any suction? Try removing the entire bottom part from the vacuum, as if you want to use it as hand vac. Does it work that way?

  20. vacuumed my with hover up rite green lite said it was clean used new shark hv300 had too empty it twice in same area easy to use on stairs and under furniture

  21. My rocket vacuum is approximately 2 years old. The floor duster has two rips in the hose. Can this be repaired or do I have to buy a brand new for $30. plus dollars..
    I do like this vacuum but the hose should last much longer than 2 years.

    1. You might be able to use duct tape if you’re able to disassemble it, but I doubt that would work very well considering the hose has ridges. I think you’ll need just replace that part.

      1. Well Julie sharks warranties are utterly useless, they want you to buy a whole new power head at $100. Warranty covers only the motor. I think YOU should’ve in your research told readers this most important fact instead of giving this junk such high praise. Dare you to print this truth!

        1. As far as I’m concerned warranties on most anything you buy are worthless. They never seem to cover the parts that go bad or wear out quickly (with normal use). My friend has a Dyson upright vac and the main hose on that is all cracked, too. The Dyson warranty doesn’t cover that either. Shark warranties are comparable to all the others. As for the hose problem with your duster attachment….have you tried using a vinyl repair tape or the glue type stuff they sell for holes in vinyl? I used the glue type one on a small hole on the tonneau cover on my truck years ago and it’s still holding. Even electrical tape might work or the patches they have for holes in pool liners or blow-up mattresses. I’m sure you can get it working again. Try looking online to see if there are any videos for “repairing cracks in vacuum hose”.

  22. I love that this one cleaner can do so many surfaces! With 4 boys in the house, I know my floors could use some serious deep cleaning.

  23. I have a HV300 UK version and the normal brush head brushes have stopped working (removed all hair, and checked for any blockages but nothing :() I can get hold of a US replacement normal brush head – does anyone know if this will work ok, or if the voltage difference will effect it? Also it’s a HV302 rather than HV300 – will it still work? Thanks peeps

  24. Actually kudos to Julie!
    There is a fellow who provided info on a hose from Home Depot, 1 1/8 bilge hose from Everbuilt for $8.96. It works, and like s charm. However you should save the cracked orig hose because using the cuff on the bilge hose you will need to cut at least three rings and super glue them to the cuff end of the new piece, them thread that end into the large tubular part that the wand clicks into also cut the replacement hose 1 1/2” longer to allow the hose to bend easier, then thread the cut end of your replacement hose into the detached part that rests in the power head, just with slight pressure downward on the edge of the hose force it into the orafice while turning it to catch the internal threads onto the white replacement hose. Note: the threads are not spiral so you need to force the ridges on the hose so they catch in the orafice piece. AND YES THEY WILL CATCH AND FIT LIKE A GLOVE.
    Took me 20 mins start to finish, I think I will do a you tube vid showing it step by step, but it was so easy and it works like a charm and with five feet of hose left he’ll you can do everyone’s in town. The machine is repair friendly, but Shark stinks for service out of Quebec Canada, Laurent. $100. For a two dollar part is insane.
    So every one, thank the 16 th. Guy who provided this fix, on Julie’s site pertaining to broken hose,he’s a shark hero, and will include his correct info on the video.
    WG
    PS. Thank you Julie, if not for your article thousands would have to throw out a good machine, shame on you Shark executives, SHAME!!!

  25. I empty my dust cup on the Shark HV300 after every use, but there is a lot of dust building up in the nooks and crannies. Is it okay to wash out the dust cup with water – a damp paper towel only goes so far.

    1. Jessica,
      I have owned my Shark HV300 for 6 years now and routinely wash out the dust cup. I also wash the filters. I have spare filters to put in so I don’t have to wait for the others to dry. You just have to be really careful if you do rinse it . Hold it so you only get the spray inside the cup. Let it dry thoroughly. I rinse it using a sink hose or shower hose, then spray it with an all purpose cleaner or window cleaner. I let it sit and then rinse with a high power spray from my shower massage. Doing these things helps get rid of that nasty stale smell you sometimes get…..especially when you have pets. Just know that doing this …..if you do spray outside the cup….you could have a problem. I have done this 3 or 4 times a year for 6 years and have had none. (knock on wood!) The thorough drying in front of a heat vent or even in front of the forced air AC vent for a day is essential. Those little nooks and crannies are a pain! If you are hesitant to try the rinsing you could try using a can of forced air (like you use for keyboards) to get that stuck stuff out. You could then spray with a cleaner and wipe with a cloth. I sometimes actually vacuum my vacuum! Yup, you read that correctly! I have tiny attachments to use on my shop vac….meant to use for situations like this. You could use the tiny attachment to suck out the buildup in the nooks and then spray and wipe.

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