Shark and Dyson are two well known vacuum cleaner brands. Their lineups consist of a variety of vacuums that are used mainly by homeowners or in a residential setting. While both are known mostly for full sized upright models that can clean a large home they have both developed numerous cordless options as well. And these cordless cleaners come with the latest battery technology to make sure they have the power for ALL types of floors, including carpets. The Shark ION F80 and Dyson V10 are two such examples that can handle any surface around your home.
While there are other choices available we feel that these 2 represent the power and flexibility that a modern cordless vacuum has to offer. No longer do you have to be tied to an electrical outlet when deep cleaning your thick carpeting. Plus you have the advantage of removing the wand and using it in handheld mode (more on that below). The possibilities are much greater when comparing these vacuums to larger corded uprights, which explains the surge in popularity. Before we compare the F80 and V10 side by side in a variety of categories we’ll give a quick rundown of each model.
Shark ION F80 – Overview Of Main Features
The Shark ION F80 comes with their very different and innovative MultiFLEX™ wand which allows you to bend it at an angle for cleaning underneath large items like couches and beds. These areas are exactly where dust mites will congregate as it is not easy to get a standard vacuum in there. Shark saw this problem and created an innovative solution to it. You can operate the F80 in max power mode while the wand bends at the appropriate cleaning angle. No need to move or shift any heavy items. Here is a quick video that shows the advantages to using this over a standard extension wand.
Other features include:
- DuoClean Brushroll – Instead of having just one brushroll there are two that work together to clean both carpets and hard floors. One spins hard to pull up embedded dirt from carpet fibers while the other is built to attract fine dust particles.
- Two Lithium ION Battery Packs – Two removable lithium batteries mean you can charge one while vacuuming with the other. This greatly improves the amount of time you can spend cleaning.
- Washable Filters – Wash your filters periodically to remove any leftover dust, which keeps the air flowing fast through. This allows the F80 to operate at peak performance so it won’t work as hard while cleaning your floors.
- Ultra Lightweight Design – Weighing in around 9 pounds makes it one of the lightest cordless vacuums that can clean all types of floors. It is simple to carry from room to room.
It’s pretty obvious that the ION F80 is a serious contender in this expanding vacuum cleaner category. Let’s take a quick look at the Dyson V10 before comparing them to each other in the most important categories.
Dyson V10 – A Look At This Powerhouse
Dyson is known for power and the V10 has that plus much more! The V10 was engineered to have many improvements over their popular V8 model to really take whole house cordless cleaning to the next level. Some of these improvements include increased power, longer lasting battery, and a larger collection bin so you can spend more time vacuuming and less time charging or emptying. Their philosophy has pivoted from corded technology to cordless as they realize the distinct advantages of not being tied down to an outlet. Here is a quick rundown of the main features found on the V10:
Main Features:
- Three Suction Modes – Different modes for various surfaces, including a powerful Boost option, means you can clean everything from floor to ceiling.
- Fourteen Internal Cyclones – The vacuum generates tremendous centrifugal force on the air as it passes through at as much as 120 MPH. This keeps suction strong and eliminates clogging.
- Seven Cell Lithium Battery – One more cell than the battery found on the V8 so it can handle more power output for longer periods of time.
- Fully Sealed Filtration – Whole machine fully sealed HEPA filtration will trap virtually all the microscopic allergens inside and keep them there.
- Acoustic Sound Engineering – Aerodynamic motor housing and special materials dampen the sound and vibration produced by the vacuum.
Now that we have given a brief rundown of the main cordless contenders, let’s compare them together in a variety of categories to see which one is best for your home.
Appearance
As is the case with most cordless vacuums, the F80 and V10 are very similar in appearance. They both have the standard slim extension wand that is attached to a trigger based handle that houses all of the internal components. The Shark is slightly slimmer than the Dyson but both are close in terms of size and weight. The ION F80 MultiFLEX is a bit different in that it can stand upright or in the bent configuration, allowing it to completely stand on its’ own like an upright. This means you won’t have to lean it against something in your closet or basement when not in use. Take a look at the picture above to get a general sense of how these two compare in terms of overall appearance.
Power
Suction power doesn’t seem like a main consideration when comparing cordless vacuum cleaners but we are talking about vacuums that are designed for cleaning your entire home. Since this includes carpeting then you need to consider power when making your choice. The Dyson V10 has an advantage in this category as it is rated to pull approximately 150 air watts when using the Boost mode. This is more than a lot of full sized uprights so you know it is more than enough to pull embedded dust mites up from the carpet fibers.
The Shark ION F80 cannot match that power output but still produces a respectable 120 air watts at the cleaner head. For thicker or plush carpets the V10 will have a distinct advantage but most households do not have them. For the typical home with a combination of basic carpeting and hard floors there really is no advantage here. It all depends on what surfaces you are trying to clean in your home. Advantage Dyson for thick carpets, a push for everything else.
Filtration
Filtration is a category that is really important when buying a new vacuum cleaner, cordless or not. You want the machine to not only remove those tiny allergens like dust mites, pet dander, and pollen from the air but to also keep them from escaping back into your house. Both the Shark and Dyson have removable, washable filters that are rated to remove more than 99% of the smallest organisms as they pass through them. While the majority of vacuums can boast of this today it is still important to recognize and state this fact. You don’t want to buy a vacuum that simply lets allergens pass right through or worse yet, don’t even pick them up.
One thing to note here is the Dyson V10 comes with their cyclonic technology which spins the air with such force that it removes the dust from it. The dirt and dust particles will then just collect on the filters instead of somewhere along the path. It is a very efficient way to clean the air and like we stated above, virtually eliminates clogging during use. While it might not be rated any better in terms of filtration, this feature of the V10 is indeed noteworthy and is a big reason why it has so much suction power.
Batteries
Lithium Ion technology has been a game changer for cordless vacuums. The batteries are much stronger and longer lasting than anything previously offered, and really are the main reason why you can clean your entire home with them. Both these contenders come outfitted with lithium ion technology but that is where the similarities end. The Dyson has a really stout 7 cell battery pack with high capacity nickel-cobalt aluminum cathodes to let it run at higher voltage than what Dyson previously offered. The internal diagnostics help optimize the power during use so there is virtually no fade at all until it is drained. They claim as much as 60 minutes of runtime but that is on the lowest setting. You can expect about 30 to 45 minutes which is more than adequate for a large home. Our biggest complaint with the Dyson is the battery is not removable so once it is drained you must stop to recharge.
The Shark F80 comes with dual removable lithium battery packs that each provide about 30 to 40 minutes of runtime, boosting your total to as much as 80 minutes depending on the mode used. This really gives it a couple of advantages over the V10 in that you get a longer runtime right off the bat, but you can also purchase extra packs as needed. If you have to run it longer then just buy another battery pack. Likewise, if the original battery goes bad you can simply replace it. Hopefully Dyson recognizes this and incorporates removable batteries into their future cord-free models.
Handheld Operating Mode
When using a lightweight cordless vacuum then you will undoubtedly want to operate it in handheld mode. Both the ION F80 MultiFLEX and V10 can be used like that with a variety of attachments for just about any surface you can think of. Simply remove the wand and attach the applicable tool for cleaning high corners, stairs, upholstery, and counters if needed. When you compare this to larger upright vacuums that simply cannot reach these places, you can begin to see why cordless has really become the choice for more households than ever before. Both the Shark and Dyson have many tools that come with them as well as optional ones you can buy such as spinning mini turbine brushes or flexible dusting tools.
Other Thoughts
One other really unique feature the Shark ION F80 has is the MultiFLEX wand that was demonstrated above in the video. This allows you to easily clean under larger items without moving them which is a huge advantage over all of the competition. Simply bend the wand at the joint and operate it at max power. And when you are done you can store it bent over just like a full sized upright. This is very innovative and a big reason why Shark is such a popular brand in the industry today.
Now that you have seen the similarities and differences, the decision comes down to either the V10 or the ION F80. They are both powerful and built for entire household cleaning but they do certain things better than the other. For more information about the Shark F80 including current pricing, click here to visit our recommended online supplier.
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