Shark SV736 Review

What the reviewers like:
The Shark Cordless Hand Vac SV736 gets good reviews, particularly as the best budget hand vacuum. Its standout feature is a detachable motorized brush head, helpful for getting into hard-to-reach spots. Owners also say the Shark SV736 works well for daily removal of pet hair and has a good battery run time.

What the reviewers don't like:
Some owners say the Shark SV736 isn't as durable as it could be. A few also find this cordless handheld vacuum difficult to slip in and out of the charging cradle.

Shark SV736 review highlights

In informal testing at The Wall Street Journal, the Shark SV736 beat out both the Black & Decker PHV1800 18 Volt Pivot Vac (*est. $70) and the pricey Dyson DC16 Root 6 (*est. $150) in the holiday debris cleanup challenge. Owners posting to Amazon.com, Epinions and Target.com like the Shark too, although user ratings on all three sites fall short of the higher-priced Black & Decker's near-perfect scores. We found more complaints about durability for the Shark hand vacuum than for the Black & Decker model. The Shark hand vac's detachable motorized brush head gives it an advantage on carpet and upholstery.

The most useful review of the Shark Cordless Hand Vac SV736 comes from The Wall Street Journal, where the Shark is compared against four other handheld vacuums on their ability to pick up a ‘holiday dirt mix' of potato chips, wrapping paper bits and other debris. Amazon.com is an excellent source of owner-written reviews of the Shark, with enough posts to provide a good picture of how it stands up in daily use. Epinions and Target.com have only a few user reviews each, but posts on both include a good balance of positive and negative. There's also an "Expert Review" of the Shark SV736 hand vaccum on ConsumerGuide.com, but the apparent lack of product testing makes it little more than a description of features.

Also see full report: Handheld Vacuums

*In order of credibility (see our Ratings Criteria).

1. The Wall Street Journal
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No Crumbs for Christmas
Charles Passy
Nov. 23, 2007

In this informal review, five handheld vacuums are put to the test cleaning a "holiday" mixture of potato chip crumbs, wrapping paper bits and other debris. The Shark SV736 outperforms its four competitors including the Black & Decker PHV1800 and the Dyson DC16 Root 6.

2. Amazon.com
Shark SV736 Reviews
Contributors to Amazon.com

With nearly 75 owner-written reviews, there are enough ratings for the Shark SV736 to provide a good indication of how well this model works under everyday conditions. While the SV736 isn't the top-rated handheld vacuum on the site, it earns a very respectable average score. We found some complaints here and there about durability and ease of use, but overall, owners like it.

3. Consumer Guide.com
Expert Review: Euro-Pro Shark Cordless Handheld Vacuum SV736
Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
Jan. 23, 2007

ConsumerGuide.com's "Expert Review" goes into a fair amount of detail about the Shark SV736, giving it perfect scores across the board and awarding it a "CG Best Buy" rating. What's not clear is how editors arrived at the rating or whether the product was actually tested.

4. Epinions
Euro-Pro SV736 Bagless Handheld Cyclonic Vacuum Reviews
Contributors to Epinions

Epinions has only a handful of reviews for the Shark SV736, but there's enough good information here to be worth a look. One long post with information on features and battery maintenance (with suggestions contrary to the manufacturer's instructions) is particularly interesting.

5. Target.com
Shark 15.6V Cordless Hand Vac - SV736 Reviews
Contributors to Target.com

There are more reviews of the Shark SV736 on Target.com than on Epinions, but posts here are less detailed and not as informative.

Also see full report: Handheld Vacuums

Shark SV736 Review