These two brands own the shelf below two hundred dollars. The real difference is not performance — it is how much each one is willing to put in writing.
Everyone in this category says they tested twenty vacuums. We have not tested any, and we say so. What we do instead is read the manuals, compile the published specifications, and work out what each machine costs to run for three years — the method is written out in full.
We earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend or the order we recommend it in. Full disclosure.
The verdict: buy Shark if the specification matters to you, buy Bissell if the feature matters more than the paperwork. Shark publishes filtration test standards, motor wattage and noise ratings across its range; on the NV356E it names both the standard and the laboratory. Bissell publishes a tangle-free brushroll at roughly half what Shark charges for one, and a runtime breakdown its rivals hide — but it also ships uprights with no wattage, no amperage and no noise rating published anywhere. Neither brand is being dishonest. One of them is just easier to check.
The numbers, side by side
Every figure is the manufacturer's own published number for that model.
Published figure
Shark NV356E
Bissell 2252
Shark ZD201
Bissell 4072L
Type
Corded upright, Lift-Away
Corded upright, swivel
Corded upright, Lift-Away
Corded upright, swivel
Motor
1,200 W
800 W
800 W
Not published
Weight
13.7 lb
12.5 lb
12.9 lb
13.1 lb
Bin
0.87 L
1 L
0.8 qt
1 L
Brushroll
Driven, bristle
Triple Action
PowerFins, self-cleaning, no hair wrap
Tangle-free, no hair wrap
Filtration
HEPA, Anti-Allergen Complete Seal, 99.9% per ASTM F1977-22, IBR Laboratories
Washable disk filter
HEPA, Complete Seal, 99.99% at 0.3 microns per ASTM F1977
Washable foam filter
Rated noise
80 dB
80 dB
Not published
Not published
Power levels
Not published
Not published
Not published
5
Two Shark machines name a filtration test standard. Neither Bissell upright publishes a filtration class at all, and the 4072L publishes no motor figure in watts or amps.
Where Shark genuinely wins
Filtration you can check. The NV356E does something almost nothing at its price does: it names ASTM F1977-22 as the standard AND IBR Laboratories as the lab that ran it. The ZD201 names ASTM F1977 behind 99.99% at 0.3 microns. Bissell publishes "washable disk filter" and "washable foam filter" and stops. Those are descriptions of a part, not claims about performance, and there is nothing in them to verify.
Published motor power, consistently. Every Shark on this site publishes a wattage — 1,200 on the Navigator, 800 on the ZD201, 500 on the corded Rocket, 181 across the cordless line. Bissell publishes 800 W on the 2252 and 200 W on the 4173, then publishes nothing at all on the 4072L. When a manufacturer publishes a figure for three models and omits it on the fourth, that omission is information.
Noise ratings. Shark publishes 80 dB on the Navigator and across its cordless line. Bissell publishes 80 dB on the 2252 and nothing on the 4072L. In an apartment that is a figure worth having before you buy, not after.
Above-floor design. Lift-Away is published on two Sharks here and it is the honest answer to stairs, which is the job every full-size upright is worst at. Bissell's answer is a quick-release extension wand, which is real but not the same thing as putting the motor down and carrying a pod.
Where Bissell quietly matches or beats it
Anti-hair-wrap, much cheaper. Bissell publishes a tangle-free brush roll on the CleanView Max 4072L and on the cordless PowerClean 4173. Shark publishes self-cleaning PowerFins on the ZD201. Both claims describe the same benefit; the Bissell arrives at roughly half the price. If hair wrap is the daily annoyance you want solved and the paperwork is not, Bissell is the better buy and it is not close.
A runtime breakdown, published. Bissell states 40 minutes in low mode and 13 minutes in Turbo on the 4173. Shark publishes a single 40-minute headline with the qualifier that it was measured at the hand vac in standard mode. Bissell's number is less flattering and more useful, and publishing the Turbo figure is a small act of honesty most of this category avoids.
Bin capacity. The 2252 and the 4072L both publish 1 liter. The NV356E publishes 0.87 and the ZD201 0.8 quarts. On a whole-house clean the cheaper brand holds more, which is the pattern this whole site keeps running into.
Published power levels. The 4072L publishes five. No Shark upright on this site publishes any. That is the one specification where the brand with less disclosure elsewhere has more here.
#
Product
Best for
Score
Price
01
Shark Navigator Lift-Away (NV356E)1,200 W with a genuinely sealed HEPA system and a detachable pod, at a price the cordless machines cannot match on either count.
Shark Lift-Away Upright with PowerFins (ZD201)The only upright on this site that publishes both a self-cleaning brushroll and a filtration figure with the test standard attached.
Bissell CleanView Swivel Pet Upright (2252)An 800 W corded upright with a triple-action brushroll: the deep-carpet answer for people whose cordless keeps running out mid-room.
Shark Cordless Pet (IY143H)Doubles the dust cup over the IX141 and adds the self-cleaning brushroll, which is the single feature that matters if a dog lives here.
Bissell PowerClean 200W Self-Standing Cordless (4173)The only machine here that stands up on its own when you stop, which sounds trivial until you have leaned a vacuum against a wall for the tenth time.
Bissell CleanView Max Tangle-Free Upright (4072L)A tangle-free brush roll and five power levels at the price of a basic upright, from a manufacturer that publishes no power figure for it at all.
Scores are ours, from the published rubric on the How We Pick page. They are editorial judgments about published specifications — not test results. We have not handled these machines.
01 · Best sealed HEPA under $200
Shark Navigator Lift-Away (NV356E)
1,200 W with a genuinely sealed HEPA system and a detachable pod, at a price the cordless machines cannot match on either count.
Washable HEPA plus foam, Anti-Allergen Complete Seal; rated to trap 99.9% of dust and allergens per ASTM F1977-22, tested by IBR Laboratories
Rated noise
80 dB
Lift-Away
Detachable pod for above-floor cleaning
Runtime
Unlimited — corded
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+Names its filtration test standard AND the lab that ran it — the most specific filtration claim on this site
+1,200 W on a driven brushroll deep-cleans carpet properly
+Lift-Away pod covers stairs, which is where most uprights fail
Where it stops
−13.7 lb is the heaviest machine we recommend anywhere
−Washable filters need genuine drying time, and people skip it
−Corded, with everything that implies
Who it is for
Allergy households on carpet who want measured filtration rather than a bare percentage.
Skip it if
You have a lot of stairs and no storage. It is heavy, it is bulky, and the Lift-Away pod only partly solves that.
Our score: 8.4 out of 10
Published power9.0
Runtime10.0
Bin and filtration9.5
Weight and handling4.5
Running cost9.0
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
02 · Best anti-hair-wrap upright
Shark Lift-Away Upright with PowerFins (ZD201)
The only upright on this site that publishes both a self-cleaning brushroll and a filtration figure with the test standard attached.
PowerFins, self-cleaning, published as no hair wrap versus Shark's own bristle brushrolls
Filtration
Anti-Allergen Complete Seal with HEPA, rated to trap 99.99% of dust and allergens at 0.3 microns or larger, based on ASTM F1977
Lift-Away
Detachable pod for stairs and above-floor work
Runtime
Unlimited — corded
Rated noise
Not published
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+Publishes 99.99% at 0.3 microns AND names ASTM F1977 behind it, which almost nothing in this price band does
+Self-cleaning PowerFins brushroll is the specification that stops you cutting hair off a roller every two weeks
+Lift-Away pod covers stairs, the job uprights are worst at
Where it stops
−0.8 quarts is the smallest bin of any upright on this page
−800 watts, against 1,200 on both the Shark Navigator and the Hoover WindTunnel
−No published noise rating, so it cannot be compared on the one figure most uprights do publish
Who it is for
Carpeted homes with long-haired pets and someone in the house who reacts to dust, where the two published claims here are both load-bearing.
Skip it if
Nothing sheds in your house. The self-cleaning brushroll is most of what you are paying for over the cheaper Navigator, and on a pet-free carpet it earns nothing.
Our score: 8.3 out of 10
Published power8.5
Runtime10.0
Bin and filtration8.5
Weight and handling5.5
Running cost9.0
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
03 · Best corded for pet hair
Bissell CleanView Swivel Pet Upright (2252)
An 800 W corded upright with a triple-action brushroll: the deep-carpet answer for people whose cordless keeps running out mid-room.
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+800 W with a driven brushroll is a different class of carpet cleaning from any 180 W cordless
+Swivel steering, which most cheap uprights still do not have
+Nothing in it degrades with charge cycles
Where it stops
−12.5 lb, and you will feel every pound on a staircase
−80 dB
−Bagless with a disk filter rather than sealed HEPA
Who it is for
Carpeted houses with shedding pets, where a cordless keeps dying before the living room is finished.
Skip it if
Your home is mostly hard floor. A heavy carpet upright on tile is the wrong tool and a stick vacuum will be faster every time.
Our score: 7.9 out of 10
Published power8.5
Runtime10.0
Bin and filtration6.5
Weight and handling5.0
Running cost9.5
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
04 · Best for long pet hair
Shark Cordless Pet (IY143H)
Doubles the dust cup over the IX141 and adds the self-cleaning brushroll, which is the single feature that matters if a dog lives here.
HEPA with Complete Seal, rated to capture over 99.97% of dust and allergens
Brushroll
Self-cleaning Turbo Pro, published as anti-hair-wrap
Floor detection
FloorDetect, adjusts brushroll speed by floor type
Suction in air watts or Pa
Not published
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+0.7-quart cup is double the IX141's, which is the difference between one empty and three
+Self-cleaning brushroll is published as anti-hair-wrap, and that claim is specific rather than decorative
+FloorDetect removes the nozzle-swapping step between rug and hardwood
Where it stops
−Still no published suction figure
−Heavier than the IX141 by 0.2 lb, which you notice on stairs and nowhere else
−Battery is not published as user-removable on this model
Who it is for
Pet households with a mix of rug and hard floor, where hair wrap is the actual daily annoyance.
Skip it if
Your floors are entirely hard surface and nothing sheds. You are paying for the anti-tangle brushroll, and on bare floor it does nothing for you.
Our score: 7.5 out of 10
Published power6.0
Runtime7.0
Bin and filtration8.5
Weight and handling7.5
Running cost8.0
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+Publishes BOTH runtime figures — 40 minutes low and 13 Turbo — which is the honest disclosure
+Self-standing, so it does not need a wall dock or a wall
+Bissell consumables are stocked in ordinary stores
Where it stops
−13 minutes of Turbo is short if carpet is your main surface
−0.5-liter bin is mid-pack
−The under-$200 suction claim is Bissell's own, against an unnamed comparison set
Who it is for
Small homes with nowhere to drill a dock, and anyone tired of a vacuum that falls over.
Skip it if
You need a wall-mounted charge dock for storage. This one is designed to stand in a corner, and there is no wall mount in the box.
Our score: 7.4 out of 10
Published power6.5
Runtime6.5
Bin and filtration7.5
Weight and handling8.0
Running cost8.5
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
06 · Cheapest tangle-free brushroll
Bissell CleanView Max Tangle-Free Upright (4072L)
A tangle-free brush roll and five power levels at the price of a basic upright, from a manufacturer that publishes no power figure for it at all.
Washable foam filter. No HEPA claim and no named test standard
Steering
Swivel
Tools
Quick-release extension wand and crevice tool; LED headlights on the head
Runtime
Unlimited — corded
Motor
Not published in watts or amps
Rated noise
Not published
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+A published tangle-free brush roll at roughly half what the anti-hair-wrap Shark costs
+Five power levels, where most uprights in this band have one
+Swivel steering and a washable foam filter, so there is no consumable and no wrestling around chair legs
Where it stops
−Bissell publishes no wattage, no amperage and no noise rating for this model — three figures every rival here does publish
−Foam filtration with no HEPA claim, on a machine aimed squarely at pet households
−13.1 lb is the heaviest of the sub-$150 uprights here
Who it is for
A shedding household on a tight budget that has decided hair wrap is the daily annoyance worth solving first.
Skip it if
You want to compare it numerically with anything. It ranks last on this page because there is almost nothing published to rank, not because the tangle-free roller is a bad idea.
Our score: 7.4 out of 10
Published power5.5
Runtime10.0
Bin and filtration6.5
Weight and handling6.0
Running cost9.0
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
The honest way to read the gap
Neither brand's machines are meaningfully different in what they are: corded uprights in the same weight class with driven brushrolls and washable filters. What differs is the paperwork, and paperwork is worth exactly as much as your situation makes it worth. If somebody in the house reacts to dust, a filtration claim with ASTM F1977 and a named laboratory behind it is worth paying for and "washable foam filter" is not an answer. If nobody in the house reacts to anything and a dog sheds on the stairs, Bissell's tangle-free roller at half the price is the better purchase and the missing wattage figure costs you nothing you will ever notice.
What we will not do is tell you one brand cleans better than the other, because no published figure on either side supports that and neither of them publishes a comparable suction number. Our method page explains why we stop there.
What about the cordless machines?
The same pattern, smaller. Shark's IY143H publishes 181 watts, a 0.7-quart cup, HEPA with a Complete Seal at over 99.97%, a self-cleaning brushroll and FloorDetect. Bissell's PowerClean 4173 publishes 200 watts, 25.2 volts, a 0.5-liter cup, a HEPA sealed allergen system, a tangle-free brushroll, self-standing storage, and both ends of its runtime. Bissell publishes the higher motor figure and the more honest runtime; Shark publishes the bigger bin and the more specific filtration language. If you want that fight run against the actual flagship instead, Shark vs Dyson is the page.
Common questions
Is Shark or Bissell better?+−
On published specifications, neither cleans measurably better — neither publishes a comparable suction figure. Shark publishes more: motor wattage across the range, noise ratings, and filtration claims naming ASTM F1977 and, on the NV356E, the testing laboratory. Bissell publishes less but prices lower, and it puts a tangle-free brushroll on machines that cost roughly half what Shark's self-cleaning equivalent does.
Which brand is better for pet hair?+−
Both publish an anti-hair-wrap roller; the question is what you pay for it. Bissell publishes a tangle-free brush roll on the CleanView Max 4072L and the cordless PowerClean 4173. Shark publishes self-cleaning PowerFins on the ZD201 and a self-cleaning Turbo Pro brushroll on the IY143H. The Shark machines add sealed HEPA filtration with a named test standard, which matters if the pet also triggers allergies.
Does Bissell publish suction figures?+−
Not in any comparable unit, and neither does Shark. Bissell publishes motor wattage on some models — 800 W on the CleanView Swivel Pet 2252, 200 W on the cordless 4173 — and nothing at all on the CleanView Max 4072L. Motor watts describe electricity drawn, not dirt lifted.
Which brand has better filtration?+−
Shark, clearly, on what is published. The NV356E states 99.9% of dust and allergens per ASTM F1977-22 as tested by IBR Laboratories, and the ZD201 states 99.99% at 0.3 microns per ASTM F1977. Bissell's uprights publish a washable disk or foam filter with no class and no standard. Bissell does publish a HEPA sealed allergen system on the cordless 4173.
Are Shark vacuums worth the extra money over Bissell?+−
If the disclosure matters to your situation, yes. Sealed filtration with a named standard is worth paying for in an allergy household. If what you actually want is an anti-tangle roller on a carpeted floor, Bissell delivers that specification for less and the money saved is real.
Which is quieter, Shark or Bissell?+−
Both publish 80 dB on their full-size corded uprights, so on the published figures they are identical. Neither the Shark ZD201 nor the Bissell CleanView Max 4072L publishes a noise rating at all, which means neither can be compared on it.
Sources
Manufacturer-published specifications — Every runtime, wattage, capacity, weight, filtration and warranty figure quoted on this page is the manufacturer's own published number for that model, retrieved September 1, 2026. Where a manufacturer publishes no figure, the page says 'Not published' rather than estimating one.
ASTM F1977 — standard test method for vacuum cleaner filtration efficiency — Named by Shark (tested by IBR Laboratories, per ASTM F1977-22) and by Levoit (ASTM F1977-22) in their own published filtration claims. Where a brand names this standard we treat the claim as checkable; where a brand states a bare percentage we do not.
Sweep & Suction — How We Pick — Our published method, including the scoring rubric, the three-year running-cost formula and an explicit statement of what published specifications cannot tell you.
