Which is better for pet hair?

Both handle pet hair well. The Dyson's Motorbar head has polycarbonate vanes that strip hair off the brushroll, and the Shark's DuoClean Detect nozzle is built for hair pickup on forward and reverse strokes. The Dyson is lighter for overhead work; the Shark's bigger cup means less stopping.

Is the Dyson worth $355 more?

Only if weight and the dust-revealing light matter to you. The Shark matches or beats it on runtime, dust cup size and warranty at $239.99 at eBay as of November 3, versus $595.00 for the Dyson at eBay.

Which lasts longer per charge?

The Shark, on paper: up to 70 minutes in Eco mode versus up to 60 minutes for the Dyson. Both drop sharply in higher power modes, and the Shark's 70 minutes is measured at the hand vac.

Which is better for a small apartment with hard floors?

The Dyson. It is lighter, the Fluffy Optic head shows dust on hard floors, and the small dust cup is less of a problem in a small space.

Which is easier to store?

The Shark's MultiFLEX wand folds for compact storage, and both come with wall docks or mounts. The Dyson is smaller and lighter to hang.

How big is the dust cup difference?

Large. The Dyson holds 0.09 gal (about 0.36 qt); the Shark holds 0.7 qt, roughly twice as much, so you empty it less often on big jobs.

Dyson V12 Detect Slim Cordless Vacuum vs Shark PowerDetect Cordless

Buy the Shark PowerDetect if you want the most vacuum for the money: it is $239.99 at eBay as of November 3, versus $595.00 for the Dyson V12 Detect Slim at eBay the same day. Buy the Dyson if you want the lightest stick with a dust-revealing laser head and a smaller, easier-to-handle body. The Shark wins on price, dust cup size, battery life and warranty; the Dyson wins on weight and hard-floor dust visibility.

Today the Shark PowerDetect Cordless costs $356.00 less at its best price.

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