Shark Rocket Complete Review with DuoClean: Excellent For Hardwood

Shark has been trying to unseat Dyson as a market leader in upright vacuums.

With the success of the Rocket series (over a million sold according to Shark), they’ve somehow managed to find a way to upgrade an already good performing product to something even better.

Their engineers and product design team has been busting their tails off in terms of research and development.

They call it the Shark Rocket Complete with DuoClean technology.

Less expensive option to cord-free vacuums

SharkRocketHV382 250

Shark Rocket Complete HV382

The Shark Rocket HV382 is an excellent alternative to more costly cordless vacuums. It has the DuoClean technology that is an absolute beast when it comes to surface dirt pick up regardless of size. This technology will gobble up small and large particles of dirt without clogging. However, it won’t do as well when it comes to deep cleaning carpet, but it cleans well enough to justify it as a lightweight tool that you can use every day to clean high traffic areas.

*If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

What is DuoClean technology?

The concept is pretty simple. Most vacuums right now use a motorized brush made from bristles.

Shark Rocket Complete ups the ante here and adds a second brush roll in front of the bristled motorized brush. This addition results in outstanding surface pick up.

It also prevents the dreaded “snowplow” effect that plagues stick vacuums with low-profile heads.

Related: If you’re interested in learning more about Shark Vacuums. Please click on this link to see which modes are the best.

If you look at the design, it is similar to Dyson’s soft roller cleaner head which is best for cleaning surfaces like hardwood.

But instead of using separate tools for the soft roller and bristled brush, Shark combined it hence the name DuoClean.

Shark placed this in front of the main nozzle to help pull large and small particles on carpets and bare floors.

The bristle brushes provide deep cleaning power on the carpet.

Combine these two, and you have a cleaning machine that will manage to pick up all sorts of dirt on the surface and deep under strands of carpet fiber.

Pros

  • Vastly improved main cleaning head – the extra soft roller bar makes it an excellent option for cleaning hard floors.
  • It has more power and agitation than any of the previous Shark Rocket variants.
  • Long 30-foot power cord
  • Comes with a myriad of other tools to clean above floors
  • Great warranty if purchased directly from Shark
  • Easy to empty bin

Cons

  • Smaller dirt bin compared to larger uprights like the Dyson
  • On the noisy side
  • No storage for the tools
  • Does not stand on its own

What to expect from the Shark Rocket Duo Clean?

Shark Rocket Complete Review

Even if this vacuum looks like a stick, it has pretty lofty claims in terms of cleaning performance.

Let’s breakdown each of the features.

 

Duo Clean Technology

In terms of innovation, you’ve got to put Shark on the upper echelon, right up there with Dyson, and the DuoClean feature is proof.

DuoClean System

The dual brush concept isn’t entirely new.

Robot vacuums like the Roomba 980 and 800 series have used this concept with their products. It is a first in the upright and stick vacuum category.

In a way, Shark copied the concept first used by Dyson in the V6 series.

The idea here is instead of using a low profile cleaner head that pushes dirt, and the roller would pull it in.

It prevents the dreaded snowplowing effect that plagues other stick vacuums like the Hoover Linx, Air Cordless, and the earlier Dyson stick vacuums that did not have the soft roller brush.

Shark took that idea from Dyson and integrated it into their product by combining it with a stiff-bristled brush that provides agitation on carpets.

You get the best of two worlds without having to remove switch tools. Pretty smart by Shark, I must say.

Brush roll garage

In older Shark Rocket vacuums, you’d have to flip the large cleaning head over and remove a couple of screws to have access to the motorized brush.

Brushroll garage

Shark has improved how you clean this part by making the top part removable without needing any tools.

They call this the “brush roll garage”.

This mechanism simply uses hinges that pops in or out.

You don’t need to use a screwdriver to clean the brush, just pop out the cover, and you have access to the brushes.

Again thumbs up to Shark for this design improvement.

Ergonomic Handle

You will notice that the Shark as a similar design to the Dyson DC cordless series.

But one significant difference is that Shark did not adapt the trigger mechanism that Dyson utilizes.

Instead, it uses a slide switch located on top that toggles between off, bare floor, and carpet settings.

Easy-Emptying Dust Cup

One feature I like is how easy it is to empty the dust cup. Shark allows you to remove the entire dust cup with a push of a button and then empty it over a bin.

Dust bin

This design makes emptying much easier and less messy. It also allows you to wash the bin if it gets too dirty.

Washable Filters

On top of the bin are two washable filters. Shark recommends that you wash these once a month.

Shark did not mention if these filters are HEPA. But I’m assuming it isn’t because they didn’t say it in any of their advertorials.

Advanced Swivel Steering

To make moving this thing around easier, Shark added swivel steering that makes turning and changing direction easier.

Just flick your risk, and it turns.

Quick Release Foot Pedal

To disconnect the main cleaning head and wand, all you need to do is push a lever. Shark added this feature, so you don’t have to bend just to remove the wand.

LED Lights

Another favorite feature of mine is the LED headlight on both the primary cleaning tool and the vacuum itself.

LED headlights

Sharked used bright LED lights that illuminate the path and help you track dirt, particularly dust and hair that can be hard to see with natural light.

Bright lights can also be useful under furniture where it gets darker.

When you take off the wand and floor tool, the LED light in front of the vacuum automatically lights up and helps you track dirt and dust on upholstery.

Onboard Tool Clip

There is storage space on the wand that allows you to store a couple of attachments.

Wall Mount

Because this tool is so top-heavy, it will not stand on its own. So Shark adds a wall-mountable bracket where you can hang this vacuum on for storage.

It uses two screws to hold it in place. Installation isn’t hard if you have a drill.

Make sure to have a separate box to store the other attachments that come along with it.

To see all these features, watch this video by Ibaisaic plus a short demo at the end of the video.

Attachments and Tools

SharkRocketDuoCleanTools 1

If you buy this on Amazon, you will get the following:

  • Dusting brush
  • Duster crevice
  • 12″ crevice tool
  • Accessory bag
  • Pet multi-tool
  • True-Pet Mini Motorized Brush
  • Under appliance wand

Bare floor cleaning

Here’s how the new cleaning head prevents any snowplowing effect.

The soft roller bar in front pulls in surface dirt into the bristled brush, and then suction does the rest.

SharkRocketDuoCleanFloorTool

This soft beater bar also has grooves that help with agitation and pulls up even smaller particulates like sand and dust.

With this amount of agitation, it lessens the need for a crazy suction to achieve the same amount of cleaning performance.

That’s why even with just 600 watts of power, this vacuum can clean the way it does.

Carpet Cleaning

Here’s a big mess that you’ve probably encountered.

Yes, it’s an infomercial from Shark, but the results were pretty impressive.

Just in case you’re not convinced, I have more tests to show you. This one is a real-world test on carpet and tile.

Skip to the 3-minute mark to see the cleaning test.

Like the Shark infomercial, the results were also impressive in the cleaning tests with literally no snow plowing.

The Duo Clean system was able to pick up nearly all debris scattered on the black tile.

To see the carpet cleaning test, skip towards the 9:51 mark.

That’s a massive pile of mess and not something you’d have to deal with daily. But if it can handle a mess this big, it will be able to handle anything.

SharkRocketDuoCleanCarpetTestBefore

The result after two passes.

SharkDuoCleanCarpetOnePass

The result after a back and forth pass wasn’t good because the dirt bin filled up pretty quick with the amount of dirt scattered.

SharkRocketDuoBin

With that much dirt on the carpet, it’s not surprising that the bin filled up. After emptying the bin here’s how the carpet looks like after another pass.

SharkRocketDuoCleanCarpet2ndPass

Pet hair

At the 7:40 minute mark in the video above you’ll see that V-Blogger Ibaisaic test it on pet hair with excellent results.

Even though it didn’t pick every strand of hair at the first pass, it was still able to pick up most of it.

Unless you’ll be grooming your dog regularly or have an army of dogs inside your home, pet hair cleaning shouldn’t be a problem for the most part.

It also comes with a mini motorized brush capable of cleaning pet hair on fabric upholstery.

Skip to the 15:13 mark of the video to see it in action.

SharkRocketDuoCleanUpholstery

In terms of cleaning pet hair, it did a pretty good job, but it scattered pieces of rice towards the edges of the sofa. Again, this is an issue with motorized tools like this.

SharkRocketDuoCleanUpholsteryAfter

The mini motorized tool is excellent for deep cleaning fabric upholstery as long as you’re not cleaning loose debris.

Stair cleaning

The interchangeability makes this usable on stairs.

Stair cleaning

Yes, it is possible to attach the main floor tool directly on the vacuum itself minus the wand. But the product is light enough to clean stairs without detaching the wand.

Upholstery cleaning

It comes with two tools that allow you to clean upholstery. First would be the small upholstery tool, and the second would be the mini motorized brush.

The latter would be suitable for cleaning pet hair off upholstery.

Warranty

Shark backs this up with a Lifetime VIP warranty that becomes automatic if you buy direct from them.

Product specifications

AttachmentsDusting Brush

Duster Crevice

TruePet Mini Motorized Brush

Under Appliance Wand

Accessory Bag
Brush roll on/offNo
Cord Length30 feet
Net weight9.9 pounds (with floor tool and wand)

3.5 pounds (hand vac only)
Shipping weight18.3 pounds
Cleaning path9"
Overall length46.4"
Filter typeWashable
Dust capacityN/A
Voltage600 watts
Manufactured inChina
Warranty5 years

What do consumers say?

One common theme I noticed with all the reviews I’ve read – this vacuum pulls up dirt thanks to the improved cleaning head.

The Duo Clean head can debris large and small like hair, cereal, powder, etc.

It does not have any HEPA filtration, so if you have a respiratory condition like asthma, you may want to get something else like the Shark Navigator.

Even if Shark calls this an upright, it won’t stand on its own because of the top-heavy design. You’ll have to use the storage bracket to store this upright.

The dirt bin is on the small side, and if you will use this to clean your entire home, consumers warned that you might need to empty it quite often, and this would be better suited as an in-between cleaner.

I’ve used a Dyson upright before, and you will have to empty it quite often, especially if your home has a lot of carpets, so this shouldn’t be a big issue here.

Where can I buy this?

You can buy this stick vacuum from Amazon, and it comes with free 2-day shipping if you join Prime.

They also sell extended warranties of up to 3 years if you want that extra peace of mind. Take note that if you purchase with the link, I will earn a commission, but at no additional cost to you, so it’s a win-win for both of us.

This package also comes with a free under appliance wand that will help you clean areas under shelves that no other vacuum or even a broom can reach.

If you will buy the same package at Shark, expect to pay close to $300.

To wrap up

Shark has upped the ante here.

They’ve improved the already excellent Rocket series by a notch by improving the main motorized cleaning head.

Instead of using a single motorized brush – something that most brands do, they went against the norm and added a second beater bar, a soft brush roll to pull up large, medium and small-sized debris on the surface.

This vacuum is an excellent complement to the stiff bristle brush that provides agitation on carpets. The soft brush roll also prevents the dreaded snowplowing effect that hampers the performance of a lot of stick and upright vacuums.

You get this revolutionary cleaning head, plus a mini pet cleaning tool, also with a motorized brush powered by its motor!

But wait, there’s more.

You will also get other tools such as a full-length crevice tool, a soft bristle brush tool, a combination tool, and an under appliance tool that will help this product virtually clean every nook and cranny of your home, all for the excellent price of (just under) $230.

Now that’s value for money, and if you cannot afford a Dyson Upright or even a cordless, have a look at this and see if it will fit your needs.

Mid-Priced Stick Vacuum With a Cord
  • Ergonomics - 88%
    88%
  • Suface Cleaning - 93%
    93%
  • Quality - 90%
    90%
  • Design - 91%
    91%
  • Value - 91%
    91%
91%

Summary

The Shark Rocket HV382 with Duo Clean technology is an excellent option for folks looking for a stick vacuum capable of cleaning floors well. One of the reasons why is the Duo Clean system that will do well at picking up surface dirt. Being a corded vacuum, it does not have the same portability as a cordless, but having a cord ensures constant power. It’s more top-heavy than a Dyson cordless, so it’ll be more tiring to use above floors. If you don’t want to spend a bunch of $$$ on a cord-free cleaner, this is a good alternative that provides similar versatility.

About the author: Garrick, the visionary behind Cordless Vacuum Guide, brings over a decade of hands-on expertise in cordless vacuum testing to his insightful reviews showcased on this platform. Beyond his passion for empowering consumers with informed choices, he cherishes precious moments with his family, exploring global cuisines and exploring different horizons with his beloved wife and son. Follow him on Youtube, Tiktok, Facebook, and Instagram.

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • Rose Feb 25, 2017 @ 12:32

    On the commercial they use a stand to hold the vacuum up. Why won’the Shark offer this stand to the public?

  • Mary Mar 22, 2017 @ 18:14

    The cleaning is great, but for me (little old lady), it is heavy to use, because you’re holding the motor, and I do get a backache from it.
    When you turn it up to “high,” it’s like steering a self-propelled lawn mower.
    Away you go!

  • Denise Gardener Oct 2, 2018 @ 17:43

    Please…where can I buy a new red roller! it became loose and kept falling out ! Desperately need a new one !
    Also to get some filters for when need replacing ?
    I have been looking on line for help, yours is the first where I can hopefully find an answer !
    Thank you so much……Denise

  • Lutch Oct 3, 2018 @ 14:17

    Paid $400 for mine, had it for 60 days and it already stopped working. Shark made me pay for the replacement piece. Silly me for thinking the lower unit be covered by a warranty. Never buying a Shark again.