Shark is one of the more innovative brands in this industry, and the WandVac WS632 is another innovation.
What I mean is they combined the lightweight properties of a handheld and the agitation of a full-sized stick vacuum.
Before testing it, I had some apprehensions since it’s (basically) a handheld masquerading as a stick vacuum, but the results exceeded expectations.
Better Than Expected
- Ergonomics - 0%0%
- Cleaning - 0%0%
- Quality - 0%0%
- Design - 0%0%
- Value - 0%0%
Summary
This lightweight stick vacuum is one of the more unique options since it combines the best properties of a handheld and stick vacuum. As I’ve said, I doubted this product before testing it. After doing all the experiments, this product is a viable option for someone who needs a lightweight vacuum with above-average vacuuming performance on carpets. However, as with any lightweight vacuum, there will be compromises – particularly with the tiny dustbin and lack of top-end power. We’ll look at all these aspects in this review.
Pros
- Above-average surface vacuuming performance
- Lightweight and ergonomic design
- Surprisingly good at cleaning long hair strands
- Easy-to-empty dustbin
- Self-standing with and without the dock
- Detachable battery
Cons
- Extremely short run time (only 12:07 mins)
- Leaked during the fog test
- Small dustbin
- Weak airflow for a stick vacuum
Jump to: Introduction, Run Time, Power, Cleaning Performance, Noise, Specs, Where to Buy, Does it Provide Good Value, The Verdict
Introduction to the Shark WandVac WS632
The WandVac series is Shark’s new product line consisting of a mix and handheld and stick vacuums.
Whereas other brands (somewhat) use Dyson’s framework with the bulky frame and trigger (or switch), Shark uses a cylindrical frame with a wand-type handle.
It’s not a (completely) unique design, as the Dyson Omni-Glide utilizes something similar, but its combination with a full-sized stick vacuum nozzle is something I’ve never seen.
We’ll go through the features of this lightweight and versatile stick vacuum.
Lightweight Frame
One of the most notable characteristics of this product is the handheld frame Shark utilized.
Its cylindrical instruction is nearly identical to its handheld counterpart but slightly longer.
I’ve noticed an uptick in this design, notably with mini-handheld products like various Briggi products.
The WandVac frame is larger to accommodate the bigger motor and battery, giving extra juice for cleaning floors.
PowerFins Nozzle
The WandVac utilizes the PowerFins nozzle with the same standard brush roll found in other Shark cordless stick vacuums like the Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away, Vertex, and Vertex Pro.
It has a roller with rubber fins and bristles combo, and here’s a close look.
It has the same width as the Vertex series brush roll but minus the soft roller piece, enabling it to have excellent agitation, despite the low airflow (more info below).
Another similarity is the felt-like seal behind the brush, helping funnel debris toward the vacuum inlet.
Self-Standing
Most stick vacuums I’ve reviewed aren’t self-standing, meaning it needs the assistance of a dock for vertical storage.
This isn’t the case for the WandVac, as consumers have several options for storage.
The first (and most convenient) method is storing it on the dock since it doubles as the charging port.
It has a slot for storing the crevice/brush tool combo. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have any extra slots for the upholstery tool.
Another is detaching the handheld portion and sliding it into a dedicated slot on the extension tube.
Handle Control
This product has a single control at the base where the handle and body intersect. Since it only has one power setting, there’s only a single button.
You’ll also see the battery indicator in front of the quick-release latch.
Quick Release Latch
In front of the power switch is the quick-release latch that opens the dustbin for emptying debris.
It helps simplify the dirt-emptying process, and (in most cases) there’s no need to touch the dirt.
Dustbin
Unfortunately, with its cylindrical and handheld-biased design, the WandVac only has a capacity of 0.12 liters.
One unique aspect of its design is the container isn’t fully enclosed.
Once you push the quick-release latch, it opens, and debris falls.
It has a single filter system with seals around the edges, but unfortunately, it didn’t pass the fog test.
Detachable Battery
The Shark WandVac WS632 has a detachable battery with decent capacity (3000 mAh lithium-ion).
I tested the run time with the nozzle: it lasted 12 minutes and 7 seconds. Not great, but with a full-sized nozzle, it’s hard to expect a higher figure.
Tools and Accessories
The Shark WandVac WS632 doesn’t have plenty, but its tools are pretty handy.
First is the dock for vacuum storage, which has a slot for the crevice tool.
And there are several ways to store the vacuum as a stick vacuum or the handheld portion stored separately.
Aside from the dock, it comes with two handheld tools – an upholstery and a crevice/brush tool.
The dock also doubles as the charging port, with pins available on both slots for the wand and handheld unit, adding to its versatility.
These tools are held securely, with the quick-release latch on the vacuum, not on the tool.
Handheld Mode
One significant selling point of the WandVac is its versatility. This product is (basically) a handheld paired with a stick vacuum attachment.
The difference with the WandVac is it has a full-sized nozzle, helping it clean floors better than comparable products with a handheld bias.
How long will the Shark WS632 WandVac run?
I tested the WandVac’s run time by timing the vacuum from a full charge to empty.
It lasted 12 minutes and seven seconds with the primary nozzle, below average for a stick vacuum.
The battery is detachable, but Shark doesn’t have a dedicated charger, so consumers can’t charge the battery separately.
How much airflow does the Shark WS632 WandVac have?
I used an anemometer in all the vacuum reviews and did the same with the WandVac WS632.
It only has one setting, and here are the results.
- Extension tube: 28.23 CFM
- Cleaning nozzle: 22.93 CFM
It’s not a lot, but enough for surface cleaning tasks, which we’ll look at next.
Cleaning Performance
Next, we’ll look at the cleaning performance where I test this product on various debris types, from quaker oats to sand.
- Overall: 95.81%
- Hard floors: 97.8%
- Sand on hard floors: 98.46%
- Carpets: 98.95%
- Deep cleaning: 88.05%
Despite the low airflow, the Shark WandVac results were impressive. It picked up in the high 90s in most surface debris experiments.
One experiment dragging down the score is the deep cleaning test, which was sub-90% because of the low airflow.
Nonetheless, it’s still an excellent result, given this product is meant for quick cleaning tasks, not deep cleaning carpets.
Hard Floor Results
- Quaker oats: 100%
- Coffee grounds: 91.2%
- Quinoa: 100%
- Pet litter: 100%
Debris pick-up isn’t an issue with the WandVac, even with the low airflow.
I’ve tested this product extensively on various debris types, and it consistently picked up well.
The “PowerFins” nozzle provides excellent agitation on this surface.
There was minimal snowplowing because there’s a gap underneath to fit large debris piles.
It only got a low score with coffee grounds because they didn’t fit inside the tiny dustbin. Thus, fragments of it regurgitated afterward.
Sand on Hard Floors
One barometer I use for determining a stick vacuum’s hard floor performance is how well it vacuums sand.
The Shark WandVac WS632 picked up an average of 98.46% in three tests, which is impressive given that it doesn’t have a soft roller and low airflow.
Plus, the eye test confirms these results as it picked up most of them during the experiments.
Edge Cleaning
Based on experiments, the Shark WandVac was excellent at cleaning edges, even with large quantities of large debris.
The “PowerFins” nozzle was proficient at picking up debris and left (very) minimal remnants on the edges.
Hair Wrap
One of the most surprising aspects of the Shark WandVac is its hair wrap performance.
This product doesn’t profile to be something that’ll clean long hair stands since it has low airflow, but the results say otherwise.
- 5-inch strands: 100%
- 7-inch strands: 100%
- 9-inch strands: 100%
- 11-inch strands: 100%
- 13-inch strands: 100%
Yes, this isn’t a misprint. The WandVac scored perfectly in all the experiments, picking up 100%.
Unfortunately, hair will stick on the middle filter piece, an issue with most stick vacuums.
Carpet Results
Low-airflow stick vacuums struggle on carpets, which was my initial concern with the Shark WandVac.
I put this product through the same experiments, and the results were surprisingly good.
Low Pile
- Quaker oats: 100%
- Coffee grounds: 95.2%
- Quinoa: 100%
- Pet litter: 98.8%
The results above are proof of the superb agitation of the “PowerFins” Nozzle. There’s no way a low-airflow stick vacuum should be picking up this much.
This product didn’t get everything out during the forward pass, but it got nearly everything out in subsequent passes.
Mid Pile
- Quaker oats: 100%
- Coffee grounds: 97.6%
- Quinoa: 100%
- Pet litter: 100%
The results on this surface are better than on low-pile and further confirm the high-end agitation of the WandVac “Powerfins” nozzle.
Even with tough-to-clean coffee grounds, very minimal traces were left after the experiment.
Deep Cleaning
One Kryptonite for low airflow vacuums is its inferior deep cleaning performance, which was the case with the Shark WandVac.
I tested it on 100 grams of fine sand on mid-pile carpet, and it only got 88.05%.
It’s not a terrible score, but it’s not as good as other premium lightweight options like the Dyson V12 (94%), but the price variance is significant.
Hair Wrap
Another surprise during the experiments is the superb hair wrap results, even with long hair strands.
The Shark WandVac is one of the best stick vacuums for cleaning long hair strands (up to 13″).
- 5-inch strands: 100%
- 7-inch strands: 100%
- 9-inch strands: 100%
- 11-inch strands: 100%
- 13-inch strands: 100%
Nothing wrapped on the primary brush roll – only some (stray) strands on the small wheels, but the “PowerFins” nozzles were excellent at resisting hair tangles.
How noisy is the Shark WS632 WandVac?
Despite the low airflow, the Shark WandVac exceeded 70 decibels during the experiment (76.6 dB).
And this is the downside of Shark’s “PowerFins” nozzle.
Parts Availability
With Shark’s popularity, there will be good parts availability, but it won’t be as vast as a Dyson, which offers more, even with third-party manufacturers.
Consumers can purchase parts like the battery, filters, and (perhaps) the nozzle.
Unfortunately, I don’t see (any) third-party brands selling components because the WandVac isn’t as popular as any Dyson cordless vacuum.
Product Specifications
| Model | Shark WS632 WandVac |
|---|---|
| Brush roll on/off | No |
| Battery | 3000 mAh Li-ion battery |
| Charging time | 5 hrs. |
| Battery life | up to 12:07 mins. |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs. |
| Width | 11.6" |
| Overall length | 44" |
| Battery indicator | Yes |
| Filter type | HEPA filter |
| Dust capacity | 0.12 liters |
| Airflow | Up to 28.23 CFM |
| Cordless | Yes |
| Bagless | Yes |
| Warranty | 5 yrs. (vacuum) 5 yrs. battery |
| Price | Check Price |
Where can I purchase the Shark WS632 WandVac?
This lightweight cordless stick vacuum is available in online stores like Amazon. Check the links below for the latest pricing information.
- Shark WS632 WandVac on Amazon
Disclaimer: I’ll earn a commission if you purchase through the link above, but at no extra cost, so it’s a win-win for us!
Does the Shark WS632 WandVac offer excellent value?
Given its price-to-performance ratio, the Shark WandVac W632 offers excellent value.
Despite its low airflow output, it exceeded (my) expectations during the various cleaning experiments.
Consumers who need something lightweight for quick-cleaning tasks should consider this option.
There will be issues with the tiny dustbin capacity and unsealed system, but its performance on hard floors and carpets makes up for its limitations.
4 Reasons to Purchase the Shark WS632 WandVac
- Lightweight: This stick vacuum only weighs 2.1 pounds, one of the lightest I’ve reviewed.
- Above-average vacuuming surface debris: Despite the low airflow, it got excellent scores with surface cleaning experiments.
- Excellent inside tiny homes: It’s possible to store this product vertically with and without the charging dock.
- Reaches deep under furniture: The cylindrical frame enables it to reach deep underneath furniture.
The Verdict: Excellent Lightweight Option
Folks looking for a lightweight stick vacuum should put the Shark WandVac WS632 on their shortlist.
Despite its flows, the low price and above-average cleaning performance make it a compelling option.
Yes, it has a small dustbin and leaked during the fog test, but the high-end agitation enables this product to pick up debris nearly as well as a full-sized stick vacuum.
