Shark FreeStyle Pro Cordless Upright Vacuum review: simplicity is the key to this vacuum’s success

When it comes to the best cordless vacuum cleaners, Shark is a name that pops up again and again – and rightfully so. I’ve tested my fair share of vacuums, and have always been pleasantly surprised by Shark’s range of powerful, anti-tangle models.

Shark’s latest vacuum, the Shark FreeStyle Pro is one of the brand’s more simple upright, cordless vacuums. It’s designed for multi-floor cleaning with its two speed or mode options, and it’s been completely toned down so it offers basic functions that perform well without too much fuss – and it’s not too badly priced, either.

I tried the Shark FreeStyle Pro for a few weeks, and my house has never been cleaner – here’s my full review.

Shark FreeStyle Pro review: price and availability

Launched in late 2025, the Shark FreeStyle Pro is priced at £149.99 / $159.99 and available to buy at Shark and select retailers, like Argos. It’s available in one colour, measures 114cm x 25cm x 26cm and weighs 3.2kg.

Shark FreeStyle Pro review: unboxing and set-up

The Shark FreeStyle Pro arrived in pieces in a big cardboard box with its charging stand – and that’s it! As I mentioned above, it’s an extremely simple vacuum cleaner and only comes with one main brush head so don’t expect any accessories with this model.

Putting the Shark FreeStyle Pro together was very simple and took a couple of minutes maximum. The vacuum was easy to slot and click together, and the entire process was pretty self-explanatory, although the vacuum comes with detailed instructions on how to assemble it if you need it.

I was surprised by how small the charger was when I unpacked the Shark FreeStyle Pro. It looks like a mini platform and plugs directly into a wall outlet before you place the Shark FreeStyle Pro on top for it to charge. A full charge took up to four hours, and the light on the vacuum head flashed green while charging. The light goes off when it’s fully charged.

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Shark FreeStyle Pro review: design and features

The Shark FreeStyle Pro is designed for multi-surface cleaning on all floor types, including carpet and hardwood floors. It has two speed or mode options that can be selected on the on/off button which is located on the brush head so you can simply press it with your foot rather than fiddle with a handle or bend down.

When you press the button once, the Shark FreeStyle Pro turns on and is on the highest speed or carpet mode. Next to the button is a light that will indicate the mode, so in carpet mode, it flashes green. Press the button again and the vacuum will switch to the lower speed or hardwood mode, and will flash a blue light. The third time you press the button will turn it off.

The Shark FreeStyle Pro is pretty small in size and height, and it has an oversized handle that’s easy to hold. The entire vacuum weighs very little so it can be easily carried up and door the stairs, and its wheels move smoothly across all floor types. The main body of the Shark FreeStyle Pro which houses the bulky dust bin also twists and swivels to give it extra manoeuvrability.

The dust bin sits at the front of the Shark FreeStyle Pro and has a generous capacity. It clips on and off the main body of the device and has a separate button that opens it for emptying.

Shark FreeStyle Pro review: performance

After charging the Shark FreeStyle Pro, I immediately got to cleaning my house which has a variety of hardwood floors, carpets and rugs, so plenty of floor types to test it on. I was immediately impressed with the design, including its comfortable handle and smooth wheels which I found worked best on hard floors but moved well on carpet, too.

I was surprised by how light the Shark FreeStyle Pro was and found it easy to carry around and lift up and down the stairs. I liked the location of the on/off button that can be pressed by your foot, and found it easy to click to switch between modes. Charging was easy, although a full charge only gave me about 20 minutes of runtime which is pretty limited compared to other cordless vacuum cleaners.

Speaking of modes, the Shark FreeStyle Pro works extremely well on both high and low speed modes, but excels the most on hard floors. It expertly picks up dirt and dust, and glides over floors. Due to the small brush head, the Shark FreeStyle Pro also gets nicely into corners and edges, although the bulky dust bin at the front does take up room on the device and means it can’t get underneath furniture.

While the Shark FreeStyle Pro isn’t advertised as anti-tangle like Shark’s other vacuums are, I didn’t have any issues with hair getting tangled around the brush roll – which is a positive regarding its build quality, as my hair gets everywhere! Aside from its size and bulk, the dust bin does collect a lot of dirt so you don’t have to empty it after every use, and it keeps everything sealed. It’s easy to empty too and comes with minimal spillage.

My main issue with the Shark FreeStyle Pro was its carpet mode. On the higher speed mode or ‘carpet’ mode as I’ve dubbed it, the Shark FreeStyle Pro gets very loud. While it moved well over carpet albeit with a bit of resistance compared to how it works on hard floors, the Shark FreeStyle Pro struggled with both thick and thin rugs.

While cleaning up under my Christmas tree, my thin rug got stuck in the brush head, and a similar thing happened with my bigger coffee table rug where it just found a corner it didn’t like and sucked it in. Despite this, I thought the Shark FreeStyle Pro had a good response to these issues, as both times the brush head immediately ejected it and turned itself off to avoid any further damage.

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Shark FreeStyle Pro review: verdict

There are a lot of things to like about the Shark FreeStyle Pro. It’s light, has a good design with its on/off button and collects a huge amount of dirt and dust. The charging is fine, and it works wonders on hard floors and does a commendable job on carpets as well.

The bulk of the dust bin and its trouble with rugs is what lets the Shark FreeStyle Pro down. But the Shark FreeStyle Pro is a simple, fuss-free vacuum that shows that simplicity is sometimes the key to success. Of course, if you want something more advanced or with more features, the Shark FreeStyle Pro won’t be the one for you, but at £149.99, it’s hard to fault it.

Shark FreeStyle Pro review: alternatives to consider

A good alternative to the Shark FreeStyle Pro is yet another model from Shark, but this time, it’s a vacuum that’s more advanced and has better usability. The Shark PowerDetect Cordless Pet moves the big dustbin to the back of the device, just under the handle, to get it out of the way. It’s great for pet hair, and while it still has the occasional ‘carpet catch’ problem, it’s much more versatile and offers an expert clean – although it’ll cost you.

If you like the simplicity of the Shark FreeStyle Pro, the Vax OnePwr Edge Dual Pet & Car is what I’d recommend if you want an alternative. It has a similar design to the Shark FreeStyle Pro, and is easy to steer on all floor types.