I test cleaning products for a living: This 4-pound Shark vac is my new favorite

As a shopping writer who gets paid to test home and cleaning products, there's a lot I consider when I'm choosing a new vacuum. Should I opt for a stick, handheld, upright or robot model? Cordless or plug-in? And then there's the question of accessories, runtime and capacity. But, if I'm being honest, there's one factor I tend to place above the rest: weight.

Since I'm 5 feet tall and prefer biking to weight-lifting (read: my upper body strength leaves something to be desired), I'd rather not lug a heavy appliance around my house. So when I came across the Shark Ultracyclone System, a stick/handheld vacuum combo that clocks in at just 4 pounds, I was intrigued. I went ahead and bought it, and, spoiler alert: It's made me enjoy cleaning so much more.

Once it arrived, my first impression of the Shark was that it was, indeed, lightweight enough for my small frame. In fact, it was so easy to lift that I worried it wouldn't be powerful enough to do a thorough job cleaning. I decided to take it for a test drive in my kitchen, which has hard cork flooring and crumbs aplenty.

Operating this vacuum is a snap, as it only has an on/off button. That might be a deterrent for anyone who likes controlling the suction power, but I prefer my appliances to be as low-maintenance as possible. Speaking of simplicity, because it's a stick vacuum, there are no bags to deal with — just a canister (this one's got a .52-quart capacity).

The vacuum came partially charged, so I got to work right away. It made quick work of small crumbs and a few dust bunnies that had been hiding in the corners of the room. Speaking of corners, one of the Shark's best features is how easily its flexible head swivels.

Once I was through in the kitchen, I did have to charge it. I set it on its dock and waited about an hour. When it had enough power, I brought it into my living room, where I have a fairly thick, shaggy area rug. (Feels great under the feet, but such a pain to clean.) The Shark was able to grab small bits of fuzz and crumbs towards the top of the rug, but I wouldn't say this is the ideal tool for giving thicker-pile carpeting a deep clean. That said, it had zero issues cleaning the hardwood flooring around the rug — and as far as getting under furniture is concerned, it essentially lies flat when needed.

Next, I wanted to test the hand vac. It easily snapped out of its little cubby toward the top of the stick vacuum with the press of a button. Because the hand vac has a wider opening, I wanted to see how well it would perform on larger food remnants, so I sprinkled some peanuts over my kitchen floor. As you can see, it sucked them up like a champ.

The Shark comes with two attachments: a crevice tool and a scrub brush. While I don't have pets, I do have long hair that sheds constantly, so I decided to see how well the latter performed with matted hair and lint on my shag rug. To my surprise, it fared pretty well with a couple of passes. The crevice tool also did a good job of getting into smaller edges and corners.

Now that I've had this vacuum for nearly a year, I can confidently, wholeheartedly recommend it for light, everyday cleaning. I never dread pulling it out because it's cordless and so light, and the 20- to 25-minute runtime is sufficient for covering my small home (admittedly, it might not be long enough for larger abodes). Also, if you have more carpeting than hard floors, you might want to look for a more heavy-duty model.

It's not the flashiest vacuum on the market, but what it lacks in extra features like LED lights and HEPA filters, it makes up for in ease of use. I had this thing out of its packaging and cleaning floors in minutes. Emptying the collection bin is also a piece of cake; just press a button to open it and dump everything into the trash. Because it's so user-friendly, I recommended it to my mom, who promptly bought one and has no regrets.

One more note: When the vacuum is on its dock, it stays perfectly upright. That said, I wish it would stand upright on its own, as I've leaned it against the counter too many times, only for it to fall to the floor. Hasn't affected its performance, though!

This Shark's swimming in a sea of perfect ratings from Amazon shoppers — more than 2,700, in fact.

"I wanted something easy to use," shared one fellow fan. "I'm 78 years old, so I needed a lightweight vacuum. I have wooden floors and it works great to vacuum up crumbs. Good suction."

"I got this vacuum for a one-bedroom condo, and I wanted something that doesn't take up much space," explained another content cleaner. "This vacuum is literally perfect for what we need. The suction is excellent, and far better than other lightweight vacuums I've tried before. The vacuum itself is ... easily maneuverable, and for the purpose of a daily quick vacuum of a small apartment, it's perfection. The little stand it comes with is an excellent feature to quickly put it away without having to lean it against anything or try to squeeze it into a closet."

A third reviewer said they preferred it to their pricier model. "This is the best all-around cordless vacuum!" they exclaimed. "Picks up so much better than my Dyson. So lightweight and easy to maneuver with attachments for furniture."

Several users expressed concern about the battery life, though. "I wish the battery lasted longer than 20 minutes, but I’m able to vacuum the first floor of my house with no problem," said one, adding, "If you have kids or pets, this is a must. Dog hair is no longer an issue."

A mostly happy buyer shared that using the hand vacuum can be a little tricky. "If I have one complaint, it's that removing the hand vac part from the stick is a little awkward and clunky," they admitted. "But on the other hand, it's not going to accidentally come apart! And once I get the hand vac disconnected, it works well for those small cleanup jobs. If you have carpeting, this probably isn't your best bet, but for bare floors, I love it."

P.S. Here's another cleaning gizmo I can't live without:

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The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.