There is no question that in America, at least, there are two more recognizable brands in home cleaning. That is mainly thanks to their large presence in advertising, infomercials, and TV spots, where they easily outstrip any other vacuum manufacturers.

Both of these brands are accountable for elaborate marketing campaigns, such as infomercials and placements in large box http://edition.cnn.com/search/?text=shark rotator stores. Both companies excel at revealing the marvels their vacuums reach, and generating hype around their latest models. If you've seen the promotion, you probably have a few questions:

How can they really stack up when it comes to real-world use?

How do they cope with pet hair?

We all know it can be pretty confusing to cut through all of the marketing. It is especially hard when a company like Dyson claims"that the maximum suction of any vacuum" but doesn't give you a real spec compare Shark's vacuums. Likewise, Shark makes some fairly ambitious claims their vac's can equal versions double their price in terms of performance and functionality. How can you know what to think?

This guide will break down every new patented features and distinctive design touches, which means you can get a feeling of what each is really about. We'll be comparing them as objectively as we could --after all, we're not tied to any brand! We can judge impartially and provide you a neutral perspective.

We are going to be comparing their performance on carpets, hardwoods, tiles and other flooring. Our testimonials incorporate our own extensive testing and research, in addition to professional investigation by Consumer Reports and decent Housekeeping, comprehensive product research and analysis of long-term customer testimonials online.

First, let's get to know each of our contenders at a crash-course history of the vacuum marketplace:

History of Shark and Dyson Throughout the Years

Dyson has been around since the early 1990s, also came into rapid acclaim with inventions in cyclonic suction technology, ball joint steering, and translucent dust chambers.

These along with other smart design attributes won them awards from more info design panels, and contributed to the first Dyson vacuum function as the number 1 bestseller in the UK. Since that time the company has expanded many times over, and kept a reputation for clever, advanced vacuums.

Overall, Dyson was aimed at people who enjoy premium"gadgety" products, since they've brightly-colored casing and components that go to great lengths to emphasize all the science and technology that has gone into each device. However, their reliability record is pretty mixed, and their customer support has the same spotty history.

Shark was around as Euro-Pro since the early 1900s. Shark-branded vacuums have been around about as long as Dysons, and are aggressively marketed as cheap, easy-to-use solutions for busy men and women.

While Shark has been mostly a budget brand for the last few decades, their newer models have been aimed to compete directly with Dyson's bigger, stronger (and more expensive) versions. These latest machines have powerful suction, and a plethora of attachments which make them a strong competition in the value section.

So, with Dyson holding its own concerning technology, but falling in the quality control/reliability sections, and with Shark advancing quickly with its own smart attributes, how do the two compare? Is Dyson still ahead, or are Shark merchandise a less costly way to get the same cleaning power?