When it comes to cordless stick vacuums, my needs are relatively basic. Good suction and decent battery life are usually enough to complete the job. While I mean no disrespect to my current stick vacuum, the Shark Cordless Detect Pro has blown my expectations out of the water. Complete with its auto-emptying station, lightweight design and auto-sensing technology, Shark’s latest pro option has been an absolute blast to use throughout the home on multiple surfaces.
Design
The Shark Cordless Detect Pro Vacuum is about as light as fully-sized, modular stick vacuums get. While the entire package, both vacuum and auto-emptying station comes in around 7 or 8 pieces, it’s all really easy to assemble with a few clicks here and there. The vacuum has a detachable shaft and head, while the station sits behind a stand for the vacuum and comes with a handle that comes in handy when taking it over to empty in the bin.
Thankfully, it doesn’t need a replaceable dust bag, and comes with an Odor Neutralizer Technology can, should you have the station near a living or heavily populated area. While it’s big enough to hold around 30 days’ worth of dirt, it’s a fantastic pairing as I’m sick of emptying my current vacuum every second day or so, thanks to my two dogs. A crevice tool and a Pet Multi-Tool brush are also included and can be attached to the side of the station, which is a nice touch.
There’s an easy-to-read display up top, along with two buttons. The power simply turns the vacuum on and off, while the secondary fan button allows users to switch between different suction levels. Above the buttons is a battery life bar, and a light that switches between red and blue. Red indicates that the floor in front of you is dirty in that area, while blue signifies that you’ve cleaned over it.
Performance
Most of the experience boils down to the vacuum’s auto-sense technologies, including DirtDetect, FloorDetect, LightDetect, and EdgeDetect technologies. It’s there to help you clean various areas and floor types with more consistency and efficiency, without you needing to touch a thing.
That being said, there are three suction modes to choose from, should you need to suck up finer things in carpets, or hunt down messy spills from things like flour or sugar. The included sensor light above the head even knows when you’re vacuuming up against a wall, and lights up only on that side, which is admittedly a cool feature.
It’s even great for larger portions of dust and debris, as it picked up clumps of my golden retriever’s coat like it was nothing. To top it all off, the Shark Cordless Detect Pro Vacuum lasts around 60 minutes on eco mode, and around 40 minutes on auto mode. Auto mode can also be a little tricky to judge depending on the surface, as my thicker carpet causes it to churn a little louder, and drain a little quicker than the suggested 40 minutes.
I love how easy it is to take advantage of the auto-emptying station. Just pop the vacuum onto the stand and away it goes. I can forgive the smaller dust bin as this process is almost instant, in case you need to go again or continue. It even acts as a charger when resting there, meaning you never really have to mess around with this once it’s set up.
There are a couple of gripes here though. Firstly, the shaft of the vacuum can bend thanks to a flexible hose at its centre, but it doesn’t bend as much as you would think. This means you’ll either have to bend down or reach around and over certain higher places to get a deeper clean.
Secondly, as the head can lock into a flat position to sit straight when not in use, it can also lock up when bringing it a little too close to your body when vacuuming. This means that you’ll have to use your foot to pop it down again, as it stiffens up. Overall, it’s far from a glaring issue, but one that needs to be mentioned nonetheless.
Verdict & Value
Overall, the Shark Cordless Detect Pro Vacuum is lightweight, versatile, powerful and easy to use daily across all surfaces. Its auto-sensing technology means you’ll never have to worry if you’re getting the right type of suction, while the auto-emptying station makes up for the smaller dustbin, holding up to 30 days worth of dirt and debris.
While it’s not as flexible for cleaning under low areas and around high places, it’s certainly far from distracting, making this one of the best options on the market at this price.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Lightweight design; Great suction and battery life; Auto-sensing technology; Easy to assemble and clean
Lowlights: Not as flexible as it looks, as you’ll need to bend down to get underneath things
Manufacturer: Shark
Price: A$999.99
Available: Now
Review based on unit supplied by Shark.
