I tested a bunch of vacuums this year, and the Shark PowerDetect Cordless was hands-down my favorite – here’s why
Among my friends and family, I am known for having an immaculate house. Maybe it’s because I work from home and need a clean space to work. Or maybe my father’s obsession with cleanliness rubbed off on me. Regardless, I take out my vacuum at least once a day to clean up any dirt, debris, or food crumbs. My need to clean is why I love testing vacuums, and my favorite this year – the Shark PowerDetect Cordless Stick Vacuum, which has an auto-empty dock and charging station.
When the box arrived at my house for my review of the Shark PowerDetect Cordless Stick Vacuum, it took a few minutes to unbox and assemble the dock, and I was off cleaning my historic hardwood and laminate floors, as well as two large area rugs in my living room and office.
The Shark PowerDetect Cordless Stick Vacuum is designed to make cleaning floors easier in many ways. On the one hand, it is equipped with a DirtDetect system that automatically increases suction when the vacuum recognizes dirt and debris on the floor. I could even see the condition of the floor change from dirty to clean on the screen and vacuum head: a purple color indicated there was dirt and debris on the floor, and when the color changed to white, I knew the floor was clean. Sometimes I needed to make a few passes over one spot to clean everything, which I wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise without the DirtDetect system.
Using EdgeDetect technology, the vacuum recognized the edges and increased suction power along the side of the floor head that touched the edge. The new ‘reverse mopping’ feature – where the floor head is designed to be able to suck up large particles when pulled on it, rather than just blowing them onto the floor – was also impressive. It only struggled to remove extra-large pieces of cereal, which even the best cordless vacuums can struggle with.
If that wasn’t enough, the Shark was able to recognize the type of floor I was cleaning and increase the suction if necessary, such as when I was vacuuming my carpets. Additionally, the Shark’s headlights automatically turn on when I’m cleaning in corners or dark spaces. My house gets extremely dusty and the headlights allow me to see dust in even the dirtiest corners of my floor and vacuum it up quickly.
Although the vacuum has Eco and Boost modes, I rarely used them because the DirtDetect mode worked so well. Boost’s suction capabilities were rarely needed except with very large debris. Yes, Eco mode could let me extend battery life to 67 minutes, but it didn’t work on rugs or carpets. Plus, it only took me 30 minutes to vacuum my house, and in DirtDetect mode, the battery lasted 47 minutes.
Magic wand
Aside from the technological aspects, my second favorite aspect of this vacuum is the collapsible wand. With the foldable wand, I could clean under my bed, my bakery rack, my couch, and under my chairs without having to bend, squat, or reach my arm under the furniture. In my opinion, this little design feature doesn’t get enough praise in the wider market and I don’t understand why more vacuums don’t have foldable wands. This is what really sets the best Shark vacuums apart.
I conducted a number of cleaning tests with the Shark PowerDetect Cordless Stick Vacuum and found that it excelled at picking up fine materials like dust, tea, and flour, as well as even larger debris like dirt and grain. Along with the accessories, I dusted my blinds and cleaned my car and my couch. Note that to clean the hair on my couch, I had to use the Boost mode, and the results were a bit average. To be honest, I haven’t found a single vacuum cleaner that impresses me when it comes to waxing a sofa.
I don’t like to do a lot of maintenance with vacuums, so the auto-empty dock was a blessing. Once I was done cleaning, I simply placed the vacuum on the dock and it automatically removed the dust and debris from the bin and put it in a vacuum sealed bag that doesn’t need to be changed as often. Once the dust and dirt were removed, the vacuum cleaner began to charge. A full charge took about four hours.
Overall, I liked how easily I could clean my home with this vacuum, whether it was maneuvering the vacuum head around furniture, using the large wand and attachments to reach cobwebs in the corners of my 10-foot ceilings, or bending the wand to clean under my couch. The design combined with DirtDetect technology allowed my home to be as clean as possible, and I’m confident that anyone who brings the Shark PowerDetect Cordless Stick Vacuum into their home will experience that too.
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