Shark vacuums compared: Which should you get?

It is confusing, but Shark's baseline cordless stick vacuums are in fact called Cordless Stick vacuums. There are a few tiers within this category though, you can opt for the Cordless, the Cordless Pro, the Pet Pro, or the Pet Pro Plus.

The base model is your most basic vacuum cleaner. It has a small tank and relatively short 40 minute battery life. When you amp up to the Pro the vacuum gets a bit smarter, and uses Clean Sense IQ technology to automate suction modes for a better clean.

Once we step into the Pets zone, each Shark vacuum comes with odour neutralising technology and a fragrance puck to mask the pet smells. They also get an extra attachment designed for pet fur, a jump in battery life, and almost double the wattage. While the wattage isn't exactly the same as suction power, it does give us a good indication of how well Shark vacuums suck. At least compared to one another.

Add the Plus to the Pet Pro and the battery life, and attachments jump up one more time. The Pet Pro Plus comes with its own bespoke attachments including an Anti-Allergen brush, and a Car Detail Kit.

If you're battling pet fur you'll want to opt for the Cordless Pet Pro at a minimum. Having a dedicated tool to vacuum fur is helpful, and the extra suction power will go a long way when ocmpared to the cheaper models. You could easily save some money and simply fo with the Pet Pro, but if you have a large space you'll probably benefit from the extra battery life on the Pet Pro Plus. It is quite the price jump on the RRP though. Luckily Shark products are usually on sale somewhere.

Shark made some big changes to the Detect Pro range, and the dirt detection technology is the most significant.

Each Detect Pro device has four kinds of deep cleaning dirt detection technology;

• Dirt Detect: Similar to Clean Sense IQ
• Floor Detect: Senses floor types and changes suction depending on the surface
• Edge Detect: Doubles suction when vacuum against the edge of a wall
• Light Detect: Similar to Dyson's Detect range, this uses LED's to illuminate hard to see dust.

Shark also changed up how it reports suction on this slew of devices. Rather than just measuring wattage as it does with every other device, it also includes the Air Wattage (AW). Air wattage and Pascals (Pa) are commonly used to measure suction power, but Shark just doesn't consistently use any of them. It makes it even harder to compare vacuums.

Using AW this time round, does however make it easier to see how they stack up against Dyson. The Detect Pro range uses 123AW which is similar to the suction power you'd get on a Dyson V8 stick vacuum.

Units of measurement aside, the two Detect Pro packages are pretty similar. They're ultimately the same vacuum, but if you pay the extra $200 you'll get an Auto-empty station, and an extra upholstery tool. Auto-empty stations do exactly what they say on the tin - they suck the debris out of the dustbin and store it in an external vacuum bag in the station. These have become commonplace on robot vacuum cleaners, but are still working their way into the stick vacuum space. Not only are they more convenient, but they're also better for those with dust allergies. I couldn't live without one anymore personally.

The PowerDetect range by Shark is huge on the power portion. The most powerful Shark stick vacuums are the Cordless Pet Pro range at 309W, but the PowerDetect amps that up to 600W on the body, and an addition 120W on the nozzle. 

These include all of the dirt detection tech in the Detect Pro range, besides Light Detect, but it still has its fair share of bells and whistles. Most vacuums can only suck when the device is moving in one direction, but PowerDetect can vacuum both forwards and backwards. They also have a flexible, foldable neck which allows for better access underneath small spaces, and easier storage. Most other mobility focused vacuums like Roborock's Flexi series aim to be able to lay straight down without compromising on suction, so the bent design is interesting. It can't be good for suction power, but the additional nozzle motor would help with that.

Similar to the Detect Pro, Shark PowerDetect vacuums come in just two variants; the standalone vacuum, and the vacuum plus auto-empty base station. Apart from the auto-empty station, that model also comes with 850W of power (as opposed to 600W) and the additional 120W on the nozzle. Both have a 70 minute maximum run time. The down side is that the dustbin size isn't specified, and it looks significantly smaller than the other vacuums in the Shark cordless range.

Extra attachments can mean the world to a stick vacuum, but only if you know how to use them properly. Shark has a range of these, and knowing what they do could help you make the right decision on which vacuum you pick.

Crevice tool: An extendable, hard plastic nozzle with an angled tip for getting into corners and tight spaces. These come in a range of different varieties, but all share the same function.

Multi surface tool: A flat tool with sharp fibres that can be used to grab pet fur and other dander from a range of surfaces.

Upholstery tool: A flat tool with a curved inner edge to aggitate furnished upholstery to remove debris.

Pet-multi tool: A combination tool of both the upholstery, and dusting brush. Can be used in either configuration.

Motorised Pet tool: A tool with its own motor and roller that can lift up, pet fur and hair from a range of surfaces. Has anti-tangle technology on the roller.

Dusting Brush:  A brush with hard nylon bristles used to dislodge stubbourn dirt and debris. For use on all surfaces.

Motorised Hand tool: Similar to the motorised pet tool, but without the anti-tangle tech.

From a technical perspective it is difficult to accurately compare Shark and Dyson stick vacuums, but in our testing we prefer Shark.

While Shark vacuums may not be as powerful in some instances, overall the devices offer better value for money for the consumer. Dyson vacuums start from $649 RRP and go up to $1,699 while Shark vacuums cap out at the $999.99 mark. Dyson's packages are also far more complicated, so it can be hard to know if you're getting accessories that are actually going to get used, or if you're just throwing extra money around.

Shark has more limited accessory options, but you can still get some useful tidbits. These devices have good warranty coverage, you can purchase replacement parts, and you can usually buy a brand new device on sale.