Shark Detect Pro Review

We couldn't help but notice Shark's “Detect Pro” name, which pits it directly against Dyson's V15 Detect and the company's well-known debris detection technology that adapts suction power based on floor type and the volume of debris underneath it. Both vacuums count particles and make adjustments as they suck, but there's a big difference in how we saw and detected debris on hardwood — read further to learn more about the differences.

Performance Comparison

Carpet Performance

To replicate a tough environment at home, we spread 1.5 cups of sand, rice, and Cheerios over a 27-square foot area of carpet, then limit each vacuum to 24 seconds to see how much material it's able to suck up. While most people will likely have more than 24 seconds to clean up messes at home, our time trials help us show how well each vacuum is able to perform under the same conditions relative to each other, giving consumers comparisons that illustrate which vacuums can better accomplish what they need most.

There is no way around it, the Detect Pro struggled in our rigorous carpet performance tests, recording below average performances on both low pile and high pile carpet.

Low Pile

On low pile carpet, our testers noted that this vacuum was one of the worst offenders we tested for backward plowing, which slowed its performance because reverse strokes were far less effective than forward strokes. It only managed to suck up 75.48% of our test debris, which is below average for all vacuums we tested and is significantly less than the 90.25% the Shark Vertex Pro Lightweight was able to collect.

“This vacuum seems underpowered to me, especially compared to other heavier, larger Shark vacuums we tested,” noted Rachael. “This vacuum, more so than others, visibly left sand behind near the end of the test, making me believe that it lost suction when the small dustbin filled up.”

Those who have carpet in their home might want to start vacuuming with a clean dustbin and empty it frequently to get all the performance they can out of this vacuum on carpet.

High Pile

On high pile carpet, it struggled as well, falling below the average collected by other cordless vacuums we tested in the same way.

With an average pick up of just 39.72% of our test debris, we identified two possible explanations for this sub-average performance. First, when the relatively small 0.4-liter dustbin fills up, performance seems to degrade quickly. Second, Shark's Quad-Clean brushroll might have too much soft cushy material to adequately whisk debris from carpet and into its suction tube.

“On high pile carpet, I watched this vacuum just roll right over the top of sand and Cheerios,” Rachael said. “Kind of disappointing.”

Instead of a single combo brushroll, the Stratos has a Duo-Clean system that uses two separate rolls. The first roll is soft and fluffy for hardwood while the second has harder “PowerFins” agitators that hit debris and carpet with more effective force. Those who have a lot of carpet may want to error toward brushrolls that are harder in order to strike debris as well as open up and move carpet fibers to let suction grab particles.

Hardwood Performance

To test hardwood performance, we conduct a similar 24-second stress test with a pre-weighed 1.5-cup cocktail of sand, rice, and Cheerios. After each trial, we weigh the material collected and record performance data and first-hand impressions to help articulate why we recommend some vacuums over others. This is a very difficult test and very few vacuums get close to collecting the full 1.5 cups.

This model was much better on hardwood than on carpet, surprising our test editors and giving us hope that this machine has a place in some homes. While this vacuum absolutely excelled in two hardwood tests, it underperformed in another. Let's take a closer look.

Cleaning Performance

While we suspect the soft fibers of the Quad-Clean brushroll were to blame for its poor carpet performance, those same fibers had no trouble whisking debris into the suction channel and tube. In fact, the whole experience was remarkably better, leaving us with floors that almost seemed polished.

This little vacuum crushed our 27-square-foot test on hardwood, sucking up 96.58% of sand, rice, and Cheerios in our 24-second timed trials, slightly better than the Vertex Pro and just under the performance levels of Dyson vacuums that cost twice as much.

“This vacuum could be a good option for someone with only hard floors in their house,” Rachael noted. "With head-on passes, it was a cereal gobbling monster!"

While this option did a great job on hardwood, it didn't prove its performance like the V15 Detect or any other Dyson that includes the company's innovative Fluffy Optic cleaner head. This cleaner head features a low-angled green laser-like light that does an outstanding job of illuminating tiny hairs or dust particles on hard floors. The light and the shadows combine to let human eyes see what's there that isn't noticed under regular light — or even see in front of the typical LED headlights found on many competing vacs.

Crevice

To test crevice effectiveness, we measure and weigh sand then place it between the slats of a bamboo mat. Each vacuum gets a shot at sucking up as much sand as possible in four passes. This test is difficult because each vacuum can't rely on its brushroll to whisk the sand. To get all of the sand, the vacuum must have enough suction power to lift it away from the mat.

This model struggled to collect just 19.34% of the sand, which is not only far below average but also at the bottom of our results. In comparison, the similarly priced Tineco Pure ONE S11 sucked up more than 4x as much sand, 83.31%.

What can we learn from this test? The dustbin certainly didn't overfill, so reduced performance due to a filled dustbin is unlikely. Because the brushrolls don't make contact with the sand in the crevice at all, brushroll design is unlikely a factor. When we measured suction power at the head, which we discuss in more detail below, the crevice problem seemed to be due to a lack of suction power.

As you can see above, the vacuum goes over the mat with little success. It was an odd sight to see that there wasn't even much progress in attempting to grab the sand between the slits. Usually, vacuums can at least grab little by little, but the poor suction power means users will need to be wary of grouted areas, large slits, and transition areas in their houses. Those who have crevices will likely need to break out a wand attachment tool to get results, which, let's face it, is annoying when we're talking about a vacuum with “Pro” in its name.

Edges

For households with hard floor hallways, we wanted to see how this model could clean near the edges of walls, so we sprinkled coffee grounds along the edge and vacuumed both parallel and straight on.

After a lackluster performance on crevice testing, we were excited to find that this model could pick up 100% of all coffee grounds in both our parallel and head-on testing. Long hallways, corners, and tight areas will all be a breeze with this machine.

One question some might consider is this: Why does the Detect Pro succeed with edges while failing with crevices? Coffee is lighter than sand, which helps, but the cleaner head is built well for edges. For head-on passes, the cleaner head's underside gets nearly flush with the wall, giving its suction and brush roll close access to the coffee. For parallel passes, we like that the suction channel in the bottom of the head extends very close to the sides, but this Shark also has a built-in side detection sensor that boosts suction when it senses a close wall.

We believe those who have hardwood floors with lots of walls, such as high-traffic hallways, will appreciate this edge performance and enjoy its flat-surface performance everywhere else.

Pet Hair

Owners of dogs or cats that shed hair will likely want to shy away from this model. It really struggled to pick up pet hair without clumping. To test it, we weighed 4 grams of pet hair which, when held in a hand, looks like a big, overflowing handful of hair with strands poking out everywhere. To deposit the hair on the carpet, we don't just sprinkle it. No, we smear it on and then mash it into the fibers with a heavy roller. We then add 1 gram of hair extensions, which simulates the long hairs that are often shed by long-haired humans in your household. And we roll that in, too, to simulate typical household traffic.

After a 12-second time limit run, the results were not pretty.

“Out of all the vacuums that trapped clumps of pet hair in the brushroll, this vacuum was the worst offender,” one tester noted. This result occurred on both low pile carpet and high pile carpet, and it left a huge clump of hair stuck in the brushroll on each test.

In many vacuums, pet hair can get caught in tines or stiff bristles, but the bottom of this cleaner head has no tines and the brushroll has few stiff bristles. This tells us that this new multi-purpose roller type still can't prevent clumps or stop long hair from wrapping. Those who are Shark fans and need a vacuum for pet hair might want to consider the Stratos Cordless instead, which sucked up nearly 30% more hair.

Filtration & Suction

We test both filtration and suction to help consumers find the balance of performance they need in their own households. Sometimes higher powered vacuums have poor filtration due to the increased air flow. While we usually like more power, those who have extreme sensitivities to allergens, pet dander, or dust may need vacuum cleaners that help maintain air quality in their homes.

This model prioritizes filtration capabilities over raw suction power, ranking well above average in filtration but well below average in measured suction power.

Filtration

Our closed-room flour test is a challenge for many vacuums. We start by creating a clean room in our lab by running air filters overnight. We then spread 1/3 cup of flour on the flour, which is made up of very fine particles and mimics harmful airborne particulates that could penetrate deeply into your lungs, potentially causing health issues. When we vacuum up the flour, we monitor the air using two Dylos air quality monitors that can count particles floating in the air.

This vacuum generated no strong spike in particulate matter, earning it an excellent score and making it a good choice for those sensitive to allergens or pet dander. Most vacuums we tested released or stirred up under 300 particles in our test, which is a good result that is unlikely to cause significant air quality changes for most people in most households. Some, like the Kenmore Elite CSV Max DS4095, spewed much more — 1,542 particles, giving it a poor ranking in our tests.

Suction

The lab-measured suction power of the Detect Pro is very low, and likely is a contributing factor to its underwhelming performance in our carpet tests.

We measure suction power at the cleaner head, not the intake tube to the dust bin. Our suction test reveals real-world differences in how different cleaner head designs can affect suction where it matters most — at the cleaner head when you're using the vacuum. The suction measured in at 174 pascals, which is significantly lower than most other brands; however, it's possible that Shark underpowered this unit on purpose in order to save weight and make the vacuum easier to use. Unless a very lightweight vacuum is critical, 174 pascals is surprisingly non-competitive for a cordless vacuum with a $380 MSRP.

Ease of Use

This vacuum stands out for its ultralight weight motorhead weight of just 2.8 lbs, giving it a super light feel in our hands.

“This little vacuum is one of the most friendly vacuums for people without a lot of strength, making it good for older people with hard floors or modest vacuuming needs,” one tester recommends.

Maneuverability

This model was very easy to push and pull, making it one of the most friendly vacuums we tested for people who may be tired of pushing heavy vacuums. The cleaner head did catch while transitioning from hard floors to mats and rugs, but it's easy to tilt and correct because the vacuum is so light. One drawback that surprised us was that it didn't corner very tightly because sharp turns tended to lift the brushroll head.

Maintenance

This version has a clamshell dust bin opening that seems like it would be easy to use — but our testers were frustrated by how much dust it spreads every time they opened it over a trash can. So annoying. To make matters worse, the interior of the dustbin has several ridges and pockets for strength or airflow dynamics. These interior elements catch dirt and force you to rotate and tilt the dustbin to empty it, making it even harder than it should be to empty it cleanly and quickly.

Similarly, getting the filter out of the dustbin is a bit tricky, but after we got it out, all we had to do is rinse the two filters and let them dry. Our lead tester was pleased with the easy brushroll removal, needing only a push of a button to get it out.

In comparison, the DuoClean heads on the Shark Stratos and Vertex have two rolls, but you can only remove the forward soft roll. Non-removable rollers are harder to clean, particularly when they collect a lot of wrapped hair on them.

Uphostery & Attachments

This unit only comes with one attachment — a crevice tool, which was also easy to use, though it wasn't particularly effective on fabric or furniture in our tests. Typically we would prefer to use a small motorized roller accessory for this test, but this crevice attachment is all that ships with this “pro” vacuum. One key reason we like cordless vacuums so much is that they're versatile, but this vacuum lacks versatility compared to the best vacuums we tested, like the Dyson V15 Detect, which comes with a stellar motorized roller tool that's even good with pet hair.

Battery

The battery lasted just over 40 minutes on the lowest setting and just over 10 minutes on the highest. Because this machine is a bit underpowered, we expected a better-than-average battery life when running a less-powerful motor.

Those who have primarily small jobs around the kitchen will likely have enough runtime to tidy up — but they might need a recharge for whole-house, multi-floor days.

Should You Buy the Shark Detect Pro?

As our extensive testing revealed, the Shark Detect Pro is a lightweight option that excels on hardwood, making it a great choice for those who primarily have hardwood floors and simple, low-pile carpet needs. Because it's so lightweight, we believe it would be a good option for aging adults or kids who are learning to help out with chores at home. It's not a great choice for high-activity homes with a lot of carpet, and certainly not good for pet hair challenges. We're also not bullish on it at its full MRSP, but it could be a winner for your hard floor needs if it's on sale.

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