I recently had the opportunity to test the Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum Cleaner. It’s one of the company’s newest upright models, and I was curious about the POWERDETECT technology, which adjusts modes when it detects embedded dirt, senses edges and corners, detects a change in floor type, and senses the vacuum’s direction has changed.
Shark is a global product design and technology company, with a world headquarters in Needham Massachusetts. Shark produces upright, cordless, corded stick, robot, handheld, and wet/dry vacuums. It also makes floor and carpet cleaners, air purifiers, and fans.
I tested the Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum for one month at home. I used it to vacuum daily debris such as dust and hair, and I challenged it with crushed potato crisps to see how well (or not) this vacuum removed them from my floors. I worked my way through the four settings and recorded the noise levels to measure against the specifications.
Keep reading to see how it compares with our round-up of the best vacuum cleaners. Prefer something that tackles carpet stains? Check out my Shark StainStriker Portable Spot and Stain Eliminator Carpet Cleaner review.
Terri is a freelance writer living in Birmingham, AL. She has tested hundreds of products, including kitchen appliances, vacuums, bedding, furniture, luggage, and tech gear. Terri has bylines at Architectural Digest, Forbes, Popular Science, CNN Underscored, NBC News, The Daily Beast, USA Today, US News & World Report, Tech Radar, Homes & Garden, and Tom's Guide. Follow her adventures @Territoryone.
Terri has tested dozens of vacuums from Dyson, LG, Tineco, Bissell, Miele, Shark, Roborock, Samsung, and Eufy. She tested the Shark POWERDETECT for over a month, evaluating design, user-friendliness, performance, and cleaning. Terri was allowed to keep the vacuum cleaner for ongoing use.
Shark DETECTPRO Upright Vacuum: Price & availability
The Shark POWERDETECT retails for $499 at Amazon, and it’s $399 on the Shark website – which also includes an under appliance wand as a free gift.
Shark makes several upright vacuum cleaners with lift-away pods. The POWERDETECT is one of the higher-end models. Shark also offers a POWERDETECT Model that’s $100 more. It includes a free steam mop, under appliance wand, and three odor replacement cartridges.
Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum: First impressions
The Shark POWERDETECT arrived in a Shark branded box. It was well-packed, and the molded cardboard inside cushioned all of the parts and kept them securely in place.
The box’s contents include the motorized floor nozzle, wand, pod and hose, odor neutralizer dial, crevice tool, pet multi-tool, and manual.
Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum: Design
Shark is known for its smart vacuum designs, and this one continues the tradition. It cleverly packs a lot of features into not a lot of space. I’m a big fan of cordless stick vacuums because they offer convenience and are easier to manipulate. Admittedly, they don’t perform as well as corded models, but that’s usually a trade off I’m willing to make.
However, the Shark POWERDETECT is impressive enough that I continued to reach for it after the testing phase was over.
Assembly was quick and easy: I inserted the wand into the nozzle until it clicked, place the pod onto the wand, and slid it down, inserted the hand into the wand, and connected the hose to the back of the pod.
There’s an odor neutralizer chamber on the top of the nozzle. After removing the odor neutralizer cartridge from its bag, I inserted it into the nozzle. There’s a dial that allows it to be set for a low or high intensity level. I chose low because I thought the higher setting would be too strong. A cartridge can last for 6 months, and costs roughly $7, so it’s not expensive to replace.
In addition to the odor neutralizer, the vacuum has an anti-allergen complete seal and HEPA filter. Together, they combine to trap dust and allergen and keep these particles out of the air.
There is a two brushroll system which Shark refer to as their "DuoClean". This consists of a soft brushroll in the front, and a regular brushroll in the back.
The colorful display on the front of the handle includes three settings: hard floor, carpet/low pile, and thick carpet/area rug. There’s also a Detect Mode setting, and when activated, it automatically adjusts depending on the floor type, when it senses edges and corners, and when the vacuum changes direction.
Also, the two attachments can be housed on the back of the vacuum cleaner, so I don’t have to worry about losing them.
Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum: Key specs
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Row 0 - Cell 1 |
| Product Model | AZ4002 |
| Settings | hard floor, carpet/low pile, thick carpet/area rug and DETECT mode |
| Cord length | 30ft |
| Noise level | 66.6 - 74.3dB |
| Hose length | 1.89ft |
| Suitable for | Hard floors and carpet |
| Weight | 17.57lbs |
Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum: Performance
The Shark POWERDETECT really shines in performance. The strong suction, combined with the dual brush rolls, made it easy to dig into and pick up dust and debris on carpets and rugs. And the vacuum works even better on hard floors, since the dual brush system includes a regular brush roller, and a soft brush roller that not only attracts particles but also polishes hard floors. One of my tests was to crush some Pringles potato crisps and put them on the floor. The Shark POWERDETECT easily picked up the chips.
Another feature that I liked is the anti-tangle system of the self-cleaning brushroll system, which keeps hair (or in my case, strands from my rugs) from getting wrapped around the brushrolls.
However, my favorite function is the 4-part detection system.
Floor Detect recognizes the floor type and adjusts both suction speed and brush roll speed. For someone like me who is not always paying attention to when I need to switch modes, this is quite a valuable feature.
Edge Detects boosts suction power when I get close to baseboard – based on the theory that the edges and corners tend to have more hidden dirt. Dirt Detect boosts suction power whenever dirt is detected anywhere.
Direction Detection senses when I’m pushing the vacuum forward or pulling it backwards, and automatically choosing the front brushroll when I’m going forward, or the back brushroll when the vacuum is in reverse.
When in Detect Mode, keep in mind that if you’re vacuuming multiple surfaces, pushing the vacuum forward and backward, and up against the edge, you’ll constantly hear the vacuum cleaner shifting modes, so the noise level will increase and decrease. The noise level is 66.6dDs (which is comparable to a dishwasher), and on high, it’s 74.3 (comparable to traffic or a typical vacuum).
The LED headlights on the front allow me to see hidden dust. The importance of this feature is glaringly obvious when I’m vacuuming in the corners on hard floors. The swivel steering is also impressive and makes it easy to maneuver around objects. The vacuum cleaner weighs 17 pounds, and it’s not lost on me that this level of maneuverability is quite impressive for such a heavy item. It doesn’t feel like the vacuum is heavy when using it. However, if I had to lug it up and down stairs, I might have a different opinion.
The Powered Lift Away feature let me detach the pod, and use it like a cordless stick vacuum to slide under furniture for a more thorough clean. Also by disconnecting the hose at the bottom, I was able to use the pet multi-tool to vacuum a shag throw pillow, and the crevice tool to clean around my beverage fridge. The only drawback I found during the entire testing process was the short pod hose, which does not provide a lot of flexibility when trying to reach far away items.
Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum: Maintenance
Cleaning the Shark POWERDETECT is relatively easy. To empty the dust cup, I pressed the release button on the top. The dust cup itself has a release button on the bottom. While this wasn’t a difficult process, it doesn’t compare to some other vacuums that let you release the dust and debris by pressing a button on the top. I always wear plastic gloves when emptying vacuum cleaners, but I would have preferred to have a top-releasing button (like the Dyson Ball Vacuums) to keep my hands out of that area.
The vacuum also has a pre-motor filter, which should be removed monthly and rinsed under cold water and allowed to dry for 24 hours. The HEPA filter should be cleaned annually. The brushroll is self-cleaning, but you may want to occasionally rinse it under water and let it dry for 24 hours.
The Detect sensors will turn red if they’re clogged with debris. Wipe the DirtDetect sensors and the EdgeDetect sensors with a microfiber cloth, and the FloorDetect sensors with a cotton swab.
Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum: User reviews
The Shark POWERDETECT is a new release, and at the time of publication, it only had 19 ratings on Amazon, with an average rating of 4.8. Buyers called the vacuum cleaner awesome, fantastic, and were impressed with the suction and touch control panel. There are no negative reviews.
On the Shark website, there are four reviews and a 4.9 average review. Buyers called it the best vacuum ever, and were impressed with the suction power, attachments, and odor control cartridge.
Should you buy the Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum?
| Attribute | Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Price & availability | Expensive but worth it | ★★★★ |
| Design | Well-designed with plenty of features | ★★★★★ |
| Performance | Strong suction, elimates tangled hair, detection features ensure complete cleaning | ★★★★★ |
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
How does the Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum compare?
The Dyson Animal Ball 3 ($399) is a comparable upright vacuum that has very strong suction, detangling cleaner head, and four cleaning modes (although the vacuum doesn’t automatically select them. However, it has a high-reach wand which can be used attached to the hose to reach up high (top of cabinets, ceiling vents, etc.), and you can place the vacuum at the bottom of the stairs and cover several steps. The Dyson Animal Ball 3 also has a dust release handle at the top, so you hands don’t come in contact.
If you’re open to a cordless stick vacuum, the Bissell IconPet Turbo Cordless Stick Vacuum is has a tangle-free brushroll, and variable suction mode. It also has a LED headlight, and is slim enough to fit under furniture. Since, it’s cordless, you don’t have to worry about tripping over cords or trying to find a wall outlet. However, while performance is excellent on hard floors, it’s not as impressive on carpet.
How I tested the Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum?
I tested the Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum in my home for for over a month, using it on both hard floors and carpet, and also testing the attachments. Using it on a regular basis gave me the opportunity to assess the quality of the build, ease of use, performance, and ease of cleaning.
Read more about how we test.
