Customer Ratings & Reviews

I just got my new Shark PowerDetect Upright/Lift off vacuum. It is a worthy vacuum that is both powerful and versatile. The vacuum itself strongly resembles the older Shark Vertex model but now has a dark eggplant color scheme and include new sensors that are said to automatically detect the floor type, level of embedded dirt and when it's gliding along an hard edge. It can be used as a traditional upright vacuum or can also be used as a lift off canister style vacuum if thats what you prefer. It has the DuoClean system which has spinning "fins" versus bristles along with a soft spinning roller at the front of the brush head. And for all you pet owners or long hair users out there, the brush roller is self cleaning. Unpacking was easy and fast and the instruction do a great job at showing you how to assemble all the parts. The PowerDetect now included a replaceable scent cartridge that helps keeps vacuuming odors at bay. Thats a small addition but a welcomed one and I can simply order a new one when the time comes. Overall, it is a compact vacuum and fits should fit nicely in any closet, so storage shouldn't be an issue. Once I looked over the manual, I started right away to use around the house. I started using it as an upright, which is my preferred way. It's not that heavy and is quite nimble. It can pivot around corners easily and has a nice LED headlamp that does a decent job at lighting the way. One thing to note, is that the handle ALSO has a light when you use it with other tools than the brush roller. I thought was a nice touch. The handle includes the power button and 4 other soft-touch buttons where you activate the different modes offered. You can choose Detect Mode, which activates the sensors for floor type, dirt level and edge detection. I used this one initially and an indicator light on the brush roller showed it was active at detecting. White showed it was cleaning as usual and when it turned purple, the Dirt Detector kicked in and increased the suction power. When it ran along a wall or a piece of furniture on the floor, the Edge Detect arrow lit up and also automatically increased the suction power. The Edge Detect worked especially well. All in all, it did a nice job picking up dirt and as with most bagless vacuums, was easy to empty over a trash can. I then decided to try out the manual modes also offered on the handle. You can select Hard Floors which seemed to have strong suction and uses the front soft brush roller, then there is Carpet-Low Pile which has strong suction and uses the PowerFins. Lastly is the Thick Carpet/Area Rug button that turns down the suction power for longer piled carpets. I wanted the strongest suction so I selected the Carpet-Low Pile option and it worked very well. When in Detect Mode, the strongest suction wasn't automatically turned on, so I decided to keep it in the manual mode in order to get the strongest suction at all times. Shark claims that the PowerDetect Vacuum has the strongest suction of any vacuum and although it was quite good, I think an old vacuum I have does a better job at fluffing the carpet, which is how I equate the suction power. Don't get me wrong, the Shark holds its own and more. From a versatility stand point, this vacuum can also be used in lift-off mode as a hand-held canister. I thought I would like this mode since it does allow for easier cleaning under furniture but the power brush head was hard to control. It would run off on it's own and would lift off the surface. I assume it's because the power brush head isn't heavy enough to keep it stable and flat unlike when it's in the attached, upright mode. Maybe others will have better luck using that mode than I did. And not to forget, there are a few accessory tools that area also included. It came with the Duster Crevice tool, which is a typical crevice tool that transforms to a brush tool with a sliding brush. It also came with the Pet Multi-Tool which is a brush with detachable bristles. Lastly is the Hair Pro Self-Cleaning Pet Power Brush. It's an air-propelled brush that is also tangle-free and it did a great job at cleaning the stairs. It was my favorite tool. There are also many additional tools that can be purchased that will work with this vacuum. You can attached 2 tools onto the vacuum itself for storage but I wish they could figure out how to add a third accessory post so I could store all the tools it came with directly on the unit. Not an issue though. Maintenance seems to be pretty easy as well. Since it's bagless, no bags to deal with. There are a couple of foam filters that should be cleaned from time to time, as well as wiping down the conical lint filter. Other than that, its really hassle-free. This vacuum comes with a 5 YEAR warranty which is amazing so if you do run into any problems, it's covered for a good while. Overall, it's a great vacuum. The Detect Sensors are a nice addition, but as I mentioned, I will probably be using it in manual mode more often since it allows for the strongest suction at all times. The vacuum is very versatile, nimble, cleans well and has a great warranty. Hopefully it will perform well for many years to come.

The Shark Powerdetect upright vacuum is hands down the best vacuum cleaner I've ever owned. It has the best suction I've seen in a vacuum and tons of nice features. It has a feature called Duoclean DETECT that senses floor type, how much dirt, vacuum direction, and edges then adjusts that amount of power needed to do the job. I also like the self-cleaning brushroll that keeps pet fur and hair from getting tangled up in the brush. And the pet multi-tool is amazing. It picks up fur from furniture really well. As a test of how well this vacuum works, first we ran our highly rated stick vacuum on one of our rugs, and then the Shark Powerdetect and couldn't believe how much additional dirt and fur was picked up. We then ran our full-sized upright on another rug with the same results. The Shark Powerdetect isn't a lightweight. It is noticeably heavier than our stick vacuum. But after seeing how much cleaner our rugs are, I don't know if the stick vacuum will be used again. You buy a vacuum cleaner for one reason. I has to clean well. The Shark Powerdetect doesn't disappoint. It cleans better than any vacuum I've ever had. But beyond cleaning ability the Powerdetect has some really thoughtful features that are icing on the cake. And it has a 5 year warranty, which means Shark is confident in the build quality of this vacuum.

Maneuverability: A bit unwieldy on stairs and on transition from hard surface to carpet. The motor head has a relatively low 3-inch profile. Tipping the handle back allowing you go get about 6 inches under furniture. The wand is rather heavy if held from the end (i.e., as when using with the base). Holding from the top is more comfortable but places the on/off switch behind the hand making it cumbersome to use. Cord: 30 foot cord allows me to vacuum multiple rooms from one outlet. NOTE: If the power switch is accidentally pressed while the vacuum is unplugged or if it becomes unplugged while in use, it will turn on unattended the next time that the cord is plugged in. Canister: The canister is easy to remove once you figure out which button to press. The one to the left of the canister handle detaches the collection bin for emptying. The one at the top of the canister handle detaches the powered canister assembly so that it can be used without the motor head. Debris can get stuck at the top edge of the collection bin. Inverting the bin (with the trap door closed) generally works to dislodge it. Filters: There are four replaceable filters. The two pre-filters under the collection bin can be removed and washed with (2 before and 1 after the canister) can be removed and rinsed with cold water. Shark recommends that this be done monthly and replaced every 2.5 years. The HEPA filter at the base of the canister should be cleaned annually and replaced every 3 years. The fourth “filter” is what Shark calls the “odor neutralizer”. The vacuum will function without the cartridge so long as the “odor dial” is in place. The cartridge should be replaced every 6 months. Light: LED head- and side-lamps on the motor head are enabled based on surface and edge detection. An extra LED on the handle illuminates the area in front of the wand. Tools: The unit came with a pet multi-tool, duster-crevice tool, and self-cleaning pet power brush. The pet multi-tool is just an upholstery tool with a detachable brush. The AZ4002 came with three tools but there is only room for two on the canister. All tools have a fixed angle with respect to the wand and do not articulate. Motor: The motor speed determined by the “detect mode” sensors or manually by selecting hard surface, low pile carpet, or high pile carpet. In detect mode, it can take 3-5 seconds for the AZ4002 to figure out the type of floor and set the correct motor speed. Two-roller Motor Head: This is a really nice feature! It is very efficient at picking up dirt on bare floors. Shark claims that the motor heads are “self-cleaning”. We do not have enough hair in our carpets to test this feature. Overall: The AZ4002 has a lot of suction! The motor brushes very effective picking up dirt from hard floors and carpets. The motor head is difficult to use on stairs and the weight of the wand and fixed angle on the tools make use of the wand cumbersome.

I’ll avoid the cliché’s about how much this vacuum sucks. It actually does an amazing job when it comes to cleaning up on multiple surfaces. My house has linoleum tiling as well as area rugs for my old dog. Needless to say the hair gets everywhere! This vacuum makes moving around the house to get all that hair cleaned up so much quicker and more efficient. The suction power gets deep into the rugs to get the hair and dirt that gets ground in from repeated foot traffic and the added boost helps when moving into areas where I didn’t even think were that dirty! I love the fact that it has the ability to sense when you are next to walls and it adjusts to focus on that side to get all those corners so I don’t have to go back over them with again with a different attachment. It has multiple different configurations for use from a long wand, to a short handle to a carry around mode. Making it useful in so many different situations. I’m starting to sound like a commercial. lol! The only thing I didn’t like about it was that when using it on my area rugs the suction sometimes was too much and the sensor for the variable power would get confused at the edges of the rug, and it would end up sucking up the corners of the rugs forcing me to have to pull it out. Thankfully they don’t have tassels, but if you do have area rugs with tassels be wary. Otherwise this vacuum is top notch. The only reason it’s not 5 stars is the variable suction can sometimes be a little too much on area rugs. That’s it.

This is our 3rd Shark vac, but their first upright model that we’ve tried. I prefer using an upright on our upstairs carpeting, vs. using our robot vac or our older competing-brand upright which was beginning to show its age. We’ve been very pleased with our other 2 Shark vacs, and this PowerDetect model doesn’t disappoint. Here are a few things I like so far after using the PowerDetect for a week: - Out of the box: It’s very easy to set up. No tools needed. Just a half dozen-or-so steps to click components into place, and it’s ready to use. I also like the deep purple (eggplant) color with black & light green accents. - Low noise: This was the biggest surprise. It actually has an easy-on-the-ears, low-frequency roar vs. the annoying high-pitched whine of our high-end, expensive, famous-brand upright. Not having to insert earplugs or wear noise-canceling headphones while vacuuming was a refreshing change. Even when this Shark revs up into “boost” mode, it’s not too loud. - Lighting: There are bright white LED lights on the front of the vac that stay illuminated. In addition, when you approach a wall, the side lights turn on until you move away. There’s also a light on the handle that illuminates when you remove the wand from the base. - Maneuvering: My older upright ball-roller vac was light & easy to maneuver, so I wasn’t sure if this heavier Shark would be as easy to wield. This Shark weighs in at about 17.5 lbs., but to my delight it has a bit of self-propulsion action, not unlike my mower. So, it requires very little effort to push with just a bit more effort to pull back towards you, making it much easier to handle than I’d anticipated. Since vacuuming is a chore that I often procrastinate over, at least I can expend less energy accomplishing the task now. - Suction Power: Excellent! This vac has more suction power than any vac we’ve ever had. We had just vacuumed a few days earlier with our old upright. We were shocked to see how much more dust & debris this Shark picked up on its first pass. - Sensors galore: This machine is amazing. It changes suction power when it detects that you’re moving from carpet to hard flooring or tile. It also senses when it’s rolling over heavier debris which triggers a power boost. It senses when you approach an edge or wall & activates both additional suction power as well as helpful side-lighting. It also senses the direction in which you’re vacuuming & automatically changes the suction direction to forward or reverse for maximum pull. I didn’t mention all the features but, overall, this is the best upright vac we’ve ever owned. Kudos to Shark! They really thought of almost everything with this PowerDetect model.

In the box is the vacuum with 3 attachments and a scent pod and an owners guide. First impression, this vacuum is very bulky and bigger compared to my previous older shark vacuum. Although it is bigger, the vacuum does move itself and you just guide it where it needs to go. Also, when you take the base off, that part is light. Please note, in my home, I own a previous shark vacuum that is probably at least 3-4 years old. I have linoleum in the kitchen, an area run in the hallway leading to the bedrooms and a rug in the bathroom. The rest of the house is laminate hardwood. Downstairs is concrete flooring that is covered with area rugs in high traffic areas. Installation - The installation literally took less than five minutes and was pretty self explanatory. If you have a previous shark vacuum, it will snap together pretty much the same way and if you don’t the owners manual will lead the way. Auto Detector Feature for types of flooring and dirt - I found this feature to be helpful somewhat but on one of my rugs, it detected it to be a thick rug instead of thin, so I had to fight the vacuum off of the rug to change the setting and vacuum properly. Otherwise, everywhere else in the house it worked pretty good. The auto detect for the dirt is great too. I had a few dirt areas that I wasn’t aware of and the light from the vacuum and with the detect feature I was able to see the dirt and release the hose and suck up the hard to reach spot under the table. Attachments - With this particular vacuum, I received the pet multi-tool, the anti-allergen dust brush and the duster crevice tool and with the vacuum and the each attachment, I am embarrassed to say that I had to dump my dust cup twice and clean it out. My home does have a lot of high traffic in certain areas, so I am thinking I need to vacuum and dust a little more often. Odor Neutralizer Technology - This feature, I love! The vacuum comes with one pod that you load into the vacuum. You can turn it down for a little scent or up for a lot of scent. In my household, it will definitely be turned down because of scent sensitivity but I do love the smell of the scent that comes with the vacuum. Overall, I am pleasantly pleased with this shark vacuum and I would hands down purchase again! I would also recommend to friends and family.

Having owned previous vacuums from this brand I had a good amount of expectations when I opted in to the review. Taking it out of the box and assembly was a snap and all the normal attachments are present. The aroma feature is nice and it seems they have upgraded it from my last vacuum. I leave it on the lowest setting and it does a good job of leaving the carpet smelling fresh. The controls are all digital so when selecting settings, it takes an extra second but never has a hiccup. The automatic sensing front height does a pretty good job of getting it right. I only had to manually switch to carpet once, but that was on pretty shaggy carpet. The cord is of the typical length which should cover most houses. The LED light does a good job of showing the dirt and dog hair in the corners of the room. Detaching the hose to get under furniture and in the tightest corners is a breeze. The suction power seems stronger, which is a welcomed plus. Floors and carpets came out looking fantastic! This is a must buy if you are in the market for a vacuum.

I have used several shark products and found them quite reliable. The powerdetect upright vacuum was well packaged and easy to assemble by my wife. The vacuum is lightweight and easy to push- it almost has a self propelled feel to it. The wand of the vacuum hooks into the canister and must be removed to attach the two attachments. With the wand being used separately, the canister has a handle that makes it easy to move with you. I was surprised how much dust was removed from the floors and rugs. I did not use the odor detector as it is perfume which aggravates our allergies. The vacuum works great without the odor detector. I find the odor detector somewhat of a gimmick. This is a high end vacuum and the odor detector seems an attempt to sell refills rather than a well thought out feature. The vacuum has a true HEPA filter and a five year warranty. It works well on hardwood floors as well as wool and synthetic rugs. It is effective on edges and overall makes vacuuming less of a chore.

The Shark PowerDetect is an awesome vacuum that was able to suck up dog hair and dirt much better than my other vacuums. It just amazes me how much of my hairy friend's hair got vacuumed up. The pretty large canister was practically full after going over my 9x12 size rug. My other vacuums with much smaller canister wouldn't be full until after a few days of vacumming the entire house. The vacuum's floor detect automatically detects the type of floor its being used on but takes time for it to determine so I just basically set it manually instead. The vauum also is supposed to have self-cleaning brushroll to eliminate hair wrap. Although the vacuum design does a great job of not having hair wrapped up on the roller with the rubberized fins, the front soft roller still does get hair wrapped around it. But overall, it does a great job. I also really like the odor neutralizer that comes with the vacuum but over time it might make the operating cost of the vacuum much higher than need be. So, once the odor neutralizer loses its affectiveness, I'll most likely not replace it.

Vacuum is heavy. Lots of pieces to put together. Once detached from the base to carry and use to vacuum stairs, it feels awkward, heavy and clunky. It’s uncomfortable to vacuum stairs as the vacuum tios over and the attachment pulls. It did it’s kind by pulling up dirt/dust out of the carpeting in all 6 rooms and an area rug, but it also left line impressions from the wheels on the base which I didn’t appreciate. Emptying the contents was easy and has a top and bottom release to empty from both ends when it doesn’t all empty from one side. The buttons on the handle are too sensitive and would switch modes to hardwood floors back to carpet etc. I did like the lights and that it got close to the carpeting near the walls but it also pulled and banged against the walls and turned rather quickly when trying to turn in an angle, so that made it undesirable. It seemed I didn’t have as much control of the vacuum as I would have wanted. The weight also made it undesirable and made my hand ache from using it. My experience was just that it was a vacuum and I wasn’t impressed.

Good suction, long cord and quiet. However, will suck up everything, including drapes, shoe laces and light rugs on hard surfaces w auto sensors on. Unnecessarily difficult when vacumming large sofa. Cord location on vacuum in awkward location. Attachments easily fall off vacuum. If I had to do again, I would have bought a less expensive model.

A bit heavy. However its performance is superb. I am so glad I made the choice to purchase this one. Very nice job!!

Only had it a few days but it seems to be working very well.

I have had 2 similar Shark vaccums. They work well at first but do not last vey long. They stop picking up from the power head usually just after warranty was up. They were 250.00 - 300.00 so they were not cheap. In need of another but will think twice before buying another one!