Shark Cordless PowerDetect Vacuum review: ‘Cut my cleaning time in half’
With powerful suction, smart auto-detect features and a self-emptying base, Shark’s latest vacuum might actually be better than a Dyson.
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Vacuuming is, without doubt, my most hated household chore.
But living with a fluffy cat that sheds fur with every single step she takes and my own hair turning up anywhere and everywhere means a weekly deep clean is a must.
Enter the Shark PowerDetect Clean Empty Vacuum – Shark’s newest and most advanced vacuum yet. As a growing leader in home appliances, Shark has garnered rave reviews from many of my friends and colleagues. One friend with two dogs swears by its unbeatable suction, while another declared her Shark vacuum superior to her old Dyson stick vac. A bold claim I know.
Having never used a Shark vacuum before, I found myself actually excited to try this new Shark vacuum out. Who would have ever thought I’d be excited about vacuuming? Not me.
So, after six weeks of testing the Shark PowerDetect Clean Empty Vacuum out, did it live up to the hype? Or to put it another way, did it make me fall in love with vacuuming? Read on for my honest review of the Shark PowerDetect Clean Empty System.
Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System, $999.99 at Shark Australia
Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System
WHAT COMES IN THE BOX
1x Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System
1x 8” Duster Crevice Tool
1x Pet Multi Tool
1x Motorised Hand Tool
1x Fragrance Puk
HOW WE TESTED THE SHARK POWERDETECT CLEAN & EMPTY VACUUM
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For this review, I tested the Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty Vacuum over a six-week period in my one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment, which includes a study nook. The space is mostly carpeted, except the kitchen, bathroom and laundry which are tiled. I live with my partner and cat, and vacuumed every week with spot cleans throughout the week using the handheld vacuum.
PERFORMANCE
I don’t want to overstate this but the Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty Vacuum is actually a game-changer. It picked up my cat’s fur, my hair, and the everyday dust and debris with such ease. There was no need to ever go over the same spot twice and it reached every nook and cranny, including right to the edges of the walls.
The real test, however, was cleaning my cat’s favourite lounging spots, where the fur gets so embedded in the carpet. With my old vacuum, it would take multiple passes to ensure all the fur was gone but with the Shark vacuum it took barely a couple of passes. I was blown away by just how powerful the suction is on this vac.
Transitioning from carpet to tile is also seamless thanks to the dual brush rolls, designed for all surfaces and to pick up hair. Impressively, my long, fine hair didn’t get tangled in the brush roll, a much too common issue I’ve had with other vacuum.
Packed with a tonne of advanced technology, this vacuum makes cleaning a breeze. It’s quick, efficient, and has cut my vacuuming time in half. And any time I can save vacuuming is a huge win.
FEATURES
CLEANING MODES
The Shark vacuum has three cleaning modes, which can be manually adjusted via the hand trigger.
Eco mode – low suction but extends runtime and battery life
Detect Mode – automatically sense your environment and optimises suction
Boost Mode – maximum suction
For me, what truly sets the Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty Vacuum apart from other vacuums is the Detect Mode. In this mode, the vacuum identifies dirtier areas as you’re cleaning and automatically adjusts the suction for you, boosting the suction when necessary. I used Detect Mode almost exclusively and found it very accurate for both the visible dirt and the not-so-visible debris (a.ka. my ginger cat’s fur that blends with the carpet). This function makes vacuuming so efficient as I found I never needed to go over any area twice. It also switches to Boost Mode near wall edges to it can suck up that debris that gets stuck there.
REVERSE CLEANING
Did you know that most vacuums struggle to clean when moving backwards? No, me neither. It explains quite a lot with my previous vacuum where no matter how many times I would run it back and forth over the same spot it did not clean better.
But the Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty Vacuum has this genius DuoClean Detect nozzle which picks up dirt and debris in both forward and reverse motions. Combined with the Detect Mode, it means faster and more efficient cleaning, which I can 100 per cent confirm.
EASE OF USE
MULTI FLEX WAND
This is another super useful feature of the Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty Vacuum. With a push of a button, the wand BENDS, allowing you to easily get to hard-to-reach low spots like under tables, furnitures, and beds. This feature was so useful for vacuuming under my bed where my cat often likes to hide and of course, leave fur piles. Whereas my old vacuum couldn’t reach far under the bed, the Shark vac allowed me to reach and clean the tricky area.
ATTACHEMENT
The Shark PowerDetect vacuum easily detaches from the wand turning it into a handheld vac that’s great for spot cleaning. I frequently used the handheld vac between my weekly vacuum to quickly clean up hair in the bathroom (so much hair), crumbs in the kitchen after cooking, and my outdoor couch that picks up fur like no tomorrow.
The Shark vac also comes with three additional tools: Nooks and Crevice + Duster tool, Pet Multi-Tool (this got a workout) and a Motorised Hand Tool.
WEIGHT
My one and only con with this vacuum is that it can feel quite heavy after a period of using it. And if you do need to pause mid clean, the vac can’t stand upright on its own and you’ll need to lean it against something.
AUTO-EMPTY BASE
Okay, it’s time to talk about the big feature that has everyone raving online: the auto-emptying base.
We can all agree that emptying the vacuum is the worst part, right? It’s dusty and well just gross because it contains everything you literally vacuumed up from the floor. Plus, after the hard work of vacuuming you now have to clean the vacuum? No thank you.
The Shark PowerDetect’s auto-empty dock solves that. When you return the vacuum to the dock, it automatically empties into the base. The base can hold up to two litres of debris – and effectively traps dust and allergens – which means instead of emptying the vac after every use, you only need to do it every so often.
Just to note, the auto-emptying base needs to be placed near a power point. Once docked, the vacuum automatically charges and self empties itself.
BATTERY
The Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty Vacuum has a 70 minute runtime on full charge, its longest yet. However, the battery will drain very quickly if you use the Boost mode (the highest suction mode), with some reviewers saying it lasted only about ten minutes.
But saying that, I don’t believe you need to use the Boost Mode often. I mainly used the Auto Mode and experienced no battery issues cleaning my whole apartment, which took about 30 minutes. The automatic charging on the dock is a life-changer as it meant the vacuum was always charged and ready to use whenever I needed it.
VERDICT: IS THE SHARK POWER CLEAN AND DETECT VACUUM WORTH BUYING?
Now we finally come to what you’re all wanting to know: Did the Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty Vacuum make me love vacuuming?
No, but nothing could do that.
But it has made the task of vacuuming much less of a chore. It cleans quickly and efficiently, suctioning up whatever is on the floor and leaving my home looking and feeling truly clean.
Besides the incredible cleaning performance, what makes the Shark vacuum worth it is all the advanced tech packed in it: the auto-empty base, flex nozzle, and auto-detect cleaning mode. These standout features elevate it from your standard vacuum to one that is absolutely worth the hype.
The Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty Vacuum is no doubt on the pricier side. You can certainly get cheaper vacuums out there. But this one will save you so much time and effort. It has cut my cleaning time in half so I can spend less time cleaning and more time doing anything else.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. HOW LONG DOES THE BATTERY LAST?
The Shark PowerDetect offers up to 70 minutes of runtime on a full charge. Using Boost Mode will shorten the battery life, while Eco or Detect Mode helps extend it.
2. DOES THE VACUUM STAND UPRIGHT ON ITS OWN?
No, it doesn’t. You’ll need to lean it against something if you need to pause mid-cleaning, which might be inconvenient for some users.
3. IS IT GOOD FOR PET HAIR?
Absolutely. It handled cat fur and long human hair with ease, especially on carpeted areas and pet-favourite lounging spots.
4. WHAT IS THE AUTO-EMPTYING BASE AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
When docked, the vacuum automatically empties its contents into the base, which holds up to 2L of debris. You’ll still need to empty the base occasionally, but it’s far less frequent and way less messy.
5. WHAT CLEANING MODES DOES THE SHARK VACCUM OFFER?
There are three:
Eco Mode: low suction, longer battery life
Detect Mode: automatically adjusts suction depending on the debris
Boost Mode: maximum suction for tough messes
6. DOES IT CLEAN WELL ON MULTIPLE SURFACES?
Yes! It transitions seamlessly from carpet to tiles and the brush roll is designed to pick up debris and hair on any surface — without tangling.
7. HOW EASY IS IT TO CLEAN UNDER FURNITURE?
Very! The Multi-Flex Wand bends to reach under beds, tables and couches easily — especially handy for pet owners.
If you value powerful suction, time-saving features like auto-emptying and suction detection, and want a serious upgrade, then yes — it’s absolutely worth it.
8. HOW OFTEN SHOULD I VACCUM
More Coverage
For most homes, vacuuming high-traffic areas once or twice a week is ideal. If you have pets or allergies, you might need to vacuum more frequently.
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