Shark’s clever new vacuum feature is so obvious I’m surprised no one thought of it before
Vacuum cleaners have been around for a while now and you probably think that there are no major breakthroughs in design or performance anymore. Well, you’d be wrong, because Shark has unveiled a new range of vacuum cleaners that it claims to solve a major problem with the best vacuum cleaners available today.
The USP of the Shark PowerDetect vacuum cleaner range is that they work just as well as they go forward. Most vacuum cleaners are designed to do most of the suction work when you push them, and the return stroke is usually just to get them back in place for another push.
The PowerDetect vacuums have a patented fin design and ‘DirectionDetect technology’ to change that, providing the same cleaning power no matter which direction they’re manoeuvred. It would… well, probably not cut it in half, but it would certainly make a significant dent in the time you have to spend vacuuming.
I had the chance to see one of Shark’s PowerDetect models in action at IFA 2024 and was impressed with what I saw: I could hear the suction power continuing unabated as the vacuum was pulled back. It was demoed alongside another Shark cordless vacuum without this new feature and sounded noticeably different. Of course, the proof is in the cleaning, and we’re in the process of putting one of these new vacuums through its paces to see if it’s as good as Shark promises.
The range consists of three models, suitable for different households and cleaning tasks. There is the Shark PowerDetect Cordless Vacuum (IP1251UKT), the Shark PowerDetect Powered Lift-Away Upright Vacuum Cleaner (AZ3900UKT) and the Shark PowerDetect Corded Stick Vacuum Cleaner (HZ4000UKT).
Of the two, I suspect most people will be most interested in the former. Shark is the brand behind many of today’s best cordless vacuums, and a pretty serious competitor to Dyson these days. In addition to the new forward and reverse suction technology, the PowerDetect Cordless combines most of the best features of the current best Shark vacuums.
The best of both worlds
It used to be that for maximum power you’d choose a Shark Stratos model, while for the fancy gadgets you’d buy a Detect Pro. Shark says the PowerDetect does both. In terms of ‘detection’, this vacuum can sense whether it’s on a hard floor or carpet, and how dirty it is, and will increase or decrease suction power accordingly. It can also sense when it’s near the edge of a room, where dust can build up, and will increase suction power just to that side of the cleaning head for an extra dose of cleaning power, without putting unnecessary strain on the battery.
You can bend the wand forward, flamingo-leg style, so you can reach right under furniture without having to crouch awkwardly. There’s also a promised 70-minute battery life – about the longest runtime you’ll find anywhere. And if you want an even more hands-off experience, you can opt for the version with the auto-emptying dock.
We don’t have any pricing or launch date information for the Shark PowerDetect series yet, but we’ll let you know as soon as we have it.