Shark Stratos vs PowerDetect vacuums: what's the difference?

Shark is one of our very favorite brands of vacuum cleaner, with two of its most popular ranges the Shark Stratos and Shark PowerDetect. They appear pretty similar, so here we go into detail to outline the differences between the two to help you decide which is the best vacuum cleaner for you.

The Stratos launched in fall 2022. The PowerDetect range is newer – in fact, the newest range at time of writing, having launched in fall 2024. There are a few different vacuum types in each line, but for the purposes of this guide, we'll focus mainly on the cordless stick vacuums. You can read about them individually in our Shark PowerDetect Cordless Stick vacuum review and Shark Stratos Cordless Stick vacuum review.

Overall, the PowerDetect cordless will be a better choice for most people, because of its light weight and longer battery life. It's potentially a little more powerful than the Stratos, too, and packs more advanced automation features. However, the Stratos is still a very capable vacuum, and since it's an older model, you're more likely to be able to pick it up at a discount. If you spot a great deal, it's well worth considering.

At time of writing, the PowerDetect and Stratos are two of the best Shark vacuum ranges in terms of specs and features. The third is the Detect Pro, and you can see how that matches up in our Detect Pro vs PowerDetect and Detect Pro vs Stratos comparison articles. If you want to see how they fit into the wider market, check out our roundup of the best cordless vacuums you can buy.

That's the short version. Read on for a more in-depth evaluation of the differences between the Shark Stratos vs PowerDetect vacuums.

Shark PowerDetect vs Stratos: range & price

• Ranges and models vary by country; all are mid-range or lower-premium
• In US, the PowerDetect cordless stick is cheaper than Stratos
• Deals are common across both lines

We'll start with a quick caveat: the Shark vacuum range is large and changes regularly. The options are different in each country, and where a model is available across a few countries, it won't necessarily have the same specs or name. Deals also crop up regularly.

Now that's out of the way, let's take a look at the Stratos and PowerDetect vacuum options available at time of writing. We'll focus here on what you can buy direct from Shark; but there may be other options available from third-party retailers.

Shark PowerDetect range

Let's start with the cordless stick vacuum. In the US, the PowerDetect Cordless Stick Vacuum on its own (IP1251) costs $429.99. There's also a version with an auto-empty base (IP3251), which has a list price of $499.99.

The equivalent model in the UK is the Shark PowerDetect Cordless Pet Vacuum Cleaner (IP1251UKT) for £499.99 (reduced to £349.99 at the time of writing), or the Clean & Empty version with the auto-empty base (IP3251UKT) for £549.99 (currently down to £399.99).

Shoppers in Australia have the Shark PowerDetect Cordless Stick Vacuum (IP1251) for AU$849.99, or the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System (IP3251) for AU$999.99.

US shoppers (only) also have a corded stick option: the PowerDetect Corded Stick Vacuum (HZ4002) for $259.99 reduced to $229.99.

Alongside the cordless stick option, there's also a corded upright. In the US, the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum with DuoClean Detect Technology (AZ4002) costs $499.99.

In the UK, this is the Shark PowerDetect Powered Lift-Away Upright Pet Vacuum Cleaner (AZ3900UKT), which costs £399.99 at list price but is currently reduced to £299.99. In Australia, this model is sold as the Shark PowerDetect Corded Upright (AZ3900). It comes with a list price of AU$699.

Finally, in the US and UK, you also have a robovac option. There are also PowerDetect robot vacuum options, but we won't get into them here because there's no Stratos equivalent.

Shark Stratos range

In the UK, Shark's main offering is the cordless stick vacuum. In the US, it's called the Shark Stratos Cordless Vacuum (IZ862H) with a list price of $499.99, but discounted to $349.99 at time of writing.

In the UK, it's called the Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Cordless Vacuum, and it's available in a few different bundle options. There's the standard version (IZ400UK) for £349.99, discounted to £199.99; the Pet Pro version (IZ400UKT), with added pet hair tool for £379.99; plus the Pet Pro with an added spare battery (IZ420UKT), available at a reduced price of £299.99 from the original £449.99.

Shoppers in Australia can choose between the Shark Stratos Cordless Pet Pro Vacuum with Clean Sense IQ (IZ400) for AU$799.99 but down to AU$599.99, or the Shark Stratos Cordless Pet Pro Vacuum Plus with Clean Sense IQ (IZ420) for AU$999.99.

In the UK, there's a corded stick vacuum option – the Shark Stratos Corded Stick Pet Pro (HZ3000UKT) for £249.99.

There's also an upright vacuum option: the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum (AZ3002) in the US, which costs $449.99 but is currently down to $369.99. This is very different to the Stratos uprights in the UK and AU (which are essentially the same).

In the UK, it's the Shark Stratos Pet Pro Anti Hair Wrap Plus Anti-Odour Upright Vacuum (NZ860UKT) for £299.99. It's also available in an XL version (AZ3000UKT), for £399.99.

In Australia, your upright option is the Shark Stratos XL Pet Pro Powered Lift-Away with Odour Neutraliser Technology (AZ913) and it costs AU$649.99 at list price.

Here's a summary table of pricing for the Stratos and PowerDetect cordless stick vacuums:

Shark PowerDetect vs Stratos: specs

Shark PowerDetect vs Stratos: design

• Stratos is taller and heavier
• Both have the same dust-cup capacity and flexible wand
• PowerDetect offers optional auto-empty base

For this section, we'll compare the cordless stick vacuum option in each range. If you're using this guide alongside the product entries on the Shark website, you might want to refer to our Shark vacuum technologies guide, because this brand uses a fair bit of marketing jargon.

The Stratos is almost 1lb heavier than the PowerDetect, and over 5 inches taller, too. The capacity of the dust cup is the same for both models, and the floorhead width is roughly the same, too. Both options have Shark's popular flexible wand, which bends forward to allow you to reach beneath furniture without getting right down on the floor yourself, plus headlamps to help illuminate dingy corners.

Both the Stratos and PowerDetect have a DuoClean floorhead with two rollers, and anti-hair wrap features. However, the PowerDetect's version is more advanced – it packs a load of sensors, to enable it to offer greater automation options. I'll get into these in more detail in the Performance section.

Another popular Shark feature is an anti-odor puck, which is designed to neutralize potential bad smells (there are a few reasons why your vacuum cleaner might smell, but the main one is that the dust cup has something stinky in it and you haven't emptied it soon enough).

The Stratos cordless has the anti-odor puck in its floorhead, while the PowerDetect includes it on the auto-empty base. So if you don't go for that option, there won't be a puck.

One potentially significant difference between the two lines is that the PowerDetect has a compatible auto-empty dock, which will mean you won't have to manually empty the dust cup nearly as often. Not only does this mean less effort on your part, but it might also prove more suitable a model for allergy sufferers because it means fewer chances for dust and allergens to escape back into the air.

The auto-empty base is an optional extra (and costs more). There's no compatible auto-empty base to go with the Stratos Cordless Stick vacuum.

Shark PowerDetect vs Stratos: performance

• PowerDetect offers higher wattage and longer battery
• PowerDetect has many more automation features
• On test, we found both excellent at picking up dirt

Let's take a look at cleaning power. Of the two models we're focusing on here, the PowerDetect has a higher wattage – 450W compared to 309W for the Stratos. This is good guide to tell you how much suction a vacuum cleaner has; higher wattage can indicate more suction power. (If you're wondering how many watts of power is good for a vacuum, for a stick vacuum we'd consider roughly 200-300W, and 400-600W to be ideal.)

While a poorly designed vacuum with a high wattage isn't going to offer great suction, because the PowerDetect and Stratos come from the same parent company and feature similar builds, it's likely the PowerDetect will display better suction.

The Stratos has three suction modes. The lowest-powered is Eco mode, and there's a Boost for maximum power. If you want your vacuum to auto-adjust based on dirt levels, you use the Clean Sense IQ mode. The PowerDetect has the same options, except the auto mode is called DirtDetect.

The PowerDetect also offers longer battery life. On the lowest powered mode (Eco) Shark says it will last 70 minutes, compared to 60 minutes on the Stratos. However, battery life in auto and Boost modes will be lower for both.

The PowerDetect also features more advanced automation options over the Stratos. The Stratos is able to detect dirt, and increase suction to clear it. The PowerDetect can do that, but it can also determine when it's near the edge of a room and bump up suction on the relevant side of the floorhead in response. Sensors also allow it to denote whether it's being used on a hard floor or carpet and speed up or slow down the brushroll to suit. More advanced automation means a more effective, low-effort and battery-efficient clean.

One USP of the PowerDetect is that the floorhead has been designed to be as effective at picking up dirt when it's being pulled backwards as it is when pushed forwards. Theoretically, this could save you significant amounts of time.

Shark PowerDetect vs Stratos: which should I buy?

Buy a Shark Stratos if...

Buy a Shark PowerDetect if...