Shark makes many of what we consider to be the best vacuum cleaners on the market today. Its innovative engineering and reasonable prices have made it a serious rival to Dyson. There are plenty of great things about this brand, but clarity within its range isn't one of them. There are a lot of models to choose from, many with very long, and very similar names, most of which just list the technology and functions found in each one, Amazon-style.
To make life easier for you, here's a quick guide to the different technologies found in Shark's vacuum cleaners, so you don't need to try and decipher those multi-line names yourself.
Anti-Allergen Complete Seal
This filter is sealed into the vacuum mechanism, so dust particles and allergens don't escape back into the air via the vacuum's vents as you clean. It's designed to capture 99.9% of dust and allergens. If you do struggle with allergies, Shark also makes a few Dusting Brush attachments, designed for tackling shelves and blinds, which might be useful to have.
- Prioritize this if: You suffer from allergies
Odor Neutralizer (US) / Anti-Odour technology (UK)
This is a pretty cool one, and not a feature we've not really seen elsewhere. Plug a cartridge into either your vacuum floorhead or docking station (depending on model) and it'll leave a fresh-smelling scent on your carpets as you clean. There's only one scent option, but you can twist the cartridge to release less or more of it.
Shark says it's intended to neutralize potential bad odors in the dust cup (rather than leaving its own scent per se) – something that can be an issue if you're regularly dealing with pet hair or dander, for instance. But our reviewers have noted a fresh scent after using Shark vacs with this feature, and all have all been fans of it, regardless of whether or not they have pets. (Read our Shark Stratos Corded stick HZ3002 vacuum review for an example.)
- Prioritize this if: You have pets
Self-cleaning brushroll (US) / Anti Hair Wrap Technology (UK)
If your household has anyone with long hair, or a shedding pet, you'll know the pain of having to cut / tear / otherwise wrestle it from your vacuum cleaner's brush roll after cleaning. Shark's Anti Hair Wrap Technology is essentially a bristle-guard and comb that separates and removes hairs from your brush roll as you vacuum, and directs it into the dust bin.
Dyson has a similar detangling technology that appears on certain cleaner heads, and our reviewers say that Shark's design works just as well. It might appear in the main Shark floorhead or a dedicated Pet Tool. In the UK, some models have an upgraded version of this, known as Anti Hair Wrap Plus.
- Prioritize this if: You have long hair / a hairy housemate
Clean Sense IQ
Clean Sense IQ detects how dirty the area of floor it's on is, and adjusts its suction appropriately. This means that it's not wasting power with extra suction on relatively clean areas, but patches that are dirtier get the clean they need. The idea is to minimize effort and maximize battery life, although our reviewers do note that this mode saps battery more quickly than regular eco modes, for example. It seems to be the same thing as 'DirtDetect', which is one of Shark's Detect Pro technologies.
- Prioritize this if: You can afford it (it's always useful but not really essential)
Detect Pro technologies
This is essentially a suite of different features that detect and react to different situations, to minimize the need for you to change settings manually. Read our full Shark Detect Pro review for a look at how they work in practice. It's split into:
DirtDetect
Boosts suction to deep clean carpets. We think this is probably the same thing as Clean Sense IQ.
EdgeDetect
Doubles the amount of suction around the edges and corners of rooms, where dust can build up.
FloorDetect
Figures out what kind of floor you're on (carpet vs hard floors, for example) and optimizes performance in response.
LightDetect
Detects low light areas and switches on the LED headlamps so you can still see the dirt lurking there.
- Prioritize this if: You can afford it (cool, but not essential)
DuoClean
Shark vacuums that feature DuoClean have two brushrolls, designed to tackle different floor types: a soft one that to clean and polish hard floors, and one with bristles or PowerFins that get into the carpet fibers and pull up embedded dirt and hair. (See our Shark Vertex Pro IZ662H / Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum IZ300UK review for an example of a model with DuoClean PowerFins.)
It's designed for people who have both carpet and hard floor in their homes, and want a vacuum that's optimized for both. On newer models, Shark seems to be favoring QuadClean instead.
- Prioritize this if: You have carpets and hard floors (and the model you're looking at doesn't have QuadClean instead)
MultiFLEX (US) / Flexology (UK)
This is perhaps the feature that Shark is best known for, and one that doesn't appear in Dyson vacuums. The idea is simple: there's a hinge a little way down the floorhead wand, which can be released by pressing a button, allowing it to bend forwards to 90 degrees. That means you can clean deep under furniture without you having to get down on the floor yourself. It also allows for more compact storage and charging. Read about it in our Shark Classic Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum IZ201UK review.
- Prioritize this if: You have mobility issues. Or furniture.
PowerFins
Shark's PowerFins are flexible silicone fins that snake around the brushroll and boost its cleaning powers. That might be by digging into the carpet pile to agitate the dirt there, or by engaging directly with the surface of a hard floor. It can also help grip on to hair (there are some vacuum models with 'PowerFins HairPro').
PowerFins can appear alongside a softer roller in a DuoClean floorhead, or be combined with soft and firm bristles on the single roller of a QuadClean floorhead. Read our Shark Stratos Cordless IZ862H / IZ400UK vacuum cleaner review for an example of a model with PowerFins.
- Prioritize this if: You have thick carpets or want to do some deep cleans
Powered Lift-Away
Powered Lift-Away is where the various parts of the vacuum can be lifted away from each other, while the vacuum is still in use. So in the image above (from the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner ICZ300UK review), the canister slots on to the wand for use as an upright, or it can be removed from the wand for when you want more maneuverability. You can also take the floorhead bit off and use the top of the wand as a handheld vacuum.
- Prioritize this if: You want the power of an upright without sacrificing too much maneuverability
QuadClean
The more advanced sibling of DuoClean. Where DuoClean has two rollers, QuadClean has... just the one roller, but with multiple cleaning features. QuadClean rollers are mostly fluffy microfiber, but they also have strategically placed PowerFins, firmer bristles, and ribs. They're designed to be able to tackle different types of dirt (large debris, embedded dirt and hair, fine fine dust) on different kinds of floors. At time of writing, only the Detect Pro range has QuadClean floorheads.
- Prioritize this if: You want to be able to deep clean different kinds of floors
