This Shark is the epitome of affordable, easy cleaning, but nobody seems to know about it

Shark’s vacuums shy away from nothing. Innovative and impressive, they make vacuuming fun, which is a rarity in my home. And one of their most effective and impressive models is the Shark PowerPro Cordless Stick Vacuum, with Anti Hair Wrap & Floor Detect IZ380UK.

One head covers all different floor types, a bend in the hose makes vacuuming under low spots practically effortless, and the simple stand mechanism makes stopping and starting easy. It sounds like it should be one of the best vacuums on the market and certainly one of their most famous models. It's not yet, but I think it should be.

I moved flat while I was testing this, so it got a lot of practice cleaning me out of one home and welcoming me into another. I’ve since had it as my main vacuum (even in preference to a Dyson on occasion) to clean up the house. So, is it for you? Here’s the place to find out.

Shark PowerPro Cordless Stick Vacuum review

This is one of Shark's most underrated, but impressive vacuums. Kitted out with floor-detecting technology, it's brilliant at switching its functions from room to room. I think it's one of my favourite Shark vacuums of all time. You'll need to keep scrolling to see why.

Shark PowerPro Cordless Stick Vacuum Specifications

Who would the Shark PowerPro Cordless Stick Vacuum suit?

The Shark has enough power and capacity to comfortably work in small and medium sized homes. In fact, I think it would even work well in a large home. You’re also got the fact that it’s cordless making life really easy, because you can roam through the house and across different floor types without needing to change a thing. No floorhead fuss, no re-charging, no bin-emptying. It's very efficient cleaning.

Price-wise the Shark PowerDectect is on the affordable side of mid-range. It’s one of the best value-for-money vacuums that I’ve tested, offering power and dexterity across different floor types. Given that the price tag is a fraction of the models that it rivals in performance, you could say that it's a bit of a steal.

Unboxing the Shark PowerPro Cordless Stick Vacuum

Shark does a wonderful job of keeping packaging simple and sustainable. The lightweight box that this comes in is completely recyclable, as is all the extra packaging around each part of the PowerDetect. Alongside the main body of the vacuum, you get a crevice tool, pet tool, and upholstery too. Shark also sends a large bag to store everything in, so you can keep the accessories in one place.

My vacuum came with some charge pre-loaded, but this isn’t a guarantee, so if you want to get started straight away, don’t hang all your hopes off this being ready to go. However, there’s a chance that it might be.

What is the Shark PowerPro Cordless Stick Vacuum like to use?

Once charged, you can get to work on all different floor types through just attaching one head. You’ll see three icons low on the main body of the vacuum and each will light up to show which floor setting is active on the vacuum. This is all automatic, which is really nice for easily moving around the home.

I can hear the changes between settings when I’m using it, because the motor really amps up the speed on carpets and rugs. It doesn’t get any louder than 70 dB, which is a bit too loud for the TV, but not too loud to stop a conversation, if you want some context.

Formally, each vacuum is tested on hard wood floor, linoleum, and carpets. I scatter flour and sugar on each surface (to test how well the vacuum handles small particles) as well as oats (to test how well the vacuum picks up bigger bits of debris). The final test I run is on hair, which I scatter around the house as clippings from hair extensions.

It’s safe to say that the Shark PowerDetect does a really good job of picking up all of the different challenges that I put down and I can testify that this translates into everyday life too. It works in both forward and backward directions and picked up my lighter particles in one pass. Almost all the oats were also picked up in one movement too, although a few scattered and hid in some more difficult to reach places.

You’ll see that there is a light attached to the front of the vacuum , which is great for showing up particles in darker places, such as under sofas and chairs. The Shark actually doubles down on helpfulness in these situations with a neat bend in the hose. This means you don’t need to bend down to reach your vacuum under any low sofas. I actually feel a bit spoilt here, because I’ve become accustomed to vacuuming with a straight back and straight legs, so when I test other vacuums it always feels like a faff.

The tools all work really well, which is important. Whilst the main head is great for the floor, it does struggle when it comes close to cabinets and skirting boards, so I often do a run around under the edges of furniture and fitted cupboards to get crumbs and dust. It’s not unusual for a vacuum, but I’m noting it because Shark have models that don’t have the same struggle.

I also mentioned a hair test. I have long hair that seems to get everywhere in the flat, so, paired with cuttings from hair extensions, I’ve been able to give the Shark PowerDetect some intense testing. You’ll see in the image below that is the anti-hair wrap technology boasted by the brand is as good as its promise. I’m yet to need to cut hair out of the rollers, although I suspect it doesn’t quite pick up all the hair that I scatter because a slightly more premium model seemed to pick up more than was set in my task. Overall though, this does a really good job of cleaning and it’s earned a place in my home.

Cleaning and maintaining the Shark PowerPro Cordless Stick Vacuum

The charge on the Shark PowerDetect is estimated at one hour and I think it more than lives up to its promise. I find that I am charging the vacuum really rarely and when I do, it gets juice in it pretty quickly. You can tell by the lights on the side of the vacuum.

Emptying the Shark is also an stress-free task. The base of the bin opens up and dust generally drops out. If you have pets or long hair, you might occasionally need to coax strands out, which isn’t pleasant, but the bin doesn’t good job of containing dust to make sure that it doesn’t overspill everywhere.

How does the Shark PowerPro Cordless Stick Vacuum compare?

For the price, it’s hard to get better value for money than the Shark PowerDetect. In fact, the only model I would take a saving for is the Ultenic, but with that you need to know that you’re buying a cheap vacuum. It has the lights and the settings — although not the special bends and independent standing capabilities of the Shark — it’s just more flimsy and much more likely to run out of battery when you’re cleaning the house. It’s still decent though.

If you don’t mind about the price and you’re wondering what you can get for more money, you need to see the Shark PowerDetect Clean and Empty. This is one of their newer models and it boasts everything that this does. The differences though are worth some extra money. It increases power when it senses that it’s near a skirting board so you never need a crevice tool and it has a docking station in which it will self-empty. These are just a few of the special extra touches that make for a really seamless vacuuming experience, but they’re ‘nice to have’s rather than necessary.

Should you buy the Shark PowerPro Cordless Stick Vacuum?

If you want an affordable vacuum that’s powerful, easy to use, and well-made, this is a brilliant buy. I test vacuums for a living and this is the one that lives in my home, which really should say it all.

How we test vacuums

At woman&home, we have a standardised set if tests that each vacuum faces. We see how well it can vacuum up small particles, such as sugar and flour, as well as bigger debris like cereal. I also like to do a hair test, just in case you have long hair or pets. Each vacuum is tested across a range of different floor types, both soft and hard, and we measure how much the vacuum manages to collect from each carpet. I also look at whether it’s heavy to hold, nice to push, easy to empty, and how often it needs charging. In short, by the end of testing, we know everything that you might possibly need to about the vacuum and all that goes into the review. You’ll know whether it’s good value for money, how it compares to other models on the market, and who it would suit. And, if you’re interested in finding out more, we have a dedicated page on how we test vacuum cleaners.