I’m a cleaning nerd. I am the person who gets excited about new household gadgets and cleaning products, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I truly believe the cordless stick vacuum was one of the greatest, most helpful cleaning inventions to emerge in the last 20 years. I can’t imagine cleaning my home without one.
Over the years, I’ve tried many cordless vacuums from many brands, such as Tineco and Levoit. We’re all aware that Shark is a well-known, quality household brand, but this was my first time testing one of their vacuums. I love the other Shark products I have, so I was excited to put the Shark Stratos Cordless Vacuum to the test. Just from reading the box and the specs alone, I was extra curious how the “Clean Sense IQ” feature of this cordless vacuum would work. If you’re thinking of purchasing a shark cordless vacuum like the Stratos Cordless vacuum, read this first.
Shark Stratos Cordless Vacuum
Unboxing and Learning To Use the Shark Stratos Cordless Vacuum
Products like the Shark Stratos Cordless Vacuum can sometimes be overwhelming to learn to use. After all, the box has about a million claims in bold lettering that might leave you wondering what it all REALLY means.
However, Shark does an excellent job of using carefully-placed stickers on the vacuum to teach you what each component does. This made it easy to set up the vacuum and understand how it’s used in less than 15 minutes. Like all Shark products, it comes with an easy quick start guide which also helps make it easy to quickly learn how the product operates.
Pros
- Long run time — up to 60 minutes.
- Self-cleaning roller.
- No wall mount required.
- Picks up hair well.
- MultiFLEX technology for hard-to-reach places.
- Odor neutralizer.
- Thorough, deep cleaning.
- Very strong and powerful suction.
Cons
- Rollers can be a tad noisy.
- Price point is higher than other stick vacuums.
- No wall mount included (whether this is a pro or con depends on your needs).
- Cannot control cleaning level.
Specifications
- Maximum runtime: 60 minutes.
- Cleaning capability: Two brushroll system.
- Motor/Technology: Clean Sense IQ system.
- Wand flexibility: MultiFLEX technology.
- Cleaning: Self-cleaning brush rolls.
- Display: LED battery display.
- Item Weight: 8.9 pounds.
- Price: $499.99.
What it Comes With
While you’ve probably come to this Shark Stratos Cordless review to find out about how it operates, let’s first briefly cover what it comes with. Like most stick vacuum cleaners, this product comes with a nozzle and brush attachment for cleaning between tight spaces. Unlike other vacuums I’ve tried, the Stratos also comes with an anti-allergen flat duster, which I can see being helpful for a variety of household cleaning tasks.
Using the Vacuum on Hard Surfaces and Carpets
The operation of this vacuum is fairly easy — just turn it on and let the product do the work for you. As I first pushed the vacuum around floors and carpets in my home, I found it automatically adjusting the speed and suction based on the level of dirt.
This felt effortless and it did an excellent job of picking up debris on the first pass. If you’ve spent any time exploring stick vacuums in the past, you know that while they’re great, they don’t replace a real vacuum. However, the Shark Stratos Cordless Stick vacuum feels like the suction of a real vacuum: If you have a pet with lots of hair, or a home with lots of carpeting, this could be a great option for you. I felt that this vacuum was really picking up embedded debris in carpets and rugs.
The item feels lightweight at only nine pounds, but not necessarily lighter than other stick vacuums I’ve tried. During operation, you’ll notice a Clean Sense IQ display on the bottom of the vacuum, which is the vacuum determining how much suction is needed, based on the level of debris. It’s pretty nifty.
Cleaning and Charging
One thing that took me by surprise when unboxing the Shark Stratos Cordless Vacuum was the lack of wall mount included. Most stick vacuum cleaners I’ve tried come with a wall mount that’s needed for charging. This could be a pro or a con, depending on how you look at it: On one hand, having a wall mount is nice because you have a place where you know your vacuum is always stored and charging. On the other hand, not requiring a wall mount to charge gives this vacuum more flexibility. It can easily be stored or charged anywhere, making it ideal for apartments or smaller homes without space to hang a wall mount. Additionally, it stands up really well on its own and folds for storage in any space.
Emptying the canister of this vacuum is simple and straightforward. As someone who sheds quite a bit of hair, I liked how it didn’t get the hair stuck in the rollers. That’s one of the most frustrating things about cleaning a vacuum, and the self-cleaning nature of this vacuum does the work for you.
Suction Power
The suction power of this vacuum is impressive. If you feel that your current vacuum requires too many pass throughs to get the job done, you’ll be impressed with this one: It could certainly cut down on cleaning time if you feel you’ve been struggling with a weak vacuum (I know this situation well).
Shark Stratos Cordless Vacuum
In My Expert Opinion: Should You Buy the Shark Stratos Cordless Stick Vacuum?
The price point of the Shark Cordless Stratos is definitely higher than some vacuums by lesser-known brands. While I’m not usually one to say brand names are worth the splurge, this vacuum outperformed every cordless stick vacuum I’ve tried. If you’re looking for a hybrid that provides the flexibility and ease of use of a cordless vacuum with the suction capability and strength of a regular vacuum, this vacuum is worth the buy.
For homes that are mostly hard flooring and don’t have much carpet, I don’t think this vacuum is necessary. If you’re seeking a vacuum for a quick crumb clean up every now and then, you don’t need the features or suction power of this tool, which is designed for homes that have both carpeting, rugs, and hard floor cleaning needs.
