Shark’s New PowerDetect Speed Is Sleeker But Not Stronger Than the Original
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At seven pounds, the Shark PowerDetect Speed is almost a pound lighter than our current pick for thebest overall cordless vacuum: the original Cordless PowerDetect. This noticeably slimmer, more maneuverable version is faster to detect and respond to changes in surfaces and dust levels and adds an impressive blue LED-based version of Dyson’s dust-highlighting green laser. These improvements make it nicer to use, but they don’t quite make up for its reduced cleaning prowess compared to the older model.
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Floor attachments:Motorized single-brush anti-tangle roller head |Other attachments:Upholstery brush, crevice tool |Self-emptying dock:Yes |Battery life:60 mins. |Auto mode:Yes |Dustbin capacity:0.5 L|Warranty:1 year |HEPA filter:Yes
What I liked:
• Lighter, slimmer design looks more polished and is easier to handle than the original PowerDetect’s design.
• Blue LED automatically turns on when cleaning hard surfaces and effectively highlights dirt to be cleaned.
• Bagless auto-emptying charging dock reduces the frequency of dust plumes.
What I didn’t like:
• Underpowered floor-cleaning head struggles to get dust out of rugs and carpets.
• The handle gets quite hot when running continuously on high suction.
• Would prefer a bagged dock to eliminate dust plumes when emptying.
After thoroughly vacuuming my living room rug using the PowerDetect Speed, I was able to pick up nearly as much dust on a second pass using the original version. I suspect this is because the Speed’s floor-cleaning head uses the same roller for both hard floors and carpets, whereas the original has a dedicated fluffy roller for hard floors and a separate one — with two rows of stiffer bristles — for rugs and carpets.
I actually preferred the Speed’s simplified self-emptying dock. It’s slimmer than the original and does away with the cloying air-freshener cartridge, which I never bother installing. It’s quite loud, but there’s a manual switch on the side if you ever need to dock the vacuum while someone is sleeping or on a call nearby. The bagless dust reservoir makes emptying it every six weeks or so a bit of an onerous task, since all that debris gets kicked up as it’s being tipped into the trash. But dealing with a single dust plume every other month is better than experiencing one every time you use the vacuum.
The final word: There are better options for those with rugs
Overall, the original Cordless PowerDetect remains my pick forthe best cordless vacuumbecause it’s an excellent cleaner on both soft and hard surfaces. The Speed is worth considering if you have mostly hard floors and favor maneuverability over raw cleaning power, but if that’s your priority, I’d recommend the Dyson V15 Detect over either of the Shark vacuums. You’ll have to manually switch between the hard-floor- and soft-floor-cleaning heads for optimal performance, but both are very effective — and Dyson’s green laser highlights debris better than Shark’s blue LED. Or better yet, wait forthe forthcoming V16, which promises dual-surface cleaning with a single head.
Other cordless vacuums I recommend
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Our pick for best overall cordless vacuum is better at cleaning carpets.
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Powerful and maneuverable, but lacks an auto-emptying dock.
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A less expensive option that's fine for hard floors.
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