This Vacuum Thrives Against My 3 Cats and 2 Wool Rugs, and It Auto-Empties in the Blink of an Eye
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On a particularly messy day in my household, my new Shark Cordless Detect Pro vacuum with an Auto Empty System arrived. In desperate haste, I was able to set up and start using the high-tech, high-performing vacuum cleaner in under 10 minutes. Finally able to toss my cheap, rickety vacuum that had met its demise after just a few months of use, I had a powerful replacement that expedited the time it normally takes to de-dander, de-dust, and de-hair a New York City apartment with limited ventilation and several shedding living beings and rugs.
The first thing I noticed about the Shark vacuum was its flexible power thanks to smart features that interacted in real time with my space and the easy maneuverability around and under furniture and bathroom fixtures. On Auto Mode, the default when you power on, the vacuum cleaner is constantly calculating how to best clean for the specific use case. With its four features—DirtDetectTM, FloorDetectTM, EdgeDetectTM, and LightDetectTM — it adjusts the suction strength, brushroll speed, and headlight brightness based on the amount of dirt it detects and to account for edges, floor types and low light.
Shark Detect Pro Auto-Empty System, $405 with code PARADE10 (was $450) at Shark
DirtDetectTM scales suction power up and down depending on how much dirt the vacuum identifies while EdgeDetectTM adjusts suction power when it senses that you're up against an edge or corner. For me, there’s a surge around the litter box, on the rugs, and right up against the walls in addition to any area where there's visible mess, like near potted plants and pet bowls. For FloorDetectTM, there's a sensor in the nozzle that detects if you're on hard floors or carpets and adjusts the brushroll speed accordingly, so it customizes to clean my tiled kitchen, wood living room, and carpeted floors equally well, without me having to change anything I'm doing or stop to adjust my vacuum's speed or power settings.
LightDetect senses when you're in a dark area and adjusts the brightness of the headlights, spotlighting even the most minuscule dust and debris to guide you through a comprehensive cleaning no matter how dim your light is. This means I can clean up no matter what time of night my cats decide to knock over a vase or makeup compact, and the spotlight shows me every speck of glass or powder in the floor cracks, even if it's the middle of the night. You have two other manual modes at your disposal, as well: Eco, during which the vacuum preserves battery life by running on the lowest settings necessary, and Boost, which activates max power. I like to keep the Shark vacuum on Auto so it can do all the thinking for me.
In addition to speeding up my daily chores, which gives me more time back in the day, this Shark vacuum provides a more thorough cleaning service than models I’ve previously used that leverage low prices over quality, functionality, and features. The whites and reds in my carpets look brighter after a good vacuum sesh with my Shark, and my couches more crisp; thanks to the two extra attachments, I can use the detachable hand vacuum to clean a variety of surfaces thoroughly above the floor, like furniture and tabletops. The main vacuum head is best for large jobs, like covering entire floors and large area rugs, while the other attachments provide more versatility and precision.
When used as a handheld, the crevice tool helps me get every speck of litter from tight corners and thin cracks as well as crumbs from under the kitchen cabinets and around the refrigerator. Using the handheld piece with the crevice tool is also my go-to setup for quick tidies, like targeted dirt pickups around the potted plants on my desk and spot checks around my cats' food bowls after breakfast. It also can make getting pesky dust bunnies hiding under things a bit faster. Along with the crevice attachment, you have the Pet Multi-Tool, too, which is really a two-for-one, with a detachable, bristled dusting brush that comes off a smoother head good for upholstery and mattresses.
For another convenient high-tech touch, the auto-empty dock — which looks similar to a box your internet service would provide — has a waste bin inside, and the dust cup from the handheld portion of the vacuum gets automatically cleared out when you hook the vacuum into the charging stand. A fun whoosh sound accompanies your day-to-day dirt, dust, and loose hair getting sucked into the base of the dock in the blink of an eye, like you just snapped your finger and it disappeared. The added waste storage means you less frequently have to get your hands dirty and re-expose your space to the very dust you just worked to get rid of by popping open an overflowing smaller cup. According to Shark, the waste compartment can hold 30 days worth of dust cup collection, but I’ve gotten to three-quarters capacity in three weeks with three cats, two humans, and two big wool rugs, so my guess is it could last a less hairy household a bit longer than 30 days.
Shark Detect Pro Auto-Empty System, $405 with code PARADE10 (was $450) at Shark
To control when the dust cup empties rather than have it automated, all you have to do is press the button on the top of the dock with a decal of a crescent moon The other side of the docking station’s top is where you screw in the deodorizer to prevent any smells from the waste bin, so you won’t have to worry about odor while maximizing the time between garbage dumps. Out of the box, the 6 lb. Shark vacuum will be at 30% charge, but you should let the device charge completely before beginning to use it.
Although white, the docking station’s exterior is surprisingly easy to clean; all I did was wipe it down with a damp paper towel before taking these photos. To empty the waste bin in the dock station, pull on the handle to lift it, easily, out of the dock. Make sure you hold it over the trash before you open it if you don’t want to risk spilling any.
Shark Detect Pro Auto-Empty System, $405 with code PARADE10 (was $450) at Shark
The Shark Cordless Detect Pro Auto-Empty System with QuadClean Multi-Surface Brushroll is expensive, but not more so than comparable, similarly advanced competitors with vacuums that are especially good for pets. And in all of my testing, the brush roll did not get stalled once by long strands of hair or clumps of wool. In the past, when I’ve sacrificed cutting-edge technology and real suction power for a lower price point, the corner-cutting wound up costing more in the long run when the lower-quality models broke and needed to be replaced within a year. This Shark is the only vacuum so far that has thrived when faced with the natural elements of my apartment, and you can get it for 10% less with Parade’s exclusive promo code PARADE10.
The Shark Cordless Detect Pro Auto-Empty System with QuadClean and a Multi-Surface Brushroll is a modern vacuum for a modern world, and it’s made cleaning a lot more enjoyable and productive for me, despite the obstacles of living in a city apartment with multiple pets. I’d recommend this upgrade to anyone ready to take their time more seriously with an efficient and powerful vacuum cleaner.
