Shark's premium cleaners are one of the best on the market in terms of picking up things on carpet and hard floors. Another big thing is the DuoClean roller system that resists hair tangles like a pro. The Shark Stratos has all the best features of the previous Shark Vertex (that is one of the best upright cleaners on the market) and adds/upgrades some features. What do the Shark Stratos brights to the table?
The best affordable upright vacuum: Shark NV352 Navigator Lift Away
Shark Vertex vs. Stratos what has changed?
Compared to the Shark Vertex, the Stratos has a bigger dustbin, more power, and an updated roller system. The Stratos has an odor eliminator cartridge that uses suction to process and deodorize the air and has to be switched once in six months.
Shark Stratos specs
| Specs/Model | Shark Stratos AZ3002 | Shark Vertex AZ2002 |
| Bin capacity | 1.4 L | 0.95 L |
| Bag type | bagless | bagless |
| Filter type | HEPA | HEPA |
| Power | 1416 W | 1344 W |
| LED lights | yes | yes |
| Converts to handheld | yes | yes |
| Self-cleaning brush | yes | yes |
| Cord length | 30 inches | 30 inches |
| Powered Lift-Away | yes | yes |
| DuoClean PowerFins HairPro | yes | no |
| DuoClean PowerFins | no | yes |
| Includes |
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| Weight | 17.2 lbs | 16.38 lbs |
Shark Stratos is the most powerful in the lineup
The manufacturer is marketing the Stratos to have the strongest suction of any upright vacuum on the market. Indeed, the Stratos has a ton of suction and does well in a couple of tests. Suction power at the hose and the head are much higher compared to average suction numbers.
Even tho the Stratos is powerful, it is pretty close to the numbers of the manufacturer's top-of-the-line Shark Vertex.
The best for vacuuming carpets and hard floors?
The Stratos is pretty good at carpet deep cleaning, slightly better than the Vertex. The new roller design is the reason why it does better on carpets. Perhaps, the Shark Stratos is the best upright vacuum for carpets among all Shark cleaners.
What is DuoClean? It is a mix of a soft roller and a standard roller in the same floor nozzle. It provides the best cleaning results since the soft roller is the best for hard floors when the standard roller agitates dust and debris off the carpet. The DuoClean system does the best with picking up ultra-fine and large debris. With that being said, Sharks with DuoClean are the best for surface cleaning and have lots of power to provide carpet deep cleaning. The Stratos uses the latest DuoClean PowerFins Pro roller system, the most advanced one.
The latest DuoClean PowerFins Pro roller system is made for dealing with picking up things of all kinds and resisting hair tangles
Like many others, the Shark Stratos head has LED lights that help to see the dust on the floor where you can't spot it.
Dealing with pet and human hair
The Sharks are one of the best on the market to deal with pet and human hair. Most new models have active hair removal. DuoClean is not prone to hair tangles and passes the hair tangle test without hair getting wrapped around the rollers.
Safe for allergy sufferers
The Shark is really great with filtration. Even the affordable options like Rotator or Navigator have a sealed filtration system which means dust stays inside the vacuum so you don't have to breathe it in. It is a rare thing for a vacuum to be under $200 and have a sealed filtration system.
Dust being circulated in your house as you vacuum is a real problem but the Shark Stratos keeps the particles in which makes it safe for everyone.
Powered Lift-Away
The Powered Lift-Away is meant for above-floor cleaning. With a few clicks, you detach the wand to pick up large debris or clean above the floors. There are also extra attachments that can be used to clean above the floors. This function does not lose power when the canister is removed.
The Stratos can be used as a stick to get under furniture or other hard-to-reach places but at the same time with the powered lift away, it does not tire your hand.
With an accurate swivel the head maneuvers smoothly around the furniture which makes using the cleaner comfortable.
The cons
- weight
- price
The Stratos is as heavy as the Vertex yet is a bit heavier and overall is on the heavy side which is a trade-off considering how powerful the cleaner is. Still lighter than some premium powerful vacuums out there.
Another con is the price. The Stratos is the most expensive upright vacuum in the lineup even tho it's cheaper than some premium competitors.
To sum up
The Shark Stratos AZ3002 is not cheap but worth every penny with all the power, accessory kit, and hair-resistance technology. The pickup ability is hard to compete with on carpet and hard floor. The new brushroll system makes the Strator hard to beat and be suitable for both, hard floor and carpet.
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