I've tested over 100 vacuums, and the Shark Stratos Upright is my top pick — plus it's on sale for its lowest price ever

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When you stock your location pinch aggregate pets — successful my case, 2 long-haired Golden Retrievers and a spunky feline — a powerful vacuum is simply a necessity. I've recovered that galore of nan best upright vacuums only execute good connected 1 type of flooring, either difficult floors aliases carpeting, and it's been an endless root of vexation arsenic I person an adjacent operation of some successful my home. I want to thoroughly cleanable my hardwood floors and area rugs without switching tools, which is why I fell successful emotion pinch nan Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum. It's quickly go my go-to vacuum for my multi-pet household.

The Stratos is Shark's astir costly upright vacuum, retailing for astir $500 astatine afloat price, but for nan first clip ever, it's half off. It's packed pinch features that make it nan cleanable cleaning instrumentality for multi-pet homes. From its dual brushrolls and odor-neutralizing cartridge to its useful lift-away canister, this powerful vacuum is thoughtfully designed from apical to bottom, and it's easy 1 of nan best vacuums I've ever used. Keep reference for everything I discovered while testing this vacuum and in-depth specifications connected each nan features that make it guidelines out.

Setup

The Shark Stratos is simply a ample upright vacuum, weighing much than 16 pounds, and nan packaging was rather bulky. I had to wrap my arms astir nan container and shuffle awkwardly to transportation it into my house. Once I opened up nan box, I was greeted by a ton of plastic. Every portion of nan vacuum was wrapped successful astatine slightest 1 furniture of bladed plastic, and immoderate had a 2nd furniture of styrofoam-y wrap for added padding. While I understand wanting to protect nan pricey instrumentality during shipping, it's clear that eco-friendliness isn't a apical privilege for nan brand. 

Once unboxed, nan vacuum was speedy and easy to assemble. A mini sketch connected nan packaging shows really to put nan pieces together, but I could person done it without immoderate directions. It was conscionable a matter of clicking nan main conduit and assemblage onto nan floorhead, past inserting nan grip and hose. There are 2 spots connected nan backmost of nan vacuum to clasp nan crevice and upholstery tools, arsenic good arsenic a cord wrap to support nan powerfulness cablegram tidy. 

The last measurement of assembly was inserting nan vacuum's odor-neutralizing cartridge, which comes sealed successful a metallic package. When I ripped nan container open, I was greeted by a light, caller scent, and nan information cartridge snapped into spot connected nan floorhead. You tin move nan cartridge to merchandise much aliases little scent, and I opted to time off it connected nan lowest setting, hoping to maximize its lifespan.

Our reappraisal of nan Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum

Living connected a workplace pinch 2 rambunctious dogs, there's ne'er immoderate shortage of dirt, dust, aliases pet hairsbreadth successful my house, truthful nan Stratos had its activity trim retired for it. I utilized nan upright vacuum for my twice-weekly heavy cleaning sessions, which progressive vacuuming nan difficult floors and area rugs, cleaning nan 2 sofas, and dusting nan baseboards.

Ease of Use

The Stratos is connected nan heavier broadside compared to different upright vacuums I've used, but it's well-balanced and ergonomic, making it easy to push astir nan level and maneuver into tight corners and astir obstacles. I emotion that its controls are correct connected nan grip — there's a powerfulness button, arsenic good arsenic a sliding toggle that lets you move betwixt settings for difficult floors, low-pile carpet, and high-pile carpet. The buttons are each easy to operate, and it's convenient that you don't person to extremity aliases crook complete to alteration nan vacuum's settings. The powerfulness cord is 30 feet long, which gave maine capable region to vacuum 2 rooms earlier I had to move outlets, and it was easy to wrap up connected nan broadside of nan vacuum erstwhile I was done cleaning.

If you inquire me, 1 of nan champion features of this vacuum is its "Powered Lift-Away" operation. A fastener connected nan apical of nan dustbin allows you to assistance nan full assemblage disconnected nan base, fundamentally turning it into a canister-style vacuum. Thanks to this feature, I was capable to easy vacuum underneath low-profile furnishings for illustration my sofa and media console — places that different upright vacuums could ne'er reach. There are besides levers that let you to merchandise nan grip aliases wand separately, which proved to beryllium useful for cleaning baseboards and vacuuming nan stairs.

Cleaning Performance

In summation to utilizing nan Stratos arsenic portion of my mundane cleaning routine, I besides put it done a bid of tests, utilizing it to vacuum debris for illustration flour, java grounds, uncooked rice, cereal, and pet hairsbreadth connected difficult floors and carpeting. I was perfectly blown distant by nan vacuum's expertise to prime up particles of each sizes — it typically only required 1 walk to prime up nan immense mostly of nan debris, performing overmuch amended than galore different vacuums I've tested. In almost each test, it was capable to prime up 100% of nan debris. The only area wherever it wasn't rather cleanable was picking up flour disconnected nan carpeting, wherever it only picked up 90% of nan good particles. In respective cases, nan dustbin's weight was really greater than nan magnitude of debris I put connected nan floor, truthful it picked up dirt/dust I didn't moreover cognize was location (I committedness nan level looked clean!)

I was peculiarly impressed that nan Stratos performed arsenic good connected difficult floors and carpeting, and I deliberation a batch of it has to do pinch nan vacuum's dual brushroll design. The beforehand brushroll is simply a soft, fluffy worldly that captures good particles and stops larger debris from being spit out, while nan backmost brushroll has much rigid bristles to get heavy into carpeting and propulsion up dirt. Together, they present superior cleaning power, and nan champion portion (for me, anyway) is that hairsbreadth — some canine and quality — doesn't get tangled up successful nan brushrolls.

In summation to cleaning my floors, I besides utilized nan vacuum to cleanable canine hairsbreadth disconnected nan couch. The upholstery attachment is simply a simple, non-motorized design, but it was still effective for picking up debris. I did announcement that it tends to get staticky during use, causing hairsbreadth and particulate to instrumentality to nan plastic, but it did a bully occupation cleaning disconnected nan cloth successful a fewer passes. I besides vacuumed nan baseboards astir my surviving room utilizing nan crevice tool, and while it worked OK, I wish nan vacuum came pinch a dusting brushwood for those kinds of tasks.

Odor Neutralizing

Another unsocial characteristic of this vacuum is its odor-neutralizing cartridge, which is located successful nan floorhead. The marque claims it "guards against bad odors," but aft testing retired nan vacuum, it seems to maine for illustration nan cartridge conscionable useful arsenic a mini aerial freshener, leaving down a caller scent erstwhile you clean. 

I for illustration nan smell, which is caller without being excessively in-your-face, but I was disappointed that it wore disconnected rather quickly. After a week of regular use, nan scent was acold little noticeable, contempt nan brand's declare that each cartridge lasts up to six months. If you really for illustration nan scent, it mightiness beryllium worthy swapping successful new cartridges, but I personally wouldn't fuss replacing it — you tin get nan aforesaid effect from a carpet refresher, which will apt beryllium much budget-friendly successful nan agelong run.

Filtration

The Stratos is equipped pinch a fewer different filters to thief seizure allergens for illustration pollen and pet dander and support them from being circulated backmost into your home. When you region nan dustbin, you tin spot nan washable foam and felt filters, which nan marque recommends cleaning erstwhile per month. The foam select is white, truthful you tin spot it get dirtier pinch each usage — a adjuvant reminder that it needs cleaning. 

There's besides a HEPA select astatine nan guidelines of nan vacuum, which tin seizure 99.9% of particles arsenic mini arsenic 0.3 microns. This select tin beryllium accessed by removing nan "grill" connected nan beforehand of nan vacuum. It should beryllium washed erstwhile a twelvemonth and replaced each 3 years. 

Dustbin 

The dustbin connected this vacuum appears rather ample astatine first glance, arsenic it takes up nan mostly of nan vacuum body. However, nan "max fill" statement is conscionable a fewer inches disconnected nan bottommost of nan canister, truthful it does request to beryllium emptied often if you want nan vacuum to execute astatine its best. In particular, canine hairsbreadth quickly fills up nan dustbin, and I mostly needed to quiet nan bin astatine slightest erstwhile (but sometimes twice) while cleaning my surviving room and office. 

The bully news is that it's easy to empty. There's a fastener to region nan full canister from nan vacuum, and past a lever pops unfastened nan bottommost of nan bin erstwhile you're holding it complete nan trash. Clumps of hairsbreadth would occasionally get stuck astatine nan apical of nan dustbin, but alternatively of having to food them retired pinch my hand, nan lid besides popped open, truthful I simply turned nan instrumentality complete to bang retired immoderate lingering debris.

Cons to consider

Overall, I was genuinely impressed pinch nan Shark Stratos and it worked good for my needs, but location are a fewer downsides you'll want to support successful mind. Arguably nan biggest woody breaker is nan vacuum's weight. When it's empty, nan vacuum is adjacent to 16 pounds, which whitethorn simply beryllium excessively dense for immoderate people, particularly if you're going to beryllium carrying it up and down stairs. 

Beyond that, my complaints are minor: The odor-neutralizing cartridge doesn't past very long, moreover if you put it connected nan lowest merchandise setting, and nan dustbin has a debased "max fill" line, forcing you to quiet it rather often if you're picking up pet hair. Finally, nan vacuum doesn't travel pinch a dusting brush — though you tin get 1 separately from nan brand.

What are your alternatives?

If you're looking for a vacuum that's lighter — but still offers powerful suction—the Shark Stratos Cordless Vacuum is 1 of nan best cordless vacuums we've tested. It boasts galore of nan aforesaid features arsenic nan upright model, but it lasts for up to 60 minutes per charge, has a HEPA filter, and weighs conscionable 9 pounds, making it overmuch much manageable to transportation astir your home.  

Another cordless action for homes pinch pets is nan Dyson Outsize Cordless Vacuum. It's larger and much powerful than galore different cordless models, and it has an awesome runtime of up to 60 minutes, meaning you tin cleanable longer without having to extremity to quiet nan dustbin. However, it is reasonably costly for a cordless vacuum, pinch a guidelines value of $500. 

Comparatively, nan Dyson Ball Animal 3 conscionable edged retired nan Shark Stratos arsenic nan best upright vacuum for pet hair, acknowledgment to its fierce dust-culling properties and optional suite of pet-friendly attachments, including grooming tools. 

Also from Shark, nan Shark Navigator Liftaway Deluxe is simply a bully mid-range action that tin often beryllium recovered connected waste for astir $200. It features Shark's Liftaway design, HEPA filtration, and a brushroll shut-off feature, but it does not person nan Stratos' unsocial dual brushroll creation that was awesome astatine picking up particles ample and mini aliases nan odor-neutralizing cartridges. 

If you're not looking to walk that much, nan Bissell Cleanview Swivel Vacuum is simply a much affordable upright action — we were impressed by its suction powerfulness and oversized dustbin, which is awesome for pet hair, but it's beautiful noisy. 

The bottommost line

For homes pinch pets and aggregate types of flooring, nan Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum is an unbeatable prime for heavy cleaning. It expertly handles each types of debris crossed immoderate style of flooring — without getting bogged down by pet hairsbreadth — and its Powered Lift-Away creation makes it overmuch much versatile than your mean upright vacuum. I'd urge it to everyone I know.