Shark Detect Pro Cordless: two-minute review
This model has slightly different names and codes in different territories:
US: IW1111
UK: IW1511UK
AU: IW1611
There's also a version with a self-empty base station:
US: IW3511
UK: 1.3L station IW3510UK/ 2L station IW3611UKT
AU: IW3611
For this review, we tested a UK model with a base, and another without. There may be minor differences between different countries' models.
The Shark Detect Pro Cordless vacuum combines a lightweight and easy to maneuver design with some clever automation features and a very affordable price tag. It packs enough power to cope with most people's needs, and especially if your home has mostly hard floors. What's more, deals are very easy to come by these days, and make this model very good value for money indeed. In short, it's one of the best cordless vacuums you can buy.
The Detect Pro can intelligently adjust suction and brushroll speed depending on the type of floor its on and how dirty it is. It can also sense when it's near the edge of a room, where dust can collect, and will amp up suction on the relevant side of the floorhead in response. All of this means a low-effort but battery-efficient clean. It can be easily disassembled into a handheld for added versatility, although the standard version only comes with one extra attachment (a crevice tool), which feels a little stingy. Note that the onboard bin is also pretty small, so you might have to empty it more often that you'd like.
It's not the very best Shark vacuum based on specs – that's currently the Shark PowerDetect cordless stick vacuum. That vacuum has one extra feature and more outright suction, but it's also bigger and heavier (for a detailed comparison, head to our Shark PowerDetect vs Detect Pro article).
If you fancy it, you have the option of an auto-empty base. Dock the vacuum here and all the dust will whoosh out of the onboard bin and into a large cavity in the base, via a closed system. We found this a big effort-saver in our tests, although you will need to find somewhere to store it.
That's the short version; read on for my full Shark Detect Pro Cordless review, where you'll learn more about why we think this is one of the best vacuums around.
Shark Detect Pro Cordless vacuum cleaner review: specs
Shark Detect Pro Cordless vacuum cleaner review: price & availability
- List price (vacuum only): $379.99 / £349.99 / AU$799.99
- List price (with auto-empty base): $449.99 / from £399.99 / AU$799.99
- Launched: September 2023
At full price, the Shark Detect Pro Cordless will set you back $379.99 / £349.99 / AU $599.99.
However, perhaps because it's slightly older now, deals are easy to come by, and you might expect to pay more like $250 / £200. In Australia discounts are less common, but list price has dropped significantly (it was AU$799.99 at launch). At that price, it's right on the cusp between our budget and mid-range price brackets, and incredible value for money.
If you opt for a version with an auto-empty base, it's $449.99 / from £399.99 / AU$799.99.
In general, Shark's prices fluctuate regularly and there are plenty of discounts around. The range itself is also massive and confusing, but there are a couple of other main cordless vacuums worth considering before making your purchasing decision.
The first is 2024's PowerDetect, which has a list price of $429.99 or $499.99 with auto-empty base. That model has similar detection features to the Detect Pro, but more power (see how it matches up in our Shark PowerDetect vs Detect Pro article).
The second is the older Shark Stratos cordless stick vacuum, which costs $499.99 / £399.99 / AU$999.99. It's heavier and bulkier than the Detect Pro (see exactly how they compare in our Shark Stratos vs Detect Pro comparison), and not really worth considering unless you find a deal.
Seasonal sales are always a great time to shop for new appliances, and the Black Friday sales tend to deliver especially strong vacuum cleaner discounts.
- Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5 (assuming a discount on ticket price)
Shark Detect Pro Cordless vacuum cleaner review: design
- Lightweight and easy to maneuver, but dust cup small
- LED display, three power modes
- Headlights illuminate dirt in dingy areas
Adorned in an attractive white and gold colorway, the Shark Detect Pro Cordless follows the general outline of other such stick vacuums, but is relatively lightweight and smaller than many competitor models.
The dust cup is also on the small side (0.4L, whereas most stick vacuum have 0.8L), although it is straightforward to empty – simply click a switch on the side and the whole front of the machine falls open.
The floorhead is Shark's 'QuadClean' one, with a brushroll that's designed to work equally well on any floor type. It includes a fluffy fabric for getting close to hard floors, and rubber fins to agitate dirt stuck in carpet. It's also designed to clean hair off itself as you go, so you don't have to cut it all off at the end, and includes LED lights to illuminate any mess in its path.
Like most modern stick vacuums, it can be transformed into a handheld by removing the wand and adding a detail tool. This is a little more fiddly than usual – you need to line up pins at the junction – but nothing too tricky. The detail tools included will depend on where you live, but they're a little limited compared to what other brands offer. We got just a crevice tool with one of our review models, and a crevice tool plus pet tool with the other.
The handheld itself is the brains of the operation. At the top you'll find a sizable LED display as well as the two control buttons – one for power and one for mode. This display is bordered by a ring of color that changes based on how dirty the floor is.
This display is useful, but not as comprehensive as you'd find on a newer Dyson – for example, here you get three lights to indicate battery life, whereas a Dyson display spells out exactly how long you have left in your current suction mode (we have a general Shark vs Dyson vacuum comparison article if you're struggling to choose between these two brands).
As far as controls go, there are three modes to choose from: Eco, Detect, and Boost. Detect mode became my go-to option – in this mode, the Shark Cordless Detect Pro will automatically adjust its suction power according to the amount of dirt or debris it comes across. This does away with the need to switch from Eco to Max on a particularly dirty section, and then back again, in order to save battery.
One of our review models came with an auto-empty base, but as that's an optional extra, we've covered it separately (jump straight to the Auto-empty system section).
- Design score: 4.5 out of 5
Shark Detect Pro Cordless vacuum cleaner review: performance
- Decent power for a cordless vacuum, and enough for most people
- Automation works as advertised and helps save effort
- Floorhead brushes debris into piles when pulling backwards
In general, the Shark Detect Pro Cordless performed very well on test. It's nimble and easy to maneuver, and the automation features work well – we could hear the suction ramping up and down as it discovered dirty patches or moved from carpet to hard floor. In terms of power, there's enough for most people's needs, and definitely if your home is mostly hard floors. For pet hair or large amounts of dirt, we'd recommend upgrading to a more powerful model with a larger dust cup (for more advice and recommendations, head to our guide to the best vacuums for pet hair).
Nevertheless, we found performance more than acceptable. The Detect Pro cordless was able to pick up fine dust as well as large debris without too much issue; and one tester even managed to vacuum up trimmings off a Christmas tree (not just individual needles).
The Shark Detect Pro Cordless is able to get pretty close to the edges and corners of floors. You can also hear and see the suction ramping up when the floorhead senses it's next to the edge of a room – a particularly clever addition because it this can be a particular hotspot for dust.
One slight flaw with the floorhead design is that when it's being pulled backwards, the floorhead causes debris to pool up behind it, requiring careful maneuvering so you're only tackling dirt when pushing the vacuum forwards. This is an issue that Shark specifically addressed with the PowerDetect model, and the difference was clear on test.
The LED lights on the floorhead made it easy to see if any mess remained to be cleaned up – at least on hard flooring. (These lights aren't as powerful or effective as the lasers found on the Dyson V15 Detect and Gen5detect though.)
While this vacuum doesn't have Shark's popular forward-bending wand, it will lie almost completely flat to the ground furniture was no hardship, as it’s possible to get the floorhead to essentially lay flat. The floorhead pivots well and it's fairly easy to maneuver into small spaces, although doesn't have the same flexibility you can expect from a Dyson cordless (that's one key difference to consider when weighing up the pros and cons of Shark vs Dyson vacuums.)
We also tested out the vacuum in handheld mode, for cleaning furniture and up high, and it worked well, although we did find the lack of detail tools a little limiting. This model is light for a cordless, so relatively comfortable for cleaning overhead – although if you really want something lightweight you might need to go for a dedicated model (here's our pick of the best handheld vacuums).
- Performance score: 4 out of 5
Shark Detect Pro Cordless vacuum cleaner review: battery
- Around 60 minutes (UK) or 40 mins (US) runtime in Eco mode
- Battery life drops significantly in other modes
The 60 minutes that the Shark Detect Pro Cordless can muster is fairly impressive, although it isn’t quite out of this world – and, of course, that’s 60 minutes in Eco mode. When using the vacuum in Detect mode, for instance, the LED display was showing a single bar of battery life after about 20 minutes. If you have a big area to clean, you might have to do it in shifts if it’s particularly dirty.
Note: it looks like the US version of this machine has a different battery, as the stated maximum battery life is shorter, at 40 minutes.
- Battery life score: 4 out of 5
Shark Detect Pro Cordless review: auto-empty system
- Empties contents of dust bin quickly and quietly
- Charges the vac and provides somewhere to store
- Adds pleasant-smelling odor neutralizer to the vacuum
One of our review models came with the optional auto-empty base (the UK model with the 2L dust capacity). This provides somewhere to dock, charge and store the vacuum for easy grab-and-go use, although obviously you will need to find somewhere near to a power outlet where it can live.
The self-emptying function pulls the contents of the dustbin into the bag in the basestation, and does so quickly and quietly. (It's quieter than using the actual vacuum (69dB for emptying, vs 76dB during use.)
In addition, the base station adds odor neutralizer technology. On some Shark vacuums, the odor neutralizer cartridge is inserted into the floorhead, but here it's inserted into the base station (and as such isn't included in the versions that don't have the base station). How the vacuum still manages to spread that scent around to leave floors smelling fresh is beyond us – but it works.
Should you buy the Shark Cordless Detect Pro?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
How we tested
For this initial review, our experienced reviewer used the Shark Detect Pro Cordless with Auto-Empty System for a few weeks, testing it on carpet, upholstery, hard flooring, and even ceilings. He tried all the different attachments as well as using just the handheld on its own, considered whether the odor neutralizer was if it was a gimmick or worthy addition, and paid attention to how well it cleaned edges, corners, and debris of all sizes.
For our re-review, we tested a Detect Pro without the auto-empty base. We re-ran the suction tests and compared its performance to the wider market, including newer Shark vacuums.
