Shark Stratos AZ3002 Review: Technical Specifications
Product Dimensions: 11.02″ L x 12.2″ W x 46.46″ H
Weight: 16.71 poundsm
Current intensity: 11.8 amps
tension: 120 volts
Power : 1416 watts
Dust bin capacity: 1.48 pint
Power cord length: 30 feet
Hose length: 2.95 feet
Cleaning path width: 10.63 inches
Filter type: Felt filters + washable foam (pre-motor) HEPA filter (post-motor)
Guarantee: 5 years
It’s hard to beat the sheer cleaning power of upright vacuums, which is why so many people prefer these models as their primary cleaning tool. However, when it comes to cleaning under furniture or in tight corners, these vacuums often fall flat, as they’re typically quite bulky and not the easiest to maneuver.
I have a fairly large house that I vacuum twice a week, and I was tired of having to move furniture around and pull out the crevice tool to clean tight spaces. When I discovered the Shark Stratos upright vacuum, I knew it was going to be a game changer. The Stratos sets itself apart from the brand's other upright models thanks to a unique feature called “Powered Lift-Away,” which allows you to detach the canister from the vacuum's wand without cutting power to the brush. This essentially turns it into a canister vacuum, allowing you to easily clean under low furniture and other hard-to-reach areas.
I was eager to try this innovative vacuum cleaner and tested it for several months in my home where I have several pets. Not only did I love its design, but I was impressed by its cleaning power. In fact, it turned out to be one of the best best vacuum cleaners I have already used.
Shark Stratos AZ3002 Review: Price and Availability
The Shark Stratos is available in the United States from brand website for $399 or from retailers like WalmartThe standard version of the vacuum is red, but there is also a slightly more expensive blue version that includes the “TruePet upgrade” and comes with a few extra accessories. TruePet Model retails for $429 and is also available on Amazon.
Shark Stratos AZ3002 review: design
The Shark Stratos is easy to assemble, with just a few main pieces that snap together. It also comes with an “odor neutralizing cartridge” that fits into the vacuum head. When I put it in place, I could immediately smell a faint fresh scent coming from the small pod. The vacuum also comes with a crevice tool and an upholstery cleaning brush, and there are storage slots for both accessories on the back of the vacuum.
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While the Stratos is about the same size as other upright vacuums I've used, I found it to be a bit heavier than most, especially when it comes to stick vacuums. It weighs about 17 pounds, so it's a bit cumbersome if you have to carry it up and down stairs. However, I like that its controls are located right on the handle, making it quick and easy to turn on the vacuum and adjust the suction without having to bend over.
It offers three suction settings to choose from (hard floors, low-pile carpets, and high-pile carpets), and while it doesn't have a floorhead height adjustment, the vacuum does feature a unique design with two rotating brushes, including a tougher one for fine particles and a more traditional one with fins that dig into the carpet to agitate dirt. Other features include LED headlights on the floorhead, as well as a bagless dust bin and a HEPA filter.
Shark Stratos AZ3002 Review: Performance
I’ve been using the Stratos to clean my house for several months, and it’s one of the most powerful vacuums I’ve ever tried. Not only does it have strong, consistent suction, but its dual rotating brushes are a really useful feature. The soft rotating brush at the front makes it great for picking up dust on hard floors, while the second rotating brush with fins is great for cleaning thick carpets. The rotating brushes also have an effective anti-tangle design – I have two long-haired dogs, and I’ve never had a problem with their fur wrapping around the rotating brushes.
On carpets, I typically crank the Stratos to its highest suction setting, and you can hear it audibly increase the power. I'm always impressed by how much dirt, dust, and dog hair the vacuum is able to pull out of seemingly clean carpets, and when there's a new cartridge in the floor head, the vacuum leaves behind a slight fresh scent. However, I've found that the canister smell starts to fade after a week or two, so you'll end up replacing it frequently if you want to keep up with its maintenance.
The Stratos is equally effective on hard floors, an area where some upright vacuums struggle. It does a much better job than other vacuums of capturing fine dust and pollen during allergy season, and when I used it to vacuum up debris like kitty litter or raw rice, it didn't send any chunks flying onto the floor. It's even able to extract debris from the cracks between the boards of my old farmhouse.
My favorite feature on the Shark Stratos is the Powered Lift-Away. There’s a button on top of the tank that you can press to lift the entire body of the vacuum wand, and unlike other lift-away vacuums, the Stratos doesn’t cut off power to the brush. With the brush always running, I can vacuum under low-profile furniture and in hard-to-reach corners, then simply place the tank back on the wand when I’m done. It’s completely changed my cleaning routine, drastically reducing the amount of time I used to spend vacuuming every couple of weeks.
When it comes to using the vacuum's attachments, I like that you can detach the handle with or without the wand attached. Both tools are basic but effective, but I wish the vacuum came with a dusting brush for baseboards and window blinds. If you like to use your vacuum for dusting, it's worth upgrading to the TruePet version, which includes both a multi-angle dusting brush and a duster-crevice tool combo.
This vacuum is bagless, and the bin holds just under 1.5 liters of debris. It fills up with dog hair pretty quickly, so I usually have to empty it once or twice during cleaning. There is a button on the top of the bin that allows you to remove it, and a lever on the back allows you to dump it into the trash. In case any hair or debris gets stuck at the top of the bin, you can also open that end, so you don't have to dig through it with your hand. With the dust bin removed, you can also see the vacuum's washable foam filter, which you'll want to clean about once a month for maximum efficiency.
Shark Stratos AZ3002 Review: Comparison
Shark's latest model is the Rotator upright vacuum cleanerwhich looks almost identical to the Stratos, and which I also liked when I wrote my Shark Rotator review, but there are a few key differences to keep in mind. The Rotator has a Lift-Away feature, but not Powered Lift-Away. This means the rotating brush will have no power when the tank is detached. The Rotator has many of the same features as the Stratos, including a dual rotating brush, an odor-neutralizing cartridge, and LED headlights, but it’s only slightly cheaper—it retails for about $380, and I think it’s worth paying the extra $20 to upgrade to the Stratos.
THE Dyson Ball Animal 3 is another popular upright vacuum that offers extremely powerful suction, and one that I liked during testing. It's about the same size and weight as the Stratos, and it's very effective at extracting dirt and hair from thick carpets. It has a height-adjustable floor head and a tangle-free rotating brush, but it's not as versatile as the Stratos and can be difficult to maneuver in tight spaces.
Shark Stratos AZ3002 review: verdict
If you’re looking for a powerful and versatile upright vacuum to deep clean your home, the Shark Stratos is worth the investment. It’s reasonably priced (around $400) and comes with several unique features that make it easier to use than many other similar models. Its Powered Lift-Away lets you easily vacuum under low-profile furniture, and its dual brushrolls provide impressive cleaning capabilities on all types of debris and flooring. Plus, if you want to use it for other tasks like dusting, you can upgrade to the TruePet version, which comes with a few extra accessories.
The main downside to this vacuum is that it is quite heavy, especially if you have to carry it up stairs, so it might not be ideal for those with limited mobility. Overall, the Shark Stratos is one of the best vacuums I have ever used, and it is my go-to tool for cleaning around the house.