Shark Detect Pro Cordless Stick Vacuum, White, IW1120

Why it's worth it

The Detect Pro weighs six pounds — light enough to carry upstairs one-handed — and it senses floor type, edges, and hidden dirt on its own. It's the pick if you want most of the Stratos experience without the heft.

Weight is the difference you'll feel every single time. Six pounds versus nearly nine doesn't sound like much until you're doing overhead work or hauling it between floors. Shark redesigned the motor to be 30% lighter than its earlier cordless while keeping full-size suction, and CNET's coverage of Shark's lighter cordless sticks makes the same point about stair-friendliness.

Three sensors do the thinking. DirtDetect finds hidden debris and boosts power, EdgeDetect ramps suction along baseboards and into corners, and FloorDetect reads whether you're on carpet or tile and doubles brushroll speed accordingly. You just push. Shark's own testing puts the improvement at up to 50% better pickup versus eco mode.

From our review of 8 shark vacuums

What we like

• +Weight is the difference you'll feel every single time
• +Three sensors do the thinking
• +It has the sealed HEPA system that captures 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns, per ASTM testing
• +Owners with huskies, multiple cats, and litter-strewn floors report it keeps up with daily shedding, and the foldable pole…

What to know

• –The dust cup is small
• –It's happiest on hard floors and low-pile carpet
• –Some owners report frustration with the DuoClean front roller on certain debris — larger items can get pushed rather than…