Finally! Shark has released an auto-empty cordless vacuum cleaner suitable for smaller homes – and it’s a game-changer for pet owners

I've been testing vacuum cleaners for a long time, and one thing I can say with confidence is that the Shark doesn't hang about. This popular cleaning brand is constantly releasing new models to top their bestsellers, and their latest drop is the Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pet Pro Cordless Vacuum IA3241UKT.

And as it's my job to see whether these new vacuums have the legs to compete with the best Shark vacuums (better yet, the best cordless vacuum cleaners as a whole), I've been testing it out in my home. My verdict? It's very, very good.

In a nutshell

The Shark PowerDetect range is ever-growing, and the Shark PowerDetect Clean and Empty Cordless has been an Ideal Home-favourite for the past couple of years. And while I wish Shark would come up with much simpler names for their vacuums, I can’t deny that the new Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pet Pro IA3241UKT is just as good as this older model. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that it’s better.

Typically, Shark’s auto-empty vacuum cleaners have been reserved for larger homes with space to store the dock, but this new model offers a compact debris chamber that can still hold up to 45 days’ worth of dust and dirt. It’s also the brand’s ‘best cleaning cordless under 3.5kg,’ making it incredibly lightweight and easy to use - and you can even buy it without the dock if you’d prefer.

Decked out in four of Shark’s impressive PowerDetect technologies - Floor Detect, Edge Detect, Dirt Detect, and Direction Detect - it offers smart, cordless cleaning that will react to anything that comes its way. With these in tow, it excelled during our debris testing, tackling finer particles, larger debris, and even pet hair in a single forward pass across every floor type.

The included tools (handily stored on the dock itself) help you tackle smaller jobs and those awkward nooks and crannies, and the anti-odour capsules, coupled with HEPA filtration, help eliminate odours in homes with pets while keeping nasty airborne allergens sealed inside the dock. The only real downside? The 6-hour charge time is a little longer than I’d like.

Specifications

• Weight: 6.41 kg (vacuum and dock), 3.2kg (vacuum)
• Bin volume: 0.5L vac capacity, 2L dock capacity
• Run time: Up to 60 mins (in Eco mode)
• Charge time: 6 hours
• Modes: Eco, Detect, Boost
• Noise level (tested by us): 77-85dB
• In the box: Main Unit, Auto-Empty Charging Dock, 20 cm Duster Crevice Tool, Motorised Pet Tool, Lithium-Ion Battery, Anti-Odour Cartridge

Unboxing, setting up and first impressions

The Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pet Pro arrived on my doorstep in a relatively small, lightweight box. The whole box actually weighed just 6.96kg, making it incredibly easy to lift into my home.

And as Shark has done for a while now, everything inside was encased in recyclable materials - including the cardboard scaffolding keeping everything safe and protected, and the paper-like wrappers for the smaller components. So, as always, I let out a little cheer for the brand’s eco-friendliness.

Inside and ready for assembly were the handheld part of the Shark PowerDetect Speed, the main floorhead, flex wand, charging post, and the dock base. All I had to do was click the charging post into the dock, and then assemble the vacuum itself. This took all of one minute, which is always a bonus in my book.

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One thing that instantly struck me was how compact and lightweight the auto-empty dock was. And while there’s no denying that you do still need a little bit of space to store it, it’s not overwhelming or obstructive - and the addition of the onboard tool storage on the dock means that you can keep everything in one place without accidentally losing the accessories.

This dock is also where the anti-odour cartridge is located, and to insert this, all I had to do was take it out of its packaging and click it into place.

As I always like to start my testing process with a full tank of juice, I popped the Shark PowerDetect Speed onto the auto-empty dock to charge, then stepped back to assess the overall design of the new vacuum.

The blue colourway is intriguing, and I love the juxtaposition of the orange brush bar as a pop of colour. But more than anything, I loved how sleek and streamlined the whole thing looked. It looks high-quality, but its lightweight, compact nature makes it easy to keep in the house, which is ideal for a small home like mine.

Using the Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pet Pro

I always like to use any vacuum I test as naturally as possible during the review process, but before I do, I like to perform a few engineered tests that help me compare every model I review against each other.

So, in accordance with how we test vacuum cleaners at Ideal Home, I threw a variety of debris on my hard flooring - including flour, rice and porridge oats. The idea here is to test how well the vacuum picks up this debris. In an ideal world, it’ll be able to pick up every speck on the forward pass. For vacuums with less impressive cleaning power, it may take a few passes to get back to a squeaky-clean floor.

Thankfully, the Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pet Pro was part of the former category, and you can see from the video just how seamless the pickup power was. Every piece of debris was removed during the first forward pass, and it left nothing in its wake.

Given this cleaning power, the Direction Detect technology (which picks up debris on both forward and reverse strokes, unlike many vacuums that only pick up debris on the forward stroke) was a little redundant, but it was nice to know it was there if needed. Especially if you’re in a rush and want to vacuum as quickly as possible.

I then repeated the process on a carpet sample, and found the results to be just as impressive - even when I added some of my dog’s hair as part of how we test pet vacuums at Ideal Home. Every strand was picked up in one pass, and the pet-friendly brush bar meant that there was no tangling in sight.

I then used the new Shark vacuum cleaner as my main vacuum for the week, cleaning my house and all the floors (and nooks and crannies that come with it). And one thing that I really loved about this new model was the ‘Reveal’ technology, which uses a precision-angled cyan beam to reveal hidden dirt on hard flooring. This was my first time experiencing this new blue light, as I’m used to Shark’s white headlights, and I must admit that it was highly effective.

The blue really showcases those little particles that would typically be invisible to the eye, and the light automatically changes to white when the vacuum uses its Floor Detect technology to detect the change from hard flooring to carpet.

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The constantly-changing LCD screen is also a nice touch, as this shows the Dirt Detect technology in real time, changing colour depending on how much debris it detects - and how it’s changed its suction power to cope with it. Plus, I found the Edge Detect successful in sensing edges and corners and increasing (or decreasing) the suction power depending on their state.

However, one thing I did notice during testing was that this particular vacuum struggled with thicker, higher-pile rugs, which I do think is linked to the model's lightweight nature. It seemed as though it just wasn’t tough enough on its own to deal with the resistance of the rug, and it required a little more force on my part to push it along.

I only noticed this with one of the rugs in my home, though, and that one is particularly thick and puts almost every vacuum cleaner I test through its paces. It had no trouble with the others, and vacuuming my regular carpet was a breeze.

Of course, another perk of this vacuum - and most Shark vacuums, to be honest - is the Flexology wand, which allows you to bend the vacuum under furniture without having to move it out of the way. This, coupled with the cordless vacuum's lightweight design, proves that anyone could use it.

Using the attachments

The Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pet Pro comes with two attachments - the 20cm Duster-Crevice Tool and the Motorised Hand Tool. I must admit that my initial reaction to this was a little ‘meh’ as I typically expect more from a vacuum cleaner designed for pet owners.

However, the more I used them, the more I realised that they were enough for cleaning those smaller nooks and crannies and the more targeted cleaning you need as a pet parent. I found that they were enough to tackle the jobs that I needed them for, and I didn’t need to use another vacuum with additional tools to make up for the two included.

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The multi-purpose crevice tool comes with a movable duster that is super handy for dusting windowsills and even computer keyboards, and the motorised hand tool really is a godsend for pet beds, sofas and the stairs. And when using any of them, the handheld is compact and lightweight, making more targeted cleaning incredibly easy.

One thing I’ll also say is that, in true Shark form, the tools and attachments are very high quality - and the fact that they match the colourway of the main vacuum AND can be stored on the auto-empty dock makes the whole unit seem neat, tidy, and cohesive.

Cleaning and maintenance

The beauty of Shark’s auto-empty dock is that very little cleaning and maintenance is required - and even then, they’ve designed this model to be as hands-free as possible. Of course, the onboard 0.5L dust capacity could be considered small compared to other cordless vacuum cleaners, but the dock allows for an extra 2L and the vacuum auto-empties after every clean.

This means that you only have to empty the larger 2L dust canister when it’s full - and it’ll come up with a warning light when it’s time to do that. Then, all you have to do is hold the canister over the bin and empty it as you would any other cordless. To be honest, this was a little messy, and I did have to deal with a slight dust plume, but I can handle that when I only have to do it once every 45 days.

For those averse to loud noises, it’s worth noting that the auto-empty function isn’t quiet - and the dock actually goes through a 3-step cycle to do this after each cleaning session, which means the whole process takes around 30 seconds. Nevertheless, Shark has found a way to challenge this by adding the ‘Quiet Mode’ to the dock.

When you choose this mode (the moon button is on top of the auto-empty dock), you can dock and charge the vacuum without it auto-emptying and disturbing you. This is ideal for cleaning when the kids have gone to sleep, but just remember to turn that mode off before your next cleaning session.

As this model is also equipped with a HEPA filter, making it once again ideal for homes with pets or those with allergies, you’ll also need to clean it once a month. To do this, remove the dust cup and pull the tab to slide it out of the handheld section. And just as you’d clean any other Shark filter, you simply rinse it under the tap and allow it to air dry before replacing it.

However, one niggle I have with this vacuum cleaner is that the 6-hour charging time is long compared to many other cordless vacuums. This does seem limiting for busy family homes where they might need to whip out the vacuum a few times a day.

How does it compare to similar models?

When talking about this new Shark model, it makes sense to compare it to its older sibling - the Shark PowerDetect Clean and Empty Cordless, which we gave a 5-star review back in October 2024.

In terms of looks and overall design, these two vacuums are incredibly similar, but some differences could affect your decision. For starters, there’s the price, as the older model is more expensive at £549.99, while this newer model has entered the chat at £499.99.

This is largely because, on paper, the older model is slightly more powerful - coming in at a power wattage of 380 compared to the newer model’s 350 watts. It also has an extra 10 minutes of run time compared to the newer model, which could be handy for those with larger, messier homes. It also comes with one extra attachment.

When it comes to size, weight and storage options, though, I do think that the Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pet Pro is the better option. It’s easier to use and keep in the house, and it’s still kitted out with many of the same technologies, most of which would have been given an upgrade since the older model’s release.

However, it’s interesting to note that, for one of the first times ever, Shark has provided the air watts (AW) of this new vacuum cleaner: 150 AW. This is one of the biggest (but not the only) indicators of how much suction power a vacuum cleaner has, and 150 is about average for a cordless vacuum cleaner in today’s market. But that also makes it identical in suction power to one of Dyson’s newest vacuum cleaners, the Dyson V8 Cyclone.

150AW is nothing compared to 315 AW of Dyson’s most powerful cordless vacuum cleaner, the Dyson V16 Piston Animal, but I’ve tested all of these vacuums personally and can tell you that 150AW is more than enough for everyday household use. They both have the same 60-minute run time, so comparing these Shark vs Dyson vacuums largely comes down to the other available features.

For me, I loved the simplicity of the Dyson V8 Cyclone and appreciated that the lack of an LCD screen or fancy bells and whistles didn’t diminish its impressive cleaning power. The £349 price tag is also incredibly enticing, especially when Dyson appliances are typically on the pricier end of the spectrum.

If I had to choose, though, the new Shark vacuum cleaner would be my winner. It has modern features like an LCD screen and an auto-empty dock that make cleaning way more convenient, and I found it much more enjoyable to use around the house.

Verdict: Should you buy the Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pet Pro Cordless Vacuum?

If you’re looking for a well-rounded vacuum cleaner that offers the convenience of a powerful cordless and hands-free emptying, I really do think the Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pet Pro Cordless Vacuum will tick all your boxes. And even if you definitely don’t have space for the auto-empty dock, the option to buy without it is also a nice perk.

Its pickup power seriously proved its worth during testing, thanks to its four Detect technologies, and it’s clearly been designed with ease of use in mind due to its lightweight nature and compact design. The self-cleaning, anti-tangle brush roll and motorised pet tool also make it a game-changer for pet owners who want grab-and-go cleaning that actually gets the job done.

However, it is an investment compared to cheaper models on the market, and finding space for the auto-empty dock might be an issue for those with cosier homes. So, you’ll just need to make sure that you have a spare corner and some spare money to make the most of it.