Hands on Shark Stratos review TechRadar Skip to main content TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. Hands on Shark Stratos review If this Shark vacuum is at the top of it's game, I want one Not yet rated By Jennifer Oksien last updated 20 September 2022 What is a hands on review (Image: © Future) Early Verdict Lightweight and versatile with our favorite Anti Hair Wrap feature, the Shark Stratos has a lot going for it. The Flexology feature was a little stiff when we quickly tested, though, and don't expect it to stand up on it's own, because it won't. Pros + Lightweight and easy to manoeuvre+ Easy to store+ Automatic adjusting of suction Cons - Doesn't stand up on its own- Can be a little stiff to use the Flexology feature Jump to: Performance Design Early verdict This is a flash hands on review to give you the chance to see what the Shark Stratos Cordless is all about as soon as possible. Stay tuned as we'll be expanding and upgrading this hands on review very shortly with more info. We're day two into our time at IFA 2022 (opens in new tab), and we are eagerly anticipating the launch of some more entries into the best robot vacuum cleaners (opens in new tab), best cordless vacuum cleaners (opens in new tab) and upright vacuum cleaner categories. We are keeping our eyes open for any newness and one, in particular, that has caught my eye is the Shark Stratos. We joined SharkNinja for breakfast this morning (Thursday 1 September) and not only did we have our hair styled with the new Shark FlexStyle, we had the opportunity to also try out the new vacuum cleaner which was sat amongst the brands already popular line of vacuum cleaners. Stratos is the name of the new range by Shark. There are upright, corded sticks and cordless sticks with some of the best features we know and love such as Anti Hair Wrap, Duo Clean and Flexology, along with some new things to boot which promise to pick up more debris and control bad odors. It's currently on pre-order direct from Shark UK (opens in new tab) and will be released for sale on the Shark website and with resellers sometime over the next few weeks. Performance We were really impressed by the new Clean Sense IQ technology, which according to Shark picks up 50% more dirt from the floor by sensing the dust you can't see and automatically adjusts the suction power. This is beautifully illustrated by an intelligent indicator in the floorhead. We had some dried cereal scattered on the floor to demonstrate how effective this feature was, and we could hear the gears changing as it had to put a bit more effort in to removing the cereal form the floors surfaces than surface dust. (Image credit: Future) We were told that this new feature will also help to preserve the battery life since you'll be using a suction power level that is most suitable for the floor type, which is unlikely to be on Max. Another new addition to the Shark vacuum is the innovative Anti Odor Technology which guards against bad smells. If you've ever noticed a smell coming from your vacuum cleaner after not emptying it for some time, or you have pets, then you are going to really notice the difference when using a vacuum cleaner from the Stratos range. Although we couldn't give this feature a quick test, we have seen it and it is a little plug-type filter which resides in the floorhead. Very neat. To play on the idea that these new vacuum cleaners are good for pet owners, Shark has enhanced the Anti Hair Wrap floorhead. It looks the same but it is supposed to deliver an even better hair pick up due to an improved grip. We could see any hair, dust or cereal left on the floor after a quick vacuum around the event stand, nor could we see any debris wrapped around the floorhead. The real test would be when we come to review it in our own home. (Image credit: Future) Design To look at the Shark Stratos cordless doesn't look too dissimilar to the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Flexology IZ201UK (opens in new tab). The floorhead is compact, the stick can fold (Flexology) and there's two power settings. (Image credit: Future) One noticeable difference, however, is that the Anti Odor Technology is present on the floorhead. It doesn't look at all bad and has been carefully designed. Alas, we did not take a photograph of this, and the vacuum cleaner we quickly tried out is a European version without this feature, but rest assured it doesn't detract from the overall look. The Flexology feature means that you can fold the vacuum cleaner for easy storage, making it ideal for homes where space is a premium. Shame that the vacuum cleaner won't stand up on its own in other circumstances other storage, however. (Image credit: Future) Early verdict We were really impressed by the Shark Stratos at the IFA event. It has all the good features that we know and love, and then some. We're particularly keen to give the CleanSense IQ feature a bit more run for its money. We like that the suction is displayed in such an obvious way on the floorhead, which in turn effects the number of floorhead lights that are illuminated whilst powered on. The Anti Odor Technology and Anti Hair Wrap Plus are features we are curious to know more about, too. There's only one way to go about this, and that's to conduct a full review. IFA 2022 (opens in new tab) is Europe's biggest tech show, and TechRadar is in Berlin to bring you all the breaking news and announcements, plus our hands-on first impressions of the new TVs, wearables, audio devices and other gadgets on show. Jennifer OksienHomes Editor Jennifer Oksien is TechRadar's Homes Editor. Jennifer (Jenny) has over a decade of experience as a digital product writer specialising in appliances, smart tech and mattresses for some of the UKs leading retailers and magazine titles such as Real Homes, Ideal Home and Livingetc. Generally, you'll find her watching the latest Netflix series, digging around in the garden or attempting to make a cake that is edible. What is a hands on review Hands on reviews' are a journalist's first impressions of a piece of kit based on spending some time with it. It may be just a few moments, or a few hours. The important thing is we have been able to play with it ourselves and can give you some sense of what it's like to use, even if it's only an embryonic view. For more information, see TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee. TechRadar Newsletter Sign up to get breaking news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more, plus the hottest tech deals! Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. 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