Shark AZ3002 Stratos Upright Vacuum review: a powerful cleaner for challenging debris

Are you a pet owner? Do you live in a home with long-haired residents? Then this Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum review is for you.

Shark is one of the most recognizable brands in the home and beauty space. They design, make, and sell everything from vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners, and air purifiers to hair dryers and hair stylers. It's also worth remembering that the brand is part of the SharkNinja "umbrella," which extends its product category portfolio into air fryers, coffee makers, cookware, and outdoor equipment.

While I don't have pets, I have long hair and a messy kid, so there's always plenty of debris to vacuum. From the set-up to vacuuming dust, crumbs, and dried bits of food (etc.!) through to general maintenance, I tested this Shark vacuum in my home for a few months. Our house has stairs with a split-level landing and various floor surfaces, including carpet, hardwood, and tiles. I used it just as you would, so I hope this review will help you decide if it is the best vacuum cleaner for you. Read on to find out.

Jennifer Oksien

Jennifer has been testing home tech over the past few years, unintentionally specializing in vacuum cleaners. For a few months, she reviewed the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum, which she used as her main vacuum cleaner. Her house has multiple floor types and stairs, plus a young family, so there was no shortage of dry debris to pick up.

Shark AZ3002 Stratos: Key specs

Shark AZ3002 Stratos: Price & availability

The Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum has a list price of $449 and can be bought directly from Shark or resellers such as Amazon and Walmart. At the time of writing, it was discounted by $100, and it's regularly on sale during the holidays, so I'd advise bookmarking our Shark Vacuum deals page to keep up-to-date with all the sales activity.

When it is on sale, it becomes a very attractive option. It's half the price of some of Dyson's higher-end vacuum cleaners, such as the Dyson Gen5detect Absolute, and I wouldn't say that you're going without any specs by going with this Shark Stratos. It's also the same price as the Shark Stratos cordless, so if you want to ditch the cord but retain the specifications, then it's another option to weigh up.

Shark AZ3002 Stratos: Setup

The Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum arrived in one upright box that fit the branded box inside like a glove. Both containers and all the packaging were recycled.

In the box, you'll receive a crevice tool, upholstery tool, HairPro self-cleaning pet power brush, and odor neutralizer technology cartridge alongside all the main parts of the vacuum cleaner.

The set-up process was then really straightforward. It was just a matter of slotting the pod onto the wand, attaching the floorhead to the pod, and joining the hose to the pod. While removing the odor-neutralizer capsule from a little tin and securing it into the floorhead was a bit of detail, the overall set-up time took less than one minute.

With no battery to charge, the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum was good to set out on its maiden voyage once all parts were assembled. So, first impressions? Very good.

Shark AZ3002 Stratos: Design

The overall design of the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum is impressive. It comes with several features I now love about Shark vacuum cleaners, along with a couple of new features unique to the Stratos range.

For starters, it features Shark's signature DuoClean floorhead, which consists of two motorized brush rolls. The unit glides well across carpet and hard floors, often picking up dirt and debris in one pass. Both brush rolls are also self-cleaning, meaning they'll pick up pet hair without wrapping it around the bristles.

While we're talking about the floorhead, I'd like to point out that it features powerful LED lights on the front. These reveal hidden debris and pet hair around the home and light up the pathway under furniture so you can see what you're vacuuming (try to avoid any small kids' toys).

One of the new features found in the floorhead is the anti-odor technology. Since reviewing the Shark Stratos Cordless, this has become a feature that I love LOVE. An anti-odor dial can be inserted into the floorhead of this cleaner, with the dial rotated to select an odor intensity. The purpose of this is to stop any dust cup odors from filling the air, rather than spreading an aroma around the home; although I definitely detected the latter, which, I must say, was refreshing.

There don't appear to be any alternative odors besides the sea-breeze type cartridge provided. Shark advises that these be replaced every six months. Replacement Odor Neutralizer Technology Cartridges (pack of two) can be bought for $26.99 directly from Shark.

When vacuuming around the home, you can use the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum as an upright or make it more portable with a powered lift-away. This means you can lift away the pod for motorized cleaning under furniture or up the stairs or detach the nozzle and clean above the floor. While I found this useful, the 30ft power cable meant that I couldn't stray too far away from an electrical outlet which, at times, was limiting.

The power cable can be wrapped around the side of the vacuum on two hooks; one is next to the handle, while the other sits next to the base of the dust cup. The removable dust cup offers a decent 1.48 qt capacity and can be quickly ejected without releasing any mess.

In upright or portable mode, the suction control slider on the handle allows you to choose between three-floor settings: hard floors, low-pile carpets, and thick-pile carpets or area rugs. The power button is also on the handle.

Shark AZ3002 Stratos: Performance

The Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum performs very well. It can be used on hard floors, low-pile carpets, and thick carpets/area rugs to remove all dry debris from the surface.

I used it several times per week as my primary vacuum cleaner. Most of the time I was vacuuming crumbs and dust from hard floors while we waited for carpet to be laid. For this, I had the suction control slider set on "hard floors." As far as I could tell, all debris was removed.

We also have a deep-pile area rug by our front door. I was dubious at first about the performance of the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum on this because it doesn't look that heavy, nor do I feel it. Yet the suction was just right to lift and remove any trapped debris between the piles; just try to avoid rug edges since these become wrapped around the brushbar and stop any rotation. With this success, I did not even attempt to try vacuuming a rag rug because if experience has taught me anything, these can not be cleaned (it's best to shake them off and put them in the washing machine).

Thanks to powered lift-away technology, this vacuum cleaner can also transform into a more portable vacuum. I found this especially helpful when vacuuming the stairs. I just needed to make sure that I was using the closest electrical socket so that I had plenty of cord length to get from the bottom to the top of the stairs in one vacuuming job.

I also carried out a more specific test that would be unlikely (not impossible) to get a good visual of the suction performance; a generous amount of caster sugar was scattered across our parquet flooring. I chose this because it shows up well on the floor, and the granules are similar in size to the typical debris you will have on your floors. In one sweep through the sugar, the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum picked up all sugar granules. The 10.63in cleaning width of the floorhead consumed the majority of the sugar scatter, and then I went over any granules either side of the clearing created.

Regardless of what I was vacuuming and the floor type, I measured a noise level between 70dB and 73dB, depending on whether the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum was used as a portable or upright vacuum. This noise is equivalent to that of a dishwasher or washing machine.

With all this vacuuming, the 1.48-qt dust cup soon filled up. It can be emptied by releasing it from the pod and then pressing on the trigger found at the back of the dust cup. If any debris is trapped at the top of the dust cup, then the top can be removed, but you will need to be prepared to get your hand in there to free up any compacted fluff.

I didn't see any hair wrapped around the brushbars after a few months of use, which helps with maintenance. Alongside emptying the dust cup, you must replace the odor-neutralizer capsules every six months. Replacement Odor Neutralizer Technology Cartridges (pack of two) can be bought for $26.99 directly from Shark.

Shark AZ3002 Stratos: user reviews

Customers have awarded the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum 4.4-out-of-5 stars on the Shark website. There's a mixed bag of reviews, but it looks as though those who scored this vacuum cleaner lower have been isolated issues. A lot of them concur with what I have found throughout the process of my review. For example, one reviewer says: " ... the new Stratos is a bit heavier, but generally operates the same as my earlier version [a previous Shark lift-away]. The suction is fantastic, and the hair does not clog up the roller. " Another adds: " Good suction, picked up all small details. But heavy to push while running and noisy."

Turning our attention to the user reviews on Amazon's reseller site, users have also awarded this upright vacuum cleaner 4.4 out of five stars. It doesn't look like they are the same reviews as those on the Shark website, so it's just a coincidence. Overall, customers say that they like the vacuum cleaner's suction power, cleaning power, and ease of use. They mention it's fantastic, works well on hard floors, and picks up pet hair. However, some have reported that it's weighty.

Would I buy the Shark AZ3002 Stratos?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How does the Shark AZ3002 Stratos compare?

One of the first comparisons I should make is with the Shark Stratos Cordless. It has the same technology and price: odor neutralizer and DuoClean PowerFins HairPro brush roll system, yet it's cordless. The floorhead will also detect dirt and automatically adjust the suction power. I've also reviewed it and can recommend it based on its impressive performance and versatility.

If you really want an upright vacuum cleaner, the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Complete often gets voted as the "best upright for suction." While I have not tested this one, there are claims that it can untangle the hair, deep-clean the home, and have powerful suction. Then, if you need a shop vacuum (often a canister vacuum) for tougher cleaning jobs inside or outside the home, a shop vacuum (often a canister vacuum) would be worth considering.

How I tested the Shark AZ3002 Stratos

I tested the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum around my home for a few months. We have various floor types, including wooden floors, carpets, and tiles, plus a staircase with a split-level landing. I used the vacuum cleaner to pick up daily debris such as dried foods, dust, and fluff, as well as more specific tests on things that you would find in the store cupboard. The noise level was also recorded.

Learn more about how we test.