Shark Stratos Cordless (IZ400UKT)
What buyers love: suction and pickup.
Cheaper alternatives to the Dyson V15 Detect
Updated 3 November 2026
Dyson V15 Detect Absolute
What buyers love: suction and pickup.
Stratos instead of V15 Detect?
Stratos pros
About half the price
Cleaning rated close
Comb keeps brush hair-free
Great with pets
Stratos cons
About 1 kg heavier
Felt on stairs
About 11 minutes on max
Only for whole-house boosts
- Is the Stratos as good?
- Close: reviewers rate its cleaning near the V15's.
- What's the difference?
- Dyson: lighter, dust laser. Shark: hair comb, bendy wand.
- Is the V15 Detect worth the extra?
- Only for a big carpeted home, or on sale.
What are you actually paying extra for with the V15 Detect?
What the extra money buys
- Strong suction on fine dust, in one pass
- About 1 kg lighter than the Shark
- Longer runs on full power
- Dust laser, counter and click-in battery
Worth it if
- A big home with lots of carpet
- You'd really use the laser and counter
- A sale brings it near the Shark
Not worth it if
- Mostly hard floors: the Dreame R20 is enough
- You'd ignore the laser after a few weeks
Other alternatives
Best for hard floors
Dreame R20
Best for: Flats and homes with mostly hard floors, on a budget
- Longest battery here: one review measured 84 minutes in standard mode
- Light at 2.7 kg and easy to steer
Buyers say it keeps up with pricier rivals.
What buyers love: suction and pickup.
Catch: Reviewers disagree on carpet; one found it left a lot of pet hair in thicker carpet and rugs.
About half the V15 Detect's price
Good to know
Why we picked the Stratos, and our final recommendation.
Only with the Stratos
- A comb that clears hair off the brush roll as you clean
- A bendable wand for under furniture
- A scent cartridge in the head (optional)
- The laser and the dust counter
- About 1 kg more weight in your hand
- A shorter run on full power
The Stratos does the main job of a V15, cleaning deep into carpet and picking up hair without tangling, and it adjusts suction on its own as it finds dirt. It's the heaviest stick here and gets only about 11 minutes on full power, so it suits people who vacuum room by room rather than the whole house on boost.
Final recommendation: Don't pay Dyson money for a laser you might stop noticing. Reviewers rate Shark's carpet cleaning close to the V15's, so the Shark Stratos is the one for carpets or pets. Choose the Dreame R20 if your floors are mostly hard and you want the lightest, longest-running stick. Buy the V15 only for a big carpeted home, or on sale close to these prices.
Side by side
Specs from each maker. Price levels come from shop prices we checked recently; tap through for today's price.
| Model | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price level | Premium | Affordable | Affordable |
| Battery (claimed max) | Up to 60 min (Eco, hard floor) | Up to 60 min (Eco, non-motorised tool) | Up to 90 min |
| Bin | 0.76 L | 0.7 L | 0.6 L |
| Weight as a stick | About 3 kg | 4.1 kg | 2.7 kg |
| Battery swap | Click-in, swappable | Removable, single battery | Swappable pack |
| Suction (maker's figure) | 240 AW | Not published | 190 AW |
| Dirt detection | Green laser + particle counter | Clean Sense IQ (auto suction) | LED dust lights + auto suction |
| Hair tangles | Anti-tangle brush bar | Anti Hair Wrap Plus | Anti-tangle brush |
| Shop | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ |
Questions people ask
Is the Shark Stratos as good as a Dyson V15?
Close, not identical. Reviewers found the Stratos cleans carpets and hard floors very well, and one compared it with Dyson's even pricier Gen5detect, saying the Dyson is more powerful but costs nearly twice as much. You lose the laser and the dust counter, and the Stratos is heavier.
Which is lighter, the Dreame R20 or the Dyson V15?
They're close. Reviewers weighed the R20 at about 2.7 kg and the V15 at about 3 kg as sticks. The Shark Stratos is the heavy one at 4.1 kg.
Does the Dyson V15 battery really last 60 minutes?
Only on its lowest setting. One review measured about 60 minutes in Eco, about 40 in Auto and about 18 on Boost. Another found it could run out in about 20 minutes on carpet in Auto with the motorised head.
Related guides
How we reached this
We compared the Dyson V15 Detect Absolute with the alternatives most often recommended by independent reviewers, then checked each against the makers' own specs and current prices.
We haven't tested these products ourselves. Our picks weigh independent expert reviews against each maker's published specs and the prices we checked. Opinions are ours; facts link to where they come from. How we choose.
Sources: Expert Reviews: Shark Stratos IZ400UKT review, Dyson UK product page, TechRadar: Dyson V15 Detect review, Tech Advisor: Dyson V15 Detect review, SharkNinja UK product page, TechRadar: Shark Stratos Cordless review, Dreame product page, TechRadar: Dreame R20 review, Homes & Gardens: Dreame R20 review.