The Day My Old Vacuum Died and Dyson V11 Moved In (With Shark Stratos as Its Rival)

There comes a day in many homes when the old vacuum simply gives up: the hose cracks, the wheels fall off, or it just can’t pick up crumbs unless you go over the same spot five times. That’s usually the moment people finally look at cordless vacuums seriously. The idea is simple: something light, easy to grab, powerful enough for daily dust, crumbs and pet hair, and with a battery that doesn’t quit halfway through the hallway. Without it, every spill or trail of dirt becomes a mini-drama: drag out the big corded machine or pretend you didn’t see it. For this whole category, the core needs are consistent: suction strong enough to lift dirt out of carpets, 30–60 minutes of usable runtime, a bin that doesn’t fill up after one room, and a weight you can manage without feeling like you’re doing a workout. On top of that, it helps if the vacuum is friendly to different types of homes – small flats, family houses, pet homes – and if the filters are washable so you’re not constantly buying refills.

When people talk about “upgrading” from that dead old vacuum, two names that come up a lot are Dyson V11 and Shark Stratos. Dyson’s V11 series – including versions like V11 Absolute and other V11 models – is designed as a premium cordless that can handle whole-home cleaning: up to 60 minutes of runtime in Eco mode, about 0.76 L bin volume, roughly 2.97–3.0 kg weight, 14 cyclones and up to 185 Air Watts of suction in Boost mode. The V11 Absolute typically comes with both a High Torque/Motorbar head and a soft roller head for hard floors, while V11 Animal/Origin–type variants lean more into carpets and pet hair but share the same motor, battery and LCD run-time display. The main filter on the V11 is washable, so with a quick rinse every so often you’re not constantly buying replacements. On the other side, Shark’s Stratos cordless line – especially the IZ400UKT and Amazon-exclusive IZ400UKTBK – focuses on “real home” problems: both offer up to 60 minutes runtime with a removable battery, a 0.7 L dust cup, DuoClean floorhead for carpets and hard floors, Anti Hair Wrap Plus to actively strip hair from the brush-roll, Clean Sense IQ to detect dirt and auto-boost, and Anti-Odour cartridges to keep the bin smelling fresher. The IZ400UKT is sold widely in UK retail as a Pet Pro model around 4.1 kg with standard pet tools, while the IZ400UKTBK is positioned on Amazon as an exclusive copper version with a car detail kit and the same core Stratos technology. The Stratos also uses washable filters, so most of the ongoing hassle is just emptying the bin rather than paying for lots of extra parts.

So if your old machine “dies” and you’re standing between these two, how do you choose without being overly emotional about it? Dyson V11 leans into raw suction, a lighter main unit and a very clear LCD that tells you exactly how much battery time you have left. It’s a strong fit if you want something that feels like a serious long-term upgrade from a corded vacuum, especially in homes with a mix of hard floors and carpets where deep cleaning and strong filtration matter. Shark Stratos feels tuned to everyday frustrations: hair tangling around the brush, smells in the bin, and the mental friction of choosing power levels. Anti Hair Wrap Plus, Anti-Odour cartridges and Clean Sense IQ are all designed to quietly remove those pain points so you actually use the vacuum more, not less. In terms of price, Dyson V11 models usually sit higher in the market but bring that “flagship” feel, while Shark Stratos IZ400UKT and IZ400UKTBK are often more aggressively discounted in UK retailers and Amazon sales, which improves their value score. A simple, calm way to decide is: if you want your “new era” of cleaning to focus on maximum suction and a lighter stick, V11 makes sense; if you mostly want fewer tangles, fewer smells and fewer decisions, Stratos might be the better new roommate.