Not all Sharks are created equal! Our previous Shark was a midrange Lift-Away model that replaced a first-generation Dyson. Want to say we spent $160-ish. It got the job done and performed slightly better than the outgoing Dyson, but it left a lot to be desired. The power cord was short and attached to the base in a horrible spot, where it was likely to get stepped on or tripped over. Also, the Lift-Away feature wasn't "powered", and its short hose would easily tip over the base when stretched a short distance. Handed it down to a college kid after 5 years and decided it was time to splurge on something better. Enter the Shark Vertex! Not terribly expensive but far from cheap, the Vertex sits on the high-end of the Shark lineup with all the bells & whistles. Comes with a 30ft cord (5 ft longer than average) attached higher up in a much better spot, a "powered" Lift-Away, the newer tangle-resistant dual roller design, and....best of all....immense suction power! A picture is worth a thousand words! I've attached before-and-after pics, with the first one showing it freshly unboxed. The second pic shows the carnage it pulled from our carpet ONLY ONE DAY after our housecleaner cleaned (she uses a newer Shark stick vacuum). No joke, this baby doesn't mess around! We do have a dog that sheds from her thick coat pretty often, but no doubt most of what's pictured here was missed by the other Shark. We could drop the mic now, but it's worth mentioning other perks. You don't really appreciate what it means to have 5 extra feet of cord until you have it! Then there's the newer roller design that doesn't tangle. If you deal with pet hair like I do, this is a must-have feature. No need to keep that nasty set of scissors around for clearing out the roller. You can toss those for good! And if you've never had "powered" Lift-Away, you'll love the ability to get under low-height furniture like coffee tables and entertainment centers without having to break out the hose attachment. Just engage the Lift-Away feature and the main vacuum head stays running with the ability to glide underneath. Simple and effective! Speaking of simple, the power button is now at your fingertips on the handle, with different settings for floor height. The dual-roller design uses a soft padded roller in the front to easily collect hair, dirt, and cheerio-sized bits from tile and hardwood floors, including the little grout crevices between tiles. The second roller that sits further back has fins for deep cleaning carpet. The front-facing, bright LEDs are a nice touch as well! There are a few minor gripes (or cons) worth mentioning... 1. When you adjust to the lowest floor setting with the lowest rotational speed/suction power, small rugs still have a tendency to lift up and get snagged, tripping the red light and stopping the rollers. Doesn't happen too often, and when it does, simply cycle the power off/on from the handle and keep going. 2. The dirt collection bin is somewhat on the smaller side compared to my last Shark, but on the flipside, it does seem to empty better. Of course, it might seem to fill faster because of how much it is actually collecting! 3. While powered Lift-Away is definitely nice, it can become a little tedious over time. The speed of the rollers causes the vacuum head to pull away from you, so you can feel a good deal of resistance pulling the head back toward you. 4. While the hose is a tad longer and stretchier than the mid-range model I owned before, there's still a lot of room for improvement. The base of the vacuum still tips over easily if you're more than a 3-4 feet away. Minor gripe but a nuisance nevertheless. Overall, extremely happy with the purchase! The newer model, the Shark Stratos, is basically the same vacuum with a slightly-improved fin design on the second roller. Supposedly provides a small advantage with really thick carpets. It also adds a gimmicky "odor neutralizer" feature (requires a cartridge that needs replaced every 3 months). The Stratos frame and hose also seem to be on the cheaper side in terms of build quality. Personally, not worth paying more for. Get the Vertex unless the Stratos is marked way down. Cheers! --------------------------- October 2024 Update --------------------------- Thought I'd weigh in with an update after 1 year... Still loving the Vertex! Sucks like a champion! LOL No major issues, but a few more gripes I discovered along the way. First, the little see-through window area above the rollers gets pretty cloudy from dust. There's no real way for you to reach up in there to clean it. Also, if something small gets stuck in that spot and bats around, you've got to keep cycling power off/on the vacuum and tilting the head until it makes it way past. I'm sure Shark sealed this compartment for airflow reasons, but it's still annoying. While there are no longer any roller "tangles", you still have to remove the roller periodically to clear hair/fur that gets clogged in the "teeth" behind the roller (especially if you have pets like I do). Quick and easy to do, and definitely better than cutting tangled hair out with scissors, but still something that needs cleaned pretty often. On a positive note, figured out that it's better to run the vacuum at "medium" speed setting instead of low over loose area rugs & mats. Then as long as you're usually pushing the vacuum head away from you, it won't snag as much. Still 5 stars!