I write about vacuum cleaners for a living, and this is the one cordless vacuum you should buy in the Black Friday sales

The Black Friday sales are the best time to buy a new vacuum, but with so many deals cropping up, figuring out which one to buy can be confusing. I’m here to save you some headaches: you should buy the Shark Detect Pro, currently $199.99 (was $379.99) at Best Buy, or for UK shoppers, £175 (list price £379.99) at Argos. Those are really excellent deals, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to buy now, although this model might get a little cheaper on Black Friday itself.

So why is the my #1 recommendation for Black Friday 2024? As one of TechRadar’s Homes Editors, a big part of my job is to write about vacuum cleaners. This model currently sits right at the top of our best cordless vacuum ranking. It combines genuinely useful features, like automatic suction adjustment, with good suction power and a lightweight design (read more in our full Shark Detect Pro cordless vacuum review).

I’d actually recommend it at full price, but with the current discounts it’s outstanding value for money. The reason I think it’s getting such big price cuts is because Shark has come out with a newer model (the PowerDetect cordless stick vacuum) that looks set to replace the Detect Pro in the lineup. I’ve seen various discounts cropping up on this model, on both sides of the pond, and I’d be amazed if it’s not heavily discounted on Black Friday itself. The only real question is whether to buy now or gamble on a bigger price drop further down the line.

Who should buy this deal?

This vacuum will suit most people – it delivers good cleaning power on both hard floors and carpet, and its automation features mean it can deliver a reliable, low-effort clean. There are also some handy practical design touches, including a wand that can fold forwards to enable you to clean under furniture without having to make your way down onto the floor yourself, and headlamps that get brighter in dimly-lit areas.

However, it’s not the most powerful Shark vacuum, so if you have lots of deep-pile carpet, or are dealing with lots of pet hair, you might prefer a different model. Our guide to the best Shark vacuums runs through your options, and if you’re hoping for a bargain, you’ll find the best offers from a range of brands in our Black Friday vacuum deals roundup.

Why is it my top Black Friday deals recommendation?

The reason for this big discount is likely because Shark has recently released a new cordless stick vacuum – the PowerDetect – which does everything the Detect Pro does (plus a bit more), but with significantly more suction power. You can read about it in detail in our Shark PowerDetect cordless vacuum review or see exactly how the two models compare in our Shark Detect Pro vs Shark PowerDetect face-off.

Normally, I’d recommend you shell out the slightly higher price for the PowerDetect, but this massive discount makes the Detect Pro a much more appealing prospect. If you have mostly hard floors, and perhaps the occasional rug or bit of low-pile carpet, you probably won’t need all the extra power of the PowerDetect anyway.