While Dyson might be the most popular vacuum brand everyone keeps lusting after, some of its high prices make the brand a hard choice for many people. Moreover, as someone who's been testing and writing about some of the best vacuum cleaners in Australia for a decade, I know there are other options that more powerful and perform better than what Dyson currently offers.And that brings me to Shark.Now going under the banner of SharkNinja, the latter has been competing with Dyson for yonks and seems to be consistently making alternatives that aren't just more affordable, but also work very well indeed.Like the Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty, which is my #1 pick of the best stick vacuum in Australia. It's currently sold out on the SharkNinja website despite a AU$799.99 price tag, but it's still available on Amazon for a much lower AU$462.10. That's sadly not the lowest price I've seen for this model — that was just over AU$438 when Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2026 started on September 29 — but I'd easily recommend it at around the AU$600 mark as that's how good I think it is.Follow our dedicated live coverage of the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2026 sale for more deals and discountsPowerDetect Clean & Empty: was $999 now $462.10With powerful and dynamic suction, plenty of attachments and an auto-empty charging dock, this is arguably the best value cordless vacuum right now. It would have been great if Amazon had kept its previous all-time low price of AU$438 but, hey, this is still good. Please note that while Shark lists this vacuum's RRP at AU$999, it is typically listed on Amazon at around the AU$750 — still a fabulous discount.View DealNow, I haven't tested the Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty myself, but I trust my colleague Ruth Hamilton who did — she's also quite the floorcare expert. According to her, the PowerDetect "came out top in my cleaning trials, beating even Dyson's priciest vacuums to the cleaning crown”.Like all pricier options, the PowerDetect can automatically adjust suction when it detects different floor types and how dirty the floor is. In fact, it will do so even when it senses it's close to a room edge. Moreover, the floorhead's design allows it to suck just as well when moving backward as it does on a frontal push.The free-standing self-emptying charging dock is also a fabulous feature at this discounted price, and it doesn't even need replacement dust bags. The box in the dock is easy to empty every now and then, plus it's fully washable too. You can purchase ongoing odour neutraliser pucks so bad smells don't build up inside the vacuum, but that's optional — just keep it clean and you won't need to spend the extra cash.You can roll with this one tooHold on for a sec longer as that's not the only vacuum recommendation. The heftily named Shark Cordless Vacuum with Self-Cleaning Brushroll (IZ102) is always popular with our readers and stock typically runs out quick when it gets a discount.And it's now at a record-low price of just AU$189 (or AU$10 less than what it was during July's Prime Day sale). We haven't tested it ourselves at TechRadar, but something has got to be said about the 4.3-star average rating it's got with hundreds of Amazon customers giving it 5 stars. It's even got 72% positive ratings on Product Review, so it must be doing something good. Honestly, at this price, this no-frills stick vac is perfect for those quick cleans, whether that's inside the house or the shed. Hey, even use it in the car or boat.Cordless Vacuum with Self Cleaning Brushroll (IZ102): was $399.99 now $189It may not have fancy features or the latest tech, but it's a great price for a no-frills stick vacuum that has some glowing user reviews. With a 40-minute runtime, LED lights to expose hidden debris, versatile attachments and a hair-dominating self-cleaning brushroll, it's worth hoovering up (pun intended).View DealIf neither Shark tickles your fancy, I've handpicked more of the best October Prime Day vacuum deals, which includes a Dyson going for just under AU$290. I've also included some good robot vacuum deals, as well as upright, handhelds and corded barrel types. So there's plenty to choose from and no need to wait for Black Friday 2026 sales in Australia to pick up a new vacuum cleaner.