The IZ300UK has three battery power levels, and while it claims to have a battery life of up to 60 minutes, this is on eco mode and when using a non-motorised tool such as the crevice tool. Expect a lower battery life for day-to-day use. If this is an issue for you and you want that hour-long window, opt for the Shark IZ320UK which is the exact same model but with another battery, so you can switch out your first battery when it's finished. The Shark makes a lot of noise, so it's not a good choice if you tend to vacuum while others are asleep or working from home - even if they're on the other side of the house. On top of the vacuum is a screen with three buttons below it, all of which fall easily under the thumb. The middle button switches the vacuum on and off. The button on the left toggles between carpet and hard floor modes (the rollers in the floor head spin faster in carpet mode), and the button on the right cycles between the device’s three power modes: Eco, Standard and Boost. I put the Shark IZ320UKT through my raw performance tests, measuring suction power in airwatts (AW), which uses a combination of airflow and suction. On Eco power, the vacuum runs at a basic 37.33AW, moving to 61.40AW on standard, which is about average for cordless cleaners. On Boost mode, the vacuum manages a huge 199.79AW; few cordless vacuum cleaners are this powerful, bar the Dyson V15 Detect, which manages an even higher 280.93AW.

Design perks such as the DuoClean brush head, which toggles between carpet and hard floors with the touch of a button, and Flexology, which easily pivots to reach under furniture, will make an instant difference in your cleaning routine. Anti Hair Wrapoffers a self-cleaning brush roll thanks to an in-built comb. This removes pet and human hair before it gets the chance to get tangled. There's no doubt that our testing process proved that this vacuum is worth the large price tag that it carries. Even if you don't have pets, the ease with which this vacuum does away with hair is astounding, and our Ecommerce Editor Molly found that it was unmatched when it came to suction.

Shark's cordless vacuum cleaners are still going cheap ahead of Cyber Monday - don't miss them

Pull the floor head off and you can easily clean close up or even around the ceiling, with the Shark IZ320UKT nicely balanced. Generally speaking, it's easier to clean hard floors than carpet, which is where this vacuum really takes the cake. It was good on tiles in the kitchen though, and I found it easy to navigate thanks to the sturdy handle and flexible brush head. She also loved the portable vacuum cleaner element that is accessible with just the push of a button. This is thanks to Powered Lift-Away which is super handy for using the suite of attachments to refresh upholstery or vacuum skirting boards.

I ran my carpet test to start with, placing a teaspoon of flour on the ground. Running the Shark IZ320UKT through the middle I got a clean collection of the dust on Standard power. Next, I ran the vacuum through the top on Eco mode and the bottom on Boost. There’s little to tell between the two, and it’s impressive that the Shark IZ320UKT can clean so well on its lowest setting. There's a reason that the best Shark vacuum cleaners also feature heavily in our guide to the best vacuum cleaners overall. While the price can vary massively, we're big fans of the quality and innovation you'll get with a Shark vacuum. On the plus side, Shark’s articulated “Flexology” elbow does make cleaning under low furniture very easy indeed, allowing you to stand up and swing the cleaning head underneath your cupboards and sofas from a standing position, without having to get down on your hands and knees.

In This Article

Brighten up grey days with a polka-dot begonia that combines dual-tone leaves with sparkling silver spots There’s a 0.7-litre bin, which is a good size for a cordless vacuum cleaner. You can empty it in-situ, pointing the vacuum’s bin down and opening the ejection flap. Or you can remove the bin from the body completely, which lets you pull out the rear filter for cleaning and thoroughly clean out the bin. In the box, Shark has been very generous with accessories. You get a crevice tool, a multi surface brush (hard brush and upholstery tool), mini pet brush (great for carpets and sofas) and the anti-allergen brush, which you can use for dusting pretty much everything from blinds to furniture thanks to its articulated joint.

Cordless vacuum cleaners are growing in popularity due to their lightweight design and ease-of-use. We have plenty of styles from a range of top brands, so you’re sure to find the right model for your home. An easy-to-read LED Smart Display screen on the handle displays battery life, suction level and selected floor type, so you can easily choose from 3 power modes, switch between 2 floor settings and see how much charge you have left at a glance. Flexology means your vacuum can be pivoted under furniture using an elbow hinge at the centre of the tube. It saves you from bending and reaching, but it's only available on cordless vacuums.We're sure you'll love your new Shark - enjoy a free guarantee of up to 5 years* for total peace of mind.

With cordless vacuum cleaners, in particular, the raw figures give an idea of performance, but it’s only by testing them for real that you can see how good suction really is, as it’s a combination of power and tool efficiency that’s important. The Shark IZ300UKT is Shark’s latest cordless vacuum cleaner. Introduced in late 2021, it comes with a number of new features, chief among which is a new brush roller, which is lined not only with bristles but also “PowerFins” – stiff fabric flaps, arranged in a chevron, that agitate the fibres in your carpet much more vigorously than a brush alone. There’s no on-body storage for these tools, although Shark does throw in an accessory bag for you to keep everything in. Although it is a corded vac, the 9 metre-long cable will give you an adequate radius to work your way around the various floors in the home. Molly lives in a two-bedroom flat, and never found the cord to be an issue, with space to get to all of the rooms she needed to.

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I then combed cat hair into the carpet and ran over it using the standard power setting. Again, everything was collected with ease.