About this deal
Keeping the Shark emptied and clean is simple, too, with one button that releases the collection bin and filter unit from the device and a second button to open the trap door on the bottom to empty it. The filters can all be rinsed in running water and, since the vacuum also comes with Shark’s Anti Hair Wrap tech, you don’t need to worry about detangling regularly, either. This hasn’t transferred across to the pet tool, unfortunately, which gathered quite a bit of tangled hair during our testing. As I said before, it delivers where it really counts, thanks to a powerful motor, large dust capacity and effortless movement around the house.
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. Flour proved a bit more of a challenge. On hard floor, the vacuum collected enough flour from a 50g spillage in a single pass to register 50g on my scales afterwards, although close inspection showed it wasn’t entirely perfect, with some flour still left over. A few subsequent passes on the Boost setting removed the rest effectively. Anti-allergen brush: This extra accessory features felt and soft bristles to thoroughly clean spots that need a gentle touch, like your blinds or your laptop keyboard.DuoClean and PowerFin technology: The main suction head has two motorised rollers (DuoClean), with one featuring a tougher “blade” (PowerFins), which work together for a deeper clean.
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. While raw power tells us a bit about a vacuum cleaner, real-world performance will largely come down to the quality of the accessories. Fortunately, Shark didn’t let me down. The Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Pet Pro Cordless Vacuum IZ420UKT marks a big change in design and strategy for the vacuum cleaner company, introducing a host of new features, including a new floor head, an Anti-Odour pod and automatic power modes. It’s a triumph of power, features and design.There are also selectable Eco and Boost modes available if you want to take control. Eco can be useful for delicate items, such as vacuuming a keyboard, while the Boost mode is a good choice for when there’s a lot of mess to deal with.
