Shark Upright Vacuum Cleaner [NV801UKT] Pet Hair, Powered Lift-Away, Powerful, Navy

This replaced a Dyson Animal that didn’t last very long. Review compares Shark against Dyson. Suction is much better, a bit shocked by how much dirt came off carpet compared to Dyson. You have to adjust Shark for different floor coverings but easy and quick to do as controls on handle. Being able to reduce suction means I can clean sheepskin rug and kitchen mats without them being sucked off the floor. Does better than Dyson at picking up threads and dog fur stuck to carpet. Longer cord than Dyson means I can get round whole ground floor from one socket. Lift off facility is brilliant for stairs. Couldn’t use Dyson on stairs, it’s cord was too short and hose too awkward. Have even used lift off to clean cobwebs off the lights and ceiling. The Dyson wanted to suck it’s own hose back all the time which meant using the hose was a continual fight -which the Dyson won. Getting the wand and hose back into the main body is easy, the Dyson always managed to pinch my finger and never went in without a fight. The steering is easier than the Dyson, it is much more manoeuvrable. I thought the headlights would just be a gimmick but they are really useful. You don’t realise how many dark corners you have! The dust collection is smaller but it is easier to lift off and more importantly empties without having to poke the dirt out like the Dyson. The whole machine is much more compact and fits in the cupboard better, all the connectors and levers are clearly marked.So far the Shark is superior to the Dyson. It is far more functional and cleans much better. It is very lightweight travelling forward but a bit heavier going backwards as you are pulling against it’s suction.Hopefully it will outlast the Dyson (2 1/2 years when it gave up the ghost). It has a 5 year warranty so fingers crossed! Although I still have an 01 original Dyson which we use upstairs as it is too heavy to carry up and down. That one is still going strong.

I have had this Shark vacuum cleaner for about 18 months now. It is one of the best purchase decisions I have ever made!I have had quite a few Dyson cleaners over the years, but as time has passed they seem to have become more and more expensive, but their performance also seems to have become less and less impressive - and certainly hasn't warranted to big price tag.In trying to move away from Dyson and find another cleaner that offered better value for the performance I have tried a number of other brands, including big names such as Vax and Hoover, as well as others. None of them have really been that great. Either they were awkward to use, or their performance started off ok, but fell away after just a few months. Then I came across this model from Shark ... and it is so good!There is an awful lot to like about this cleaner. Here are some of the good points:+ Easy to assemble. Putting this together when it arrived was very straightforward. It was assembled and ready to use in no time.+ Super suction. Following changes in regulations, a lot of cleaners seems to have suffered a loss of performance, but this is very impressive. After 18 months it is still as powerful as was when it was new.+ Versatile. The lift-away section makes it very easy to do stairs and to get at more awkward places around the house without having to lug a whole upright cleaner around with you. This lift-away section is also great for cleaning out the car too.+ Pet hair. No other vacuum I have ever used is anywhere near as effective at collecting pet hair. The main part of the cleaner copes pretty well in any case, but the special power brush attachment is excellent for dealing with animal hair.+ Attachments. These are effective and easy to use. One of the things that annoyed me about Dyson is that their attachments became less user friendly.+ Easy to clean. The filters and brush heads are easy to get at and remove, so that you can get rid of any tangled hair, etc.+ It even has a headlight, which I love! I hadn't seen one on a cleaner for quite a while. (Little things!!)The not-so good points:- The dust compartment is on the small side, so you do have to empty it more often. But this is easy to do and a small price to pay for all the other things that this cleaner does so well.- The retaining clip on the plug end of the flex isn't the most effective, so it doesn't always stay clipped into place after you have wound up the flex and put the cleaner away. (You can tell I was struggling to find negatives, when I had to pick on something as insignificant as that!)In summary:This really is an impressive piece of equipment. Dyson may well be generally considered to be the market leader in vacuum cleaners, but this Shark vacuum cleaner beats the equivalent Dyson model hands down in all respects ... and it costs less too.

Love this hoover. Really well thought through by the product designers. That team has done a great job on 5S and UX, well done. BTW, I'm not in any way linked to them, I just like good design and manufacture.Pluses first:+ The suction is fantastic, it picks up small and large stuff like they claim it does (my last hoover just pushed the cheerios around the kitchen, this picks them up)+ The motorised head (rotating brush bar) makes all the difference+ Onboard tool storage works well (docks for 2 tools only, so you're extra powered head will have to find a home somewhere else. I've actually not used it yet....)+ Very manoeuverable and ergonomic+ Robust, with quality snap action when going together/reconfiguring+ Powered lift off is handy for dusting+ LEDs are actually more than a gimick, quite useful+ Quiet motor+ Switching between carpet/hard floor with your hand at normal position is very convenient, no bending down to the end of the wand.Of course, nothing is perfect, and like any product, there are invetiably compromises again (e.g. weight v strength, size of dust compartment v compactness, etc.). So, what would I recommend the product designers take a look at for rev 2? These are very minor points, but there is always room for improvement. The flexible tube is very strong linking the handle to the unit. This makes it quite stiff (but long lasting), and it is straining a bit to do chest/head high dusting without using the lift off function. No big deal though. I also think keeping the same rubbery material on the grip, but dropping the honeycomb "grip" pattern would make it more comfortable in the hand. Again, a very minor issue.I've been living with it for about 8 months now, and can say it's the best hoover I've owned. I was wary of the brand because I had never bought one before, but I would definitely buy another. Very good product experience, the team that designed this and brought it through manufacture should be proud of themselves.