Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner [IZ202UKT] Up to 40 mins run-time*, Flexology, Pet Model, Purple

At the risk of committing heresy, I bought this to replace my Henry vacuum cleaner. Yes, I know most people see Henry as the king of the cleaners (and it's true, his suction is unrivalled), but I was really fed up of trailing the hefty Henry and his cord around the house, frequently getting held up by him falling over / getting his cord stuck on something. So when this Shark came up on special offer and interest-free payments, I took the plunge. And I'm very glad that I did. I totally expected the suction to be inferior to Henry's (it is a cordless, after all), but there are so many advantages: • The battery life is more than adequate – I can easily clean my cottage on one charge. • The system for switching the different parts is simple and easy – done in seconds – as is the flexi option for cleaning under sofas, etc. • It's very easy to clean – the tank for the dust (which is admittedly quite small – I often have to empty it twice during a whole-house clean) is quick and surprisingly satisfying to empty, and when the cleaner gets blocked (which it does quite a lot, as we have four dogs!), it's really easy to unblock. • It's very manoeuvrable – the head swivels and has a useful light on it, and it can get into most nooks and crannies. I tend to carry the nozzle tool with me and just quickly stick it on for the hard-to-get places. • It has a boost function for extra suction when required (but this really drains the battery quickly). The only disadvantages that I've come across are that it does block easily (but perhaps that was because it was faced with a gargantuan task the first few times, as I hadn't been hoovering as much as I should have because of my fraught relationship with Henry) and that the 'hard floor' setting doesn't really cut the mustard – I use the carpet setting for all the floors. The main part of the cleaner is also quite heavy, and while this isn't a problem for normal vacuuming, if you want to remove things above shoulder height or clean curtains, it's only possible for a few minutes (for me anyway ... perhaps I might manage longer if I worked out). So although I wouldn't say I was in love with my Shark, I'd say we are definitely very good friends. And Henry is in the Cupboard of Shame.

Why did you choose this product over others?: Game changer of a hoover. I have thrown my useless Dyson away last week. Why? The motor was making a screaming noise. It weighs a tonne. It barely sucked up anything (cleaned it out a million times). Now, I am someone who reads a lot of customer reviews before purchasing anything - this had mostly positive reviews, but I am pleased to say it certainly is worth the 5 stars I'm giving it, and many other reviewers have. This (so far) is amazing. It has a strong pick-up on carpet and hard surfaces. The battery of about 45 minutes is more than adequate for a hoover around the house. If you were doing a spring clean you'd probably need a recharge. I love how the main part of the hoover collapses into a kind of L shape so you can go under the bed/sofa etc without much effort. The stairs. . . Finally, I can hoover the stairs without risking falling down them, either by wrapping myself in the cord (of the Dyson) or the weight of the hoover itself pulling me down. The Shark changes into a small handheld to do the stairs. I read a few reviews before buying this, where some people said it's heavy. If you've had a regular Dyson hoover and go to this, trust me, it is not heavy. I flew up the stairs. The attachments it comes with are perfectly adequate - I'm not sure to the people who were not happy, what other attachments they were needing? Finally, I love that it stores down into a neat little package. Really pleased with my purchase and, yes, I would buy it again after experiencing it first hand.

We bought the Shark Cordless before getting a puppy golden retriever, and I would have given it 5* then. However once our dog started shedding, her hair clogs up the machine at 3 key points, which is a pain to unblock. It needs unblocking I would say more often than it needs charging. 1) The floor head is narrow compared to the pipe/ tube. You need to unscrew the cover with a coin at 3 places then use something to unclog. 2) The flexible tube part of the pipe. You need a stick or pencil to loosen the hair and then try hoovering it and repeat. Or you need a really long stick which we don't have. 3) The hole into the dust chamber is about the width of a 10p coin. Once that gets clogged you need to put your hand into the chamber and then use your finger to pick out the hairs. When 1) is blocked the machine spits out more than it sucks in. When 3) is blocked it causes 2) to block. I think all Shark needs to do is make 1) and 3) wider and larger.

I knew the item was refurbed but took a punt on it being hardly used and just freshened up as quality was described as very good. To be fair it is good but I would drop the very and the refurb wasn’t restoration just a good clean up to the edges of dust gathering parts. Usage scratches and scrapes on the main brush head and crevice tool but the pet hair and upholstery attachments seemed untouched. The filter could have benefitted from a little tlc and would have only taken seconds, cos it did me. Usage wise it still possesses a good battery and original power so works well and does the job it was intended for. Usage time drops dramatically on the carpet setting as the brush rollers are then engaged, but still gives 20-25 mins run time unless the boost trigger is used regularly. All in all I am happy with my purchase but the £151 tag was a tad high and should really be 75% of new price.

Having always had a Dyson I find this model rather noisy. Also quite heavy does anybody else find this. I will say it is good at lifting the pile on the carpet . I have used it twice and debating whether to return it.