We’ve tried our fair share of vacuum cleaners here at T3.com and it’s always a treat to get our hands on something new to tackle those relentless domestic dust layers we all get bombarded with. So, alongside Dyson, Vax, Miele and many more best buys we’re more than up for testing anything from the Shark brand. The funky Shark Anti Hair Wrap Vacuum AZ950UK turned up recently and it’s a real beauty.
In fact, we like the 750watt, 1.55 litre dustbag-less machine so much we now find an excuse to wheel it out and power up. Coming round for dinner? Bring a sack of dirt please.
• Buy Shark Anti Hair Wrap Vacuum AZ950UK
This model, like other new offerings in the range, boasts the added benefit of Shark’s anti hair wrap innovation. The magic happens down in the roller part of the vacuum assembly and involves a clever redesign of the components. As a result, the twin-rollered Shark doesn't suffer from that age-old issue of getting a roller clogged up with human and/or pet hairs. That’s a real win.
Before you get to try it, however, you need to get the various component parts out of the box and assembled. We found this simplicity itself, and had a full-blown Shark Anti Hair Wrap Vacuum AZ950UK standing before us in less than five minutes. The thing we also love about this machine, and indeed the other Shark appliances that use the same, is the modular click together nature of the design. Check our Shark discount codes to lower the cost before you buy.
• Buy Shark Anti Hair Wrap Vacuum for £379
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The modular concept proves super-handy when you’ve got challenging areas to tackle, such as stairs or in, around and under furniture. There’s a Lift-Away release, which frees your wand from the main vacuum pod section of the appliance, allowing you free roam of normally impenetrable areas of the house. You can use the wand in full-length or shortened stubby form for these tasks too incidentally.
However, using it in its standard upright mode is also a breeze as the long handle means no bending, while the articulated cleaning head does most of the dirt-finding for you. Better still, there are twin headlights to illuminate those rogue bits of dust and dander you might miss without your glasses on.
Powering the machine up for the first time and it’s all good on the operation front. Noise is low; so low in fact that you can talk to family members, the dog or even yourself with ease although officially it clocks in at 80dB. Tidy. On top of that, the suction power is relentless but understated thanks to the design of the machine. You can see what’s disappearing from your floors and carpets via a peek into the transparent dust box if that’s of interest too. But, handy for knowing when to empty it of course.
Other practical highlights include a nice long power cable and an easy way to secure and/or store said flex, while the supplied accessories are also a hit. The usual suspects are in there, with the soft and gentle dusting brush add-on proving a real hit with us as we picked our way around those delicate dust-gathering trinkets on the mantelpiece.
Similarly useful is the option on the top of the handle for switching through modes, from hard floor, carpet/low pile and thick carpet/rug respectively. Changing this setting makes the Shark operate slightly differently because of the variation of the surface, so those brushroll motions are at their most efficient.
Build quality of the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Vacuum AZ950UK is also impressive. Granted, it’s mainly plastic – rather dishy black, purple and silver in our case - but which vacuum isn’t? The benefit you get from that though is that it’s rugged but not overly heavy.
At the same time, buttons and bits like the dust collection box feel like they’ll handle lots of use. The hoses seem similarly dependable, with lots of flex but not enough to make you think they're going to suffer stress fractures in the first twelve months of ownership.
Shark has beefed up its product range with other models too, so you’ve now got more choice than ever. Alongside the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Vacuum AZ950UK there’s the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Vacuum HZ400UKT and Shark Anti Hair Wrap Vacuum NZ801UK. Shark also points out that the new model we’ve been using has an Anti-Allergen Complete Seal, to keep 99.9% of dust sealed inside the box.
Meanwhile, people with very molty pets, or family who also shed hair at an alarming rate might want to investigate the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Vacuum TruePet AZ910UKT and the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Vacuum TruePet AZ950UKT, while bringing up the rear is the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Vacuum TruePet NZ801UKT. What a line-up! Suck it up folks.
