Ease of use—vacuuming shouldn’t be a chore, so we also assessed how intuitive the controls were, how easy it was to empty and what it was like to use over an extended period of time. Shark also has a five-year warranty on most of its models, which may prove more attractive than the usual two-year guarantee offered by Dyson. The PZ1000UKT model is not just a powerful machine - it comes with an extra-large dust cup capacity so you can clean more between empties.

With the bin removed, you can see one of the washable filters, with a second HEPA filter located at the front of the vacuum. Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.Shark provides a crevice tool, brush and a mini pet tool in the box, which is excellent for stairs and for getting hair off sofas. Tools—we assessed how well its extra tools for specific cleaning worked, how easy each one was to fit and detach, and if there was on-board storage for them, or a storage bag.

The easy to use controls allow you to switch between three floor settings, and with Powered Lift-Away you have the freedom to transform it into a lightweight, portable vacuum for comfortable cleaning.

Size, weight and design—was it lightweight enough to move around and did it look good in our home (even if it was in the storage cupboard? If you’re still not sure which is the best Shark vacuum for your home, Shark has a quiz online that’ll help you find your perfect match. Again, the immense suction power gave me a perfect result; there was no mess left around the skirting. For our hair and fibre tests we comb real cat and dog hair into wilton carpet and then time how long it takes for each vacuum cleaner to suck it all up, the best can do it in less than 30 seconds, the worst take more than three minutes. NewDay Ltd and AO Retail Limited are each authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.