The DuoClean Powered Lift-Away Upright Vacuum Cleaner from Shark combines two technologies to clean seamlessly from carpets to hard floors - this vacuum cleaner has two brush rolls working together to remove three different types of dirt from your floors and carpets, large, small and stuck on particles. There is a soft, velvet like brush roll that is directly in contact with all hard floors, removing stuck-on dirt, fine dust and large objects and when the Shark is used on carpets, the second bristle bar comes into play with the first brush roll, cleaning the pile and carpet fibres to remove embedded hair and fine dirt. Both brushes are individually powered, rotating in the same direction and there is a control located on the handle for quick and straightforward switching between soft and hard floors. Another handy feature of this vacuum is the Lift-Away unit, this allows you to remove the main unit from the wand turning it from an upright into a portable cleaner, the brush roll is still active in this move, perfect for tackling stairs and tight spaces.
The DuoClean uses Shark’s Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology, which captures and holds over 99.9% (particles 0.3 microns or larger) of dust and allergens inside the vacuum and not back into the air you breathe. It comes with a variety of on-board tools including the duster/crevice tool for getting into the edges of the room and tight spaces and the Upholstery brush to clean sofas and soft furnishings, the Shark’s extended reach lets you get at the curtains and ceilings. The brush heads are removeable for cleaning and there is even a tool to remove hair from the brush included in the kit, the floor head is a good size, but the brushes don’t reach the very edge which means if you want to get into corners and along skirting you will need to stop and attach the crevice tool. It isn’t the quietest vacuum but meets safety requirements of 80dB. The Lift-Away unit is useful for getting under furniture and you don’t lose power in this mode but you will have to carry it around with you due to the lack of wheels, it fits easily on the stairs but you need to keep hold of it as it is easy to pull over. We found the Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away Upright Vacuum Cleaner powerful at picking up dirt, it worked well on both soft and hard floor and made light work of pet (and human) hair. It is also rather bulky (it weighs 6.1kg) and cumbersome to move around compared to others in its class.
There are some bright LED lights on the floor head to make sure no speck of dust goes unnoticed, with only a 1.1L bin you will find yourself emptying it rather a lot. Chances are if you are looking at getting a mains powered upright you are looking for something with a lot of suck and the Shark doesn’t disappoint. However, it isn’t the most user-friendly of vacuums so be prepared to take a little time and a bit of a work out when using it. RRP £349.99
4 out of 5
Pros
Powerful with a good lift
Upright, lift away and stick options all in one
Lots of attachments included
Easy to use on the stairs
Good at removing pet hair
Cons
Heavy and bulky
Resists being pulled backwards
Small bin
Doesn’t reach the edge of skirting
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