I measured the Shark IZ320UKT at 71.2dB (Eco), 75.4dB (Standard) and 76.8dB (Boost). That’s about average for a cordless vacuum cleaner with this much power. On the plus side, Shark’s articulated “Flexology” elbow does make cleaning under low furniture very easy indeed, allowing you to stand up and swing the cleaning head underneath your cupboards and sofas from a standing position, without having to get down on your hands and knees. The screen is also used to show the current power mode (Eco, Standard or Boost) and, if you have the floor head attached, the floor mode (carpet or hard floor).

Hair is part of every home. But over time, hair can become tightly wrapped around a traditional vacuum cleaner’s brush-roll. As it builds up, it can affect cleaning performance. Shark quotes battery life at up to 60 minutes per battery running on Eco mode without a powered tool. I tested with a powered tool and found that it lasted 61m 28s on Eco power, 33m 58s on Standard and an impressive 17m 58s minutes on Boost. Recharge time is four hours for both batteries.With its 4.58kg weight, the Shark IZ320UKT sits about in the middle of the cordless pile, balancing weight against power. I found it very easy to move around, with the floor head dashing around carpets and hard floors, and the LED headlights helping in darker areas. I ran my carpet test to start with, placing a teaspoon of flour on the ground. Running the Shark IZ320UKT through the middle I got a clean collection of the dust on Standard power. Next, I ran the vacuum through the top on Eco mode and the bottom on Boost. There’s little to tell between the two, and it’s impressive that the Shark IZ320UKT can clean so well on its lowest setting. I then combed cat hair into the carpet and ran over it using the standard power setting. Again, everything was collected with ease. I’ve reviewed the top-of-the-range model with dual batteries and the pet tool, but there are three other versions that have the same basic features: IZ320UK (dual batteries, no pet tool), IZ300UKT (single battery and pet tool) and the IZ300UK (single battery and no pet tool). Design and features

Flour proved a bit more of a challenge. On hard floor, the vacuum collected enough flour from a 50g spillage in a single pass to register 50g on my scales afterwards, although close inspection showed it wasn’t entirely perfect, with some flour still left over. A few subsequent passes on the Boost setting removed the rest effectively. Shark has included its DuoClean head, which has a soft roller for hard floors and a brush for carpets. For this model, Shark has included its PowerFins tech, which adds fins to the roller to really get into carpet fibres and agitate dirt. It’s also got Anti Hair Wrap tech, which really works to prevent hair from wrapping around the rollers. There’s a 0.7-litre bin, which is a good size for a cordless vacuum cleaner. You can empty it in-situ, pointing the vacuum’s bin down and opening the ejection flap. Or you can remove the bin from the body completely, which lets you pull out the rear filter for cleaning and thoroughly clean out the bin. You get two batteries in the box, plus a charger that can take both batteries, so you can keep them both topped up all of the time. If you prefer, you can just charge the battery in the vacuum’s body by plugging in the power cable at the rear.With a single motorised Anti Hair Wrap brush-roll, this lightweight, flexible cordless vacuum cleaner is perfect for homes with pets. Anyone who has a cat or dog in the home knows how often you find pet hair everywhere. This Shark stand vacuum is here to help. Thanks to the improved Anti Hair Technology, the vacuum removes hair of all lengths and origins from your upholstery and surfaces. It also easily transforms into a smaller, handheld device which can be used on stairs, in the car, or on furniture. Shark’s Anti-Allergen Complete Seal traps 99% of dust and dander to keep the home allergen free. Long Battery Life Pull the floor head off and you can easily clean close up or even around the ceiling, with the Shark IZ320UKT nicely balanced. With cordless vacuum cleaners, in particular, the raw figures give an idea of performance, but it’s only by testing them for real that you can see how good suction really is, as it’s a combination of power and tool efficiency that’s important.

Keeping the Shark emptied and clean is simple, too, with one button that releases the collection bin and filter unit from the device and a second button to open the trap door on the bottom to empty it. The filters can all be rinsed in running water and, since the vacuum also comes with Shark’s Anti Hair Wrap tech, you don’t need to worry about detangling regularly, either. This hasn’t transferred across to the pet tool, unfortunately, which gathered quite a bit of tangled hair during our testing. The dust collector has a capacity of 0.7 L, which is more than enough to clean the home once over. The battery lasts for about 40 minutes on low power, and up to 20 minutes on maximum power. An LED indicator will show when the battery (which is removable) needs to be recharged. The appliance itself folds down easily to be attached to the charger with no trouble. A five year guarantee from the manufacturer helps keep peace of mind should something go wrong. Cordless Vacuums UK In the box, Shark has been very generous with accessories. You get a crevice tool, a multi surface brush (hard brush and upholstery tool), mini pet brush (great for carpets and sofas) and the anti-allergen brush, which you can use for dusting pretty much everything from blinds to furniture thanks to its articulated joint. There’s no on-body storage for these tools, although Shark does throw in an accessory bag for you to keep everything in.Overall, this is a superb performance, surpassing the abilities of the more expensive Dyson models, including the V15 Detect and the V11 Outsize. Reach, store and charge anywhere with Flexology. This flexible wand bends to easily clean under low-lying furniture without heavy lifting. Fold down for compact, freestanding storage at the touch of a button. Go handheld to clean surfaces, soft furnishings, stairs, in the car and more with the included Crevice Tool, Upholstery Tool and Anti Hair Wrap Pet Tool – designed to remove embedded pet hair from upholstery. I put the Shark IZ320UKT through my raw performance tests, measuring suction power in airwatts (AW), which uses a combination of airflow and suction. On Eco power, the vacuum runs at a basic 37.33AW, moving to 61.40AW on standard, which is about average for cordless cleaners. On Boost mode, the vacuum manages a huge 199.79AW; few cordless vacuum cleaners are this powerful, bar the Dyson V15 Detect, which manages an even higher 280.93AW.