Shark DuoClean Cordless Vacuum Cleaner – Review

Last Updated on 11 May 2023 by Colette

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Hi, my name is Colette and I’m addicted to my cordless vacuum cleaner . . .

I’ve wanted a cordless vacuum for quite some time now, mainly for doing the stairs and the car or for whizzing under the table after the kids have eaten.  Yet, whilst I’ve loved the idea of the convenience, I’ve never felt I could justify spending in the region of £300 to make it easier to vacuum the stairs.

I didn’t realise what a game changer a cordless cleaner could be.

The Shark Duoclean is super easy to empty

The first few times I used the Shark Duoclean stick vacuum, it seemed to fill up really quickly and I was constantly outside emptying it into the dustbin.  Whilst this is a super simple procedure – it was a pain to be doing it before I’d even finished cleaning a room.  I commented to Dave that whilst I loved the ease and power of the Shark Duoclean I really couldn’t see it being able to replace your normal cleaner, he responded that it’s too expensive not to.  And I had to agree.

However what I’ve found over time is that the vacuum was only filling up so quickly because my floors were filthy (the shame) – a combination of my Dyson not being as effective as I thought and me just not cleaning the floors often enough. The more I use the Shark , the less there is for it to pick up and the longer I can clean for.  My floors have never been so clean.

The Shark is so easy to use

Because the Shark is so easy to use and so effective, I find myself whipping it out several times a day and spot cleaning – under the dining table, where the kids have had a snack in the living room, by the front door when someone has tramped in wearing muddy boots. Instead of doing one big clean once a week I’m doing little bits all the time and keeping on top of it.

Since we’ve had the Shark cordless vacuum, my Dyson upright has remained in its cupboard. I’ve simply had no need for it.

My heavy Dyson has been retired to the cupboard

Having thought that the Shark would mainly be used for cleaning the stairs and the car – it has quickly turned into my go to vacuum cleaner.  Because it’s so compact and folds down to be really tidy, I tend to keep it in the kitchen on charge which means I can just grab it and whizz round while I wait for the kettle to boil – so much easier than having to drag the comparatively heavy Dyson out of the cupboard, plug it in, and push it around the room.  Essentially it means I vacuum far more than I’ve ever done because it’s so easy and as a result my floors are cleaner than they’ve ever been, but without it feeling like I’m doing any more work.  If anything it probably feels like less as it’s just five minutes here and there.

Vacuuming the stairs has never been so easy!

Of course as I had expected, the Shark Duoclean is an absolute godsend for the stairs and the car.  I absolutely hate vacuuming the stairs – dragging the heavy vacuum cleaner up the stairs, balancing it on a step and then having to stop half way to plug it in upstairs as I’ve run out of cable . . . all that drama is banished with my cordless Shark.  What I would say is that the handheld section of the Shark is pretty heavy as a result of containing the battery, so by the time you’ve given the stairs going over you can definitely feel it in your arms but it’s still a bazillion times easier than trying to clean the stairs with a standard upright vacuum.

The cordless is great for cleaning out the car too!

I’ve never been a fan of hauling my upright vacuum cleaner out into the street to clean out the car – it’s cumbersome for a start.  Previously vacuuming the car has tended to involve a trip to Morrisons instead but, aside from faffing about making sure you’ve got the right money for the machine, the cleaner doesn’t really pack much of a punch so whilst it does do the job, it takes a lot of effort on our part.  Using the Shark means that we can clean the car out easily and quickly – no need to find an extension lead for the upright cleaner, or struggling to reach right into our huge boot.  The Shark gets the job done effectively and in minimum time – meaning of course that it gets done more often and therefore remains cleaner . . . can you see a pattern here?

What’s so special about DuoClean Technology?

The Shark features DuoClean Technology which means that rather than a single brush roll, a DuoClean vacuum has two unique rolls that work together to remove dust and dirt from both hard floors and carpets.  Rather than having to faff about changing heads, you can swap from hard flooring to carpet at the push of a button.  The settings for hard floor or carpet, as well as a battery saving or full power option – are easily accessed on the hand unit with your thumb so can be changed quickly as the need arises.

You would expect that being battery-powered and so small that perhaps the Shark would lack power but this really isn’t the case – I was really surprised to find that, in fact it packs such a punch that on carpet it practically pulls itself along.

Although the Shark does come with a number of attachments I find that for the majority of the jobs I need to do, I simply swap between the main floor cleaning head or the nozzle.  The rest of the attachments are stored away in a cupboard.  (This is probably one place where the Shark falls down for me, having lots of bits to find a home for – on my upright Dyson, all the attachments are stored on the cleaner itself)

What’s the battery life like on the Shark Duoclean?

As I’ve mentioned we tend to keep our Shark Duoclean cordless vacuum plugged in and easily accessible in the kitchen for spot cleaning however the removable, rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries mean that rather than being fixed to one charging station like other cordless cleaners, Shark’s battery can be charged in situ on the vacuum or removed and charged anywhere you like in your home which just adds to the flexibility.  You don’t need to find a special place to store or charge your Shark, it will live wherever you want to put it.  (The added bonus of the battery being removable is that you can purchase additional batteries which should curtail any frustrations over limited battery life – though as I’ve said, now that my floors are much cleaner anyway, this is no longer an issue for us – it is plenty for a quick whizz round the house, and to be honest I usually use it on full power and still get done what I want to.)

The quick release extended reach wand means curtains, light fittings or a persistently cobwebby Velux are not a problem for your Shark cordless cleaner.

My new Shark cordless vacuum cleaner has honestly been a game changer.  It has genuinely revolutionised the way our floors are cleaned – and this is no bad thing.  I’ve never vacuumed so much in all my life, it’s no longer a chore and in fact the Shark is so easy to use that Ben has taken up helping me too!

UPDATE DECEMBER 2019

Two years on I still love my Shark and my Dyson rarely makes it out of the cupboard. It’s fair to say the performance has dropped off a little since we got our Shark Duoclean two years ago, but it’s still by far the best vacuum cleaner I’ve ever used and I recommend it to everyone. I’d certainly never go back to a corded vacuum cleaner!