Shark IZ201UK anti-hair wrap vacuum review: I tested the ultimate cleaning appliance
LONG hair makes cleaning difficult as it gets everywhere and easily clogs up the brush on the vacuum cleaner.
If only there was a cleaner that could deal with this – oh wait, there is, the Shark Classic Anti-Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum IZ201UK.
This little beauty promises to free your vacuum roller of clogged hair, while still sucking it all up efficiently in the first place. It could be a game-changer for long-haired households so I was keen to try it out and see how well it works.
Pros:
- No need for scissors to remove hair from roller
- Up to 40 minutes run time on one charge
- Flexible design for cleaning under furniture
- Lights on the front
Cons:
- Quite heavy
- Not particularly attractive
- Has a filter to clean
Rating: 3.5/5
Shark IZ201UK, £329.65
Shark anti-hair wrap vacuum review: quick summary
Most people who’ve owned a cordless vacuum cleaner with a dust roller have probably run into the same problem at one time or another: after a few hours of cleaning, the roller is wrapped tightly with hair.
While that’s not a huge problem in the short term, eventually you have to take out a pair of scissors or a knife to cut free your vacuuming head, which is up there with unclogging a plug hole in terms of undesirable cleaning tasks.
Luckily, the latest range of vacuum cleaners from Shark promises to remove that issue.
There’s now a whole range of Shark vacuum cleaners with anti-hair wrap technology which uses a clever mechanism to remove your hair hell.
Instead of rolling tighter and tighter around your roller, Shark’s new vacuum cleaners use technological wizardry to gather hair at the base of the vacuum which is eventually drawn up the nozzle and into the cylinder without you having to get involved at all.
After a few days of testing this out in a fairly hairy household, I’ve found the new technology works well and it’s saved me from having to break out the scissors ever since.
While I won’t claim there are zero hairs wrapped around the roller, there are far, far fewer than before and they’re much easier to remove.
Shark IZ201UK, £329.65
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Battery life
Shark claims the vacuum will last 40 minutes on its lowest setting. I found this to be pretty much on the money, but that assumes you’re not going to use either the higher setting or the boost function for trickier patches of mess.
If you’re cleaning a relatively small flat, you should manage the whole thing on a single charge.
If you’ve got a larger property, you might want to invest in a second battery to boost your run time. It adds an extra £50 to the total price.
Flexible stick
Among the Shark’s other clever features is the flexible stick, which means you can bend the vacuum in half to reach underneath sofas and beds without getting on your hands and knees.
It also makes it easier to store the vacuum as it folds in half and stands by itself so you can just stick it in a corner if you’re short on space and it won’t tumble over every time you knock into it.
Open face
If you’ve used a cordless vacuum before, you might have noticed that you can end up pushing around larger clumps of dirt rather than vacuuming them up.
But the Shark has made its vacuums better at picking up larger detritus thanks to a higher ground clearance, which I can confirm is very good at picking up stray lumps of mud from dirty football boots.
The downside of this is that it’s now easier to suck up something you weren’t planning on, like an iPhone cable or a stray coin. I think it’s useful for cleaning, but means you need to be a bit more observant as you vacuum, which leads us onto…
Headlamps
The folks at Shark also decided to fit the vacuum with headlamps which illuminate the area you’re hoovering a little better.
Are they useful? I’ve yet to think so. Are they fun? Absolutely.
What attachments do you get?
As standard, you get a crevice tool, a dusting brush and an upholstery tool.
Shark IZ201UK, £329.65
How does it compare to a Dyson?
The comparable Dyson vacuum at the time of writing is the V8 Animal, which has an RRP of £349.
I’ve used the V8 and I think the Shark is a bit more versatile. The anti-hair wrap technology is something Dyson has yet to match. Plus the open face on the Shark ensures you push dirt around the room less than with the Dyson.
Both vacuums have a similar stated battery life of 40 minutes.
But the Dyson has the edge on weight, being around 1.5kg lighter than the Shark. I personally didn’t mind the extra weight as it feels more stable as you navigate around a room, but if you’re keen on a lighter option, go for the Dyson.
Although we don’t think the Shark is ugly, it’s definitely more of an acquired taste than the super slick and modern Dyson.
In terms of suction, it’s hard to compare two vacuums outside of a lab. You get three suction options with the Shark, rather than the two of the Dyson, but does this equate to better cleaning? Who knows?! I will say I never felt like either vacuum let me down in testing, so I don’t think you’ll go too far wrong either way in terms of performance.
One final point in the Dyson’s favour is that it doesn’t rely on a filter that you have to clean (albeit, very infrequently) which the Shark does.
Shark anti-hair wrap vacuum review: final verdict
After testing, I’ve become a big fan of the Shark IZ201UK.
It performs well, feels nice to use and I like the clever features it includes.
Would I buy it instead of a comparable Dyson? Right now, definitely. The anti-hair wrap technology works really well and the foldable stick is a useful addition for cleaning and quick storage.
Plus I rate the open face and it means I spent less time chasing a stubborn piece of dirt around the carpet.
But, if weight and portability (or appearance) is your primary concern then perhaps opt for a Dyson V8 Animal.
Where can I buy the Shark IZ201UK Anti Hair Wrap Vacuum in the UK?
The Shark IZ201UK Anti Hair Wrap Vacuum, as well as other models in the Sharp cordless collection, are available from a number of retailers in the UK. These include:
Is there an alternative to the Shark IZ201UK Anti Hair Wrap Vacuum?
The best cordless vacuum cleaners suit a variety of budgets, but when it comes to those that can deal quickly and effectively with hair wrapping around the roller, the selection narrows.
All of Dyson’s current cordless cleaners feature detangling technology, from the Dyson V8 up to the most expensive models – the Gen5 Detect and the V15 Detect. Dyson also offers its hair screw tool that picks up pet hair from cars and furniture as an attachment to its cordless vacuums.
Other brands of cordless cleaners worth looking at for picking up human and pet hair are Vax, Hoover, Samsung and Gtech.