Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away Upright NZ801UKT - should I buy one?

Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away Upright NZ801UKT
(Image credit: Amazon)

Shark is one of the biggest brands in the vacuum world and many models are rated among the best vacuum cleaners around. The Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away Upright NZ801UKT is no exception, but is it worth the hype? 

The Shark NZ801UKT is a corded upright model but if you’re looking for an alternative, don’t miss our round up of the best cordless vacuum cleaners. The Shark model is available in the UK for around £260 - but as it’s not the latest model from the brand, you can often find good savings on this vacuum. 

There are three attachments included with the Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away Upright vacuum, however, you can also opt for a more expensive package that includes a specialist car vacuuming pack - this will set you back around £347.

The bottom line: The Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away Upright NZ801UKT is a corded vacuum that’s designed to thoroughly clean your home’s floors. It has two brush heads that work in tandem to make sure even thick carpets are given a great clean, and this model is also designed with pet owners in mind. 

Pros: This vacuum provides fantastic suction and its anti-tangle brush head design means you won’t need to worry about cutting off hair. Swivel steering also makes this vacuum easy to use while an extra long cord means you won’t have to keep unplugging. 

Cons: This Shark model is powerful but it’s pretty heavy when you use it as a handheld cleaner. Some users found it awkward to use on stairs and others also mention that this machine has a small dust bin that requires you to empty it more regularly. 

Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away Upright NZ801UKT: everything you need to know 

Shark’s NZ801UKT vacuum cleaner is designed with pet owners in mind but it’ll be suitable for anyone looking for an upright with strong suction power. The ‘duo’ part of this vacuum refers to the brush head which features two brush rolls that work together to make sure that even thick carpets are well agitated. 

Design: The Shark DuoClean is finished in navy and orange and its main body is detachable so that you can clean areas such as stairs or your car. This Shark vacuum does weigh 6.5kg so it’s heavier than stick vacuums such as the Roidmi S1E. The detachable body features a carry handle on top but may be too large to balance on your stairs while you clean them. 

The brush head is part of this vacuum’s plus points because it has two brush rolls that work deep into carpets and make sure nothing is left behind on hard floors either. The brush rolls also have anti-tangle designs that use bristles to separate hairs and make sure they don’t get caught on the brush roll. LED lights feature on the front of the brush head which means you’ll be able to see tiny specks of dirt and dust that the eye might not pick up otherwise. 

When you need to clean awkward areas such as the stairs or your car, the Shark NZ801UKT is designed so that you can lift the body away from the stick and attach smaller nozzles that’ll help you reach into crevices and to clean upholstery. 

This ‘lift away’ part of the machine is still quite bulky so might be a little heavy if you’re using it extensively. One of the attachments that comes with the Shark DuoClean is an anti-wrap hair tool that looks like a smaller version of the main brush head. This tool is specifically designed to suck up pet hair that’s stuck to your furniture or stairs. There is also a crevice tool and an upholstery tool included with this model. 

The dust bin on the Shark DuoClean isn’t massive and some users report having to empty this while they’re working their way around their house. An eight metre cord helps with the need to keep unplugging this vacuum as you move from room to room. When the vacuum is fully assembled, you’ll be able to navigate around your floors with ease because it benefits from swivel steering. 

Features & maintenance: To make sure your floors are as clean as possible, the Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away Upright NZ801UKT uses strong suction and the filters capture 99.9% of allergens and dust inside the vacuum so none of that dirt is released back onto your floors. 

With three attachment tools, there aren’t many areas of your home you won’t be able to reach with this vacuum. The dust bin is not huge so it’s best if you empty it after every use, and the filters are washable so maintaining this Shark model is nice and easy. The Shark DuoClean also has a five-year warranty which is impressive.

Reviews: The Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away Upright NZ801UKT scores an average of 4.8 out of five stars on Amazon’s UK site. The anti-tangle brush head is a real hit with some reviewers - with some users also adding that their ‘rugs came up like new’. Users also add that this vacuum operates quietly and has powerful suction. A lot of the criticisms are consistent and these include users stating that this vacuum works well but it’s heavy and the removable body for cleaning stairs is quite bulky. Other criticisms mention that the dust bin on this Shark vacuum is quite smaller and often has to be emptied during a whole-house vacuuming session. Some reviewers add that because the lift away body part falls over very easily. 

Conclusion: The Shark DuoClean offers fantastic cleaning power for a more appealing price. Its three attachments make cleaning tight spaces a lot easier, and the anti-tangle dual brush head is ideal for pet owners - or anyone with long hair. This vacuum is fairly heavy though, and its lift-away body will need carrying in one hand while you use the attachments to clean with the other hand. If you want something lighter, consider the Dyson V11 Outsize, or for a completely effortless clean, check out the best robot vacuums

Sophie Bird

Sophie writes about all things appliance-related and is currently the Home Editor at TechRadar's sister site, Top Ten Reviews. When she's not testing coffee machines and appliances, Sophie is thinking of eating delicious food, and asking people what they're having for dinner.