Having a lovely, clean home can be a sight to behold, and getting to that state in a quick time is an achievement to be proud of. But this cleaning gadgets make a dust-free home an expectation, rather than a prized end goal. The Shark PowerDetect Speed IA1241UK is the ultimate premium cordless vacuum for people who want a spotless home in a short amount of time.
This powerful vacuum marries some of Shark’s unique cleaning technology, not available on any competitors’ models, with a refined design and useful features to make cleaning a breeze.
The Shark PowerDetect Speed highlights one of Shark's most advanced innovations: PowerDetect Intelligence, which helps it stand out from other premium cordless vacuums. This feature senses the floor conditions while you clean, adjusting suction power in order to increase or decrease it, ensuring you pick up all the muck.
For example, it can detect whether you’re vacuuming on a carpet or hard floor, to modulate power accordingly, or can recognise nearby edges which might have plenty of built-up dirt that’ll require some extra juice. It can sense your cleaning direction, and the PowerDetect Speed's reverse cleaning tool will effectively suck up debris on a reverse stroke to save you time as you clean. And it’ll scan for hidden dirt which you might not see, to further help its power boosting decisions.
PowerDetect isn’t the only advanced technology at play in Shark’s vacuum, though, with its Reveal Technology making your job easier. The vacuum can output a cyan beam of light, which makes it much easier for you to spot dirt, dust and debris around you when used on hard floors. This colour was chosen as it increases contrast, making these small vacuum-targets stand out better on different types of surface, and so the tech means you’ll have an easier time noticing missed spots or areas to focus on. On carpets, an LED light has a similar effect.
The PowerDetect Speed is one of Shark’s lightest cordless vacuums to date, tipping the scales at just 3.22kg, so it’s perfect for people who need a lightweight model. This versatility extends to another one of its selling points: its flexible design.
The vacuum bends so you can fold it in on itself: it can become compact when you want to store it, but this is also useful when you’re cleaning. You can use the flexibility to reach the small spaces under pieces of furniture like cabinets which wouldn’t fit a standard vacuum, stretch to high spots that are nearly out of reach, or get beneath tables without having to move them out of the way. Flexology means no spots in your home are out of reach.
A common pain point with certain models of cordless vacuum, is that a limited battery life can cut short a thorough clean, leaving certain rooms unfinished or forcing you to rush the task. However that’s not the case with the Shark: it can last for up to 60 minutes of cleaning, if you use its eco mode and non-motorised tools. It’s also easy to power back up, with a charging case that comes in the box.
You can make the most of that hour too, with a 0.5-litre dust cup capacity, which reduces the frequency of trips to the dustbin when you’re cleaning. And the Shark is designed to be easy to empty, so one touch will open the cup to ensure you don’t have to fiddle around with complex mechanisms.
The Shark PowerDetect Speed IA1241UK costs £229.99 at John Lewis, with a two-year guarantee included as part of the purchase, all thanks to an ongoing £170 discount which runs between April 15 and May 12. After then, it'll return to its usual £399.99 price.
