The list of the benefits of owning a pet is endless. But if you are the owner of a pet who sheds its glitter, aka long or short hair, around the house, you'll know the sometimes almost daily battle to get it cleaned up. And if you've always owned a plug-in vacuum cleaner, then going cordless could be the upgrade you need in your life.
Easily whipping it out and stashing it away with minimal fuss is a godsend if you only want to do little spot cleans, and modern ones have enough oomph for the big jobs too, and that includes getting rid of pet hair.
Right now you can grab yourself a particularly powerful one, with the Shark Stratos Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner Pet Pro available for £229 down from £429.99 at Amazon (all prices correct at the time of writing). It’s available in brass, silver, or red, so there’s bound to be an option to suit your style.
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Complete with a pet tool attachment and anti-hair-wrap technology on the main brush head, this is an ideal vacuum cleaner for anyone with long-haired family members or fluffy friends leaving a trail of hair about the place. It also features Sense IQ technology, which identifies dirt you can’t see and adjusts its cleaning power accordingly.
Its removable, rechargeable battery offers 60 minutes of runtime from a full charge when it’s running in eco mode, and there’s also the option to plug an anti-odour cartridge in to minimise bad smells from building up over time.
Amazon customers have been very impressed with it, with 4.4 out of 5 stars averaged from over 500 ratings so far. “What I really like about the Stratos is the intelligent modular design philosophy it has,” said one five-star review. “You can use it as a handheld vacuum cleaner with the provided long nozzle or attach the floor device that cleans beautifully any surface, including thick carpets. Very powerful although if you use it in full power the battery depletes very fast, the Clean Sense IQ feature helps save a lot of battery power while doing actually the job.”
“This is a game-changer,” said another happy customer. “Not as heavy as people would make you think, good build quality, moves around the flat easily, design is great, easy to put together, cleans the flat easily.”
Another said: “This is by far the best Hoover we have had. It copes perfectly with three kids and a dog! Easy to use and great power. Folds neatly so no issue with mounting against the wall.”
Less positive reviews generally focus on the battery life. “The battery drains very, very quickly,” said one three-star review. “I can vacuum my medium-sized lounge, but it needs charging. The battery on mine will not charge over 70%.” As most people who’ve had cordless vacuum cleaners will know, the battery is generally where you make the sacrifice compared with plug-in models. What you gain in manoeuvrability is counterbalanced by the need to recharge regularly.
Another added: “After about 18 months of use, the battery started to noticeably deteriorate. Now the percentage charges never gets above 70% and it struggles to last long enough to finish a small room.” This Shark does come with a five-year guarantee when you register it online, so in some cases you may be able to get a replacement in instances like this, so do have a read of the terms and conditions.
A powerful alternative would be the Dyson V8 Advanced Cordless Vacuum Cleaner for £229.99 at Currys. Elsewhere, if you only need a low-tech solution for quick spot jobs, the Beldray Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner for £85 at Dunelm will fit the bill.
At just £229, the Shark Stratos Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner is nevertheless our pick for a reliable, powerful, and convenient stick vacuum.
