Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner ICZ300UK review

Shark Anti Hair Wrap ICZ300UK: two-minute review

The Shark Anti Hair Wrap ICZ300UK is fairly unusual amongst today's best cordless vacuums because it's an upright model. That means it feels sturdier and more substantial than a stick vacuum, but it's also bulkier and heavier. The Powered Lift-Away design means the main canister can be disconnected from the wand, which gives it good reach under furniture. Carrying the canister in one hand allows for easy cleaning of stairs or overhead areas with the other hand.

With up to 60 minutes' run time and a bagless dirt cup that has ample capacity to clean the whole house, this vacuum is designed to make cleaning effortless. The floorhead can glide seamlessly between floor types and controls on the handle allow you to select hard floor or carpet as well as adjusting between one of the three power levels. The Anti Hair Wrap technology stops hair getting tangled in the brush rolls, meaning less maintenance.

In use I found it left floors clean and free of dirt. It maneuvers well for an upright model, and the different configurations are useful for cleaning all surfaces from floor to ceiling, making it versatile too. The version I tested was the ICZ300UKT, which is the same as the ICZ300UK but with an added motorized Pet Tool.

Shark Anti Hair Wrap ICZ300UK review: price & availability

•  List price: £399.99 (non-Pet version) / £429.99 (Pet version)

At list price, the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner ICZ300UK is £399.99 (but discounted to £279 on the Shark website at time of update), while the Pet version (ICZ300UKT) is £429.99. 

There was originally a US equivalent called the Shark Vertex Pro Cordless Vacuum, for $399.99, but at time of update it's no longer available. There's also no equivalent model in Australia.

Appliances often attract discounts around major shopping events, so it's worth keeping an eye out for a bargain in the Black Friday sales and the Amazon Prime Day sales. 

Shark Anti Hair Wrap ICZ300UK review: design

• Controls on handle
• Three suction levels
• Disassembles into a portable handheld vacuum

The Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner feels bigger than many other cordless stick vacuums. It's constructed with the bulk of the vacuum near the floor nozzle rather than near the handle, which gives it the look and maneuverability of a standard upright vacuum. It measures 108 x 26 x 25cm / 45 x 13 x 10.24 inches (H x W x D).

The Powered Lift-Away design takes this from an upright into a portable vacuum that can be held in one hand while still using the main floorhead in the other, giving excellent reach under low furniture. And for stairs or overhead cleaning, the attachments can be used in this mode to make cleaning easy.

It weighs 6.2kg / 12.4 pounds which is acceptable especially given that it’s bottom-heavy. It also disassembles, so when cleaning high places, the majority of the weight doesn’t need lifting overhead as it can be carried in your other hand.

There are three power levels; Eco, Deep Clean, and Boost. These are controlled easily via the controls on the handle and this is also where the vacuum can be switched between carpet and hard floor modes. Additionally, the LCD screen displays the percentage of charge left in the battery so you can see at a glance when it needs a recharge.

The main floorhead has two motorized brush rolls that work in tandem to collect dirt. The soft front roll collects fine dust and the PowerFin brushroll which agitates carpets for a deeper clean. And for dull days, headlights on the front of the floorhead illuminate the floor and dirt ahead.

It comes with a range of useful attachments. The UK Pet model comes with a crevice tool, dusting brush, wide upholstery tool, and motorized pet tool. 

The removable dust cup has a 0.6 liter / 1.35-quart capacity, which should be plenty to vacuum an average house without the need to empty it until you’re finished. And unlike many cordless vacuums, to charge this one, the battery is removed and placed in the charger. It means the charger is compact and can be plugged in anywhere.

Shark Anti Hair Wrap ICZ300UK review: performance

• Good pick up
• Easy to maneuver
• Useful tools

The vacuum has to be assembled when first removed from the box, but all the parts slot together in a logical straightforward way, which meant I didn’t need to consult the instruction manual. The removable battery has a handle and is positioned for easy access so it can be removed quickly when it needs recharging. I like the small charger that can be positioned anywhere, meaning the vacuum can be stored in a cupboard that doesn’t have a power outlet while the battery charges elsewhere.

With all the controls on the handle, adjusting the suction power or floor type as you vacuum is effortless, however, I did have to keep repositioning my hand for comfort, the handle can be uncomfortable if your grip is too close to the control panel.

The vacuum transitioned from carpet to hard floor and even onto thick pile area rugs without any trouble and glides easily on all surfaces. It doesn’t feel heavy or awkward to push and generally maneuvers well around corners and in tight spaces. I was pleased to note very good pick-up with the vacuum collecting all the dirt in its path, whether dust, hair, or larger debris. The adjustable suction levels make it easy to tailor the pick-up to the dirt level in the room and it effectively collects dirt along the edge of the wall too.

The Anti Hair Wrap technology was effective at preventing hairs from becoming tangled in the brush rolls, even after I spread extra hair over the floor to give it a challenge. I also appreciated the headlights on the front of the floorhead, they illuminate dark corners and the areas beneath furniture, making it easier to see what you're vacuuming.

Disassembling the vacuum to use it in lift-away mode is quick and simple and I found it much easier to vacuum stairs and upholstery than it would be without this feature. Overhead cleaning using just the wand makes the task less cumbersome than with other cordless vacuums. And while it’s easy in short bursts the wand can still feel heavy to hold above your head for prolonged high-level vacuuming.

The dust cup is easy to remove and with the press of one button the dirt empties out of the bottom into the trash. However, I did find that on more than one occasion I had to manually pull some of the dirt out due to tangled hair that stopped it from falling out on its own, which is somewhat annoying. The filters have to be washed monthly to keep them from getting clogged but it’s an easy job and they last 2.3-3 years before they need to be replaced.

It was loudest when used in Boost mode on carpet, with my decibel meter measuring 78db, which is the same sound as experienced when a washing machine is at the spin section of a cycle. However, this isn’t the loudest vacuum I've tested and is acceptable given that it's only experienced for a few minutes at a time. 

Shark Anti Hair Wrap ICZ300UK review: battery life

• Full charge takes 3.5 hours
• Battery level shown on LED display screen
• Boost mode uses power quickly

When vacuuming on Boost using the main floor head in carpet mode the battery lasted 11.5  minutes. But this is the worst case scenario, for increased battery life you can choose Deep Clean or Eco modes and the battery will last even longer when using a non-motorized tool.

The LCD screen on the handle shows the battery level percentage in increments of 10% so you always know how much power you have left. A full charge takes 3.5 hours and flashing lights on the top of the battery indicate the charge level during charging.

Should you buy the Shark Anti Hair Wrap ICZ300UK?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

First reviewed: December 2021