We think the Shark is one of the best upright corded vacs when it comes to ease-of-use. It’s lightweight (3.9kg,) easy to push around the floor, has swivel steering, and the handheld mode is great for stairs or cars. You can also still attach the wand when in handheld mode, making cleaning cobwebs and other high locations easier. The Shark HZ500UK comes with a HEPA filter. This is brilliant news for people with allergies, as HEPA filters are effective at preventing dust, pet dander, and other allergens from escaping into the air. It’s also designed with Shark’s Anti-Allergen Complete Seal.

The HZ400UKT’s stand-out feature is Anti Hair Wrap technology, which uses a combination of blades and bristles designed to stop hair from becoming entangled around the brush, clogging it up. It was well put to the test in a house with three girls (all with long hair) and four cats; the brush was refreshingly free of hair, making it stand out from the competition. Despite having a HEPA filter, we still don’t think this Shark is the best choice for people with allergies. As it’s a bagless vacuum, dust and dirt can still escape when you empty the bin. Even so, the HEPA filter makes it a decent choice if you want to keep your air clean when using a bagless vac. Emptying & Cleaning

Note: Shark sells a pet version of this vacuum cleaner called the HZ500UKT. It’s a bit more expensive, but includes a turbo pet tool. Price & Value for Money This performance even beats the Dyson Gen5detect, which left more Cheerios behind on a single pass across hard floor, although it, too, didn’t struggle to collect the remainder on a second pass. It’s less effective than the top carpet vacuums when cleaning carpets, however, which is something to keep in mind if your home is mainly carpeted. The small capacity may also be an annoyance if you want to use it for cleaning multiple rooms, as you’ll need to empty it frequently. Compared to many cordless vacuum cleaners, what you get with the Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Pet Pro IZ400UKT is relatively sparse. Don’t worry, though – on the whole, Shark has simply pared the box’s contents down to the absolute essentials, without losing anything important. It comes with the main dual-purpose floor head, a crevice tool and a smaller “pet” tool.

The Shark HZ500UK is an average carpet cleaner. While it isn’t terrible on carpets, we don’t think it can match the cleaning performance of more powerful upright vacuums. Removing the bin also gives access to the washable filters. There are two, including one HEPA filter to capture small particles, which makes this cleaner a good choice for those with allergies. The Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Pet Pro IZ400UKT comes heartily recommended. It’s a terrific cleaner at a good price. Its performance in our tests rivals that of vastly more expensive models, and I love the fact that you don’t need to switch the floor head over when moving from one surface to another. Thinking of buying the Shark HZ500UK vacuum cleaner? Here’s our in-depth review of this vacuum, along with our thoughts on who should buy it. How does it compare to other corded uprights? And is it worth buying over a traditional upright (such as those on our buyer’s guide?) Keep reading our Shark HZ500UK review to find out. Overview of the Shark HZ500UK’s Features

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A small 0.3-litre capacity to reduce weight (although this means it needs to be emptied regularly.) READ NEXT: The best Shark vacuum cleaners to buy Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Pet Pro IZ400UKT review: What’s it like to use?