Shark NZ801UKT vacuum cleaner review: The anti-hair wrap upright model for a super deep clean
AS far as upright vacuum cleaners go, the Shark NZ801UKT isn’t cheap - in fact, prices are comparable to some Dyson models.
But for that, you get a device with a 5-year guarantee, and some serious cleaning power
- Shark NZ801UKT upright vacuum cleaner, £349.99 from Shark -
The standard setup is as an upright vacuum cleaner but you can also separate the body and the hose to clean everything from your sofa to your stairs with relative ease.
Fans of the brand will note that it’s very similar to the NZ801UK model. You can read our Shark upright vacuum cleaner nz801uk review for comparison.
But there’s one crucial difference - it comes with an extra pet hair attachment that’s designed to lift every bit of debris from your upholstery. So for pet owners, this model can be a great investment.
Ratings:
- Features: 5/5
- Set up: 5/5
- Usage: 3/5
- Maintenance: 5/5
Overall rating: 4.5/5
Pros:
- Seriously deep clean
- Easy to use
- Works for carpets and hard floors
- Minimal maintenance
- Great for households with pets
Cons:
- Heavy body
- Difficult to manoeuvre
- No automatic cord rewind
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Shark NZ801UKT upright vacuum cleaner review: Key features
- Shark NZ801UKT upright vacuum cleaner, £349.99 from Shark -
The Shark NZ801UKT is designed for homes with pets, whether you have carpets or hard floors.
It has a huge number of features, including:
- DuoClean technology: The main suction head has two motorised brush rollers, with different textures, that helps to pick up every bit of debris, large or small. It means you don’t have to change heads as it’ll work on carpets and hard floors.
- Anti-hair wrap: This is Shark’s special bristle guard that stops any hairs from getting caught and tangled in the brush head, meaning less maintenance for you.
- Power Lift Away technology: Unlike most upright vacuum cleaners, the body on this model actually separates from the hose, making it lighter and easier to clean places like the stairs, or to reach high places.
- TruePet technology: On this model, you get an upholstery brush that’s specifically designed for homes with pets. It’s like a smaller, motorised version of the anti-hair wrap head that will massage any hairs out of your sofa or other fabric surfaces.
- Surface selector: There are switches on the handle that lets you adjust the suction power and type of flooring with ease.
- Suction head with lights: LED lights on the suction head lets you know when there’s a problem. There are also front lights that highlight every bit of dust hiding in the dark so you can see where to tackle next.
On top of these, you also have the standard crevice and upholstery tools that you get with most vacuum cleaners.
And for homes with few plugs, the cable is a very generous 8m.
Shark NZ801UKT upright vacuum cleaner review: Set up
The Shark NZ801UKT comes completely broken down in the box so you do have to put it together before you use it.
The process is pretty straightforward though, and only takes about a minute, with clear, illustrated instructions in the manual showing you exactly how to put it together for different modes.
For the full upright mode, you have to slot the wand into the main suction head and then attach the handle with hose on top.
The main body, which has the motor and dust tank, then clips into the wand, with the hose plugging into the body from the back.
Two slots on either side of the body can be used to store the accessories - you get three with the Shark NZ801UKT so there’s one that needs to be stored somewhere else.
For the Lift Away mode, you just have to press the release button on the main body to take it off the wand and then you just carry the hose and the body separately for those harder to reach areas.
In this mode, you can use the main motorised suction head for the stairs, the crevice tool to detail your car, or the pet or upholstery tool to clean your sofa.
Shark NZ801UKT upright vacuum cleaner review: Usage
We were very impressed with the cleaning power on the Shark NZ801UKT.
Even though our floor looked fairly clean, the machine managed to pick up a lot of dust and debris, especially from mats and rugs, and we reckon the results were better than our trusty Dyson.
The motorised suction head also made it easy for the vacuum cleaner to glide along different surfaces.
We particularly loved the light on the suction head - something we haven’t had before.
It meant that we could clean darker corners without having to switch on every single light.
However, the Shark NZ801UKT is not the lightest of devices - it weighs in at 6.5kg.
While not too heavy to carry up and down the stairs, we did find that it was quite hard to manoeuvre into those tight corners because it doesn’t turn as easily as other vacuum cleaners we’ve used in the past.
It’s not that we can’t reach them, just that it’s a bit more effort to get there.
Separating the body and the wand to use for spot cleaning was easy and straightforward although you are limited by the length of the hose as to how far you can take your suction head away from the main body.
That does mean a lot of picking up and putting down of the main body.
The one thing we were disappointed by - would love to see on future models - is that the cable doesn’t automatically rewind.
Instead, you have to wind it up by hand on the side of the body, which doesn’t look as tidy.
Shark NZ801UKT upright vacuum cleaner review: Maintenance
There’s relatively little maintenance involved with this Shark vacuum cleaner.
The 0.83L dust tank lifts off the body at the touch of a button and then you just open a leaver to tip the contents straight into the bin.
Be careful with your aim though, as the first time you do this the you might end up having to re-vacuum everything you just cleaned.
There are also two filters to clean.
The pre-motor filter, made from foam and felt, needs to be cleaned every three months - just take it out, rinse under the tap and let it air dry.
The post-motor filter only needs to be cleaned once a year - again, it’s just a case of taking it out, rinsing under the tap and then allowing it to air dry.
Shark NZ801UKT upright vacuum cleaner: The verdict
- Shark NZ801UKT upright vacuum cleaner, £349.99 from Shark -
Overall, we were very impressed by the Shark NZ801UKT.
It delivered so much more suction power than we were expecting, especially on carpeted areas.
We also loved the light feature on the main suction head, which is really helpful for darker areas of the house.
For pet owners, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this model.
That said, if you suffer from mobility issues or need something that’s lighter, we think a different Shark model might be more suitable.
How much does the Shark NZ801UKT cost?
The Shark NZ801UKT upright vacuum cleaner has an RRP of £349.99 but you can sometimes find it on offer.
Right now it's available for £249.99 - a saving of £100.
Where to buy the Shark NZ801UKT upright vacuum cleaner
You can buy the Shark NZ801UKT upright vacuum cleaner from a few different places, so it's always worth checking if you can get a better deal elsewhere.
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