If you can live with the above then there’s plenty of versatility and cleaning ability here for a relatively attractive price. Verdict The bin can be emptied whilst still on the cleaner body or removed first, whichever you find easier. For general dust and debris, the bin’s large flap means everything falls out cleanly. This Shark is rated at only 450W, including the floorhead motor. Around this level of suction isn’t dissimilar to the power from the best cordless cleaners, including Shark’s own battery powered models, so don’t expect a big uplift in cleaning power for the cable-connected inconvenience.

Thankfully, this model also comes with Shark’s Motorised Pet Tool, which makes for a much lighter clean on steps. The Duo-Clean floorhead sports some very serious LED lighting, which worked admirably. Given the low power consumption of LED lights, we just can’t understand why so few brands have LED headlights. The design of the HV390UKT might be excellent, but there are other things you’ll need to think about before you decide if this is the right one for you. For instance, how comfortable are you going to feel using the vacuum?

Specifications

Switched on to the ‘Hard Floor, Area Rugs’ setting, the motor power is reduced and the brush bars turn more leisurely. While absolute suction power isn’t massive, the Duo-Clean floorhead more than makes up for it with its superb mechanical cleaning abilities. Closer inspection of the main carpet did reveal plenty of the heavier grains of freshening powder clinging tenaciously to the pile, however. As noted, cleaning is easy, aided on the larger brush roller by a little channel that allows scissor access to cut off hairs. To empty your canister, just press a button when aiming it over the bin. Remember, although the process for emptying the container isn’t hard, it’s also a bit messy. Thus, make sure you’re prepared for a plume of dust. With its twin rollers and own electric motor, the Duo-Clean floorhead is a big and weighty unit. This isn’t so much of an issue on floors, but using it single-handed on stairs requires some serious wrist strength.

The super-long 10-metre cable allowed us to get right to the top of our semi-spiral stairs in a single run, and performance of the pet tool is admirable. The motorised operation is far more consistent than air-powered ‘turbo’ brushes, and the rotation speed is far lower, ensuring a good clean without unnecessarily battering your carpet.Within EU regulations, Shark could have fitted a 750W motor and still had some watts left to power the floorhead. Using traditional motors that might have made the HV390UKT a little heavier, but not by much. Opportunity missed? We think so. Although, looking at it another way, it’s A+ energy rating means it’s greener and leaner on your electricity bill. Shark’s Duo-Clean floorhead is the star of the show, with its twin roller brushes and LED lighting that will highlight fluff and debris in the darkest recesses. As ever with Shark products, all the HV390UKT’s fixtures, fittings and clips are clearly labelled, very well made, and operate with a solid precision. Shark includes a five-year guarantee as standard on this model, and it’s easy to see why.

Yet this Shark doesn’t offer improved suction over its cordless sibling, despite being mains-powered. Its very low-power (circa 400W) suction motor is half the EU power limit, and that shows in some of the test results.The Duo-Clean head can be attached to the cleaner with Shark’s funky Flexology folding tube, or directly to the cleaner’s body. The head tilts, pivots and articulates nicely for easy steering, and the big rear wheels and small front rollers should keep things moving. The tool roster is complete with a decent size Crevice Tool and an effective dusting brush, although there’s nowhere to store these items on-board. However, pet hair did cause us some issues. Frequently, big clumps of hair would get caught in the transition port between the cyclone and the bin itself, requiring reaching in and resulting in dusty fingers. Another great thing about this model’s design is that the controls are very straightforward. The bendy hose is excellent for compact storage. Therefore, it also means that there’s not as much hassle involved in getting underneath and behind furniture when you’re vacuuming, too. Overall, Shark has excelled from a design perspective. 2. Shark DuoClean Noise Levels and Cord Length Despite Shark’s intimation that you can use the main floorhead connected directly to the cleaner body on stairs, this isn’t an easy option or practical.