Shark Powered Lift-Away Vacuum Cleaner with TruePet

We recently bought this vacuum cleaner to replace our 1 year old Dyson DC40 which had broken (the upright hold had failed) and had struggled to hold up to it's big name potential. Whilst the Shark NV681UKT is similar in price it so far has outstripped the Dyson in cleaning capability, flexibility and usability. Shark NV681UKT Powered Lift-Away Vacuum Cleaner, TruePet Model, Bordeaux Cleaning Capability: Whilst it is accepted that a new vacuum cleaner will generally perform better than an old vacuum (clean airways for best suction etc.) we were no less amazed at the level of dirt and fibre the Shark pulled from our carpets. We have two Cocker Spaniels, two children and vacuum daily but, as you can see from the picture linked to this review, the Shark was able to pick up a lot of extra fibrous matter. This was particularly the case for a thick rug we have in the Living Room. The NV681UKT comes with specific Pet Filters (which can be replaced) as well as a small powered attachment for stairs cleaning and a direct cleaning head for tiled/wooden floors. Flexibility: The Shark NV681UKT has a feature that it calls 'Powered Lift-Away'. Essentially you can take the vacuum body away from the main head structure and carry it with you to use on the stairs, cleaning the inside of a car or in other awkward to reach places. Whether it is my lack of experience with vacuum cleaners or not however I have not seen one with lights on the front - what a great idea! The lights are bright and spread a good pool of illumination in front. As an example of use, the downstairs bathroom in our house is only small and now there is no need to activate the room light/auto-fan combo to vacuum for 30 seconds as the Shark provides sufficient light. Usability: The Shark is much like other vacuum cleaners in terms of usability. It is quite a bit bulkier than our previous Dyson DC40 but about the same weight. It's odd because in use the Shark feels heavier than the Dyson however that is presumably the increased suck/pull making it harder to move rather than a significant increase in the weight. In 'Lift-Away' mode the vacuum is light and easy to use with the hose. The capacity of the vacuum cleaner is not huge, but neither is it small and emptying presents no great difficulty, mess or faff thankfully. Cables are obviously the bane of a corded vacuum cleaner however the clip that holds the cable away from the ground is not particularly strong and will more often than not release the cord. It's not the end of the world to hold the cable clear but it’s still a shame. Positive Points: * Great cleaning ability * Unique Design and Flexibility * Suited to houses with pets * Range of attachments for different surfaces * Lights! Negative Points: * The weak cable clip is a bit of a pain * Smaller capacity / more frequent emptying It's a struggle to get overly excited about a vacuum cleaner however in comparison to other cleaners we have used in the past it is clear that Shark have put a lot of thought into the NV681UKT. The Lift-Away function and the lights make for an easier job of keeping the house clean and the price is less than other notable brands for which the Shark outstrips in performance. We are very pleased with our purchase. I will update this review over the coming months to give my thoughts after an extended period of use but a great first impression. Highly recommended.

Product arrived on time, superb 1 day delivery with no cost. Was a bit dubious ordering The Shark as I’ve had a Dyson for the past 9 years and have loved it so to change to another brand was a difficult decision. Thoroughly researched and read the reviews on The Shark and took the chance. The Shark arrived boxed, so easy to assembly even I could do it! So plugged it in and ready to go....it is AMAZING! I honestly thought that my carpets were clean (people laugh at me as I do Hoover every day)! The suction on it is incredible and what it picked up OMG I was shocked! So easy to use, fabulous that there’s a light, various suction control and such an easy to use switch to go from carpet to hard floor, the Shark lifts the pile on the carpet leaving it looking like new. I can honestly say this is far better than the Dyson, something I never thought I would say. The only negative criticism I have is that it is heavy but I’ll get used to it. I know it’s difficult when you read reviews and you wonder if what they say are true but I can honestly say that I DID buy it, tried it, absolutely LOVE IT and do not regret my decision at all. Happy Cleaning!

Over the years I have gone through 4 Dyson upright vacuums. Our last buy, a Roller Ball Animal was a real disappointment, over priced, poor performance and cheap plastic build. It was clear that Dyson was no longer what it once was in the world of vacuums. Keen to look for something else I researched options and based on glowing owner reviews decided to go for a Shark Powered Lift Away. To say I’m ecstatic would be an understatement. This thing is a beast! We have two dogs and a cat and it managed to revive our carpet in a way I would not have thought possible. The amount of sheer dust it picked up along with hair was truly shocking. Our previous vacuum was clearly worse than I thought. Assembly is quick and pretty self explanatory. I love the lift away feature for stairs and the headlights are not at all a gimmick, but great at highlighting bits you’ve missed and lighting up under furniture. The dust capacity is on the small side and the lead not as long as what I’m used to, but these are minor points I’m prepared to overlook due to its brilliance. It works really well on all surfaces and the three tools it comes with cover all needs. I felt as though I was taking a risk buying this but I’m so glad I did. Superior performance at half the price of a Dyson.

Edit: I bought this in November 2019. The motor packed up at the start of 2023. Bit disappointing, as I would have expected such an expensive machine to last longer than just over 3 years. Hence knocking a star off. Have bought a new Shark to replace it, purely due to its awesome cat hair removal (though the new one isn't as well-designed as the old one, boo.) Bought this on a whim due to the good reviews for picking up cat hair as my Henry has always struggled to deal with the sheddings of my many cats. All I can say is wow! Just as others have found, not only does it pick up pet hairs a treat, it removes years’ worth of manky hidden dust and lifts tired carpet pile. My stairs had a permanent greyish tinge from woven-in cat hair and now they are back to their original colour! I filled the dust container twice in a quick hoover of the stairs, landing and one bedroom! Yuck! And that’s with having hoovered less than a week ago with my other hoover. It really does suck up everything, as my photo shows. The only downside is that it’s very heavy to move about (or maybe is just so tightly sucking the floor!) but I can live with that to have lovely clean carpets! It’s better on carpet than solid floor, but the things it can’t pick up like cat litter, cat biscuits and small stones can be easily dealt with by just unclipping the nozzle and zapping them. Very pleased with this! Not sure I’d pay £300 for it but I got it on a deal for £170 so I think that’s pretty reasonable for the quality, if it stays this good.

Je m'attendais à beaucoup plus que cela. C'est lourd à manœuvrer, la tête ne tourne pas bien, elle n'aspire même pas les mouches mortes! Cela fonctionne peut-être mieux sur un tapis mais certainement pas sur un sol dur. J'ai acheté Sebo Felix après Shark, et j'ai regretté d'avoir acheté Shark! J'aurais pu acheter 2 Sebo à la place!