This model has slightly different names and product codes in different territories:
UK: Shark Anti Hair Wrap Bagless Cylinder Pet Vacuum CZ250UKT US [discontinued]: Shark Canister Pet Bagless Corded Vacuum CZ351 AU [discontinued]: Shark Bagless Barrel Vacuum CZ250
For this review, we tested the UK version.
Shark is well known for making some of the best vacuum cleaners around and we know the brand as one of the frontrunners when it comes to cordless vacuums. But unlike its rival Dyson, Shark still makes a range of plug-in corded vacuums. This includes uprights and canister vacuums, which are also known as cylinders and barrel vacuums depending on what part of the world you’re from.
The Shark Anti Hair Wrap Bagless Cylinder Pet Vacuum CZ250UKT is the slightly cheaper sibling of Shark's top-of-the-range plug-in canister vacuum, but that’s not to say it’s lacking in features. The powered brushroll floorhead employs Shark’s Powerfin technology to get deep into carpets, as well as its self-clean anti hair wrap technology. The cleaning wand bends in half to reach under furniture and can be used for overhead cleaning too. There’s a crevice and an upholstery tool included in the box, plus UK customers benefit from a powered pet tool too.
On test, this Shark canister displayed good performance and maneuverability. We noticed particularly good pick-up on carpets, but it’s equally at home on hard floors as well as cleaning upholstery or overhead. It’s a great choice for those who don’t like upright or stick style vacuums or for anyone who wants a reliable clean without having to worry about how much battery is left.
(Image credit: Future)
Shark CZ250UKT: price & availability
List price: £299.99
Discontinued in Australia and the US
This vacuum has slightly different names in different countries. It’s the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Bagless Cylinder Pet Vacuum CZ250UKT in the UK. Whereas in the US it goes by the name Shark Canister Pet Bagless Corded Vacuum CZ351 and in Australia you’ll find it called the Shark Bagless Barrel Vacuum CZ250. The only real difference between the three models is that the UK version comes with an additional small, powered pet tool.
It's well priced in comparison to cordless vacuums and is also cheaper than Shark's top-of-the range canister vacuum, which comes in at $479.99 / £329.99/ AU$799.99. You may even be able to use one of the Shark promo codes currently available to bring the price down.
Shark CZ250UKT review: design
1.9 quart/ 1.6 liter dust cup capacity
25 ft/ 9 meter power cord
HEPA filter
Weighing in at 9 lb/ 4.4kg without the hose or any attachments in place and without a full dust cup, the canister itself is a pretty good weight for most people to carry up and down stairs, the large carry handle and rubberized grip certainly help, too.
The canister size is fairly standard, measuring 19.3 x 10.2 x 10.2 inches/49 x 26 x 26cm (h x w x d) and there are plenty of different configuration options for storage, depending on whether you’ve got a tall or short cupboard space.
(Image credit: Future)
The floorhead has headlights in the front to illuminate dark spots such as areas below furniture. There’s a powerful self-cleaning brushroll that’s designed to remove debris from deep within carpet fibers, whilst avoiding that annoying clog of hair around the brush. There’s no option to turn off the brushroll though, which can sometimes be desirable for particularly delicate floors.
A control panel on the handle houses a power button, but there’s also one on the canister so you can switch it on using either. A suction level button allows you to easily cycle between the three suction levels using your thumb, and a third button lets you choose between carpet or hard floor modes. For this as well as the suction levels there are easy-to-understand symbols that light up to display the selections you’ve made. It defaults to hard floor and the middle suction power when first switched on.
(Image credit: Future)
In the box you’ll also get a crevice tool and an upholstery tool as well as a clip to hold them to the wand, providing convenient and easy access when cleaning. If you buy it in the UK you’ll get an additional pet power brush to tackle pet hair on upholstery and cushions.
The flexible wand can bend in half at the midpoint, allowing it to reach under low furniture without the user having to bend down, a feature seen on many Shark upright vacuums. And for overhead cleaning the small tools can be attached directly to the wand. Likewise, the main floorhead can be attached to the handle for easier cleaning of small spaces like stairs.
Shark CZ250UKT review: performance
Maneuvers well
Controls conveniently located on handle
Good dust collection
The flexible wand does its job and allows for easy cleaning under low furniture without having to bend. Although it’s not quite so easy to maneuver in this mode, we didn’t feel we had as much control over the direction of vacuuming as when it’s in standard mode.
The floorhead is self-supporting so when you click it upright to go and move a stray sock out of the way, it stays put without falling over or having to be placed on the floor, plus the brushroll will automatically pause. And switching between power levels or floor type is super easy with the controls at your fingertips on the handle.
(Image credit: Future)
General pick up is good on both carpet and hard floor and the beauty of a plug-in vacuum means you don’t feel the need to use one of the lower power levels to conserve battery, you’ll only need to switch to lower power for vacuuming delicate rugs or upholstery. Speaking of rugs, it coped well with a long pile area rug, removing lots of debris left behind by a robot vacuum that had cleaned it the same day.
We were impressed with the dust and dirt collection even if it was slightly horrifying how much it removed from recently vacuumed carpets. Edge cleaning is good, too, and it was able to collect oats from along our baseboards no matter whether we approached with the front or side of the floorhead. It didn’t struggle to remove hair from carpets and we were pleased to see that none of it became tangled in the brushroll.
The canister is small enough to balance on stairs and by removing the wand and attaching the floorhead or one of the tools directly to the handle, cleaning stairs is a breeze. Similarly, we were left with clean sofas after vacuuming them with the upholstery tool. And the crevice nozzle attached to the wand came in handy for removing cobwebs overhead, though you wouldn’t be able to clean like this for long without getting arm ache.
(Image credit: Future)
The dust cup is easy to remove and during our tests all of the dirt and dust fell straight out into the trash at the push of a button. Having said that, though, the large capacity means you don’t have to do this too often, which is particularly helpful if you’ve got allergies and are sensitive to the usual dust cloud that erupts upon emptying a vacuum. The filters are also easily removed and they’re washable, so keeping them in good condition doesn’t require expensive regular replacements.
(Image credit: Future)
During use, the floorhead proved to have good general maneuverability and the canister followed behind, with very little effort required to pull it along. Occasionally the hose would become folded and inhibit suction, but that’s quite common for long hoses and doesn’t take much to adjust back.
On the highest suction power vacuuming hard floor, our noise meter maxed out at 76dB, but this went down to around 68dB on the lowest suction level. On carpet the noise levels were pretty similar, but the tone wasn’t quite so high pitched.
Should I buy the Shark Bagless Cylinder Pet Vacuum?
Ninja Foodi Health Grill & Air Fryer: one-minut review
Ninja is the kitchen appliance brand that just seems to be going from strength to strength. Not only is it known for making some of the best multi-cookers and air fryers around, but it’s continually innovating, producing numerous multipurpose appliances such as its blenders that double as food processors.
The Ninja Foodi Health Grill & Air Fryer is known as the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill in the US or the Ninja Foodi Airgrill in Australia. Like many air fryers, it offers other cooking functions in addition to air frying. These include bake, roast and dehydrate, but it’s the grill function that sets it apart from the rest. It allows you to chargrill foods, but a smoke-control system means you can do it indoors without setting off your smoke alarm. It’s like having an outdoor grill or barbecue in your kitchen.
It comes with a cooking pot, crisper basket and grill plate, all of which are non-stick and dishwasher-safe; but not all can be stored inside the appliance at the same time. When measured in quarts or liters, the air fry basket isn’t huge. However, it feels generously sized thanks to its wide and shallow design, which means food can be spread out for better results.
On test we were impressed with the air frying and grilling results, but there’s no denying this is a chunky appliance that demands a lot of countertop space - especially when compared to slightly less bulky competitors likes some of the best air fryers we’ve seen. As such, it isn’t ideal for smaller kitchens. However, it’s worth it if you’ll get a lot of use out of the grill function; otherwise, you may as well plump for one of Ninjas standard air fryers instead.
The Ninja Double Stack is a great option if you want to cook more food without taking up a lot of space on your counter, and it took the prize for best air fryer in the 2024 TechRadar Choice Awards. If you want the smoky flavor of food cooked on a BBQ, without the mess, the Ninja Woodfire is well worth investigating. It uses wood pellets (available in different types) to create an authentic BBQ flavor, and can be used indoors or out, provided there's a power outlet within reach.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Ninja Foodi Health Grill & Air Fryer: price and availability
List price: £199.99 / $229.99 / AU$399.99
As mentioned above, the Ninja Foodi Health Grill & Air Fryer is known as the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill in the US or the Ninja Foodi Airgrill in Australia. You can buy it direct from Ninja and the price is similar to Ninja's other large-capacity air fryers. However, with this model you also get the ability to grill indoors as well as bake, dehydrate and roast.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Ninja Foodi Health Grill & Air Fryer: design
Intuitive control panel
Auto preheat
Dishwasher-safe parts
This Ninja grill and air fryer was chunkier than we were expecting, measuring 11 x 14 x 17 inches/ 26 x 35.6 x 45cm (h x w x d). In addition, the configuration of the hinged lid means it requires a fair bit of clearance around the rear to allow it to open fully. Not being able to push it to the back of the countertop only contributes to the unit feeling bigger than it is. Of course, you can push it back when it isn’t in use, but it still demands a good chunk of counter space.
The main cooking pot has a 6-quart/ 5.7-liter capacity, and if you’re air frying then you’ll need to insert the crisper basket, which knocks down the capacity to 4 quarts/ 3.8 liters. For grilling, there’s a heavy grill plate that sits inside the main cooking pot. Everything is dishwasher-friendly, but those without such an appliance needn’t worry since a stiff brush is also provided to help with cleaning the grill plate by hand. If you want to store the Ninja Foodi Health Grill & Air Fryer away in a cupboard, you’ll need space not only for the appliance itself, but also either the grill plate or the crisper basket, since both items can’t be stored inside the unit at the same time.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
The control panel is easily accessible at the front of the appliance and is simple to use. For grilling, you can choose one of four heat levels. The air fryer can be set at temperatures between 300-450oF / 150-240oC; for roasting, the temperature range is 250-500oF / 120-260oC; or you can bake at 250-400oF / 120-210oC. The dehydrate function uses lower temperatures between 105-195oF / 40-90oC, but requires longer cook times. The screen combined with straightforward arrow buttons to adjust time and temperature mean there’s no complicated setup. The Ninja Foodi Health Grill & Air Fryer even preheats automatically, informing you when it’s hot enough to add your food. It doesn’t remind you to shake or stir when air frying, however.
A quick-start guide as well as a recipe book with cooking charts offers plenty of guidance on time and temperature selections for common foods. Although note that there are very few suggestions for the roast and bake functions, so these will require some trial and error.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Ninja Foodi Health Grill & Air Fryer: performance
Plenty of space to spread out food when air frying
Bar marks from grill are curved not straight
Foods cook and brown evenly
Using this air fryer is slightly different to a standard air fryer with a pull-out basket. Instead, the crisper basket here drops into the appliance; you access food by lifting the top lid. The set-up is no better or worse than other air fryers, but it’s a bit trickier to shake food mid-cooking, since you’ll have to lift out the hot crisper basket in order to do so.
To test out the air fry function, we cooked up a batch of frozen thick-cut fries. We set the temperature to 360oF / 180oC, allowing the cooker to preheat with the crisper basket inside. This took just three minutes. Once hot, the Ninja Foodi Health Grill & Air Fryer prompted us to add the food and automatically started the countdown timer on closing the lid. There’s no reminder to shake or turn food during air frying, but we checked it half way through, lifting out the basket with oven gloves to give the fries a shake. After 20 minutes, the resulting fries were crisp, golden and perfectly cooked. Not only did they taste great, but they cooked faster than the 28 minutes they would have taken in an oven.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Next, we air-fried chicken wings, and we were impressed that there was enough space in the basket to hold seven wings side-by-side – you could easily fit more in, if you piled them on top of each other. Before air frying, we coated the wings in ½ tbsp oil and preheated the air fryer to 400oF / 200oC. We turned the wings after 10 minutes, and 15 minutes later they were cooked through with beautifully golden crisp skin and moist tender meat.
For our third test, we assessed the Ninja Foodi Health Grill & Air Fryer’s ability to cook raw hand-cut fries. As per the advice in the air fry chart, we soaked the raw fries in cold water for 30 minutes then dried them thoroughly. We coated them in 1tbsp oil and preheated the air fryer to 400oF / 200oC. The cooking chart advises 23-26 minutes, and we gave them a shake following 10 and 15 minutes of cooking. We removed them after 18 minutes because they were cooked and golden brown. The insides were fluffy and the crisping and browning on the outsides of the fried was pretty even.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
The ability to grill is a core function of this air fryer, so we tried it out by grilling two beef burgers. We followed the suggestion in the grill chart and set it on high for 6 minutes. The grill is slower to preheat – it takes around 8 minutes – and you have to make sure the grill plate is inside, so it’s hot when the food is added. Once preheated, we added the burgers and then turned them after 3 minutes of cooking. We were impressed with the minimal amount of smoke and cooking smells emitted by the Ninja. The burgers were nicely cooked with charred lines on the outside, but the shape of the bars on the grill plate means the markings on the burgers were curved as opposed to the traditional straight marks you’d expect.
Cleaning the cooking pot and basket is easy thanks to the non-stick coating, or you can pop it in the dishwasher. The grill plate is a little more fiddly to wash by hand, but it’s made easier by using the brush that’s supplied by Ninja.
The air fryer didn’t go louder than 55dB on our noise meter; the grill was slightly noisier, but still only reached 58dB – which isn’t too loud at all.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Should you buy the Ninja Foodi Health Grill & Air Fryer?
Buy it if...
You want smoke-free indoor grilling
There’s something very aesthetically pleasing, not to mention super-tasty about chargrilled lines on your meats, fish and veggies. But getting a pan hot enough to do this indoors can lead to clouds of smoke. If you want to grill food with minimal smoke, this is the appliance for you.
You want an air fryer that allows you to spread out food
Despite the relatively compact 4-quart/ 3.7-liter crisper basket, the Ninja Foodi Health Grill & Air Fryer feels like a more spacious air fryer. The basket is shallower and wider than others of a similar volume, meaning foods can be spread out instead of piled up, for much better results.
You don’t want to do any scrubbing
The perfect end to the perfect meal is not having to wash anything by hand. With the Ninja Foodi Health Grill & Air Fryer, all the removable parts can go straight into the dishwasher for super-easy cleaning.
Don't buy it if...
You’re short on counter space
This is a bulky appliance that you can’t tuck discreetly into the corner of your kitchen. And when in use, it needs to sit towards the front of your counter to allow enough clearance at the back for the lid to open properly.
You want a dual-zone air fryer
With just one cooking zone, this air fryer doesn’t offer the same flexibility as a dual-zone model. If you’re looking for an air fryer that allows you to cook fries in one basket while you cook chicken wings in the other, this isn’t the model for you.
You don’t think you’ll use the grill
The grill function is a big part of the design of this air fryer, so if you don’t think you’ll use it, you’re better off considering one of Ninja's other air fryers. A similar-capacity model without the grill function will be far less expensive, too.
We tested the UK version. Be aware there may be minor differences between different countries' models.
Shark has become a popular choice in the home cleaning market in recent years, offering a range of vacuum form factors from uprights to cordless models, and the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus (known as the Shark Classic Handheld Pet Vacuum in the UK) is one of its dedicated handheld models.
The Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus has a compact, lightweight form factor that makes it perfect for cleaning cars, as well as being on hand for quick clean-ups around the home, such as on worktops, tables and soft furnishings.
It comes with three accessories: a motorized brush aimed at collecting pet hair, a crevice tool and a dusting brush, which cover most use cases. It promises 10 minutes of battery (although actually performed better than that in our tests) and has a 15fl oz / 450ml bin, which is fairly generous in this market.
Considering its low price, the CH950UKT / Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus offers tremendous value. Despite only having one power setting, it proves plenty powerful enough for the majority of tasks asked of it, and it has sufficient battery life to do a good clean of your whole car on a single charge. Its versatility with the included tools makes it flexible in use too, making it perfect for busy families, particularly those with pets.
(Image credit: Future)
Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ review: price & availability
List price: $99.99 / £59.99 / AU$149.99
The CH950UKT costs $99.99 / £59.99 / AU$149.99, and is available directly from Shark in the UK and US, as well as from Amazon and other online retailers, while Australian buyers will need to go to home retailers like Domayne or Harvey Norman.
Just be careful to search for the Pet Pro Plus model to ensure that you’re getting all the tools we talk about here if that’s important. There are a couple of cheaper models (CH900/CH901 – both without the “Plus” in the name) that are available from some retailers but come with fewer tools and in different colors.
That might be a great option if you’re on a really tight budget, but this is already a great-value handheld vacuum, made even better by the fact it’s also one of the best all-rounders we’ve tested. It could be even better value depending on the Shark promo codes currently available too.
(Image credit: Future)
Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ review: design
Cordless design
Comes with three attachments
15fl oz / 450ml bin
Measuring 20.5 x 3.7 x 4.3 inches / 52 x 9.5 x 11cm, the CH950UKT / Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus is on the larger side of compact, and is probably better suited to being stored in a cupboard rather than on a countertop. It’s still an ergonomic design though, and feels good to hold, with the handle built into its main body.
The power button sits at perfect thumb height on the top of the vacuum and offers a single level of suction, while the yellow bin-release button (pictured above) sits towards the nozzle end and releases the bin downwards with a single firm press. The 12.8fl oz / 450ml bin feels plenty big enough for general car cleans, as well as cleanups around the house.
Considering that I have two dogs, two children under four, and very little time to keep my car in an acceptable state, I managed to get through testing without needing to empty the bin, which is pretty good going. The bin mechanism isn’t the smoothest when you do need to empty it though, and we often needed to use both hands to help the bin to open.
(Image credit: Future)
This style of handheld vacuum cleaner gives good control over your cleaning, while the three different attachments (motorized pet hair tool, crevice tool and dusting brush) provide versatility too, giving you all the tools you need to tackle tougher dirt and pet hair, as well as harder-to-reach areas. It’s a pretty comprehensive package considering the low price.
At 3lb / 1.39kg it’s lightweight enough for you to be able to perform a full car clean without tiring your arm, and as handheld vacs go it looks pretty sleek too. The model we’ve reviewed is available in black only, though in the US you’ll find some similar models from Shark in a wider range of colors, with fewer tools and for a little cheaper too.
(Image credit: Future)
Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ review: performance
Good pick up
Easy to use
Averagely noisy
The Shark CH950UKT / Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus is one of the better handheld vacuums we’ve tested, so it’s easy to understand why it’s so popular. Its size, shape and weight make it perfect for cleaning your car, with its range of tools helping to ensure it’s always best suited for the task at hand.
We found the motorized pet hair tool and the crevice tool the most useful for car cleaning. The crevice tool was particularly helpful, as even though the CH950UKT is relatively compact, its all-in-one design still means getting into the harder-to-reach areas behind foot pedals or inside door bins would be tricky without it. It’s not the longest crevice tool we’ve used, but it’s helpful at getting into tight spots all the same.
The motorized tool is a great size for more widespread clear-ups on carpets and upholstery, and made quick work of both smaller and larger debris in our standard tests. It’s the perfect size for the job at hand too, collecting a wider surface area than the crevice tool without becoming unwieldy or imprecise. Its one power setting means that sometimes we needed to go over an area again to get the finer crumb or remnants of the debris, but overall the single power setting copes well with most tasks.
(Image credit: Future)
Outside of our standardized tests, a more generic clean around my car found the Shark CH950UKT / Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus did best when clearing up more surface-level debris, and couldn’t entirely shift older dirt that had been more worked in, particularly in carpet. It also struggled with picking up the wiry hair from my Jack Russell in the boot carpet, but that’s a hard job even for more professional tools.
For what you can realistically expect from a vacuum of this size and power, the Shark CH950UKT performs admirably, and considering its handy form factor, it’s easy to have on hand to clear up any mess before it gets worked in.
In terms of noise, the CH950UKT / Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus measured at 88dB, which is about average for this kind of vacuum, and suction power stayed pretty consistent until right at the end, when you could hear it start to waver as the battery depleted.
Do take the time to wash out the filter after any particularly heavy-duty clear ups though, and regularly otherwise, as this will help to ensure the vacuum’s suction stays as strong as possible. Simply remove the filter and run it under warm water, then allow it to dry completely before using it again.
(Image credit: Future)
Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ review: battery
Better than the quoted 10 minutes
Around three hours to recharge
Battery is non-swappable
The Shark CH950UKT / Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus promises a 10-minute battery life, but we found the battery performed better than that, and we squeezed out almost 15 minutes from it on a single charge. You can expect that to drop a little with the motorized tool attached, but we had plenty of time to make our way around our car on a single charge, with even a little power to spare at the end.
Shark also seems to have been liberal with its quote of four hours for a full recharge, as in our tests we found it charged from flat to full in around three hours. You can’t swap out the battery though, so you will need to make sure you keep it charged so it’s ready when you need it.
• Original review date: April 2022
• Newer Samsung Bespoke Jet AI model now available
• Launch price: from $1,035 / £629 / AU$1,299
• Official price now: $699.99 / £449 / AU$1,099
Updated: February 2024. Despite Samsung releasing the Bespoke Jet AI in 2023, the original Bespoke Jet is still one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners you can get, especially since prices have dropped since launch. While the UK and Australia have multiple variations of the Bespoke Jet available to purchase, which include a variety of attachments and an extra battery as well, the US now has just the one model that comes with a single battery and not a lot of different attachments – which explains the massive price drop. Samsung regularly discounts the Bespoke Jet models now, and you can save about $200 / £150 / AU$300, making it excellent value. The rest of this review remains as previously published.
Samsung Bespoke Jet: two-minute review
Using the Samsung Bespoke Jet is one of the best experiences we’ve had when testing a vacuum cleaner of any kind. It’s capable of putting the Dyson V15 Detect to shame in terms of its functionality and power, and does a better job on piled carpets than a corded Miele (some of the more powerful traditional vacuums on the market today).
The Bespoke Jet will not just suck up dirt, debris and hair, it will also mop hard floors, even washing up ingrained stains as you can spray water on them to loosen the dirt first. After it’s all done, you just need to press a button to empty the dust canister and all the dirt collected gets sucked out in a second or two.
Samsung has definitely thought through the entire design and functionality of the Bespoke Jet, with one small exception. The large Jet Dual floor cleaning head (which we suspect most people will be using above all else) doesn’t move too well in angles, i.e the swivel isn’t great.
That’s compounded a little by the fact that it’s a touch top-heavy, but this issue isn’t unique to Samsung – as with most cordless vacuum cleaners with detachable battery packs, the weight distribution is uneven and trying to turn the vacuum cleaner can cause a little wrist/arm fatigue despite the Bespoke being lighter than previous Jet models.
Having said that, the mopping and the soft roller cleaning heads don’t have the same issue, so it’s possible that this might be a one-off and a small defect on our review sample.
If we really had to complain about something else (we’re definitely in nitpicking territory now), that would be the extra space required by the accessory cradle. To be fair, though, that cradle is a necessity as it provides space not only for the plethora of tools that ship with the machine, it also adds an extra charging dock for the second battery that ships with two of the Bespoke Jet models. And it also comes with its own power cable, so you’re going to need two spare power points for the vacuum cleaner.
And that’s all we could find to complain about. The Bespoke Jet has excellent suction as a vacuum cleaner and does a pretty decent job as a mop too. It can also 'sweep', which is a functionality we never thought was a necessity until it was (more on this later). Long story short: it’s plenty powerful, particularly at its two high power modes, is self-cleaning and versatile... and also very competitively priced, making this one of the best vacuum cleaners yet.
Like Dyson, LG and Miele cordless vacuum cleaners, the Bespoke Jet also has different configurations (in select markets) – three to be precise – with the only difference between them being the number of batteries and the number of cleaning tools that ship with each.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Samsung Bespoke Jet price and availability
Announced February 2022
Launch price from $1,035 / £629 / AU$1,299
Available in different configurations in select markets
To confuse availability across its markets, Samsung has decided it will offer different models of the Bespoke Jet in different countries… with different names.
For example, the US only gets one model – the priciest option at $1,035 – that comes with all the cleaning heads and accessories, the Clean Station and, importantly, two battery packs. The UK, on the other hand, gets two models (at least for now) – the Jet Complete and Jet Complete Extra – costing £629 and £899 respectively. The difference here is the cheaper option comes with a single battery pack, while the latter ships with two packs and the Power Mop cleaning head to boot.
Australia hits the jackpot with three models called the Jet Pro Extra, Jet Complete Extra and Jet Elite Extra. Interestingly, all three come with two battery packs, with the only difference being the accessories shipping with the three models. The first two configurations cost AU$1,299 while the Elite Extra is AU$1,399.
It’s hard to compare the price of the Bespoke Jet with anything else on the market as most other popular brands – Dyson, Shark, Bissell, Miele – don't come with auto-empty stations for the cordless stick vacuums. The only one that's comparable is the LG CordZero A9 Handstick with All-In-One Tower that costs $999 / AU$1,599 (unavailable in the UK). It vacuums, mops and self-cleans too, plus offers two battery packs as well. Interestingly, the All-In-One Tower offers all the space you need to store the attachments and tools.
With just one model to compare the Bespoke Jet with, we think it's pretty competitively priced.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Samsung Bespoke Jet design
Free-standing Clean Station and charging dock
Accessory cradle
Telescopic tube
Just like the Bespoke Fridge range, the Bespoke Jet cordless vacuum cleaner comes in an array of earthy colors – white, navy blue and green – which should complement your home decor no matter what shades you’ve opted for.
And no matter which Bespoke Jet model is available in your country, you’ll get it with the headline feature – the all-in-one Clean Station. It doubles as the charging stand as well, with space for the main floor cleaning head attached to the telescopic tube. You just have to make sure the tube is retracted for it to fit. Yes, you read that right: the Bespoke Jet comes with a telescopic tube – a rare occurrence in the world of modern cordless uprights.
Samsung’s Clean Station is a little different from the auto-empty stations now available with plenty of newer robot vacuum cleaners. Instead of automatically sucking out the dirt from the dust canister as soon as the machine is docked, the Clean Station requires the user to press a button for the process to start and also stop it manually. It takes no more than 2-3 seconds for a full 0.5L canister to empty into a 2L bag that can easily be swapped out when full (you get three with the machine – one installed and two extra) by removing a panel on the stand.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
The panel fits so seamlessly around the Clean Station that it’s easy to miss if you aren’t paying attention to the user manual. Even better is just how easy it is to remove and put back – it takes absolutely no effort at all – and that goes for every part of the vacuum cleaner when you’re assembling it, including the telescopic tube (something you don’t usually get in a lot of handsticks), cleaning heads, the tiny bottle that’s the water tank or the battery. Everything about the handstick is just… so easy.
Under the removable panel is another one that swings outward to reveal the dust bag. A point to note about this inner door is that it will not click shut if no bag is attached, meaning you won’t be able to close the outer panel either. So when changing out the dust bag, be sure to replace it immediately.
If you’d like to avoid the recurring cost of the disposable bags, you can empty the dust canister the usual way. You can also take it apart completely to wash it out occasionally and clean/replace the filter, which is best practice if you want to extend the life of your vacuum cleaner.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
The Bespoke Jet is also lighter than some of the other popular cordless vacuum cleaners on the market today. For example, the Dyson V15 Detect weighs in at 3kg, while the Bespoke Jet tops the scales at 2.7kg. That said, the battery on the top of the handheld unit (which weighs 1.44kg) does make the weight distribution uneven and the machine can feel heavy, particularly when you’re trying to manoeuvre it in small angles.
And that is our only complaint with Samsung’s new vacuum cleaner – unless you take into account the extra space you’re going to need to either store all the various tools and accessories (there’s no space for them on the Cleaning Station itself) or the Accessory Cradle that ships with the Bespoke Jet.
The cradle is a thoughtful addition as it provides a charging slot for the second battery that ships with specific models, meaning you’re going to need to place the cradle near a second power point or use a multi-way plug as it comes with its own cable. Moving the cradle around is easy, though, as it’s got a carry handle.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Depending on the Bespoke Jet model, you can get up to seven cleaning heads and tools. This includes two motorized cleaning heads for hard floors alone – the Jet Dual Brush that has a bristle roller and a soft roller for use on hard floors and carpets, and the Slim Action attachment that’s got just the soft roller and designed for wood floors.
Then there’s the Spray Spinning Sweeper that, as the name suggests, can be used to sweep and to mop. Samsung provides a pair of bristly pads that can be handy to loosen particles in dried-up kitchen spills or muddy shoe tracks. Note that there’s no suction when using the Sweeper, so all you’re doing is moving the dirt around, calling for a round of vacuuming and/or mopping after.
Alternatively, you can fill the little plastic bottle (aka the water tank) and spray some water onto the caked-in grime, then mop using the washable microfiber pads. Samsung also provides a pack of disposable, antimicrobial wet wipes that attach to the bristles of the stiff pads, but we found these to be quite wasteful as they dry up quickly and a pair isn’t enough to mop a full room, let alone the whole house.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Other than the three motorized cleaning heads, there’s a smaller soft roller called the Pet Tool (which is also motorized), as well as the usual suspects of the crevice tool, the combination tool and a flexible tool.
Take all seven into account and you’ll find the Accessory Cradle is the best storage option if you have the extra floor space. While the cradle itself fits only four tools (even the big motorized ones), a smaller attachment adds a few more spots.
All the controls you need are within easy reach of your thumb when holding the handstick and the digital display is clear and sharp. Other than the power button, there’s just the plus and minus buttons that cycle through the suction/power modes (there are four) and, when the water tank and Spray Spinner are attached, you use the plus button to spray water. Note that unlike the LG CordZero A9 Kompressor Aqua, the mopping head does not automatically suck water to the pads – you can pre-wet the microfibre pads and then spray as and when you need more moisture on the floor, or spray and use the dry pads to clean up the puddles.
As with the digital display on Dyson vacuums, the Bespoke Jet will show you what power mode you’re on and how much battery life is left for each. When docked, it becomes a battery charging indicator.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Samsung Bespoke Jet performance
Extremely powerful suction in Jet mode
Lacks dynamic suction
Good as a mop
Not only is the Samsung Bespoke Jet good-looking (well, when docked on the Clean Station, it’s sleek as), it’s quite powerful too. There are four suction modes – Min, Mid, Max and Jet – and we found ourselves mostly using the Mid level for regular cleaning runs. Carpets take a few passes to get clean in this mode, but we have to talk about the Jet mode. It’s got the most powerful suction we’ve seen on any vacuum cleaner we’ve tested or used, proven by our test of a very hairy carpet getting cleaned in a single pass.
We allowed a wall-to-wall carpet space to get really dirty over three weeks, adding hair from brushes as well and grinding them right into the fibers. A light-brown mid-pile carpet turned almost black by the time we were done with it and we kid not: a single pass and it was all gone! The Dyson V15 Detect in Boost mode was not able to keep up, requiring two to three passes to clean the same amount of equally dirty carpet.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
We also threw some talcum powder on the same carpet, a fluffy bath mat and on a tiled floor – on the Jet setting, it took a single pass for the fine white powder to disappear from the carpet, a couple of passes on the bath mat and a single pass on the tiles.
As impressive as that sounds, using the Bespoke Jet on its highest suction mode limits battery to just eight minutes (more on battery life later). Having said that, a single pass means you finish cleaning quicker and those eight minutes go a long way. We were able to clean a fully-carpeted bedroom and half a living room in that time in our test space, which is pretty good. And given we had two batteries to play with, Max and Jet modes quickly became our favorite options for vacuuming. To be fair though, the Mid setting, which is the default option as soon as you turn the handstick on, is pretty capable too, and would be perfect for the day-to-day cleaning runs.
The one thing Dyson has over Samsung in their respective flagship cordless vacuum cleaners is dynamic suction. The Dyson V15 Detect automatically increases suction when it detects a rug or carpet, or when it detects more dirt. The Bespoke Jet misses out on this feature – if it did boast dynamic suction, we think Samsung truly would have had the perfect vacuum cleaner.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
We didn’t think a sweeper would be very useful until we needed to get rid of caked-in muddy boot prints. We tested the Bespoke Jet in Sydney when the city was deluged with unseasonal rain, so tracking mud through our test space seemed to be the norm each day. Vacuuming (even in Jet mode) did not take care of the dry mud, so a quick loosening of the dried grime with the bristly pads helped. It might seem a complicated process, but this needed to be followed up with a quick vacuum run and a mop to get the hard floors looking spotless. But given how quickly attachments slot in and out, the whole process really doesn’t take so long. Sweeping, though, isn’t something we see most people using a lot, but it’s handy to have.
As a mop, the Bespoke Jet was surprisingly impressive too. We allowed drops of sauce from different types of food to fall and dry on our test space’s kitchen floor over a few days. We didn’t even bother pre-wetting the microfiber pads; we just fitted the water tank to the Sweeper, sprayed some water on the bits of food and allowed the machine to do its thing. A few seconds later and all the spots were gone.
We saw similar mopping prowess from the LG CordZero A9 Kompressor Aqua model in the Turbo mode – this vacuums and mops at the same time but adds some vibrations to the mopping process for caked-in grime. The Samsung has no such vibrations and can still manage to do a good job. It must be noted that mopping using a handstick (any brand) isn’t the same as your own elbow grease, which is perhaps the only option when your hard floors are particularly grimy.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
It should be mentioned that with the rounded edges of the Spray Spinning Sweeper, you’re not going to be able to mop into corners, but the attachments swivels really well.
Like any other handstick, the Bespoke Jet quickly converts into a handheld unit that lets you dust shelves, and get into nooks and crannies with the crevice tool or the flexible tool.
Whatever the Bespoke Jet does, it does so relatively quietly. Where the Dyson V15 Detect registered 77dB on its Auto mode (81dB in its Boost mode), the Samsung topped out at 71dB in the Mid power level, 75dB in Max and 78dB in Jet.
We’ve also got to talk about how powerful the suction in the Cleaning Station is. As we mentioned before, it takes just a couple of seconds to empty a full canister, and this is even more impressive considering long lengths of hair that can be seen tangled around the central cylinder get pulled out.
Speaking of long hair, you will need to be a little careful when using the Sweeper – if you haven’t done a good vacuum run before a mop, hair on the floor easily gets tangled around its roller wheel and cleaning that out is near impossible. This could affect its movement later in the life of the machine.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Samsung Bespoke Jet battery life
Swappable battery pack
Up to 120 minutes battery life; more in wet mode
Fade-free power
60 minutes seems to be the standard for most of the cordless handsticks that have been released in the last two or three years, and that’s the case here as well. Each battery pack that comes with the Bespoke Jet offers you a maximum of 60 minutes while vacuuming, and about 1 hour 20 minutes when mopping. Note that the max of 60 minutes is while using the non-motorized tools like the combination or crevice tools.
Depending on the suction mode, though, you’re looking at a maximum of 42 minutes when using a motorized cleaning head. 42 minutes, of course, is on the Min power setting, which drops to 24 for Mid, 14 at Max and a mere 8 minutes at the Jet setting.
The good thing is you really don’t need to pay attention to how long you’re using the vacuum for as the time remaining is displayed clearly on the screen. And having a second battery pack you can swap out, there really is nothing to worry about.
When a battery pack is done, the machine just switches off, like a Dyson, without fading out the power. From there, it takes about 3.5 hours to top up from zero to full.
Should I buy the Samsung Bespoke Jet vacuum cleaner?
• Original review date: April 2022
• Newer Samsung Bespoke Jet AI model now available
• Launch price: from $1,035 / £629 / AU$1,299
• Official price now: $699.99 / £449 / AU$1,099
Updated: February 2024. Despite Samsung releasing the Bespoke Jet AI in 2023, the original Bespoke Jet is still one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners you can get, especially since prices have dropped since launch. While the UK and Australia have multiple variations of the Bespoke Jet available to purchase, which include a variety of attachments and an extra battery as well, the US now has just the one model that comes with a single battery and not a lot of different attachments – which explains the massive price drop. Samsung regularly discounts the Bespoke Jet models now, and you can save about $200 / £150 / AU$300, making it excellent value. The rest of this review remains as previously published.
Samsung Bespoke Jet: two-minute review
Using the Samsung Bespoke Jet is one of the best experiences we’ve had when testing a vacuum cleaner of any kind. It’s capable of putting the Dyson V15 Detect to shame in terms of its functionality and power, and does a better job on piled carpets than a corded Miele (some of the more powerful traditional vacuums on the market today).
The Bespoke Jet will not just suck up dirt, debris and hair, it will also mop hard floors, even washing up ingrained stains as you can spray water on them to loosen the dirt first. After it’s all done, you just need to press a button to empty the dust canister and all the dirt collected gets sucked out in a second or two.
Samsung has definitely thought through the entire design and functionality of the Bespoke Jet, with one small exception. The large Jet Dual floor cleaning head (which we suspect most people will be using above all else) doesn’t move too well in angles, i.e the swivel isn’t great.
That’s compounded a little by the fact that it’s a touch top-heavy, but this issue isn’t unique to Samsung – as with most cordless vacuum cleaners with detachable battery packs, the weight distribution is uneven and trying to turn the vacuum cleaner can cause a little wrist/arm fatigue despite the Bespoke being lighter than previous Jet models.
Having said that, the mopping and the soft roller cleaning heads don’t have the same issue, so it’s possible that this might be a one-off and a small defect on our review sample.
If we really had to complain about something else (we’re definitely in nitpicking territory now), that would be the extra space required by the accessory cradle. To be fair, though, that cradle is a necessity as it provides space not only for the plethora of tools that ship with the machine, it also adds an extra charging dock for the second battery that ships with two of the Bespoke Jet models. And it also comes with its own power cable, so you’re going to need two spare power points for the vacuum cleaner.
And that’s all we could find to complain about. The Bespoke Jet has excellent suction as a vacuum cleaner and does a pretty decent job as a mop too. It can also 'sweep', which is a functionality we never thought was a necessity until it was (more on this later). Long story short: it’s plenty powerful, particularly at its two high power modes, is self-cleaning and versatile... and also very competitively priced, making this one of the best vacuum cleaners yet.
Like Dyson, LG and Miele cordless vacuum cleaners, the Bespoke Jet also has different configurations (in select markets) – three to be precise – with the only difference between them being the number of batteries and the number of cleaning tools that ship with each.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Samsung Bespoke Jet price and availability
Announced February 2022
Launch price from $1,035 / £629 / AU$1,299
Available in different configurations in select markets
To confuse availability across its markets, Samsung has decided it will offer different models of the Bespoke Jet in different countries… with different names.
For example, the US only gets one model – the priciest option at $1,035 – that comes with all the cleaning heads and accessories, the Clean Station and, importantly, two battery packs. The UK, on the other hand, gets two models (at least for now) – the Jet Complete and Jet Complete Extra – costing £629 and £899 respectively. The difference here is the cheaper option comes with a single battery pack, while the latter ships with two packs and the Power Mop cleaning head to boot.
Australia hits the jackpot with three models called the Jet Pro Extra, Jet Complete Extra and Jet Elite Extra. Interestingly, all three come with two battery packs, with the only difference being the accessories shipping with the three models. The first two configurations cost AU$1,299 while the Elite Extra is AU$1,399.
It’s hard to compare the price of the Bespoke Jet with anything else on the market as most other popular brands – Dyson, Shark, Bissell, Miele – don't come with auto-empty stations for the cordless stick vacuums. The only one that's comparable is the LG CordZero A9 Handstick with All-In-One Tower that costs $999 / AU$1,599 (unavailable in the UK). It vacuums, mops and self-cleans too, plus offers two battery packs as well. Interestingly, the All-In-One Tower offers all the space you need to store the attachments and tools.
With just one model to compare the Bespoke Jet with, we think it's pretty competitively priced.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Samsung Bespoke Jet design
Free-standing Clean Station and charging dock
Accessory cradle
Telescopic tube
Just like the Bespoke Fridge range, the Bespoke Jet cordless vacuum cleaner comes in an array of earthy colors – white, navy blue and green – which should complement your home decor no matter what shades you’ve opted for.
And no matter which Bespoke Jet model is available in your country, you’ll get it with the headline feature – the all-in-one Clean Station. It doubles as the charging stand as well, with space for the main floor cleaning head attached to the telescopic tube. You just have to make sure the tube is retracted for it to fit. Yes, you read that right: the Bespoke Jet comes with a telescopic tube – a rare occurrence in the world of modern cordless uprights.
Samsung’s Clean Station is a little different from the auto-empty stations now available with plenty of newer robot vacuum cleaners. Instead of automatically sucking out the dirt from the dust canister as soon as the machine is docked, the Clean Station requires the user to press a button for the process to start and also stop it manually. It takes no more than 2-3 seconds for a full 0.5L canister to empty into a 2L bag that can easily be swapped out when full (you get three with the machine – one installed and two extra) by removing a panel on the stand.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
The panel fits so seamlessly around the Clean Station that it’s easy to miss if you aren’t paying attention to the user manual. Even better is just how easy it is to remove and put back – it takes absolutely no effort at all – and that goes for every part of the vacuum cleaner when you’re assembling it, including the telescopic tube (something you don’t usually get in a lot of handsticks), cleaning heads, the tiny bottle that’s the water tank or the battery. Everything about the handstick is just… so easy.
Under the removable panel is another one that swings outward to reveal the dust bag. A point to note about this inner door is that it will not click shut if no bag is attached, meaning you won’t be able to close the outer panel either. So when changing out the dust bag, be sure to replace it immediately.
If you’d like to avoid the recurring cost of the disposable bags, you can empty the dust canister the usual way. You can also take it apart completely to wash it out occasionally and clean/replace the filter, which is best practice if you want to extend the life of your vacuum cleaner.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
The Bespoke Jet is also lighter than some of the other popular cordless vacuum cleaners on the market today. For example, the Dyson V15 Detect weighs in at 3kg, while the Bespoke Jet tops the scales at 2.7kg. That said, the battery on the top of the handheld unit (which weighs 1.44kg) does make the weight distribution uneven and the machine can feel heavy, particularly when you’re trying to manoeuvre it in small angles.
And that is our only complaint with Samsung’s new vacuum cleaner – unless you take into account the extra space you’re going to need to either store all the various tools and accessories (there’s no space for them on the Cleaning Station itself) or the Accessory Cradle that ships with the Bespoke Jet.
The cradle is a thoughtful addition as it provides a charging slot for the second battery that ships with specific models, meaning you’re going to need to place the cradle near a second power point or use a multi-way plug as it comes with its own cable. Moving the cradle around is easy, though, as it’s got a carry handle.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Depending on the Bespoke Jet model, you can get up to seven cleaning heads and tools. This includes two motorized cleaning heads for hard floors alone – the Jet Dual Brush that has a bristle roller and a soft roller for use on hard floors and carpets, and the Slim Action attachment that’s got just the soft roller and designed for wood floors.
Then there’s the Spray Spinning Sweeper that, as the name suggests, can be used to sweep and to mop. Samsung provides a pair of bristly pads that can be handy to loosen particles in dried-up kitchen spills or muddy shoe tracks. Note that there’s no suction when using the Sweeper, so all you’re doing is moving the dirt around, calling for a round of vacuuming and/or mopping after.
Alternatively, you can fill the little plastic bottle (aka the water tank) and spray some water onto the caked-in grime, then mop using the washable microfiber pads. Samsung also provides a pack of disposable, antimicrobial wet wipes that attach to the bristles of the stiff pads, but we found these to be quite wasteful as they dry up quickly and a pair isn’t enough to mop a full room, let alone the whole house.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Other than the three motorized cleaning heads, there’s a smaller soft roller called the Pet Tool (which is also motorized), as well as the usual suspects of the crevice tool, the combination tool and a flexible tool.
Take all seven into account and you’ll find the Accessory Cradle is the best storage option if you have the extra floor space. While the cradle itself fits only four tools (even the big motorized ones), a smaller attachment adds a few more spots.
All the controls you need are within easy reach of your thumb when holding the handstick and the digital display is clear and sharp. Other than the power button, there’s just the plus and minus buttons that cycle through the suction/power modes (there are four) and, when the water tank and Spray Spinner are attached, you use the plus button to spray water. Note that unlike the LG CordZero A9 Kompressor Aqua, the mopping head does not automatically suck water to the pads – you can pre-wet the microfibre pads and then spray as and when you need more moisture on the floor, or spray and use the dry pads to clean up the puddles.
As with the digital display on Dyson vacuums, the Bespoke Jet will show you what power mode you’re on and how much battery life is left for each. When docked, it becomes a battery charging indicator.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Samsung Bespoke Jet performance
Extremely powerful suction in Jet mode
Lacks dynamic suction
Good as a mop
Not only is the Samsung Bespoke Jet good-looking (well, when docked on the Clean Station, it’s sleek as), it’s quite powerful too. There are four suction modes – Min, Mid, Max and Jet – and we found ourselves mostly using the Mid level for regular cleaning runs. Carpets take a few passes to get clean in this mode, but we have to talk about the Jet mode. It’s got the most powerful suction we’ve seen on any vacuum cleaner we’ve tested or used, proven by our test of a very hairy carpet getting cleaned in a single pass.
We allowed a wall-to-wall carpet space to get really dirty over three weeks, adding hair from brushes as well and grinding them right into the fibers. A light-brown mid-pile carpet turned almost black by the time we were done with it and we kid not: a single pass and it was all gone! The Dyson V15 Detect in Boost mode was not able to keep up, requiring two to three passes to clean the same amount of equally dirty carpet.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
We also threw some talcum powder on the same carpet, a fluffy bath mat and on a tiled floor – on the Jet setting, it took a single pass for the fine white powder to disappear from the carpet, a couple of passes on the bath mat and a single pass on the tiles.
As impressive as that sounds, using the Bespoke Jet on its highest suction mode limits battery to just eight minutes (more on battery life later). Having said that, a single pass means you finish cleaning quicker and those eight minutes go a long way. We were able to clean a fully-carpeted bedroom and half a living room in that time in our test space, which is pretty good. And given we had two batteries to play with, Max and Jet modes quickly became our favorite options for vacuuming. To be fair though, the Mid setting, which is the default option as soon as you turn the handstick on, is pretty capable too, and would be perfect for the day-to-day cleaning runs.
The one thing Dyson has over Samsung in their respective flagship cordless vacuum cleaners is dynamic suction. The Dyson V15 Detect automatically increases suction when it detects a rug or carpet, or when it detects more dirt. The Bespoke Jet misses out on this feature – if it did boast dynamic suction, we think Samsung truly would have had the perfect vacuum cleaner.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
We didn’t think a sweeper would be very useful until we needed to get rid of caked-in muddy boot prints. We tested the Bespoke Jet in Sydney when the city was deluged with unseasonal rain, so tracking mud through our test space seemed to be the norm each day. Vacuuming (even in Jet mode) did not take care of the dry mud, so a quick loosening of the dried grime with the bristly pads helped. It might seem a complicated process, but this needed to be followed up with a quick vacuum run and a mop to get the hard floors looking spotless. But given how quickly attachments slot in and out, the whole process really doesn’t take so long. Sweeping, though, isn’t something we see most people using a lot, but it’s handy to have.
As a mop, the Bespoke Jet was surprisingly impressive too. We allowed drops of sauce from different types of food to fall and dry on our test space’s kitchen floor over a few days. We didn’t even bother pre-wetting the microfiber pads; we just fitted the water tank to the Sweeper, sprayed some water on the bits of food and allowed the machine to do its thing. A few seconds later and all the spots were gone.
We saw similar mopping prowess from the LG CordZero A9 Kompressor Aqua model in the Turbo mode – this vacuums and mops at the same time but adds some vibrations to the mopping process for caked-in grime. The Samsung has no such vibrations and can still manage to do a good job. It must be noted that mopping using a handstick (any brand) isn’t the same as your own elbow grease, which is perhaps the only option when your hard floors are particularly grimy.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
It should be mentioned that with the rounded edges of the Spray Spinning Sweeper, you’re not going to be able to mop into corners, but the attachments swivels really well.
Like any other handstick, the Bespoke Jet quickly converts into a handheld unit that lets you dust shelves, and get into nooks and crannies with the crevice tool or the flexible tool.
Whatever the Bespoke Jet does, it does so relatively quietly. Where the Dyson V15 Detect registered 77dB on its Auto mode (81dB in its Boost mode), the Samsung topped out at 71dB in the Mid power level, 75dB in Max and 78dB in Jet.
We’ve also got to talk about how powerful the suction in the Cleaning Station is. As we mentioned before, it takes just a couple of seconds to empty a full canister, and this is even more impressive considering long lengths of hair that can be seen tangled around the central cylinder get pulled out.
Speaking of long hair, you will need to be a little careful when using the Sweeper – if you haven’t done a good vacuum run before a mop, hair on the floor easily gets tangled around its roller wheel and cleaning that out is near impossible. This could affect its movement later in the life of the machine.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Samsung Bespoke Jet battery life
Swappable battery pack
Up to 120 minutes battery life; more in wet mode
Fade-free power
60 minutes seems to be the standard for most of the cordless handsticks that have been released in the last two or three years, and that’s the case here as well. Each battery pack that comes with the Bespoke Jet offers you a maximum of 60 minutes while vacuuming, and about 1 hour 20 minutes when mopping. Note that the max of 60 minutes is while using the non-motorized tools like the combination or crevice tools.
Depending on the suction mode, though, you’re looking at a maximum of 42 minutes when using a motorized cleaning head. 42 minutes, of course, is on the Min power setting, which drops to 24 for Mid, 14 at Max and a mere 8 minutes at the Jet setting.
The good thing is you really don’t need to pay attention to how long you’re using the vacuum for as the time remaining is displayed clearly on the screen. And having a second battery pack you can swap out, there really is nothing to worry about.
When a battery pack is done, the machine just switches off, like a Dyson, without fading out the power. From there, it takes about 3.5 hours to top up from zero to full.
Should I buy the Samsung Bespoke Jet vacuum cleaner?
This model has slightly different names and product codes in different territories:
US: KitchenAid 13 Cup Food ProcessorKFP1318 / KFP1319 UK: KitchenAid 1.7 L Food Processor 5KFP1318 / 5KFP1319 AU: KitchenAid13 Cup Food Processor KFP1319
The products with 319 in their codes have an extra dicing accessory and storage lid. For this review, we tested both of the UK models. There may be minor differences between different countries' models.
When it comes to countertop kitchen appliances, KitchenAid is a firm and trusted favorite, so it should come as no surprise that the KitchenAid 13 Cup / 3.1L food processor has left an impression on us.
This KitchenAid 13 Cup / 3.1L food processor is available in two different configurations – the standard 13 Cup / 3.1L food processor (KFP1318), and an identical version but with an extra dicing accessory and storage lid (KFP1319). In the US and the UK, you can buy both versions, whilst only the dicer iteration is available in Australia. The current price of the KFP1318 is $169.99 / £237.15, and the KFP1319 is $239.99 / £239 / AU$369.
With both models, you’ll get an adjustable slicing disc, a reversible shredding disc, a multipurpose stainless steel chopping blade, and a dough blade. These all slot into a plastic storage caddy that fits inside the main bowl, providing a neat and easy storage solution. The size of this food processor is in line with similar models, it’s not exactly compact but it doesn’t take up a ton of space either.
(Image credit: Future)
Removing and replacing the work bowl is delightfully easy, the one-click system means you can simply push it down to fix the bowl in place, which is more convenient than the conventional twist closures. Unlike most food processors, the main lid is hinged, but is also removable. In the case of the KFP1319, this can be replaced with the included refrigerator lid, to store food without tipping it into a separate container.
The 13 cup / 3.1L food processor offers two speeds and a pulse button, and the lid contains three removable pushers for inserting different-sized foods. As an added bonus, everything is top-rack dishwasher safe so cleaning is a doddle. The parts are easy to hand wash, too. However, it proved tricky to remove the dried pastry mixture from the little indents and crevices in the fitment ring of the chopping blade. We found that ingredients with smaller particles, like the almond dust, and ingredients from the pastry mixture liked to migrate inside the fitment ring of the chopping blade. This didn’t cause any issues, but we had to pay particular attention to this area when we hand-washed the chopping blade between tests.
(Image credit: Future)
On test, it coped well with most foods, slicing, shredding, and dicing with ease. The sharp stainless-steel blade and the dough blade work well, but there are limitations to the quantity of foods like dough and beef that can be processed, despite it being one of KitchenAid’s largest food processors. With this in mind, perhaps it’s best suited to smaller households or people who don’t want to process big batches of food if these are ingredients that are used often.
Overall, we were happy with the performance of the KitchenAid 13 Cup / 3.1L food processor. It breezed its way through most of what we threw in it, is not as loud as some other food processors we’ve tested, and has a well-considered and convenient design. It gets a thumbs-up from us.
The KitchenAid 13 cup / 3.1L Food Processor models available will vary depending on your location. Both models are available to purchase directly from KitchenAid in the US, and they can both be purchased in the UK too, but only KFP1318 can be bought from KitchenAid directly. Only KFP1319 is available in Australia. There are no optional accessories available to buy separately.
(Image credit: Future)
The current price of the KFP1318 is $169.99 / £237.15, and the KFP1319 is $239.99 / £239 / AU$369. Some of the KitchenAid products are on sale currently, and it's worth keeping an eye out for KitchenAid promo codes to help take the price down.
Small appliances like this often attract discounts during major shopping events like the Amazon Prime Day deals and Black Friday sales, so if you aren't looking to invest this much in a processor right now, it's worth coming back during those events to see what deals are available.
Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5
KitchenAid KFP1318 / KFP1319 specifications
KitchenAid KFP1318 / KFP1319 review: design & features
Two speeds and pulse
Easy to assemble
All attachments can be stored inside main bowl
The KitchenAid 13 cup / 3.1L Food Processor itself is no bigger or smaller than other similar capacity models, measuring 8.75 x 8.75 x 18 inch / 222 x 222 x 464mm. What makes it feel smaller and more compact is the clever storage solution that we mentioned earlier. All of the accessories slot into the caddy which goes inside the main bowl, except in the case of the KFP1319 as the refrigerator lid will need to be stored separately.
The main hinged lid has three different size removable food pushers, ideal for lots of different foods. The lid removes easily from the bowl and can be replaced with the refrigerator lid to allow you to store food without decanting it into a different container if you have the KFP1319.
(Image credit: Future)
As we’ve already noted, the accessories include a stainless steel blade and dough blade. The slicing disc is adjusted via a knob on the lid, making it very safe and simple to adjust, and there are six thickness options to choose from. The reversible shredding disc offers thick as well as thin shredding. And the dicing accessory cleverly cubes all manner of foods to about 0.4 inches / 1cm dice. Setup is simple and apart from the dicing accessory, we rarely had to consult the manual to work out how to put it together. All removable parts are dishwasher-safe on the top rack.
The round base looks nice on the counter and it’s not too imposing. The KFP1318 is available in White, Contour Silver, Empire Red, Black and Matte Black in the US, but is only available in White in the UK. For the KFP1319 the same range of colors are available in the US. The same colors are available in Australia too, but instead of the White option there is Almond Cream.
A few design features are immediately noticeable, including a hinged lid that clips shut with a latch. Additionally, the bowl sits directly onto the base thanks to the one-click system, no awkward twisting motion to get it into position like you’ll see on many other food processors. Our only complaint is that the handle can only be positioned to the right, making it less comfortable for left-handed cooks, and less accessible for some, as they may be unable to use it due to this limitation.
Design score: 4 out of 5
KitchenAid KFP1318 / KFP1319 review: performance
Not too loud
Excellent chopping, slicing and dicing
Can only process smaller batches of meat and dough
We used the large side of the shredding disc for carrot and cheese and it sped through both, producing even shreds fast. A small disc of carrot was left un-shredded and a piece of cheese which amounted to about 13% of the total, but otherwise we were happy with the results.
The slicing disc is really easy to use and we like that the adjustment knob is on the lid, making it super easy to adjust the size of the slices. It sliced through half a cucumber in seconds, producing pleasingly even slices.
(Image credit: Future / Cesci Angell)
To try out the dough blade, we made a bread dough, but the instruction manual advises against processing quantities of dough larger than 13.5 oz / 384g, which isn’t even enough for a standard size loaf. We adjusted our recipe down to the right quantity but the dough blade was quite slow to combine the ingredients into a dough and required an extra splash of water to help it come together. The food processor wobbled a little when mixing the dough, but it wasn’t unstable.
The stainless-steel blade aced almost every task we gave it, finely and evenly chopping onion and breadcrumbs as well as mixing a smooth cake batter. Hazelnuts were very finely chopped but with a little powder. Almonds on the other hand were chopped unevenly, with large and small pieces and a fair amount of powder.
(Image credit: Future / Cesci Angell)
Cubed beef was no match for this blade, it took just seconds to turn it into finely ground meat. But the instruction manual advises that only 0.5lb / 225g can be chopped in one go, which is half as much as we intended to chop and quite a small quantity given the food processor's overall capacity.
Finally, we tried out the dicing accessory and we were impressed with how fast it diced two potatoes. We had to chop the potatoes in half to fit in the feed chute, but the results were excellent nonetheless and it really does make short work of this labor-intensive task.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
It was loudest when shredding with our noise meter maxing out at 84dB, which is the equivalent to the noise experienced when a truck is traveling at 40mph, but during the other tasks, it averaged around 75dB, which is similar to sound level when a toilet is flushed.
Performance score: 4 out of 5
Should I buy the KitchenAid KFP1318 / KFP1319?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
KitchenAid KFP1318 / KFP1319 review: also consider
How we tested the KitchenAid KFP1318 / KFP1319
We spent time assembling the KitchenAid 13 cup / 3.1L Food Processor, reading the instruction manual and assessing the design and accessories.
To put the food processor through its paces we used the chopping blade and different speed settings to chop carrot, cucumber, onion, and almonds. We also used it to process bread to make breadcrumbs and combine flour, margarine, and water to make pastry.
We tested how easy it was to clean the processor parts by hand-washing, and using the dishwasher to establish how well the parts cleaned with either method.
The Tineco Floor One S5 is a cordless wet-dry vacuum with a floor-standing dock. It vacuums and mops in tandem, removing the need to vacuum before mopping, and potentially cutting your hard floor cleaning time in half.
It features Tineco's iLoop smart sensor technology, which detects both wet and dry dirt and adjusts suction, water flow and roller speed accordingly. A light ring will glow red when it finds a particularly dirty bit of floor, and slowly change to blue as it cleans it. It's all very satisfying. I was impressed at how efficiently it worked when vacuuming and mopping up dirt and cleaning fresh wet spills in my home. Understandably, it took a little more effort to dislodge caked-on dirt, but it cleared that eventually too, with the help of Max mode. It can't get into grouting cracks between tiles, however, and although it can tackle dust, it can't be used on area rugs or carpet, so if you have those you'll still need to supplement this with one of the best vacuum cleaners.
While it's quite heavy, the fact it propels itself forwards means it's still comfortable to use, and it's easy to maneuver, too, although it won't lie flat so you won't be able to get too far underneath furniture. There's an automatic self-clean program for hands-off cleaning of the brush roller, and an onboard voice assistant that'll prompt you to add water, empty the dirty water tank and even remind you to start the self-clean program. There's a companion app too, although it's far from essential.
The Tineco Floor One S5 would be great to have on standby if you have young kids who are prone to spilling food under the table, you simply need to refresh a muddy hallway, or as a quick fix on dusty floors that look desperately messy when the sun shines through. That's the short version; read on for my full Tineco Floor One S5 review.
Tineco Floor One S5 vacuum and mop review: price & availability
List price: $499 / £399
Launch date: April 2022
Availability: US / UK
Tineco is a Chinese company that sells a range of carpet cleaners, wet-dry vacuums and smart vacuum cleaners. The Floor One S5 was added to its floorcare range in 2022 and is available to buy in the US and UK with a list price of $499 / £399.
The S5 isn’t a budget appliance, but considering it can perform the dual functions of vacuuming and mopping, it’s a time-saving two-in-one floor cleaner that’s worth the expense, especially for people who mop floors several times a week. The build quality is high, and Tineco provides things like spare brushrolls, a replacement filter, and cleaning solution, in the box.
There are cheaper options on the market, if you're on a budget. For example, the Shark HydroVac Cordless vacuum-mop has a list price of US$359.99 / £329.99.
While the S5 isn’t available in Australia, the Tineco Floor One S5 Pro is available. It’s virtually the same model but features additional animations on the screen as well as a suction-only mode.
Value for money score: 4 out of 5
Tineco Floor One S5 vacuum and mop specs
Tineco Floor One S5 review: design
Large charging dock holds all accessories
Auto mode detects dirt
Self-cleaning brush roller
The Tineco Floor One S5 is designed to be used on both wet and dry spills on hard flooring, and is roughly the size of a standard upright vacuum cleaner. With its graphite, white and navy finish, it's easy on the eye. The parts that look premium, and it feels like it has been built to last.
The wet-dry vacuum sits on a floor-standing charging dock for convenient grab-and-go cleaning. Bear in mind that the dock has quite a large footprint, so you’ll need to find floor space (near a power outlet) for it. When sat on its floor-standing charger, the handle is at a slight angle, so it’s not completely flush up against the wall. I appreciated that the dock includes spaces for a spare brush roller and filter, so they won't get lost.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
On the vacuum are generously sized clean and dirty water tanks. Both are easy to remove, empty and fill. When the dirty water tank is full, the appliance switches off and the voice assistant prompts you to empty it. Likewise, when the clean water tank needs a refill, the voice assistant prompts you to do so, but it doesn’t automatically switch off.
On top of the main body of the cleaner, there’s a large, round screen that displays the battery percentage as well as the cleaning mode. There are two modes to choose from: an Auto mode, which uses iLoop Smart Sensor Technology to detect dirt and adjust suction accordingly, and a Max mode.
(Image credit: Future)
There are also a number of other symbols, which light up to alert you of issues such as when the dirty water tank needs emptying or the self-clean program needs running. A light ring around the edge of the screen changes color depending on the level of dirt detected: red when the cleaner detects a high level of dirt, becoming blue as the floor becomes cleaner.
The on/off switch is conveniently located on the handle, and next to it is a button to switch between Auto mode and Max mode. There's also a Suction mode, for when you don't want any cleaning solution sprayed out. This appliance comes with a companion app, which provides user advice and cleaning stats (more on this below).
(Image credit: TechRadar)
A self-cleaning cycle can be activated by pressing a button on the top of the handle. During this cycle, clean water from the tank is used to rinse out the brush roller.
You can also change the brushroll in the floorhead, to extend cleaning times. Unclick the top cover from the floorhead and swap in a fresh roller while you rinse and leave the used one to dry. That means the machine is always ready to go.
Tineco is quite generous in terms of the extras provided in the box. My review model came with two extra brush rolls, a spare filter, a brush to clean the short section of pipe between the roller and dirty water tank, and some deodorizing and cleaning solution (this is the only solution recommended for use with this appliance).
Design score: 4.5 out of 5
Tineco Floor One S5 vacuum and mop review: performance
Maneuverable and self-propelling, but doesn't lie flat
Effectively cleans lots of mess types, but won't get into grouting
Voice prompts are useful
The Tineco Floor One S5 comes out of the box pretty much ready to go – there’s very little assembly required, other than clicking the handle into position and placing it on the dock. When the device is positioned on the docking station it delivers a voice prompt to let you know that ‘charging has commenced’, and you can see the battery levels rise.
The water tank is easy to fill and given that only one cap of cleaning fluid is required, the included bottle should last a while. The cleaner always starts in Auto mode, even if you were using Max mode last time.
(Image credit: Future)
This device is designed to remove wet spills, dirt, grime, grease and tough stains from most types of hard surfaces, although it's not suitable for rugs or carpets. I tested it out on sealed hardwood flooring, vinyl tiles, and ceramic tiles.
The Tineco Floor One S5 works by pushing forward to vacuum and pulling back to mop. Although it's quite heavy, when switched on it propels itself forward, requiring minimal effort. It’s also really maneuverable, turning tight corners with ease.
The floorhead does a great job of getting close up to baseboards and furniture. However, and because the handle won't go flat, you’re limited when it comes to cleaning under furniture, and the floorhead won't fit into small or awkward spaces, either. Wet-dry cleaners typically don't come with detail tools, but I think a crevice tool would be helpful here.
The controls are clear and useful. It's easy to see how much charge is left at any time, and the screen will also provide a prompt when the dirty water tank needs changing or the clean water tank has run out. There's also the option to use a voice prompt button for this, so you don't need to look at the screen.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
On test, the Auto setting worked well, with suction audibly increasing when dirt was detected, and the changing colored lights providing a useful at-a-glance indicator of what was going on. Sometimes, the lights would turn red when going over parts of the floor that didn’t look dirty to the naked eye, prompting me to pay extra attention to these areas, which I wouldn’t have done with a regular mop. In general, I was impressed with how much dirt it pulled up from what I'd thought were relatively clean floors.
I found the Floor One S5 mopped evenly and didn't leave the floor too wet, leaving behind a mild, pleasant scent of cleaning solution.
When cleaning in both Auto mode and Max mode never went above 72db, which is the same level of noise made by a dishwasher mid-cycle, and is more than acceptable for a device like this.
Cleaning tests
To assess this cleaner's performance on different kinds of cleaning tasks, I ran series of tests.
I used it on my kitchen floor to clear up a milky cereal spillage and was amazed at how quickly and effortlessly it tackled the area. I removed most of the spillage using the suction-only mode, then switched to the Auto mode to completely clean the surface. In general, I found it a very convenient way of cleaning up liquid spills such as milk. It sucks up the liquid quickly and cleans the floor simultaneously, so it’s useful to have to hand if you’ve got small children.
I also tested it out on dried food splatters. Here, the mop needed a little more help and I found myself ramping up to Max mode and going over the area a few times to dislodge and clean effectively.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Certain consistencies of spillage also proved problematic. For example, it struggled to remove a blob of foundation from one of my bathroom tiles, and I had to go back and forth over the area several times to get it clean. It's also worth noting that on this tiled floor, while the surface was left clean and free of debris, the cleaner didn't get into grout lines, so these remained dry.
To test performance on dry messes, I sprinkled oats and crushed biscuit/flour on the floor. The vacuum picked up both with no problems, without leaving any residue behind. Overall, I found the performance on dry debris very effective – this cleaner clears hair and dust very effectively, even at the edge of the baseboards.
Maintenance
When cleaning on Max power, the dirty water tank required emptying after just six minutes of cleaning and the clean water tank needed a refill after only eight minutes. Both lasted longer in Auto mode, though, as it doesn’t use as much water.
Emptying the tank is a simple process but if you empty into your sink, you’ll then need to deal with all the larger debris that's mixed in with the grubby water. Emptying into the toilet makes things much simpler. (It's usual for wet-dry cleaners to mix wet and dry debris like this – Dyson WashG1 takes a different tack by separating solids from liquids for easier disposal and more straightforward maintenance.)
(Image credit: Future)
Once back on the charging dock, the Floor One S5 scans the dirt level on the brush roller and will prompt you to perform the automatic clean if needed. This takes roughly two minutes, during which time clean water will flush through the system and rinse the brush roller. It's a completely hands-off process, so you can walk away and do something else until it’s finished, at which point the dirty water tank will need emptying.
I also found it beneficial to remove the brush roll and leave it to dry separately when not in use. This can be fiddly – and rather grim if there’s a lot of mess – but a simple wash under warm water straight after use keeps things fresh.
Less frequently, you'll also need to clean the filter, and clear the tube between floorhead and water tank using the brush provided.
Performance score: 4.5 out of 5
Tineco Floor One S5 vacuum and mop review: app
Provides cleaning stats and helpful instructions
Only supports 2.4G Wi-Fi
Thiscleaner comes with a companion app: the Tineco Life app. This connects easily to the floor cleaner and it walks you through the setup process. While having an app for a floorcare appliance isn’t exactly necessary, it does contain a few useful features.
It allows you to change the language as well as volume of the voice prompts on the cleaner, you can also mute the voice altogether if you prefer. You can use it to check the cleaner's battery levels while it's charging, and tell you how long it is before charge is complete.
There are video tutorials on everything from how to fill and empty the water containers, to removing the brush roller and cleaning. Furthermore, you can tell the cleaner whether you’re using cleaning solution or cleaning with water only, this allows it to adjust settings if necessary, although this can be done without the app too.
There are other, arguably less useful features in the app, such as stats on the time spent cleaning and average daily use. It’s not necessarily an app you’ll use regularly, but it’s helpful to download it when first setting up the appliance, in our case it performed a firmware upgrade upon the initial setup.
Note: the companion only supports 2.4G Wi-Fi.
Tineco Floor One S5 vacuum and mop review: battery
Up to 35 minute runtime
Battery level displayed clearly on screen
4-5 hour charging time
The battery percentage is shown clearly on the screen during use as well as while it’s charging. If you’re not near the cleaner, you can also check the battery level in the app, which will give you additional information about how much time is remaining before it’s fully charged. I found this to be quite accurate.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
During use in Max mode, the battery lasted 27 minutes, which is just shy of the 28 minutes stated by Tineco. It’ll last longer in Auto mode, but exactly how long will vary because auto mode adjusts the power depending on the dirt level detected.
Once the battery reaches 10 percent the number flashes to alert you that it’s low. A full recharge took just under four hours, which is faster than the four to five hours suggested by Tineco.
Should I buy the Tineco Floor One S5?
Buy it if...
You have a lot of hard floors This cleaner will take care of vacuuming and mopping all your hard floors, in one go.
You’ve got children It makes short work of cleaning up spills and washes the floor at the same time, which takes the stress out of accidents like dropped cereal bowls or drinks.
You want a smarter wet-dry cleaner There are plenty of wet-dry cleaners on the market, but the automatic suction adjustment and voice prompts help this one stand out from the pack.
Don't buy it if...
You're short on space This cleaner's dock is pretty bulky, so you’ll need to find somewhere to store it, and it'll need to be near a plug outlet too.
You have a lot of carpet This cleaner isn't suitable for use on carpet or rugs, so is probably only worth it if you have lot of hard flooring in your house.
You’ve got delicate or uneven floors While it’s gentle on floors, I wouldn’t recommend this cleaner for very delicate floors – if anything got embedded in the brush roller it could cause damage. And given that it can’t clean into grout lines, it won’t be suitable for uneven floors like rough slate or stone.
• Original review date: December 2021
• Replaced by Shark's new 3-in-1 SpeedStyle in the US, but widely available
• Launch price: £229.99 / $229.99
• Official price now: £199.99 / $179.99
Updated: February 2024. The Shark Style iQ / HyperAir hair dryer is still widely available and is actually a little more affordable than it used to be, bucking the trend many manufacturers have followed in line with inflation. It's got a sister product now, too, the Shark 3-in-1 SpeedStyle, which we're presently in the process of reviewing. In the US, the SpeedStyle seems to have fully replaced the HyperAir on Shark's website, but it's available from third-party retailers like Walmart and Amazon, still. In the UK, it's retailing as usual. The rest of this review remains as previously published.
One-minute review
Shark is a brand well known for making some of the best vacuum cleaners around. Often mentioned as a rival to floor-cleaning stalwart Dyson, it’s no surprise that the brand has followed its competitor into the hair-care market.
The Shark Style iQ, which is known as the Shark HyperAir in the US, is the brand’s first hair dryer, but while Dyson opted to design its hair dryer from the ground up, Shark’s model follows the traditional design with which we’re all familiar. However, the Style iQ comes with smarts such as the ability to automatically adjust the air flow and temperature, based on the attachment you’ve connected, to suit the type of style you’re trying to create.
The Shark Style iQ hair dryer features three temperature settings, three speed levels, and a cool-shot function. The 1600W hair-care appliance ships with two attachments. The first is a concentrator nozzle with an adjustable opening, suitable for a gentle all-over quick-dry; or, when narrowed, it can be used to create a smooth, sleek style. The second is a diffuser, whose extendable prongs ensure the roots, as well as the ends of curly hair, can be dried evenly, reducing the risk of heat damage.
At £229.99 / $229.99, the Shark Style iQ is more expensive than many hair dryers on the market, but it still manages to undercut the Dyson supersonic. It’s ideal for those who want to create an array of hairstyles without worrying about which settings they should be using. It will also suit those with curly hair who wish to limit heat damage.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Shark style iQ hair dryer price and availability
List price: £229.99 / $229.99
The Shark Style iQ, or the Shark HyperAir iQ in the US, will set you back £229.99 / $229.99. It’s available directly through Shark, as well as from retailers including John Lewis in the UK.
In the UK, the Shark Style iQ comes bundled with a concentrator nozzle and a diffuser, while in the US the diffuser is replaced by a styling brush attachment. An additional bundle in the US also includes the diffuser, a tool for creating soft waves, plus hair clips and a non-slip mat for $249.95.
There are also Shark promo codes around, so see if the latest arrivals apply to this.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Design
Three temperature and speed settings
Ships with two attachments
Compact and lightweight
The Shark Style iQ looks as you’d expect a hair dryer to, although the barrel is slightly shorter than on some models we’ve tested, such as the Panasonic EH-NA67. It’s a compact hair-care appliance, measuring 25 x 7.5 x 12cm / 9.8 x 3 x 4.7 inches (h x w x d) and weighing 500g / 1.1lb.
The UK model comes in a stylish black and rose gold finish, while in the US the hair dryer has a muted gold tone. As mentioned, in the UK the hair dryer comes bundled with a concentrator nozzle and a diffuser, while in the US the package comprises a styling brush attachment in place of the diffuser.
The hair dryer offers 1600W of power with three temperature settings and three options for the speed of air flow, which are controlled using the buttons on the back of the barrel. The power button is located on the back of the handle, while on the front of the handle is a cool-shot button that delivers a blast of cold air to set your style.
Those who don’t have a mirror conveniently located next to a power outlet will still be able to dry their hair easily, thanks to the Style iQ’s 2.5m / 8.2ft power cord.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Performance
Fast drying times
Automatically adjusting heat and speed settings
Fiddly to clean
The Shark Style iQ certainly lives up to its claims of being super-quick to dry hair. On the fastest setting, it took 3 minutes and 56 seconds to get our damp, below-shoulder-length fine hair to completely dry. When used on the lowest temperature settings, this increased only to 5 minutes and 8 seconds, making it among the faster hair dryers we’ve tested.
On all settings, hair was left looking shiny and smooth, with very few fly-away strands. Overall, the Shark Style iQ was comfortable to hold in both the left and right hand (we switched hands, depending upon the side of the head being styled).
We were impressed that when the concentrator nozzle or diffuser were attached to the hair dryer, the temperature and speed settings were adjusted automatically to the optimum level to use that tool. We also found the sliders on the attachments – used to extend the prongs on the diffuser and widen or narrow the concentrator nozzle – moved smoothly.
In terms of noise, the Shark Style iQ registered 76dB on our decibel meter on the fastest settings. This puts it middle-of-the-range when it comes to noisy hair-care appliances, and is equivalent to the sound emitted by a vacuum cleaner. Since the hair dryer is likely to be on for only a few minutes at a time, it's acceptable.
However, we were disappointed that the hair dryer lacks a removable filter, which makes it fiddly to keep free of both dust and lint.
This model has different names and product codes in different territories:
US: Shark Vertex Pro Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum with DuoClean PowerFins IZ662H UK: Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum IZ300UK / IZ300UKT AU: Shark Cordless Apex Pro X2 Pet Stick Vacuum IZ320
For this review, I tested the UK version. There may be minor differences between different countries' models. See Specs section for more details.
Shark Vertex Pro (known as the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless in the UK, and Shark Cordless Apex Pro X2 Pet Stick Vacuum in Australia) is a powerful cordless stick vacuum cleaner. I tested it out to see how it compares to the rest of today's best cordless vacuum cleaners, and the best vacuums in general.
The Shark IZ662H / IZ300UK's cleaner head has two brush rollers that spin at the same time. One roller is hard, with flexible silicon fins (known as PowerFins) to dig deep into carpets to dislodge dirt. The second roller is a soft, fluffy unit to tackle fine dust. Both benefit from Shark's handy anti-tangle feature, which stops human and pet hair from becoming wrapped around the brush roller; instead, it’s whipped straight into the dust canister. On test, I was impressed with how effective this design feature is.
There are a couple of features designed specifically to help you clean dark and difficult corners. The cleaner head features six LEDs that light a path and make it easy to clean in dark corners or beneath furniture. This model also has Shark's popular bendable wand, which enables the cleaner to reach under low-clearance furniture, while also making the unit more compact for easy storage. It can also be used as a handheld, although it's fairly heavy, so I don't think it's ideal for this.
There are three levels of suction, and I found this vacuum powerful and effective on both hard floor and carpets – although the heaviness means it can be a little sticky to use on deep pile carpet. Note, too, there's no auto-adjust suction, as you'll find on Shark's newest vacuums.
In a nod to rival, the Dyson V15 Detect, the cordless cleaner also has an LED display that can show the remaining battery level, as well the suction mode selected, and whether the hard floor or carpet setting has been activated.
Price-wise, it sits it TechRadar's mid-range price band. If you want a powerful cleaner, or have lots of nooks and crannies around your home, the flexibility this model would make it a good choice. You can see how it compares to other products from this brand in our best Shark vacuum cleaner guide.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Before I start the review properly, a note on naming conventions. You may have noticed, this product has different names. In the US, it's the Shark Vertex Pro Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum with DuoClean PowerFins (IZ662H). In the UK, it's the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum (IZ300UK), and there's also the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Pet Vacuum (IZ300UKT), which is the same base model with added Pet Tool. Be especially careful here because there's another product with the same name, but a different product code. In Australia, you're looking for the Shark Cordless Apex Pro X2 Pet Stick Vacuum (IZ320). I tested the UK version, and I'll flag any differences in specs throughout my review.
In the US, the Shark Vertex Pro Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum with DuoClean PowerFins is $449.99 at MSRP. The UK's version – the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum – is £349.99, or if you opt for the version with the extra Pet Tool, £379.99. That puts it in TechRadar's mid-range price bracket, and it's excellent value for that price.
Shoppers in Australia can pick up the Shark Cordless Apex Pro X2 Pet Stick Vacuum for AU$899.99. Based on rough exchange rates, that's a fair bit more expensive than the US and UK versions, but that's partly because the AU version comes with a lot more tools and accessories, as well as an extra battery. However, at time of update, it was out of stock at Shark.
Vacuum cleaners (and home appliances in general) often attract discounts during major shopping events, so it's worth keeping an eye out for an Amazon Prime Day deal or Black Friday deal if it suits when you want to buy. You might also get lucky and snag a Shark promo code.
Converts into a handheld cleaner, and tools vary by territory
Flexible stick and anti hair wrap floorhead
The Shark IZ662H / IZ300UK vacuum cleaner is one of the heavier cordless vacuums we've tested, weighing in at 8.82lbs / 4.58kg. The US version has a 1qt dust cup, while the UK and AU models are marginally smaller at 0.7L.
The design is fairly standard for a cordless vacuum cleaner, with the motor, filter and dust canister at the top. This is attached to the wand, with the floorhead at the bottom. On the main unit you'll find a 2.5 inch LCD screen that displays the remaining runtime, along with the power button, suction level control, and the carpet or hard floor selector. The swappable battery sits in this section, too, with three LEDs that indicate the remaining power.
There are three different suction modes, including a carpet setting that sees the brush roller rotate faster to help suck up ground-in dirt from carpet pile, and a slower setting that ensures hard floors aren't damaged when vacuuming. Note that this model doesn't come with Shark's Clean Sense IQ technology, where the vacuum can sense how dirty the floor is and adjust its suction automatically in response. (For a models that can do this, head to TechRadar's Shark Detect Pro Cordless review.)
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Rather than the wand being a single section, it has a flexible extension tube in the center. When you press the catch on the back of the wand, it can bend by up to 180 degrees, enabling the vacuum to be easily maneuvered under furniture or made more compact for storage.
The main floorhead features a hard brush roller with flexible silicon 'PowerFins', as well as a soft, fluffy roller; both rotate when the vacuum is switched on to improve pickup. Six LEDs at the front of the head light a path, and Shark's Anti Hair Wrap technology stops hair from becoming tangled around the brush roller, and instead removes it from the roller and directs it into the dust cup as you clean.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Detaching the wand and floor-cleaning head turns the cordless stick vacuum into a handheld cleaner, to which you can connect any of the included tools. These vary by territory. In the US, the standard model just comes with a Crevice Tool. In the UK, it's that plus a Multi Surface Tool, and if you opt for the Pet version, there's also a Pet Tool. In Australia, there's a wide selection of tools included.
Shark IZ662H / IZ300UK vacuum cleaner specs
Shark IZ662H / IZ300UK review: performance
Powerful and effective suction, but can flick about larger debris
Smooth to use on hard floors; could get stuck a bit on carpet
Flexible wand great for getting under furniture
Noisy in use
The Shark Shark Vertex Pro / Anti Hair Wrap Cordless is certainly a powerful cordless vacuum. During testing, it sucked up fine dust and larger debris on both carpet and hard floor with ease on all power settings. However, when it came to hard floors, I found the wheels on the back of the cleaner head flicked some of the oats around the floor, rather than collecting them. This meant I had to make several passes to ensure the mess was cleared.
The vacuum cleaner glided easily across hard floors, although there was some resistance on carpet since it's a heavy cordless cleaner. The flexible wand proved useful for reaching under furniture, as did the six LED headlights on the floor-cleaning head – they made it easier to see the area I was vacuuming.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
I was impressed with the Anti Hair Wrap technology, which ensures hair doesn’t become tangled around the brush roll. When vacuuming up a clump of hair I'd removed from a hair brush, it was whisked straight into the canister without becoming stuck.
I also found the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner was easy to empty. Just disconnect the wand and use the button on the left-hand side of the canister to activate the mechanism that ejects the debris into the bin in one swift move. Some newer Shark vacuums come with an auto-empty base option, but that's currently not available with this model.
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What I wasn't so enamored by was the noise – it's one of the loudest vacuums I've tested, with my decibel meter registering 88db when using the vacuum on its most powerful setting on carpet. This is the same level of noise as when using a blender. The vacuum cleaner also proved cumbersome to use in handheld mode, as a result of its weight. It made my arms ache when I cleaned up high, so I wouldn’t recommend using it in this way for very long periods.
If you need something primarily for use as a handheld, head to our Shark WandVac System review – the suction is lower, but this model is far easier to wield.
Shark IZ662H / IZ300UK review: battery life
Ranges from 11 to 60 minutes, depending on the power setting
Battery takes up to four hours to fully recharge
Swappable battery reduces interruptions to cleaning
Shark claims the battery lasts up to 60 minutes between charges. As always, this is on the lowest powerful power setting, and you can expect it to drop considerably in higher suction modes – in my tests, when used on the most powerful setting, the cleaner managed only 11 minutes of vacuuming before the battery required recharging.
The battery took four hours to fully recharge. Handily, the unit is swappable, for minimal interruptions to your cleaning session. Some versions come with two batteries included, but if yours doesn't, they can be purchased separately.
Should you buy the Shark IZ662H / IZ300UK vacuum cleaner?
• Original review date: September 2021
• Replaced by the slightly upgraded GHD Flight+
• Launch price: $99 / £59 / AU$99
• Official price now: $119 / £99 / AU$160
Updated: February 2024. The GHD Flight has now been replaced with the GHD Flight+, which as of writing we've yet to get our hands on. It's more expensive than its predecessor; significantly so in the UK and Australia, but does now exclusively come as part of a gift set which includes a pretty chic protective travel case, so that's a benefit if you like keeping your kit in a good state. Its specs are slightly better compared to those listed in our original review; the Flight+ is now 49% lighter (vs. 50% previously) and 25% smaller than the GHD Air, but offers 78% of the power (vs. 70% previously). The rest of the review remains unchanged.
One-minute review
GHD is most well known for its hair straighteners. The company has spent the past two decades offering ceramic-plated flat irons, taking over from steam-powered straighteners as the must-have tool for hair styling.
However, more than nine years ago, GHD also dipped its toe in the world of hair dryers, and now offers three different models, the smallest and most compact of which is the GHD Flight. Designed to be packed in your suitcase, the GHD Flight is 50% lighter than the GHD Air, but offers 70% of the power, at 1400W, allowing you to dry your hair in a relatively short frame of time.
The GHD Flight comes with a folding handle, which ensures the hair dryer takes up as little space in your suitcase as possible. It operates on both 120V and 240V electrical supplies, so it really can be used anywhere in the world.
It has two temperature settings, along with a slower, cool-shot option for setting styles, and the hair dryer will automatically switch off if held too close to the hair when blow-drying to prevent overheating, too. In the box you’ll find a concentrator nozzle and a carry pouch.
At $99 / £59 / AU$99, the GHD Flight is the most affordable hair dryer GHD offers, and is ideal for those on a budget. It also makes a great additional hair dryer for those who travel, easily slipping into a bag or suitcase, safe in the knowledge that it won’t send luggage over a weight limit. However, those looking for a hair dryer with a plethora of attachments to create a wide array of hair styles might be better looking elsewhere.
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GHD Flight price and availability
List price: $99 / £59 / AU$99
The GHD Flight is the brand’s entry-level hair dryer and is priced at $99 / £59 / AU$99. It’s available from GHD or Amazon worldwide.
GHD also offers a mid-range hair dryer, the GHD Air, which will set you back $199 / £99 / AU$220, while it’s top-of-the-range model, the GHD Helios, costs $249 / £159 / AU$295.
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Design
Foldable design
Two temperature settings
Comes with one attachment
The GHD Flight is the most compact hair dryer we’ve tested to date, measuring 9.6 x 5.2 x 2.7 inches / 24.4 x 13.3 x 6.8cm (h x w x d). It’s folding handle means its dimensions come down further still to 7.9 x 4.1 x 2.7 inches / 20 x 10.5 x 6.8cm. It’s lightweight, too, coming in at just 0.9lb / 422g.
The hair dryer features a stylish matt black design, with a gold slider that lets you select one of the two temperature settings, or the cool-shot function for setting your hair after styling – a look that apes the GHD Air, although the gold band around the barrel of the Air hair dryer has been dropped in favor of a glossy black accent.
As already mentioned, the 1400W hair dryer is dual voltage, so it can be used anywhere in the world. Simply use a coin to turn to the dial to select the correct voltage (either 120V or 240V) for the country in which you’re using it. The hair dryer has a 6ft / 1.8m cable and comes with a concentrator nozzle and a soft carry pouch in the box.
The hanging loop is also a nice touch, and is usually a feature on hair dryers used in salons.
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Performance
Fast drying times
Balanced in use
Automatically switches off when too close to hair
Even though the GHD Flight offers less power than some of the brand's other hair dryers, it certainly isn’t sluggish when it comes to drying times. On the lowest temperature setting, it took 5 minutes and 52 seconds to take below-shoulder-length fine hair from damp to completely dry. Using the hottest settings shaved 1 minute and 51 seconds off this time. On both settings, locks were left smooth – although they lacked the shine we’ve achieved with other hair dryers, plus there were more fly-away strands than usual.
We put this down to the lack of technology that uses negative ions to speed up evaporation and reduce flyaway strands.
The GHD Flight felt balanced in the hand when blow-drying hair, and was comfortable to hold, both in the left and right hands (we switched hands, depending upon the side of the head being styled). The hair dryer was easy to fold into its more compact form, while the hinge felt durable and offered a reassuring click as the handle was moved.
Also notable is the fact that the GHD Flight will automatically switch off if held too close to the hair, to stop the hair dryer from overheating. However, we were disappointed to find that the filter isn’t removable, which can make cleaning the hair dryer more difficult.
For noise, the GHD Flight registered 77.8db on our decibel meter on its fastest setting. This puts it middle-of-the-range when it comes to noisy hair-care appliances, and is equivalent to the level of noise made by a vacuum cleaner. However, since it is likely to be on for only a few minutes at a time, it’s unlikely to bother too much.
• Original review date: October 2022
• Still Laifen's flagship, but the new Swift SE provides a more affordable alternative
• Launch price: $199.99 / £175.11 / AU$297.83
• Official price now: The same
Updated: February 2024. The Laifen Swift remains to be a great Dyson Supersonic alternative, though it's far from the only one at this point. Still, it's a fraction of the price, and nearly as affordable as some of the most high-performing standard hair dryers in this list. Since our original review, Laifen has released a more affordable sister product, the Laifen Swift SE ($149.99 / £128.01 / AU$228.02), which is marginally less powerful and more cheaply made, but comes in some adorable pastel hues.
• Original review date: October 2022
• Still Laifen's flagship, but the new Swift SE provides a more affordable alternative
• Launch price: $199.99 / £175.11 / AU$297.83
• Official price now: The same
Updated: February 2024. The Laifen Swift remains to be a great Dyson Supersonic alternative, though it's far from the only one at this point. Still, it's a fraction of the price, and nearly as affordable as some of the most high-performing standard hair dryers in this list. Since our original review, Laifen has released a more affordable sister product, the Laifen Swift SE ($149.99 / £128.01 / AU$228.02), which is marginally less powerful and more cheaply made, but comes in some adorable pastel hues.
