Verdict

With its great 60-minute run-time, unrivalled flexibility and superb cleaning power, the Shark DuoClean Anti-Allergen with TruePet and Flexology IF260UKTH delivers on all levels.

Pros

• Over an hour’s run-time
• Great cleaning results
• Huge range of cleaning tools
• Fairly lightweight
• Charge on model or cradle

Cons

• Floorhead pulls forward on Boost
• Rather small bin
• Serious price

What is the Shark DuoClean Anti-Allergen with TruePet and Flexology IF260UKTH?

Aiming for the longest product name ever, the Shark DuoClean Anti-Allergen with TruePet and Flexology IF260UKTH promises to eliminate dust and pet hairs, while its new Anti-Allergen seal aims to capture 99.9% of allergens for cleaner air, too.

Supplied with twin batteries, multiple power and floor settings, a whopping 60-minute run-time, lots of tools, and the Flexology Wand that allows you to reach pretty much anywhere, this cordless vacuum offers plenty for its not inconsiderable asking price.

The Shark is well-equipped to clean carpets, hard floors and stairs with aplomb thanks to its great suction, DuoClean floor head and amazing roster of tools. The Flexology Wand is brilliantly effective, the pet tool works well, and the cleaning options are vast.

The DuoClean head still pulls forward a little, and we did get some fluff stuck in the bin. Overall, though, the IF260UKT more than justifies its price with super-flexible, high-performance cleaning.

Related: Best vacuum cleaners

Shark DuoClean Anti-Allergen with TruePet and Flexology IF260UKTH – Features and Accessories

Boasting a super-lengthy, one-hour run-time, we introduce – take a deep breath – the Shark DuoClean Anti-Allergen with TruePet and Flexology IF260UKTH. Let’s just stick to IF260UKTH then.

Given the name, if you were to come to the conclusion that this vacuum will be packed with features and come in at a price that’s firmly in the upper-range of cordless vacuums, then you’d be right. The successor to our much-loved Shark DuoClean Cordless TruePet IF250UKT, this model offers an extra 16 minutes’ run-time, more tools and that anti-allergy seal. Lovely stuff.

Sporting a nice, deep red colour, the IF260UKTH looks great and is super-easy to assemble. The handheld vacuum body can be used on its own or on top of the Flexology Wand, clipped onto the floor nozzle or any of the five accessories supplied.

The familiar DuoClean floorhead features two textured motorised brush rollers, so you can move from room to room cleaning hard floors and carpets without having to stop and switch heads. The brush rollers rotate in the same direction, which we’ve had some issues with in the past, driving the cleaner forward in use.

A mighty five tools are included: the Dusting Brush, Crevice tool, Anti-Allergen Dust Brush, Deep-Cleaning Motorised Pet tool and Upholstery tool. Unfortunately, there’s nowhere to store these on the IF260UKTH – but you can pop them in the supplied Shark Accessory shoulder bag. All five tools can be used on any setting, direct on the handheld vacuum for short-reach jobs or on the Flexology Wand for long-reach cleaning.

For those with sniffles from dust, mites and other allergens, the IF260UKTH promises an Anti-Allergen complete seal that aims to capture 99.9% of dust and allergens, rather than releasing it into the air you breathe. The dustbin is easy to empty, with a push of a button opening a large trap-door flap. Filtration comes courtesy of a pre-motor foam filter and a HEPA-rated filter under the handle, both of which are fully washable.

The Flexology Wand allows easy access to hard-to-reach areas under furniture without having to bend down. You simply press the red unlock button and the Wand folds forward and allows the main head to hit really low angles.

Included with the IF260UKTH isn’t one but two removable Lithium-ion batteries. These can be charged in the vacuum or in the dual charging cradle. Although charging will take around 3.5 hours, two fully loaded batteries promise a total of 60 minutes’ run-time. The batteries have three, bright-blue LED lights to indicate charging level.

Power controls are push-button, on top of the handheld vacuum within a finger’s reach from the handle. There are two surface settings for carpet and hard floor, with similar power but a  faster brush action on the Carpet mode.

The Ion Boost mode increases suction for high-traffic areas and heavy messes, although it lasts for only one minute; simply press the button again when the timer ends to restart another minute on the higher power. Pressing the button at any time reduces the power back to standard.

Compared to similar fully corded mains-powered models, the IF260UKTH is agile and weighs just above 4kg including head and the Flexology Wand. To make things even easier, the handheld vacuum with the tools weighs just 2kg.

Shark DuoClean Anti-Allergen With TruePet and Flexology IF260UKTH – What’s it like to use?

Although a beast of a vacuum in terms of features and cleaning options, the IF260UKTH proved surprisingly quiet. On Carpet mode, with the brush bars rotating at full speed, we measured around 75dB; on hard floors it was around 72dB. That’s about the same as radio music being played around the home.

Using the IF260UKTH was a breeze, and it rolled swiftly over carpets and hard-flooring alike. The DuoClean head continues to have a forward drive, but it isn’t anything like the pull from Shark’s heavyweight mains cleaners with DuoClean. The effect actually eases the forward stroke of cleaning, but adds extra resistance on the pullback.

The strength of the effect is dependent on the surface and the power mode setting. On hard floors, there’s negligible drive effect in either mode, but it increases on carpets, peaking on carpet with the Ion Boost mode engaged. That really can feel like the cleaner is pulling away from you and fighting you on the backstroke. While not a major issue it’s certainly something to be aware of when you start off.

The Ion Boost mode really delivers an extra suction punch over the already high level of airflow this Shark delivers. The timer is a nice touch, allowing you to clean in this high power mode without getting an achy-finger from holding down a trigger-activated boost.

The Flexology Wand, too, is a great addition. We were able to reach under beds, sofas and even chairs with ease – and without breaking our backs in the process thanks to this unique flexible wand. It also allows a fully assembled IF260UKTH to fold up much smaller for storage.

We especially liked the ability to transform the IF260UKTH into a light-weight handheld vacuum with one simple click of the wand-release button. Like every Shark we’ve tested to date, the clips, buttons and levers are brilliantly made; they feel great and are simple to use.

For reaching hard-to-get spots, the Crevice tool attached to the Flexology Wand allowed us to reach into even the highest corners of our home office ceiling. The Anti-Allergen Dust Brush proved effective, too, particularly for removing fine dust. We were able to daintily clean photo frames without knocking them over.

Our only real nag centred around the bin. It isn’t huge, so fills quickly as a result of the great cleaning performance, and on occasion we found a few hairs and debris left in the dustbin after emptying. This was usually hairs caught around the central core of the cyclone. The relatively small bin and easy access meant picking out debris with our fingers was easy enough, though.

Shark DuoClean Anti-Allergen with TruePet and Flexology IF260UKTH – How does it clean carpets and hard floors?

Due to the high suction power and effective DuoClean floorhead, the Shark delivered excellent cleaning on both carpets and hard flooring. We were impressed by the power on offer in standard mode, and the Ion Boost button gave plenty of extra suction for dirtier areas.

The IF260UKTH cruised easily over a variety of carpets, rugs and hard surfaces around the house, and never once disappointed in its cleaning potential. On deeper carpets, in the higher power mode, there’s that drag on the backstroke to deal with – but outside of that the Shark steers and navigates very well indeed.

Sprinkling our usual mix of talc and carpet freshening powder near the skirting board, our red-carpet test produced an excellent surface clean in just one forward and back motion. The cleaning was great right up to the edge of the skirting board. On closer inspection it’s possible to see white particle residues deep in the open carpet, although with a couple forward and back motions the area was spotless. That’s on a par with the best cordless cleaners we’ve tested.

On hard flooring, the forward drive wasn’t really apparent and the IF260UKTH felt a lot easier on the arm. It glided over the wooden floorboards and tiles with ease, sucking up all debris in its path, leaving us with lovely fresh flooring. The flexible neck allowed the cleaner to steer exceptionally well and the Flexology Wand meant that getting right under our low-beamed table was easy.

Our spilt oats test on was certainly no challenge for the IF260UKTH. In a single pass on Ion Boost mode, 99.9% of all oats were eliminated. One straggler was left behind, but that was soon dispatched on the next sweep.

You do need to ensure you use the Hard Floor mode on hard floors, though. One accidental oats test on the Carpet mode and Ion Boost mode resulted in the vacuum flicking oats all over the kitchen. User errors aside, the Shark delivered an excellent cleaning result.

We used the main dusting brush accessory over mats, carpets and tiles in the bathrooms. This worked well clipped onto the handheld vacuum; it’s so light to use and was great at sucking in smaller specs of muck, lint and talc. The upholstery tool didn’t disappoint either, with great cleaning on a number of materials.

Shark DuoClean Anti-Allergen TruePet and Flexology IF260UKTH – How easy is it to use on stairs?

As advised in the manual for efficient stair cleaning, we first used the DuoClean floorhead connected directly onto the handheld vacuum. It’s quite an unwieldy tool for stairs but doesn’t feel as heavy as it looks. It packed the very same great cleaning performance as on floor carpet, but we struggled to get into some of the narrow angles of our turning staircase.

All five tools can be fitted to the IF260UKTH and used on the staircase. We found the snappily titled Deep-Cleaning Motorised Pet tool was fab for stairs and a lot easier to manoeuvre around awkward angled steps. Its brush bar did a very good job of cleaning step carpets, both on the tread and the riser. The Upholstery tool was no slouch if you don’t have any of the other tools to hand, and if you have hard-wood stairs then the Dusting Brush or even the soft Anti-Allergen brush are ideal.

The long Flexology Wand and decent-length Crevice tool gave excellent reach from the stairs to high ceilings and corners, ideal for reaching aloof cobwebs. With plenty of cleaning power, a tool for every stair type and scenario we could imagine, and lightweight cordless convenience, we’d be hard-pushed to think of any cleaner that’s better for stairs. The IF260UKTH made a once-dreaded job quite easy.

Shark DuoClean Anti-Allergen with TruePet and Flexology (IF260UKTH) – Charging and run-time

The IF260UKTH is Shark’s first vacuum to offer a mighty one-hour run-time. This is thanks to the two Lithium-ion batteries that can be re-juiced either on the vacuum or in the dual charging cradle. Gone are the days of running out of power mid-clean; having two batteries means one can always be kept on charge. Although the three-and-a-half-hour charge time versus 30 minutes run-time means this Shark can’t claim constant cleaning.

The batteries remove slickly from the cleaner with a neat clip. One or two can be slotted into the charging dock simultaneously. On charge, there are three bright LEDs that pulse and slowly fill up to max. During use, the opposite is the case, giving you an approximate indication of the power left in each battery.

Charge time for one battery took almost exactly the 3.5 hours Shark suggested, the blue LEDs going out to indicate the battery is ready to go. Even better, there’s no time penalty if you charge both batteries at the same time – it still takes 3.5 hours. Great news for those looking to clean more than once a day.

When using the IF260UKTH in the normal mode over both carpets and hard flooring, both packs lasted just above the 30-minute mark. So, yes, the Shark really does have an hour’s run-time!

Using the Ion Boost mode constantly, re-pressing the button every minute, decreased the run-time significantly. We managed just shy of 20 minutes in total using both packs. While this clearly isn’t how Shark envisions you use the IF260UKTH, it’s still class-leading run-time for this level of suction.

Shark DuoClean Anti-Allergen TruePet and Flexology IF260UKTH – How does it cope with pet hair?

Pet hair was no obstacle for the IF260UKTH – in fact, it made the job look rather easy. Over our test living room rug, which is embedded with dog’s hairs, just one pass with the DuoClean head delivered great cleaning results with only a few bits of fluff remaining. With one more pass, the hair was gone.

The star of the show was the Deep-Cleaning Motorised Pet tool that cleaned up the dog beds, chairs and sofas with ease. On Ion Boost mode, this sucked up every hair in sight and didn’t pull in loose material too badly, either. On stubborn upholstery hairs and fur on long curtains, the Upholstery tool also proved its worth. It did tend to suck in loose materials however, so it was best used on normal power mode rather than Boost.

On hard flooring, the Shark’s excellent suction power pulled in hairballs with ease and we didn’t find any need to use the Boost mode. We covered a range of surfaces including tiles, laminate and bare wood, and the DuoClean head on the IF260UKTH never missed a follicle.

For homes with both pets and pet-based allergy sufferers, the IF260UKTH could well be the answer. By capturing particles down to an impressively microscopic 0.3 microns, dust, hair and mites from pets stay in the bin, rather than being ejected into the air. We can’t argue with this Shark’s Crufts-level TruePet pedigree.

Why buy the Shark DuoClean Anti-Allergen with TruePet and Flexology IF260UKTH?

The Shark DuoClean Anti-Allergen IF260UKTH is a great all-round cordless cleaner with a genuine one-hour run-time from its dual batteries, a comprehensive tool selection and super cleaning results throughout. It’s worth pointing out that the more expensive Dyson V11 also has a one-hour run-time from a single battery, thanks in part to its new floorhead that adjusts power automatically based on the floor surface.

On both carpets and hard floors, the high suction and excellent DuoClean floorhead work very well, complete with great headlights to see dirt in the darkest corners. It boasts super-flexible detail cleaning with its pivoting Flexology Wand, which will allow you to clean under low sofas without the back-ache.

As a stick cleaner, it’s nicely light in the hand and manoeuvrable, but the floorhead does have the forward pull on carpets that we’ve come to expect from the DuoClean technology if you use Boost mode. The top-spec cleaning performance does highlight the fairly small bin, too, but at this point we are getting picky for what is otherwise a worthy top-of-the-range cordless cleaner from Shark.

If you’re after something a bit cheaper, take a look at our Best cordless vacuum cleaner range.

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