Shark Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner WV251UK Review

For me, 2019 has so far been amazing in terms of work and my life outside of it as I’ve really been able to get a handle on many aspects of my life.   At the start of the year, I had a little bit of money saved as I had a really frugal Christmas and I decided to spend that money wisely on things that would actually help to make my life easier and have a positive impact on me and my home.

I wrote a list of a few things that I wanted to buy and one of the first on the list was the Shark Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner which I promptly bought in the sale at the beginning of January.  I have used it every day that I’ve been home, since it arrived and today I wanted to get my thoughts down in a full review because this bit of kit really is something special.

When I moved into my flat, I was starting from scratch as I had moved out of my dads home and I didn’t have many of the things that one would usually find in a property.  I literally worked day and night, 7 days a week across many different jobs to get the money together to buy the essentials that I needed.  I really had to prioritise and to make cut backs on things that I would have liked to have spent more on because there just wasn’t enough money to go around.  Unfortunately, my budget just didn’t stretch to a decent vacuum cleaner and I learned the hard way that in some cases, you get what you pay for.

While having a clean home was definitely a priority for me, I could only allocate around £50 for a hoover and the one that I bought from the supermarket for £55 turned out to be a really poor investment as it spat more dust out than it sucked up and made cleaning an absolute chew on!  While I may love my home to be clean because it makes me feel calm and happy, I don’t have endless amounts of time to dedicate to cleaning so this vacuum made the whole job seem tireless and vacuuming was never something I enjoyed or looked forward to.  Even once complete, I wouldn’t feel proud of the task that I’d completed as it never really felt as though the vacuum had actually done much or had a lot of impact.  When I decided to allocate the small amount of savings I had towards things that were going to make my life easier and ultimately happier at the start of 2019, I knew that a vacuum was the right way to go and I decided upon the Shark Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner in the WV251UK model as a starting point while I saved for a full scale vacuum cleaner to complete bigger tasks.

The Shark Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner was actually the first thing that I bought on my small list and let me tell you, the instant gratification of making that purchase was real as I didn’t have to wait long for it to arrive at all!  When I ordered this beauty in the Shark sale, I was surprised to see that not only was my delivery free but it was next day without having to pay any extra and I even got a 1 hour time slot and the option to leave it with a neighbour if I wasn’t going to be in, which made everything so much easier.  I love it when companies make it really easy for you to actually get the products that you buy from them!  Shark still offer free next day delivery (depending on the time that you order) and I really think that it’s a brilliant service.  Not only did my vacuum arrive quickly but it was securely packed without any damage to the box or product inside.  You can’t say fairer than that can you.

What I was also really impressed with is that on the day the vacuum arrived, I received an email confirming its delivery followed by a further one thanking me for my purchase and to let me know that my new Shark was automatically covered by their warranty.  It’s great that not only are the Shark products easy to use, as I would come to find, but they’re easy to deal with as a company too.  This Shark model comes with a 5 year guarantee and a 2 year battery guarantee and I didn’t even have to faff on registering it.  Score!

There certainly has been a lot of buzz online for Shark products but it was when I started to hear about them in my offline life that my ears really started to prick up.  For years the only name I would hear raved about for vacuum cleaners was Dyson but over the last year especially, Shark really seems to have taken over.  When I decided that I wanted to buy a cordless handheld vacuum, I really considered the options for both brands but when it came down to Dyson vs Shark, the latter won.

I really started to lust after the Shark online which firmly cemented my transition into adulthood as I was no longer looking for handbags and finding myself influenced over lipsticks but now household cleaning products.  So many people were using Shark products on Instagram, including Mrs Hinch who I have found to literally be a shining light of positivity in what can, at times, be a very negative online space, so when I placed my own order, I was fairly confident that I’d like the product given that I’d seen how well it could perform in other peoples homes.

On the Shark website, they have two options for their Cordless Handheld Vacuum; the single battery model, which usually retails for £129.99 and tends to go down to £99.99 in their sales, and the twin battery model, which is generally £179.99 and goes down to £129.99 in their sales.  Since both models were in the sale at the time that I was shopping, I figured it would be good value for money to go for the twin battery model and having used it everyday that I’ve been home since I got it and never having any problems with it, I’d say that it was worth every single penny.

Inside the box is the charging dock, the vacuum itself, two lithium ion power packs (batteries), a crevice tool with a dusting brush that flips out (great for stirring up dust on skirting boards to make the little particles easier to suck up) and the pet multi tool which you can use on plenty of different surfaces.  The crevice tool and the pet multi tool attach to the end of the vacuum with ease.

The tools fit in the charging dock which means that you’ll not lose them and you’ll actually use them!  If I had to store them some place else I’d never end up getting them out and I wouldn’t get the full benefits of my shark.  The tools do sit on the charging stand with the Shark although I can only seem to work out how to fit one tool onto the stand at a time.  So we either just keep the other right next to it so that we don’t lose it or we slot it in between the spare battery and the crevice tool.

I must say, it is superb quality and very streamlined.  While I’ve moved it to the sideboard in my lounge for better light in these photos, I actually keep it on my counter top where it looks really sleek and stylish.  Naturally, this is an electrical that you would want to keep out ready to use and Shark have really thought about that in the design; it’s designed to be seen, very modern and not bulky.

The Shark feels as though it is built to last with great engineering and an efficient motor that makes using it so worthwhile.  It is mega powerful and works so effectively at picking up dust and dirt from around our home like the stairs, skirting boards, crumbs in the kitchen & the dust that clings to the top of our fabric headboard.  It is also fantastic for cleaning out the car which is one of my favourite places to use it. This saves me so much money over getting a professional valet, especially as the crevice tool is long and narrow so it gets into all of those hard to reach spots that I find particularly difficult in the car.  The vacuum can be use on carpet, fabric and hard surfaces so all bases are covered!

The Shark handheld vacuum is lightweight and easy to move around.  Plus it doesn’t make too much noise compared to some other handheld vacuums I’ve heard.  The whole system is very easy to use, empty and clean out.  Being cordless makes cleaning so much easier, quicker and more enjoyable; I clean more often now that I have this vacuum so it makes the big jobs feel a lot smaller.

Emptying the Shark is with the slide of a button over the bin; the canister pops open and you can tap out the dirt that’s been collected and you can also take the canister off if you want to give it a more thorough clean too, although I have found that I don’t need to do this very often.

Cleaning the Shark itself is really simple too as the filter slides in and out with ease; I’ve found that I can tap almost all of the dirt off on the side of the bin but if needs be, the filet can be given a quick rinse under the tap without damaging the vacuum, you just need to be careful that you dry it fully before popping it back in.

The charging dock that comes with the Shark is what the actual vacuum sits in it with the battery attached and the spare battery sat behind it so it is charging up as soon as you put it back in its place after using it.  It stands upright with everything together so it feels neat, compact and is ready to go whenever I want to use it.

The quick charge technology means that charging the battery doesn’t take forever (only 2.5hours from a fully flat battery) and the 8 minutes run time per battery actually feels like a lot longer than it is.  I’ve found that you can get so much done with it and while its great for on the spot cleaning like my mams Dust Buster was back in the day, its also great for giving your home a quick transformational clean.  I like to stick a few songs on the Sonos and blitz as much as I can around the place; its amazing what you can pick up in that time and I can really see the difference after I’ve used it.

Having the twin battery model increases the runtime of the vacuum so while I could have lived with just the one battery, as it seems to last for AGES, I’m pleased I got the two as I really feel the benefit of having an additional battery when I’m on a bit of a cleaning mission.  I can get loads done around my flat before it needs a charge.

Buying the Shark I couldn’t recommend the Shark Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner WV251UK model really has revolutionised cleaning around my home and finally made it that little more enjoyable for me.  We both use it everyday and it really is absolutely brilliant.  I couldn’t recommend it more highly; every home should have one!

You can buy the same model that I have with the twin battery here, I really think that it is worth it especially when Shark have their amazing sales on.  If you would rather though, pick up the single battery version here.  Make sure you’re following WhatLauraLoves on Instagram as whenever I spot it on sale, I’ll let you know!