Shark's handheld vacuum with 'effortless pet hair pick-up' has £11 off

Whipping out the big vacuum for a bit of patch cleaning generally means spending more energy than the job really demands. Handheld vacuums are ideal for those little messes, whether it's crumbs on a worktop or cutting through the fluff left in your cat's favourite snooze spot.

The is a top pick in that arena, currently £48.40 at Amazon, down from £59.99. This nifty little gadget makes light work of dust and crumbs across hard surfaces and soft furnishings, and it comes with a handy motorised pet tool to make sure your furry friends' best work is soon consigned to the bin.

It also comes with a crevice tool that will get into the deepest recesses of your skirting boards, and a dusting brush that's as comprehensive as a duster and polish without needing lots of elbow grease or chemicals. Its no-fade lithium-ion battery has a 10-minute runtime, which is plenty for the small jobs it's designed for. Between uses, simply stick it back in its dock and it will be ready to go when you need it. As it's a no-fade battery, its lifespan is protected from the damage that such regular charging would usually inflict.

At just 1.2kg, it's lightweight and effortless to zip around the house. Upon registration on Shark's website, you'll net a two-year guarantee on it, too.

Amazon customers have been very pleased with awarding an average of 4.6 out of 5 stars from over 5,600 ratings. "As a proud pet owner, the Shark Handheld Cordless Vacuum Cleaner has become an absolute game-changer in my daily cleaning routine," said one five-star review. "This compact and powerful vacuum, equipped with a pet tool, crevice tool, and dusting brush, has exceeded my expectations, making pet hair and small messes a breeze to tackle."

"Really pleased with my purchase," said another. "Well-made and great suction that's as powerful as a standard plug-in hoover. Very handy and saves you having to get the main hoover out. Easy to clean and very practical."

can attest to its longevity: "I've used this on a nearly daily basis for almost a year and it is very good. It has good suction and a good battery life. Ideal for spot cleaning without having to get the upright vacuum out. Battery charges within a couple of hours which is a bonus and easy to empty too. Recommended."

Some minor complaints have been raised about its fixed nozzle, namely in that its orientation makes a big difference when it comes to sucking power. "The head is fixed so you have to place the vac in just the right position to achieve the maximum suction and that position is so the head is perfectly flat on the floor," said one three-star review. "If you're a little off, the suction is OK, but not great."

Another noted that its chamber is small and needs regular emptying: "Yes, it's okay and certainly does get the dog hair out of a carpet, but the compartment for storing the collected hair is so small you will be forever emptying it." However, as it's a small, handheld device, it can perhaps be forgiven for having a correspondingly small tank.

Rachel Sloper tested out the device for the Mirror. Among her observations, she said: "Setting to work, the pet attachment did struggle to pick up debris between the grooves in the base of the car boot. I made repeated passes over them without feeling it had made much of a difference, but it did pick up larger bits like the pine needles well. Where it really shone was on flat pieces of carpet along the edges, and the seat backing, which required fewer passes to lift out the pet hair."

She added: "What Shark appears to have done with this handheld model is focus the battery's energy on suction power over runtime - which in my book is more useful for handheld models. I've had cheaper models in the past that run for 30, even 40 minutes, but with incredibly weak suction, to the point I've given up."

If you're interested in alternatives, you might consider the £129.99 - though small, it's mighty. For those on a tighter budget, the shouldn't let you down.