Shark Rotator vs Shark Navigator vs Shark DuoClean vs Shark Vertex

If you don’t know what Shark’s been doing lately, it’s been making top-tier upright after top-tier upright. Case in point: the four Shark upright vacuum cleaners we want to share with you today. Read our comparison between these four Sharks and see which one belongs in your home.

Shark Rotator Lift-Away DuoClean Pro ZU782

One of the first things you should look at when deciding whether Shark is the right brand for you is the floorhead, or rather, what’s inside.

The Shark Pro ZU782 sports Shark’s incredible DuoClean brush roll system, which consists of a soft roller that massages bare floors while picking up dirt and a stiff-bristled brush with silicone fins that digs into carpet fibers to extract every last bit of hidden debris.

The silicone fins prevent hair buildup by pushing hair to the side of the brush for easier cleanup.

Something else you should know about Shark is that they make convertible uprights. This unit converts into a handheld canister unit by detaching the canister pod from the handle and attaching one of the three included spot-cleaning tools.

The Pet Power Brush with an air-driven brush roll is going to be a favorite among pet owners.

Shark Rotator ZU782 Intro Video

Shark ZU503AMZ Navigator Lift-Away Upright Vacuum

Next up, we have the Shark ZU503AMZ—another Lift-Away model that comes with a detachable canister pod for easy overhead and above-ground cleaning.

The floorhead uses the same self-cleaning brush roll as the Shark ZU782 but without the soft brush in front.

Like the previous Shark, this one is perfect for pet owners. It comes with the Pet Crevice Tool that reaches deep into hard-to-access spaces to remove more than just surface debris. It also has a dusting brush without an air-driven roll, but it works pretty well at loosening and lifting hair from upholstery.

Something we think you’ll appreciate in the Shark ZU503AMZ, as well as the other Shark models, is that it comes with Shark’s anti-allergen seal, which prevents dust and debris in the tank from leaking out and spilling all over your floors.

In addition, it has a HEPA filter that’s designed to capture up to 99.97% of debris as tiny as 0.3 microns. Common allergens like dander, pollen, and dust mites have very little chance of escaping if the HEPA filter has anything to say about it.

Shark ZU503AMZ Navigator Intro Video

Shark APEX AZ1002 DuoClean Upright Vacuum

Similar to the previous Shark uprights, this one is a 2-in-1 upright that transforms into a handheld unit with a quick press of a button. But what makes the Shark APEX AZ1002 even more impressive than the others is that it’s a Powered Lift-Away Model.

A Powered Lift-Away pod actively spins the brushes on the Pet Turbo tool instead of relying on suction power. So, it’s more capable of removing embedded debris and pet hair from rugs and upholstery than standard Lift-Away, though they’re both definitely must-have features for pet owners and those living in spacious homes.

Something we didn’t point out until now is that all of the Shark models (minus the ZU782) come with LED headlamps that shine a bright light on bare floors to cast shadows on dust bunnies, revealing their location for quick and easy cleanup.

One feature that we think you’ll love is the active-glide wheels floorhead. It uses the rotational power of the DuoClean brush rolls to ever-so-gently drag the floorhead forward every time it makes contact with carpeting.

This, combined with the swiveling neck, makes redirecting the wide floorhead of the Shark Apex AZ1002 around obstacles and underneath furniture a breeze.

Shark APEX AZ1002 Intro Video

Shark AZ2002 Vertex Lift-Away Upright Vacuum

According to Shark, as of right now, the AZ2002 Vertex model is the brand’s most powerful model in the lineup of Lift-Away models. Like the previous Shark, the Vertex is a Powered Lift-Away upright/handheld vac with a long reach to vacuum up dust on carpeted steps, upholstery, ceilings, and nearly any surface in between.

If you want extra cleaning power on handheld mode, consider getting a Powered Lift-Away upright instead of the regular Lift-Away version.

Shark also claims that the Vertex is perfect for pets based on how it comes with the DuoClean brush rolls with the self-cleaning Powerfins and soft brush. But unlike the Shark uprights we looked at earlier, the Powerfins don’t have bristles—the brush relies purely on the nonstop contact the silicone fins make on carpeted and bare floors to ensure maximum cleanliness with each pass.

In addition, the Vertex comes with an upgraded filter and anti-allergen system that can trap up to 99.99% of dust and common allergens 0.3 microns and larger in size. So, virtually nothing will come spilling out of the 1-quart dust tank or go shooting out of the vacuum’s exhaust port.

Shark AZ2002 Intro Video

If you have any questions or comments, please add them below in the comment section. Similarly, please let us know if you spot any mistakes or omissions. Thanks!

Last Update: 2023-06-08 | Affiliate links/Images from Amazon Product Advertising API