A month or so ago, Shark released a new vacuum into the market – the Shark Apex UpLight Lift-Away DuoClean with Self-Cleaning Brushroll. Not to be confused with models in the Shark uprights series, this new vacuum is a full-suction stick. It’s an improved corded vacuum that comes packed with interesting features. This Shark Apex UpLight review looks upon these features and their usefulness.
Shark Apex UpLight provides a fresh perspective to an everchanging stick market.
Let’s start by griding at the vacuum’s looks and specs. We’ll then make a full comparison with other Shark vacuums, and finish by comparing the UpLight with other corded sticks. Finally, I’ll tell you where to get it for less.
Contents
Shark Apex UpLight – A quick look
| Dimensions | 10.44 x 11.38 x 46.9 inches |
| Weight | 10.7 lbs |
| Cleaning path width | 9" |
| Watts / Amps | 700W / 5.8 amps |
| Cord length | 30 ft |
| Floor compatibility | Hard floors, low and medium pile carpet |
| Filter | HEPA + Anti-Allergen Seal System |
| Bin capacity | 20 oz |
| Suction power | 66 CFM |
| Double brushroll | Yes |
| Tangle-free system | Yes |
| LED lights | Yes |
| Self-standing | Yes |
| Lift-Away | Yes |
| Accessories | - Duster crevice tool - Pet multi-tool - Accessory holder |
| Noise level | 70-74 dB |
| Warranty | 5 years |
| Price | Price not available |
Design
Here’s the video presentation from Shark:
Specifications
Suction/Cleaning Power
Double brushroll
Being a corded vacuum, the Apex UpLight should be powerful. And it is. Tests indicate suction at the hose to be 66 CFM. Expect the vacuum to clean every surface in your home, including carpets of different pile sizes. According to the manufacturer, the vacuum owes its cleaning power partly to the new technology dubbed HyperVelocity Suction. From what I could tell, this means that the air paths are more streamlined, while the motor uses high speeds to create air pressure difference.
Nozzle
Input Power
The Shark Apex UpLight is a 700-watt vacuum that requires 5.8 amperes, making it an energy-efficient yet powerful cleaning device. It plugs into a 120V outlet using a 30-foot cable. To protect the vacuum from overheating (if used for long periods), a mechanism shuts down the motor when the temperature reaches a certain level. The mechanism also prevents the battery from charging if the vacuum has overheated.
Dust Capacity
Small bin
The dustbin holds 0.68 dry quarts. That’s about 0.15 gallons (0.6 liters). Although that capacity would work for most homes, those with large and high traffic areas to clean may find the bin a bit too small. If you have a lot of dirt and debris to clean, expect to make frequent trips to the trash can. But the bin is easy to empty, featuring a lid that opens downwards. You get the debris out in a minute, which makes cleaning high high-traffic areas convenient despite the small bin. The dust cup is made from transparent plastic material, and you can see the contents as you do your cleaning tasks. It allows you to tell when the bin is almost filling up so you can empty it on time.
Filtration Efficiency
Filtration system
The Apex Uplift is designed to be used safely in all homes. It uses an anti-allergen seal system to prevent particles from escaping into the air outside. Apart from the fully sealed body, the vacuum comes with a HEPA filter to keep allergens trapped. The filter cleans the air coming out of the vacuum’s exhaust, retaining 99.97 of particles 0.3 microns and larger.
Weight and Dimensions
It weighs 10.7 pounds when fully assembled and measures 10.44″ in length, 11.38″ in width, and 46.9″ in height. Although the vacuum cannot be said to be too lightweight, it isn’t too heavy either. I find it the average size for such a powerful stick, plus you can always detach the lift-away pod for easier cleaning of challenging surfaces such as stairs.
Perfect for stairs
Warranty
The manufacturer backs the Shark Apex UpLight with a 5-year limited warranty. This is longer than the warranties of most manufacturers and shows the level of the confidence SharkNinja has on the quality of the vacuum. The company is a major vacuum producer and a trusted one. You can expect them to honor this lengthy guarantee.
Accessories
Package contents
You get these accessories when you buy the Shark Apex UpLight vacuum:
- Duster crevice tool – a combo attachment that lets you dust surfaces as well as clean gaps and other hard-to-reach areas. It comprises a crevice tool and an in-built brush.
- Pet multi-tool – another 2-in-1 accessory that consists of a pet brush and upholstery tool. The pet brush allows you to clean pet hair and fibers from carpets while the upholstery tool picks up strands from sensitive surfaces, such as couches and mattresses.
- Accessory holder – a storage place for the attachments, so they’re within easy reach whenever you need them.
The combination tools that come with the Apex UpLight perform more than one function. Should you want to increase the vacuum’s effectiveness, you can order extra accessories. They include the soft-bristled anti-allergen dusting brush, the self-cleaning power brush for pet and human hair, and the multi-angled dusting brush for tricky surfaces (such as behind appliances).
Special Features
The Shark Apex UpLight offers the best of both worlds – the full suction of an upright and the versatility of a stick vacuum. Here are the main features that make this new model a great choice for your home.
Powerful Cleaning
Hyper Velocity tech
The Apex UpLight creates a 66 CFM airflow. SharkNinja, the producer, attributes the high suction to two technologies; the streamlined channels that enhance the airflow speed and the digital high-spin motor. The manufacturer calls the improved flow of air Hyper-Velocity suction. It enables the vacuum to clean virtually every surface in your home, including removing debris from different types of carpets.
Duo-Clean Rollers
Duo Clean tech
The vacuum uses two different rollers to clean, a unique design that improves its effectiveness. The front roller is a soft microfiber cloth material that ensures every dirt on hard floors gets removed. Behind it is a bristled brush roll, the type that cleans carpets. With these two brushes spinning at the same time, transitioning from one type of floor to another shouldn’t bother you anymore.
Self Cleaning Brush Roll
Zero-M tech
The bristled brush is meant to remove dirt that’s set deep in carpets. Pet and human hair, too, or loose fibers and lint. If these are too long, they can wrap around the brush. The Apex UpLight solves this problem through a unique design of the cleaning head. First introduced as the Zero-M technology, the system behind this idea uses a comb-like structure placed on top of the nozzle. As you go about your cleaning tasks, the comb cuts and removes long hairs to prevent them from wrapping around the brush roll and tangling the bristles. While this doesn’t make the brush entirely tangle-free, it reduces the number of times that you have to remove strands of hair manually.
2-in-1 Construction
Lift-Away tech + long reach
The vacuum comes with a detachable pod. One feature that will impress you about the lift-away is the extendable, built-in hose. With a reach of 4.2 feet when fully stretched, the hose allows you to clean a range of surfaces such as stairs, car interiors, couches, and similar places. You can also attach the vacuum’s wand to extend the reach, especially when you have high places to clean. The lift-away comprises every part required to vacuum, including full suction and dustbin. Attaching various accessories enhances its versatility, allowing you to clean sensitive and hard-to-reach surfaces.
Anti-Allergen System and HEPA Filter
Anti-Allergen Tech
The Apex UpLift offers excellent protection against allergens. It’s a fully sealed unit that prevents particles from leaving once picked up by the cleaning head. The HEPA filtration and dust cup that opens downwards complete the allergen protection design. These measures to keep allergens away make the vacuum safe for every home where the family includes toddlers and seniors, or anyone else living in your home and who is allergic to particles such as dust and other allergens.
LED Lights
Powerful LED lights
The floor nozzle contains a row of lights. With the area ahead lit up, you won’t miss crumbs, human or pet hair, dust, and other types of dirt and debris. And if you have to clean lots of dark places such as under furniture and poorly lit rooms, the headlights are a necessity. They will help you to ensure thoroughly vacuumed surfaces.
30-foot Cord
Long power cord
Corded vacuums do not offer the unlimited mobility of the cordless types, which makes a lengthy cord a necessary feature to consider. The Shark Apex UpLight comes with a cable that measures 30 feet. I find this long enough for the average home. You will not be changing outlets often, which means cleaning tasks that are more convenient and quick. The cord is the wrap-around type, perhaps to allow for the size of the vacuum to be kept small.
Convenient Storage
One of the drawbacks of most top-heavy vacuums is that you cannot store them in an upright position. SharkNinja offers a solution for that in the Apex UpLight. It comes with support wheels in the back. The wheels are retractable, which means they only come out when you want to store the vacuum. With this kind of storage design, this model takes up little space and becomes a grab-and-go cleaning device.
Usability
The manufacturer didn’t just intend the Apex UpLight to be powerful, but also easy to use. With a full-swivel neck, the vacuum’s cleaning head goes around things with ease. It’s a low profile cleaning head too, a feature that allows you to clean areas under most beds and couches.
Can go under furniture
The cleaning radius of the Apex UpLight is impressive. It comes with a cord 30 feet long that lets you clean large areas without switching outlets.
The reach of the lift-away is also stunning, with its a 4.2 foot in-built and extendable hose. Attaching accessories to the hose allows you to vacuum different surfaces, from hard floors and small carpets to couches and mattresses. The pet multi-tool is a tangle-free power nozzle, while the crevice tool combines the action of a duster and crevice nozzle.
4 ft long hose
Once you’ve finished cleaning, the retractable wheels allow you to store the vacuum in an upright position. You only need to bend the handle forward, and wheels pop out on the back of the unit. The wheels conveniently retract when you start the vacuum for another cleaning session.
Stands on its own
To empty its dust cup, the Apex UpLift features a button on the lift-away unit. Pressing the button allows you to detach the dustbin in an instant.
Cleaning the bin
A common feature with many vacuum cleaners today, the dust bin uses a bottom lid to release the contents, ensuring your hand does do not come into contact with any dirt. It also minimizes the possibility of dust blowing around, causing health issues. The construction of the dust cup will impress you. Once you remove it, you get a good view of the foam filter, and you can tell when it requires cleaning.
Both the foam pre-motor and HEPA post-motor filters are washable. Depending on your cleaning frequency as well as the type of dirt, you can wash the felt and foam filter every month or less and the HEPA filter yearly. Only ensure you let the filters to dry 100% before reinstalling them, or you risk damaging the vacuum and voiding the warranty. Tools can be stored onboard.
Onboard storage
Shark Apex UpLight Pros and Cons
Here is a quick look at the good sides of this new vacuum from SharkNinja, as well as the drawbacks.
Pros
- The high 66 CFM suction delivers impressive cleaning power to remove dirt from even carpets
- The double brush roll design makes the vacuum suitable for different floor types, from hard to carpeted surfaces
- The self-cleaning construction on the cleaning head prevents brush roll hair tangles
- The vacuum stands on its own using retractable wheels on the back of the floor nozzle
- The 2-in-1 construction lets you use the Apex UpLight as both a stick and handheld pod
- The anti-allergen system and HEPA filtration protects you and your family from health issues when using the vacuum
- The LED headlights light up debris for more thorough cleaning
- The 5-year warranty keeps you covered for so long
Cons
- For such a powerful vacuum that suits high-traffic homes, the dust bin could have been larger
- There’s no provision to vary cleaning power
- Being a corded vacuum, you can only use it in the vicinity of an outlet
Shark APEX UpLight (LZ601) vs. Shark APEX DuoClean (ZS362) vs. Shark Rocket (ZS351)
As you can see, among these 3, the Shark APEX UpLight takes the crown, as it is more powerful and better equipped.
Shark APEX UpLight vs. MOOSOO D600 vs. Dyson V11 Torque Drive
Although the price difference is huge among these 3 vacuum cleaners, you’ll have to admit that each of them targets a slightly different consumer base. There is a market for premium cordless such as the V11 from Dyson. Many will be interested in getting a mid-range product such as the UpLight from Shark. And there are some who want to keep things as simple as possible and will choose the D600 from MOOSOO.
Final Comments
To sum it up, there are many reasons why I would recommend the Shark Apex UpLight. The vacuum can clean every part of your home with its powerful suction, double brush rolls, lift way design, and versatile accessories. If you have large areas of medium-pile carpets, this is the vacuum to go for. The Apex UpLight keeps allergens trapped, making it a safe cleaning device for allergy sufferers. Except for the small dustbin, this new vacuum from SharNinja suits the cleaning requirements of most homes. Last but not least, its price is quite affordable.
Jason Roberts
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