SharkNinja, or just Shark if you will, got into the industry in the 90s. Despite how young the brand is, it has quickly risen to prominence. It was able to achieve this with its consistent offering of top quality and high performing vacuum cleaners. Join us as we try to find out if the Shark Apex Upright Vacuum stacks up to the standard.
It manufactures different types of vacuums to cater to different requirements and it has been doing a fine job of that since inception. If you want to know more about its vacuum cleaners, you should read our Shark vacuum cleaner guide.
Shark manufactures more than just vacuum cleaners. It makes kitchen appliances that add ease to your kitchen duties. Shark makes blenders and food processors, cookers, coffee and tea makers, etc. It is constantly developing as a brand. So, you can expect more cool products from it.
Who Needs The Shark Apex Upright Vacuum?
Do you and your dog shed hair around the house? This vacuum will save you the hassles of cleaning them out. It has an expert design to easily lift long and short hair off hard floors and carpets.
If you have a different combination of floor types in your home, the Shark Apex Upright Vacuum has what it takes to tackle them. It has specialized brush rolls to handle both carpets and hard floors. You will even get a polished effect on your hard floors.
Do you need powerful, deep clean at all times? You will get it with this vacuum. With all the technology in it, you might not need any other vacuum soon.
If you are allergic or there are occupants in your home who are, vacuuming might be a threat. With the Shark Apex Upright Vacuum, you are fully protected.
It uses a combination of advanced filters to prevent allergens and dust particles from getting back into your home.
If what you have read about this vacuum has piqued your interest, then stay with us until the end. We are about to go into the details of what this vacuum can do for you.
By the time you are done reading this review, you will be able to decide if you want to go with this vacuum or you will keep searching.
Features Of The Shark Apex Upright Vacuum
DuoClean Brush Roll
This is one of the exclusive innovations you get to enjoy just because you are using a Shark vacuum.
The powerful brush head on the Shark Apex Upright Vacuum comes with two brush rolls.
The one in front is a small soft microfiber brush that sort of tramples on a pile of dirt while the stiff brush at the back sweeps it in. The effect you get from this is a deep clean.
Some other vacuums will require quite a number of passes to completely clean a pile of debris.
That is not the case with the Duo Clean brush head on the Shark Apex Upright Vacuum. It offers ”Triple Particle Cleaning” as Shark calls it.
This brush head design does not have a front wall. That way, it will not snowplow a pile which will spread it around.
This makes it easy for the Shark Apex Upright Vacuum to clean up large debris, small particles, and even stuck-on dust.
While other vacuums will clean your hard floors of dirt and leave the dust behind, the Duo Clean will clean it all. The soft brush roll in front will wipe stuck-in dust off your floors leaving a polished surface behind.
So, whether you are cleaning a hard floor or carpet, the Shark Apex Upright Vacuum will give you the deep cleaning you desire.
Zero-M Technology
This is one of the newest innovations you will get from the stables of Shark. This is where the Duo Clean brush roll gets extra special. The bristled brush roll on this vacuum is capable of picking up both debris and hair off carpets.
Whether the hair is human or from pets does not make any difference. It is great on long, short, and pet hairs.
Another cool thing about this brush roll is that it has a comb and a guard for the bristles. These two are responsible for preventing and removing tangles of hair off the brush roll so, you won’t have to.
That’s not all, this Zero-M technology is also responsible for the powerful suction this vacuum produces. It helps the Shark Apex suck up dust, debris, and hair into the dust cup.
Transformer
We often talk about transformers on this website. In case this is your first time here, we don’t mean giant robots, fast cars, and semis.
That would have been cool, but sorry. Transformers around here simply mean vacuum cleaners that can change from one type to another.
That said, let’s come back to the Shark Apex Vacuum being a transformer. Upright vacuums are often limited in versatility, but this one is not one of those.
This vacuum can go from being an upright to a handheld canister vacuum at the touch of a button.
The vacuum has a hose that connects to the handle. You can detach the canister part and use the handle all the way down to the brush head by itself. This will allow you to get into tight corners and under furniture with ease.
Perhaps you can start to imagine the different ways you can use this vacuum in this mode. You can also connect the canister pod to attachment tools with the hose.
This essentially turns it into a handheld vacuum that you can use for stairs, upholstery and all sorts of above the floor vacuuming.
When a vacuum transforms, it doubles its versatility. That is the type of advantage you will get from the Lift-Away feature of the Shark Apex.
Advanced Filtration System
You probably go excited about this vacuum when we mentioned its filtration systems earlier. That’s okay because it is worth getting excited about.
If you are allergic or have such a special person in your home, you have more reasons to be excited.
Okay, let us go straight to the reason behind the excitement so you can decide if it is justified.
Allergic and asthmatic attacks happen when you inhale what you should not.
Contaminants are all over the air most times and when we vacuum, we suck in some of them.
Vacuums, such as this one, use a HEPA filter because it is an advanced filter that traps up to 99.97% of those air-borne contaminants.
That way, the dust and allergens that go into the vacuum do not make it back out, thus reducing them in the air in our immediate environment.
That is not all, this vacuum also uses another filtration system apart from the HEPA filter. It is called the Anti-Allergen Complete Seal.
This is a filter exclusive to Shark vacuum cleaners. It is meant to trap allergens so that as you vacuum, the allergens and dust that come in are sealed away in the vacuum. The two systems do basically the same thing but remember the saying about two heads being better than one?
The combination of these two filtration systems is why the Shark Apex will get rid of 99.99% of contaminants in the air.
This means that the vacuum will not only help you clean your home, it can also help you purify the air. Allergic and asthmatic users can now breathe deeply and easily. Quick question, is the excitement justified?
Active Glide Technology
A lot of people complain about having difficulties pushing their vacuums on carpets. This often happens when the brush head is too close to the floor and the suction is powerful.
With the Shark Apex Upright, you will not experience such. Whether you are vacuuming on carpets and rugs, or on hard floors, your movement will not be hindered.
This feat is attributed to the Active Glide Technology that you will only find on a Shark vacuum cleaner.
Useful Accessories
Asides the fact that this vacuum can convert into a canister, you also get attachment tools you can use it with. This is where the true versatility of the vacuum comes into play.
It comes with a 12-inch crevice tool that lets you get into baseboards and other tight areas to clean out dirt.
You will also get a pet multi-tool. This tool can be used for getting rid of pet hairs on upholstery and stairs.
The pet brush that comes with this vacuum is motorized which gives it extra power to pick pet hairs.
It will also deep clean carpets which makes it the ideal attachment for spot cleaning.
User-friendliness Of The Shark Apex Upright Vacuum
If you want user-friendly, you will find it in the Shark Apex.
We are aware that what we consider as user-friendly might not be for you.
In that vein, we will just state out the features and capabilities of this vacuum and let you decide.
Let us start with the dust cup. It has a large capacity to handle all the dirt you have to vacuum.
Of course, you know that will depend on how big your home is. What is certain is that you won’t be going to the trash can often to empty.
As you know, there are different types of carpets and because of this, you can still set it for high or low pile carpet. That way, you will get an optimal result at all times.
The Shark Apex Vacuum also does not cause noise. The vacuum works without making you wish you had hearing protection.
The other things that make the Shark Apex Upright Vacuum user-friendly have already been discussed before. Now you can decide if the vacuum is user-friendly based on your needs or not.
Pros Of The Shark Apex Upright Vacuum
i. It has a large capacity dust cup.
ii. The brush head has 2 brush rolls for deep clean vacuuming.
iii. The brush roll is self-cleaning and prevents tangles.
iv. You can use the vacuum on both hard floors and carpets.
v. It uses a combination of advanced filtration systems.
vi. It can easily detach into a handheld canister vacuum.
vii. The vacuum does not cause too much noise.
viii. It uses Active Glide Technology for easy maneuverability.
ix. It comes with useful attachment tools.
Cons Of The Shark Apex Upright Vacuum
i. The vacuum is a bit too heavy.
ii. The power cord is quite cumbersome to manage.
Alternatives To The Shark Apex Upright Vacuum
More Affordable Option – Shark Rotator Professional Upright Vacuum
If you want a visibly good clean for your carpets, this vacuum can give you that. It has a good suction and a well-designed brush roll that combs deep into the fibers of your carpet to clean them out.
Its swivel steering also makes movement a breeze both on hard floors and carpets. You won’t even have any problem cleaning around furniture and obstacles.
If you need versatility, you will also find it in this vacuum. It has the Lift-Away design that lets you convert this upright vacuum into a handheld canister vacuum. This lets you carry out above the floor cleaning.
High-End Option – Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Upright Vacuum
As expected, this Dyson commands a high price tag. That should not bother you much because its performance is worth it. But we will let you decide that on your own.
The big ball is what makes the vacuum maneuverable. It lets it steer easily so you can turn on a dime and the little wheels at the back of the brush head also make its movement smooth.
The vacuum requires only minimal maintenance especially since there are no filters to clean.
This vacuum does not use filters. Instead, it uses small kinetic cones to oscillate the dust you vacuum at high speeds to separate microscopic dirt from the airflow.
This process keeps all the dirt in the dust cup while the airflow remains at optimum. The technology is why the Cinetic Big Ball does not lose suction power.
User-Friendly Option – Black and Decker Air Swivel Upright
Lightweight is one of the main features of a vacuum that is user-friendly and you will find that in this one. It weighs in at a total of 8.8 pounds.
Its name, AirSwivel, is quite suitable as it comes from its lightweight and the fact that it has a whopping 170 degrees swivel.
The filter it uses is washable which means that you can use it repeatedly. When you feel the filter is clogged up with dirt, you can just wash it under running water.
Furthermore, it has a large capacity dust cup. This will spare you regular pauses in your cleaning to empty it. You probably will be able to vacuum all the space you want without having to empty the dust cup once.
Opposite Spectrum – Shark ION Robot Vacuum
If you are looking for hands-free vacuuming, this Shark installment is what you need. The autonomous robot spares you the time and effort you need to vacuum. It simply does it by itself!
All you have to do is input instructions or communicate them through Wi-Fi or even your voice if you want. No, it is not magic; this Shark robot works with Amazon Alexa.
It has a self-cleaning brush roll which makes it work great on both carpet and hard floors. The lithium-ion battery gives it a whole hour of runtime.
When the battery is depleted to a point, the robot vacuum simply goes to the charging station and literally plugs itself in.
If you would like to use the time you spend vacuuming on other things, this Shark robot vacuum is a great option for you.
Comparison Table
| Featured | More Affordable | High-End Variant | User-Friendly | Opposite Spectrum | |
| Products |
Shark Apex Upright
|
Shark Rotator Professional
|
Dyson Cinetic Big Ball
|
Black and Decker Air Swivel
|
Shark ION Robot Vacuum
|
| Dimension | 11.2 x 12.2 x 46 inches | 45.7 x 12.2 x 12.2 inches | 43.3 x 13.4 x 17.2 inches | 13.7 x 11.6 x 37.4 inches | 12.6 x 12.6 x 2.6 inches |
| Weight | 16 lbs | 15.5 lbs | 19.18 | 13.05 lbs | 5.51 lbs |
| Attachments | Crevice tool, pet multi toll, motorized pet tool | Dusting brush, multi-tool, power brush | Tangle-free turbine tool | 2-in-1 crevice tool | None |
| Cord Length / Runtime | 30 feet | 30 feet | 31 feet | 30 feet | 60 minutes |
| Special Feature | It has a double brush roll | You can convert it into a canister vacuum | It uses radial cyclone technology to filter | It has a steerable technology | Autonomous vacuuming |
| Image | Title | Buy |
|---|---|---|
Top | Shark APEX Upright Vacuum with DuoClean for Carpet and HardFloor Cleaning, Zero-M Anti-Hair Wrap, & Powered Lift-Away with Hand Vacuum (AZ1002), Espresso | Buy Now |
 | Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away TruePet Upright Corded Bagless Vacuum for Carpet and Hard Floor with Hand Vacuum and Anti-Allergy Seal (NV752), Bordeaux | Buy Now |
 | Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal Upright Vacuum Cleaner, Purple/Iron | Buy Now |
 | Black+Decker Light Weight Black & Decker BDASV102 AIRSWIVEL Ultra Upright Cleaner, Vacuum, Lightweight Versatile-red | Buy Now |
 | Shark ION Robot Vacuum WIFI-Connected, Voice Control Dual-Action Robotic Vacuum Carpet and Hard Floor Cleaner, Works with Alexa (RV750) | Buy Now |
General Feeling Among Users
One aspect of this vacuum that everyone agrees on is the suction power. It works great at cleaning surface and embedded dirt as well as hair.
Even the users who complained about other aspects still praised the suction power.
They also love the fact that the dual brush roll will leave your hard floors looking polished.
Some of the users appreciated that the Shark Apex Upright prevents its brush roll from hair tangles.
Quite a number of the users liked that you can switch the setting from hard floor to the type of carpet you are working on.
Some of them also complimented the fact that you can clean up debris with fewer passes. One user said she picked cat litter in just one pass.
A lot of the users found the vacuum easy to use. The assembly was quite simple. Some users praised the user manual for being so easy to follow.
We mentioned earlier that the dust cup has a large capacity. Users agreed with that and further mentioned that it was also easy to empty.
Some users even compared the Shark Apex Upright Vacuum to a Dyson. This in itself confirms the quality of the vacuum. The filtration system was also mentioned by some and they all said it was good.
Some Complaints…
Some users said that this vacuum is heavy. As we know “heavy” is a relative term. What is heavy for you might not be for us. The manufacturer claims that the vacuum is 16 pounds. So, decide for yourself if that is heavy or not.
Quite a number of users were not happy that the vacuum does not have auto rewind. They said that the power cord is thick and fairly long, which is good, but the majority of them also find it difficult to manage.
Some of them also complained about the difficulty in pushing the vacuum on a high pile rug. We are forced to wonder about this complaint though.
This is because there is a button you can shift on the vacuum to adjust for high pile rugs. It is one thing to have a good vacuum, it is another to know how to use it.
Our Verdict
The Shark Apex Upright Vacuum is a good vacuum cleaner.
It has a lot of useful features and it delivers what it promises. There were obviously more praises than complaints.
This vacuum becomes great if the things it does well matches your needs. That would make it the perfect vacuum for you, wouldn’t it?
You have read all we have to say about it. It is your turn to decide if what you learned makes this vacuum useful to you. If it does, here is your chance to get a great vacuum. Go for it today!
