Shark - Apex Duo Clean with Zero-M Powered Lift-Away

I second this advice. I’ve had several different Shark vacuums and the Shark Apex Duo has easily been the best. The self cleaning brush has made life so much easier. We used to always end up with hair build up that had to be cut off and the brush does not come out easily. I LOVE that the second roller pops right off for cleaning if needed, it cuts up the hair, and the internal roller is always hair free!

Shark Apex. It’s the best purchase I have ever made. I love my vacuum like a member of my family.

Yeah that’s the one! Not sure why it is unavailable right now unless there is a newer version out or something 🤔

Everyone shits on shark but I love mine and I’ve had my Apex for around 5 years

This sub will mostly try to lean you away from what it considers a disposable vacuum and into a buy it for life vacuum. The difference generally being complexity in design, gimmicky features, no parts availability and no way to repair once broken. But based on your situation I think a “disposable” vacuum would be just fine. You can use it/beat it up for a few years, move it with you, and not spend a ton. Then down the line maybe consider a buy it for life brand. In that case I would recommend looking at Costco (either in store or online) and getting either the Hoover Onepwr or LG CordZero if you want a cordless vacuum, or a Shark Navigator or Shark Duoclean if you’re ok with a cord. Id personally stay away from Dyson as they tend to be the same disposable quality but with a buy it for life price tag. The exception is the Dyson Ball Animal 3 on sale at Costco right now for $280, but it’s very large which you stated not wanting.

I think the closest BIFL in the cordless market would probably be the LG CordZero. Aside from that you’re probably looking at a 5 years or less lifespan and maybe a battery replacement or two within that timeframe. If you really want a BIFL vacuum, you’d want to look into a bagged unit, and most of this sub will recommend either Miele or Sebo in that market. I personally own a Sebo E3 but also a Shark Apex. I expect the Sebo to last forever and have parts easily available when needed, but I’ve also owned the Shark for around 5 years now with no issues that I keep as a backup/beater vacuum for things I don’t want to use the Sebo for. But for $189 you honestly can’t beat a Shark Navigator from Costco. You can beat the hell out of it and not worry about tearing it up. And the Costco return policy/warranty will help bridge the gap of Sharks truly awful customer service.

I have an old Shark Apex AZ1002 that has done amazingly for five years, and it's still running strong. I get Shark probably make them a bitch to service/repair, however for the price, performance, and quality. I'm extremely happy with it and nothing is broken on it. Reddit likes to hate. They hate the vacuum wars guy a lot, but he does seem to be a by-the-numbers guy. If you know you like Miele then there's no reason to watch him. Ultimately, what matters if you're happy with the vacuum and that you want to use it regularly.

Shark Apex does really great with pet hair. It has a metal comb like piece in front to the roller brush. It moves well, has great auction, can be used to go under beds and furniture. If you ever need parts and filters grab them on eBay they’re cheaper. It’s like 300-350 full retail but I bet you can get a used on or open box on eBay much cheaper. Like $100-150. I was very satisfied with this vac and I’ve had it like six years without issue. It’s the first vacuum I purchased in 40 years. I’ve always just repaired shit I find on the curb lol.

And the best vacuum I've ever used, the Shark Apex, isn't on there. List is bullshit.

Shark Duo Clean - Zero M It combs hair as it sucks it up. I’ve had mine 7 years now. I have long, thick hair and a mini-Australian shepherd that sheds year round. I did a ton of research and this vacuum literally changed my life.

I asked a similar question last year on r/VacuumCleaners Here's the thread if you want to read everyone's answers: [Do I need two vacuums? : r/VacuumCleaners](https://www.reddit.com/r/VacuumCleaners/comments/1cg235f/do_i_need_two_vacuums/) I settled on a Kenmore Elite 800 (the gold/bronze one) and it does a pretty damn good job Before this one, I had a Shark Apex DuoClean with the self-cleaning brush roll and that lasted like 7ish years, was an amazing vac honestly. Before that I had a Dyson DC50 animal and that thing was fucking garbage and I will NEVERRRR recommend Dyson to anybody lol If you don't mind spending like $1000, I'd go for the Miele or Sebo, they will last a lifetime Also note that if you want a vacuum that lasts a long time, all the experts recommend bagged vacuums over canister vacuums

Nope. I am on my third Shark (all different models) within 5 years. It’s horrible, I have the Apex, which was replaced 3 times by Shark due to the motor burning out. I then bought the 3m model Navigator, which lasted a year before it stopped working completely, and finally tried out the old faithful, base Navigator, didn’t even make it 6 months. My first Shark Navigator lasted 9 years and I actually gave it to a friend when I “upgraded” to the Apex and I regret it. Currently searching for a reliable brand or I’ll just go to a Bissell and replace when needed for way less money.

Yup, I went through 3 to 4 different Sharks vacuums in the past 6 to 7 years. The last one was their top of the line Duo Apex thing, it was great for about a year. Then, every time I used it, I would get an asthma attack. New HEPA filter, new filter errr filter, new pre filter even a new canister. Nothing fixed it. Per this subreddit, I got a Kenmore Pop N Go and never breathed better.

Check out VacuumWars on YouTube for reviews. He uses really objective testing. My recommendation is the shark Apex/Vertex/Stratos duo clean zero m. It has a little comb inside that basically stops all hair tangles around the roller and it has two rollers- a soft roller for hard floors and a brush for carpet. It can be lifted off for handheld use. It's a 10/10. The Apex is the original model, there's now the Vertex and I think Stratos But you're more likely to find the apex on sale. This isn't a super cheap vacuum but it isn't outrageous either. It also has great filtration.

My humble Roborock Q5 runs daily over the entire floor where corgo resides, occasionally doing a turbo-double-mode routine over the carpeted area at night, and has lasted just over two years with no real signs of slowing down. It is supplemented with a Shark Apex that we use when we want to do some manual vacuuming/don’t want to wait for the robot vac to do its thing. The Shark is something like 7 years old and again is almost entirely fine (I chipped off a piece of plastic by hitting it against a couch foot but that is user error!).

Shark Apex has been my favorite vacuum. I asked for it as a birthday gift 7 years ago, barely maintain the thing, and it still does a fantastic job. I love its microfiber roller for hard surfaces, really rubs the floor clean and it doesnt kick back a lot of the dirt at my feet. Handles thick debris like fruit loops really well. My dog shed terribly too, but her fur was no match for it. We ended up buying a Shark robo vacuum too, and it did a lot better than I thought it would, honestly. Definitely need to empty it after every run, and I've been surprised at the things it has picked up when I empty it. Found a toy traffic cone, a short charging cable, and a scrunchie in it before. Always alongside a mass of fur. I also recommend setting it to go off when you arent home if you buy a model without the mapping. The bumping drove me crazy some days. Dog ran from it constantly, toddler chased it and would force it to take new paths... it was entertaining at least. The Apex was definitely still expensive at $600, but cheaper than the comparable Dyson. I settled on it after watching a YouTube channel called Vacuum Wars (I think thats the name).

My wife and I have never birthed any animals, but there happens to be cats living in our house. We use a Shark ZS360 APEX and it's great. Like most bagless vacuums, it requires the filters to be changed more than you might think if you're used to bags. It does a great job of pulling up fur though.

I got a shark one duo clean, love it. Top part broke, cost like 90 euro but I have 4 year warranty with them so they sent it free within 3 days.

I had a corded Shark with the duo clean and tbh it was amazing at first. I used it for almost 6 years. I ran a roomba daily and would use my shark once a week. I have 3 cats, so lots of fur. Eventually, I moved in with my boyfriend, and every time I would vacuum he would start sneezing. The filter for the shark was just not great. I've upgraded to a Miele C3 with bags, and the air quality is just AMAZING. My boyfriend has even commented on the fact that he no longer sneezes when vacuuming. The amount of dirt the Miele finds is also significantly more than the shark, but I dont want to compare as the shark was almost 6 years old vs a brand new Miele.

For laminate and hardwood, look for one the Duoclean soft rollers, they work incredibly well. I watched Facebook marketplace until one with Duoclean showed up and bought it for $60

I have a Shark Duo that eats Border Collie hair. Retired my 25 year old Miele cat and dog. It would clog in 20 seconds.

For my hard floors, I use a shark duoclean. It has a regular brush roll, but in front of that it has a soft, kinda fuzzy brush roll. It picks up crumbs, dirt, and dust like a champ Unfortunately, it’s not under $200 new but you could likely find a lightly used one for that cost

I own the shark duoclean, and I fucking love the technology, especially the floor detect sense for hardwood floors. This sub is going to downvote me to oblivion for praising it. But If you can get one at Costco you should be good.

I went thru this struggle about 5ish years ago... I was sick of my hair getting tangled and getting stuck, having to take it apart, etc. I went down a rabbit hole of researching and ended up with a Shark... I'm not sure of the exact model, I can definitely get it for you. But I know it comes with the duoclean brushes and special compartment for the long hair to go into. I was skeptical at first but it works 100% of the time!! I have never, ever had to clean hair from the brushes. I don't know how it works but it does. I got it at Kohls to use the Kohls cash. Pros- no more tangled brushes or wheels, very powerful and have no complaints about suction, easy to lift off to get under furniture... Cons- it's loud and heavy, I hate using it because of that, there's no easy wrap cord feature that some vacuums have (you press a button and the cord automatically retracts), accessories fall off if you just look at them wrong, "pet brush" accessory is meh..

I got a barely-used Shark Navigator from cleaning out a relative's condo (after they died) and it lasted me 9 years of regular use due to a high-shedding dog before the wheels broke. I saw replacements on ebay and videos on how to replace, but none for my exact machine, and I had to weigh ER copay from impaling my hand as I tried to pry things apart vs buying new. I got a new one with the lift-away feature and self-cleaning brushroll for $99 in a black Friday sale, and it's been heavily used so far a few years. I'd be going through bags like nobody's business with the amount of hair I vacuum up if my main vacuum was bagged.

Newer dysons and shark have tangle free brush bars and there actually work!

Which Shark do you have? I just bought the Lift Away (corded) at Costco and it seems solid in the few times we've used it.

Which Shark did you get? I just got the Lift Away and it seems fine, especially for the price ($150 at Costco).

No. I got one from Costco (Liftaway). I used it fairly gently for maybe a year or so then it bricked itself. I checked the contacts, power to the head, etc. (I'm an engineer). It's just dead. Seems like poorly built garbage. I'll never buy another.

I’ve had the Shark Lift Away (line #5) for probably 8-10 years now and it’s been great. Handles long hair and pet hair reasonably well and is very mobile. My only complaint is that you can’t attach the beater head to the wand portion, which limits how far you can reach under furniture. But other than that, it’s a great vacuum, especially for the price!

Mine has been fine for 3.5 years with a dog and fiancé. I clean the filters regularly and wipe the insides down once in a while.

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy the Shark Lift Away models. They are absolutely terrible in longevity, being built with cheap plastic parts at the bottom hinges, which will break in a few years. It is very poorly designed in that section. Suction is great. Longevity is awful.

There is so much weight on the bottom hinge that it eventually gives way. Suction performance is great. Don't expect longevity. I bought mine in 2017. It was broken by 2023. My hoover (bagged) lasted from 99 till 2017 when I gave it away but its suction performance was nowhere near that of the Shark. I just wish Shark made more durable products.

We have 2 cats (used to have 3) and have used shark for years. We've had many sharks over the years. Specifically the lift away, power lift away, navigator I think it's called and then a rocket. Rocket died in like 3 years but the lift away lasted almost a decade. the power lift away can't remember but I think it lasted a few years. Navigator I can't remember lmfao. Currently we have a dirt devil "endura reach" I think it's called and a Kirby avalir. Both are pretty good. Endura reach has a pretty short cord tho. But most sharks or some have anti hair wrap technology on their brush rolls. That's already worth every penny if you've got cats. So I'd look at a shark if you've got pets. Hope this helps.

> I had a Dyson and didn’t realize how bad they actually are until I bought my first Shark We did the same. We got new carpets upstairs and the Dyson tank filled after five rooms with new fluff. Changed over the the Shark and the tank was filled 2-3 times over in ever single room. The Shark made the Dyson feel like a wheezy asthmatic. The lift away is also very useful.

Our lift away is 10 years old and still going strong! I'm looking for an upgrade now because we can afford something that cleans a bit better but it's done very well for a vacuum under $200.

Shark Lift Away. It's awesome 👍

Have had my shark lift away for 7 years now and LOVE it. Having the light on the bottom really helps on hard wood & laminate floors. I've gone back to using it over a cordless Dyson I was gifted.

I had my first shark lift away for around 9 yrs. It survived a triple coated dog through many blowout seasons. When I accidentally broke the canister shark sent me a new one free of charge even though it was out of warranty. I will.always buy shark brand vacuums

I like my Shark Lift away. It was both a Wirecutter and consumer reports top pick. My house cleaner likes it better than others she uses at other houses. I got mine at Target but Amazon has them now as well.

I have an old Shark Lift Away that we bought eight years ago when we got our first Sam. It definitely does the job and it’s great although the rollers are a little hard to clean (the dogs’ hairs don’t get stuck in the rollers, mine do 💀). There are definitely better vacuums on the market for people with larger houses but I live in a fairly small house with laminate floors, and an apartment with laminate floors prior to that, so I don’t really need much. For traction I basically have covered the dogs’ travel paths and play areas with area or runner rugs and the vacuum does a good job on those.

The shark lift away is truly BIFL. Every part that could get clogged is removable and makes fixing incredibly easy.

I love my Shark lift away! Have had it for 6 years and it’s fantastic. Agreed no cordless will give the power, esp on carpet, needed for pet hair.

I've had an old hoover and a new hoover....still like my shark lift away way better 🤷‍♀️

I've 2 Sharks. Lift away and the handheld one for stairs or the car. Love them both in equal measure.

A Shark lift away model. Will do carpet and hard floors, and get under things like the bed.

I think this is a fair assessment of the Dart.https://www.reddit.com/r/VacuumCleaners/s/CptdbfcM4y Cost of ownership is a bit higher than suggested by those that suggest it. I would add on another $60 to $80 a year for the filters. If it lasts the mythical 20 years, I haven't seen one posted here. I would calculate the cost at -- $600 for purchas of vacuum, $1800 (60*20), 4 service visits ($400). This is a cost of at least $2800. If you want to maintain an optimum suction. You need to change the bag more often in my experience with the Sebo e3. I had a Shark Rocket that lasted at least 12 years. I've had lift away from Shark that are 5+ years and going strong. I've gifted to others. In your situation, I wouldnt hesitate to by a mid range shark or a Henry or any brand.

Henry can be quite awkward on stairs as it’s too big to balance, shark lift away fares out better on stairs but not most powerful of suction, using a Miele blizzard at the moment suction is great but a lot of plastic parts that break ..just check eBay selling the parts. I’ve a wee robovac for kids to use upstairs good for quick tidy up but doesn’t replace a corded vacuum. I’m still searching for the one 🤞ever hopeful

The older models are much easier to repair. They started making them much for difficult as the years went on. I have an OG lift-away that has only needed one repair and it was very simple to do myself.

I’ve had a corded shark lift away for 10+ years and it’s still going strong. Seems like a much better value. Only thing I’ve had to fix/replace was the hose.

I bought a Shark Upright Liftaway in 2023 for my upstairs (I have a large house) and I liked it so much that when my main-level vac died I got a Shark "Powerdetect", description includes "with Powerful Suction for Pet Hair Pickup". These vacuum cleaners have the strongest suction I've ever seen and the ability to lift off the canister and just use that is really useful.

I had mine 4 years, but I had to call them after the 4 year mark. The hose split. I really had to turn on the sickeningly sweetness when I called them to send me another hose. That was the most difficult call because they did not want to do it, but finally did. I took very good care of it as I do everything. I had this setup as I keep a bagged vacuum in the laundry room just for lint. When it was time for the shark to be cleaned, I'd go to laundry room and use that vacuum to clean the bins and suck dust off the filters. It worked much better than just dumping the bin into trash and dust flying everywhere. I gave it away to someone but it was still working at 4 years (with a replacement hose they sent me) I now have a HEPA bagged upright and wouldn't go back to a bagless for NO amount of money

I’ve always kind of wondered about that too. Consumer Reports consistently puts Kenmores way up the list while Miele and Sebo get a lot more love here. Part of it is probably how CR weights things: price-to-performance, availability in big box stores, and maybe even the way they test suction vs. long-term reliability. Kenmore also has broader distribution in the U.S., which probably gives CR more samples to work with. I can’t speak to kickbacks or partnerships, but it wouldn’t shock me if brand relationships played a role in how much attention certain models get. All I know from experience is that I went from a bagless Shark to a Miele canister, and the difference in how clean my carpets look and feel is night and day. If you prefer to look at it more objectively, there’s a really helpful [vacuum comparison spreadsheet](https://www.reddit.com/user/lacking_foyer48/comments/1lj76h3/vacuum_cleaners_compared_comprehensive_datasheet/) another Redditor put together where you can line up all the specs across brands. For me, once I saw the numbers side by side, it was pretty clear why Miele gets the reputation it does.

I don't recommend shark. We bought it, it's alright, but we still use our corded shark for the heavy lifting.

Corded Shark, I got my second one after 10 years. We have dogs, cats and kids. It does very well, would recommend.

I have a corded Shark. It sucks... but in a good way.

You may get different answers, but I don't think so. I've got a shark now, and don't find it works any differently than my old dyson, and it was quite a bit cheaper. I prefer corded models though, so not sure about other models.

I’m in sort of of the same boat. My wife trains service dogs and we have 5 dogs (and 3 kids) in the house. Also, because 5 dogs, my back yard is a mud farm and everything is coated in a layer of dirt. We have a tinneco pure 1 (it’s a stick vacuum with a base compartment). We vacuum the main part of the house where the dogs are (living room, laundry, entry, kitchen dining room). The living room really is the place we vacuum, 3-4 times a day but everything listed gets hit at least once a day (maybe twice in rainy days). We decided that making vacuuming convenient was more important than doing it super well (cause let’s face it, it’s gonna be dirty again in 5 minutes) and reliability took a back seat to convenience. So for us convenience > reliability > performance. We didn’t think ANY vacuum would make our floors 100% clean, so we didn’t try. Just get them 80% and but clean often. Then we mop probably every day or every other day…..(why do we have this many dogs again?) THEN we keep a corded shark in the basement where we keep their kennels. The shark is 5 years old and it sucks up everything but it’s heavy, so it stays in the basement) we also use this one to vacuum their kennels. We found that doing some work on our yard and cleaning the dogs as they come in, helped a ton. We still haven’t found a great solution yet. I rambled a lot. If you have any questions or suggestions for us. Let me know.

Got one. Thought it was pretty good. Suction started getting worse and worse. Had to replace dust door gasket. Paper filter became uncleanable after a while. After many complaints my ex finally went and bought a cheap ass Shark corded vac that was very similar. Difference was dramatic. Shark got lots of crap Ryobi couldn’t handle. This happened over about two years so it probably worked ok out of the box.

I have a shark corded for a few years now. Very happy with it. Just make sure you clean the filters regularly and maintain it and they're fantastic, same goes for most vacuums ,most go to shite cos people don't maintain them properly

I've had two Ryobi stick vacs for several years. I don't know whether the design has changed, but the part on the end of the brush is plastic, and as it spins it generates heat and starts to melt, and then gets noisy and smelly. I only feel safe using it for several minutes at a time. I have two precisely because they sent me another one when the first one had this problem. I feel like I may have replaced the head a second time already. Would NOT buy again. I love my corded Shark.

I just got a shark for my new apartment, but when we actually get a house we'll probably go with a sebo. Finally did upgrade to a corded though, lol.

Yeah my corded Shark is a beast! It’s been going strong for many years now. Longest I’ve ever owned a vacuum cleaner.

My experience is similar but not fair. My brother has a Dyson battery powered and he swears by them. So he buys a new one every four years or so. We had our first coffee shark for at least ten years. I shopped for months last year between Dyson, shark, Mielle, and another he and like Mielle I cannot remember their name. Anyway, after using them all it came down to a formula from my Public policy class - I could get almost 90% of the performance from a shark for only $249, or spend $700 for 100%. I was willing to spend up to $1000 but it just didn’t make sense. Shark gets everything I need at a fraction of the cost.

Shark Cordless (don’t remember model number but was great on hardwood, horrible on the rugs). We also tried variety if stains (cordless and corded) from friends and they all failed. Currently we’ve gone back to a 10+ year old corded shark that performs ok, not great. But very heavy and cumbersome. Main floor for house is 50/50 hardwoods and rugs. Rugs are thin bc they are all washable (pets). Upstairs is wall to wall carpet but gated off to keep pets downstairs. Budget…honestly anything at this point. I guess I’d like to keep it under $700 but at this point I really don’t even care. We haven’t tried any canisters, open to that is they aren’t too cumbersome, I have RA, so easy to maneuver is pretty important.

I love my corded Shark vacuum. I just bought a new one after the one I had for 8yrs broke. Tho old one still works but the hose finally cracked. I could have rigged it with tape but I honestly wanted an excuse to buy another lol

I also got the corded one and I love it.

Everyone here saying they love their LG CordZero but I can’t stand mine. But then again I haven’t had anything to compare to in the cordless stick vacuums area. My simple Shark corded vacuum I use on carpets is just so much better and easier to use. But it’s not as convenient as the cordless sticks. I was about to buy a Dyson V10 from Costco that’s on sale for $399. Maybe I’ll reconsider

I love my shark! It's been great with 2 dogs & 1 cat. Mine is corded and I will never go back to cordless. I vacuumed 3 times when I first got it because it was just filling up, I was so embarrassed.

I've always found them to be hype. Used to have a Dyson corded that I got from my dad second hand. it was good, until I decided to replace it with a Shark corded. The first time I used the shark, you'd have thought I'd never hoovered the carpet, honestly the amount of engrained hair and dust it pulled out was insane in comparison to the Dyson which looked like it was doing a good job, it's not that it didn't pick anything up but I would say the recovery rate was probably 65% in comparison to the shark. I then bought the shark stick handheld and was using that but when I split with my ex it stayed at the house. My new partner has a Dyson V8 and it's crap in comparison, there is stuff I know my shark would of picked up easily and the Dyson struggles. I also have a V7 my dad gave me which I just replaced the battery on as that had got to the point where it would only run for 30seconds before switching off so will see how it is with the new battery but tbh don't hold high hopes.

I LOVE the Shark corded vacuum. Easiest to clean, switch out parts, consistent suction, power not limited by battery. Win-win!

I have both. We live on a small farm with kids and a dog so lots of vacuuming! We use the cordless stick for quick messes like crumbs or dog hair and then the Shark corded for regular twice a week vacuuming. With the Shark make sure you clean the air filter every couple weeks or it starts to lose alot of suction. I actually have a rainbow vacuum too that I had previous to any of the others but it's so heavy and burdensome I rarely use it.

Buying the upper range of Shark corded is definitely better. I've owned both. I like Dyson stick vacuum products but wouldn't own one as my primary vacuum in a large residence. In a smaller residence with no pets I could see a great argument for a primary stick vacuum and a shop vac backup for glass breaks.

Really like the dyson cordless! Didnt buy the fanciest. Bought a shark corded and absolutely hate it after using the other.

We’ve got a corded shark and it’s amazing and has lasted 5 years and still going strong. We also have a Dyson but feel the shark cleans the carpets better 

I bought a corded shark to replace an aging Dyson animal and it was way better, just the bog standard £120 lift away one.

Same with me. Had a cord break but had been running great until then. Replaced it with another Shark

I have a Dyson V10 cordless. I had a shark cordless forget the name but it was the top range 2-3 years ago, and that was better then the Dyson. I have now got a shark corded vacuum, going back to corded was and unbelievably eye turning move, I will never get a battery vac again unless it's a robot vacuum, but I can highly recommend shark in general, but I would recommend corded over battery as the power difference and pickup on high pile carpet is much better

I second this. We have a corded shark and it is great. We bought the LG chargeable vac and it was awful. Wouldn't pick up the litter at all.