Shark has a reputation for offering some of the best quality vacuums on the market. While you’ll still hear mixed reviews, this brand has consistently positive comments from users. Their 2-in-1 and 3-in-1 designs are part of the reason why they’re so popular: they allow you to clean virtually every inch of your home with ease.
While there are many Shark vacuums to choose from, the Nv552, Nv682, Nv501 and NV356E are some of the best-selling models available. Which one is right for you? Let’s weigh your options and share our favorite pick.
How Do These Shark Vacuums Compare?
Which vacuum is the best fit for your home? While similar in design and features, each model brings something unique to the table.
Nv552
The Nv552 is part of the Rotator Pro line-up and features a 3-in-1 design: Lift Away, upright and canister. Featuring the company’s Never Loses Suction Technology, this vacuum will continue to perform just as well as it did the first time you used it.
If you have a home with pets, you will appreciate the Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology, which keeps allergens, like dust and dander, in the canister where it belongs. The Anti-Allergen technology traps 99.9% of allergens, so they don’t wind up back in the air.
Two HEPA filters also help to remove allergens. The canister empties from the bottom and with the press of a button, so you never have to touch its contents.
This model comes equipped with a power pet brush, so you can remove hair from furniture, stairs and other hard-to-reach areas.
The 3-in-1 design of this vacuum really makes it stand out from the crowd because it can handle just about any task you throw at it. From hard floors to carpeting, furniture, stairs, curtains and ceilings, the Nv552 can clean just about any part of your home.
The nozzle of the vacuum features headlights and a brushroll shut-off feature, so it can be used on both carpeting and hard flooring.
Several accessories are also included, such as a flexible crevice tool and under appliance wand. The Dust-Away floor attachment features a microfiber pad that picks up fine debris that the vacuum would otherwise kick around. Other attachments include an upholstery tool, canister caddy and multi-angle dusting brush.
If you prefer vacuums that are lightweight and easy to maneuver, the Nv552 may be a good fit for you. This model features swivel steering, which makes it easy to clean around furniture. It also has a light weight of about 15 pounds and an ultra-quiet design.
For added peace of mind, this vacuum comes backed by a five-year SharkNinja limited warranty.
With a light weight, 3-in-1 design and multiple attachments, this vacuum is virtually a complete home cleaning system.
Nv682
Shark says the Nv682 is the most compact Lift-Away model they have. Featuring a 2-in-1 design, this model acts as both a lift-away and an upright vacuum.
The convenient lift-away feature allows you separate the canister and nozzle head for easy cleaning underneath furniture and on stairs. The flexible hose attachment also allows you to clean high areas of the home, like curtains, ceiling corners and windows.
While in upright mode, the swivel steering makes it easy to maneuver around furniture while cleaning corners and hard-to-reach areas.
The Nv682 may also be a good fit for homes with pets, as it comes equipped with the Anti-Allergen sealing feature as well as a pet brush and HEPA filter. The filter and sealing technology trap allergens to keep them in the canister. The pet brush allows you to remove pet hair from furniture and stair – or any other surface.
The Dust-Away attachments make this vacuum a practical choice for homes with hard flooring. This attachment has a washable microfiber pad that collects fine dirt and debris that a regular vacuum head would miss, according to Explain that Stuff.
One nice thing about this model – and a feature that other models don’t have – is the fingertip control. The controls are located on the handle of the machine, so you can switch between carpet and bare floor with ease.
The Nv682 is actually lighter than the Nv552, with a weight of just 13.82 pounds. It truly is a compact model, but Shark says this model is just as powerful as other vacuums in its line-up.
The only issue with this vacuum is that the canister isn’t quite as large as other models: 0.9 dry quarts. That means you will have to make more trips to the trash to empty the dust cup.
Nv501
The Nv501 is also part of the Rotator Pro line-up, and this model features a 2-in-1 design: upright and lift-away.
In upright mode, this model has swivel steering that makes it easy to maneuver around furniture. The large dust cup (1.3 dry quarts) also means that you don’t have to empty the vacuum as often.
If you’re tired of making several trips to the garbage can while you clean, this vacuum may be a good fit for you.
The Lift-Away design allows you to detach the canister from the nozzle head to clean underneath furniture, hard flooring, upholstery and even stairs.
You can also use the above-floor mode, which extends the reach of the nozzle head. This allows you to clean windows and ceiling corners with ease.
The Nv501 can clean floor-to-ceiling with all of the included attachments and modes.
The nozzle head of this vacuum also comes equipped with LED lights, so you can see underneath furniture, in dark stairways or in closets when cleaning in either upright or lift-away mode. The bright light ensures that you don’t miss dirt and debris that may be hiding.
LED lights have a lifespan of about 50,000 hours, according to Electronics Weekly.
The Nv501 comes with a few attachments, including a dusting brush that can be used to clean upholstery and furniture with ease.
If you have pets or someone in your home has allergies, you will appreciate the Anti-Allergen Complete Seal technology, which traps household allergens in the canister to keep it out of the air. This model also has a HEPA filter to remove even more allergens from your home.
The HEPA filter traps 99.9% of allergens.
A premium pet power brush is also included to remove pet hair from just about anywhere in your home, including furniture, stairs and throw rugs.
All of the filters on this vacuum are washable, so you don’t’ have to worry about purchasing new ones every few months.
The Nv501 weighs about the same as the Nv552, but is still lightweight and easy to maneuver.
NV356E
Like the other models in this comparison, the NV356E features a 2-in-1 design that’s very similar to all of the other models from Shark. With the flick of the wrist, you can switch between an upright vacuum and the Lift-Away mode.
The upright mode features swivel steering, so you can clean around furniture and in corners. While in Lift-Away mode, you can clean underneath furniture and appliances. You can also clean hard flooring and stairs. This mode makes the vacuum more portable, and there’s a brushroll shutoff feature that allows you to switch from carpet to hard flooring seamlessly.
The NV365E comes with the Dust-Away hard flooring attachment, which features microfiber pads that pick up fine dirt and debris. This model comes with two pads that are both washable for easy cleaning.
The microfiber pads are the ideal choice for cleaning hard flooring because they pick up things that the vacuum nozzle can’t.
Several accessories are included with this vacuum, such as a dusting brush, 24″ crevice tool and 5.5″ crevice tool. Bonus tools include a pet power brush and a wide pet upholstery tool.
The pet tools allow you to remove pet hair from hard-to-reach places, like furniture and stairs. The hose of the vacuum is also a generous length of 5,’ so you can reach most places with ease.
The cord length is also 25 feet, so you don’t have to continuously change outlets to clean your home.
Weighing just 13.7 pounds, this vacuum is very lightweight and the Lift-Away design makes it very portable. Plus, the generous 1.2 dry-quart canister means that you don’t have to make as many trips to the trash can while cleaning.
Which Shark Vacuum is the Right Choice for You?
Which Shark vacuum should you choose for your home? The answer is: it depends.
We like the Nv552 because it offers a 3-in-1 design. You can switch between Lift-away, upright and canister modes for a complete cleaning of your home.
In upright mode, you can get the power of a classic vacuum cleaner coupled with the swivel steering feature that lets you maneuver around furniture. The swivel feature means you can clean in corners and other hard-to-reach areas without breaking a sweat.
In Lift-Away mode, you can remove the canister and take the vacuum with you. Whether you want to clean stairs, hard flooring or underneath the couch, the Lift-Away mode makes your cleaning routine easier.
While in canister mode, you can clean other areas of your home just as you would with a classic canister vacuum.
If you have pets, the dual HEPA filters and the Anti-Allergen Sealing technology will keep dander and allergens out of your home. Other vacuums that don’t have sealed canisters may release these allergens back into the air – where they can trigger asthma attacks and allergies.
HEPA filters, according to Time, remove 99.9% of particles above a specific size, which is set by the Department of Energy.
If you want a vacuum that has easy controls, the Nv682 may be the better fit for you. This model features fingertip controls on the handle of the vacuum, so you can switch between carpet and hard flooring without having to bend over.
The Nv682 model also has a HEPA filter and the sealing technology that keeps dirt and dust in the canister.
We also like that this model is compact and lightweight, although the dust cap is a bit smaller than other models.
The Nv501 is nearly identical to our favorite model, but it has a 2-in-1 design instead of a 3-in-1. If you don’t care about the canister mode, this model may be a good option for you.
You can still clean underneath, above and around furniture, and this model comes with pet-friendly tools, like the pet power brush.
And like other Shark models, it has the allergen-sealing technology as well as a HEPA filter.
For homes with more hard flooring than carpeting, the NV356E may be the better option. This model comes with the Dust-Away hard flooring attachment as well as two microfiber pads to start.
The pads are washable for easy cleaning, and they pick up fine debris that the regular nozzle head may miss.
The NV365E traps allergens, has a HEPA filter and comes with a power pet brush. With these features, this vacuum may also be a good fit for homes with pets.
We also like that this vacuum is lightweight at just 13.7 pounds.
The NV365E offers both the upright and Lift-Away canister modes, so you can clean stairs and hard flooring without having to lug around a big upright vacuum. The swivel feature also makes it easy to clean around furniture.
We also want to point out that most of these models have LED lights on the nozzle head, which allows you to see where you’re cleaning in low-light situations.
All of these vacuums offer powerful suction, the ability to remove most household allergens and convenient features that make it easy to clean your home. All are backed by generous warranties and are lightweight for easy use. Consider your cleaning needs, the size of your home and the type of flooring in your home to find the right model for your needs.
