Goodbye Dyson, Hello Shark! Welcome to My Family…

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Shark APEX DuoClean vacuum review – cleans up cereal without crushing it or making a mess

Hi all! It’s Erica, one of Collin’s sidekicks!

If you’re in the market for a new vacuum, I have something AMAZING to share with you! In the world today, there are so many options to choose from when making the decision to buy a new vacuum. I mean… it’s pretty overwhelming.

It’s like going out to dinner when the menu is ten pages long (*cough* The Cheesecake Factory!)… 😫

Shark APEX DuoClean vacuum review – on/off switch closeup

Anyway, just this year, my Dyson stick cordless vacuum broke. I was secretly excited when this happened because I wasn’t much of a fan. The Dyson was great, just not great for ME. I have two toddlers that make messes constantly and the Dyson couldn’t stay on for more that 20 minutes without having to be back on its charging station.

So when it broke, I was ready to research which vacuum would be best for our family.

Shark APEX DuoClean vacuum review – vacuum with box

What I picked….

The Shark APEX DuoClean Powered Lift-Away Upright Vacuum! 

Now that is a lot of words for one product I tell ya, but it deserves every word.

You guys, I am so impressed with this vacuum. I feel almost like we have a new member of our family living in our household. I am only 30, but I have to say in all my years, I’ve never had a vacuum that has done the job like this Shark APEX Vacuum!

Here’s why I love it…

Shark APEX DuoClean vacuum review – cleaning up cereal on a wooden floor

Number 1.

What I love the absolute MOST is that you can literally roll over Cheerios or any larger elevated piece or crumb on the floor without pieces shooting everywhere! I have NEVER owned a vacuum that would complete this task.

Other vacuums would crush up the Cheerios and spit them out the sides. OR I would have to pick up the vacuum and set it right on the Cheerios to get them sucked up. Sometimes, I would even have to step on them and crush them first on the floor before vacuuming them. 😂

Shark APEX DuoClean vacuum review – roller brush closeup

This vacuum features a bristle brush to deep clean carpets and an additional soft roller brush to pull in larger particles and directly engage floors for a polished look (and it does just that – I’m not having to mop my floors nearly as much).

Shark APEX DuoClean vacuum review – removable tank

Number 2. 

I also love that this vacuum goes right from carpet/rugs to tile or hardwood floors! And it features powered lift away technology that allows you to pull it away from the body so you can go under beds, tables, desks, etc. The vacuum can go anywhere!

Number 3.

This vacuum has smooth maneuverability on floors and carpets while maintaining powerful suction, powerful suction, and more powerful suction. Oh my word… I can’t explain enough how powerful the suction is on this vacuum. It actually pulls you if you’re not holding on tight because the suction is just that awesome. 😍

Shark APEX DuoClean vacuum review – upright with tank on the floor

Number 4. 

IT HAS A CORD AND I LIKE IT! Like I mentioned above, my last vacuum had to always go back to the charging station before I was done cleaning. With a cord, this vacuum can last for however long I need it!

Shark APEX DuoClean vacuum review – visual of the tank filled with dust

And I have to admit, I was a little embarrassed when I first got this and vacuumed an 8’X 5′ rug and filled the entire canister with dirt. It was CRAZY. Just thinking about all the dirt and dust that sat on my rugs and floors grosses me out to this day.

And no, shark did not pay me for this recommendation.

Check out the most recent deals we’ve posted on similar Shark vacuums here.


Join The Discussion

Comments 78

  1. Colorado Amy

    I don’t need a new vacuum right now but I’m still glad for this recommendation. I have put it in my Wish List on Amazon, where it will sit until I do need a new vacuum. I love to hear from the H2S team on the products they love. Thank you!

    • Erica (Hip2Save’s sidekick)

      You’re too sweet Amy! You’re so welcome, we are happy to hear you love our recommendations! 😀

  2. retireewannabe

    I’m in the market for a Shark vacuum based on the recommendations of pro house cleaners I know. They have recommended the Rotator Lift Away and the Navigator. I’ve found the Navigator Lift Away at Costco for $120. What is the price on the Apex?

    • Heather

      From the Amazon link, it appears to be $350.

    • Jodi

      I paid around $100 for a navigator around Black Friday. Got it at Macy’s.
      Love it!

      • Erica (Hip2Save’s sidekick)

        Awesome to hear you love it!

    • melissastahl

      The navigator is fantastic. Sharj is the best. Hands down.

      • Erica (Hip2Save’s sidekick)

        I agree!! 😀

    • Renee

      Check Groupon for the Rotator Lift Away. Recently got mine through one of their deals- and it’s amazing. I think it was anout $125 delivered.

  3. Britt

    I completely agree with you on this one! I went from a Dyson to a Shark and I absolutely love my Shark!!!

    • Erica (Hip2Save’s sidekick)

      Yay! So happy to hear you love yours too! LOVE having a great vacuum! ❤️

  4. BrandyLeAnn

    While it is not as expensive as the Apex, the Shark Navigator vacuum is another great buy. Having 2 golden retrievers and a toddler I’ve gone through my share of vacuums and the navigator has been the best vacuum I’ve ever used. I finally chose to go with a Shark after a friend of mine who cleans houses strongly recommended it, still the best investment I’ve made lol. The Shark stream mop has also been a blessing in our house.

    • Melissaan

      Ditto on the Shark Navigator positive review. I’ve had one for at least a few years now. It’s the best one we have ever had. Besides having great suction, it is also lightweight, which means that lugging it up a flight of stairs is not a problem.

    • Megan

      I got a refurbished Navigator lift away pro for under $100 and its the BEST. While on the heavier side you can’t beat that suction and the build is great quality.

    • Erica (Hip2Save sidekick)

      Wow.. that is awesome to hear! I will definitely be looking into the shark steam mop!!

      • Megan

        I saw those the other day being clearanced out at Target. I also bought one of the older steam mops refurbished.. don’t use it as much though after finding out I can’t steam my wood floor because it’s crappy bamboo. 🙁

  5. Lisa

    I sell sharks for a living they really r good

  6. annie

    I have 2 shark vacuums. one is the rocket and one is the deluxe navigator. both which i am pleased with. I have a 2 story home so one is for upstairs of my home and the navigator is downstairs.
    now let me tell you my story that just happened 2 weeks ago. my shark navigator deluxe while vacuuming, a plastic part broke off the roller head that connects to the beaterbar bar brush head. at that moment, I could no longer use the vacuum. I went and found my receipt and noticed I had purchased it 6 months ago. I called shark and they were very professional about it. they immediately sent me via email a prepaid shipping label, to ship back my vacuum, luckily I saved the original box of the vacuum. (no way would I have found a box big enough on my own).
    they told me that they would send me out a new vacuum with 7 days, now there was a charge for me to pay for them to ship out a new vacuum ($16.95) which I thought was more than fair. I was told bring my box with the prepaid label, to any fed ex store and ship back the broken vacuum and expect a new one is 7 days.
    true to the customer service agent, I got my new vacuum within 5 days. I’m pleased. having my receipt was a big help. not sure how this would have been handled without one. (pays to save receipt on major purchases)

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      So happy to hear their customer service was great!

  7. Missyv

    I completely agree with you on the Shark. I love it! I am very happy with it and I have always thought Dyson was highly overrated and so thank you for the confirmation!

    • Erica (Hip2Save’s sidekick)

      Awesome! So happy you love Shark too!

  8. Denise

    I love my shark so much I bought two one for the basement and one for my upstairs

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      SWEET!! Happy to hear you love Shark too!

  9. Msgray

    Another Shark family, here! Our third Shark addition, however, the Robot, has me on the fence. This thing will clean over the same areas 10 times and completely ignore an area full of crumbs. It goes back to its dock with 2 battery bars left and just leaves the mess! Anyone know why?!

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      Oh, bummer! I am not familiar with the robot.

  10. Mrs.W

    I bought a Dyson several years ago and although I like it I have to agree with you once it is time to replace my vacuum I will be buying a shark! I have heard lots of people that love them!

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      🙂

  11. HipMomof3

    Target has these and those that have a RedCard can save a little.

  12. jnagg

    How do you think this vacuum will work on pet hair? i have the dyson ball animal 2 because we have a St Bernard rescue and we thought that
    the Dyson would be the best vacuum to go with. well, it turns out, when its working… it works great….but….. about every 5th use i have to take the entire vacuum apart to clean it, and it takes me about an hour because i can never remember what to check first and i just end up taking it all apart—and it never fails to happen when i have to get a quick vacuum in while guests are on their way!!!

    • Maryg

      I can’t say how the shark will do on pet hair, but I can tell you how a Kirby will work! It picks up pet hair like a dream. It’s never jammed or had any issue like that. They are incredible and will be last vacuum you will buy. They come with a lifetime rebuild guarantee. It was the first vacuum I bought (18 years ago) and it still works better than a brand new Dyson! They’re expensive, but last forever are the best vacuum cleaner out there.

    • Rachel

      I have 4 dogs & 2 cats, our Shark Rotator is a beast. Takes the pet hair right up. The hose attachment to vacuum furniture is awesome & easy to use. Stretches really well.

      • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

        Awesome to hear Rachel! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

    • TJ

      I have a chocolate lab and the dyson works waaaaayyyyy better than the dyson pet!

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      Hey there Jnagg! I truly just cannot imagine this vacuum having an issue sucking up pet hair. However, it appears Shark does have a vacuum model out that is supposed to be great for pets. It is called the Shark Rotator TruPet Upright Vacuum!

      • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

        ALSO, check out what reader KD has to say about this vacuum:

        I just bought this a couple of weeks ago on Kohls.com and it was on sale! Plus, I had the 30% off coupon so I ended up getting it for around $250 and I got $50 in Kohl’s cash. I also replaced my Dyson with this and I love it. I have two dogs and this does the trick. I actually spoke with several different people in the cleaning business and they were all from different cleaning services and all of them said this is the vacuum that they use. I don’t mind spending money on something if it’s going to work!!

        • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

          OR, check out what Hip2Save reader Brittany has to say…

          I have a Shark Navigator Lift Away Pro and I am obsessed with it. I have two dogs (an Australian Shepherd & an Australian Cattle Dog) that both shed like crazy so my vacuum gets used on almost a daily basis. It is light weight, all the attachments are easy to use and it is the best vacuum I have ever owned. I was so impressed that I brought it to two of my friends who were in the market for a new vacuum and they both ended up purchasing it because they were so impressed as well.

          My favorite feature is that it has a small “pet hair” rotating brush (basically a miniature version of the normal vacuum part) that does wonders on my stairs as well as furniture. There is also a hard floor attachment that works better than the other hard floor attachments I’ve previously had in the past. It took the 20 minutes I would usually spend every morning sweeping my hard floors downstairs and turned it into a maximum 5 minute job.

    • Heidi

      We had a dyson, but ditched it for the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe…and it is amazing! We had (RIP) a German Sheppard mix dog and now a lab/husky dog and this vacuum works wonders!!! Never going back to Dyson!! You won’t be disappointed int he Shark Navigator Lift Away!

  13. Jeanette

    I love my Shark vacuum. It’s a different kind. But I love it.

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      That’s great Jeanette!

  14. 50ShadesofLipstick

    For anyone considering it- robot vacuums all the way! It runs when we’re asleep and I don’t have to do a single thing but wake up to a clean house!

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      That ROCKS!!! 🙂

  15. Liz Bishop

    We bought a dyson when all the hype started about dyson and I hated it from day one…. It’s also fallen apart as we have had it. We recently bought a shark that you can take apart and make small. I’m trying to get used to it, but so far it sucks up everything.

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      I love the fact that you can break this vacuum down too! Hopefully you get used to it and end up loving it as well! 🙂

  16. kd

    I just bought this a couple of weeks ago at Kohls.com and it was on sale plus I had the 30% off coupon so I ended up getting it for around $250.00 plus I got $50 in kohls cash. I also replaced my Dyson with this and I love it. I have two dogs and this does the trick. I actually spoke with several different people in the cleaning business and they were all from different cleaning services and all of them said this was the vacuum that they used. I don’t mind spending money on something if it’s going to work.

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      I agree with you completely! And so happy you were able to get a good deal too!

  17. ShannonMarie

    I love my shark!! I have 2 corgi mix pups and a big Shepard mix along with with a 13, 8 and 2 yr old! I have pushed this machine and it pushes back! I use it everyday and I’ve had it about 3 yrs. I purchased mine off of Amazon warehouse deals and it was in great condition for those of you looking for a cheaper option.

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      Awesome Shannon! So happy to hear it keeps up with all those dogs!

  18. Theresa R

    I bought two Shark vacuums recently using Hip2Save info. Love Hip2Save. Love both vacuums, a Navigator and a TruPet (?) Shark customer service is Excellent. Thank you to both Hip2Save and contributors. I could not possibly put a dollar value on money saved from this site.

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      So nice of you Theresa! You’re so welcome! ❤️

  19. Dorothy

    Thank you for your review and info. I have a question…Is it bagless? Those bags can be so expensive. Thank you.

    • Steph

      Look at the last picture, it has a canister that you empty.

    • Denise

      Bagless

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      Yes Dorothy, it is bagless! And just for more information, you can completely stick your whole hand in the canister and clean it out!

  20. BergenD

    Love love love our shark! Daily I am shocked, grossed out and grateful for the junk it vacuumed up. My carpet looks great!

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      YAY! So happy to hear that you love yours too! 🙂

  21. Rachel

    I was NOT a fan of our Dyson. It was incredibly heavy & clunky. The hose attachment didnt stretch well & was very stiff (it eventually broke). Hated lugging it up & down the stairs.

    I got the Shark Rotator from a Kohls deal posted on here awhile back & LOVE it! Vacuuming isnt such a chore now. I love how light & easy to use it is.

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      SWEET! That is so awesome!

  22. TJ

    I had a dyson. Sold it on Craig’s list because it was so heavy, loud, didn’t fit under furniture, and despite their claims, I didn’t feel like it sucked that well. Bought a shark and it’s awesome. It has plenty of attachments. It morphs to go under the couch, disconnects to do the stairs, is easy to clean, and is lightweight. I bought mine from QVC when it was the special value. Spent about $250 and got a great package for that price.

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      So happy you got a great deal as well – love that!

  23. Brittany

    I have a Shark Navigator Lift Away Pro and I am obsessed with it. I have two dogs (an Australian Shepherd & an Australian Cattle Dog) that both shed like crazy so my vacuum gets used on almost a daily basis. It is light weight, all the attachments are easy to use and is the best vacuum I have ever owned. I was so impressed I brought it to two of my friends who were in the market for a new vacuum and they both ended up purchasing it because they were so impressed as well. My favorite feature is that it has a small “pet hair” rotating brush (basically a miniature version of the normal vacuum part) that does wonders on my stairs as well as furniture. There is also a hard floor attachment that works better than the other hard floor attachments I’ve previously had in the past. It took the 20 minutes I would usually spend every morning sweeping my hard floors downstairs and turned it into a maximum 5 minute job.

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      Awesome to hear that model is a great vacuum too Brittany!

  24. chrissybozz

    We had a Dyson for years. “It never looses suction.” Yeah-RIGHT! Bought a Shark Navigator after my friend’s recommendation….I LOVE MY SHARK! It is easy to push and so so simple to disassemble to get my giant dog’s fur out of when it clogs!! Never gonna use another brand!! I almost look forward to vaccuming!

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      LOL!!! Happy to hear you love Shark too! 🙂

  25. riss

    We had a Dyson for years, and l liked it a lot compared to our old vacuum. Then it broke. I got a Shark Duo at Costco last year and it’s been a dream! Forget Dyson, Shark is the way to go!
    PS It looks like Shark has a cult following. No surprise there 🙂

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      So interesting Riss! Glad to hear you are a Shark lover too!

  26. Quinna

    I’m a recent Shark convert as well, and I couldn’t be happier. I have a Navigator Pro, and the amount of dirt that thing sucks up after just a few days (and we don’t even wear shoes in the house!) is staggering.

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      Wow! Awesome to hear Quinna!

  27. Cobe vizio

    I want one too

  28. Kara Farmer

    I’ve had Shark vacuums since they first came out on infomercials around 2000. It was cordless stick one but worked great and have upgraded over the years. Biggest issue I had with them was how impossible it was too clean the hair from the brush. The last one I got was great because you can now review the bottom and easily get the Tangled hair out

    • CincySC

      That’s the problem I have. 2 long haired dogs and my long hair. I have Hoover AirLite and am constantly taking it apart to de-hair the brush roller. I wonder if these Sharks would help with that?

  29. Kendra

    I bought the Shark DuoClean Powered Lift Away and have been in love ever since! I bought it from Kohl’s with a 30% off plus got Kohl’s cash so I think I paid less then $200 for it! Best investment hands down!

  30. BargainBlessings

    I agree! My Dyson vacuum cracked in HALF and I got a Shark Navigator. I absolutely love it!! I purchased a Shark steam mop and handheld vacuum to complete the collection. I’ve been so happy with all three! Goodbye, Dyson!

  31. Marie

    Im actually looking at vacuums at the moment so this thread was super helpful. Thank you!

  32. Lesley Dawson

    I bought a Shark last fall and ditched my Dyson too. I have the liftaway duo and it is amazing!!!

  33. Sarah

    My mother in law has that Shark vacuum and I’ve used it a few times. It really does work like no other vacuum I’ve ever used. I currently have a dyson which has held up and works great still, but when I’m in the market a shark will be my next purchase, I think!!!

  34. Rachel Durfee

    I have a shark and a roomba. I use the shark for the stairs and a few spots the irobot roomba misses. I love the roomba I can clean hair out so easy the brushes pop out I cut the hair with scissors pull it off and pop the brushes back in. Best part always clean floors with no effort! It also has a spot function for when kids spill stuff etc. I tell the kids go get the roomba and clean it up.

  35. Dawn

    Erica how do you feel about the weight of this vacuum? I’m looking for one that my kids can easily use on occasion.

    • Erica (Silly Sidekick)

      Hey there Dawn! The vacuum is not heavy in my opinion, but I wouldn’t consider it lightweight either. Also, when you are vacuuming, it pulls forward (which may make it harder for a child to use). My kids at 4 and 5 would not be able to use it, but if your kids are a bit older than that, maybe it would be fine. I hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any more questions! 🙂

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