Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away Review

Another new Shark release is the Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away. It’s an upgraded version of the ancient ION P50 equipped with the latest DuoClean nozzle, so it’s better at cleaning long hair strands – one of the better ones I’ve tested.

There are other subtle updates, like the new screen interface with the reconfigured switches, but the general structure remains the same, from the dustbin to the powered lift-away feature.

I wouldn’t classify this as a cordless stick vacuum but more of an upright because of the dustbin placement in the middle and the large capacity.

But it’s more versatile than the traditional upright because of the Lift-Away feature so that it can function as a canister vacuum with the hose and additional tools.

How good is this product? Learn more in this review.

Upright-Like Capacity and Efficient Cleaning Performance

Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away Review

The Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away excels in two areas – dustbin capacity and surface debris pick-up, especially on carpeted surfaces, thanks to the upgraded Duo Clean nozzle. What it lacks in airflow and suction, it makes up for it with the twin brush roll design, helping it pick up surface dirt on carpets better than other brands with similar airflow levels. Most importantly, it’s cheaper than the Shark Vertex Pro cordless I reviewed previously, which is another deciding factor.

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Pros

• Large capacity dustbin (1.35 qts)
• Above-average agitation, especially on carpet surfaces
• Improved handle controls over the ION P50
• Extended run time of over 50 minutes
• It can reach deep under furniture
• 2-in-1 versatility for cleaning floors and upholstery

Cons

• Duo Clean nozzle is noisy
• One comes with one battery
• Not as good in deep cleaning carpets as other high airflow options

Introduction to the Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away

The Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away is one of this space’s (more) unique products.

It’s a cordless vacuum, but it looks like an upright vacuum with a matching capacity (1.28 liters).

This model is an upgraded version of the ION P50 released several years past but no longer in production.

The upgrades helped address the ION P50 issues, primarily its inability to resist hair tangles and the shorter run time.

All Shark Vertex products have the enhanced Duo Clean nozzle with combs and plastic fins, providing better agitation and hair pick-up.

Duo Clean Nozzle

Shark pioneered the twin brush system in cordless vacuums and may have a patent since other brands don’t utilize this feature.

The latest version has more bristles, fins, and combs, helping it avoid hair tangles, even with longer hair strands above seven inches.

It has the same six-LED system to illuminate its path, but it won’t be as good as the Dyson green laser accentuating dust.

One plus for this nozzle is it’s not heavily reliant on airflow to pick up debris since the two brushes do the heavy lifting.

Handle Controls

Another upgrade Shark put in this product is the handle controls, providing more options to consumers with more control with suction and brush roll rotation.

The older ION P50 only had two suction setting options, while the Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away has three, thanks to a separate button on the right.

Also, there’s no need to continually press a button to access the max setting, which is a plus for usability.

Large Dustbin

One of the most significant pluses of this product is the large dustbin capacity (1.28 liters), which is in upright vacuum territory.

Even with the large capacity container, its placement doesn’t hamper handle weight since most of it is near the base, giving this product an upright vacuum feel.

It has a large opening, and consumers can open it from the top and bottom, so it’s easier to clean.

I also tested if it has a fully sealed system by doing a fog test to check if it leaked.

There are no heavy leaks based on the test, only slight ones at the bottom of the dustbin, so it’s excellent news for allergy sufferers that most of the allergens will not seep through the exhaust.

Filtration

It has a two-filter system – a primary foam and a HEPA filter beside the battery.

These filters are located on opposite sides of the vacuum.

Only the foam filter is washable and is located underneath the hose.

While the HEPA is beside the battery, you’ll need to remove it to access it.

Battery

This cordless vacuum uses a detachable 2900 mAh lithium-ion battery with a max run time of over 54 minutes with the Duo Clean nozzle in hard floor mode (at the lowest setting).

The 54-minute figure is almost 20 minutes more than the ION P50, which is a significant improvement.

Also, the battery’s detachability enables consumers to increase run time by purchasing an extra.

Powered Lift-Away

Another innovation by Shark is the “Powered Lift Away,” where the dustbin detaches from the frame, allowing canister-like versatility for an otherwise bulky vacuum.

The most significant benefit of the Powered Lift-Away is its ability to clean deep under low-clearance furniture.

2-in-1 Versatility

One underrated benefit of the Lift-Away feature is the option to clean above floors like a canister vacuum.

It comes with three extra tools, similar to the Vertex Pro cordless.

1. Crevice tool
2. Upholstery tool with a brush insert
3. Under appliance tool.

However, these tools don’t have a locking mechanism and only rely on friction, so it’s not as secure.

Another downside is the lack of a motorized turbo brush, hampering its efficiency and ability to clean hair on fabric upholstery – another FYI.

How long will the Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away run?

The larger battery helps this product run further than the ION P50 – close to 20 minutes more with the Duo Clean nozzle.

I tested it by running it from the full charge to empty at every setting in the hard floor and carpet settings – check the results below.

Hard Floor Mode

• Low: 54:35 mins
• Mid: 38:50 mins
• Max:

Carpet Mode

• Low: 
• Mid: 33.23 mins
• Max: 12:08 mins

How much airflow does the Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away have?

Since the Shark Vertex products use the Duo Clean nozzle, don’t expect too much power.

I tested it at the extension tube and nozzle, and here are the results.

• Low: 15.68 CFM
• Mid: 18.52 CFM
• Max: 21.51 CFM

And at the extension wand.

• Low: 26.64 CFM
• Mid: 29.7 CFM
• Max: 48.72 CFM

It had over 48 CFM at the wand but only 21 CFM at the nozzle – a below-average figure for stick vacuums.

I’m guessing this is by design to extend range since the Duo Clean nozzle’s twin brushes will agitate better than a traditional brush roll.

Cleaning Performance

• Overall: 96.73%
• Hard Floor: 97.8%
• Sand on Hard Floor: 97.4%
• Carpet: 99.47%
• Deep Cleaning: 92.25%

The lack of airflow hinders the Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away’s cleaning performance in several aspects, mainly picking up heavy debris like sand.

While the Duo Clean nozzle is highly efficient, airflow is (still) critical for vacuuming debris. The heavier the dirt, the more airflow is essential.

As you’ve seen in the previous section, the Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away Pro only has a max of 21.51 CFM at the cleaning nozzle.

Compared to a premium stick vacuum like the Dyson V15 Detect with over 69 CFM, the 21 CFM figure is 106% less, so there will be compromises with cleaning performance.

Hard Floor Results

• Quaker oats: 98.8%
• Coffee grounds: 98.2%
• Quinoa: 100%
• Pet Litter: 94.2%

This product was excellent in most hard floor cleaning experiments, except for pet litter, with a (slightly below average) score of 94.2%.

It contrasts with the Shark Vertex Cordless that got 100% because of its higher airflow.

So consumers need to look at this variance as a potential deciding factor. Do they opt for the cheaper Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away with the extra large dustbin or the more powerful (but costlier) Vertex Pro cordless that’ll pick up heavier debris?

Sand on Hard Floor?

It’s the same issue with cleaning sand on this surface.

The Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away picked up a decent 97.4%, but it’s a few percentage points lower than the Vertex Pro cordless.

Again, the lack of airflow is (a factor) as to why it didn’t vacuum as much.

I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re thinking of cleaning sand (i.e., live near a beach).

Edge Cleaning

Despite the low airflow, the Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away efficiently cleans debris at the edges.

It didn’t need too many passes to pick up the coffee grounds I scattered in this area, and there was plenty.

However, I used the carpet mode to pick up debris at the edges (along the gutter).

Hair Wrap [on Hard Floors]

One weakness of the older Duo Clean nozzle is cleaning hair because it didn’t have any system to untangle hair.

The upgraded Vertex Pro Duo Clean nozzle addresses this issue with the combs and plastic fins flanking the bristles around the roller.

It got high percentages in most experiments scoring in the 100s and 90s, even with long strands above nine inches.

• 5-inch strands: 100%
• 7-inch strands: 100%
• 9-inch strands: 100%
• 11-inch strands: 90%
• 12-inch strands: 96%

These are impressive results for a low airflow cordless stick vacuum.

The fins help prevent hair strands from wrapping around the brush tightly and work in tandem with the combs to untangle hair as it rotates.

Carpet Results

Next, we’ll look at how the Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away fared on carpets – low and mid-pile, specifically.

Low Pile Results

• Quaker oats: 97%
• Coffee grounds: 99.2%
• Quinoa: 100%
• Pet Litter: 100%

Strangely, this cordless vacuum did better on low pile carpet than on hard floors, specifically on pet litter and coffee grounds, where it got a few percentage points higher.

Please note that the carpet mode in the Shark Vertex doesn’t increase the suction, but the brush rotation speed, so it spins more rapidly, which could be why it got a higher percentage.

One downside with this is debris scattering forward, particularly heavy items like pet litter, which isn’t a big deal on carpet since fabric strands will stop debris from going too far.

Mid Pile Results

• Quaker oats: 99.6%
• Coffee grounds: 100%
• Quinoa: 100%
• Pet Litter: 100%

Again, excellent results, even with the low airflow, as it picked up 100% in three (of the) experiments.

The increased brush rotation speed helped with cleaning this surface, and I used the max setting for the closing passes, which is why it got a high percentage.

I don’t recommend using the max setting exclusively because it’ll overheat the battery and shorten its life span.

Deep Cleaning

Unfortunately, the Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away didn’t pick up embedded sand like other brands with higher airflow.

It only got an average of 92.25% in two tests in the max setting.

I tried using the middle setting, and it got a decent score of 86.3%, which isn’t bad considering this is a low-airflow stick vacuum.

Hair Wrap [on Carpet]

This product was excellent at cleaning hair on the carpet, but it got a lower percentage with long hair strands.

• 5-inch strands: 100%
• 7-inch strands: 100%
• 9-inch strands: 90.9%
• 11-inch strands: 92%
• 12-inch strands: 82%

It picked up between 82 and 92 percent with nine and twelve-inch strands. And I used more than a gram worth of hair, so it’s a good chunk.

Cleaning the brush roll isn’t difficult since the fins prevent hair from wrapping tightly on the roller, but you (may) need to use scissors to remove long strands.

The large dustbin helps it hold lots of hair, and if you need to clean lots of pet hair, put this product on your shortlist.

One issue with emptying debris is (long) hair wrapping on the bottom part of the dustbin; it doesn’t fall even when it opens.

But clumps of dust or shorter hair strands will fall when you open the dustbin.

How noisy is the Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away?

One downside with Shark’s Duo Clean nozzle is the noise, but the good news is it’s not as loud as the Shark Vertex Pro cordless. I used a sound meter to check noise levels

Hard Floor Mode

• Low: 71.8 dB
• Mid: 72.5 dB
• Max: 72.5 dB

Carpet Mode

• Low: 73.4 dB
• Mid: 78.0 dB
• Max: 78.3 dB

Parts Availability

Despite Shark’s growing popularity, it can’t compete with Dyson regarding parts availability.

Yes, spare parts will be available, and the SharkClean company is a reputable brand with its R&D team, but it’s primarily available through its website.

So that’s the downside of choosing a Shark product over a Dyson.

Product Specifications

Where can I purchase the Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away?

This product is available in online stores like Amazon. Check the links below for the latest pricing information.

• Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away on Amazon

Disclaimer: I’ll earn a commission if you purchase through the link above, but at no extra cost, so it’s a win-win for us!

Does the Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away offer excellent value?

The short answer is a resounding yes, because of its lower price point than the Vertex Pro cordless and its large capacity dustbin.

This model is one of the more underrated options available. Even with the bulky frame, it offers decent versatility thanks to the Powered Lift-Away feature, helping consumers use it like a canister vacuum.

It doesn’t have monster airflow, but the Duo Clean nozzle has enough agitation for picking up debris, especially on carpet surfaces where it excels.

5 Reasons to purchase the Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away

1. Large capacity dustbin: The 1.28-liter volume is plenty even inside large homes unless you have many pets.
2. Competitive pricing: It’s cheaper than the Vertex Pro cordless but offers similar cleaning performance and versatility.
3. Above-average agitation: The Duo Clean nozzle excels at picking up surface debris, especially on carpets.
4. Better handle controls: Shark’s redesigned interface improves usability and ergonomics since there are more power level options, and there’s no need to press the max button continually for max power.
5. Good filtration: I only noticed slight leaks during the fog test, which bodes well for allergy sufferers.

The Verdict: Upright-Like Volume, With Canister-Like Versatility

The Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away is a compelling option given its current pricing.

I’d recommend it over the Shark Vertex Pro cordless since there isn’t much variance in cleaning performance for several reasons.

First, it has a large dustbin capacity and better ergonomics because of its weight distribution, similar to an upright vacuum.

Sure, it’s heavier, but the dustbin, motor, and battery placement are ideal for vacuuming floors, and it won’t be as tiring to use for extended cycles.

One issue with the lower power output is it won’t pick up heavier debris as well on hard floors, but I don’t think that’s a big issue unless you need to clean sand regularly.