Shark Rotator Professional Lift-Away Review

Having a reliable vacuum cleaner means more comfortable and efficient cleaning. Such a unit can help to make the process less tiring and the results more impressive.

If that’s exactly what you’re after, you might want to consider the Shark Rotator Professional NV502. It’s an upright vacuum cleaner, coming from one of the Shark’s most popular product series.

The Rotator Lift-Away NV502 features some improved technologies and easier maneuverability than its predecessors. Continue reading as we share the vital information on its performance, standout features, as well as things you might not like about it.

You can also visit our complete guide on vacuum cleaner ratings if you prefer a different choice.

This Vacuum isn’t For Those:

  • Who live in tight spaces – if your house or apartment is small, this Shark Rotator vacuum cleaner might not be the best vacuum for you, even with swivel steering. Its hose and the overall size of its body might get in your way when cleaning and storing.
  • Who love neat cord storage – though it’s an all-around unit, it doesn’t have a cord rewind function. It’s not the most significant setback, but it would be better with it.
  • Who have old Shark attachments – if you used to have Shark before and have kept the accessories, though it’s unfortunate, you won’t be able to use them on the Rotator Lift-Away Professional upright.

Features

Its best feature is the 3-in-1 design allowing you supreme versatility and maneuverability. The feature is easy to use and makes the vac that much more suitable for all cleaning tasks.

It also has headlights, which seems like an insignificant feature, but it’s actually quite useful. It’s great for spot cleaning, especially if dirt is accumulated and embedded.

This Shark Rotator bagless vacuum cleaner features a 2-motor system for supreme power and suction regardless of the floor surface.

Design

As you know, the Shark Rotator Lift-Away Professional upright is designed as a 3-in-1 machine. It’s the main selling point of its design since it provides such portability and convenience.

It allows you to use this  bagless vacuum separately as a handheld by lifting the canister away. This makes it easier to tackle the above-floor cleaning tasks.

Lastly, you can place the canister on a mobile base/caddy for longer cleaning sessions. It helps make the unit more portable and more comfortable to carry around.

Size & Dimensions

The first thing you should note is that this is a relatively large upright. It’s due to the size of its canister and several features it comes with that the body is as big.

This Shark Rotator upright vacuum cleaner measures 12.2×13.39×45.71 inches in total, which gives you an idea of how big it is and what that means for storage.

Though the manufacturer made sure that this doesn’t affect its portability, you’ll have to figure out where you’ll store it. Keep in mind that it also weighs some 15 pounds.

Suction

Rotator Lift-Away Professional products are known for excellent suction, and this one is no different. It comes with the Never Loses Suction function and cyclonic technology that help the power suction significantly.

You can adjust its levels of suction power with the variable suction power feature. This way, the vac will perform according to the floor surface and type of dirt you’re dealing with.

If you do notice a loss of suction, there may be clogging, which is something you’ll have to check for now and then.

Accessories & Parts

The vac is made of the standard parts you can usually find on uprights. It has a wide cleaner head, large body/dust cap, and a handle.

This Shark model comes with a full set of accessories. Some are more common like the crevice tool, dusting brush, premium pet power brush, and the upholstery tool.

It also has a few above-floor cleaning accessories. The bonus tools are the straight nozzle, canister caddy, and a car detail kit.

Warranty

This Shark Rotator bagless vacuum cleaner is covered with the Shark’s 5-year limited warranty on materials and craftsmanship. The deal is limited and doesn’t cover damage caused by misuse or neglect. It also doesn’t cover normal wear or tear and damage caused by unauthorized repair.

Flooring

Shark’s vacuums are relatively versatile, so you can expect the NV502 to perform well on different floor surfaces. Not only the suction power is powerful and controllable, but the unit also comes with a set of attachments for different floors.

Carpet

If you have low- and high-pile carpets, you’ll love the NV502 Lift-Away Professional upright. Though it looks too large to push across carpets, its swivel steering and specialized tools help the process.

Once you engage the brushes, the vac glides over the carpet easily thanks to their overall power. For high-pile rugs, you might want to use non-motorized tools to prevent them from getting tangled in the carpet fibers.

Plus, you can always use its suction adjustability to increase or decrease the power.

Hardwood

In the case of hardwood, you should always use non-motorized tools to prevent them from damaging the delicate surface.

This Professional upright vacuum is efficient on hardwood regardless of the type of dirt. It provides edge-to-edge cleaning, so there’s no pushing the particles around. Plus, 7its suction adjustability function makes it that much easier to pick up both small and large pieces from these delicate floors.

Maneuverability

The Lift-Away Professional upright is easy to maneuver with despite its size and weight. It’s designed to be pushed in front of you, which is easy to do thanks to the comfortable handle it features.

For added maneuverability, the manufacturer incorporated swivel steering. It makes it easier to work around and under your furniture and different obstacles on the ground.

Shark offers a canister caddy for optional purchase. It’s a handy additional meant to help you maneuver with the canister when it’s lifted from the body.

Maintenance

Shark vacs don’t usually require much maintenance except the standard emptying/washing now and then.

Though you won’t have to empty its canister as often, you’ll still have to do it the moment it fills up. Keeping it full might damage the machine.

You’ll also have to wash its filters since they’re reusable. Just give them a quick rinse and let them dry for about 24 hours.

Noise

The NV502 Lift-Away is relatively quiet compared to other uprights on the market. You can hear this Professional upright vacuum working through the whole house, but the noise isn’t strong enough to disturb anyone.

It’s a bit louder when you attach smaller/narrower tools for above-floor cleaning.

With Shark Rotator NV502 there’s no need to change power sockets, since it comes with 30 ft of power cord.

Cordless or Cord?

It’s a corded unit that comes with a 30ft power cable. This provides enough reach and allows you to clean without having to always re-plug the unit.

However, there’s no automatic cord rewind feature. For this reason, you’ll have to fold the 30ft of cable after each time you use this Shark Rotator vacuum cleaner.

Bag or Bagless?

This is a bagless vacuum that comes with a dust cup. It’s a relatively large dust cup with approximately 1.3 dry quarts in capacity.

The canister is transparent, allowing you to see when it’s full and should be emptied. It’s easy to empty and doesn’t require any special maintenance. You can, however, wash it from time to time.

Filter

This Shark Rotator bagless vacuum cleaner comes with efficient filtration and Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology. It has HEPA filters that capture up to 99.9% of the tiniest particles found on your floors.

It also has a set of washable filters that aren’t too high-maintenance though they require an occasional washing.

Pets

Pet owners tend to love these vacuums for removing pet hair, and different mess pets can create. The NV502 Lift-Away upright vacuum is especially handy for these tasks since it has adjustable suction power and specialized pet tools.

Kitty Litter

Picking up litter tends to be a bit tricky because it’s usually on bare floors. However, the NV502 upright vacuum does a relatively good job, depending on the tools you use.

What you should do is set the suction on the highest and use some of the smaller tools to target the litter pieces. If the litter box is on the hardwood, make sure to use a non-motorized tool to prevent any damage.

Pet Hair

For pet hair, Shark included the premium pet power brush. It’s a motorized tool that’s easy to use on different floors as well as above-floor surfaces.

Its various other small tools do the job equally as well. To get the best results, make sure to inspect the brushes and canisters for any clogging that the hairs can sometimes create.

Additional Options/Information

This Shark Rotator upright vacuum cleaner has a low profile which allows it to go under your furniture. Of course, this depends on how low/high is your furniture, but in most cases, the vac fits without issues.

Is The Shark Rotator Professional Lift-Away For You?

The NV502 is a versatile unit that’s easy to use on different floor surfaces. It’s among the best vacuums for people who have combined floors and possibly even pets. It’s also suitable for allergy-prone people thanks to its fully sealed body and HEPA filtration.

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I’ve been a dedicated writer for Clean That Floor for approximately 3 years. I’ve written about various topics, mostly focusing on cleaning products, vacuum cleaners, mops, and simple cleaning solutions for homeowners. I enjoy testing tips and tricks on house maintenance, reviewing both the process and results.

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