What Does Lift Away Mean On a Shark?
If you’re in the market for a Shark upright vacuum cleaner you can’t have failed to have noticed it’s Lift Away feature mentioned time and again. This feature certainly helps these Shark models stand out from the crowd. But what does Lift Away mean on a Shark?
In this post we explore just that by looking at:
- What exactly is Shark Lift Away?
- Advantages of the Shark Lift away
- Disadvantages of the Shark Lift away
- Is the Shark Powered lift away worth it?
- Best Shark Vacuum Cleaners with Lift Away
- Best Shark Vacuum Cleaners with Powered Lift Away
What Does Lift Away Mean On a Shark?
The Lift Away is Shark’s proprietary feature on some of their upright vacuum cleaners that allow you to use the vacuum as a portable canister.
To get it going you simply lift the detachable pod away from the floor head to have yourself a lightweight portable vacuum but with the same power as your normal upright.
What Does Powered Lift Away Mean On Shark?
One difference you may have noticed on the various Shark Lift Away models is that some are described as having “Powered Lift-Away” vs just “Lift-Away”.
The main distinction here between the two is that with the powered Lift Away you can still use the floor nozzle/brush head whilst the portable pod has been lifted away whilst with just the Lift-Away mode you cannot.
Advantages of Shark Lift Away
Let’s take a look at some the key advantages of the Shark Lift Away feature.
Two Vacuum Types In One
The biggest advantage of Shark’s Lift Away feature is the fact you get two different types of vacuum cleaner in the one unit. As good as upright vacuum cleaners are especially Sharks, there are still some jobs that are much easier with a lightweight canister style vacuum. With Shark’s Lift Away equipped upright models you don’t have this problem as you get both without compromising on power in either situation.
Makes Up For Lack Of Manoeuvrability
Upright vacuums can be great but the lack of nimbleness and manoeuvrability can sometimes put people off.
In our testing between the Shark NZ690UKT upright vacuum and Henry and James canister vacuum cleaners for example, one thing that stands out is the limitations you have in the upright mode with the Shark.
But this is quickly forgotten when you can easily switch to the portable mode as the Lift-Away mode makes light work of tricky-to-reach places.
The Stairs Are a Doddle
When it comes to tackling stairs we’re big fans of the Lift Away feature on Shark models.
Whether upright or canister, you’re often faced with having to place your vacuum cleaner at the bottom or top of the stairs to get them cleaned.
But with the Shark Lift Away you can easily carry the unit with you all the way up and down the stairs. It makes it much easier and quicker to clean the stairs.
It Really Is Lightweight
The Lift-Away mode on the Shark uprights makes up for the sometimes heavy feel of the upright mode. One thing we’ve noticed with uprights is that at times the weight distribution feels heavily loaded on your hand as your try work your around your floors.
After some time this can feel burdensome on your hand especially if you’re not used to it.
With the Shark Lift Away you don’t have that issue. Whilst the whole upright unit weighs 6kg, the Lift-Away portion only weighs 3.8kg which makes a big difference to how it feels.
Now of course even in the upright mode you are not carrying the entire weight, it’s merely resting against your hand as you push but you still do feel a difference when you can switch to the Lift-Away mode.
Disadvantages of Lift Away
Let’s now delve into some potential disadvantages of the Shark Lift Away mode.
You Don’t Have Full Use of The Machine
Perhaps the main disadvantage with just the Lift Away (as opposed to the Powered Lift Away) models is that you do not get the benefit of the floor nozzle whilst you are in the portable mode.
The floor/brushhead allows you to cover a lot of ground very quickly given its size and many such as the Shark NZ690UKT have anti hair wrap technology which is only present in the floor nozzle. This means the Lift Away mode is only really practical for small areas of cleaning like the stairs, sofas or curtains rather than being able to clean an entire room floor with it.
Fortunately, you can get around this by opting for a Shark model with Powered Lift Away instead of just the Lift Away.
Is The Shark Powered Lift Away Worth It?
As mentioned there is a difference between the Shark Lift Away and Powered Lift Away models with the latter allowing you to use the floor nozzle whilst in portable mode.
Typically you can expect to pay more for the Powered Lift Away models compared to just the Lift Away models though this is not always the case especially if you can find a good deal on a model such as the Shark NZ801UKT.
In general, the Shark Powered Lift Away is most definitely worth it as then you can the full benefit of the portable Lift Away mode by still being able to make use of the floor brushhead which means you could easily cover all your floors in that mode.
Best Shark Vacuum Cleaners with Lift Away
Let’s take a look at some of the best Shark vacuum cleaners with Lift Away technology.
Shark Model | Lift-Away /Powered Lift-Away | Price |
  | Lift-Away | |
  | Lift-Away | |
  | Lift-Away | |
  | Powered Lift-Away | |
| Powered Lift-Away |
Shark NZ690UKT Anti Hair Wrap Upright Pet Vacuum With Lift Away
The Shark NZ690UKT is an excellent cleaning machine that comes complete with Lift Away technology, Anti Hair Wrap roller brush and a Pet Power Brush specifically for tackling pet hairs around your home.
An already excellent upright vacuum cleaner is elevated with the Lift Away feature which makes cleaning stairs as well as those harder to reach places far easier.
The Shark NZ690UKT also comes with an Anti Hair Wrap technology great for dealing with hair strands. It’s also supplied with a range of tools – Turbo Pet Brus, Crevice Tool and a Multi-Surface Tool.
Shark NV602UKT Classic Upright Pet Vacuum Cleaner with Lift Away
The Shark NV602UKT is a versatile cleaning unit that easily transforms from an upright vacuum cleaner to a portable one with just one touch of Shark’s Lift Away technology.
Geared towards homes with pets, this vacuum comes with a Pet Tool that easily removes embedded pet hair. It features Anti-Allergen Complete Seal that captures and traps 99.9% of dust and allergens, according to the manufacturer.
Quite usefully the Shark NV602UKT has 2 floor modes (i) carpets and (ii) hard floors as well as swivel steering, LED headlights, and an adjustable suction control. It also comes with a long 8m power cord, a crevice tool, a multi-surface tool, and Shark’s 5-year guarantee upon registration to give extra peace of mind
” rel=”noreferrer noopener nofollow”>Shark NV602UK Classic Upright Vacuum with Lift-Away Technology
The Shark NV602UK upright vacuum cleaner is another versatile and powerful Shark vacuum cleaner that features Lift Away technology to effortlessly switch to a portable device to make lightwork of your stairs and other awkward areas.
This model also features anti-allergen complete seal technology that captures and traps 99.9% of dust and allergens meaning higher air quality after each clean.
The NV602UK comes with two-floor modes for carpets and hard floors as well as adjustable suction control and swivel steering. LED headlights provide very useful lighting in those dark corners of your rooms where dust lurks undisturbed.
The unit comes complete with a crevice tool and multi-surface tool and Shark’s five year guarantee when registered.
Best Shark Vacuum Cleaners with Powered Lift Away
Here we take a look at the best Shark vacuum cleaners with Powered Lift Away technology.
Shark NZ801UKT Classic Anti Hair Wrap Upright Pet Vacuum With Powered Lift Away
The Shark NZ801UKT is one of the most popular and highly regarded of Shark’s many upright vacuum models coming with an extensive set of highly rated customer reviews.
Equipped with Powered Lift Away giving you the full benefit of both upright and portable models with use of the floorhead, the Shark NZ801UKT also comes with a DuoClean floorhead giving your great cleaning capability across floor types.
The Shark NZ801UKT also comes with an upholstery tool, a 2 in a duster crevice tool and a pet power brush.
Shark NZ860UKT Stratos Pet Pro Anti Hair Wrap Plus Anti-Odour Upright Vacuum with Powered Lift-Away
Another impressive Shark model with full Powered Lift Away is the Shark NZ860UKT Stratos model which is designed to be Shark’s best-ever hair pick-up for long, short, and pet hair. The Powered Lift-Away feature means it can be transformed into a portable vacuum with the floor nozzle still in use to comfortably clean under furniture, sofas, up high, and more.
With Anti Hair Wrap Plus and Anti-Odour Technology, this vacuum cleaner is perfect for all floor types and protects against bad odours.
It features a DuoClean floorhead that glides from carpets to hard floors effortlessly and it also has 3 separate floor settings giving great flexibility around your home. The Shark NZ860UKT also has LED headlights to illuminate hidden dust and pet hair which far from being just nice to look at are actually incredibly useful in those areas of the home where light may not be the best.
The Shark NZ860UKT also comes with a Pet Turbo Brush, a crevice tool and a useful multi-surface tool.
