Shark Rotator Vs. Dyson Ball Vacuums

Shark and Dyson are popular brands and they both specialize in bagless vacuums. Dyson is likely more highly regarded, but Shark’s Rotator Lift-Away Series brings a lot to the table. The latest Dyson Multi Floor 2 is honestly a really great vacuum. I am not a fan of any of the new Cinetic vacuums, so you won’t see me talk about those here. If you’re interested I talk about why in my analysis of Miele Vs. Dyson vacuums.

Let’s get to it!

Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away TruePet (NV752) Vs. Dyson Ball Multi Floor 2

The Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away TruePet caters to the needs of the average pet owner, touting its
versatility and high performance across a number of surfaces, with customization and all the tools you need for cleaning up pet hair.

The Dyson Ball Multi Floor 2 boasts itself as a lighter, more compact upgrade from its
predecessor, the Dyson Ball Multi Floor; and relies on its brand’s reputation of elegance,
engineering, and having the best bang for the buck. The bang in the case of any vacuum cleaner is
suction, and whether or not it’s actually picking up the mysteries hiding in your carpet pile.

Suction

From just a numbers perspective the Shark blows the Dyson away at 270AW (air watts) versus
245AW.

Carpet Performance

Dyson’s multi floor functionality relies on automatic adjustment to the surface. Deep pile carpets may
be difficult to negotiate through and the suction may end up “lifting” the carpet.

The Shark, however, has two manual brush height settings as well as a manual hard floor setting. This allows the user to
customize the brush height to suit their needs.

Hardwood and Tile Performance

Both vacuums did well on hardwood surfaces (it’s recommended that the user retract the beater brush
on the Dyson when cleaning hardwood floors), however the Shark didn’t fare as well on tile.

Pet Hair

When the words “TruePet” are in the product name, one would hope that it would deliver, and it does.
Both the Shark and the Dyson do a great job of handling pet hair. If you really want to see for yourself,
there are plenty of product demo videos on the web where eager YouTubers gleefully display the
contents of their canisters. Ew. For those with long-haired pets/people, neither model offers a self-
cleaning brush.

Versatility & Accessories

Versatility really sets this Shark model apart from the Dyson. The Shark is a 3-in-1 vacuum which converts quickly from an upright to a canister or handheld. This gives the user the option of converting the upright to a canister which frees the full length of the wand and hose to vacuum in hard-to-reach
spaces.

The transition is a little clumsy between these three modes, and the vacuum in upright mode is
a little top-heavy and wobbles on the small axis of the Shark’s tennis-ball-sized head joint.

The Dyson, while it doesn’t present as many options or accessories is a) more stable, and b) allows for
easy extension of the wand, as well as a motorized brush to dig deep into the pile in those hard-to-reach
places. The transition from upright to stick is more ergonomic and doesn’t involve completely
changing the vacuum’s essential carriage.

A fundamental advantage for the Shark is it’s LED light display. These lights allow the user enhanced
visibility while working in tight spaces

The consumer must ask themselves, “Which option is more efficient in my home?” As someone who
has cleaned up after their fair share of kids and pets, both options present equal advantages and
challenges.

Accessories

While the Dyson does not have the Shark’s versatility, it is does have simplicity.
The Dyson comes with far fewer accessories than the Shark.

The Shark comes packed with tools designed for hardwood, upholstery, and crevices. These include the: Dusting Genie (crevice tool with
the standard adjustable brush), pet upholstery tool, dusting brush, TruePet Motorized Brush with
suction release, Hard Floor Genie with microfiber pad insert (dry mop only, machine washable). The
storage bin (Canister Caddy) in which these attachments are contained can convert into a canister
vacuum by attaching the upright bin carriage system into the Canister Caddy’s attachment port.

This realist believes less is more.

Dyson, of course, offers a number of specialized attachments for
every purpose as an additional cost. But, the three simple Dyson attachments included can easily do the
work of four of the five that Shark provides. The neck easily pulls away to extend into a free wand and
acts as a hand-held for drapes, etc. The crevice, motorized, and brush attachments attach to the wand
and fulfill each carpet and upholstery need.

My big caveat is Shark’s hard floor attachment (Hard Floor Genie) which is a great option to replace
daily dry-mopping.

Filtration

Both instruments feature proprietary HEPA certified filtration systems. Both units’ filtration systems
can be washed, dried, and reinstalled. Both models require two filtration pads. Both instruments
advertise a sealed unit. The moment in which the user is most disposed to dust will be the emptying of
the dustbin.

Dustbin Emptying

There’s no way to get around it. Emptying any vacuum, bin or bag, will expose the user to dust. Dyson
definitely does provide the superior design advantage- the press and drop. The lever to release the bin’s
contents is far above the contents, so you don’t have to be face-level with the dust bin as you release the
waste. In comparison, the Shark’s dust bin requires closer contact with the bin latch to release the
content.

Warranty

Shark provides a 5 year warranty on parts and labor if the consumer makes their purchase through the
manufacturer. Dyson provides 5 years on parts and labor for all corded machines.

Let’s go on to our next comparison, and take a look at..

Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away Speed (NV682) Vs. Dyson Ball Multi Floor 1

Before we look at specifics, I would like to make note of something which came to my attention over
the course of writing this review. Shark’s product names, while very descriptive and precise, are also
very long. That makes them hard to remember. Just a note…

Suction

I don’t feel like this is really a fair comparison. The Ball 1 is substantially larger and more powerful
than the Shark Speed. The Shark Speed is a compact version of its big sister vac, the TruePet.

The Speed weighs in just shy of 14 lbs and is much smaller than the Ball 1 which weighs in just over 17 lbs.
At 245AW the Ball 1 has much greater suction than the Shark Speed (180AW).

Carpet Performance

The Dyson Ball performs beautifully on carpet. Some people may have some of the same issues as the
Ball 2 (the “lifting” of carpet), but in general it transitions smoothly from carpet to hardwood and back
again, and finds the debris other vacuum cleaners leave behind.

The Shark Speed does not perform as well as it’s big sister, the TruePet. The Speed consistently has
problems with debris being left behind upon “pull-back”.

Hardwood and Tile Performance

The Dyson performed beautifully on hard floor surfaces. The Speed had the some of the same issues
with pull back debris.

Pet Hair

Both models do well with pet hair, however Shark’s specific pet hair accessory tool (the Pet Power
Brush) tended to get bogged down with extra fine undercoat during trials.

Versatility & Accessories

One of the accessories I like most about all of these Shark models is the LED headlight and the quick
transition from upright to hand-held for cleaning underneath furniture. Shark really loves to give the
consumer a lot of attachment options, and this model comes with many of the same attachments as the
TruePet, the exception being the smaller pet hair accessory- the Pet Power Brush.

The Shark Speed is also a 3-in-1 model, transitioning from upright to hand-held to canister. The Shark Speed fared best in
upright and hand-held modes.

In trials, the Canister Caddy attachment appeared awkward and clunky,
and did not follow the user smoothly. In trials, one of the main complaints was the length of the hose
both in the canister and hand-held modes.

Filtration

Both instruments feature proprietary HEPA certified filtration systems. Both units’ filtration systems
can be washed, dried, and reinstalled. Both models require two filtration pads. Both instruments
advertise a sealed unit.

Dustbin Emptying

Both instruments empty in the same manner as their predecessors. However, the Shark Speed’s dustbin
is significantly smaller than that of the TruePet. The Speed’s canister maxes out at a mere 0.9 L (0.237
gal).

Warranty

Shark provides a 5 year warranty on parts and labor if the consumer makes their purchase through the
manufacturer. Dyson provides 5 years on parts and labor for all corded machines.
In general, these models are similar to those we examined above.

The Shark Speed is a little smaller than the TruePet, less powerful, and doesn’t have the reach of the TruePet. It also has a much smaller
dust cup. The Dyson Ball 1 is an older model than the Ball 2, but is almost identical to the newer
model, except it’s a little heavier and a minuscule difference in dust-cup capacity.

For our last comparison, let’s look at two heavy duty models…

Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away (NV753) Vs. Dyson Big Ball Canister

With all of the options available with the Shark Rotator Lift-Away NV753, it makes a great budget substitute for the Dyson Big Ball canister (non-Cinetic).

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…

You’re not going to get the same performance as the Dyson Big Ball, but with the many cleaning attachments and lift-off function of the Shark you will be able to clean anywhere you could with the Dyson Big Ball.

The Dyson Big Ball canister is the best bagless canister available, but honestly there just isn’t much competition in that category.

Suction

Much like the TruePet vs Ball 1, the Shark NV753 is more powerful than the Dyson at 270AW vs.
245AW.

Carpet Performance

Both models have excellent carpet performance. The Shark NV753 is essentially identical to the TruePet and its carpet performance is equally good. Again, much like the TruePet, the user has morecontrol over carpet depth than one would with the Dyson.

Hardwood and Tile Performance

Again, both instruments performed well on hard floors. The Dyson fared better on tile than the Shark.

Pet Hair

Both instruments did an excellent job at removing pet hair. The Shark NV753 does not have a
specialized tool for pet hair, so if pet hair is your main concern, the TruePet may be a better option.

Versatility & Accessories

The biggest consideration between these two models is the simple fact that the Dyson is a canister and
can only be a canister vac, whereas the Shark NV753 (as with the other two models we examined) can
transition from upright to canister to hand-held.

If you are a fan of canister style vacuums, the Shark may not be your instrument. Trial after trial shows
the Shark in its Canister Caddy tipping over or getting stuck in the pile.

All Dyson canister-style vacuums have a central turning axis, which makes them more maneuverable.

The Dyson Big Ball adds to this maneuverability, featuring a self-righting canister that will roll itself
back into the upright position should it tip over. As a bonus, the Dyson Big Ball Canister’s cord is retractable.

Filtration

Both instruments feature proprietary HEPA certified filtration systems. Both units’ filtration systems
can be washed, dried, and reinstalled. Both models require two filtration pads. Both instruments
advertise a sealed unit.

Dustbin Emptying

The Shark’s dust bin is nearly twice as large as that of the Dyson (0.83 gal versus 0.42 gal)
The Dyson’s dust bin has improved disposal, as the bin release is pushed, the length of the bin ejects,
pushing the debris out of the container and retracts back into place.

Warranty

Shark provides a 5 year warranty on parts and labor if the consumer makes their purchase through the
manufacturer. Dyson provides 5 years on parts and labor for all corded machines.