Our Verdict: The Shark NV602UK is a handy vacuum cleaner for a great price. Its performance can’t match premium models, but in this price range we think it’s one of the best vacuums around. In particular, we like the hard floor performance, headlights, and lift-away canister. The main downsides are the short power cable and the lack of a motorised pet tool.
Shark NV602UK
Pros:
- Excellent value for money and one of the best vacs in this price range
- Lift-Away canister is great for cleaning stairs or ceilings
- Decent all-round performance
- Suction control setting
- Headlights
Cons:
- Relatively short 8-metre cable
- No collar to push out dirt and dust
- Lacks the advanced features of pricier Shark vacuums
- No DuoClean floorhead
Thinking of buying the Shark NV602UK? Read our review of this popular upright vacuum to find out why we think it’s an excellent choice.
The Shark NV602UK is a bagless upright vacuum in the company’s “Lift-Away” range. It’s a sleek and modern vacuum cleaner with an anti-allergen seal, headlights to illuminate hidden dust, and a detachable canister. It’s also available for a great price.
We think this is an excellent budget vacuum cleaner. It lacks the DuoClean floorhead found on pricier Shark vacuums, but still does a decent job at cleaning both carpets and hard floors.
The lift-away canister and headlights are also features you wouldn’t expect to find on a budget model. However, it doesn’t come with a pet tool, so we don’t think it’s the best choice for pet owners. We also wish it had a longer power cable.
But how does this vacuum perform when cleaning around the home? And how does it compare to other Shark vacuum cleaners? Read our Shark NV602UK review to find out!
Overview of the Shark NV602UK Lift-Away’s Features
- A bagless vacuum cleaner with strong suction power.
- Carpet and hard floor modes, plus adjustable suction.
- “Lift Away” canister that makes the vacuum more versatile and convenient.
- Shark’s Anti-Allergen Complete Seal for reducing escaped allergens.
- 8-metre power cord, extendable hose, and several non-motorised tools.
- 5-year guarantee (although you need to register with Shark for this.)
The Shark NV602UK is Shark’s entry-level upright vacuum cleaner. It lacks some of the more advanced features of pricier models, such as the DuoClean floorhead and motorised pet tool, but still provides strong cleaning performance – especially for the price.
Let’s take a closer look at its features and performance, starting with the vacuum’s design.
Appearance, Features & Design
The Shark NV602UK has a modern design with a combination of black, blue and silver colours. It’s not the most stylish vacuum we’ve seen, but it’s not ugly either and is designed to be easy to use around the home.
As you would expect from a Shark vacuum, we think the NV602UK feels solid and well-constructed. Everything fits together easily and tools lock in place with a satisfying click. Shark has also included aluminium tubes and an extension hose with the NV602UK, making it easy to reach higher areas of the house.
Bagless uprights tend to have a relatively small dust capacity, but the Shark is smaller the most. With a 1.1 litre canister, be prepared to empty it regularly – particularly if you’re cleaning the whole house. Even so, it’s not the smallest we’ve reviewed by any stretch.
On the plus side, a consequence of the small canister is that the NV602UK weighs just 5.25kg. This doesn’t quite make our “Lightweight” category, but the Shark is certainly lighter than most competing upright vacuums. It’s also a full kilogram lighter than the NZ801UKT.
Lift-Away Design
One of the core features of the NV602UK is the Lift-Away design. By pressing a switch near the floorhead, you can quickly detach the canister and hold it in one hand, making it easier to vacuum ceilings, stairs, curtains, and other awkward locations with the wand.
We’re big fans of the “Lift-Away” design. While it might initially seem like a gimmick, detaching the floorhead really does make above-floor cleaning more convenient, due to the lighter weight (around 2kg lighter) and smaller size. A corded upright is never going to match the mobility of a cordless vac, but a detachable floorhead certainly helps.
It’s important to note that the NV602UK does not have powered Lift-Away (Shark’s feature names can sometimes be confusing!) Powered Lift-Away models can drive motorised tools that are attached to the wand when in Lift-Away mode, but this isn’t possible with the NV602UK.
Manoeuvrability and Ease of Use
Like most Shark vacuums, the floorhead has “swivel steering” to make it easier to manoeuvre around furniture. This, combined with the relatively lightweight design, makes the NV602UK enjoyable to use.
A downside is that the Shark NV602UK only has an eight-metre power cord. This isn’t tiny and is adequate for most situations, but is shorter than we would like and may feel restrictive in large houses. For comparison, the Dyson Ball Animal 2 has a 10.8-metre cable, while the Vax Air Stretch Max Pet has a massive 13-metre cord.
It also doesn’t include Shark’s “Flexology” design, which is a bend in the main tube for getting under furniture. While this isn’t a make-or-break feature, Shark’s Flexology vacuums are certainly more convenient and easier to store.
Other Design Features
One of the things we like about Shark vacuums is they tend to include headlights on the floorhead. This isn’t an essential feature, but the NV602UK’s headlights make it easier to spot dirt and dust that you might otherwise miss.
Other than that, there aren’t many advanced features included with the NV602UK, although we think the vac feels well-designed and easy to use.
Tools & Accessories
Floorhead
Unfortunately, the NV602UK doesn’t come with Shark’s excellent DuoClean floorhead. For those that don’t know, the DuoClean has two brush bars, which combine to pick up both large debris and smaller dust.
Instead, the NV602UK is built with Shark’s standard floorhead that contains a single brush bar. This is a shame, but we wouldn’t expect Shark’s entry-level model to include the DuoClean.
While the standard floorhead isn’t as effective as the DuoClean, it’s no slouch either. The brush bar helps stir up more dirt and dust, while there are two settings depending on the type of floor you’re cleaning. It also does a surprisingly good job of picking up pet hair (more on that later.)
Other Tools and Accessories
The Shark NV602UK comes with the basic toolset you expect from upright vacuums. This includes an upholstery tool for sofas, crevice tool, and dusting brush. There’s also an extendable hose that can extend up to 1.45 metres.
Each tool is quick to attach and detach as needed. They aren’t too stiff, which is a common problem for many vacuums.
Sadly, the NV602UK doesn’t come with a pet turbo tool. You’ll need to pay a bit more for the NV602UKT True Pet for that.
Note: Shark sells several additional accessories for the NV602UK. These include a car detail kit, HEPA filter, and anti hair-wrap pet tool.
Suction Power & Cleaning Performance
Shark has designed the NV602UK to be suitable for all floors in the home. There’s only one floorhead, but it comes with a button for switching between hard floor and carpet modes. There’s also an adjustable suction control setting that’s useful for when you’re vacuuming rugs or thick carpets. These are welcome features, as many budget upright vacuums don’t include them.
Overall, the Shark provides decent all-round cleaning performance. It provides strong suction power, despite only being 750W, and is a versatile vacuum cleaner. In fact, it’s hard to beat the NV602UK when it comes to value for money. Let’s take a closer look at how it handles common cleaning tasks.
Carpets
The Shark NV602UK Lift-Away is an excellent choice for cleaning carpets – at least in this price range. The combination of brush bar and powerful suction does a great job of getting dirt and debris out from carpet fibres. If you haven’t upgraded your vacuum in a while, you might be surprised at how much dirt the NV602UK pulls out of your carpets!
It’s not the best carpet vacuum we’ve reviewed though. For example, we think the more expensive Shark vacuums do a better job at removing dust that’s caught deep in carpet fibres. Still, it’s a solid performer for the price.
Be aware that the strong suction can make it difficult to push on thick pile carpets. That’s a good thing though – especially as it’s easy to reduce the suction power if necessary.
Hard Floors
When in “Hard Floor” mode, the Shark NV602UK is a strong vacuum cleaner for tiles and hardwood. Being able to quickly switch between the two modes also makes it a versatile choice.
Despite not having the DuoClean floor tool, the NV602UK’s strong suction means it does a decent job at picking up larger debris and is great for floorboards. It’s not the best on laminate flooring though, which is something to keep in mind if you have this floor type in your house.
Stairs
The Lift-Away design makes it much more convenient to clean stairs compared with regular upright vacuums. You don’t need to worry about balancing the floorhead on narrow steps, or pulling the extendable hose up the entire staircase.
With that said, the lack of a motorised pet tool makes it harder to give carpeted stairs a thorough clean. The NV602UK still provides decent performance on stairs, however, due to the strong suction power.
Pet Hair
The NV602UK’s floorhead is reasonably effective at removing hair from carpets and hard floors. Whether you have a dog, cat, or other pet, the NV602UK can quickly remove surface hair from carpets. It does find it hard to remove clumps of hair that are stuck in deep pile carpets though.
Additionally, it struggles to remove hair when cleaning upholstery and stairs, due to the lack of a pet turbo tool. If you have a pet who sheds a lot, we recommend buying one of Shark’s True Pet models instead.
Note: The NV602UKT is the True Pet version of the NV602UK, which includes a pet turbo tool.
Filtration
One of the great things about the NV602UK is that it comes with Shark’s anti-allergen seal. This traps more dust and other allergens than previous Shark models (up to 99.9% of particles that are bigger than 0.3 microns.) There’s also both a pre and post-motor filter, both of which have a washable design.
We still wouldn’t recommend the Shark for people with anything other than mild allergies though. While it has strong filtration, it doesn’t have a HEPA filter, which is the gold standard for removing small allergens from the air. Bagless vacuums are also impossible to empty without dust escaping, which is why bagged vacs are the best option for allergy sufferers.
Emptying & Cleaning
Emptying the Shark NV602UK is straightforward, as you just need to remove the canister and let the dust fall into the bin. It’s best to do this into your outdoors black bin to avoid dust escaping into the house. A downside to this simple system is that sometimes clumps of dust and hair can get caught, which then need to be removed by hand.
Unfortunately, the brush bar can’t be removed for easy cleaning. It’s still relatively easy to use scissors to cut away wrapped hair though, which is important as this model doesn’t include Shark’s Anti Hair wrap technology.
Price & Competitor Comparison
As it’s often available for under £200, we think the Shark NV602UK Lift-Away provides excellent value for money. It also comes with a 5-year guarantee – although make sure you register for this with Shark after you buy.
One of the Shark NV602UK’s closest competitors is the Dyson Small Ball Allergy. While both are high-quality vacuums, the Shark is lighter, has a lift-out cylinder, and is available for a cheaper price. On the other hand, the Dyson has a longer power cord and HEPA filter, so the right option depends on your requirements.
Specification Table
| Ninja Column 1 | Ninja Column 2 |
|---|---|
| Price Range | ££ |
| Power | 750W |
| Cord Length | 8 metres |
| Weight | 5.25kg |
| Capacity | 1.1 litres |
| Noise | 80dB |
| Motorised Pet Tool | No |
| Hose | Yes |
| Filter | Washable |
Frequently Asked Questions
How Does the NV602UK Compare to the Older NV601UK?
The NV602UK has replaced the previous NV601UK, although the changes are minor upgrades rather than a complete redesign. In terms of improvements, the NV602UK is lighter, has adjustable suction, and a more convenient design, so it’s definitely worth buying ahead of the older model.
Does The NV602UK Have a Pet Tool?
No, this model doesn’t include a pet tool. If you have pets, it’s worth upgrading to the “True Pet” version, as this includes an air-powered pet tool.
Verdict
In summary, we think the Shark NV602UK is one of the company’s best vacuum cleaners in the budget price range. It provides strong suction power, a convenient Lift-Away design, and decent all-round performance. It’s also available for a very reasonable price.
Of course, there are some downsides to this model, which you would expect considering this one of the cheaper models in the Shark range. The power cord is shorter than we would like, and you should be prepared to empty it regularly. There’s also no motorised pet tool, which is why we don’t recommend this model for pet owners.
Despite these minor drawbacks, for most people the NV602UK is an excellent upright vacuum cleaner.