Shark Rotator LA502 Review

Our Analysis & Test Results

Even though this Lift-Away dustbin on the Shark Rotator LA502 doesn't power the floor nozzle like in Powered Lift-Away models, it still lets you lift the dustbin and move around while using hand tools. If you've ever tipped over a vacuum while using a hand tool attachment, you might appreciate this feature like we do. My favorite included hand tool is the Self-cleaning Pet Power Brush, which has a mini spinning brush roller that does a great job grabbing pet hair on dog beds, sofas, and stairs.

Carpet Performance

While some people are starting to look for vacuums solely for their hardwood and vinyl floors, most still choose vacuums for their carpet cleaning needs first. We started our tests on low pile carpet, the most common type, but we also tested on high pile carpet. What is high pile carpet? While wall-to-wall shag carpet is rare these days, trendy soft and shaggy area rugs are all the rage, so we include thick carpets in our tests, too. Our analysis includes cleaner head designs because these components can create surprising results when vacuuming up different kinds of material on different surfaces.

High Pile Low Pile

We start our carpet tests by measuring and weighing ½ cup each of sand, rice, and Cheerios, representing three common debris sizes and weight characteristics found in many households. We then spread the mix over a 3' x 9' section of both carpet types, giving us space to maneuver each machine forward and backward with some side angles actions — just like most people do in their homes. To make our tests difficult (and repeatable), we limit each test run to just 24 seconds. This is a challenging test for all vacuum types we review, and we repeat each test as needed to generate an accurate average collection amount.

Low Pile

The Rotator LA502 collected 88% of our debris, an average showing compared to other upright vacuums we tested.

At first glance, I thought the Rotator did an awesome job, picking up everything quickly. However, once I lifted the dustbin to weigh the results, I literally gasped because there was so much sand on the filter. I experienced this same problem with the Shark PowerDetect AZ4002, so there must be some bin design issue that struggles to handle high volumes of sand in some situations.

The second time I ran this same test, it cleaned up the lane and delivered a stellar 96% collection rate without accumulating much sand on the filter. So what's going on here? I suspect a bin partially full of typical household dirt and dust bunnies could catch and soften occasional sand from ricocheting inside the bin and exiting it to the filter. If this is true, it's possible that the machine sucked up enough Cheerios and rice to soften the flow of rice in the wild vortex of air movement inside the dust bin, keeping it where it's supposed to be. Still, I would not recommend this machine to anyone living near a beach or desert or with kids who frequently play in a sandbox.

High Pile

High pile carpet has long fibers that let tiny debris slip down deep into the carpet where it can hide from suction and brush roller agitation, making it harder for machines to collect it. This machine only collected an average of 50% of our test debris on high pile carpet, slightly below average compared to other vacuums.

The floor nozzle rolled over much of the debris, leaving a smattering of rice, sand, and Cheerios. I don't believe the brush roller design can agitate deep carpet particularly well.

Overall Carpet Cleaning Performance

The Rotator turned in average performances on both low pile and high pile carpet.

Despite the poor showing and the issue with sand in the filter, I have some hope that households without sand challenges will experience excellent results on low pile carpet, as indicated by the second test run that successfully collected so much material. If sand is a nemesis in your home, I recommend you consider the Shark Stratos, which performed much better with our sandy stress tests. If you're looking for a beast on carpet, the more affordable Kenmore Intuition 3-in-1 crushed both our low pile and high pile tests, earning it a Best for Carpet Top Pick award from our editors.

Hardwood Performance

The Rotator collected 94% of our test debris on a hardwood floor, far above average and within a few percentage points of our test leaders.

On the forward passes it easily rolled over the Cheerios, collecting them while also sucking up most of the rice and sand. I've found this successful pattern consistent with any Shark vacuum that uses a DuoClean floor nozzle with a tall, soft front roller and a second primary roller behind it. I did notice some slight backplowing on reverse passes, but the forward direction was so impressive it didn't bother me much.

Interestingly, I did not experience any sand collection on the filter in this test as I did on low pile carpet, indicating that sand might accumulate rarely and only in special circumstances, i.e., with an empty dustbin and a heavy load of sand.

Before Testing After Testing

Crevice

If you have tile floors or tricky floor transitions in your home with gaps that can fill with dirt, the Rotator will likely work well for you and save you the effort of pulling out a crevice tool.

Edges

With a head-on attempt, the Rotator collected most of the coffee grounds. It will be reasonably effective at nabbing crumbs that fall from kitchen counters and accumulate under the toe kick area.

Before Testing After Testing

The parallel pass was even better, sucking up all of the coffee grounds. This indicates that those with long hallways can use this machine to vacuum along walls effectively.

Overall Hardwood Cleaning Performance

This model is very capable if you're looking for an affordable midrange vacuum that performs well on hardwood.

I particularly like how the soft front roller on the DuoClean floor nozzle tackles large debris while nabbing tiny particles and dust, leaving me with smooth, clean hardwood floors. Very nice.

If you want the best of the best on hardwood, the Stratos is the machine to beat. If you're not concerned with a soft brush roller, the QuickShift OmniVerse costs more than $100 less than the Rotator but collects just as much and sometimes more of our test debris.

Pet Hair

This vacuum performed really well on low pile carpet, almost nonchalantly sucking up 86% of the hair! I was amazed.

When I flipped the cleaner head, I only found a tiny lump of hair caught in the tines of the brush roller and only a small portion of the long hair wrapped around the brush roller.

While it only collected 73% of the hair on high pile carpet, that's still well above average. When we consider both types of carpet together, the Shark Rotator easily earned our recommendation as the Best Upright Vacuum for Pet Hair.

Filtration & Suction

Dylos specializes in air quality monitoring. We utilize two Dylos particle meters to detect the amount of small(0.5-2.5 microns) and large (>2.5 microns) particles in the room. As the amount of particles starts increase, air quality becomes a concern.

The meters did not flag any notable spike from the room's baseline, indicating excellent filtration — which we typically find when we test vacuums that include HEPA filters like this one.

According to Dylos, any readings that do not spike more than 75 particles in the air are considered excellent. This machine is unlikely to increase sensitivities for those sensitive to pet dander, pollen, or dust.

Suction

We've found that this 500~ suction range tends to be a sweet spot for excellent performance at the cleaner head (and is also a good indicator that hand tools will work similarly well).

If you look closely at the chart above, you might wonder which machine turned in the 2,389 Pascals score. That would be the Dyson Ball Animal, which is also a great all-around vacuum, but strong suction can come with a compromise. As suction increases, so does its resistance to pushing and pulling the machine, making more effort to clean the house.

Ease of Use

When I initially started testing upright vacuum cleaners, I was taken aback by the notable differences in their handling. Some were difficult to push, whereas others were adept at tackling carpets, moving smoothly over hardwood, and turning effortlessly around furniture.

Our ease-of-use tests provide insights into our experiences with each model, and these rankings can be particularly beneficial for those with complex home layouts or worries about strength, balance, and even maintenance.

Maneuverability

To evaluate how easy or difficult it is to move a vacuum cleaner through a home, I run them through a maneuverability obstacle course. I transition them from hardwood floors to a bamboo mat to test how easily they can be pushed onto rugs or higher sections of flooring. Plus, I swerve vacuums around cones and slide them under furniture to assess their overall performance.

I liked the Rotator. It was easy to maneuver around the cones in my obstacle course, and it glided right onto the bamboo mat, no questions asked. Many other vacuums stumble onto this hard, raised mat, and I think it did better than some of the larger Sharks because it weighs less, just 13.7 pounds.

I also liked the easy head swivel action for turning around coffee table legs, but the canister did limit reaching far underneath coffee tables, sofas, and chairs. The Lift-Away feature is non-powered, so all it really did was let me ditch the cleaner head to gain some mobility for when I tested the hand tool attachments.

Maintenance

Some vacuums are super easy to maintain and clean, while others are not. This section is for you if you've ever fought to get debris out of a poorly designed dustbin. I put each vacuum through its paces, evaluating how easy it is to clean components and filters.

Many of Shark's dustbins have two compartments, which means you sometimes have to empty debris from both compartments, giving you a single extra step. It's slightly more complicated than some dustbins but hardly a challenge. The filters are easy to access and clean, and I could remove the front brush roller for cleaning when it eventually got dirty. The main brush roller isn't removable, but at least there aren't any extra annoying tines or braces that make it harder to cut away wrapped hair or string.

Upholstery & Attachments

While we often use our vacuums to clean floors, great hand tools can help you clean pet beds, upholstery, or even your car.

To test upholstery performance, I spread coffee grounds on a throw pillow and use the most appropriate attachment to clean it. For this test, I chose the Self-Cleaning Pet Power Brush, which sucked up all but two crumbs of the coffee grounds — an above-average result. Aside from coffee grounds, I think this brush roller will be handy for cleaning pet beds, furniture, and carpeted stairs.

Should You Buy the Shark Rotator?

The Shark Rotator LA502 is particularly good at collecting pet hair from common low pile carpets, and it's also great at cleaning hardwood floors, making it a versatile pick for pet owners with dogs and cats that shed hair no matter what floor they walk over. It's relatively lightweight and nimble compared to larger uprights, making it easier to use for those with strength or balance issues, and its midrange price point makes it a solid overall value. Our only quibble is concern for those who often face sandy debris challenges because it occasionally shuttled sand to the filter in our tests rather than keeping it in the bin.

What Other Upright Vacuums Should You Consider?