Shark ZU62 vs ZU561

The ZU62 and the ZU561 are two recent additions to the shark upright vacuum collection.

There is one main difference between these vacuums. Have a look at our review of the Shark ZU62 vs ZU561 to see what it is.

If you are in a hurry you can have a look at the comparison table below to get a brief overview of the main differences between these two vacuums.

Comparison Table

(Note: Attachments might differ depending on which retailer you purchase the vacuum from)

Shark ZU561 vs ZU62 – The Differences

• The ZU62 has a larger dust cup capacity.

• The ZU561 model has the liftaway feature.

• The ZU62 model has a longer hose length but no liftaway feature.

• The ZU62 weighs 3 lbs. more than the ZU561 model.

Which vacuum is better?

In this case it’s hard to select the better vacuum. What you have to do is decide what features are important to you.

Pick the ZU62 – The ZU62 models is targeted to pet owners. It has a larger dust cup capacity so you don’t have to constantly empty the bin when it fills up with pet hair.

What really distinguishes this vacuum though is the fact that it does not have a liftaway feature. To compensate for this Shark has given you a longer vacuum hose.

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Pick the ZU561 – If you are looking for a lightweight upright vacuum with the self-cleaning brush roll.

The liftaway feature also makes the vacuum more versatile when you want to clean hard to reach areas such as under couches.

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What is Zero M Cleaning Brush Roll

Both of these vacuums have a zero m self-cleaning brush roll.

The self-cleaning brush roll has a series of protrusions that constantly remove hair from the brush roll as you vacuum instead of having to manually do this task.

If this is one of the tasks that you dislike you will find this feature really handy.

What is Liftaway

Lift-Away means that the main unit can be detached from the wand at the click of a button, turning your upright vacuum into a portable.

Detailed Comparison of the Features

• Cleaning Performance (Tie) – Both of these vacuum have the zero m self-cleaning brush roll and should perform well on all surface types.

• Weight & Dust cup capacity (Winner ZU62) – The ZU62 model (2.8 quarts) has a larger dust cup capacity than the ZU561 model (0.9 quarts).
  If you don’t relish the ideaa of constantly having to empty the dust cup you might want to have a look at the ZU62 model.
  If the weight of a vacuum is an issue you might want to have a look at the ZU561 model which weighs less than the ZU62 model.

• Maneuverability ( Winner ZU561) – One of the unique features of Shark vacuums is the liftaway mode. This allows the vacuum to mimic a canister vacuum. The fact that you can detach the main pod allows you to vacuum hard to reach areas and above ground areas.

• Accessories (Tie) – Both the ZU561 and the ZU62 come with a wide variety of accessories.

• Cost(Tie) – Both of these models have a similar price range. The ZU561 is slightly cheaper.

Quick look at the ZU561

Who is this vacuum best suited for?

If you are looking for a lightweight upright vacuum this is a great option. It is good for pet and human hair with the zero m self-cleaning brush roll feature.

Quick look at the ZU62

Who is this vacuum best suited for?

This vacuum is suited for pet owners. It has the zero m self-cleaning brush roll so you don’t have to worry about having to physically remove hair wrapped around the brush roll.

It also comes with a large dust cup capacity so you don’t have to worry about constantly emptying the dust cup.

The only drawback is this vacuum is not a liftaway model so you can detach the pod from the vacuum cleaning head. To compensate for the lack of this feature this vacuum does have a large hose.