In the debate between the Shark AZ1002 vs Dyson Ball Animal 3, the second one comes out as the winner, but that is a thin win.
Overall, the crazy strong suction is everything the Dyson Ball Animal 3 is known for. Given the high price tag it comes with, it should be equipped with nice features like LED lights and an automatic cord receiver.
The Shark AZ1002, on the other hand, has many bells and whistles. But what sets it a bit behind its rival in this battle is that it is heavier and features a smaller dust cup as well as a shorter power cord. Anyway, you have to take the bad with the good in any upright vacuum!
Shark AZ1002 vs Dyson Ball Animal 3: Comparison Chart
Shark AZ1002 vs Dyson Ball Animal 3: Differences
The Dyson Ball Animal 3 wins 2-1 and ties one against the Shark AZ1002. The former generates incredible suction that can be adjusted to adapt to many different surfaces. It’s also lighter (but still heavy), has a larger dust cup, and features a longer cord.
Cleaning Performance
Winner: Tie
The Shark AZ1002 has excellent suction, which is enough to do the job on both hardwood and carpet. After the first pass with this machine, I had to raise my eyebrows because of how clean my floors were, and it also captured so much dust and pet hair from my carpet.
But this machine tried to pull itself forward on my carpet, perhaps partly due to its strong suction. However, there is no way to adjust its suction power. I asked myself why Shank removed the ability to adjust the suction on this model while cheaper models like the NV352 have a small ring on the handle that allowed me to do this. So, if you use this one on a carpet, I recommend leaving the main body attached rather than detaching it from the floorhead since its weight will help counter this.
One of the selling points of the Shark AZ1002 is its DuoClean floorhead, which has two rollers: a soft roller at the front and a finned and bristled brush roll in the center. The center brush roll is designed to limit tangled hair, which is why it is referred to as “zero maintenance” (Zero-M) or “self-cleaning.” This design isn’t perfect since I sometimes had to remove a small amount of longer hair by hand, but it is still truly a miracle for pet owners.
The Dyson Ball Animal 3 is sold with the claim that it has excellent suction, and I don’t think that is an exaggeration. I tested it on both carpet and hard floors, and it picked up more than I expected. It captured everything from the tiniest particles to bigger stuff on these surfaces, and its performance wasn’t degraded as its dust cup fills up.
On the high-pile carpet, I found it a bit difficult to push the machine, even though I set the slider to the rightmost position. But anyway, it was much easier to maneuver than the Dyson Ball Animal 2, its predecessor.
The amount of pet hair it picked up also made me sometimes wonder if my dog is disappearing. Its floor head has a hair removal design, allowing the majority of the sucked hair to be sent into the dust cup instead of ending up on the roller.
Both the Shark AZ1002 vs Dyson Ball Animal 3 generally did a good job of cleaning both hard floors and carpets, but they were a bit difficult to maneuver on high-pile carpets. In addition, they could minimize the hair wrap issue, making them ideal for users with pets that shed like crazy. So I call this round a tie!
Design
Winner: Dyson Ball Animal 3
Weight and Maneuverability
The Dyson Ball Animal 3 is really heavy, and lugging it up and down stairs can be a serious chore. It has a ball-shaped mechanism that makes it pivot effortlessly to deal with corners, but it is impossible to get under beds and the like. That said, you may constantly need to switch to the hand-held hose to get the job done, which is helpful but also quite awkward to maneuver.
The Shark AZ1002 is even heavier than its competitor, at 18 lbs, and is even one of the heaviest Shark uprights I have ever touched. And, of course, pushing it is really a daunting task for many users, especially non-workout guys. My forearms got quite a workout carrying this one around. It has a twist steer setup that is nice and smooth, but it can take a little getting used to.
Range
The Shark AZ1002 has a 30-foot power cord, while the Dyson Ball Animal 3 takes the lead once again with a 35-foot cord. I have no complaints about anything over 30 feet long, and I don’t think I need an extension cord to reach everywhere in my house. But these cords would be more convenient if they were retractable.
Dust Cup Capacity And Filter
Winner: Dyson Ball Animal 3
The Shark AZ1002 sports a 0.88-quart dust cup, which is smaller than the 1.28-quart dust canister of the Dyson Ball Animal 3. Both canisters, to my mind, are large enough that you don’t have to empty them too frequently. But they are also both rather narrow, and you may have to get debris out by hand.
Both the Shark AZ1002 vs Dyson Ball Animal 3 boast HEPA filters that are removable and washable. You can keep these filters for much longer by taking the extra few minutes to wash them after each session or so. I advise buying extra filters so that when they are cleaned, you can alternate while the ones that were just washed dry out.
Utilities
Winner: Shark AZ1002
Alternate Configuration
The AZ1002 belongs to the Vertex line, which includes premium Shark uprights. So it is not surprising that this model is equipped with the most cutting-edge features from the brand, and one of them is “powered lift-away.”
This feature provides power to the cleaner head of the AZ1002 and keeps its rollers spinning after lifting its dust canister. That way, it can not only be used as a semi-handheld vacuum like most of its siblings but can also be converted into a stick vacuum. In the stick configuration, it can easily go further under furniture, which the Dyson Ball Animal 3 and many other uprights can’t do due to the bulky size of their pods.
As for the Dyson Ball Animal 3, it has no alternate configuration. So the only way to clean under furniture is to leave it completely upright and use its hose along with an attachment, which is much more time-consuming. I found that this vacuum was tough to put in an upright position and was prone to tipping.
LED Headlights
Another thing that the AZ1002 has over its competitor is that it sports LED lights on both the floorhead and handle. The LED headlights illuminate your cleaning path and help make dust and dirt visible. This feature will come into play whenever you clean areas your ceiling lights can’t reach. As for the light on the handle, it will come in handy when you use the AZ1002 in its semi-handheld configuration.
The Dyson Ball Animal 3 has no lights at all, which disappointed me quite a bit. For the money Dyson is asking for this model, they should put some LEDs on its cleaner head.
Controls
The Dyson Ball Animal 3 has a slide on its floorhead. It allows you to change the head height and suction force according to the surface you are cleaning: the far left setting is ideal for hard floors, the center position is for low-pile carpets, and the rightmost position is for high-pile carpets. It also has a brushroll on/off button, so you can switch the roller off to avoid scratching your bare floors.
There is a slider on the handle of the AZ1002, which is used to switch between three surface-type settings: “Hard Floor,” “Carpet/Low Pile,” and “Thick Carpet/Area Rug.” I think this is a huge improvement, and your back will be grateful for this because you no longer have to bend over to press a switch as you would with Shark Navigator vacuums. Unfortunately, it lacks suction adjustment, which should be a must-have.
Quick Rundown Of Dyson Ball Animal 3
- Removes dirt, allergens and pet hair around your home. Easily tackles big messes.
- Automatically clears wrapped hair from the brush bar as you clean.
- Navigate around obstacles with a simple turn of the wrist. For easy, precise maneuvering around your home.
- Select the right cleaning mode for the right task. Optimized for a variety of floor types, for complete control over your clean.
- Stair tool and combination tool
Quick Rundown Of Shark AZ1002
- SELF-CLEANING BRUSHROLL: The vacuum that deep-cleans now cleans itself. Engineered for more pet hair pickup with no hair wrap (vs. Shark bristle nozzles).
- DUOCLEAN TECHNOLOGY: Dual-brushroll system deep-cleans carpets and directly engages floors for a polished look.
- POWERED LIFT-AWAY: Detachable pod for motorized cleaning under furniture or detach the nozzle to clean above the floor, on upholstery, furniture, stairs and more.
- ANTI-ALLERGEN COMPLETE SEAL: Works with HEPA filter to trap dust and allergens inside the vacuum cleaner.
- NOISE REDUCTION TECHNOLOGY: Expertly tuned to reduce noise and soften pitch.
Product Video
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References:
- Dyson Ball Animal 3: https://www.dyson.com/vacuum-cleaners/uprights/ball-animal-3
- Shark AZ1002: https://support.sharkclean.com/hc/en-us/sections/360005914260-AZ1000-Series
Victor K. Giles is a leading consultant and expert in vacuum cleaner technology with over a decade of experience. As a mechanical engineering graduate in the University of Michigan, he specializes in product development, design optimization, and performance analysis. Victor collaborates with manufacturers and educates consumers, making her a sought-after guest speaker at industry events. His work has been featured in renowned publications, and he shares his expertise on his blog, “The Vacuum Teria”. Victor’s passion for cleaner, healthier living spaces drives his to help clients choose the best vacuum solutions for their needs.