Shark ION P50 Powered Lift-Away Cordless Upright Vacuum - Model IC162

Shark ION P50 (IC162) Powered Lift-Away is cordless and bagless, convertible upright vacuum cleaner with detachable Lift-Away pod. Shark ION P50 (IC162) combine features of some of the best Shark's 'Powered Lift-Away' uprights with DuoClean main cleaner head with the freedom of cordless vacuums.

Power fade-free lithium ion battery stores enough energy for almost corded cleaning power, at least in the ION BOOST mode. Shark ION P50 (IC162) also features removable battery, allowing for much longer cleaning sessions with the minimum interruptions.

Updated: June 23, 2019.

Shark ION P50 (IC162) Powered Lift-Away Features and Specifications

Shark ION P50 (IC162) is powered via 8-cell, 28.8 volts lithium ion battery, providing up to 50 minutes of operation on the single battery charge - unit  is rated at 260 watts (9 Amps at 28.8 volts)

If the second battery is available, it can be replaced within several seconds.

Battery can be charged in several ways:

- out of vacuum: charger cable is plugged directly into the battery, and the charger is plugged into the wall socket.

- in the vacuum: charger cable is plugged into the vacuum itself, and the charger is plugged into the wall socket.

- in the charging cradle: battery can be charged by placing it directly into the charging cradle (with the charger cable connected to the charging cradle).

- in the 'Charge & Go' dock: Shark ION P50 (IC162) is placed into the 'Charge & Go' dock and the battery is automatically being charged - charger cable is plugged into the 'Charge & Go' and the charger is plugged into the wall socket.

When the unit arrives, for safety reasons the battery is almost discharged (some 30% of full charge). So, before the very first vacuuming, it is required to fully charge the battery - it takes some 3.5 - 4 hours to fully charge the empty battery.

Thanks to the charge indicator lights, user can easily see the status of the battery, regardless if it is charging or in use.

Shark ION P50 (IC162) comes with ION Power Core Charging Cradle, ION Power Core Charger and the ION Power Core Battery (one battery!).

Note: 'Charge & Go' dock is sold separately. Also, Shark ION P50 (IC162) is relatively simple to use Powered Lift-Away cordless unit, but in order to use it fully, and to get accustomed to the new unit, it is highly recommended to read the manual before the first use - before the first battery charge!

Shark ION P50 (IC162) can be used for cleaning various floors and for cleaning elevated surfaces, too.

It is suitable as the main vacuum cleaner in small and medium homes and apartments and with second, or even third battery, it can be used as the main vacuum cleaner even in large homes and apartments.

DuoClean main cleaner head features has a bristle brush and and a soft brushroll which clean in unison. Bristle brush helps with the cleaning of carpeted areas, while soft brush roll helps in cleaning larger objects.

DuoClean main cleaner head is excellent for vacuuming tiles and carpets, and resistant hardwood floors. Owners of delicate and sensitive wooden floors should test-clean a small floor area in order to check if the bristle brush leaves any marks on the floor surface - bristle brush is relatively gentle, but better safe than sorry...

Shark ION P50 (IC162) features Powered Lift-Away technology, allowing it to be quickly and easily converted when required. It can be used as:

- cordless upright vacuum cleaner: this mode is used for vacuuming the floors using DuoClean main cleaner head,

- Powered Lift-Away mode is used for vacuuming hard to reach floor areas using DuoClean main cleaner head,

- Lift-Away mode with the cleaning wand is used for vacuuming corners, edges, elevated surfaces and other hard to reach areas that require longer reach. Cleaning itself is done using one of the available cleaning tools,

- Lift-Away mode with the handle mode is used for vacuuming of the stairs, sofas, beds and similar areas where main cleaner head and wand are not required.

Shark ION P50 (IC162) comes with several cleaning attachments suitable for cleaning surfaces commonly found at homes:

- Duster Crevice Tool is used for cleaning hard to reach and tight areas and surfaces, like between seat cushions, between mattresses, along the baseboard edges, corners and similar.

- Dusting Brush is used for dusting of bookshelves, countertops, and other similar surfaces. As the brush glides over the surfaces, its soft bristles agitate the fine dirt particles, which are then sucked into the unit by strong suction.

- Upholstery Tool is used for vacuuming of carpeted and upholstered surfaces that can't be vacuumed with the main cleaner head, like stairs, upholstery, sofas and similar.

Note: there are many other cleaning attachments that can be ordered separately, when required. These include tools like 8" Crevice Tool, 12" Crevice Tool, 18" Flexi Crevice Tool, Flexible Hose, Multi-Angle Dusting Brush, Anti-Allergen Dust Brush, Wide Upholstery Tool, Pet Multi-Tool, Deep-Cleaning Motorized Pet Tool, MultiFLEX Under-Appliance Wand, etc.

Unit's controls are rather simple:

- Power button turns the unit on and off,

- Surface selector enables the user to set the proper surface and it includes two settings: Carpet (for carpets) and Floor (for bare floors and small area rugs),

- Suction level controls enables the user to set the suction level and it includes ION Power Mode (normal suction) and ION BOOST mode (maximum suction).

Operating time of the Shark ION P50 (IC162) depends on the cleaning mode, surface and suction, and is given in the following table:

Shark ION P50 (IC162) Runtimes
Mode and Settings	Suction: ION Power	Suction: ION BOOST
Upright, Powered Lift-Away (Carpet)	up to 28 minutes	up to 18 minutes
Upright, Powered Lift-Away (Floor)	up to 30 minutes
Above the Floor, Lift-Away (Wand or Handle)	up to 50 minutes

Generally, one can expect at least 15 minutes of operation on a single battery charge when the unit is used to vacuum the floors. And in those 15 minutes, using DuoClean main cleaner head and ION BOOST suction, Shark ION P50 can vacuum rather large area thoroughly.

Physical dimensions of the Shark ION P50 (IC162) are (L x W x H) 10.2 X 12.5 X 44.8 inches (~26 x 32 x 114 cm) and it weighs 12 pounds (~5.44 kg) including the battery, but without the accessories).

Shark ION P50 (IC162) is not the lightest upright vacuum on the market, but with all the features available and the fact that it is cordless unit, this weight is acceptable.

Also, most of the weight is positioned low on the floor, making it rather stable, self-standing unit, easy to push-pull when cleaning.

If the pushing and pulling are difficult, check the floor and suction setting first, especially on the carpets.

Detachable Lift-Away pod weighs 5.42 pounds (~2.45 kg) and can be easily carried around, allowing the user to freely move around, even up and down the stairs.

Flexible cleaning hose is 6 feet long (~1.83 m) helping the user to vacuum even ceiling fans, car interiors and similar, sometimes awkward to reach and clean areas.

Shark ION P50 (IC162) also features Shark's 'Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology' - whole unit is design to prevent vacuumed air from escaping the unit.

Dirt bin is transparent and it features 0.54 dry quarts (~0.6 liters) capacity, which is decent capacity for such unit.

Dirt bin can be emptied quickly and easily, without making a mess - just don't empty it a yard above the trash can.

Air filtration is excellent - Shark ION P50 features true HEPA air filtration, meaning that the unit captures at least 99.97% (in this case 99.99%, claimed by the manufacturer) of 0.3 microns or larger particles.

Air filtration is based on the foam and felt pre-motor air filters and true HEPA, post-motor air filter.

Such filtration means that the vacuum expels practically the clean air back into the room, which is very important for all of the people, not just people suffering from the asthma and allergies.

In order to decrease the operating costs, all filters are washable using warm water, but without the soap or any kind of detergent.

After washing, filters should be dried thoroughly - let them air dry for at least 24 hours.

Note: never assemble and use the unit with wet filters and never operate the unit with the wet filters or no filters at all.

It is recommended by the manufacturer to wash foam and felt filters once a month and HEPA filter once a year.

Also, it is good practice to periodically tap the filters onto the hard inner trash can surface in order to make the filters release the fine particles into the trash can, increasing the suction and period between two filters washings.

After some time, these filters should be replaced, but this highly depends on the vacuum's usage.

Shark ION P50 (IC162) also features LED lights on the main cleaner nozzle and on the handle. LED lights help when cleaning in low light conditions, but they also help spot the dirt during the daylight.

Shark ION P50 (IC162) features 5-year limited warranty on the vacuum and 2-year warranty on the battery (or batteries).

Shark ION X40, F80 and P50 Comparison

Shark ION X40 (IR141), Shark ION F80 (IF281) and Shark ION P50 (IC162) are Shark's cordless vacuums sharing several important features, but also differing in many ways, which can be very important for many users.

Main features and specifications, and also their differences are given in the following comparison table:

Model	Shark ION X40 Ultra-Light Cordless Stick Vacuum (IR141)	Shark ION F80 MultiFLEX Cordless Stick Vacuum (IF281)	Shark ION P50 Powered Lift-Away Cordless Upright Vacuum (IC162)
Photo
Weight	8.7 pounds (~3.94 kg)	8.7 pounds  (~3.94 kg)	12 pounds (~5.44 kg)
Lift-Away Pod Weight	-	-	5.42 pounds (~2.45 kg)
Dimensions (L x W x H)	13.4 x 10.2 x 45.9 inches ~34 x 25.9 x 116.6 cm	13.4 x 10.2 x 45.9 inches ~34 x 25.9 x 116.6 cm	10.2 X 12.5 X 44.8 inches (~26 x 32 x 114 cm)
Maximum Rated Power	300 W	300 W	260 W
Volts	25.2 V	25.2 V	28.8 V
Amps	11.9 Amps	11.9 Amps	9 Amps
ION Power Pack Battery	1x 7-Cells Lithium	2x 7-Cells Lithium	1x 8-Cells Lithium
ION Power Charging Cable	Yes	Yes	Yes
ION Power Pack Charging Dock/Cradle	No	Yes	Yes
Dirt Cup	0.3 dry quarts 0.33 liters	0.3 dry quarts 0.33 liters	0.54 dry quarts 0.6 liters
Cleaning Path	8.6 inches ~22 cm	8.6 inches ~22 cm	10 inches 25.4 cm
DuoClean Technology	Yes	Yes	Yes
Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology	No	No	Yes
True HEPA Vacuum	No	No	Yes
MultiFLEX Technology	No	Yes	No
8" Crevice Tool	Yes	Yes	No
Upholstery Tool	Yes	Yes	Yes
Duster Crevice Tool	No	No	Yes
Dusting Brush	No	No	Yes
Amazon Link	Shark ION X40 (IR141)	Shark ION F80 (IF281)	Shark ION P50 (IC162)

Note: Amazon affiliate links open in the new windows, feel free to check them for the most up-to-date offers and prices.

Shark ION P50 is more versatile than Shark ION X40 or F80 vacuums, has more useful features like detachable Lift-Away Pod, more cleaning modes, and its runtime on a single battery charge is longer than single battery runtime of Shark ION X40/F80 vacuums.

Also, Shark ION P50 (IC162) is true HEPA vacuum cleaner, has larger (almost double) dirt bin, and features slightly wider cleaning path.

However, Shark ION P50 is also heavier vacuum in upright vacuum mode, but in Lift-Away mode, its pod is rather light.

Shark ION P50 doesn't feature classic Crevice Tool, but it comes with Duster-Crevice Tool and an extra Dusting Brush. All three models feature Upholstery Tool.

Shark ION P50 comes with flexible 6 feet (1.83 m) long cleaning hose and the cleaning wand.

Shark ION X40 and F80 also have cleaning wands, but Shark ION F80 features MultiFLEX wand, which can be bent when required.

Although it is rated at 260 watts, Shark ION P50 doesn't lag behind in terms of suction or cleaning performances - at least not by much in real life applications.

Shark ION P50 (IC162) obviously costs more than Shark ION X40, but it can often be found at the price very similar to F80's price (which comes with TWO batteries).

For more reviews and recommendations, check Shark ION P50 (IC162) Cordless Upright Vacuum Amazon link (link opens in the new window).