The bare-floor tool snaps into the carpet head, and it’s easy to lift out with the press of a foot lever. Almost all of them weigh less than 10 pounds, and many of them are very good cleaners. They can be top heavy, but we’ve used a few that are well-balanced and easy to maneuver. But the evidence we’ve seen leads us to believe that the Navigator Lift-Away is actually more reliable than most vacuum cleaners in this price range.
The Lift-Around has an eight foot hose that connects with any of the on-board attachments. It’s long enough to reach curtains, corners and other hard-to-access places. It’s expected to go on sale in a few weeks through various channels, including Shark’s tried-and-true infomercials. Different retailers will have it in different configurations — some will have more floor tools at a higher price tag — but the base MSRP is $139. Allergy sufferers will benefit from the HEPA filter and Shark’s anti-allergen complete seal that it claims will trap and seal over 99.9% of dust, dander and allergens inside the vacuum. If you’re seriously considering the less expensive Eureka – 3670h without the $40 filter, look closely at the Bissell – Zing first.
How powerful it is remains to be seen, and we’re looking forward to testing one in our lab as soon as we can get our hands on one. However, this vacuum’s anti-allergen seal and HEPA filter shark robotic vacuums do effectively trap dust. You’ll also enjoy the clear dust bin that allows you to see what you’re capturing in real-time and releases very easily with the help of built-in latches.
There are a lot of different Shark vacuums on the market, and there are a few different elements to consider when shopping for one of these handy tools. This vacuum weighs just six pounds, all of which you’ll have to shark dustbuster carry while cleaning. As long as your shoulder can handle the Lift-Around’s six pound weight, it’s quite maneuverable. There’s no wheeled canister to drag around — just a light vacuum hanging on a shoulder strap.
The Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 needs very little maintenance and has essentially no recurring costs. That’s because its parts are made to last the lifetime of the machine, whereas most affordable vacuums need fresh filters and belts to keep running well. If something does break, Shark’s customer service is generally good about honoring the five-year warranty. It’s rare to see such an affordable vacuum backed by a policy that basically guarantees this kind of longevity.
If you’re sticking to a budget, you’ll still get a good clean from the Shark NV360 Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe Upright Vacuum. This more basic Shark vacuum lacks features like a self-cleaning brush roll, but still qualifies as a quality upright vacuum, thanks to its fully-sealed system with HEPA filtration and lift-away canister option. All the canister vacuums in Consumer Reports’ shark dustbuster tests do a terrific job cleaning bare floors, and some are very good at cleaning carpet. Because the weight is distributed between the canister itself and the powerhead, they’re easier to move around than upright vacuums. Note that among Shark models, only the more expensive “powered lift-away” models like the Apex can run the brushroll motor when the base is detached.
We used to recommend the Miele Dynamic U1 line of upright bagged vacuum cleaners, but we’ve watched the owner ratings plummet. But the nosedive began around the time Miele rebranded the line (it used to be called the S7 series), in late 2014. Reps from Miele assured us that nothing about the vacuum changed except the name, but more and more complaints about pet-hair clogs and defective units popped up and dragged down the user ratings. Dyson makes good plug-in vacuum cleaners that cost way too much money by current standards. We’ve tested several Dyson upright vacuums over the past few years, including the Ball MultiFloor 2, and haven’t found a great reason to recommend one over our other picks. We also measured each vacuum’s raw suction with a specialized gauge and each one’s airflow with an anemometer.