The Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 bagless upright vacuum cleaner is an effective, reliable vacuum at a great price. Of the hundreds of vacuum cleaners available today, this is the one that we think will make the most people the happiest. It should be reliable, thanks to its durable belt and hard-to-clog yet easy-to-clean design. And the five-year comprehensive warranty almost guarantees that this model will last longer than anything else at the price.
If you’re thinking about a $800 or $1200 vacuum because you need powered tools for cleaning your carpet, the Kenmore – Elite is a very competitive option that doesn’t give up any features. You get all the dust control and utility of the German designs, plus a unique convertible multi-floor head. The best canister vacuums we picked earned the highest Overall Score in our rigorous lab tests. As you browse through the models, consider which vacuum would work best for you in terms of weight, versatility across different surfaces, noise level, and reliability. You can find more criteria and how we rated models for each factor in our comprehensive canister vacuum ratings. The cleaner head pulls itself forward a bit on carpet due to the spinning brushroll.
This reliable, effective, easy-to-use, and reasonably priced bagless upright vacuum cleaner will work well in most homes, and it’s been our pick since 2014. We logged air quality readings with a Dylos particle counter before, during and after our cleaning tests to see how well the HEPA-class filters in some models actually capture dust. These tests weren’t performed in a sealed room, but the air was cleaned to a baseline level between tests with the Winix air purifier from our air purifier review running for five minutes. The difference in power between the most expensive and least expensive groups is worth noting, but all of these vacuums have enough power to easily pick up heavy sand and debris on all floor types. For carpet, the higher suction numbers won’t really help without excellent height control, or a more complex brushroll system like the Shark – Apex uses.
We really enjoyed using the hard flooring mode, which turns off the brush roller to prevent debris from being spit in every direction. When using this mode, we found it’s best to vacuum directly over debris, as it does not easily suck up debris that may be tangential to the motor head without the extra help from the brush roll. We also tried out the Big Ball MultiFloor bagless canister vacuum, but it fell short during testing in similar ways to the Ball Animal 2. Although it does have two suction levels, they’re both too strong to work on shag carpeting or very light area rugs without choking.
There’s also not a designated spot for attachments, which was disappointing, so you’ll need to repurpose a box or bin to keep the attachments together in your home. If we didn’t mention a particular model you’re curious about, we did actually consider it but decided not to recommend it. Repair technicians tend to love Riccar, Simplicity, and Fuller Brush uprights (all made by Tacony Corporation). We tested the Riccar Vibrance R20D a few years ago, based on some techs’ recommendations. It is a sturdy, American-manufactured machine made to be repaired pretty easily.
We ended up re-testing the vacuum on the other flooring surfaces and it then began performing very well. While the Navigator series is now one of Shark’s more basic lines in terms of advanced features, this model still has a removable dust bin and plenty of cord length for cleaning average-sized rooms. An 11-foot-long extension hose also makes it easy to clean drapes or steps without lugging the entire unit with you.
At home, additional vacuums were rated on the same attributes in real-world environments and situations. Lastly, when determining the overall value of each product, we considered our entire experience with the product in comparison to the price. Our editors took all of the consistently shark robotic vacuums applied testing data that was gathered at The Lab and at home, and boiled it down to the Shark vacuums we believe are the very best. In addition to sucking up pet hair quickly, we love this vacuum’s large dust bin because you won’t have to worry about emptying it mid-clean.
If you want a top-class canister vacuum with great suction power and a versatile cleaning head that will handle both carpet and bare floors, the Kenmore – Elite Crossover is our choice. Anyone with long hair or substantial levels of pet hair understands the struggle that comes from a tangled brush roll. Our Best Stick pick, the Shark WANDVAC with Self-Empty Base, has a self-cleaning brush roll that’s also detachable, so the vacuum can easily convert into a compact handheld tool. Speaking of vacuums with a self-empty base, this feature is also a game changer for users with allergies who don’t enjoy the cloud of debris that puffs out when emptying standard vacuum bins. Compared to the other sub-$300 vacuums we tested, you still get a motorized height-adjustable carpet head and a powerful suction motor. The small bare-floor head and difficult steering on carpet really handicap this model in most households where a mid-range canister vacuum makes sense, though.
You can stop ignoring the dust bunnies under your sofa because Shark designed this vac with a hinge that gives the floor head greater reach. Plus, the Vertex series from Shark includes dual rollers in the floor head and one shark canister vacuum is equipped with grippy rubber fins to maintain contact with the floor. While making use of the 60-minute battery life, which is significant compared to many other cordless models, you can feel this technology working.