Shark - Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe

I have that vacuum and I love it

I have this exact model. Works great and no complaints. Had a shark previous to this one that I lost in a move, but that one lasted 10 years before it got stolen from me. Never had a problem with the brand.

That shark is actually a fantastic vacuum.

My parents and I have each had the shark for over a decade, and we just replaced the tube that was cracking, but otherwise it's still going strong. The Amazon reviews also might be due to a decrease in quality, since we each got ours for like $100 in the days of stacking Bed Bath and Beyond coupons with other discounts.

I love this Shark. I’ve had it for 5 years. It’s light weight, easy to empty, easy to clean, works on long hair pet fur. https://a.co/d/ixP5aFy I’ve had a more complex Shark, I don’t like those, heavier and harder to empty.

It has great suction, gets up fine dust/grime deep within carpet, check the reviews too, love it! It’s my all time fact vacuum, seriously

The Shark liftaway is far and beyond the best bang for your buck on this list.

My Shark upright was $150, has lasted 15 years, and hasn’t needed a repair once. To me there’s things that are worth BIFL and others that aren’t. Vacuums are one of them. If my Shark broke today, I could buy 4 more for a lot less than a Meile and have a vacuum for life without treating my vacuum like I spent a paycheck on it.

Yup!

You’re welcome. I have one going on 15 years with absolutely no maintenance besides cleaning off the roller bar every couple of years.

I have two recommendations for you. If you're ok with a bagged vacuum, I’d go with the Kenmore BU4050 [https://amzn.to/3ULrUBD](https://amzn.to/3ULrUBD) It has great suction on carpet, keeps dust sealed in HEPA bags, and comes with a powered pet tool that works well for hair on stairs and furniture. If you’d rather go bagless, the Shark Navigator [https://amzn.to/4mnnuwA](https://amzn.to/4mnnuwA) is my go to choice for under $200. It’s powerful, has a switch to go between hard floors and carpet, and the lift away canister makes it great for stairs and tight spots. Both work well for pet hair and carpet.

you can find the nv360 on sale for $100, that would be the way to go. i am super allergenic, have a nv360, sebo k3, and roborock q revo. the nv360 with the power brush will get the job done. just clean it outside your apartment.

Dyson handheld is great for small tasks especially after the battery died and I put on an adapter for my Dewalt power tool batteries, lasts a lot longer now! We have an corded Shark convertible upright for around the house but it’s awful in so many ways. Tries to do lots of things and does none of them very well. When it dies we’ll get a sebo or a miele. We have a hetty for any DIY stuff but we’d never use it around the house as it’s filthy!

we have a shark navigator lift away vacuum and it’s fantastic. easy to use, easy to clean (you can wash the parts easily), and not an overly limiting profile for storage. definitely a top pick in my opinion

So I have a rug similar to this and even my tuned Kirby G4 struggles on it. It’s high pile microfiber shag and air does not flow through it. The few machines I’ve found that do work on it are turbo nozzle canisters and surprisingly, Shark Navigator Lift-Away with the brush on and suction bleed valve open. My Miele H1 with an SEB-236 nozzle does not work, neither does my SEBO Felix or Oreck Classic or XL21 platform. Oreck Magnesium/Discover supposedly does work because it’s very light so the machine doesn’t burry the nozzle. I’ve found you’ll want a lightweight nozzle so it can float on top of the pile. My rug is so thick that height adjustment doesn’t really work. The best way to deep clean these rugs is to flip them over and vacuum the underside with a machine that has lots of agitation and vibration. That will cause the grit to fall onto the floor. Carefully remove the rug and clean up the grit.

Shark Navigator lift away. It's absolutely amazing! Light, easy to maneuver, works so well. Mine is about 10 years old. I've been able to find replacement filters online.

I’ve got a toddler and I’ve found myself vacuuming every night because I hate crunchy floors, blegh! Here’s my current situation: - I got a Miele Classic C1. I use it mainly upstairs because it’s a little unwieldy to drag it up and down stairs (with said toddler, plus two cats). I LOVE the bag and how there’s no roller for my hair to clog up. for upstairs and it’s amazing but a pain in the ass to drag up and downstairs every night. It works great on the thick carpet in our hallway/landing and the hardwood, but it’s a bit too strong for the Ruggable in my kid’s room, so I put it on its lowest setting and try to keep things chill. - Downstairs, I vacuum the kitchen (tile) and living room (hardwood and another Ruggable) with my old Shark Navigator lift-away. The roller is always encased in my hair, I hate dealing with the cord, I HATE the canister and how gross it gets, and I hate how it spit backs tiny things at me (like sand or the tiny rocks from our driveway). I’d like to get something for downstairs that has no roller (necessity), preferably cordless or a cord that retracts, isn’t too gigantic, and has good suction but not so good that it makes vacuuming the Ruggable a pain. I’m not too picky about whether or not it has a bag but I do like the bagged option from a sensory perspective… Does this unicorn vacuum exist? I’d probably go up to $1,000 with my budget if I could find something that comes close to checking those boxes.

Wait. What's an "auto detangler"? I have the lift away, too (and love it!) but with lots of pets and long-haired humans the roller bar is a daily nightmare

I've had mine for a few years and love it! I ordered a 2nd battery so I can keep going when one runs out, lol. We have tile, vinyl, carpet, and hardwood floors; lots of rugs, and pets, and long-haired humans. I really really like how versatile it is -- I only wish the roller was self-cleaning 😄

My pick is the Shark Navigator Lift-Away. I've had mine for 10 years so far.

tl;dr - I've had the [Shark Navigator Lift Away ](https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/shark-navigator-lift-away-vacuum-review/)for like 5 or 6 years and it's a workhorse. Just remember to replace the filters once in a while. I try to once a year or so.

I 100 percent agree with you, except for changing the filters monthly. We have to vacuum almost every day because we have dogs and live in a dusty/muddy environment. The vacuum is great.

I had the purple Navigator Lift Away and I loved it, until my kid borrowed and subsequently ruined in. Now I have an orangeish brown one that works just as well, but it's not the cute purple color 🙁. It was more expensive but the store didn't have the original one and I needed a vacuum.

I bought a Shark Upright Liftaway in 2023 for my upstairs (I have a large house) and I liked it so much that when my main-level vac died I got a Shark "Powerdetect", description includes "with Powerful Suction for Pet Hair Pickup". These vacuum cleaners have the strongest suction I've ever seen and the ability to lift off the canister and just use that is really useful.

I’ve had a white shark navigator “lift away” for what has to be a decade now and I’ve beat the living hell out of it. Never had anything break on it until the motor went out when I subjected it to cleaning up a nor’easter of drywall dust. Dead simple DIY fix with an eBay motor and it’s stronger than ever. Anyone that thinks this vacuum is bad sucks even more. That said we did pick up a newer one as a new primary and I much prefer the old.

Check out the Shark Navigator series. Good balance of price and performance; plus, they usually have sweet deals around Black Friday. Dyson's cool but kinda pricey unless there’s a serious discount. Also, don’t sleep on looking up solid backup options from places like Costco or Walmart- return policies are normally stellar if things go sideways. Keep an eye on online daily deal sites too!

I’m a professional cleaner. Sharks all the way. I love my shark rocket stick vacuum. I love my shark navigator for carpet. Had a shark handheld that I used daily for years. You could easily get two of these for less than the price of a Dyson. Dysons are mid. THAT BEING SAID, I ADORE my Hoover porta-vac. Its suction is insane for hard floors. Has a bunch of useful attachments. Super long cord. Can’t get enough of that thing and it’s $125 on Amazon.

Yep! I know a lot of professional house cleaners who use that model and love it. I think Dysons are completely overrated.

I have 8 cats. I use a Shark Navigator. It vacuums up hair like crazy. Mine is 10+ years old, and vacuums just as well as it did the first time I used it. Also, Consumer Report rates high.

I have two Maine coon cats (the large, hairy ones). I also have asthma. I love my Shark Navigator vacuum

I have a Shark navigator that is the best non-canister vacuum I've ever had. It's lasted a long time for a budget vacuum.

I own two different shark navigator models - one for upstairs and one for downstairs. I also own a Great Pyrenees and a short haired cat - we have to vacuum at least twice a week to keep up with the unbelievable amount of shedding; filling the canister each time. One model is 5 years old, the other is now 9 years old. They have had zero issues besides a small tear in one of the vacuum hoses which I fixed with some adhesive. Their suction is still nearly as strong as the day I pulled them out of the box. Additionally, parts are widely available and cheap with even third party support for filters. The navigator line (even the cheapest $100 model available at Walmart) is not garbage and do not deserve to be labeled as such.  Having said that: I have owned one Shark's cordless vacs and it was a hot piece of trash. 

my shark navigator is the best vacuum i have ever invested in for my golden that sheds a metric ton of fur every week. highly recommend :)

I’m very happy with my Shark Navigator

I have the shark navigator. Extremely reasonably priced which was important to me. A bit heavy but dependable, have had it for a few years and never an issue.

I’ve been browsing this sub for months getting an idea for the next vacuum we want. We use a Shark Navigator right now and we have LOTS of dogs in our house and 2 cats and it gets the job done well. It sucks and I can see the dog hair being sucked in from 2-3 inches away. I also recommend this vacuum as a good cheap option. I clean it regularly and it keeps working for me

Another vote for the Shark Navigator! I have 2 pets and 2 kids, our vacuum works very hard. It's got a lift away mode and a long hose which is great for stairs and things, but also more unconventional stuff like vacuuming crumbs out of kitchen cabinets or cobwebs off the ceiling, and vacuuming out your car! We've had it for a few years and if it kicked the bucket we would definitely be buying a new one. Edited to add, a more affordable option might be one of those crazy rubber broom things. I've seen them get recommended for catching pet hair on hard surfaces and carpet!

I’ve had a Dyson v8 for 5 years and it still works great which seems impressive for a stick vacuum. I also have a near decade old shark navigator that still works like the day I bought it. Now if I could just find a robot vacuum that lasts better than the POS roomba I have.

I have 2 sharks and as long as everything is cleaned a couple times per year they’ve been great! My everyday shark is a cordless ion flex, it needs to be cleaned a bit more often because we have cats. It’s been going strong for at least 8 years and I don’t baby it. I use the navigator once every week or 2 and have had no issues in the 3 years I’ve had it.

Shark is great! I’ve got a normal Shark Navigator and it works well for dog fur, the dual rotors help brush it up on hard surfaces and carpet, highly recommend it. Also features the lift away which comes in convenient to get under some surfaces.

This sub will mostly try to lean you away from what it considers a disposable vacuum and into a buy it for life vacuum. The difference generally being complexity in design, gimmicky features, no parts availability and no way to repair once broken. But based on your situation I think a “disposable” vacuum would be just fine. You can use it/beat it up for a few years, move it with you, and not spend a ton. Then down the line maybe consider a buy it for life brand. In that case I would recommend looking at Costco (either in store or online) and getting either the Hoover Onepwr or LG CordZero if you want a cordless vacuum, or a Shark Navigator or Shark Duoclean if you’re ok with a cord. Id personally stay away from Dyson as they tend to be the same disposable quality but with a buy it for life price tag. The exception is the Dyson Ball Animal 3 on sale at Costco right now for $280, but it’s very large which you stated not wanting.

I think the closest BIFL in the cordless market would probably be the LG CordZero. Aside from that you’re probably looking at a 5 years or less lifespan and maybe a battery replacement or two within that timeframe. If you really want a BIFL vacuum, you’d want to look into a bagged unit, and most of this sub will recommend either Miele or Sebo in that market. I personally own a Sebo E3 but also a Shark Apex. I expect the Sebo to last forever and have parts easily available when needed, but I’ve also owned the Shark for around 5 years now with no issues that I keep as a backup/beater vacuum for things I don’t want to use the Sebo for. But for $189 you honestly can’t beat a Shark Navigator from Costco. You can beat the hell out of it and not worry about tearing it up. And the Costco return policy/warranty will help bridge the gap of Sharks truly awful customer service.

I have a Shark Navigator as well (6 years old). We have 6 pets and my hair. It's fantastic.

Shark is great. I have an 8 year old Navigator that still does a great job, and a newer one gifted to me by a friend. Love them!

The Navigator works fine. The one you have pictured- I have two. I actually look for these on curbs and fix them up and resell them all the time. They are really easy to service and fix. Surprised to read all of the hate on this subreddit but that's been my experience. Never had one fail and I've sold dozens pretty easily. Lately I think I more prefer the one with the brush roll that doesn't collect as much hair but the regular Navigator is good.

I do this all the time on bulk trash days. I haven't seen any recently but people would pile old Shark Navigators up for trash on the curbs. Took them apart, emptied, unblocked hoses and they all work great. I sold them for over $50 apiece... I still do this but Goodwill charges at least $20 for them and I still have to service them. I've literally sold dozens.

We have 2 cats (used to have 3) and have used shark for years. We've had many sharks over the years. Specifically the lift away, power lift away, navigator I think it's called and then a rocket. Rocket died in like 3 years but the lift away lasted almost a decade. the power lift away can't remember but I think it lasted a few years. Navigator I can't remember lmfao. Currently we have a dirt devil "endura reach" I think it's called and a Kirby avalir. Both are pretty good. Endura reach has a pretty short cord tho. But most sharks or some have anti hair wrap technology on their brush rolls. That's already worth every penny if you've got cats. So I'd look at a shark if you've got pets. Hope this helps.

I love my Shark Navigator, we've had it for years. We have a XL sized husky mix who goes through quite a spring and summer shed of his winter undercoat and it handles the job well. Goes from bare floor to carpet with a click of a button. I bought it on sale from Amazon for close to 150 I believe.

I LOVE my Shark Navigator. I had my parents old one that was probably purchased in 2009 and only got a new one last year as a wedding gift. The old one was still kicking and I sold it for like $50 on Facebook marketplace. For the price point you can’t beat it

We tried a 2 different Sharks, one a navigator and some other one I don't recall, a Hoover wind tunnel. The Hoover had a height adjustment which make it work better than the others, but still not good. One of the Sharks had a suction control but that didn't seem to help much.

I’ve had Dysons and Sharks and the Shark always wins in performance and longevity, hands down. My Shark Navigator was thrifted and has duct tape on the hose and works like a dream. I’ve seen the same model at Ollie’s but it’s worth whatever price it’s listed at.

Love my shark navigator. It's not BIFL - mine died after 7 years - but I vacuum free roaming bunnies. It got clogged probably 60 times (imagine not picking up hay, bunny poops, and litter, before you vacuum 🙃), which was user error, but it still managed to live a long life. Got another one no questions asked. I'm sure it would have lived another year or couple of years had I actually treated it a lil better. $20-$30 a year for a heavily used appliance seems okay to me.

According to the vacuum store guy on tiktok, Shark Navigators are the only vacuum available at big box stores worth buying. I can attest to them as I've owned two, and the first one I got second-hand. The only reason I had to get a new Shark was because my springer chewed on the cord one day when he was 2 years old. I have 2 long-haired cats, a springer spaniel, and a golden retriever. I also recommend a carpet shampooer if you have carpet in your home. They're also great for shampooing couches. We cover ours with blankets to prevent them from getting dirty, but they still benefit from shampooing.

Nope. I am on my third Shark (all different models) within 5 years. It’s horrible, I have the Apex, which was replaced 3 times by Shark due to the motor burning out. I then bought the 3m model Navigator, which lasted a year before it stopped working completely, and finally tried out the old faithful, base Navigator, didn’t even make it 6 months. My first Shark Navigator lasted 9 years and I actually gave it to a friend when I “upgraded” to the Apex and I regret it. Currently searching for a reliable brand or I’ll just go to a Bissell and replace when needed for way less money.

I had the shark navigator. Bought it refurbished from a seller on Ebay that sells specifically refurbished vacuums. Worked super well until my dumbass was holding it in a stupid way and dropped it from several feet up. Even so, it's repairable, just one of those project we haven't quite got to. Very much reccommend.

I have a Shark Navigator. We own a Golden Retriever, and a teen daughter with hair to her waist. It's above your price range, but we LOVE it - got it on sale at Amazon for $160. Our carpet had been vacuumed weekly. The first time I used the Shark on the carpet, I was horrified by what was sucked out. It's 4 years old, and still going strong. Despite the piles of hair it deals with. I know people can feel strongly on bagged versus non-bag vacuums, but it doesn't really matter that much to me.

I would have said Dyson years ago, but in the latest generations they have removed all of the washable filters. That means once the dog smell gets trapped deep inside the very expensive "pet model" vacuum, it stinks your house up like rotten corn chips each time you use it. I have a Shark Navigator now and I feel it does just as good of a job at a price point under 200 bucks. Sure, you may have to empty it more often but it does a great job and every part of it can be washed, so all pet smells can be controlled. The washable post filter is chief among the washable parts!

Shark navigator is my goto for the last ten years

They are usually hated in these types of spaces online I’ve noticed, but mine (the navigator, same as this post) has been very reliable and I was actually able to afford it as a college student. I couldn’t afford most of the beloved ones. Still runs well though heavy use, though I do make sure to keep the floor brush stripped of my long hair and clean the filter etc. occasionally.

I've had good luck with shark navigators. I've passed them along to relatives and they've loved them

My Dyson sucked at sucking. Moved to a shark navigator and am much happier.

I would heavily recommend expanding your budget a bit and using the gift cards as part of the purchase. There are some Shark Navigators which although difficult to repair, aren't bad cleaners. If you're looking to go cheaper than that you're stuck with Bissell/Hoover which are generally considered bad in todays market.

I’ve had a corded shark lift away for 10+ years and it’s still going strong. Seems like a much better value. Only thing I’ve had to fix/replace was the hose.

No. I got one from Costco (Liftaway). I used it fairly gently for maybe a year or so then it bricked itself. I checked the contacts, power to the head, etc. (I'm an engineer). It's just dead. Seems like poorly built garbage. I'll never buy another.

Some version of the Shark Lift-Away is typically offered on BF by Walmart for about $99, probably closer to $120 or more now with inflation.  If they are showing out of stock at your local Walmarts, what you want to do is change your zipcode to more rural areas close by you in the app or online. Apparently they have a set number of the BF-priced model at each store. My last shark I had to drive 20 minutes out of the city for, but it was totally worth it to save $70. Also check Target and Costco or Sam's if you have memberships there. I know for a fact I've seen Costco advertising them, too. Oh yeah, to answer your question - from my experience, with vacuums they don't tend to mark them down any further, the danger here is them selling out.

I am having the same issue. I bought a shark lift away which I loved for 2 months then the latch broke so front brush roll won't stay in. Since then I've bought 3 other vacuums and none of them pich up dust or dog hair. I need an affordable vacuum that will work on hard floors that will suck up pet hair and dust. In the past I had a Tineco vacuum mop and I agree with the comment on the smell and mine didn't pick up anything very well. I have long haired dogs and I need something that works. Plus I'm on a fixed income so I can't pay $700 for a vacuum. I'm at a loss

Shark Lift Away, Navigator or professional series - all the way. If you’re looking for a lightweight, versatile and powerhouse suction. I have pets, it does the job. I’ve used Dyson, Hoover, Bissell and never looked back, got rid of the clunkers

Agreed. We’ve had our shark lift away for just over 3 years and I’ve been very happy with it. No noticeable change in performance, great suction, and easy maintenance.

Any of the Shark lift away vacuums 💯

My shark lift away is still kickin after 4 years but it’s happened 3 times where it just stops working and I had to open up the screws and remove some random clog, my buddies Dyson never had that issue although his battery is trash compared to mine

Shark lift off None of the robots will effectively take care of a lot of pet hair. Same with the cordless stuff. I tried a few different models… Loving the shark lift away though.

I've also gotten similar vibes looking here after my Shark Lift-Away broke after 7 years. It was great for my mix of 50% hard surface 50% stairs. Many of the suggestions here seem like overkill / some brand shaming. It's also odd to me that most of the brands suggested still use bags, which I can't imagine going back to from a cost and waste standpoint. For some though, I get it may be the best way to trap irritants for people with bad allergies etc. I don't know, I still want an upright like the Shark lift-away to get decent cleaning, go from carpet to hard, bagless with a drive belt I can repair after 5-7 years. But I think this sub has corrupted me. Suddenly, I'm thinking about Miel Boost CX1. I need to go for a long walk with your rational post in mind, reset on this purchase consideration lol.

I've settled on two, the Tineco Pure One Station 5 or Shark lift away successor corded. Still haven't pulled the trigger lol. Also found the YouTube reviews to be pretty helpful with their tests. Good luck to us both. 

This is so funny, I’ve had the shark lift away for 6 years and liked it. I didn’t realize that was apparently the consensus for it! Ive thought about upgrading since I used it to vacuum some hot cinders from a grill (not an intelligent choice) and now it always smells like fire… maybe I just replace it after seeing this chart

I have 2 lift aways and a stick vac (not cordless). I have 4 cats and 2 dogs. Filled the canister 3 times vacuuming just the first floor. I had a Dyson and didn’t realize how bad they actually are until I bought my first Shark.

Which Shark do you have? I just bought the Lift Away (corded) at Costco and it seems solid in the few times we've used it.

Which Shark did you get? I just got the Lift Away and it seems fine, especially for the price ($150 at Costco).

I have a corded Shark. It sucks... but in a good way.

I’m in sort of of the same boat. My wife trains service dogs and we have 5 dogs (and 3 kids) in the house. Also, because 5 dogs, my back yard is a mud farm and everything is coated in a layer of dirt. We have a tinneco pure 1 (it’s a stick vacuum with a base compartment). We vacuum the main part of the house where the dogs are (living room, laundry, entry, kitchen dining room). The living room really is the place we vacuum, 3-4 times a day but everything listed gets hit at least once a day (maybe twice in rainy days). We decided that making vacuuming convenient was more important than doing it super well (cause let’s face it, it’s gonna be dirty again in 5 minutes) and reliability took a back seat to convenience. So for us convenience > reliability > performance. We didn’t think ANY vacuum would make our floors 100% clean, so we didn’t try. Just get them 80% and but clean often. Then we mop probably every day or every other day…..(why do we have this many dogs again?) THEN we keep a corded shark in the basement where we keep their kennels. The shark is 5 years old and it sucks up everything but it’s heavy, so it stays in the basement) we also use this one to vacuum their kennels. We found that doing some work on our yard and cleaning the dogs as they come in, helped a ton. We still haven’t found a great solution yet. I rambled a lot. If you have any questions or suggestions for us. Let me know.

I have a shark corded for a few years now. Very happy with it. Just make sure you clean the filters regularly and maintain it and they're fantastic, same goes for most vacuums ,most go to shite cos people don't maintain them properly

Shark Cordless (don’t remember model number but was great on hardwood, horrible on the rugs). We also tried variety if stains (cordless and corded) from friends and they all failed. Currently we’ve gone back to a 10+ year old corded shark that performs ok, not great. But very heavy and cumbersome. Main floor for house is 50/50 hardwoods and rugs. Rugs are thin bc they are all washable (pets). Upstairs is wall to wall carpet but gated off to keep pets downstairs. Budget…honestly anything at this point. I guess I’d like to keep it under $700 but at this point I really don’t even care. We haven’t tried any canisters, open to that is they aren’t too cumbersome, I have RA, so easy to maneuver is pretty important.

Everyone here saying they love their LG CordZero but I can’t stand mine. But then again I haven’t had anything to compare to in the cordless stick vacuums area. My simple Shark corded vacuum I use on carpets is just so much better and easier to use. But it’s not as convenient as the cordless sticks. I was about to buy a Dyson V10 from Costco that’s on sale for $399. Maybe I’ll reconsider

I LOVE the Shark corded vacuum. Easiest to clean, switch out parts, consistent suction, power not limited by battery. Win-win!

I have both. We live on a small farm with kids and a dog so lots of vacuuming! We use the cordless stick for quick messes like crumbs or dog hair and then the Shark corded for regular twice a week vacuuming. With the Shark make sure you clean the air filter every couple weeks or it starts to lose alot of suction. I actually have a rainbow vacuum too that I had previous to any of the others but it's so heavy and burdensome I rarely use it.

We’ve got a corded shark and it’s amazing and has lasted 5 years and still going strong. We also have a Dyson but feel the shark cleans the carpets better 

I bought a corded shark to replace an aging Dyson animal and it was way better, just the bog standard £120 lift away one.

Get a Shark. So much better than a Dyson as a fraction of the cost and their attachments use synthetic bristles. We had a top of the range cordless Dyson and we’ve had multiple corded Dysons and they’ve all been terrible. This corded Shark one I’ve got now is amazing, most powerful vac I’ve ever used. In general I’d avoid cordless vacs unless you live in a tiny place, otherwise it won’t even clean your full house before it needs charging.