Shark Navigator vacuum

by Lonnie Schwenk
(Auburn, California)

I selected the Shark Navigator vacuum cleaner because it was reasonably priced and seemed to have most of the same features as the more expensive vacuums.

I was looking for a vacuum that would suck up the pet hair and dirt from my hardwood laminate floor. My old upright tends to blow the pet hair away as you approach it on a hard floor.

I bought the Shark Navigator at Costco for about $170, took it home and put it to work. The first thing I noticed was how much quieter it runs than my old vacuum, and I couldn't believe how well it worked on my hardwood laminate floors. The suction is fantastic and even pulls the dirt up from the edge when running along the baseboard.

The more I used it, the better I liked it. It has a really long 30 foot cord to keep you from having to switch sockets too often, and it came with an extension hose that allows the tools to be used freely without feeling like you are being tugged back toward the machine. The hoses are easy to stretch, yet they retract back into a very compact space.

Another great feature is putting the beater brush switch at the top of the handle, built into the power switch. They put a 3-position switch (Off/On/On With Beater Brush) right on top where it is easy to control when you move from hard floor to carpet. My old vacuum required you to bend over and slide a knob to shut off the beater brush for hard floors.

I discovered the beater brush automatically shuts itself off if it gets bound up on anything. Have you ever hit a shoe lace and had your vacuum bind up and keep running while the rubber belt smokes? I have, but with the Navigator, the beater bar shuts off immediately when it senses any binding.

To reset, simply toggle the power switch and it resumes. This automatic feature also kicked in to save me when I caught the corner of a throw rug in the beater brush. It shut down instantly and prevented any damage to my throw rug, or to the vacuum.

While some may complain that the dust collector is small, I have to compliment Shark on their simple design that allows you to empty the container into a waste basket indoors without a bunch of banging around. The entire canister detaches easily from the vacuum, then once you get to the waste can, you hold the canister over the waste can and press the release button which lets the hinged bottom fall open so the dirt, dust, and hair can fall into the waste can. Close the bottom and you are ready to keep vacuuming.

Other bagless vacuums I have used all created too much dust to empty indoors, or they had a filter you had to bang against the garbage can to loosen the dust. I like the Navigator's simple, easy approach.

So, just when I was satisfied I had found a great vacuum for my hard floors, I tried it on the carpeted floors and was equally impressed with the incredible suction and cleaning power. Pulls up dog hair like a champ. And the special pet hair attachment with the spinning brush works great on the furniture.

Even down to the last detail, the crevice tool is about 2 feet long so you don't have to stoop so far or reach so high to get those hard to reach places. I also forgot to mention the small size and low profile of the vacuum head make it super maneuverable and able to go under most any furniture. And the whole thing weighs a lot less than other vacuums.... and costs less, too!!! And a 5-year warranty!!!

No, I don't work for Shark, and nobody paid me or even asked me to write these wonderful comments. I almost never write about things I buy, but I was so impressed with this vacuum and its power and features that I felt compelled to share it with others who may be looking for something similar. I would highly recommend you give the Shark Navigator a look.