Performance
Quiet, powerful cleaning. The Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 is the top pick at TheSweethome.com, where tester Liam McCabe says it’s, “far and away the most well-rounded vacuum we’ve come across at its price.” He goes on to praise its versatility and good performance, along with its light weight and maneuverability. The NV352 also earns a Recommended nod at ConsumerReports.org, with scores of Very Good for carpet, Excellent for bare floors. Owners of the Shark Navigator NV352 echo the experts’ opinions, saying it’s plenty powerful for any task. Pet owners are particularly thrilled with how well it pulls up pet hair from their carpet and rugs.
Features
Packed with versatile tools. Thanks to its ability to be used as either an upright vacuum or a canister vacuum, experts and owners agree that the Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 is one of the most versatile vacuums you can buy at any price. And the included accessories makes it even more useful. Those include two crevice tools, a dusting brush, a pet upholstery tool and the extremely popular pet power brush — in essence, a small, motorized cleaning head that will make your upholstery look like you took a full-sized vacuum head to it. The three-stage HEPA filtration system is sealed to prevent leaks.
Ease of use
Plenty of cleaning options. The Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352’s 25-foot cord is perfectly adequate for most spaces, owners say, long enough that you don’t have to unplug too often, but not so long that it’s unwieldy to fold. The combination of its relatively light weight — 12.5 pounds — and swiveling head makes it extremely easy to maneuver, even on stairs, owners say. ConsumerREports.org agrees, awarding it a Very Good for handling. At TheSweethome.com, the NV352 excelled in their tests, quickly running through their slalom course. The NV352 also lays flat enough to enable you to vacuum under most beds and other furniture. The 5-foot hose is generous, and the long, 24-inch crevice tool extends that to easily reach corners where the walls and ceilings meet. However, a few users say it will topple over when the accessory hose is fully extended. Emptying the dirt canister is reported as easy and mess-free, and cleaning out the occasional clogs is also simple to do. Tools are stored on-board for easy access.
Durability/maintenance
No filters to replace. Despite the lightweight design of the Shark Rotator Professional Lift-Away, owners say this machine feels very solidly built — and it’s backed up by a long, five-year warranty that experts and owners both say involves almost no hassle thanks to Shark’s accessible, responsive customer service. There are a few isolated complaints that the plastic parts develop a squeak over time, and a few users say it loses suction, clogs and fails after a few months of regular use, but those complaints are few and far between. Three lifetime, washable filters make up the sealed allergen filtration system, including a washable HEPA filter. For best suction performance, empty the bag regularly and rinse the filters occasionally, users say.
Specs
