The Shark Navigator Lift-Away Upright Vacuum is ideal for most households as it’s intended for both standard hard floors and carpets. Though it’s one of the more affordable Shark models on the market, it still offers a great selection of features and accessories. It can be used as an upright vacuum or in portable lift-away mode to access hard-to-reach places. Equipped with a sealed air system and a HEPA filter that traps 99.9 percent of allergens, this is a top-notch choice for allergy sufferers. We put the Navigator NV352 to the test to see how well it handled everyday messes in our household. Read on to see what we found.
Performance: Very impressive
We liked almost everything about the Shark Navigator—from its powerful suction and smooth swivel steering to its wide array of cleaning features. The vacuum performed just as effectively on area rugs as it did on hardwood floors. To test its ability to clean up a particularly messy floor, we used it to suck up a pile of soil that had spilled out of a planter. While it wasn’t able to pick up larger pieces of bark—something we assume you’d need an industrial machine for—the vacuum sucked up all the other soil and debris. The Navigator NV352 comes with a dusting brush, two crevices tools, a wide upholstery pet tool. We took the detachable canister around to clean the hard-to-reach areas in our home, using the 24-inch crevice tool on the tops of door frames and grooves in the ceiling molding. We loved how well the dusting brush (intended for upholstered items) worked on lampshades, though the suction was a little too powerful for our silk drapes—even on the lowest setting. The pet upholstery brush worked wonders on our black upholstered kitchen chairs, where lint and pet hair is highly visible. We really appreciated the selection of accessories and were impressed with how well each of them performed. You can also clean the floor with the vacuum in detachable canister mode. This is convenient if you want to vacuum under furniture. However, you can only use the vacuum in the bare floor mode; the rotating brush will not work while the vacuum is in detachable canister mode. This is fine for vacuuming under furniture on hardwood floors, but you may not have enough suctioning power to fully clean under furniture on thicker carpets.
Design: Lightweight, but beware of a few design flaws
The Shark Navigator NV352 is easy to assemble and operate. It took us less than ten minutes to put the unit together. Weighing 12.5 pounds, this is one of the lightest upright Shark vacuums on the market. When the canister is detached and the vacuum is used in lift-away mode, it weighs only 7.5 pounds. If a lightweight vacuum is a priority for you, the Navigator NV352 is a great option. Since the vacuum is smaller than other models, it has a lower-capacity dust cup—1.2 dry quarts—but that should be fine for basic cleaning. There is a mount to conveniently store the dusting brush and the crevice tool right on the vacuum. However, there are two loose pieces that need to be stored separately: the 24-inch crevice tool and the pet upholstery tool. The cord on the Navigator NV352 is 25 feet long, shorter than the 30-foot cords on most other Shark vacuums. This is a common complaint among users, as the vacuum has a tendency to tip over and the shorter cord is inconvenient in hallways and large rooms. Another hindrance to the design is the hose on the motorized floor nozzle, which prevents the floorhead from going under low pieces of furniture. For that reason, we weren’t able to vacuum under most of our couches and dressers or under our sleigh bed. Instead, we put the vacuum in lift-away mode and used the 24-inch crevice tool to get into those smaller spaces. You have to get down on yours hand needs to do this, which could be difficult (if not impossible) for some user with mobility limitations.
Price: An excellent option for a very affordable price
Retailing for roughly $140, the Shark Navigator NV352 is one of the most reasonably priced vacuums of its kind. With its swivel steering, powerful suction and multiple accessories, it will certainly meet your basic cleaning needs. However, if you’re looking for a vacuum with more advanced features, you will have to increase your budget.
Competition: More advanced vacuums come with much higher price tags
Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional NV356E: The Shark Navigator NV356E retails for about $200, but when we tested it against the NV352, we didn’t see much of a difference. Since they both have 10-amp motors, the vacuums have an equal amount of power. One advantage of the Navigator Lift-Away Professional is its impressive dust cup capacity of 2.2 dry quarts—almost double the Navigator NV352’s capacity. That might be a selling point for some users, but we found emptying the Navigator NV352 was easy enough. The Lift-Away Professional also has a longer cord—30 feet versus 25 feet—giving you more maneuverability. Shark APEX Upright Vacuum with DuoClean: If you’re willing to spring for a vacuum that soars above the competition, the Shark APEX Upright Vacuum with DuoClean comes with a steep price tag of $330. However, it can do a few things that mid-range vacuums can’t: Its sleek floorhead can get under low furniture and clean areas that the Navigator NV352 simply can’t reach. The APEX also has a self-cleaning feature; its Zero-M Technology automatically removes hair from the brushroll while you’re vacuuming. Despite its steep price tag, the APEX’s stellar performance and advanced features are well worth it if you have the extra cash. The Shark Navigator NV352 is a solid choice for a very reasonable price. To satisfy your basic cleaning needs, you can’t go wrong with this lightweight yet powerful performer. If you’re looking for a vacuum with more advanced cleaning power or additional features, you’ll have to spring for a more expensive model.
