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Shark Navigator Never Loses Suction Upright |  | Brand: Shark
Category: Kitchen
List Price: $179.00
Buy New: $156.99
as of 9/3/2010 10:22 EDT details
You Save: $22.01 (12%)
New (7) Used (1) from $119.99
Rating:  75 reviews
Sales Rank: 14753
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 18.3
Dimensions (in): 0.1 x 0.1 x 0.4
MPN: NV22L
Model: NV22L
UPC: 622356526654
EAN: 0622356526654
ASIN: B00266X3NM
Availability: Usually ships in 3-4 business days
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| Features:
| • | Shark Navigator Upright Vacuum | | • | Lightweight & Easy To Maneuver For Faster Effortless Cleaning | | • | Deep Carpet & Superior Bare Floor Cleaning | | • | Infinity Technology Traps Dust & Dirt So It Never Loses Suction | | • | Easy To Carry |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Shark® NavigatorTM never loses suction Infinity vacuum features 21 cyclones and two powerful motors that never clog and never lose suction, so it cleans the last room as well as the first. Less than 15 lbs., easily maneuvers around furniture and toys. Power nozzle, pet hair brush and 24" crevice tool eliminate pet hair and other debris from stairs, furniture, and tight spaces. A 30 foot power cord and 12 foot stretch hose makes cleaning multiple rooms and stairs easy. Bagless design, lifetime filters and belt - mean no additional replacement costs. UL Listed. 14 x 12 x 43 3/4".
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 75
 Shark Navigator August 24, 2010
jazziesmom
I ordered this sweeper because I couldn't justify the cost of a Dyson. I love the Navigator! It picks up everything in it's path. I have a yellow lab who sheds like he's getting paid for it, and the Navigator fills up everytime I use it, but it keeps picking up! The only thing I would like to see is a larger sweeper head that would cover more in a single swoop, kinda like Superman! Maybe it could be called Super Navigator! I will buy the next generation too!
 Very Good Vacuum, But Still Room for Improvement August 23, 2010
mrr (CT)
I've been buying Euro-Pro / Shark products for a long time now. They always worked so well right out of the box. The suction was so amazing it would literally pull the carpet off the floor, but shoddy workmanship and design, poor quality of materials, and inattention to detail usually meant that they had no staying power. Based on my personal experience with the brand, I really wasn't expecting the Navigator to live up to the hype, either. It's not a 5-star product (yet), but I was pleasantly surprised.
I have a long-haired dog and vacuum daily; I usually go through 2-3 vacuums a year. The only exception to this has been my Dyson vacuum; it is built for the long haul, but has its own drawbacks, not the least of which is the excessive price. I bought my Navigator early this year and have been using it daily for almost 9 months now. I have found good and bad points, but overall, I really like this vacuum. I hope this means Shark is serious about making quality Job #1. The Navigator is a great first step.
PROS:
1. Lightweight (under 15 pounds).
2. Easy to assemble.
3. Affordable.
4. Quiet compared to every other vacuum cleaner I have owned.
5. On-board dusting and crevice tools. I love it when I don't have to remember where I left the tools the last time I used them. Find a way to store the turbo brush on board, too, and it will be just about perfect.
6. Redesigned air-driven turbo brush with a swivel base for ease of movement. This was a terrific improvement, but overall, it just feels flimsy and not particularly well made. It really gets gunked up with pet hair. Note to Mark Rosen (Shark CEO): make a hybrid of the Shark Multi Vac's turbo brush (the vacuum was a piece of junk, but the turbo brush was a well-made thing of beauty) with the swivel base feature from the Navigator's turbo brush and you'll have a real winner. Shark's turbo brush beats the pants off of Dyson's, which has less suction power overall and the bristles stop revolving with even the lightest pressure.
7. Amazing suction through the vacuum and the hose. The suction is so good that the vacuum almost feels self-propelled. It actually pulls itself forward and really pulls up the carpet pile for deep cleaning. Over time, I have noticed that it doesn't grab and pull with the same intensity that it did when it was new (there must be some loss of suction), but it remains easy to push and pull and continues to pull even deeply-embedded pet hair out of the carpet easily.
8. Lifetime belt and filter with an extra set of filters so you can continue to vacuum if the filters you have washed are still wet.
9. Brush on / brush off capability so you don't mar the finish or spit dirt behind the vacuum when using it on solid surface flooring.
10. The brush automatically turns off when the vacuum is in the upright position. This is a terrific improvement since I once burned a small hole in my Berber carpet at the base of the stairs when I was using the turbo brush on a Euro Pro vacuum to clean the carpeted stairs. The heat from the rotating brushes melted the carpet fibers.
11. Ease of emptying the dirt cup. This is a real first for Euro Pro, and I can say from experience, that it empties just as cleanly and easily as my Dyson. I have a long-haired dog, so no matter what you do, it does tend to wind around the lower filter in the dust cup to the point where I can't just shake it out and do have to pull it off with my fingers. It's within easy reach and no big deal. It seems a small price to pay for such a good cleaning job.
12. It has a narrow cleaning path so I can get it into places my Dyson vacuum is too big to clean without using an attachment.
13. It has a small footprint for storage, and is so compact and light that I don't mind taking it out to pick up a small mess. It's not a big production to set it up and clean.
14. The cord is long enough that you don't have to unplug and re-plug constantly.
CONS:
1. No HEPA filter. What were they thinking? The exhaust filter is a thin piece of cloth-like material that is white when you first get the vacuum, but turns black with dirt shortly afterward. The directions say you don't have to wash this filter, but it's disgusting (check the recent 1-year follow-up infomercial and you can see how black the filters are on the front of the vacuums). I tried rinsing mine out, but it stays black and that means filthy to me. It makes me wonder how much dirty air is blowing back into the room. If Shark doesn't change over to a HEPA filter, they should make replacement filters available for sale. I'd buy a pack of them.
2. The exhaust comes out the front of the vacuum a few inches above the floor. Unless you have the vacuum tipped well back when you are using it, there is the potential that the exhaust will blow loose dirt all over the place before you get a chance to vacuum it up. You wind up chasing the loose dirt around, especially on solid surface floors.
3. There was a new electronics burn-in smell that was quite intense for a few weeks after I bought my Navigator. It eventually went away, but was pretty nauseating while it lasted.
4. Lack of suction control. It's impossible to use the dusting brush for dusting because you can't turn down the suction, which if anything, is intensified through the hose. The beater bar is really essential if you want to get out pet hair and ground-in dirt from throw rugs, but the intense suction and the beater bar combine to pull and push the rugs all over the place. I have to stand on the rugs while I vacuum them so they won't slide all over. Suction control would solve this problem easily.
5. It may be a small thing, but I really like a headlight on my vacuum.
6. Edge cleaning is pretty much non-existent. It's a good thing this comes with a crevice tool.
7. Only one extension wand is included with the vacuum along with the crevice tool wand. This means you really don't have much reach with the hose and wand unless you are using the crevice tool. You can't attach the dusting brush or turbo brush to the crevice tool, so you are really limited in terms of distance when you use them.
8. The vacuum is too big around to get under low furniture like dressers or beds. There are no attachments for cleaning under low furniture and as noted previously, the hose and one wand don't reach very far. Not a whole-house cleaning solution.
9. I love, love, love the turbo brush. Euro-Pro / Shark has been making them for years and they have always been one of the biggest selling points, but their turbo brushes have never been well made in the past and the same is true with the Navigator. I'd be willing to pay separately for a really well-made turbo brush that is easy to clean out. I recently opened the turbo brush to clean out dog hair wound around the bristles (I use it all the time to de-fuzz furniture and dog beds) and was totally grossed out by the gunk that collected inside the housing of the brush. I had to use a pair of scissors to get the hair cut off the brush and I used them also to break up the white powdery gunk (dust and dander) from the housing of the brush. It had really packed itself into just about every available space. Ugh.
10. Euro-Pro's customer service continues to be their single biggest weak point. This vacuum cleaner comes with a 5-year warranty (10 years in the infomercial update), but that's not worth the paper it's printed on when the customer service is so poor. Why not make it 20 years if you have no plan to actually honor it?
11. I'd love a dusting tool that you could use on flat screen TVs without damaging the screen similar to the soft bristle dusting brush that Dyson makes.
12. The hose does not stretch anywhere near as long as advertised. I can only get mine to go up three steps or so, not all the way to the next landing like they show on TV. Part of that is the resistance from the sheer force of the suction, and the rest is because you lose hose length by wrapping it down near the base of the vacuum to make it less likely to tip over. Note to Euro Pro: it still tips over. Almost any time I am vacuuming using the hose, the vacuum is tipped over lying on the floor. Unless you use one hand to hold it upright, it's going to fall over.
In summary, after almost 9 months of daily use, I am still a fan of the Navigator. The suction is amazing and it does not appear to have diminished much over time with use. Emptying the dust cup is easy. The turbo brush is absolutely a necessity for pet owners and makes cleaning your car a breeze. It makes quick work of hair on furniture and stairs, and the new swivel feature makes it even easier to use. This is the first Shark product I've had that lasted this long and operated this well. There is plenty of room for improvement, but overall, this is a really fine vacuum cleaner. It's also less than half the price of any Dyson on the market, and so far, it blows the competition out of the water for ease of use, cleaning power, and affordability. I won't know about staying power for another 4 years or so. Keep up the good work, Shark.
3.63 / 5 stars; rounds up to 4 / 5 stars August 21, 2010
K. Hou (Philadelphia, PA)
This review is copied over from my review of Shark Navigator that sells through Amazon found here: Shark Navigator Upright Bagless Vacuum Cleaner, NV22L
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I've had this vacuum (NV22L) for about 2 weeks now, which I bought for $151 with free shipping from another online retailer. I've logged around 2 hours on this machine.
Here are some of my thoughts:
Build Quality - 2
1) The machine really does feel like it's made from cheap plastic, the kind that snaps easily. I'm afraid of letting it fall. Looking at the dust bin, I noticed that the hinges that pivot open the bin at the top and bottom are very thin and close to the surface, with a metal/plastic interface. If I accidentally dropped the dust bin with the hinges open, I have no doubt that the caps would easily snap off the dust bin.
2) I bumped my vacuum against a wooden chair, and there's this noticeable nick on the vacuum, where the superficial paint chipped off. It appears that the paint isn't durable.
3) In the manual, it's stated that there's a quick release for the power cord when it's wrapped up around the vacuum, involving turning the locking arm down. Now, when I do this, there's a very unsettling click, making me think that I just snapped a piece of plastic in half. I looked carefully and -- thankfully -- I didn't break anything. It just sounded like pieces of plastic were snapping in half whenever I turned the holding arm for the cord.
4) The wheels feel rubbery but plastic at the same time. They seem like wheels that would wear out very quickly if run over a coarser surface. I wouldn't roll the unit along a concrete floor, that's for certain. The wheels would probably grind down.
5) I understand the need for using lighter materials for weight-savings, but the vacuum just feels cheaply made. This is in comparison to a filter queen that my mom had used in my childhood, which still works well today (15 years old).
Suction - 5
1) The suction on this machine is very good. Surprisingly, it doesn't pick up items just outside of the powerhead when on bare floors; I guess it was a design thing, so don't expect it to clean along walls very well. You'll definitely need the crevice attachment tool for edges and corners. It'd estimate that the vacuum powerhead misses stuff up to 0.75" from the edge of a wall.
Warranty - 1
1) You would think that a vacuum that carries a 5 year warranty would be good. From reading extensive reviews about warranty repairs with shark, the consensus seems to be that shipping anything back requires a required enclosed $16.99 on top of the cost of shipping the unit there, and the company may or may not repair it.
Weight - 4.5
1) The vacuum is fairly light. I have no problem carrying it by the dirt bin's handle.
Maneuverability - 4.5
1) The unit turns very easily and rolls well. Because it is an upright, the motor/dust bin gets in the way of being able to push the unit underneath a bed. You won't be able to vacuum underneath objects well without moving them around.
Assembly/dis-assembly - 3.5
1) The unit's handle is connected to the main unit through a single bolt, washer, and nut. Because it is metal on plastic, be very careful of tightening the bolt too much, otherwise you might crack the plastic.
2) Putting the powerhead onto the main unit is pretty awkward. When you place the powerhead onto the main unit, you'll have to move the main unit's hose-connection-point out of the way while connecting. Because it requires a bit of force to snap the powerhead onto the main unit, the powerhead must be placed onto the floor, and the main unit must be placed over it. Push down *firmly* to snap the unit in place. You'll have to line up the male and female connector by guessing. Removing the powerhead is best done by laying the unit on the floor, pressing the release button while attempting to separate the head (so it doesn't lock back in place), and applying vigorous force using your thumbs at the joint to push the powerhead off the main unit.
Accessories - 4
1) The included turbo brush works pretty well, but it does emit a high-pitched whine when using it. If something gets stuck in it and you want to open the unit, be careful of opening it all the way, otherwise you'll snap the hinge off the brush (plastic).
2) The included dust brush, turbo brush, crevice tool, and long reach crevice tool work fairly well. My only complaint would be the cheap feel of the turbo brush.
3) The long reach crevice tool and turbo brush cannot fit on the unit itself. You'll have to store them separately in the included cloth/nylon bag.
Design - 3.5
1) Because the vacuum moves a large quantity of air (good suction), the exhaust (even though it's tilted upwards slightly when vacuuming) will tend to blow bits of hair around on bare floors. I've found that tilting the vacuum back (to change the direction of the exhaust more upwards) is the best way to vacuum hair off bare floors.
2 The dirt bin's capacity is fairly small (to the full line). I'd estimate that it's no larger than 3 cups (0.75 qt), so plan on emptying it often.
3) I'm not the biggest fan of the hose on the back of the unit. Because it's so compact, it doesn't stretch out very readily (it's like a tightly-wound slinky). When turning on the vacuum with the hose extended, the suction will further resist the stretching of the hose. Also, the distribution of weight for the hose isn't even. The weight of the hose pulls downward from the top hook, putting more strain on the hose at the top hook. If the hose is going to break in the future, it'll be at the top hook.
4) Looping the hose under the no-tip hook at the bottom does seem to work, but it does come unhooked easily. As someone else said, I would be careful of the unit becoming unhooked and falling over, thereby whacking someone over the head with it.
5) The quick release hooks that hold the power cord in place could be designed better with a smoother motion and better materials.
6) For some reason, my experience with all of Shark's products is that they stick a ridiculously powerful motor into a cheap plastic housing with inadequate heat-sinking/dissipation, and the shark is no exception. The unit's motor will get *VERY* warm/hot to the touch after 30 minutes of use. This inadequate dispersion of heat will lead to a shorter lifespan on the unit, so I plan on using the unit for periods of 30 minutes and waiting 45 minutes for it to cool down a bit before using it again.
7) Because of the narrow powerhead, it'll take more passes to cover the same surface area. The plus side is that it's more maneuverable because of it.
Exhaust air - 3
1) I'm really not sure if this unit has a HEPA filter. I *think* that it does. Regardless, if you're a severe allergen sufferer, I would go with a bagless vacuum. The problem with bagless units like this are that there are many points where dust can escape the unit before even making it through to the HEPA filter. Maybe someday I'll get a Miele or Filter Queen, but for now, this will do.
Ability to pick up stuff - 5
1) The unit does pick up dirt very well. Most of the time, it'll pick up anything in one pass. This is the Shark's biggest selling point. It really does perform well. I have no complaints with its ability to vacuum stuff off the ground.
Quietness - 4
1) It's fairly quiet for a vacuum that's this powerful. The only caveat is that it emits a high-pitched whine; it's not bad, really.
Other thoughts:
The powerhead will "skip" (pause for 0.3 seconds and resume spinning) if I push down a little bit on the handle while vacuuming (handle forming a 45 degree angle with the floor). I hope it doesn't break; perhaps the unit thinks that the additional pressure is from sucking up something and pauses sometimes. Maybe my carpet is a little loose (carpet consists of 2 mm tall fibers).
I didn't want to deal with the company's troublesome warranty repair, so I opted to go with a square trade warranty that lasts 3 years, which was an extra $25. In my opinion, the squaretrade warranty for this unit is very, very worth it.
I did quite a bit of reading on vacuums prior to buying this unit. For my purposes (short carpet, 80% carpet, 10% bare floor, 1 bedroom apartment), I decided to go with the Shark Navigator. Prior to buying, I looked at Dyson (overpriced in my opinion), refurbished Rainbows (mold grows in exhaust due to water; sprays mold into room), Miele (too expensive for my budget, but so worth it), refurbished Filter Queens (large and powerful, but I don't have the space for it), and Bissells (good performance for well known companies, but heavy in weight and large in space). I went with the Navigator because it's light, relatively compact, has good suction power, and relatively "cheap" for a good vacuum. I was most worried about the troublesome warranty, so I bought it with a Squaretrade warranty. I don't plan on it lasting for years and years like the filter queen that my mom has, but for now, it'll do.
Averaging the categories above with equal weigh to each category, I'd give the vacuum a 3.63/5 stars, which rounds up to a 4/5 stars. Taking only into consideration its ability to clean the bare ground/carpet, I'd give it a 5/5. Recommended.
 Think twice before buying a Shark Navigator August 13, 2010
anfltd
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
THINK TWICE BEFORE BUYING A SHARK. Their Customer Service and Technical Assistance Departments are the absolute pits. Following the purchase of a new Shark Navigator, I noted a constant whistling sound coming from the vacuum, a sound that was every bit as loud as the motor itself. I simply wanted to know if the sound was normal for this model or if it might suggest an air leak somewhere in the system. So over the next couple weeks I sent three (3) separate email to these two departments, each one asking that simple question. All three of my emails were ignored. I ultimately contacted their toll-free customer assistance line and asked them my question. I got what can only be described as a non-answer, being told that the whistling noise was "probably" normal. Not being willing to let it go at that, I sent a letter directly to the company's CEO complaining about my experiences and asking him for an answer to the one simple question I had already asked four times. He ignored my letter. Since I could not get an answer to this very simple question and being concerned that the whistle might indicate a problem with the vacuum, I've decided to box up the machine and return it to the store where I purchased it.
Of course, there is the 5 year warranty offered by Shark. That normally would have provided some assurance that if my vacuum failed, I would be protected from a costly repair. However, to take advantage of the warranty, the vacuum and all it's accessories must be returned to Shark along with a check for $16.99. Add the cost of shipping the vacuum back to them, which depending upon how you package it and the shipping method you use, and you'll likely be paying $40 to $50 just to have Shark take a look at your vacuum. However if Shark's Customer Service and Technical Assistance Departments are as bad as they appear to be, then how confident can one be that their Repair Department is any better. It's bad enough sending the vacuum back once and paying $40 to $50 for the privilege, but what if they don't repair it properly and you have to send it back to them again? I'm just not willing to take that chance.
I suggest that you ignore the Shark and instead purchase a vacuum make by a company with a proven track record for efficient and reliable customer service after the sale. Many vacuum manufacturers have local authorized repair stations, so checking to see if local service will be available for the brand you're considering purchasing should probably be the first step you take. As an added precaution, I would suggest that you make you purchase from one of the retailer that offers a 90 day return policy instead of the 30 days offered by many others. You'll at least have 3 months to put you new vacuum to the test and assure yourself that it is performing reliably and meeting your needs and expectations.
Awesome vacuum August 12, 2010
April Mendoza (Texas)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
My Oreck just died after only 2 years of use, and I hated my Dyson. The Dyson is way too heavy. I love this vacuum. I researched forever before buying it, because I needed one that would go from hard floors to carpet easily. I also wanted a vacuum that didn't weigh 100lbs since I have to drag it upstairs. I have cats and twins, and they can do a number on my house. I can't believe how clean my carpets and rugs look after using this. I am a little disappointed at the suction of hard floors, because it is so much stronger on carpet. The hose attachment is amazing. I have never had a vacuum with this much suction on the hose. I recommend this vacuum to anyone!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 75
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