Almost everything man has to do now is automated, and this also involves cleaning. Vacuum cleaners are in demand at present and of all the brands to consider, the Shark vacuum cleaner comes to mind, especially the Navigator type. However, one question that always come to mind is “how good is the Shark Navigator vacuum cleaner”? This usually comes from people who want to buy vacuum cleaners, or have decided it has to be a Shark product but want a review of the Navigator model. You’re welcome!
The Shark Navigator is actually a great product. It is good for low-pile carpets and cleans pet hair and furs quite easily. It also picks up a large amount of debris in its wake and will serve a very long period as you maintain it properly. All of these can make up for its bulky weight, as it feels heavy when moving it around with its short coverage span.
The Shark Navigator vacuum cleaner gets power from a cord plugged to the socket of your home. It can clean dirt, hair, fur and debris on a large range of surfaces without hassles. It can be an upright vacuum cleaner with a head and brush roll, or it can just be semi vacuum cleaner that you can attach a lot of tools to.
As earlier stated, its range is quite limited probably due to the length of the cord. Moving it around could be challenging because of its bulky design as well. If you want it to last a long period, you will need to maintain it properly by cleaning some of its parts, and this includes two filters.
Talking about filters, this vacuum cleaner comes with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) allergen trapping filter. This is a mechanical filter that collects harmful substances like mites, pet dander, pollen and smoke by forcing air through a wired gauze. The entire vacuum requires no recurring cost. You get it once and for all, maintain it properly and you have a gem on your hands.
A REVIEW ON THE SHARK NAVIGATOR VACUUM CLEANER
In the previous paragraphs, we just managed to scratch the surface on the specifications of the Shark Navigator vacuum cleaner. We now want to make an in depth review of this vacuum cleaner. Using its pros and cons as a basis for how good it really is (or can be). So find below is an in-depth review.
Setup and assembly
The Navigator vacuum cleaner is quite easy to assemble. In less than ten minutes, you can set it up and start using it. No long process! If in doubt, the operational manual is clear, concise and easy enough to guide you. It has some pictorial representations that makes it possible for you to know and match them into each other.
About the operational manual, we might have some challenges there. Some users have reported that the manual added to the box is actually for another model. So this might be confusing in itself. However, if you check online, it might go a long way to rectify this issue. Once this is over with, your vacuum cleaner can be assembles and used.
Design
This vacuum cleaner is actually designed by purpose. You can set it up in three different cleaning modes to conform to what you want to clean it with. If you want to clean the bare floor, use the I position.
If you want to clean the rugs and carpets, use the II position. For the II position, the motorized rotating floor brush helps to stir up debris, pet fur and hair as well as dirt that has been pressed on the rug. When the rotating floor brush is on, a green light will show and if it experiences a jam, the light turns red.
The most essential accessories of a vacuum cleaner are a dusting brush, a crevice tool and a pet power brush. The Shark Navigator has all of these. By merely pressing a button, you can remove its canister and use it to clean places in the house that are not easy to get to. The accessories earlier stated can be attached or detached allowing for better flexibility, so you can be comfortable cleaning tight spaces.
The Shark Navigator has a 2.2 dry quarts high capacity dust cup. So you do not have to empty it now and then. But this pro could easily turn to a con because the bigger cup now makes the vacuum cleaner weigh as much as 13.7 pounds. We also realized that another flaw in its design is that we found the canister a little shaky when used on hard floors.
High power performance
This vacuum cleaner has very high suction when tested on hard floors, rugs and carpets. This high power suction allows it to take up a lot of debris, dust, dirt and fur in the quickest time possible. The dusting brush and pet brush also did very well when we used it to clean surfaces like drapes, window blinds, lamp shades, stair case and the dog shed.
Another advantage of Shark Navigator is that it can be used to clean under furniture. This is possible because the canister is detachable and the vacuum will still be in upright position. But there is a downside to this. Once the canister is detached, the rotating brush cannot be used. We also noticed that cleaning under furniture with hard wood might be easy, but cleaning under furniture with rug is not. The vacuum cleaner did not have enough suction to clean up dirt and dust.
Pricing
We saved the best for last. The price is quite reasonable for the efficiency of this vacuum cleaner. With about $200, you can buy one of the best mid-range Shark vacuum cleaners there is out there. It might not have some more elaborate features of the expensive ones, but it still beautifies your house with a variety of cleaning modes at a very affordable price.
MAINTAINING THE SHARK NAVIGATOR VACUUM CLEANER
Truth be told, maintaining this vacuum cleaner is not so easy because some components that need maintenance are not easy to reach. If you can find your way around and get used to it, it might become easier for you. Some parts to maintain are:
The brush roll
This part of the vacuum cleaner does not go off, but it is still accessible. The cover of the brush roll can be opened with a flat screwdriver. This won’t still remove the cover, but at least it will raise it up for you to clean. This feature makes it one of the hardest brush rolls to clean. However, it has a brush roll that cleans itself so fur and hair won’t get entangled.
The HEPA filter
Earlier in this post, we have explained what HEPA is and its basic functions. It is accessible by lifting up the cover in front of the vacuum cleaner. We advise you clean it like once every year with water and then dry it with air for at least 24 hours before using it again.
The dirt compartment
There are two ways to maintain this part of the vacuum cleaner. One is to open it from the top and clear out the trapped dirt and dust in the lint screen. The other is to simply empty it from under and clean it up. Whichever way, just make sure it is cleaned properly.
The pre-motor filters
A foam filter and a felt filter are two of the pre-motor filters this vacuum cleaner comes with. They can both be assessed from under the vacuum cleaner. We recommend you clean them at least every three months with water, and remember to air dray for 24 hours.
Conclusion
As compared to other mid-range cleaners, the Shark Navigator vacuum cleaner does the job quite well with an affordable price. Feel free to check it out anytime.