REASONS TO BUY
Easy to push and pull
Lift away feature
HEPA filter
REASONS TO AVOID
Struggles with cracks
Pet hair clumps
Long hair tangles
Shark Navigator Lift Away Review
This affordable and easy to use vacuum makes you feel like you can clean for hours
Credit: Natalie Kafader
By Rachael Lamore ⋅ Senior Review Analyst ⋅ July 21, 2025
Contributions From: Chris Maxcer
RELATED: The Best Upright Vacuums of 2025
Our Verdict
The Shark Navigator Lift Away NV352 has been one of the most popular upright vacuums for well over a decade, and for good reason: it's a great overall performer offered at a budget-friendly price point. As we've tested and retested it over the years, it's maintained surprisingly competitive scores. In our new and improved low-pile carpet test, it sucked up 93% of our test material, earning it a score well above average compared to other upright vacuums we tested. While it doesn't impress us compared to modern vacuums with cleaner heads specifically designed for hardwood, it still collected an impressive amount. Unfortunately, it is only mediocre, with deeply embedded pet hair, as it is prone to clumping and tangling. Still, if you're willing to give this no-frills workhorse model an extra pass or two in use and remove tangled pet hair, it's commonly on sale, making it a compelling option for those looking to stay under $200.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Even though the Shark Navigator Lift Away has been around for years, it includes a HEPA filter, which is rare for this price range.
In addition to conducting our rigorous suction and debris collection tests, we run each vacuum through typical use-case scenarios to test how easily the vacuums maneuver and shift into different feature modes.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Carpet Performance
Even though this machine looks a bit dated, we have to say its on-carpet functionality is still competitive.
With its relatively low-profile cleaner head design, it plowed some Cheerios in this test. If you face large debris, this machine rolls over the bigger stuff pretty well in reverse. The suction felt impressively powerful on this carpet, which is definitely a plus. However, pushing and pulling were a bit challenging, which is a common trade-off for strong suction. The vacuum collected nearly all the sand and rice but left behind a small pile of Cheerios.
What do 1.5 total cups of sand, rice, and Cheerios look like spread out for our low-pile carpet tests? A mess!
Credit: Natalie Kafader
While it collected a lot of the material, the cleaner head struggled with larger debris, pushing it around on both the forward and reverse passes. If you're patient, you'll likely be able to have a satisfactory experience on a shag area rug. For larger materials, like popcorn or small leaves, you might need to pull out the hand nozzle rather than chase them around with the cleaner head.
Hardwood Performance
This model uses a stiff-bristled brush roller design like its newer Deluxe version sibling mentioned above. While it works well on carpet, the hard floor mode switch turns off the brush roller for use on hardwood floors, likely because this roller might damage delicate hardwood floors (although we haven't personally seen this happen). This means only the suction is collecting material in the hard floor mode.
Before Testing After Testing
The 'after' photo shows the patches of sand left behind after 24 seconds, in addition to a pile of backplowed Cheerios. The result is an above-average performance, but it's not strong enough for me to recommend to a friend.
The vacuum left sand behind during all three trials as we moved the cleaner head over the messes. It seemed to pick up the lighter debris on each pass but lacked the suction power to fully collect the sand.
This model cleans edges well when approaching head-on, which is great for catching crumbs near kitchen counters. However, it struggles with suction on parallel passes, making it less effective for long hallways.
To test close to walls, we spread coffee grounds along the corner created by a wall and a hard floor.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Pet Hair
This vacuum didn't stand out when cleaning around the house and trying to pick up every single strand of fur. It's a tough task, but others fared better, possibly because the smaller roller design doesn't let the bristles dig deep enough into carpet fibers to dislodge the fur.
Before Testing After Testing
At first, the Navigator Lift-Away left a few clumps behind in our pet hair test, which was pretty good, but after weighing the results, 39% never made it all the way to the dustbin.
Unfortunately, longer hair extensions became hopelessly tangled in the bristled brush roller. You'll need to routinely check and clear the rollers to prevent hair buildup from weakening performance or causing the motor to stall.
This photo shows the long hair wrapping around the brush roller, but in some of our other tests, the bristles also caught quite a bit of pet hair.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
If you have multiple pets shedding fur, we recommend the Shark Rotator LA502, a similar compact-size vacuum that led the pack in the upright vacuums we tested on pet hair, making it a great option for multi-pet households.
Filtration
Unlike relying on a fog machine for visual leaks, our filtration test is rigorous and measures the amount of particles crowding the air.
Filtration
| Shark Navigator Lift Away NV352 | |
|---|---|
| Small (2.4-0.5) | 53 |
| Dylos Air Quality Designation | Excellent |
| HEPA |
The vacuum's ability to trap these particles without dispersing them ensures a healthier environment, reducing the chances of aggravating allergies.
These two Dylos air quality monitors help us establish a baseline for air quality and indicate airborne particulate increases during our filtration tests.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Ease of Use
We could easily push this vacuum onto and off the bamboo mat, and in comparison, we thought it was easier to push than the Navigator Deluxe model. We really enjoyed the swivel action, making it a breeze to work our way around tight areas.
For maneuverability, you can lift the dustbin canister and detach the cleaner head, allowing you to move the unit over stairs or use the handheld hose to reach high areas. To be clear, this “Lift-Away” feature is not the same “Lift-Away” feature on the Shark Stratos or Powerdetect. The more expensive model's feature transforms it into something more like a canister vacuum that lets you detach the dustbin from the cleaner head while using the cleaner head to reach under furniture.
It's straightforward to clean out the dust bin, with easy latches to undo.
Credit: Chris McNamara
The brush tool included works okay on our pillow test, but using it on more challenging areas, such as under the couch cushions, proved to be a more difficult task, requiring a bit of elbow grease to dislodge hair strands and stubborn dirt.
Shark includes an extra-wide upholstery tool and a simple crevice tool.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Should You Buy the Shark Navigator Lift Away?
The Shark Navigator Lift Away is a reliable vacuum that performs well and has a reasonable price tag. We recommend this to anyone looking for good, affordable carpet performance who values the HEPA filtration system and appreciates the easy options for using the handheld tools with the Lift Away feature. It's also compact and far less bulky than most upright vacuums, making it a valuable option for smaller homes or those who don't want to lug around a heavy appliance.
What Other Upright Vacuums Should You Consider
The Shark Navigator Lift Away Deluxe is a newer yet similar option to the Shark Navigator Lift Away model. It performs nearly as well on carpet but sucks up sand better on hardwood, making it a slightly more versatile buy. However, their performance characteristics are so similar that we recommend choosing the model that is priced lower. For a much-improved experience overall, consider the excellent Shark Stratos, which has a dual-roll cleaner head that works well on both carpet and hardwood.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Shark Navigator Lift Away versus top competing products:
—Rachael Lamore and Chris Maxcer
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