We have noticed that they get discolored fairly easy but we have not had to clean ours yet. So far we haven’t really noticed any difference in terms of the need to clean filters when comparing the Canister Pet to some of our other full size machines. So we’d have to say that the self-cleaning shark dustbuster brushroll works to “limit” hair tangle, but it isn’t perfect. The Shark Canister Pet also has a flexible wand – something Shark calls MultiFLEX Technology. For example, one can bend the wand in the middle which makes it easier to get under low furniture without bending over too far.
The Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 bagless upright vacuum cleaner is an effective, reliable vacuum at a great price. Of the hundreds of vacuum cleaners available today, this is the one that we think will make the most people the shark canister vacuum happiest. It should be reliable, thanks to its durable belt and hard-to-clog yet easy-to-clean design. And the five-year comprehensive warranty almost guarantees that this model will last longer than anything else at the price.
We did expect that the canister would have some kind of bumper around the perimeter to stop scuffing or scraping of walls/furniture, but it does not. One downside to buying a Miele is that you may not have an authorized service center near you. In a now-famous Reddit AMA from 2013, vacuum-shop manager and repair technician Brian Driscoll called out the Shark brand as being repair-prone. In order to compare the raw power of these vacuum motors, we plugged them each into a vacuum gauge rig and noted the maximum amount of negative pressure made by the motors.
CANISTER BODYThe canister has two large switches on top – one to turn the vacuum on/off and another to retract the power cord. They are designed to be operated with your foot which is convenient as you don’t have to bend over to use them, just tap them with your toe. CONSUMER RATINGSWe found owner ratings on several sites (see table below). When these figures were averaged shark robotic vacuums we got an overall score for the Shark Canister Pet of 87.8 out of 100. You can compare it to the score of other canister vacuums in our Canister Vacuum Ratings table or you can view all vacuum scores on our site in the Vacuum Cleaner Finder application. Shark makes a variety of vacuum types including upright, stick, and handheld models, all of which appear on our list.
We measured a C3 model—running with the power head attached and the brush roll spinning at the maximum suction setting—at 74 dBc, which is about five dBc quieter than our main pick. The motor is also a slow starter, meaning that it gradually revs up to maximum power over a few seconds, rather than turning on at full blast. You might be able to get away with vacuuming while somebody is sleeping nearby, something we can’t say about many other vacuum cleaners. Several Wirecutter staff members have bought the Navigator Lift-Away since we started recommending it, and everyone is basically happy with it. Senior staff writer Michael Sullivan has owned this model for four years and uses it once a week.