Shark Navigator Freestyle reviews: this stick vacuum is bagless, lightweight, and cordless, but the battery life is short. Click here to read more …
   | Our Rating: 4.2/5 Pros:
Cons:
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Are you tired of dealing with short power cords? Do you want something that gives you the freedom to clean wherever you want in the house? A cordless vacuum might be a good vacuum for you to have.
In this review, we are featuring a cordless stick vacuum: The Shark Bagless Navigator Freestyle Cordless Stick Vacuum (SV1106). Shark is a known vacuum brand that is trusted by many vacuum users out there. Is the Shark Navigator Freestyle Bagless Vacuum a reliable product from Shark? Read on below to see what we learned about this vacuum.
Contents
The Shark Navigator Freestyle Vacuum has the following notable features:
- Convenient cordless design that allows for more mobility
- Swivel steering for stress-free maneuvering
- Two-speed settings for bare floor and carpet cleaning
- Extra-large dust cup that is designed for easy emptying
- 4-hour fast-charging battery charger
Accessories
The vacuum does not come with other specialized cleaning tools or attachments.
Dimensions
- The dimensions of the vacuum cleaner are: 9.8 x 10.5 x 24.1 inches
- The vacuum weighs 10.1 pounds.
Bag and Cord Type
- This vacuum is bagless. The dirt that is picked up by the vacuum is dumped in a dust cup.
- The vacuum is cordless and battery operated. The vacuum comes with a precision charger that fully loads up the battery in 4 hours.
Cleaning Coverage
The Shark Navigator Freestyle Bagless Vacuum is designed for both bare floor and carpet cleaning. The vacuum has two-speed settings: high and low. The high-speed setting is best for carpet cleaning. The low-speed setting is recommended for bare floor cleaning. The vacuum has a light indicator around the power button that tells you what speed setting you are using. When the indicator light flashes, it means that the brush roll stopped because of a jam. The user manual that comes with the vacuum has detailed instructions on how to remove a jam and how to restart the vacuum after a jam.
The vacuum is also highly recommended for pet-hair removal. According to some reviews, the vacuum does a good job of lifting pet hair from carpets. Shark also markets this vacuum to be “exceptional” for pet hair pick-up. Read the “Customer Reviews” section below to learn more about the performance of this vacuum.
Product Care
This vacuum only needs basic cleaning procedures for care and maintenance. To keep the vacuum performing at its best, you should empty the dust cup after every use or whenever the debris in the cup reaches the “MAX FILL” line.
Apart from emptying the dust cup after every use, it is recommended that you clean the filter once a month. If you use the vacuum every day, for long periods of time, it might be better to clean the filter more than once a month. Cleaning the filter is easy: simply rinse it under water until you don’t see any dirt being washed away. Squeeze the excess water out and allow the filter to dry for 24 hours before installing again.
As for the battery, Shark recommends performing “battery reconditioning” when you notice that the vacuum runs on shorter time. To perform battery reconditioning, you need to charge the vacuum for 7 hours minimum. Once charged, run the vacuum until it drains and shuts off. After draining, charge the vacuum again for 7 hours. Shark states in the user manual that battery reconditioning can be done every month as a maintenance protocol for your battery.
Warranty
This vacuum has a one-year limited vacuum warranty.
The Shark Navigator Freestyle Bagless Stick Vac has more than a thousand reviews online. More than half of the reviews gave this vacuum a great rating. The positive reviews of this vacuum are far greater in number than the critical reviews. We read the Shark Navigator Freestyle reviews and summarized some of the common praises and critiques that we think you should consider before buying:
Repeated Raves:
- Freed from the cord. Many users like the fact that you can just pick up the vacuum anytime and use it anywhere around the house. You do not need to worry about finding a power source near the area you are cleaning. You also do not have to worry about short power cords limiting your cleaning coverage.
- No-worry battery. You can leave the battery on the charger without fear of damage. Shark guarantees that leaving the battery in the charger past the complete charge time will not damage the batteries. You don’t have to set your alarm in the middle of the night just to unplug the charger and remove the battery from the dock.
- Lightweight. The vacuum is easy to use and to lift. Those who are not allowed to do heavy-lifting will still be able to vacuum their house with this Shark vacuum.
Important Critical Reviews
- There are some complaints that the battery loses charge quickly. A few users are not too happy with the cleaning time they get out of this Shark vacuum. It might be a battery glitch that could be covered by warranty, or it could also be just poor battery performance.
- Great at first. Some verified purchase reviews mentioned that they loved the performance of this vacuum in the first few months of using it. However, it seems that the vacuum loses suction power over time. More than one user review has attributed this to an accumulation of dirt in the pathway that causes a blockage. If you figure out how to unclog the dirt, then great. If you don’t want to be bothered by that, this Shark vacuum might not be the best for you. (Read more customer reviews here)
Pros
- Lightweight. The vacuum is easy to carry. You do not have to worry about having a hard time carrying the unit up a flight of stairs.
- Cordless. If you have a small to medium-sized home and want something that is cordless, this vacuum might be a good choice for you. Vacuums that have short power cords can be quite a pain to use when you are on a cleaning spree. A cordless vacuum can give you the freedom to vacuum wherever you want.
Cons
- The vacuum does not have accessories for targeted or precision cleaning. Other vacuums come with a crevice tool, dusting brush, hose and wand extension. These accessories can come in handy when you need to clean thoroughly hard to reach areas in the house.
- Your cleaning time is dependent on your battery. A cordless vacuum gives you “freedom” to clean wherever, but it also makes you a slave to the battery. If you are cleaning a large area, and you run out of battery in the middle of the task, you would have to wait a few hours before the vacuum is fully-charged and ready to go.
Should You Buy?
The Shark Bagless Navigator Freestyle Cordless Stick Vacuum (SV1106) is not the most popular affordable vacuum out there, but it is also not the worst. We would recommend this vacuum to those with smaller houses and those who need something lightweight. If you are looking for a vacuum that is more powerful and efficient in cleaning, we suggest that you check out the bigger and meaner brother from Shark: the Navigator Lift-Away Professional Upright Vacuum.
| Brand | Bag | Cord | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dyson Ball Multi Floor | Dirt Bin | 30 feet | |
| Shark Navigator Deluxe NV42 | Dirt Bin | 25 feet | |
| Oreck Commercial XL2100HRS | 11 quarts bag | 35 feet | |
| Shark Rotator Professional Lift-Away NV501 | Dirt Bin | 30 feet | |
| Shark Navigator Deluxe Lift-Away NV360 | Dirt Bin | 25 feet | |
| Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 | Dirt Bin | 25 feet | |
| Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional | 0.55-gallon Dirt Bin | 30 feet | |
| Bissell CleanView 1330 | Dirt Bin | 25 feet | |
| Hoover Linx Cordless Stick BH50010 | Dirt Bin | Cordless | |
| Dirt Devil Dynamite Plus | Dirt Bin | 25 feet | |