After the first few months of owning my cat Hank, a long-haired breed who shed an unspeakable amount of fur, it was becoming quickly apparent that my standard cordless stick vacuum was not cutting it. My rugs and soft upholstered furniture were matted with tufts of white fur and fluffy dust bunnies tumbleweeded throughout my apartment. I suspected I knew just the vacuum for the task — a working horse corded model that would only cost me $150 and came with a boatload of endorsements from other pet owners.
The Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe may be a more traditional-looking vacuum, but what it lacks in bells and whistles it makes up for in pure, indisputable power that managed to suction up an alarming amount of dust, hair and debris from virtually every surface in my home —even after I had just gone over them with both my stick vacuum and carpet rake. It made my carpet appear so fluffy, vibrant and clean that I had to double-check the price I paid for such a gizmo.
Part of the powerful suction can likely be attributed to the completely sealed HEPA filtration system, a pretty standard yet effective way to ensure that captured dust and debris do not escape. Also, for as many reservations that you might have about a cord on your vacuum, I will say that it wasn’t nearly as cumbersome as I remember after years of relying on a cordless model — it was actually refreshing to have a vacuum that maintained consistent power throughout its entire use, without ever having to worry about it running out of charge.
