Shark Navigator Lift-Away ADV Upright Vacuum – Blue Jean

The Lift Away Navigator ADV is our first upright vacuum from Shark, and we’re switching over from an older canister-style vac that used bags because these days bags are an unnecessary consumable, given the efficient dust capturing and filtering capabilities of modern vacuums. We like that the LA301 can be used as a floor vacuum with the detachable motorized brushroll base or handheld with or without the extension wand for off-the-floor cleaning like furniture, moldings, and ceiling perimeter.
When fully assembled with the brushroll base, the vacuum weighs about 13 lbs, which sounds heavy, but since most of the weight is on the floor, the vacuum really isn’t that hard to push around. This is made much easier by the fact that the pivot-point for the upright portion of the vacuum has a wide range of motion and swivels quite freely. While the vacuum is not self-propelled in any way, I still found it fairly easy to move around both over hardwood and carpet, though turning tight corners presented a bit of a challenge, requiring a few push and pulls to achieve full coverage.
The cord for the unit is an ample 25 ft, though it is not retractable, and must be manually wound onto the cord hooks on the side of the unit when storing. I do like that the upper hook rotates downward to easily and quickly release the looped cord without having to unwind it. There are also two “tool storage” posts at the sides of the dust bin, but since it comes with three accessory tools, you still need to store one off the unit.
When vacuuming, the motor of the floor brushroll only engages when the upright portion of the vacuum is tilted down past about 20 degrees. Above that angle or upright the brushroll motor shuts off. This vacuum features a fully sealed HEPA system that pulls in and traps 99.99% of dust and allergens without releasing them back out into the environment when the air is exhausted. I did notice that during and after vacuuming, I didn’t experience any dust related sneezing or irritation like I would get with our old vacuum.
One area where this vacuum struggles is accessing low-lying areas with the brushroll, for example, under couches and beds since when laid “flat” with the roller base installed, the vacuum’s height is just shy of 12 inches due to the large, 0.9 Qt dust cup. While you could get underneath low furniture with just the wand and a static brush accessory, you’d lose the deep-cleaning ability of the spinning brushroll. I found the same is true when using this vacuum on carpeted steps. The brushroll base is simply too large and cumbersome to try to run across each step, so I end up using just the handheld portion with the brush. I feel that I would get a deeper clean using the brushroll, but unfortunately, it cannot be attached directly to the wand. I should note that Shark offers another attachment, the pet power brush, sold separately, that can be used with the wand for this purpose.
That said, when using the vacuum handheld, I do like the convenience of being able to set down the motor unit and just manipulate the wand as it is pretty light — only 1-2 lbs depending on which attachment you use and whether you attach the extension tube. The flexible hose portion has an expandable spring design which is about 30” long when retracted and can stretch to 5 ft or longer which helps a lot to reach into narrow spaces and up to the corners and edges of the ceilings where cobwebs like to hang out. There are two suction levels when using handheld (min or max), and the canister portion on its own, if you’re carrying it around, weighs about 6 lbs.
Since this model does not feature the self-cleaning brushroll, occasionally you’ll need to check the brushroll for hair wraps or tangles from other long, stringy debris. If the LED on the brushroll base turns red, this means you’ve got a jam, and you need to unclog or clear a tangle. Fortunately the roller brush has a groove that you can run a small pair of scissors through to quickly snip anything that is wrapped around it. If the LED flashes red, this indicates the brushroll motor is overheating and the unit needs to be shut off to cool down before you can safely use it again.
The dust cup for the vacuum is easy to remove, empty out, and clean. There’s one release switch at the top to lift the dust bin off the motor and a one-press release button at the bottom that opens the trap door on the bottom allowing the contents to drop into a trash can. The dust cup, foam and felt motor filters, and HEPA filter can be washed and rinsed with plain water to keep the unit running smoothly with good suction.
Overall, I feel that this vacuum performed well when vacuuming on carpet and hardwood and pulled in a lot of dirt and debris with its powerful suction while keeping our air quality clean and allergen-free. It’s lightweight, easy to maneuver, and works best for cleaning open spaces or reaching into narrow and high areas using the handheld wand. However, for getting under low-laying furniture and carpeted steps, you’ll need to forgo the motorized brushroll, or purchase an additional accessory suited for that purpose.

So lightweight. Easy to push, lift. Great versatility. Happy!