Shark sv1106 navigator freestyle cordless stick vacuum

This vacuum provides excellent value, offering a solid performance at a fraction of the price of the top models

Shark sv1106 navigator freestyle cordless stick vacuum

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Price:   $150 List | $129.99 at Amazon

Pros:  Great value, good at cleaning hard floors

Cons:  Not terribly convenient, more difficult to use

Manufacturer:   Shark

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59

OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#9 of 13

  • Convenience - 35% 5.5

  • Hard Surface Cleaning - 30% 6.6

  • Ease of Use - 20% 5.5

  • Carpet Cleaning - 15% 6.0


Our Verdict

While the Shark Navigator Freestyle finished lower in our lineup, it still offers good performance for significantly less than most of the models that beat it. It does well at cleaning all types of floors, though concessions were made to its convenience and ease of use to keep the cost down. But for those searching for a solid stick vacuum and who don't want to break the bank, this well-priced vacuum is certainly one to consider.

Editor's Note: This gear review includes an update from January 11, 2022, which provides more information on the products we'd choose and why.


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Shark sv1106 navigator freestyle cordless stick vacuum

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Awards     
Shark sv1106 navigator freestyle cordless stick vacuum
 
 
Price$150 List
$129.99 at Amazon
$170 List
$154.99 at Amazon
$150 List $40 List
$39.99 at Amazon
$32 List
$34.99 at Amazon
Overall Score 
Shark sv1106 navigator freestyle cordless stick vacuum

59

64

57

48

40

Star Rating
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ProsGreat value, good at cleaning hard floors Inexpensive, convenient Quiet, great battery life Decent at cleaning hard surfaces, inexpensive Inexpensive
ConsNot terribly convenient, more difficult to use Lackluster carpet cleaning, struggles with edges Unimpressive cleaning performance Harder to use, loud Poor carpet cleaning ability, harder to use, less convenient
Bottom LineThis vacuum provides excellent value, offering a solid performance at a fraction of the price of the top models This vacuum delivered a middle-of-the-road performance that failed to make much of an impression This prototypical cordless stick vacuum does an acceptable job at cleaning up light messes but doesn't distinguish itself as a top model This inexpensive model cleans decently, especially when it comes to hard surfaces This lightweight vacuum may be super cheap, but don't expect much in terms of performance
Rating CategoriesShark Navigator Fre... Eureka RapidClean Pro Black+Decker HSVJ52... VonHaus 600W 2-in-1 Dirt Devil Simpli-Stik
Convenience (35%)

5.5

7.5

6.3

4.1

3.9

Hard Surface Cleaning (30%)

6.6

6.4

4.8

5.8

4.6

Ease of Use (20%)

5.5

5.5

6.2

4.2

4.0

Carpet Cleaning (15%)

6.0

4.9

5.3

4.9

2.7

SpecsShark Navigator Fre... Eureka RapidClean Pro Black+Decker HSVJ52... VonHaus 600W 2-in-1 Dirt Devil Simpli-Stik
Weight3.22 kg | 7.1 lbs 2.31 kg | 5.1 lbs 2.77 kg | 6.1 lbs 2.04 kg | 4.5 lbs 1.54 kg | 3.4 lbs
Cordless Battery Life13 min 53 sec 23 min 12 sec 16 min 11 sec n/a n/a
Maximum Corded Reachn/a n/a n/a 6.4 m | 21 ft 5.33 m | 17.5 ft
Measured Charge Time355 min 270 min 290 min n/a n/a
Noise Level75 dBa 64.5 dBa 73 dBa 77 dBa 73.5 dBa
Model NumberSV1106 NEC180 HSVJ520JMBF27 EPT2 SD20000RED
Battery TypeLithium-ion Lithium-ion Lithium-ion n/a n/a
Measured Cleaning Path Width24.8 cm | 9.75" 24.8 cm | 9.75" 22.2 cm | 8.75" 22.2 cm | 8.75" 22.9 cm | 9"
Variable Suction ControlNo Yes Yes No No
Brush On/Off Switch?Slows the brush for hard floor No Yes n/a n/a
StorageStands up Wall mount only Stands up Stands up; falls over easily Stands up; falls over easily
Bag TypeBagless Bagless Bagless Bagless Bagless
Swivel Head?Yes; very limited Yes Yes No No
Soft Bumper?No Yes Yes No No
Cordless?Yes Yes Yes No No

Show full specification detailsHide full specification details

Our Analysis and Test Results

While this vacuum isn't quite as versatile and convenient as some of its siblings, the Navigator Freestyle didn't disappoint throughout our testing. It's a solid performer and an excellent overall value, with no significant drawbacks. If you want a stick vacuum for cleaning up small messes in between deep cleans of your home and don't want to spend a ton of cash, this is a clear contender.

Performance Comparison


Shark sv1106 navigator freestyle cordless stick vacuum

The Shark Navigator Freestyle.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman


Convenience

Earning the highest weight of all our test metrics, convenience is paramount for stick vacuums compared to traditional vacuums. We compared the weight, storage method, whether or not the vacuum was corded or cordless, its maximum reach or battery life, and how adept each product was at cleaning non-floor surfaces. The Navigator gave us an average performance for its efforts.

The Navigator fell a little short when it came to cleaning anywhere off the floor, lacking the attachments or the versatility of other models. This vacuum can only be used as an upright model and doesn't transform into a handheld vacuum cleaner like others in our review. It is an average weight compared to other cordless models and has decent battery life. It lasted just shy of 14 minutes on its carpet cleaning mode and took about 6 hours to recharge fully. On the plus side, it's stable enough to stand on its own rather than relying solely on a wall mount for storage, an often overlooked feature of these products that is exceptionally convenient.

Shark sv1106 navigator freestyle cordless stick vacuum

This model was about average difficulty to use, hurt by its floor-only cleaning limitation.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman


Hard Surface Cleaning

Moving on to our second group of tests, the ability of each product to clean hard surfaces. This made up 30% of the total score for each stick vacuum. We assessed the performance of each model by spreading out oatmeal, flour, rice, pet hair, and Cheerios on a section of hardwood floor. We then rated each vacuum on how much residual debris was leftover and the number of passes it took to get the floor visually clean. The Navigator scored very well in this metric.

Shark sv1106 navigator freestyle cordless stick vacuum

The Freestyle can handle debris on hard floors without hesitation.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

This vacuum did an excellent job cleaning up rice, only taking a single pass to clean everything up thoroughly. This model didn't fling rice to the side using the bare floor mode, even when the brush was spinning. Performance dropped a little when it came to cleaning up flour, though. It took 2-4 passes to get the area visually clean, with additional passes needed to get residual flour out of the cracks between boards. The Navigator would also collect a bunch of flour on its roller wheels, which would usually fall off later in an inconvenient location.

Shark sv1106 navigator freestyle cordless stick vacuum

The Navigator Freestyle took a few more passes to clean the flour and couldn't quite get it all out of the cracks.

Credit: Austin Palmer

The Navigator improved a bit in our cereal test, doing a slightly above-average job collecting Cheerios. Its performance continued to improve in our final two tests of this metric: oats and pet hair. It took about 1.5 passes to collect the oats, though a few stragglers were left behind. However, it did collect all of the pet hair we laid out, tying with about half of the group for a perfect score.

Ease of Use

To compare these products for this metric, we evaluated how easy it was for each vacuum to clean under furniture and close to edges, the different cleaning power levels provided, and the level of noise produced by each vacuum while in operation. The Navigator Freestyle did a decent job cleaning up debris along the edge of a wall, collecting all of the material that we laid out, though it took a few more passes to achieve this than the top-performing models in our test.

Shark sv1106 navigator freestyle cordless stick vacuum

The Navigator Freestyle did quite well at cleaning debris up that was along the edge of a room.

Credit: Austin Palmer

Performance dropped when it came to cleaning under furniture, with this model finishing in the lower half of the pack. The Navigator only reached just shy of 11" under our test sofa. To compare, some models had more than three times the reach.

Shark sv1106 navigator freestyle cordless stick vacuum

The Shark Navigator Freestyle didn't reach very far under furniture at all.

Credit: Austin Palmer

This model has a high and low power cleaning mode, with a footswitch to swap between hard floor and carpet mode. This doesn't totally stop the brush from rotating; it just slows it down. The Navigator Freestyle is about average in terms of noise level and has a swivel steering head, but it is somewhat limited — substantially less agile than others we reviewed.

Shark sv1106 navigator freestyle cordless stick vacuum

The Shark Navigator Freestyle scored about average in our Ease of Use metric.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman


Carpet Cleaning

For the final metric of our testing process, we evaluated how well each stick vacuum did at cleaning carpeted floors. Once again, we broke out the flour, oats, rice, cereal, and donated pet hair, spreading them out on both low-pile, flat carpet, and medium-pile, fluffy carpet and based our scores on how well each type of debris was cleaned and how many cleaning passes it took.

Shark sv1106 navigator freestyle cordless stick vacuum

This model delivered an above-average performance in our carpet cleaning metric.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

The Navigator started with a strong showing in this test, doing a good job collecting rice on both types of carpet. It took about two passes on both types to get them visually clean. Unfortunately, the Navigator couldn't maintain its performance when we moved on to the flour test. This model took a few passes and failed to impress, performing among the worst of our tested vacuums.

Shark sv1106 navigator freestyle cordless stick vacuum

The Navigator left plenty of residual flour behind.

Credit: Austin Palmer

Some redemption was found when we got to the Cheerio collection. This stick vacuum got all the cereal on the flat carpet without effort. However, on the fluffy carpet version of this test, the Navigator truly shined. This model scooped up the cereal without any difficulties, only pushing a few of them around before promptly picking them up. Continuing its upward trend, the Navigator tied for the top score when collecting pet hair and delivered a decent showing at collecting oats.

Should You Buy the Navigator Freestyle?

This vacuum is good at cleaning hard surfaces and has a reasonable price. It impressed in our testing on the fluffy carpet and sucked up the Cheerios better than some of the competition. However, several products showed better performance in our tests with similar or lower prices, making the Navigator not our first choice or even the Shark of choice in this review.

What Other Stick Vacuum Should You Consider?

If you like the Shark brand, we think you'll be happier with the Shark Rocket Pet Pro, which is one of the highest-scoring options in the review with great results for cleaning hard surfaces and carpet. Depending on your goals, the Shark IONFlex has one of the highest test results for cleaning on hard surfaces. If your budget does allow for the competition Shark options, you might consider the Moosoo XL-618A, which is easier to use, more convenient, and less expensive with similar cleaning test results.

— David Wise and Austin Palmer

How long does the battery last on Shark Freestyle vacuum?

The vacuum has a fairly short runtime. On the high-speed carpet setting, it will last for about 12 minutes. The lower bare floor setting gives you a little more time—17 minutes or so.

Is the Shark Navigator Light vacuum cordless?

Rechargeable cordless convenience. Provides premium pet hair pickup throughout the home. Powerful and lightweight. Portable and versatile at only 7.5 lbs.

Is Shark Navigator Lift

The Shark Navigator Lift-Away is a versatile corded upright vacuum.