Two hundred dollars for a fifty dollar plastic disposable doesn't seem to be a good deal. I also doubt the "professional" label. A pro would need reliability over everything else and would often go old school with a clunky inelegant workhorse like the totally unglamorous Sanitaire. But you're not a cleaning pro with trashy offices to vac, so go for it.

That's my totally biased opinion. There's no defending it, really. The bias comes from the dichotomy of all-show-no-go, and it's clearly (over)designed to be all show, like the Dysons are. You pay for that...

I and several people I know have the Shark lift away navigator pro. It is an absolutely wonderful machine. Hands down the best vacuum cleaner I have ever used. Shark comes by their great reputation for a reason, they are that good. I have not seen or tried the model you mentioned but every model in the navigator series has very high ratings among real users.
Check sites that have real user reviews like Amazon and Newegg etc. I would definitely buy another Shark. I have a Kirby, Hoover, and a couple others that I need to get rid of in a garage sale or donate.
I have no connection other than being a very happy owner.
I have seen lots of posts about vacuum cleaners here at GW especially at the KT might search for them.

I have had a shark vacuum for several years. I think I paid under $150 at Costco and would buy another tomorrow

I have the shark liftaway minus the liftaway part. It is not the best in the world, but for the price, I have had no problems with it and it works well. I have a dog and two cats.

In my new house, I am going to to try and really buy a super high quality vacuum. The shark is a bit heavy. It gets the job done and is easy to clean! Just finished using it about ten minutes ago!

I have the Shark Rotator Lift-away from Bed Bath and Beyond with coupon, much less than the Rocket. I love it, especially the Lift-away part.

I bought a Shark Euro-pro 18v cordless vac in '07 (a $100+ dustbuster with a motorized power nozzle/brush extension), and this summer the battery unit died. Much to the Shark Co's credit, they are sending me a new 18v battery pac, and a replacement hepa filter for about $38 w/shipping.
I was VERY down on them years ago when they had their website declaring that the filters (which are proprietary) were discontinued, however, their helpful customer service line had them, and they shipped the same day; so good on them!
Casey

So there's a Shark Navigator Pro, Shark Rocket Pro and Shark Rotator --- does anyone know what distinguishes one from the other? (I definitely need the lift-away feature, and I prefer lighter to heavier ---- we have mostly hardwood with area rugs, and some stairs and two small rooms that are carpeted).

I've been considering a Shark. Does anyone using one have uneven floors - like Saltillo? I definitely need a vac that gets down to the grout.

If you go to the shark website they point out the difference between them. In the case of the one I have the pro version has a larger dust bin for one thing.
I think the Rotator has a powered version for easier use. My navigator lift away pro came with a separate bare floor attachment as well as some other attachments including the pet hair attachment. It has incredible suction in some cases too much like on rugs but there's an adjustable ring on the neck for that.

Here is a link that might be useful: Shark

I have the shark cordless thing Mongrel describes above, and it is without doubt the worst item of its type I have ever owned. The plastic housing is not flimsy but the pieces are not engineered to fit together well, and it does a very poor job on any kind of dirt. I have a German made, unpowered carpet sweeper that does a better job than the Shark. We have a Miele Cat and Dog Upright vac that produces consistently good, but not outstanding, results. (Our housekeeper who has stopped doing the heavy cleaning used our Rainbow but the new cleaning service will not touch it.)

I just saw a commercial for this new Shark Powered lLiftaway Rotator...you can remove the tank part while vacuuming to get under the couch! I may have to give my beloved Rotator to my son and get the new one lol!

BTW, get an extra set of filters right off the bat, I find my filters can take 2 days to dry completely.

Here is a link that might be useful: Shark Rotator Powered Liftaway

I ended up buying the Navigator Pro Liftaway. I had vacuumed this rug over the weekend with my old Hoover upright. This is from one 8x10 rug - it's not dirt (mostly fuzz) but it's amazing how much more it picked up.

I have one of the lift-away pro ones and absolutely love it. Where you buy it can determine how many attachments are included. I got a lot of attachments, including the one that works under the fridge and stove. Hands down the best vacuum I've had.

I got it at Bed Bath & Beyond - it seems to have enough attachments for me (small brush, wide brush, long tube with slot end (the kind you use to get cobwebs off the ceiling). The main things that look like they'll be great for us are the ease with which the vacuum will go under the couch (which is on legs), and hopefully, it will be easier to vacuum the stairs using the lift-away function.

Our last vacuum was a very expensive Miele canister vac that DH bought as a "surprise" for me. I couldn't wait until it wore out so that I could get one that wasn't a canister-type that I had to drag around. It was made very well and took a long time to die (LOL). But, I did my homework, really researching vacuums before buying my next vac, the Shark Navigator Pro Liftaway. I've had it for over a year now and love it! My only complaints about it are: (1) it doesn't have a retractable cord like my Miele did; and (2) I knock the crevice and small brush attachments off the handle too frequently while vacuuming. Both are minor complaints, though. I have real brick floors with Oriental rugs throughout the house . . . and 2 dogs, one of which sheds her long hair profusely. This vac switches from bare floors to rugs with the flip of a switch on the vac. It's very very good at getting up all of Chloe's hair! The attachment to slide under dressers, sofas, refrigerators, etc. really comes in handy.
If my Shark died tomorrow, I would absolutely buy another.
Lynn

I forgot to mention that Shark has a great consumer hotline you can call for questions or problems. The reps there are very knowledgeable, friendly and seem to be based here in the US or in Canada, where English is their first language. They also answer quickly, so no long waits on hold.
Lynn

Another vote for the Shark lift away navigator pro! I've had all of them, and this is my favorite. I'll agree that some of the attachments fall off and that it easily tips over, but for maneuverability and actual suction, it's my favorite! I gave all of the other ones away.

I have had Hoovers, Rainbow, Eureka, Oreck, you name it, over the years. Latest one is a Dyson Animal. Had it about 6 years, Not crazy about it. I have been thinking about the Shark. Friend has the Rocket and loves it. She also has a Dyson and a Rainbow.
My question is this.....Doggie Smell. . Do any of you notice it? No matter how much I change the filter and clean the Dyson, when I turn it on, I smell dog. We have an elderly, almost 11 year old, Boxer. She gets regular brushing and bathing, and is not a smelly dog.

After reading all the posts, I am leaning toward the Shark Navigator liftaway, but should I wait until my sweet girl is no longer with us before I invest in yet another vacuum?

(1) it doesn't have a retractable cord like my Miele did

Yup, we noticed that too -- my old Hoover had one. So DH vacuumed the rug (see picture above) and then plopped the cord on the top handle only. I had to unwind it and re-do it :-) (the same reason I reload the dishwasher and couldn't abide by a coffee table with moving parts -- I'd spend way too much time straightening them out).

The attachment to slide under dressers, sofas, refrigerators, etc. really comes in handy

Which attachment do you mean - the "bare floor" thing with the Swiffer type cloth? I thought most people on here said they never use the thing because just flipping to the bare floors setting on the vacuum itself does the trick.

I bought the Rocket, DD urged me on. DH assembled it today. Is much different from our old Hoover so will have to get used to using it. Used it on the area rug under breakfast room table and it did a much better job than old Hoover. DH used to use his shop vac to do this rug. Have to better read instructions on using it. At my age, if it lasts a few years we'll be good to go. Says to clean filter once monthly, did not empty the dust cup so have to do that.

I hope you like it as much as I like my new Navigator Pro. (I hate doing housework, except for vacuuming - ever since I was a kid, I enjoyed vacuuming, I would do it without being asked!)