Shark Navigator DLX vs. Hoover WindTunnel 2: Which Vacuum Cleans Up Best?

The Shark Navigator DLX and the Hoover WindTunnel 2 are both popular upright vacuum cleaners that aim to deliver powerful cleaning performance at an affordable price. These vacuums target budget-conscious homeowners, apartment dwellers, and anyone seeking a reliable machine for everyday cleaning tasks. Both models boast strong suction, bagless designs, and a range of features intended to tackle various floor types and messes. However, they differ in key aspects like maneuverability, filtration, and included accessories, making it crucial to understand their strengths and weaknesses before making a purchase.

Choosing between the Shark Navigator DLX and the Hoover WindTunnel 2 requires careful consideration of your specific cleaning needs and priorities. Do you have primarily hard floors or carpets? Are you battling pet hair? Is maneuverability a top concern? By examining these factors and comparing the vacuums’ features and performance, you can confidently select the model that best suits your home and lifestyle. This comparison will dive deep into the nuances of each vacuum, providing you with the data and insights necessary to make an informed decision.

Quick Verdict

• For superior carpet cleaning and maneuverability: Choose the Shark Navigator DLX. It excels on low and high-pile carpets and offers a Lift-Away feature for enhanced versatility.
• For a larger dirt compartment and automatic cord rewind: Opt for the Hoover WindTunnel 2. It boasts a bigger dustbin and the convenience of automatic cord retraction.
• For pet owners: The Shark Navigator DLX is generally a better option due to its strong suction and effective pet hair removal capabilities.
• For allergy sufferers: The Shark Navigator DLX is preferable, as it includes a HEPA filter to trap allergens.

Short Review of the Shark Navigator DLX

The Shark Navigator Lift-Away DLX (NV360) is a bagless upright vacuum known for its powerful suction and versatile design. A standout feature is its “Lift-Away” functionality, which allows you to detach the canister for portable cleaning of stairs, furniture, and other hard-to-reach areas. It also includes a HEPA filter, making it a good choice for allergy sufferers.

This vacuum excels at picking up dirt and debris from various surfaces, particularly carpets, and is effective at removing pet hair. Customers appreciate its lightweight design and ease of use. The Navigator DLX also offers a brushroll on/off switch, allowing you to adapt to different floor types and prevent scattering on hard floors. While some users find it challenging to maneuver on thicker carpets and note that the dustbin is smaller than expected, the overall consensus is that it provides excellent performance and value for money.

Short Review of the Hoover WindTunnel 2

The Hoover WindTunnel 2 Whole House Rewind is an upright vacuum designed for whole-home cleaning with the added convenience of an automatic cord rewind. It features WindTunnel 2 Technology, which Hoover claims provides powerful suction and efficient dirt removal. The vacuum is bagless and includes several tools for cleaning various surfaces.

While the Hoover WindTunnel 2 performs adequately on bare floors and can pick up pet hair, it struggles with larger debris and loses performance as the dirt compartment fills up. Its maneuverability is also disappointing due to the lack of a rotating head. However, it has a fairly large dirt compartment and is easy to maintain. Some users have reported issues with the build quality and the effectiveness of the tools, but others appreciate its lightweight design and the convenience of the automatic cord rewind feature.

Key Differences at a Glance

• Carpet Cleaning: The Shark Navigator DLX generally outperforms the Hoover WindTunnel 2 on both low and high-pile carpets.[1]
• Maneuverability: The Shark Navigator DLX is easier to maneuver due to its swivel steering and lighter weight.[1]
• Special Features: The Shark Navigator DLX has a Lift-Away feature for portable cleaning, while the Hoover WindTunnel 2 boasts an automatic cord rewind.[1]
• Filtration: The Shark Navigator DLX includes a HEPA filter, making it a better choice for allergy sufferers.[7]
• Dustbin Capacity: The Hoover WindTunnel 2 has a larger dustbin capacity, requiring less frequent emptying.[3]
• Maintenance: The Hoover WindTunnel 2 is generally easier to maintain.[1]
• Attachments: The Hoover WindTunnel 2 has an extra reach for the hose.[12]

Specifications Comparison

Price Comparison

The Shark Navigator DLX and Hoover WindTunnel 2 are typically found in the lower to mid-price range for upright vacuums. Prices may vary depending on the retailer and any ongoing promotions. Generally, both models offer a good value proposition for their price point. However, the Shark Navigator DLX may be slightly more expensive due to its Lift-Away feature and HEPA filter.

Considering the features and performance, the Shark Navigator DLX offers a slightly better cost-to-feature ratio, especially for those who value its versatility and allergy-reducing capabilities. The Hoover WindTunnel 2, with its automatic cord rewind and larger dustbin, presents a compelling option for those prioritizing convenience and ease of use.

Design and Build Quality

The Shark Navigator DLX features a lightweight design with a detachable canister for Lift-Away cleaning. It is made primarily of plastic, which contributes to its light weight but may raise concerns about long-term durability. The overall construction feels adequate for its price range. Customer reviews suggest that while some units last for years, others may experience issues over time. The swivel steering enhances maneuverability, making it easy to navigate around furniture and obstacles.

The Hoover WindTunnel 2 also has a plastic construction and, while sturdy, may not withstand heavy use or accidental drops. The design is more traditional, without the Lift-Away feature of the Shark. The Hoover includes an automatic cord rewind, a convenient feature for storage. Some users have reported concerns about the durability of the hose and attachments.

Performance Face-Off

Bare Floor Cleaning

The Shark Navigator DLX is considered adequate for bare floor cleaning. It can clear a fair amount of debris, but larger debris may get trapped at the back of the floorhead, and the floorhead’s proximity to the floor may cause it to push some debris around rather than pick it up.[7] It’s also not particularly effective at cleaning debris from cracks and crevices.[7] TechGearLab found that it performed just fine on hard floors, doing an excellent job collecting rice in a single pass but struggling with flour, collecting it more on its wheels than in the collection bin.[6]

The Hoover WindTunnel 2 is also okay for use on bare floors. It can suck up hair quite easily and cleans up most small debris. However, it’s not as good with large debris and quickly loses performance as the dirt compartment fills.[2] TechGearLab’s tests showed that the WindTunnel 2 didn’t perform well in hard surface cleaning, flinging rice everywhere and failing to pick up most of the flour.[9]

Verdict: The Shark Navigator DLX has a slight edge in bare floor cleaning due to its better performance with larger debris.

Low-Pile Carpet Cleaning

The Shark Navigator DLX is considered adequate for low-pile carpet. It can clear pet hair and most large debris without too much difficulty, but fine debris tends to get left behind.[7] RTINGS.com noted that its bulky design makes it hard to maneuver, especially in cluttered areas, and that it doesn’t feel particularly well-built, with quite a few parts needing regular cleaning.[7] However, TechGearLab found that it did an excellent job at collecting rice from flat carpet, getting all of it out and only leaving a tiny amount of rice dust behind in just two passes.[6]

The Hoover WindTunnel 2 is able to pick up pet hair but struggles more with small and large debris on low-pile carpet, requiring several passes to fully clean a mess.[2]

Verdict: The Shark Navigator DLX is the better choice for low-pile carpet cleaning due to its superior debris removal and pet hair pickup.

High-Pile Carpet Cleaning

The Shark Navigator DLX is middling for vacuuming high-pile carpet. Though it easily clears pet hair, it struggles with most fine and large debris.[7] Its brushroll has an on/off switch, but it can still get stuck on some especially high-pile carpets, and its bulky dirt compartment gets in the way when trying to clean under tables and chairs.[7]

The Hoover WindTunnel 2 is alright for high-pile carpet use. It is able to pick up pet hair but struggles a lot more with small and large debris, which means it can take several passes for it to fully clean a mess.[2]

Verdict: The Shark Navigator DLX is slightly better for high-pile carpet cleaning due to its superior pet hair removal.

Pet Hair Removal

Both vacuums are decent at removing pet hair. The Shark Navigator DLX easily clears away pet hair on carpets and includes an upholstery tool that is great for cleaning fabric furniture.[7] TechGearLab noted that this model does exceptionally well at collecting pet hair, making it a great choice for those with a cat or dog that sheds excessively.[6]

The Hoover WindTunnel 2 cleans all hair on bare floors and almost all hair on high-pile carpet. However, it struggles a bit more to pick it up from low-pile carpet. It also comes with a turbo brush that helps clean hair on furniture.[2]

Verdict: The Shark Navigator DLX is generally better for pet hair removal due to its strong suction and specialized tools.

Special Features Comparison

• Shark Navigator DLX: The most notable special feature is the Lift-Away design, which allows the canister to detach from the base, transforming the vacuum into a portable cleaner for stairs, upholstery, and other above-floor surfaces. It also includes HEPA filtration, which traps allergens and dust, making it suitable for allergy sufferers.
• Hoover WindTunnel 2: The standout feature is the automatic cord rewind, which quickly and easily retracts the power cord for convenient storage. The WindTunnel 2 Technology is also a selling point, promising powerful suction and efficient dirt removal.

Usability and User Experience

The Shark Navigator DLX is generally considered easy to use, with its lightweight design and swivel steering enhancing maneuverability. The Lift-Away feature adds versatility, allowing for easy cleaning of stairs and tight spaces. However, some users may find the smaller dustbin requires more frequent emptying.

The Hoover WindTunnel 2 is also relatively easy to use, with simple controls and an automatic cord rewind for added convenience. However, its maneuverability is limited due to the lack of swivel steering, and some users may find it less versatile than the Shark Navigator DLX.

Maintenance and Longevity

The Shark Navigator DLX requires regular cleaning of its filters and dustbin. The brushroll is not removable, which can make it difficult to remove tangled hair and debris. Some users have reported issues with the durability of certain components, such as the hose and attachments.

The Hoover WindTunnel 2 is generally easy to maintain, with a simple dustbin emptying process and easily accessible filters. However, some users have reported issues with the durability of the filters and the overall build quality of the vacuum.

Who Should Buy the Shark Navigator DLX?

• Homeowners with a mix of carpets and hard floors: The brushroll on/off switch allows for effective cleaning on various floor types.
• Pet owners: The strong suction and specialized tools make it effective at removing pet hair.
• Allergy sufferers: The HEPA filter traps allergens and dust, improving air quality.
• Those seeking a versatile vacuum for above-floor cleaning: The Lift-Away feature allows for easy cleaning of stairs, upholstery, and other hard-to-reach areas.

Who Should Buy the Hoover WindTunnel 2?

• Those who prioritize convenience: The automatic cord rewind feature simplifies storage.
• Those with larger homes: The larger dustbin capacity reduces the frequency of emptying.
• Budget-conscious shoppers: The Hoover WindTunnel 2 is generally more affordable than the Shark Navigator DLX.
• People who prefer simple, straightforward operation: The Hoover WindTunnel 2 lacks some of the advanced features of the Shark, but it’s easy to use and maintain.

Final Recommendation

The Shark Navigator DLX is the better overall choice for most users. Its superior carpet cleaning performance, enhanced maneuverability, Lift-Away feature, and HEPA filtration make it a more versatile and effective cleaning tool. While it may be slightly more expensive than the Hoover WindTunnel 2, the added features and performance justify the price difference.

However, the Hoover WindTunnel 2 remains a viable option for those who prioritize convenience and are on a tighter budget. Its automatic cord rewind and larger dustbin capacity offer a more user-friendly experience, and it still provides adequate cleaning performance for everyday messes.