Introduction

The Lift-Around is designed as a second vacuum for quick clean ups. Shark envisions it sticking around the kitchen or the garage, where it'll complement a larger upright unit as a more portable option. How powerful it is remains to be seen, and we're looking forward to testing one in our lab as soon as we can get our hands on one.

It's expected to go on sale in a few weeks through various channels, including Shark's tried-and-true infomercials. Different retailers will have it in different configurations -- some will have more floor tools at a higher price tag -- but the base MSRP is $139.

Front

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Handle

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Side

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Handling

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As long as your shoulder can handle the Lift-Around's six pound weight, it's quite maneuverable. There's no wheeled canister to drag around -- just a light vacuum hanging on a shoulder strap.

Cleaner Controls

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Vacuum controls are all on the cleaner's body. There aren't any fingertip controls.

Cleaning Tools Use

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Different retailers will sell the Lift-Around with different tool lineups. The one we saw had an upholstery brush, a small bare floor brush and a crevice tool. Others will sell with a larger bare floor brush.

Power Cord

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The 25 foot cord can be wrapped up in a velcro holder for storage.

Hose Use

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The Lift-Around has an eight foot hose that connects with any of the on-board attachments. It's long enough to reach curtains, corners and other hard-to-access places.

Dirt Holder

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This is a bagless vacuum with a dirt holder that disconnects from the unit's body with the release of a lever.

Filter

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Shark advertises their vacuums as having sealed HEPA filtration. There's a washable filter and prefilter on board.

Weight

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This vacuum weighs just six pounds, all of which you'll have to carry while cleaning.

Overall Verdict

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As a secondary vacuum for quick pickups at home or in a car, the $139 Lift-Around is lightweight and maneuverable. It's a bit pricey for a compact cleaner, but we suspect lots of them will end up in kitchens or garages for spot cleaning.

Performance

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We'll reserve judgment until we've got a chance to test one in our lab, but from past experience we can say that without an agitating floor brush, the Lift-Around's high-pile carpet cleaning most likely won't stack up to its bare floor performance.

Usability

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The Lift-Around goes wherever you do, hanging from your shoulder. It weighs just six pounds, has an eight foot hose and a 25 foot cord.

Noise

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We didn't get to hear the Lift-Around powered on, but we'll measure noise output as soon as we can get one in our lab.