Simplicity Wonder Power Team

The Navigator Lift-Away has been our favorite affordable vacuum since early 2014, and nothing has come very close to replacing it. Plenty of other great vacuums are out there, and some of them might suit your needs a little better. But the Navigator Lift-Away is an all-around excellent value that’ll work well for most people in most homes.

This was one of the best canister vacuum cleaners for maneuverability, though. It was easy to get it around corners and over obstacles to access different areas of our test lab. It tied for having the longest cord, too, so there is no need to constantly plug into a new outlet as you work your way around your home's floor.

It struggled on sawdust more than most, so that might make it less helpful for clearing lightweight messes like lint, cereal and pet hair. It cleaned up the kitty litter in just a few passes, though, on all of the surfaces.