The Best Shark Robot Vacuum
Shark's robo vac checks off all the boxes you'd expect from a machine of this price range. It has reliable cleaning performance, an easy-to-use mobile app and produces precise home maps.
It also offers Matrix Clean navigation, a system that performs two passes that go back and forth before moving side to side for complete coverage. Its base is bagless unlike many other robot vacuums.
1. Roborock S4
This is a top-notch robot vacuum designed for floors with no floor that collects debris and has a large dirt storage compartment. The smart pathing system works well and the app allows you to manage cleaning and docking. The app also gives you an easy overview of your cleaning needs, which includes a map of where the S4 has been cleaned, cleaning duration, and battery life.
The S4's maximum suction is 2,000Pa, which is comparable to larger vacuums. With 19CFM the S4's side and combo brush is situated more to the front than in other Roborock models, which could be a way to cut down on the amount of clogging.
The S4's advanced mapping system can map a home up to four levels deep. It can also keep track of areas it has already cleaned. This makes it simple to set up a schedule for cleaning without the need to manually move robots between rooms. You can even mark off areas as no-go zones, which will prevent the S4 from entering those spaces during a cleaning cycle.
It was able to clean an entire floor of our home with ease, and was very efficient on floors that were not. However, it struggled with collecting dog hair, which is a common problem for many robotic vacuums. Only 8.5 percent was gathered in the dustbin. The rest was clumped together around the brushes and the suction intake.
The S4 is smaller and lighter than other Shark vacuums. This increases its maneuverability. It can make tighter turns and avoid obstacles that bog down other robots. Its low profile design makes it easier to squeeze under furniture. It has improved climbing capabilities for navigating flooring transitions as well as different flooring heights. It can reach down to the lowest point of the stairs and is an excellent choice for homes with multiple levels. The app lets you set a timer, and also includes an automatic vacuum control. It can also return to its charging station to charge automatically between cleaning cycles. It is equipped with a 5200 mAh battery, which is rated to run for 150 minutes or 2691 square feet between charges in standard mode.
2. Shark Easy Robot Self-Emptying
This Shark robot vacuum is a great option for pet owners looking for a machine that's simple to use and intelligent. The self-emptying bagless base of this model is a great convenience, especially compared to other vacuums that utilize disposable dirtbags in their bases. You simply detach the bin and then empty it over a trash container. This may be messy, but it saves you money on replacement bags.
The bin is large, which means that the EZ Robot can handle a lot of debris. It also does well on bare floors. However, it is unable to deal with dirt embedded in low pile carpet. It's got good navigation capabilities and a tiny footprint.
Although the EZ Robot isn't as good as the Roborock S4, it's still an excellent choice for those who want a high-quality affordable robot. It's well-built and has various automation features. It also boasts outstanding cleaning capabilities, both on bare floors and carpets with high pile. However the maintenance requirements for this model are demanding and it has significant recurring costs.
Another excellent feature of this Shark robot is its capability to recharge and then resume where it was when it returns to its docking station after a full cleaning session. This is a fantastic feature, especially when your home is big.
The IQ XL also comes with various other useful features. These include the ability to schedule whole-home cleanings remotely and review cleaning reports through the SharkClean App. You can also initiate, stop and resume cleaning sessions with voice control via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The row-by-row cleaning feature is a major benefit and it also is able to clean your entire house in neat rows rather than a back-and-forth snake pattern like many other robots.
The IQ XL's biggest drawback is its inability to scale obstacles like power cords, which it may identify as solid barriers to avoid climbing over. It's also not as efficient or fast at navigating a space when it's full of pet hair. This can cause tangles on the brushes and slow it down.
3. Shark AI Robot
This is a solid robotic vacuum from Shark, offering a good combination of features. It comes with a base that can hold up to 30 days' worth of debris, and it combines the cleaning power both of the robot mop and a vacuum cleaner. It also comes with an exact matrix grid cleaning mode as well as advanced smart home integration with support for Alexa and Google Assistant. It can be set to clean on a set schedule or activate at any time, or set virtual boundaries to keep it from entering rooms that may contain rugs or fragile items.
The Shark AI Robot carries out a fairly thorough task of cleaning floors, picking up dirt like rice effortlessly. It has a difficult time removing large, bulky debris from low pile carpets and is unable to maneuver around furniture with large dimensions. It has a do not disturb feature so you can use it at home without it disrupting your daily routine.
Another advantage is that it makes use of LiDAR technology to map out your home which allows it to detect and navigate around obstacles with greater precision than devices that rely on gyroscopes or infrared sensors. This makes it less likely to collide with delicate objects and also optimize dirt pickup on various surface types. The LiDAR system also works faster than gyroscopes, which could cause the robot to slow down and lose control when it encounters uneven surfaces.
It comes with a variety of other options, including a remote, automatic mopping and various vacuum modes. It is able to charge and recharge itself while it is in use. Its biggest flaw is that it only maps only one floor. If you have two floors, it will need to be manually transported to those areas, and then programed to repeat.
It can also be a bit loud, particularly when in mopping mode. It also has a lot of components that must be replaced or cleaned regularly which increases the cost of maintenance. Fortunately, the base self-empty feature cuts down on some of these expenses and it's compatible with bagless filters, which further lowers its annual costs.
4. Shark ION Robot RV700 Series
The Shark ION Robot RV700 Series is a complete package that meets all the criteria you would expect from a mid-range robotic vacuum, including high-quality cleaning performance and a superb mobile app that creates accurate maps of your home. The bagless base removes the need for new dust bags each year. In our test of cleaning it was able to remove 97.8% debris from low-pile and hardwood floors, but it was not as efficient with high-pile. Its maneuverability is solid and it can navigate through furniture, climb onto carpeting with high pile, and traverse things like rug tassels and electrical cords without getting stuck.
Its helix-pattern high-tensile bristles are durable enough to manage and untangle long hair strings, as well as other fibers The brushroll also has an edge that retracts and can be used when it comes across obstacles. Its slim design permits it to glide under furniture and proximity sensors enable it to adapt and analyze the obstacles. The app allows you to schedule cleanings or activate the machine with the press of a button. Its sound levels are average however it can be slowed down by using a do not disturb mode or a custom-designed scheduling.
The RV700 is a bit more manual than the Roborock S4 and iRobot Roomba j7+ and iRobot Roomba j7+, which is to be expected from a self-emptying model. It is still more durable and easier to maintain. It charges faster and gets rid of more debris from high-pile and unfinished floors. Its navigation system can also create virtual boundaries, and also detect and avoid obstacles, making it the best option for "set it and forget it" robotic cleaners.
The RV700 Series doesn't have a safety cliff sensor to prevent it from falling down the stairs, which could be a problem for those living in taller homes. It can't mop and vacuum simultaneously and you'll need to switch between modes in the app. The RV700 Series offers a cheaper alternative to the more advanced Roborock and iRobot robots that come with self-emptying capabilities as well as cliff detection. Its biggest selling point is that it can be emptied and recharged while docked at its click here base, which makes it an ideal choice for those who don't want the hassle of emptying the onboard dustbin each time they use it.