The Best Shark Robot Vacuum
Shark's robot vacuum checks most of the boxes you'd expect from a midrange machine. It has dependable cleaning performance and an easy-to use mobile app. It also creates accurate home maps.
It also offers Matrix Clean navigation, a system that makes two passes that go back and forth before moving from side to side for total coverage. Its base is not bagless like many other robot vacuums.
1. Roborock S4
This is a great robot vacuum for floors that are not bare that has a large dirt container that can take in debris. Its smart pathing works very well and the app allows users to control cleaning and docking. The app provides you with an overview of the cleaning process, with maps showing where the S4 was cleaned, as well as cleaning time and battery life.
The S4's maximum suction is 2,000Pa, which is similar to larger vacuums. With 19CFM, the S4's side and combination brush is closer to the front than in other Roborock models, which could be a strategy to lessen the possibility of clogging.
The S4's advanced navigation technology can digitally map a home up to four levels and will recall the areas it has already vacuumed, making it easy to establish cleaning schedules without having to manually move the robot between rooms. You can mark certain areas as "no-go zones" to deter the S4 from cleaning these areas.
It was able of cleaning all levels of our house with ease and was very efficient on floors that were not paved. However, it was not successful in collecting hair from dogs, which is a typical problem for a lot of robotic vacuums. The only 8.5 percent of the dog hair it picked up was actually kept in the dustbin and much of the rest was clumped around the suction intake and brushes.
The S4 is smaller and lighter than other Shark vacuums. This improves its maneuverability. It is able to make more precise turns and avoid obstacles which slow other robots. The low-profile design allows it to be placed under furniture. It is more able to climb for navigating flooring transitions as well as different flooring heights. It can reach the bottom of the stairs, and is a great option for homes with multiple levels. The app lets you set a schedule, and also includes an automatic vacuum control. It can also return to its charging station to recharge automatically between cleaning cycles. It comes with a massive 5200 mAh battery that is designed to last for 150 minutes or 2691 square feet of space between recharges in normal mode.
2. Shark Easy Robot Self-Empty
This Shark robot vacuum is an excellent option for pet owners looking for a smart, easy-to-use machine. Its bagless self-emptying base is a huge convenience, especially when compared to other vacuums that use disposable dirt bags on their bases. You simply detach the bin and then empty it into a trash can; this could be messy, but it will save you money on replacement bags.
The bin is also large, so the EZ Robot can handle a large amount of debris. It also performs well on clean floors, but it struggles with dirt that has been embedded on carpets with a low pile. It also has decent navigation capabilities, and a tiny footprint for docks.
Although the EZ Robot isn't as good as the Roborock S4, it's still an excellent choice for those who are looking for a reliable and budget-friendly robot. It's built well, comes with an array of features for automation, and boasts impressive cleaning performance on both carpets with high pile and bare floors. Its maintenance requirements are very high, and its recurring expenses are very high.
This Shark robot has another excellent feature: it will automatically return to where it left off once it returns to the docking station. This is a very handy feature particularly if you own a large home.
The IQ XL is also equipped with a variety of useful features, like the capability to remotely schedule entire-home cleans and review cleaning reports through the SharkClean app. You can also start, stop and resumptuate cleaning sessions with voice control via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The row-by-row feature is an important benefit. It cleans your home in neat rows, not the back and forth snake pattern like other robots do.
The IQXL's main drawback is its inability to get over obstacles like power cords, which it may consider solid barriers to avoid climbing over. It's also not as fast or effective at navigating a room when it's filled with pet hair, which could cause brushes to get caught and slow it down.
3. Shark AI Robot
This is a great robotic vacuum from Shark that provides a range of robot vacuum reviews features. It has an elongated base that can hold up to 30 days worth of debris, and it combines the cleaning power of the robot vacuum cleaner and a mop. It also offers an exact matrix grid cleaning mode as well as advanced smart home integration with support for Alexa and Google Assistant. You can program it to clean, activate it at any time, or create virtual boundaries to stop the robot from entering rooms that contain rug or other items that are fragile.
The Shark AI Robot does a good job cleaning bare floors. It can pick up dirt easily, such as rice. However, it has a hard cleaning larger bulky debris off carpets in low pile and is not capable of maneuvering around large furniture. It has a do not disturb feature which allows you to use it at home without interrupting your daily routine.
Another advantage is that it makes use of LiDAR technology to map your home which allows it to detect and navigate obstacles more precisely than units that rely solely on gyroscopes and infrared sensors. This allows it to avoid hitting delicate objects, and optimize dirt collection on various surfaces. The LiDAR system is also more efficient than gyroscopes, which can cause robots to slow down or lose control when they come across uneven surfaces.
It's got a lot of other features, including an automatic mopping feature, a remote and various vacuum modes. It is able to charge and recharge itself while it is in use. The biggest issue is that it only maps out one floor. If you have two floors it will need to be manually moved to those areas, and then programed to repeat.
Another drawback is that it can be a bit noisy, especially in mopping mode. It also has many parts that need to be cleaned or changed regularly, which increases the cost of maintenance. Fortunately, the base self-empty feature reduces the costs associated with these items and it's compatible with bagless filters, which further reduces its annual expenses.
4. Shark ION Robot RV700 series
The Shark ION Robot RV700 Series fulfills all the requirements you would expect from a mid-range robotic vacuum, with solid cleaning capabilities and a fantastic mobile app that can create accurate maps of your home. The bagless base removes the need for replacement dust bags every year. In our test of cleaning performance it was able remove 97.8 percent of the debris from carpeting and hardwood floors, though it wasn't as effective on high-pile carpeting. Its ability to maneuver makes it easy to navigate through furniture and even climb onto high-pile flooring. It is also able to pass over things like rug fringes and electrical cords without getting stuck.
Its helix-pattern high-tensile bristles are sturdy enough to manage and untangle long hair strings, as well as other fibers The brushroll also has a retractable edge that can be used when it encounters obstacles. Its thin design allows it to slide under furniture and proximity sensors detect and adjust to obstacles. The app allows you to schedule cleanings and trigger the machine using the press of a button. Its sound levels are average however, it can be quieted down by using a do not disturb mode or a custom scheduling.
The RV700 is a bit more manual than the Roborock S4 and iRobot Roomba J7+, which is to be expected from a self-emptying model. It's nonetheless more durable and easy to maintain. It charges faster and removes more dirt from high pile and floors that are bare. Its navigation system is able to create virtual boundaries, identify and avoid obstacles, and also create virtual borders. This makes it the ideal option for robotic cleaners that you can "set and forget".
The RV700 Series does not have a cliff-sensor that would stop it from falling down the stairs. This could pose a problem for those who live in homes that are taller. It also can't mop and vacuum at the same time and requires you to switch between the two modes available in the application. The RV700 Series offers a cheaper alternative to more sophisticated Roborock and iRobot robots that come with self-emptying capabilities as well as cliff detection. Its primary selling point is the possibility of being recharged and empty while docked at its base. This makes it a great choice for those who don't need to empty the dust bin every time they use it.