Shark's robo-vac ticks most of the features you'd expect from a midrange machine. It offers a reliable cleaning performance, as well as an easy to use mobile application. It also produces precise home maps.
It also comes with Matrix Clean Navigation, a system which makes two passes back and forth, before moving to the side for full coverage. The base is also unbagged, which is different from other robot vacuums.
1. Roborock S4
This is a top-notch robot vacuum designed for floors with no floor that sucks up debris and has a massive dirt storage compartment. The app lets you control cleaning and docking. Its smart pathing feature is very effective. The app also provides a convenient cleaning overview including an image of where the S4 has been cleaned, the cleaning duration and battery life.
The S4's maximum suction is 2,000Pa, which is similar to larger vacuums. The S4's side brush and combo brush are located closer to the front of the machine than the other Roborock models. This may be to prevent the chance of clogging.
The S4's advanced navigation system is able to digitally map a home up to four levels and will remember the areas it has already vacuumed, making it easy to establish a cleaning schedule without the need to manually move the robot around rooms. You can also mark zones that are not allowed to enter, which will prevent the S4 from entering those spaces during a cleaning cycle.
It was able clean an entire floor of our house with ease, and was very efficient on bare floors. It had a tough cleaning up dog hair. This is a common problem with robotic vacuums. The only 8.5% of the dog hair it picked up was actually kept in the dustbin and the majority was clumped up around the brushes and suction inlet.
The S4 is smaller and lighter than other Shark vacuums. This increases its maneuverability. It allows for tighter turning and avoid obstacles which slow other robots. The low-profile design makes it easier to place under furniture. It also has a better ability to traverse flooring transitions and various levels of flooring. It can reach down to the lowest point of the stairs and is a great option for homes with multiple levels. The application lets you set a schedule and also includes an automatic control for vacuuming. It is also able to return to its charging station to charge automatically between cleaning cycles. It has a large 5200 mAh battery that is designed to last for 150 minutes or 2691 square feet between recharges in normal mode.
2. Shark EZ Robot Self-Emptying
This Shark robot vacuum is a fantastic choice for pet owners who want an easy-to-use, smart machine. The self-emptying bagless base is a major plus particularly when compared to other models that utilize disposable dirt bags for their bases. You simply detach the bin and then empty it into a trash can; this can get messy, but it will save you money on new bags.
The bin is also quite large, meaning that the EZ Robot can handle a large amount of debris. It also performs well on bare floors. However, it has a difficult time with dirt embedded in low pile carpet. It has good navigational capabilities and has a small footprint.
The EZ Robot may not be as good as Roborock S4, but it is still a great option for those who are looking for a robot that can perform well and is affordable. It's well-built and comes with various automation features. It also boasts outstanding cleaning capabilities for floors with no carpet as well as carpets with a lot of pile. However its maintenance requirements are demanding and it has high recurring costs.
Another excellent feature of this Shark robot is its capability to recharge and then resume where it left off when it returns to its docking station following the full cleaning. This is a very handy feature particularly if you own an extensive home.
The IQ XL is also equipped with a number of other useful features, including the ability to remotely schedule whole-home cleans and review cleaning reports via the SharkClean app. You can also use voice commands through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to begin and stop cleaning sessions. Its row-by-row cleaning mode is a big plus as it 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 has a major drawback in that it cannot overcome obstacles like power cords. It might mistake them for solid barriers and fail to climb over them. It's also not as quick or efficient in navigating a room when it's filled with pet hair, which can tangle its brushes and slow it down.
3. Shark AI Robot
This is a great robotic vacuum from Shark and offers a great combination of features. It has a self-emptying base that holds up to 30 days of debris and combine the cleaning power of an automatic vacuum and a mop. It also has a precise matrix grid cleaning mode as well as advanced smart home integration with support for Alexa and Google Assistant. You can program it to clean, turn on it on demand, or create virtual boundaries to stop the robot from entering rooms that contain fragile items or rugs.
The Shark AI Robot does a great job cleaning floors with no carpet. It picks up debris easily, such as rice. However, it has a hard time clearing larger bulky debris off carpets in low pile and isn't capable of moving around furniture. It has a do not disturb mode so you can use it at home without it interrupting your daily routine.
linked website makes use of LiDAR to map your home. This allows it to identify and navigate obstacles more precisely than units that rely solely upon gyroscopes or infrared sensors. This allows it to avoid collisions with delicate objects as well as improve dirt pickup on various surfaces. The LiDAR system also works faster than gyroscopes, which could cause the robot to slow down and lose control when it comes into contact with uneven surfaces.
It comes with a variety of other features, such as an automatic mopping feature, a remote, and multiple vacuum modes. It is able to charge and recharge itself while working. The biggest flaw is that it only maps out one floor. If you have two floors, it will need to be manually carried to the areas, and then programed to repeat.
Another drawback is that it could be a bit loud, particularly in mopping mode. It also has a lot of parts that need to be cleaned or replaced regularly which increases its ongoing costs. The self-empty function is the basic feature that helps to reduce some of these costs. It is also compatible with bagless filter, which reduces the annual cost.
4. Shark ION Robot RV700 series
The Shark ION Robot RV700 Series ticks off all the boxes that you would expect of a midrange robotic vacuum. It has a reliable cleaning performance, a superb mobile app that can create accurate maps of your home, and a excellent cleaning performance. It also comes with a bagless base which eliminates the need for annual dust bags replacement. In our test of cleaning it was able to remove 97.8 percent of the debris from hardwood and low-pile flooring, but was not as efficient with high-pile. Its maneuverability is strong and it can move around furniture, climb onto high-pile carpeting and go over things like rug tassels and electrical cords without getting stuck.
The bristles that are high-tensile and in the helix pattern are sturdy enough to manage and untangle long hair, string and other fibers. The brushroll has an extension side that can be used when it comes across an obstacle. Its thin design allows it to glide over furniture and proximity sensors monitor and adjust to obstacles. The app lets you schedule cleanings or trigger the machine using one button press. It has a moderate sound level, but it can be reduced by using the do not disturb mode or the custom scheduling.
The RV700 is 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 is faster in charging and removes more debris from both high-pile and unfinished floors. Its navigation system is able to create virtual boundaries, recognize obstacles and avoid them, and also create virtual borders. This makes it the ideal choice for robotic cleaners that you can "set and forget".
The RV700 Series does not have a cliff-sensor to prevent it from falling down stairs. This could pose a problem for people who live in houses that are taller. It also can't mop and vacuum simultaneously and requires you to switch between two modes available in the app. However it is the RV700 Series is a less expensive alternative to the more sophisticated Roborock and iRobot models that offer self-emptying capabilities and cliff detection. The most attractive feature is that it can be emptied and recharged while docked in its base, making it a good choice for those who do not want to go through the burden of emptying the dustbin after every use.
