In fact, it performed so well, the only test where it earned less than a 99% pickup rate was in carpet pickup tests where the average pickup of all vacuums was just 73%. It follows a random pattern to clean so it took longer than many other models we tested to clean up a straight line of debris. Like many other robot vacuums it doesn’t clean right up to the charging base, but it cleaned more thoroughly than any other robot and its spot cleaning function worked faster too.
As a mop, the Q Revo is almost as good as its S8 sibling, deploying spinning oscillating mops rather than the wide flat pad. The S8’s downward pressure does a slightly better job of getting out the ground-in dirt, but the Q Revo’s oscillating action tackled my ketchup test admirably. The Q Revo also washes and air dries its mops, so you don’t have to mess with that.
Most robotic vacuums come with smart capabilities, but you’ll want to decide which ones are right for you and your cleaning needs, since each fancy feature usually comes with a bump to the price tag. If you want to be able to start the vacuum shark canister vacuum remotely or monitor its progress, you’ll want a robot vacuum that comes with a programmable schedule or remote start features. This will likely require you to install an app on your smartphone and connect the robot vacuum to Wi-Fi.
For several hundred dollars less than the j7, the i3 has similar software features, the same suction level, and a slightly smaller battery. You can get it with an auto-empty dock for a list price of $550 (i.e., probably lower). The physical design is also very similar to the j7 under the hood, with two multi-surface shark canister vacuum rubber roller brushes to get more dirt up. These rubber brushes don’t get tangled by long hair the way bristle brushes can. In my testing, the brush is the big factor in how well a robot will clean your floors. A large rubber roller brush is much better than a small bristle brush at picking up debris.
What they’re supposed to do is help eliminate common airborne allergens, such as mold, smoke and dust. But if a vacuum you like doesn’t come with one, it doesn’t have to be a dealbreaker, models without the label may be just as good. These bots can use a handful of different technologies to make their maps.
We prefer this model over the newer Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, which has a non-removable mop mount and slightly scratched our floors in testing. There are robot vacuums to honor every price, shark dustbuster budget and style preference. Whether you have less than $200 to spend or over $1,000, these smart investments can free up your personal time and offer a hygienic home environment.
IRobot Roomba is more established as a robot vacuum manufacturer vs. Shark. Shark’s ION and RV models offer more basic robot vacuums compared to Roomba’s full model lineup. That said, the Shark AI & IQ with its self-emptying dust bin is a notable upgrade.
It offers a number of useful smart features, including home mapping for targeted room cleaning and virtual no-go zones. While this robotic vacuum does an excellent job of picking up pet hair and dirt from hardwood floors and carpets, it doesn’t have floor mapping technology like more high-tech vacuums do, meaning it cleans in a random pattern. During home testing, we did observe that the 30C MAX often jumps around, missing debris completely in certain areas, and it repeatedly runs into objects. The vacuum does come with magnetic strips you can lay out around your house to help the vacuum avoid any obstacles. While effective, these strips aren’t attractive or necessarily realistic. The number included wasn’t sufficient to cover all the areas the vacuum should avoid, either.
Many even create personalized floor plans, allowing for targeted room cleanings and eliminating the need for you to use “virtual walls” to cordon off sections of your home. Traditional robots clean in a single pass, which misses spots and leaves debris behind. Enhanced maps, the ability to clean specific objects, custom routines, seasonal suggestions, and intuitive smart home integrations.⁴ The iRobot Home App gives you ultimate control over your clean. Which one is right for you all depends on the type of flooring you have, whether you have pets, or how many obstacles you have to avoid. Both are almost equally matched, but if we have to choose one, it would be Shark.
It’s a loud bot that’s long on features (including mapping) and short on style but comes at a bargain. It doesn’t use bags, but can only avoid objects if they’re over four inches tall. There’s a mopping version, the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1, or you can buy it as a stand-alone bot. While the s9+ doesn’t have the Precision Navigation feature that the newer j7 does, it has something called “Careful Driver” that uses a 3D sensor to detect and clean around objects. It seems that the main difference is that the s9+ isn’t specifically wired to avoid pet poop, so keep that in mind if you have furry friends around the house.