The Shark i Robot Vacuum

The Shark I robot vacuum is great mid-range robot. It does an excellent job of cleaning and comes with neat features.

It is able to clean floors in a thorough way and uses a row-by-row pattern. It is also good on rugs and can move over rug tassels.

Features

Shark i is a robot vacuum cleaner that has a variety of standout features. Its smart navigation system, as well as its self-emptying dock. Its IQ navigation system makes use of a matrix grid for cleaning rooms-by-room. This ensures that no corner of your home is left unclean. It also emptys its dustbin into the bagless base following each cleaning, making it totally hands-free.

The i is controlled by both the SharkClean app and Amazon Alexa, so you can control it using your voice without the need for an extra remote. It also has a button on the top-side of the vacuum to control it manually. it.

The app allows you to create a vacuum profile and label it, schedule cleans, and view cleaning history. You can also design virtual boundaries to prevent the i from entering places it could get stuck in or knock over delicate objects. You can also set different power modes, to help you save energy when working on difficult tasks.

It also has a pair of grippy wheels to help it get over obstacles like floors or stairs. It can detect and navigate around obstacles like electrical cords. This is useful for pet owners with small shed cats or dogs.

The i has three power settings. There's an Eco Mode that is energy-efficient, a Normal Mode by default, and a Maximum Power mode. You can create custom cleaning schedules that are great for those who live in a large house that requires regular cleaning.

The i is able to be programmed to return to its dock and empty its dustbin However, you need to keep an eye on the battery's life as it can overestimate how much runtime is left. It could also get confused and start a new cycle if you tell it to 'Clean Entire House', which is why you need to be careful about when you start or stop it.

Design

The Shark i robot has a elegant design and a classy appearance. The main drive wheels are covered in rubber treads, giving it exceptional maneuverability. It is small in size and can be tucked away under the majority of furniture. It is able to climb over high-pile carpets and fit under couches despite its size.

The robot is fitted with a variety of sensors that include the boundary and cliff sensors that allow it to map out your home. It also includes a vision module that can detect and avoid obstacles. The app lets you control the robot’s settings, schedule cleaning sessions and review the history of its cleaning. The app is easy to use, but it isn't able to create virtual no-go zones.

While the Shark i robot is a ideal choice for floors with no best floor vacuum robot but it has a difficult time picking up large pieces of debris such as hair from pets and gets stuck on surfaces with a lot of clutter. The dirt compartment can also get full, making it difficult to empty it after cleaning. The vacuum doesn't come with a self-emptying dock. You'll have empty the bin manually once it is full.

The battery in the vacuum is small and it will run out often before it can return to the base. It's also a little noisy and the app doesn't allow you to choose certain areas to clean or skip. It's best robot vacuum for Carpet and hardwood used in combination with another robot vacuum, and not as a standalone machine. The benefits of delegating your vacuuming to robots is undeniable. The iRobot Roomba has superior mapping and navigation abilities and also a dock that automatically empties itself. It's also a little cheaper than the Shark i robotic vacuum.

Cleaning Performance

While it isn't easy to get used to the rumbling noise that is a part of any robot vacuum, the Shark IQ seems to perform quite well in the vacuuming department. It isn't confused and doesn't reverse steps like other Shark robots, such as the ION85 or the RV871. The iQ also does a great job of mapping your home's layout by creating an app-generated map which allows you to label rooms so that it knows which direction to go, making it more efficient than the ION 85 in terms of not having to go over the same areas again.

However, it does struggle with carpets and floors that are not clean. It can pick up small particles but pet hair as well as larger objects like rice and cereals can be overwhelming for it. The dirt compartment may grow quickly, and its suction power will begin to diminish as it fills. This type of robot isn't suitable for floors with no carpet or carpets with high piles. It also has a tendency to block easily when it comes across furniture that is tangled or tipped as well as lingering items like rug tassels and electrical cords.

It's a breeze to eliminate these issues by emptying the bin from its base. The dust bin automatically empties into the bin after it is full. This saves you from having to manually empty the dust bin at the end of each run. The extra-large bin only needs to be emptied every 30 days, lowering costs of ownership over the long term.

The SharkClean App allows you to set up different cleaning modes as well as check the battery's life, make schedules, view your cleaning history, and even create virtual boundaries to keep it out of areas where it might become stuck or knock delicate items over. The iQ is also controlled manually using its remote control, which comes with directional arrows for guiding it around your home.

Battery Life

Even in its high-suction "Max" mode the vacuum has a long battery life. It can run for up to an hour in this mode, which is more than enough time to complete most cleaning tasks. It also has a more efficient energy-efficient Eco mode that allows for a runtime of more than 160 minutes. This feature is beneficial if you frequently switch between rooms or worry about running out of battery while using the robot.

This robot vacuum also has a number of impressive automation features. The companion app lets you view the remaining battery life, send the vacuum to a particular area, best robot vacuum for Carpet and hardwood stop or restart cleaning, and choose different power modes. It can also be controlled with voice commands, if you have an Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa device that works with it. It comes with physical boundary markers to keep the robot away from certain areas.

Although it's maneuverable but this Shark model isn't able to soak away bulky debris, especially when its dirt compartment is stuffed. It is also susceptible to getting stuck on tassels of the rug and electrical cords, and it could get stuck between the legs of chairs.

Overall, the Shark IQ robotic vacuum is a good option for those looking for a basic robot with decent mapping capabilities and easy-to-use features. However it's not a superior choice than the Roborock S7 for most purposes. It's more sturdy and more robust, and has lower maintenance requirements, has lower recurring costs, recharges quicker, offers an extended battery life, performs better on floors that are not bare and carpets, and can move over obstacles more easily.