The Clean Base is shorter and shallower than Samsung’s emptying bin base, taking up less space in a room or under a table. It also has a hidden storage area where you can stash your extra bags. Finally, we do the work of combing through user reviews to see how real people interact with shark pet hair vacuum the product, and if it stands up to the test. Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links. Ratings and prices are accurate and items are in stock as of time of publication.
I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the s9+ wasn’t nearly as loud as the j7 vacuum when emptying its dustbin into the clean base. Shark’s RV2502AE AI robot vacuum with Base ticks all of the boxes that a mid-range machine should. It offers reliable cleaning performance, its mobile app is easy to use and it produces accurate home maps. On top of that, its base is bagless, which means you won’t have to spend money every few months on garbage bags for your robotic vacuum. They’re smarter, more powerful and better at avoiding chair legs than they ever were before, and you don’t have to shell out as much money to get one either.
It filled its dustbin with pet hair and cat litter, though it wasn’t able to get up all the litter on a higher-pile carpet. Besides being one of the quietest and overall best robot vacuum models on the market, this small cleaning machine also boasts a manageable price point. It earned an Excellent rating from Consumer Reports for bare floors and carpets, and continues to impress customers with inclusions like free boundary strips.
You can schedule cleaning sessions or use a voice assistant to start one, but even though it’s connected, you can’t map your home or target areas to be cleaned. We don’t think the extra connected features are worth the extra money, so for $50 less, we found the Eufy 11S to be a better vacuum. More advanced models require you to set up a map and define the zones of your house you’ll want them to clean or stay away from, and even the best vacuum can get stuck and need human intervention. Many robot vacuums are actually designed to work seamlessly between hardwood, tile and carpets. The majority of robot vacuums can easily handle low-pile area rugs, while those with more robust motors can tackle even high-pile carpeting. With the app-controlled, WiFi-enabled Shark IQ Robot Self-Empty XL, you can set it and forget it for up to 30 days.
Shark robotic vacuums can usually climb over obstacles or objects that are up to three-quarters of an inch high. Robot vacuums have a series of brushes on the underside of the machine that work together to collect dirt and dust that they come in contact with. The dirt is then sucked into the dust cup, which is fitted into the vacuum’s body. Most are equipped with smaller brushes that extend past the circumference of the vacuum, and the purpose of these is to reach dirt that’s settled against baseboards or in awkward places.
A. Shark AI is a line of robots made by Shark with laser technology. Shark AI tech enables the vacuum to maneuver with fewer mistakes courtesy of its sensing lasers. Consumers have deliberated over whether they prefer Shark AI tech or Shark IQ tech. At this time, Shark IQ tech tends to have more followers simply because Shark IQ models have earned more positive reviews.
However, it does take a long time to map your home initially , because iRobot uses its own navigation tech and not lidar, which most other mapping bots use to map in minutes. It also has an ingenious “VibraRise’’ feature that lifts the mop a few millimeters when it senses carpet, meaning you don’t get a damp rag dragged over your living room rug. You also don’t have to worry about swapping out the mopping pad when you just want to vacuum.
The performance was still solid on carpeting with only about 10% of the flour left, 5% of the kitty litter, and no coffee grounds or pet hairs to be found after testing. Although robot vacuums are weaker than traditional vacuums, they can reliably pick up most kinds of floor debris, and they work on most bare floors and carpets. Some high-end robot vacuums now include advanced obstacle recognition in their navigation systems. In theory, these systems should help the robots drive around any floor clutter they find, and even assist them in avoiding hazards like dog turds.
The dustbin on the 11S needs to be emptied manually, like others in this price range. It’s easy to open and empty, even easier than the higher-end Shark IQ XL. Since there’s no indicator to show when the bin is full, we recommend emptying it each time it returns shark robotic vacuums to the base to recharge. You’ll also get the satisfaction of seeing how much dirt and pet hair the vacuum picks up that you might not otherwise be able to reach. The Eufy does a superb job picking up dirt, excelling on hardwood floors, tile and low-pile carpets.