Bagless WiFi-Connected Robot Vacuum
This bagless wifi-connected robot has a minimalist, black design. Its price is comparable to other top-of-the-line smart robotic vacuums.
You can control the device using the physical Clean and Dock buttons on top, the SharkClean App or voice commands via Alexa or Google Assistant. It has a range of smart features including home mapping and virtual “no-go zones”.
Matrix Clean
A powerful home cleaning solution from America’s #1 vacuum cleaner brand (based on NPD Group/Retail Tracking Services sales data). Matrix Clean features incredible suction power, Matrix & Precision Home Mapping, and a self-emptying base.
It’s simple to connect the Matrix to your wireless network and start mapping out your rooms with the SharkClean app on your smartphone. The app lets you create a schedule to keep your home clean or you can pick rooms that you want to have the Matrix start cleaning automatically. You can also set ‘no-go’ zones like closets or beds that you don’t want it to get into.
The app allows you to use the “spot cleaning” function at any time. You can select a dirty area on your floor map and the robot will scrub the area on its own with multiple swipes on its cleaning pad. It can take everything away from dog hair to weeds and tiny pieces of paper from a recent crafting project.
The Matrix will return to its dock after it is finished cleaning, and empty itself into the bin included. This is a neat feature as it eliminates the need to conduct maintenance.
One thing to be aware of about this particular model is that the LIDAR mapping sensor sits right on top and could hinder it from slipping under some of the lower furniture, such as tables and sofas. This is a great option in case you don’t mind that it is slightly taller than other robots. Be aware that this one doesn’t come with an HEPA air filter, like others on this list.
Precision Home Mapping
Shark’s Matrix Clean Navigation uses a precision grid to leave no spot missed and incredible suction pulls dirt and debris into a self-emptying 60 day bagless base. Precision home mapping combines 360deg. LiDAR vision with a precise homemap that is available in the SharkClean App to allow fully autonomous movement and intelligent object avoidance. It creates a detailed map of your home, either at night or during the day, allowing full navigation without causing any damage to furniture or obstructions. You can either leave your robot to clean up according to a set schedule or you can use the Matrix Clean on Demand app and set specific goals for each room.
“The team at Precision is awesome They know that building a house can be stressful, and they are great at keeping you calm during a time when you’re concerned about permits, weather, timing etc.” Josh C.
Powerful Suction
The RV2502AE is a top mid-range robot cleaner that ticks all of the boxes. It’s simple to use, produces accurate home maps, and has an empty bag that self-empties. It’s also less expensive to operate than many other robot vacuums.
It has a lot of power. It makes use of its side brushes to move hair and carpet fibers into the brushroll. This stops the brushroll from becoming blocked and causing a mess like other robotic vacuums. It also makes the machine more efficient for removing pet hair.
Besides its high suction and self-emptying base, this robot comes with Matrix Clean Navigation for a thorough cleaning, Precision Home Mapping for object avoidance, a high-efficiency HEPA filter that can snare 99% of odors, dust mites and allergens and two power modes for different flooring types, and a remote control that grants the user full access to all its functions. Moreover, it’s compatible with voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant so you can initiate a cleaning job without having to touch the robot.
It’s a great choice for homes with a lot of space, but its navigation capabilities could be a problem for some. The bump bot had issues with stairs. Other bump bots are able to avoid them however this one didn’t. It utilized LiDAR sensors as well as infrared sensors to map my home however, it kept mistakenly identifying the cat condo as a staircase and asked me if I wanted to move it. It also had a shorter running time than advertised, which was only 180 minutes.
Self-Empty Base
Some robots, including this one, have self-emptying bases. These bases are able to remove debris from the onboard dust bin to an external dirt bin. This makes maintenance much easier. They are referred to as the Clean Base Dirt Disposal by iRobot, Auto Empty Station by Ecovacs or bagless electric robots Self Emptying Base by Shark. These are a convenient alternative however they can be noisy and messy. They usually require special disposal bags.
This Shark model is equipped with an HEPA filtering bagless base. It has a huge capacity. It can store debris for up to 60 days and doesn’t need to be emptied daily like other models. Shark’s suction is powerful enough to handle even the toughest of mess. The docking station’s vacuum that is used to empty the dust bin onboard is quite loud.
When the robot is plugged in and charging it will sound an audible beep and a green light on its top will pulse to indicate that it’s ready to start cleaning. If the battery of the robot is low, it will dock to its base until it’s recharged. It’s crucial that the dock or Self-Empty Base is located in a position that isn’t obstructed by furniture or other objects, and is free of obstructions in the area in front of it.
This model is a little more expensive than other mid-range robotic mop models we’ve tried. It’s better built and performs better on bare floors. It also has a longer battery life and less maintenance requirements. It also offers a greater range of automation features, such as virtual boundary markers. The iRobot Roomba i7, however is still our preferred option because it is more robust and more refined, charges faster, gets caught on rug tassels much less frequently and has a greater capacity battery.
Easy Setup
The Shark AI Ultra has a simple to use Schedule that only requires a few inputs. You can choose the date and time of sunrise and sunset. You can also set the duration of the ramp times (increasing brightness or decreasing) and whether you want to turn on the lights at night.
It does not have voice control or smart mapping like Alexa and Google Assistant but it has a very useful, free programming suite. This suite has various Windows-based tools that allow for setting up communication parameters and operating parameters such as dmXLAN node and switch configuration, real-time tests and quick replication of the configuration to multiple installations.
The interface is easy to understand for even the novice user. The top tabs correspond with the screens that will be displayed by the installer. There are also tabs to play around with different colors and messages. It’s a very efficient tool, and it allows you to create an installer for your program quickly. The application is only 1.3MB in size and can be used with Windows 7 to Windows 95.