The Shark i Robot Vacuum
The Shark I robot vacuum is great mid-range robot. It is a very good vacuum cleaner that comes with some interesting features.
It cleanses floors in a thorough manner and uses a row-by-row pattern. It is also good for rugs and will move over tassels of rugs.
Features
Shark i is a robot vacuum cleaner that has a variety of notable features. This includes its intelligent navigation system and self-emptying dock. Its IQ navigation utilizes a matrix grid to clean room-by-room, meaning no part of your home gets overlooked. It also empties the dustbin into the baseless bagless after every cleaning.
The vacuum can also be controlled using Amazon Alexa and the SharkClean App, so there's no need for a separate remote. It also has an option on the top of the vacuum to manually operate it.
The app allows you to create a profile for your vacuum, name it, schedule cleanings and see the history of cleaning. You can set virtual boundaries to prevent the i from getting into areas where it might get stuck or hit things that are fragile. You can also choose different power modes to help you reduce energy consumption on tasks that are difficult.
Other important features include its NeverStuck technology and the gritty wheels that enable it to get over obstacles such as stairs or floor transitions. It can also detect and navigate around obstacles like electrical cords, which are helpful for pet owners with small sheds on their cats or dogs.
The i comes with three power settings: an energy-saving Eco mode, an initial Normal mode, and a high-power max mode. You can also make custom cleaning schedules for individual floors or rooms, which is great if you have a large house that requires frequent cleaning.
The i is able to be programmed to return to its dock and empty its dustbin However, you need to be aware of the battery life since it often overestimates the amount of runtime left. It is also possible to confuse and restart when you tell it to clean the entire home which is why you need to be aware when you start or end it.
Design
The Shark i robot has a elegant design and a classy look. Its main drive wheels are covered with rubber treads, giving it excellent maneuverability. It is small and can be tucked away under the majority of furniture. It is able to climb over high-pile carpets and reach under couches despite its size.
The robot is equipped with multiple sensors that help it identify your home, including cliff and boundary sensors. It also has a vision module that can detect and avoid obstacles. The app allows you to manage the robot's settings, schedule cleaning sessions, and track its cleaning history. The app is easy to use, but it lacks the ability to create virtual no-go zones.
While the Shark i robot is a ideal choice for floors with no floor however, it is unable to pick up large amounts of hair from pets and gets stuck on surfaces with a lot of clutter. The dirt bin can become full which makes it difficult for you to empty it after cleaning. The vacuum doesn't come with a self-emptying dock. You'll need empty the bin manually when it becomes full.
The vacuum's battery life is short and often is unable to recharge before it can return to its original location. It's also noisy, and the app doesn't permit you to choose particular areas to be cleaned or skip. It's best used in combination with another robot vacuum, and not as a standalone machine. However, the value of delegating your vacuuming duties to a robot is undeniable. The iRobot Roomba, on the other hand, comes with superior navigation and mapping capabilities, as well as an auto-emptying dock. It's also less expensive than the Shark i robotic vacuum.
Cleaning Performance
The Shark IQ vacuums well even though it's hard to get used the robotic noise. It doesn't lose its way and then retrace its steps, like older Shark robots (like the ION 85 or the RV871). The iQ also does a great job of mapping your home's layout by creating a map in the app that allows you to name rooms so that it can determine where to go, making it more efficient than ION 85 in terms of not wasting time going over the same areas again.
However, it has to contend with bare floors and rugs. While it can pick up small particles, it can be overwhelmed by pet hair and larger items like cereal and rice. The dirt compartment may grow quickly and suction power will begin to reduce as it fills. This type of robot isn't suitable for floors that are not bare or carpets with high piles. It can also clog up when it comes into contact with tangled furniture or tipped furniture.
It's simple to solve these problems by emptying its bin at the base. It also automatically empty its contents into the bin when it's full. This saves you the effort of emptying the bin after each run. The extra-large bin only needs to be cleaned every 30 days, lowering the cost of ownership in the long run.
The SharkClean App lets you set up different cleaning modes, check the battery life, set up schedules, view your cleaning history, and create virtual boundaries to prevent it from entering areas where it might get stuck or knock fragile items over. The iQ can be controlled by hand using its remote, which has directional arrows to guide it around your home.
Battery Life
This vacuum has great battery life even in its high-suction mode, 'Max. It can run for more than an hour at that setting, and that's sufficient for most cleaning tasks in all rooms. It also comes with an energy-efficient "Eco" mode that increases the maximum running time of the robot to over 160 minutes. This is a good feature to have if you often move between rooms or worry about running out of battery power when using the robot.
As with many of its competitors, this robotic vacuum comes with an impressive suite of features that automate. The companion app lets you view the remaining battery life, send the vacuum to a particular area, pause or restart cleaning, and select different power modes. It also works with voice commands if you have a compatible Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant device, and is equipped with physical boundary strips to keep it out of certain areas.
This Shark model is great in maneuvering, but it struggles to remove large debris, especially if its dirt compartment gets stuffed. It also gets stuck on electrical cords and rug tassels. It can also get stuck between the legs and legs of chairs.
Overall all, the Shark IQ robot vacuum is an excellent choice for those who are looking for a basic robotic that is easy to use and has decent mapping capabilities. It's not superior to the Roborock S7 in most cases. The Roborock S7 is more durable and comes with less maintenance requirements. It also has lower costs. shark robot vacuum recharges faster and has a longer battery life and is more effective on carpets and bare floors.