The Shark i Robot Vacuum
The Shark I robot vacuum is a great mid-range robot. It does an excellent job of cleaning and has interesting features.
It cleanses floors thoroughly and uses a row-by-row pattern. It also works well for rugs and will move over rug tassels.
Features
Shark i is a robot vacuum cleaner that has a variety of notable features. These include its intelligent navigation system and self-emptying dock. Its IQ navigation utilizes an array of grids to keep rooms clean, ensuring every area of your home is left unnoticed. It also empties the dustbin into the bagless base after each cleaning.
The i can also be controlled using Amazon Alexa and the SharkClean App, so there is no need for a separate remote. It also has an upper-right corner of the vacuum to control it manually. it.
The app allows you to create a profile for your vacuum, name it, plan cleaning times and view the history of your cleaning. You can create virtual boundaries to stop the i from getting into areas where it could become stuck or hit something that is fragile. You can also select different power modes to help save energy when working on tough tasks.
It also has a pair of wheels that are grippy to help it over obstacles like floors or stairs. It is able to detect and avoid obstacles such as electrical cords. This is helpful for pet owners with small shed cats or dogs.
The i comes with three power settings. There's an Eco Mode which is energy efficient as well as a Normal mode by default, and a Max Power mode. You can also design custom cleaning schedules for individual floors or rooms, which is great for those with a large home that requires frequent cleaning.
It can be programmed to return to its dock on a regular basis and empty its dustbin. However, you should keep an eye on its battery life as it is prone to overestimate how much time is left. It can also get confused and restart itself when you tell it to 'Clean Entire House', which is why you must be cautious about when you begin or stop it.
Design
The Shark i robot has a sleek design and a premium appearance. The main wheels are covered with rubber treads, which provide it with 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 numerous sensors that help map out your home, including cliff and boundary sensors. It also has a module to detect and avoids obstacles. The app allows you to control the robot's settings and schedule cleaning sessions and see its cleaning history. The app is easy to use, but it isn't able to create virtual no-go zones.
The Shark i robot can be an excellent choice for those with no floors. However, it is not able to pick up large quantities of debris like hair of pets. It can also get stuck on messy surfaces. The dirt bin can get full which makes it difficult to empty after cleaning. The vacuum does not have an automatic emptying dock. You will have empty the dust bin manually when it becomes full.
The battery of the vacuum is short and it runs out often before it can return to the base. It's also noisy, and the app doesn't permit users to set particular areas to clean or skip. It's best utilized in conjunction with a different robot vac, rather than as a standalone machine. The benefit of delegating your vacuuming to robots is evident. The iRobot Roomba has superior mapping and navigation capabilities as well as an automatic dock that empty itself. It's also a little cheaper 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 isn't confused and doesn't repeat steps as do older Shark robots, such as the ION85 or RV871. The iQ does a great job of mapping your home. It creates maps within the app, which allows you to name the rooms so that it knows where it's heading.
However, it struggles with carpets and floors that are not clean. It can take in small particles but pet hair as well as bulkier objects like rice and cereal can engulf it. Its dirt compartment can also get full quickly, and its suction power will diminish as it fills. This type of robot isn't suitable for floors that are not bare or carpets with piles that are high. It also tends to clog easily when it encounters furniture that is tangled or tipping and hanging items such as rug tassels and electrical cords.
It's simple to solve these problems by emptying its bin at the base. It also automatically emptys its contents into the bin when it's full, which eliminates the effort of emptying the trash bin after every run. The extra-large bin only needs to be empty every 30 days, which lowers ownership costs over the long term.
You can also make use of the SharkClean app to set different cleaning modes and monitor its battery life, make schedules, look at your cleaning history, and even create virtual boundaries to prevent it from entering rooms where it may be entangled or knock over fragile objects. The iQ is also controlled manually by its remote control, which comes with directional arrows for guiding it around your home.
Battery Life
This vacuum has great battery performance even in its high-suction mode, 'Max. It can run for as long as an hour on that setting, and that's sufficient for the majority of cleaning sessions in the majority of rooms. It also has an energy-efficient "Eco" mode that extends the maximum runtime of the robot to more than 160 minutes. This feature is beneficial when you often switch between rooms or are worried about running out of batteries while using the robot.
This vacuum cleaner also has an array of amazing automation features. The companion app lets you check its remaining battery life and then assign it to a particular area, pause or resume cleaning, and set various power modes. It also works with voice commands if you have a compatible Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant device. It also is equipped with physical boundary strips to keep it out of certain areas.
This Shark model is adept at maneuvering, but struggles to pick up massive debris, especially when the dirt compartment is stuffed. It also gets stuck on electrical cords and rug tassels. It could also get stuck between the legs and legs of chairs.
Overall all, the Shark IQ robotic vacuum is a good option for those looking for an affordable robot that has decent mapping capabilities and simple-to-use features. It's not as good as the Roborock S7 in most cases. The Roborock S7 is more durable and comes with fewer maintenance requirements. It also comes with lower costs. It recharges faster, has an extended battery life and is more efficient when used on floors that are carpeted or bare.