Is there any robot vacuum that has is bagless, self-emptying base holds up to 30 days of dirt and debris? Yes, Shark IQ Robot self-empty XL RV1001AE robotic vacuum comes with this feature. Self-cleaning brushroll removes pet hair and long hair as it cleans – no more hair wrap. Maps your home and lets you choose which rooms to clean right now. Get details in Shark IQ Robot self-empty XL RV1001AE robotic vacuum reviews.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The auto-empty base works well
- Good performance on hard surfaces
- Cleaning pattern algorithm is efficient and wastes little time
- Map-based coverage history provides evidence of cleaning
- The app interface is intuitive and useful for robot management
Cons
- Performance on carpeted surfaces is not great
- The unit occasionally becomes confused and is unable to find the base
- Schedule configuration does not include the ability to customize room cleaning on different days
Specifications – Shark IQ Robot self-empty XL RV1001AE robotic vacuum
- Capacity (Volume): .17 Quart
- Wattage Required: 35.3 watts
- Number of Speeds: 1
- Bag Type: Bagless
- Cleaning Path Width: 5.6 Inches
- Recommended Surface Application: Hardwood, Multi-Surface, Carpet, Hard Floor
- Filter Type: Foam
- Amps Required: 1.8 amps
- Hose Length: 0 Inches
- Power Source: Battery-Powered
- Battery: 1 Non-Universal Lithium Ion, Required, Included
Key features – Shark IQ Robot self-empty XL RV1001AE robotic vacuum
- Powerful Shark deep-cleaning suction takes on large debris, small debris, and pet hair on carpets and bare floors
- Bagless, self-emptying base holds up to 30 days of dirt and debris for a month’s worth of worry-free cleaning
- Wi-Fi connectivity lets you schedule whole-home cleanings or target specific rooms or areas to clean right now with the SharkClean™ smart phone app or via voice control with Amazon Alexa or Google AssistantSelf-cleaning brushroll removes pet hair and long hair as it cleans to ensure no more annoying hair wrap tangles
- IQ Navigation™ with Total Home Mapping feature methodically cleans row by row and then navigates room to room for complete home coverage
- Maps your home and lets you choose which rooms to clean right now
- Robot vacuum will return to the charging dock to recharge, and then continue where it left off
- High efficiency multistage filtration captures and traps 99% of dust, dander, and pet allergens* (*down to 1 micron)
- Designed for homes with pets
Price
The Shark IQ RV1001AE is listed at $599, but is currently available for $479 at Amazon. This price includes the self-emptying base. If you want to purchase it without the self-emptying base, the Shark IQ has a list price of $449, and costs $349 on Amazon. However, the model that comes with the self-emptying base has a much smaller dustbin — just 0.17 quarts, versus a 0.6-quart dustbin on the other model
Shark IQ Robot self-empty XL RV1001AE robotic vacuum comparison
| RV1001AE | RV2001WD | RV2001 | AV751 | |
| IQ Navigation | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| AI Laser Vision | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Home Mapping & Room Select | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Recharge & Resume | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| More Suction vs. RV700 Series | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Self-Cleaning Brushroll | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| PowerFins Technology | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| VACMOP Mode with Sonic Mapping | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ |
| Self-Empty Base | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ |
| High-Efficiency Filters | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| App & Voice Control | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Shark IQ Robot self-empty XL RV1001AE robotic vacuum reviews
Build
Shark. James Shark. The Shark IQ R101AE is dressed to kill (or clean) with a tasteful mix of glossy black and matte black plastic with brushed silver accents on top. It’s a far cry from the utilitarian shiny grey and black found on the Shark Ion R85 and signals that the company is clearly going for a more premium look.
Design
At 3.5 inches high, the Shark IQ is slightly shorter than the 3.7-inch iRobot Roomba i7 and a fraction of an inch taller than the Shark Ion R85. The IQ had no problem getting cozy with our kitchen baseboards, though it did get stuck under a low-clearance couch once.
Brushroll
The brushroll on the Shark IQ is a combination of fins and bristles positioned at a slight V-shaped angle. While we’ve seen this combination on other robot vacuums, this one seemed especially prone to getting pet hair stuck around it.
A laser mounted on the top of Shark IQ maps out its surroundings. “Clean” and “Dock” buttons sit on either side while battery and Wi-Fi indicators shine above it.
Bin
Shark bin is bagless and is easy to empty. One button near the handle releases the bin from the dock; a second at the base drops the bottom out to release the debris. It’s a process that will feel very familiar to users of Shark’s stick vacuums.
Suction
This vacuum has amazing suction. The suction power is better than most upright units I’ve encountered. It left my floors completely free of dust, debris, and dog hair. What really impressed me about the IQ robot, however, was its ability to grab up large debris. We have a lot of trees on our property, so my family and I track in a lot of dried leaves. The robot picked up every last leaf, crumb, and food particle left on the floor from the day.
Scheduling, auto-charge, and more
The robot has a 90-minute battery life on a single charge, but if the robot runs out of battery juice or the dust bin fills up during cleaning, it returns to the station for more battery power or to empty itself, and then it resumes cleaning. I can set the IQ robot to clean on a schedule. Typically, robot vacuum scheduling features are not all that useful because the user has to empty the dustbin and prepare the cleaning area between cleanings. The IQ Robot’s self-emptying capability combined with its ability to only clean certain areas makes it possible for me to set a schedule for 30 days and have a truly automated cleaning experience.
Apps
After the initial setup, opening the app presents the current status screen. If the bot is active, you can change its operating mode from “Normal” to “Eco” or “Max.” As you might imagine, “Eco” will save power at the cost of suction power. Max mode consumes more power but also provides additional suction. You can also tap the “Find Robot” button, which causes the bot to play a tone. This works even when the bot has stopped due to being low on power.
The scheduling capabilities are rather basic. You have the option to enable or disable the entire schedule. You can also determine what days the robot will operate on as well as the specific start time for each day. The most important robot settings are the “Recharge and Resume” option as well as the “Evacuate and Resume.” Both of these options impact how often the bot returns to the base station.
Mapping your home
The unit had to vacuum my home for three days (three scheduled cleaning cycles) before it created a full map of my house. Once the map was ready, I could set the robot to only clean specific rooms.
When I first tested the IQ Robot, it was just coming onto the market and it had some issues with the mapping where it took quite a while to learn its surroundings. Since then, Shark has made improvements to the mapping, and I retested the unit since those improvements.
Self-emptying base
We like the size of the Shark’s self-emptying bin and dock a lot. It’s less obtrusive than the Clean Base bin and dock on the iRobot Roomba i7+ and doesn’t look as pretentious sitting on the floor. Where the Roomba required the robot to dock on a piece of plastic that was as large as the vacuum itself, the Shark’s smaller footprint makes it less of a trip hazard. The Shark’s bin is also 3.25 inches shorter than the 19-inch Roomba Clean Base.
Shark IQ Robot self-empty XL RV1001AE robotic vacuum performance reviews
Low-Pile Carpet Tile
Carpet tile is interesting in that it’s difficult for dirt to get down in between the pile fibers. There isn’t much deep fiber, and it’s tightly packed in most cases. This bodes well for the Shark IQ.
To set up a test run on the carpet tile, I popped the bot off of the base and start a manual cleaning cycle in the lower level of our home, which is almost all carpet tile. Our lab had prepared some floor grit from a beef bone. The Shark did a reasonable job picking up most of the tiny leftover bits. But some of that grit was still visible. After watching the bot pass over the area several times during the run, I estimate that 90% of it was gone. The Shark left just a crumb here or there that were sort of velcro stuck into the carpet.
Hard Flooring
We did have a few high-friction dry paint chips that made their way onto the floor. The Shark was a little hit or miss on those. However, after several runs, it was successful in picking most of them up.
In our home, the Shark spends virtually all of its time on hard flooring. Early research indicated that Shark IQ performance on hard surfaces was good, and I agree with this assessment. Traversing low friction surfaces, the unit was able to easily pick up just about anything.
Standard-Pile Carpet
To test performance on typical carpet, I let the Shark into the guest bedroom where there was a bit of “boot dirt” and little thread clippings available to process.
I would consider Shark IQ performance on carpet to be just okay at best. Some of the boot grit was picked up but not all. Close examination revealed that only the stuff on the “surface” of the carpet was removed. Anything that was pushed into the carpet was left behind. Several, but not all, of the thread clippings had also disappeared.
On the third day, I set the bot to operate in “Max” mode. Again, a bit more was picked up, but I was still disappointed. You can see in the picture above that there is a lot left behind after multiple runs. This was a real-world test. I didn’t plant any of the bits and pieces you see in the picture. The carpet is simply not clean.
I allowed the bot back into the room for three more days in a row. A few more threads were picked up and maybe a little bit more grit. But there are clearly limits here. The suction and roller seem to only work well enough to remove anything on the surface or that provides little resistance during extraction.
How does the Shark IQ Robot Vacuum “self-empty”?
The Shark IQ Robot intelligently cleans your home row by row, room to room. After each cleaning session, your robot vacuum automatically empties the dust bin into the bagless base, which hold dirt and debris for up to 30 days. So when Shark says “forget about vacuuming for up to a month,” they mean it!
Can this vacuum be used on hardwood floors?
Yes, the Shark IQ Robot cleans row by row to assure total floor cleaning on hardwood floors, carpet, tile and linoleum.
Does this robot vacuum need Wi-Fi to work?
No, the robot vacuum can run without Wi-Fi. However, if you want to take advantage of the smart app and voice control, you’ll need a Wi-Fi connection.
