Today we will be taking a look at the Shark IQ. This is a robot vacuum with a self-emptying dustbin, Wifi connectivity and advanced digital mapping, but how well does it actually clean? Let’s go ahead and find out now.
Overview
Accessories and parts
Included with the Shark IQ is a HEPA filter, two spinning side brushes, docking station with built-in dustbin and a 9 foot roll of boundary tape.
On the bottom, it is a spiral brush roll, two spinning side brushes, two large navigational wheels and a smaller directional wheel.
Size and dimensions
The Shark IQ is 12.9 inches long, 12.6 inches wide and 3.5 inches tall. It weighs 5.87 pounds.
Maintenance
To maintain the shark IQ, we will need to empty the docking station, dustbin and periodically replace the filter, empty the dustbin by releasing the latch and allowing the debris to fall into the trashcan below.
Pros
Cleaning performance on floor types
We tested the Shark IQ on three different floor types.
Hardwood floors
On hardwood floors, the Shark IQ did a great job on all debris types scoring a 98% overall, the IQ did leave a small collection of debris in the middle of the area after cleaning, which could have been a navigation issue rather than a problem with cleaning.
Low pile carpets
On low pile carpets, the IQ results were less than impressive. It struggled to clean up each debris time leaving some of each type behind after cleaning for a score of 74%.
High pile carpets
On high pile carpets, the IQ did a better job on all types. It did more zigzagging across the middle before sticking to the edges of the testing lane. The final score for high pile carpets was a 90% which is a respectable score for robot vacuums.
Self-emptying dustbin
One of the major highlight features on the shark IQ is the self-emptying dustbin. This comparable feature can only be seen on robot vacuums with much higher price tags such as the Roomba S9+ and Roomba I7+.
When the Shark IQ completes a cleaning cycle, it will automatically navigate back to the charging base. Once there it will connect to a suction back on the docking station, which sucks out the contents of the onboard dustbin and into the larger dustbin on the station itself. According to the Shark, the docking station can hold 30 loads of debris.
On-board mapping
The IQ also includes a navigation feature called onward mapping, which uses a camera to scan the room and help the robot learn the space and avoid obstacles to make sure the entire room is cleaned.
Room select & App control
After spaces are mapped, you can use the room select feature to send the IQ to a specific room in your home. You can even connect the Shark App to an AI device like Amazon Alexa to make the IQ even more convenient. The Shark IQ has a clean button and a dock button on top allowing you to start a cleaning cycle and send the robot back to its base.
Smart Navigation
The Shark IQ’s navigation is a bit of a mixed back.
Straighter Lines
On the plus side it tends to navigate in a straighter lines compared to other robot vacuums that bounce and zigzag.
Cons
Cleaning performance against larger debris
One thing we noticed with the dustbin on the robot got clogged several times and caused problems with the auto empty function. Cereal seemed to be the main issue related to clogging.
Onboard dustbin
In addition, the onward dustbin is only 0.16 liters meaning it fills up quickly.
Boundary Strips
However, we were not impressed with the boundary markers. The included boundary tape can be used to block off an area, but the thick black strip is a bit of an eyesore, especially when compared to other robot vacuums that offer infrared virtual barriers or digital keep-out zones.
Is the Shark IQ a good value?
The overall value of the Shark IQ is great with several advanced features that offer an improvement over previous Shark models. Highlights are the onboard mapping and room select, Wifi connectivity, App control, and of course the self-emptying dustbin. Drawbacks are the boundary strips, clogging and the onboard dustbin, particularly with large debris and some less than stellar debris pickup at least in our low pile carpet test.
Who should buy the Shark IQ?
We recommend the Shark IQ to anyone who wants hands-off vacuuming. The IQ takes care of itself, a smart navigation and a self-emptying dustbin. We also recommend the Shark IQ if you’re looking for convenient cleaning. The bagless dustbin on the docking station holds up to 30 loads of debris allowing you to leave cleaning to the robot. And finally, we recommend the Shark IQ for its an overall great value considering price in relation to features, the Shark IQ has an affordable price for an excellent robot vacuum.
