The Shark IQ Robot is a simple robot vacuum. It clears an impressive amount of debris on bare floors, delivers fair overall performance on carpets, and does a decent job of maneuvering itself. That said, while it feels well-built, there are a few parts that require regular maintenance or periodic replacement, so recurring costs can add up quickly over time. Still, if you're looking for a reasonably versatile robot vacuum, this is a good choice.
Our Verdict
The Shark IQ Robot is a satisfactory option for cleaning bare floors. It does a fantastic job of sucking up pet hair as well as small debris like rice. However, it can have a hard time clearing bulky material like cereal as its dirt compartment fills. In addition, recurring costs are high since quite a few parts need to be replaced frequently. Thankfully, it feels sturdily built and offers decent maneuverability.
-
Outstanding performance on bare floors.
-
Good build quality.
-
Superb battery life.
-
Demanding maintenance requirements.
-
High recurring costs.
-
Struggles to suck up bulky debris with a partially-filled dirt compartment.
The Shark IQ Robot is mediocre for low-pile carpets. It easily clears debris like pet hair and larger material like sand. That said, it may need to make an extra pass to clear fine material like baking soda. It also has many parts that need to be cleaned regularly, not to mention high recurring costs. However, it's a well-built vacuum.
-
Good build quality.
-
Superb battery life.
-
Maneuvers effectively on carpeted floors.
-
Demanding maintenance requirements.
-
High recurring costs.
-
Struggles to suck up bulky debris with a partially-filled dirt compartment.
The Shark IQ Robot is alright for high-pile carpets. It clears a good amount of pet hair as well as larger debris like sand, even as its dirt compartment fills. Unfortunately, it struggles with sucking up fine material like baking soda on this surface type. It also has quite a few parts that need routine replacement or maintenance.
-
Good build quality.
-
Superb battery life.
-
Maneuvers effectively on carpeted floors.
-
Demanding maintenance requirements.
-
High recurring costs.
-
Struggles to suck up bulky debris with a partially-filled dirt compartment.
The Shark IQ Robot is a satisfactory choice for dealing with pet hair. It has no issue picking up pet hair from low-pile carpets and also does a good job of sucking it up from bare floors and high-pile carpets. It lacks an allergen-trapping HEPA filter and incurs fairly high recurring costs but is equipped with a self-cleaning brushroll, which should reduce the risk of hair wraps building up.
-
Very good pet hair cleaning capability.
-
Good build quality.
-
Superb battery life.
-
Demanding maintenance requirements.
-
High recurring costs.
-
No HEPA filter to trap allergens.
The Shark IQ Robot is a robot vacuum that isn't designed for stairs.
The Shark IQ Robot isn't designed to clean car interiors.
- 6.3 Bare Floor
- 6.1 Low-Pile Carpet
- 6.0 High-Pile Carpet
- 4.3 Pets
- 5.6 Stairs
- 4.7 Cars
- 3.8 Workshop
- Updated Dec 14, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.7.
- Updated Nov 22, 2023: We've added the RV1002AE model to the 'Differences Between Variants' section of the review.
- Updated Oct 30, 2023: We've added a link to the Shark IQ 2-in-1 in the 'Physical Automation' section of the review to provide an alternative with LIDAR mapping.
- Updated Jan 16, 2023: We've changed the full product name to 'Shark IQ Robot' in order for the review to encompass all model variants.
- Updated Jul 29, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 0.6.
- Updated Mar 18, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 0.5.
- Updated Aug 11, 2021: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Apr 23, 2021: Corrected input error in the 'Remote Controller' field of 'Automation (Robot Vacuum)' section.
- Updated Feb 12, 2021: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Nov 19, 2020: Fixed Companion App field input error.
- Updated Nov 12, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Nov 06, 2020: Early access published.
- Updated Oct 05, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Oct 02, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Sep 27, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
There are four variants of the Shark IQ Robot, though they differ very little regarding included equipment. We tested the RV1001 model, and you can see its label here.
| Model Code | Included Accessories | Color | Notes |
| RV1000 | 2x side brushes, 1x filter | Black | |
| RV1000C | 4x side brushes, 2x filters, 1x BotBoundary strip | Black | Canadian-market exclusive |
| RV1001 | 4x sidebrushes, 2x filters, 1x BotBoundary strip | Black | |
| RV1002AE | 2x side brushes, 1x filters, 1x BotBoundary strip, 1x Self-Emptying Base Station | Black | Exclusive to Walmart retailers for Black Friday |
If someone comes across a different variant of this vacuum, let us know in the discussions below so that we can update our review.
Compared To Other Robot Vacuums
The Shark IQ Robot is a simple robot vacuum. It's a sturdily-built vacuum with remarkably long battery life, though the latter can vary in the real world. It also delivers impressive cleaning performance on surfaces like hardwood or linoleum. Unfortunately, it struggles more with finer debris on carpeted surfaces and loses suction performance as its dirt compartment fills up, especially in regards to bulkier material like cereal.
If you're looking for alternatives, take a look at our list of recommendations of the best robot vacuums for hardwood floors, the best robot vacuums for pet hair, and the best robot vacuums for carpet.
The Shark IQ Robot and iRobot Roomba j7 each have advantages, meaning one might suit you better than the other, depending on your needs. The iRobot j7+ does have a self-emptying function that allows it to dump debris from its internal dustbin into an external dirt compartment mounted to its docking station, reducing hands-on maintenance requirements. A similar feature is available for the Shark at an additional cost. The iRobot also feels better-built, maneuvers itself more effectively, and has more advanced automation capabilities, most notably its hazard recognition capability and ability to organize its cleaning sessions around your schedule. However, the Shark delivers better performance on bare floors and low-pile carpet and incurs lower recurring costs.
The Shark IQ Robot is a better robot vacuum than the Shark AI Robot. While both robot vacuums are well-built, the IQ Robot has superior overall performance on all surface types. However, the AI Robot has fewer recurring costs and has better maneuverability as well as longer battery life.
The iRobot Roomba i7 is slightly better than the Shark IQ Robot. The iRobot is better built, less demanding in terms of maintenance, maneuvers itself around obstacles far more easily, is equipped with an allergen-trapping HEPA filter, and delivers better performance on low and high-pile carpets. The i7 also comes with an external dirt compartment mounted to its charging dock that the vacuum can automatically empty its internal dustbin into. Meanwhile, the Shark clears more debris on bare floors and has a significantly longer maximum runtime, though it takes a lot longer to recharge.
The Roborock S6 MaxV is better for most purposes than the Shark IQ Robot. The Roborock is easier to maintain, incurs fewer recurring costs, and delivers significantly better performance on bare floors. It can also automatically adjust its suction power depending on the surface type. However, the Shark is lighter and does a better job of cleaning carpets.
The Shark IQ Robot and iRobot Roomba i4 each have their own advantages, so one may suit you better than the other depending on your needs. The Shark has a bigger dustbin and performs better on both bare floors and low-pile carpet. It also has a longer maximum runtime, though this can vary in the real world. Meanwhile, the iRobot charges much faster, has an automatic surface type adjustment feature, feels better-built, and incurs fewer recurring costs. It also does a better job of maneuvering around obstacles.
The Shark IQ Robot is better than the Shark ION Robot RV700 Series. The IQ is better-built, does a better job of cleaning pet hair from all surfaces, is more effective on carpeted floors, and uses a smart-pathing navigational system that results in superior maneuverability and a more advanced suite of automation features. You can use the IQ's companion app to send it to a specific room, and it's capable of resuming a cleaning session from where it left off if it needed to charge partway through.
The iRobot Roomba 960 and Shark IQ Robot have different strengths. The Shark performs better on bare floors as well as low and high-pile carpet and has longer maximum battery life. Meanwhile, the iRobot is better-built, easier to maintain, incurs fewer recurring costs, has a larger dust bin, and recharges in less than a third of the time.
The eufy RoboVac X8 is better than the Shark IQ Robot for most uses cases. The eufy has fewer parts requiring regular maintenance, incurs lower recurring costs, lasts longer on a single charge, and delivers notably better performance on bare floors. However, the Shark is a little better at maneuvering itself, clears more debris on low-pile carpet, and has a larger dustbin.
The Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum is better than the Shark IQ Robot for most uses. The Xiaomi has fewer parts that require regular maintenance, incurs lower recurring costs, charges much faster while offering similar overall battery life, maneuvers itself more effectively around obstacles, and cleans more debris on bare floors and low-pile carpet. Conversely, the Shark can clean high-pile carpet and comes with physical boundary strips that you can use to prevent it from entering certain areas.
The Shark EZ Robot Self-Empty is slightly better than the Shark IQ Robot. The EZ has an automatic dirt disposal feature, charges a lot faster, gets caught on rug tassels less frequently, and delivers better overall cleaning performance on low and high-pile carpets. Conversely, the IQ incurs fewer recurring costs, and is easier to maintain.
The Roborock S7 is better than the Shark IQ Robot. The Roborock feels better built, has less demanding maintenance requirements, incurs fewer recurring costs, has a longer maximum battery life, and does a better job of maneuvering itself. It also performs better on bare floors and has a mopping attachment for dealing with sticky messes. Conversely, the Shark clears more debris on carpets and has a bigger dustbin.
The Shark IQ Robot is a better robot vacuum for most purposes than the Shark IQ Robot AV992 Series. They're very similar in most ways, except performance: the AV992 does a better job of handling pet hair on most surface types.
The Shark IQ Robot is better than the iRobot Roomba 694. The Shark has a slightly bigger dustbin, lasts a little longer on a single charge, delivers superior performance on bare and carpeted floors, and comes with physical boundary strips to keep it out of certain areas. You can also use its companion app to direct it to a specific room. Conversely, the iRobot feels better-built, incurs lower recurring costs, and has fewer parts that need regular cleaning. The 690 variant of the iRobot also comes with a virtual barrier device to keep the vacuum from entering certain spaces.
The Shark IQ Robot is a better-performing vacuum than the iRobot Roomba i3. The Shark picks up more pet hair from bare floors and has a better performance on low and high-pile carpets. It also has fewer recurring costs. On the other hand, the iRobot is better built and has an automatic dirt disposal feature.
The Shark IQ Robot is a better option for most uses than the Shark ION Robot AV753 Series. The IQ clears debris more effectively on all surface types, uses smart-pathing to plot more efficient cleaning routes, and comes with boundary makers to prevent it from moving into certain areas. Meanwhile, the ION has a much longer battery life while taking less time to recharge.
The Shark IQ Robot is a better overall robot vacuum than the eufy RoboVac G30. The Shark does a better job of cleaning debris on bare floors as well as low and high-pile carpet, feels better-made, and maneuvers over obstructions like electrical cords more effectively. Meanwhile, the eufy is a little easier to maintain.
The iRobot Roomba S9 is better than the Shark IQ Robot. The iRobot is better built, easier to maintain, charges faster while offering similar battery performance, and delivers much stronger performance across a variety of surface types. It also has a far more advanced suite of automation features, allowing you to configure its coverage map with no-go zones or schedule cleaning times for specific rooms.
The Roborock S6 is better overall than the Shark IQ Robot. The Roborock is better-built and has superior battery performance. It also delivers better overall cleaning capability on bare floors and low-pile carpet while maneuvering far more effectively. That said, the Shark picks up a little more material on shaggy carpets.
The Roborock S5 is a better vacuum than the Shark IQ Robot. The Roborock is better-built, easier to maintain, and has lower recurring costs. It also has better battery performance, with a longer overall battery life despite a shorter charging time. It performs better on bare floors and even comes with a mopping attachment to clear sticky messes, though we don't test for that. However, the Shark clears more debris on carpeted surfaces and is a little more compact.
The Shark IQ Robot and the iRobot Roomba E5 have different advantages. The Shark performs better on all surface types, has a larger dirt compartment, and longer battery life. The iRobot is better-built, easier to maintain, and charges substantially faster. It also has a HEPA filter to trap allergens as it cleans.
Test Results
The Shark IQ Robot vacuum has good build quality. It has a body made of a mix of glossy and matte-finish hard plastic, along with a rubber front bumper and rubber-treaded plastic wheels. Its dirt compartment is also made of hard plastic, but it scratches easily and feels as though it could break if it were dropped. It doesn't require too much assembly out-of-the-box, requiring only that you snap in the two included side brushes and place the appliance on its charging dock.
The Shark IQ Robot has many parts that need maintenance, but they're easy to access.
- Dustbin: The dustbin can be removed by pressing the release button on the rear. There's an anti-tangle comb attached to the dust bin that can collect hair wraps, which can later be removed by hand. The bin itself should be emptied after every use.
- Pre-motor filter: The pre-motor filter is located inside the dirt compartment and can be pulled out via its release tabs. It should be cleaned regularly by tapping it against the side of a garbage bin since it shouldn't be rinsed under water.
- Brushroll: The brushroll can be accessed via a door under the vacuum and then removed. While it's advertised to be self-cleaning, you may still have to cut out tangled debris with scissors or by hand.
- Side brushes: The side brushes can be simply pulled out of their socket for maintenance. They should be cleaned with a dry cloth whenever you notice a buildup of debris.
- Drive wheels: The drive wheels should be dusted regularly. Make sure to rotate them in their housing to clean them properly.
- Front wheel: The front wheel can be pulled from its housing, though this may take a bit of effort and the assistance of a tool. Thankfully, it's easy to click back into place. It should be cleared of debris regularly.
- Sensors: The sensors on the vacuum should be cleaned periodically with a dry cloth.
- Charging pads: The charging pads under the vacuum and on top of the dock should be dusted whenever you notice a buildup of debris .
Take a look at the eufy RoboVac X8 if you're looking for a robot vacuum that has slightly fewer maintenance requirements.
The Shark IQ Robot has quite a few recurring costs.
- Pre-motor filter: No replacement interval is specified for the filter. However, the user manual states that the filter should be regularly cleaned and periodically replaced in order to maintain peak performance.
- Brushroll: The brushroll should be replaced whenever you observe visible wear or every six to 12 months.
- Side brushes: The side brushes should be changed when bent or damaged.
- Front wheel: The front wheel requires replacement after 12 months.
You can purchase any one of these parts, as well as additional accessories, on Shark's website.
The Shark IQ Robot is incredibly easy to store. It's small enough to easily fit under couches and tables, and its charging dock is small and low-profile.
The Shark IQ Robot's dirt compartment is mediocre. As with most robot vacuums, it's quite small, so you need to empty it fairly often. It holds more debris than some other models, like the Shark AI Robot, but doesn't have an indicator to let you know when it's full. Since it's made of opaque plastic, you can't check its fill status at a glance.
- Shark IQ Robot vacuum
- Dust bin
- Filter
- 4x Side brushes
- Brushroll
- Brusroll door
- Charging dock
- Boundary strip
- User guide
The Shark IQ Robot vacuum has an effectively unlimited range as long as it has room left in its dirt compartment and remaining battery life, but it can't climb or descend stairs.
The Shark IQ Robot Vacuum is quite portable. It doesn't weigh too much, but it lacks a carrying handle to make it easier to lift from room to room.
The Shark IQ Robot's battery performance is superb. On its high-suction 'Max' mode, it can provide over an hour of continuous runtime. On its more energy-efficient 'Eco' mode, it can run for over 160 minutes, which should be more than enough to clean big rooms. Of course, it's worth noting that battery life can vary drastically in the real world. Unfortunately, it takes over four hours to completely recharge, which is very long. The lights on top also provide a rough estimate of its remaining battery life. When both lights are blue, the vacuum is at max battery capacity. At a partial charge, one of the lights turns off. At low battery levels, one of the lights turns red. For a robot vacuum that lasts longer on its 'Max' mode and charges more quickly, consider the Shark ION Robot RV700 Series.
The Shark IQ Robot has few quality of life features. It has three power modes. The energy-saving 'Eco' mode, the default 'Normal' mode, and the high-power 'Max' mode. You can swap between these modes in the companion app only when the appliance is running.
The Shark IQ Robot uses two side brushes to bring debris on the edges of the vacuum's body into the path of the main brushroll. It comes with two spare side brushes in case either needs replacement.
The Shark IQ Robot Vacuum performs impressively well on bare floors. It clears most pet hair as well as small debris like rice and bulky material like cereal. However, as its dirt compartment fills up, it struggles with sucking up bulky debris and pushes it around instead. If you want something that can suck up bulky debris even as its dirt compartment fills, check out the yeedi K650.
The Shark IQ Robot delivers poor performance on low-pile carpets. It performs similarly to the Shark ION Robot RV700 Series and struggles with fine and debris like baking soda or sand on this surface type.
This robot vacuum offers decent performance on high-pile carpet. It clears most pet hair and coarse debris and does an overall fair job when it comes to dealing with finer material like baking soda. Still, if you're looking for a robot vacuum that delivers better performance on this surface type, consider the Shark EZ Robot Self-Empty.
The Shark IQ Robot's maneuverability is satisfactory. It cleans in an organized manner, starting by moving in large sweeping patterns before doing smaller sections individually as it approaches obstacles, and finishes by cleaning the outermost edges of a room. It's low enough to squeeze under couches and tables and shouldn't bump into furniture. It can climb over low-lying obstructions like electrical cords without getting stuck, but rug tassels can get caught in its brushroll. If you're looking for a robot vacuum that's better at maneuvering itself, take a look at the iRobot Roomba i3+, which has a smart pathing feature.
The Shark IQ Robot has excellent automation features. It works with a companion app that allows you to see the vacuum's remaining battery life, receive push notifications about its status, pause or resume cleaning, and control it with voice commands if you have an Amazon Alexa or Google Home device. You can also direct it to a specific room, change the power mode, and send it back to its dock. The vacuum also comes with physical boundary marker strips you can use to keep it out of certain areas. Unlike the Shark IQ 2-in-1, it doesn't have a LIDAR mapping sensor, which would allow for quicker, more precise mapping, even in the dark.
