Bagless WiFi-Connected Robot Vacuum

This bagless auto empty robot vacuum wifi-connected robot has a minimalist, black design. Its price is comparable to other top-of-the-line smart home robotic vacuums.

You can control the device using the physical Clean & Dock buttons on top, the SharkClean App, or by speaking commands via Alexa or Google Assistant. It is equipped with a variety of smart features including home mapping and virtual "no-go zones".

Matrix Clean

The most popular vacuum cleaner in America (based on NPD Group/Retail Tracking Services data). Matrix Clean has incredible suction power and Matrix & Precision Mapping. It also features a self-emptying bottom.

SharkClean is an app that you can download to your smartphone to map your rooms. The app lets you set up a schedule to keep your home tidy or you can choose rooms that you want to have the Matrix begin cleaning the room automatically. You can also set 'no go zones such as closets or beds that you don't want Matrix to get into.

The app also lets you use the "spot" cleaning on demand feature where you can choose a spot that is dirty on your floor map, and the robot will traverse the area using multiple swipes of its cleaning pad. It can pick up everything from dog hair to weeds and small pieces of paper that were left from a recent crafting project.

When the Matrix completes its cleaning task, it will head back to its dock and empty itself into the included bin. This is a neat feature since it cuts down on the requirement to do maintenance.

One thing to consider about this particular model is that the LIDAR mapping sensor sits on top of the structure and could hinder it from easily getting underneath some low to the ground furniture like sofas and tables. However, if you don't mind being a bit taller than some other robots, this is still an excellent choice. Be aware that this one isn't equipped with an HEPA air filter like some other models on this list.

Precision Home Mapping

Shark's Matrix Clean Navigation is a precise grid that makes sure that no spot is missed. Incredible suction pulls dirt, dust and other debris to a bagless autonomous vacuums base that has a 60-day capacity. Precision home mapping combines 360deg LiDAR vision with an exact home map that is available in the SharkClean app to enable completely autonomous movement and intelligent object avoidance. Night or day, it creates a precise map of your area to enable full movement without hitting furniture or other obstacles. This means that your robot will be left to complete a cleaning schedule or you can initiate Matrix clean whenever you want and set room-specific goals anywhere from the app.

"The team at Precision are awesome They understand that building a house can be stressful, and they help you relax in the moment when you're concerned about permits, the weather, timing, etc." - Josh C.

Powerful Suction

The RV2502AE is a solid mid-range robot vacuum that ticks all the boxes. It's simple to use, creates accurate home maps, and has a self-emptying bagless self-recharging vacuums base. It's also cheaper to run than other robot vacuums.

It is a plethora of power. It uses its side brushes to push carpet fibers and hair into the brushroll. This helps prevent the build-up and clogging of the brushroll seen on other robotic vacuums and makes this one more effective in picking up pet hair.

Apart from its suction power and self-emptying base, this robot features Matrix Clean Navigation for a thorough cleaning process, Precision Home Mapping for object avoidance, a high-efficiency HEPA filter that catches 99 percent of odors allergens, and dust mites and has two power modes for various flooring types, and a remote control that gives you full access to all its functions. It also works with voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant which means you can begin cleaning without having to touch the robot.

While it's a good choice for the majority of homes but some may be unable to navigate it. Unlike other bump bots that can steer clear of stairs, this one had difficulty with them. It utilized LiDAR and infrared sensors to map the home however it was constantly mistakenly assuming my cat's house for stairs and asked me to move it out of the way. It also had a shorter running time than advertised, with only 180 minutes.

Self-Empty Base

A few robots, including this one - feature self-emptying bases that vacuum or dump the debris in the onboard dust bin into an external dirt bin to make maintenance easier. These are known as Clean Base Dirt Disposal (iRobot), Auto Empty Station (Ecovacs) or bagless intelligent vacuums Self-Emptying Base (Shark). They are a practical alternative, but they can also be noisy and messy. They usually require special disposal bags.

This Shark model is equipped with a HEPA filtered bagless cordless cleaner base. It has a massive capacity. It can hold up to 60 days worth of debris and doesn't need emptying on a regular basis as some other models. Shark's suction is powerful enough to handle even the toughest of messes. The docking station's vacuum that is used to empty the dust bin is quite loud.

When the robot is connected to a wall outlet and charging the battery, a beep is heard and an green light will blink across its top to show it's time to start cleaning. If the battery of the robot is low it will be able to dock itself to its base and cease to work until it's fully charged. It is important that the dock, or Self-Empty Base, is positioned so it doesn't get blocked by furniture or other items and free of obstructions.

Although this model is slightly more expensive than some of the other mid-range robotic mops that we've tested, it feels well-built and has better performance on bare floors, a longer maximum battery life, less maintenance requirements and a wider selection of automation options that include virtual boundary markers. The iRobot Roomba i7 is still our top choice, however it's more durable and refined it charges faster and gets caught on rug tassels fewer often. It also has a higher maximum battery capacity.

Easy Setup

The Shark AI Ultra has a simple to use schedule that only requires just a few inputs. You can choose the date and time of sunrise and sunset. You can also select the duration of the ramp times (increasing brightness or decreasing) and whether to turn on the lights at night.

It does not have the ability to control voice or smart mapping like Alexa and Google Assistant but it has an extremely useful, free programming suite. The suite comprises a range of Windows-based programs that allow for operating parameter settings and communication such as dmXLAN switch and node configuration, as well as real-time testing and fast replication to multiple installations.

Even the most novice users will have no problem getting around the interface. It includes tabs at the top, which correspond to the various screens that the installer will show, and there are also tabs that allow you to play with the various options for colors and messages. It's a powerful tool, and it lets you create an installer for your program quickly. The application is only 1.3MB in size and works with Windows 7 to Windows 95.