How do you decide which Shark robotic vacuum cleaner when there are so many different models to choose from? Don’t worry, guys—in this comparison, we’re going to show you the main differences between three of Shark’s top-selling models. By the end of the comparison, you should have a clear idea of what each of the three robots has to offer.
Shark IQ AV1002AE
First off, let’s start with the objectively most powerful of the three robots: the Shark AV1002AE. Built with a beefier motor than its predecessors, the AV1002AE can extract the tiniest bit of debris from your carpets in just a single pass. This robot uses smart navigation technology to map out the most efficient cleaning path possible before vacuuming your home row by row.
All three robots use Shark’s IQ Navigation to create a digital layout of your home’s floors. The robots access this map to create cleaning paths and vacuum specific rooms in your home.
Forget about snipping tangled hair off of the brush roll; this unit comes with a self-cleaning brush that loosens, lifts, and suctions hair—a feature you won’t find in the AV1010AE. Though, to be fair, per customer reports, the self-cleaning brush roll isn’t always reliable as long strands of hair do tend to get stuck in the bristles.
One feature you’ll find across the board is a self-emptying charging base. Every time your Shark IQ robot goes back to refuel, the self-emptying base will suction the contents out of the robots’ dustbins. The self-emptying bases of each robot have a storage capacity of roughly 45 days’ worth of dust, after which you’ll need to empty out the bagless base. Just set your robot up and come back every month or so to check on the base’s bag.
Shark IQ Robot Vacuum AV1002AE
Shark IQ Robot Vacuum AV1002AE with XL Self-Empty Base, Self-Cleaning Brushroll, Advanced Navigation, Wi-Fi, Compatible with Alexa, 2nd Generation.
Shark IQ AV1010AE
While the Shark AV1010AE looks identical to the other two robots—in fact, they have more overlapping features and specs than there are differences—there’s one thing that sets this robot apart. As you’ll see as you read on, the AV1010AE is not designed for pet owners.
Unlike the other robots, the Shark AV1010AE IQ doesn’t have a self-cleaning brush roll.
It features a multi-surface brush with stiff bristles to dig deep in carpets and in between floorboards. When it comes to dealing with fur, strands of hair tend to get stuck in the brush and cause it to stop spinning on occasion.
Thankfully, all you need is a good pair of scissors to remove the wad of hair, and the AV1010AE is ready to vacuum.
The AV1010AE features the same exact kind of mapping software as the previous model to create highly efficient cleaning routes, leaving no spot on your floors left uncleaned. With selective room cleaning, you have full control over where your AV1010AE cleans and when. There’s even Alexa and Assistant support, so you also have the freedom to shout commands to your robot from the other room.
You can expect about 100 minutes of continuous cleaning from the AV1010AE with a fully charged battery. Thankfully, it comes with both auto-recharge and resume, so whenever the battery runs low, the Shark AV1010AE IQ will pop into its charging station to refuel while the self-cleaning base vacuums the contents out of the robot’s dustbin.
When it has enough battery to complete its cleaning cycle, the AV1010AE will pick up cleaning exactly where it left off.
Shark AV1010AE IQ Robot Vacuum
Practical and powerful, the Shark IQ robot solves most of the problems customers have with robot vacuums.
Shark IQ RV101AE
In terms of what features the Shark RV101AE packs, it shares more in common with the AV1002AE than it does the AV1010AE. It comes with a self-cleaning brush roll that prevents strands of hair from choking the brush and suction inlet, making it a handy robot for pet owners and those who shed like crazy.
However, the RV101AE’s motor isn’t as beefy as those on the previous Shark robots. While it does an excellent job at cleaning bare floors, it can struggle at times to extract debris from medium-pile carpeting. Thankfully, with auto-recharge and resume, all you have to do is command the robot to commence a second vacuuming cycle to pick up what it may have left behind.
In every other regard—from navigation software to the self-cleaning base—the three robots are identical. So, with the smaller, “cheaper” RV101AE, you can still ignore it for 45 days at a time and only come back when it’s time to empty out the base’s dustbin.
Overall, the RV101AE is an excellent robot, despite its weaker motor compared to the other Shark robots. It’s a pet-friendly device that makes removing pet hair from bare floors and low-pile carpeting a breeze.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
The Shark RV1001AE IQ robot vacuum holds up to a months’ worth of dust and debris in its base station
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