Shark AI Robot VacMop Pro ( Jun ) 2023 Review: Revolutionizing Home Cleaning

The Shark AI Robot Vacmop Pro RV2001WD is a connected vacuum and mop, capable of utilizing powerful suction and sonic mopping for a comprehensive clean. Boasting relatively advanced automation features, this vacuum’s cleaning power and runtime is well-suited for most homes, while the included app can be used to configure different cleaning modes, create virtual boundaries, and even set scheduled cleaning sessions. We looked at the reviews from both experts and users, and this article seeks to discover if the Shark AI robot vacmop is truly as good as it claims.

Shark AI Robot Vacmop Pro: Review

Recently, I had the pleasure of purchasing the Shark AI VacMop. My first impression of the device has been quite favorable! I appreciate the way it scrubs the floors while picking up smaller pieces of debris. This is not our first robot vacuum and mop, but it is the first one to be able to perform both operations at once.

What sets it apart from our prior robot vacuum is its use of mapping, laser vision, drop sensors, and physical bumper sensors, making it smarter and less likely to crash or redirect. Additionally, these components prevent any scratches or damages to furniture and other items in the vicinity.

The Shark AI Robot VacMop (RV2001WD) is the most recent offering from Shark in terms of floor cleaning robots, combining both a vacuum and mopping solution. It can be connected to and operated through its Android or iOS app. Though the design of this device looks familiar, there are very few robovac platforms on the market that also combine vacuuming and mopping capabilities.

Shark AI Robot Vacmop: Design and Features

The Vacmop adheres to the design trend followed by Shark’s other robotic vacuum cleaners, as well as most of the industry, with its circular shape. It measures approximately 12.5″ x 3.5″ in size. The roller head width, which determines the cleaning path, is 5.5″, and the side brushes effectively collect debris from almost the entire width of the vacuum.

When in mop mode, the cleaning path expands to nearly 11.5″, covering the vac’s full width. Atop the robot is a concise LED display providing the information regarding the battery level, Wi-Fi connectivity, mopping indication, and an error alert.

Located at the top are two buttons: “clean” and “dock.” These buttons allow for manual control, which proves useful when your phone is not readily available to start or stop the vacuum. On the front of the vacuum, you’ll find a sensor array comprising object and cliff detectors, which come into play when the vacuum is charging on its dock.

At the back, there is a removable dustbin and the attachment point for the mopping accessory. The dustbin can be easily detached with the press of a button and opens like a clamshell, revealing its contents. Moreover, there is a removable filter that captures fine particles of dust, which can be rinsed to extend its lifespan—a convenient feature indeed.

The dustbin also incorporates the anti-tangle comb, a prominent characteristic shared by other Shark products. This comb effectively keeps the brushroll clean and functioning optimally. I personally own two other traditional vacuums from Shark that possess this remarkable feature.

A notable aspect of the Vacmop is its object detection capability, enabling the robot to maneuver around objects that are approximately 3″ tall. Consequently, it is not always necessary to completely clear the floor for the vacuum to operate efficiently.

Controlling the Vacmop is accomplished through the accompanying app, which provides a range of configuration options. The app displays the cleaning map, allowing you to divide it into rooms and assign names accordingly. Additionally, you can identify carpeted areas that may have been missed by the automatic carpet detection feature used by the mopping program. The app also allows you to designate no-go zones and high traffic areas.

With the no-go zones feature, there is no need to resort to magnetic strips for blocking off specific areas, while high traffic zones indicate areas that may require additional cleaning passes. The app enables you to schedule cleaning sessions and provides cleaning reports once the vacuum has completed its task.

For those with larger homes to clean, the Recharge and Resume setting can be configured within the app. Furthermore, the app offers the convenience of controlling the robot from anywhere, whether inside or outside the home.

Shark AI Robot Vacmop: Setup

The setup process is quite easy to begin with. You should place the dock in an area with sufficient clearance, plug it in and it’s ready for use. Before commencing the charging process, you must turn on the power button on the robot’s side. An emerald-colored indicator is located on the dock’s upper part, and it will turn into a sapphire blue hue when the charging is successful.

The robot must be connected to the application and your home’s Wi-Fi, which necessitates you to access the 2.4GHz network band. If the same SSID and password are used for both the 2.4 and 5GHz bands, then you have to deactivate the 5GHz band prior to connecting with the 2.4. As soon as the robot is linked, you may enable the 5GHz band again on your router.

I experienced an issue when setting this up, as it’s common in many connected devices; the application had difficulty connecting to the device’s Wi-Fi spontaneously. As a result, I had to open my Wi-Fi settings and connect manually to the Vacmop’s network, which made it possible for the application to be linked with the robot. Then, I was required to switch back to my own network for the app to register it.

Essentially, it was my responsibility to accomplish all the tasks; it would have been far easier if a prompt would have appeared for me to type my network details. This is not exclusive to the Vacmop, as it is generally the same with any Internet of Things (IOT) product.

Prior to being able to clean, two runs are necessary: one to plot the blueprint of your residence and another for the carpet detection. It took approximately two hours to map the 600 sqft cleaning area in my house.

After the mapping, the app and vac offers proposed cleaning sections/areas. It achieved an acceptable result while classifying the floor plan by itself. I segmented a room and classified a corridor; aside from those, the divisions were very accurate. The carpet detection followed, but sadly the vac failed to detect any carpet, which was quite disappointing.

Shark AI Robot Vacmop: Cleaning

When it comes to cleaning, you have two choices: Vacuum only or Vacuum+Mop. For Vacuum Only setting, it works the same way as other robotic vacuums. You can pick which area you want to clean (like a single room, multiple rooms or the entire house), the power mode (Eco, Normal, and Max), and then you’re ready to go.

Cleaning a big house can take a couple of hours, even more if the robotic vacuum has to recharge during the session. There was a problem with the room selection feature that will be discussed further in the article.

The vacuum worked great overall, dealing with lots of long hair from several girls in the house and the fluff from the husky. In order to see the difference in the run times, I tried it in both Max and Eco modes. With Max, it ran down to 15% and with Eco, it was around 35%. For me, it was better to use Max mode since it can clean the entire upper floor with one charge.

Unlike most robots, this one moves in a grid-like pattern, not randomly. This pattern is much more effective and takes less time to clean the floor.

If you choose the Vacuum+Mop option, you need to install the solution reservoir and use the provided cleaning solution to fill it up (half of the bottle). There’s a reusable cleaning pad already attached to the bottom of the reservoir. Once you’ve attached it, the app will change the selection to “Mop” and you’ll be able to control the flow of the solution (low, med, or high).

The mopping session worked quite well with removing dirt from wet shoes and paw marks, and it took care of some moderate stains. However, it couldn’t lift a dried ice cream spill or other types of stuck on messes. For these, you’ll have to scrub them first before running the vacmop, but it will handle the final cleaning and polishing perfectly.

Shark AI Robot Vacmop: Issues and Other Thoughts

I encountered a number of difficulties while using the Vacmop, the majority of which had to do with the app’s layout. Fortunately, these glitches can likely be fixed with firmware updates in the future.

To me, the application felt unorganized; for example, you had to start the vacuuming process before you were able to modify the power mode/fluid rate, and many of the settings were located under different sub menus. The notifications the app provided weren’t very useful either, since it only informed me of errors and low battery levels, rather than letting me know when the robot had finished cleaning or which areas it had covered.

Furthermore, I wasn’t even sure if the Vacmop had cleaned my entire home until I switched on the Recharge and Resume feature. The map feature sometimes wasn’t available, apparently because the app suggested it wouldn’t work in dark rooms. I found this perplexing since my other robovac was able to provide me with a map regardless of the lighting.

Another issue I had was that certain functions weren’t working. When I attempted to choose a particular room to send the robot to, the app would take some time ‘thinking’ before eventually doing nothing. I was only able to operate the robot on full house, and on one occasion it went back and vacuumed the room it had just been in before returning to the dock instead of continuing on to clean the remaining room.

Unfortunately, the AI Vacmop’s much-touted carpet detection feature failed as well, as it didn’t recognize an entire room was carpeted. In spite of these issues, it is still cleaned and vacuumed adequately, with enough runtime and suction to ensure your carpets stay spotless.

The application is an integral part of this product’s operation, so it’s a pity that it was such a letdown. It’s my belief that these issues can and will be resolved in the future with updates, but I don’t have the ability to see into the future.

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User Review: Shark AI Robot Vacmop

Robot vacuums are all the rage these days, but what really makes the Shark Vacmop stand out is its ability to both vacuum and mop. No longer is it necessary to buy two separate robots to get the job done – the Shark is a comprehensive cleaning package.

I have a mix of carpets and hard floors on the main level of my home, which can be a lot to take care of with two children and two pets in the mix. Setting my robot to run every night during the middle of the night has been an incredible timesaver.

It’s so satisfying to wake up in the morning to fresh, clean floors with neat rows of vacuum lines in the living room carpets. This particular model features mapping capabilities that help it clean more efficiently and produce those aesthetically pleasing vacuum lines, so if you appreciate that, this is the vacuum for you.

What’s more, it comes with all the essentials, including multiple mop heads, a sample size of cleaning solution and some spare parts. Getting it all set up and ready to go is a breeze, as the majority of the work can be done through a phone app, which you will only have to use rarely once it is all in place.

The robot has its own set of voice prompts, though they are quiet and could be easily missed if you are not nearby. When it is switched on, it will first map out the cleaning area, then make a second pass to identify carpets and rugs. Once the mapping is complete, you have the option to review it and make changes if necessary, which is great as I was able to label all the rooms and thus easily target a specific one when required.

One of the great advantages of this vacuum is the fact that it can mop, although it must be noted that the mopping reservoir has to be attached for this feature to work. It will only do either vacuum or mop at any one time, so if you set up a schedule, it will focus on one or the other, depending on what is attached.

I found that my small rug between the kitchen and the mudroom can confuse the robot, and it will not clean the mudroom without me having to manually move the rug. To get the most out of it, I recommend that mopping be done when someone is present to attend to the robot. Also, the solution tank is quite small, so be prepared for a mid-run refill.

There are a few downsides, such as the map editor in the app, which is sometimes tricky to use and limits you to four-sided rooms and objects. Additionally, it can be a bit slow to map my office carpet due to it not being square. The robot has also been known to get stuck from time to time, so it is important to take note of where these traps tend to be and arrange furniture accordingly.

It’s possible to schedule cleaning times, though unfortunately you can only do this for the entire house, not individual rooms, and you are limited to one schedule per day. I experienced a warranty issue where the robot broke within two weeks, but customer service was prompt and courteous.

To summarize, I do recommend the Shark Vacmop if you’re looking for a vacuum and mop combination. It provides an effective mopping result due to its agitation capabilities, and I have no doubt that it could replace a traditional vacuum in many homes.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, the Shark AI Robot Vacmop Pro RV2001WD is a versatile and innovative cleaning solution that combines the power of vacuuming and mopping in one device. With its advanced features such as mapping, laser vision, drop sensors, and physical bumper sensors, it offers a smarter and more efficient cleaning experience. The accompanying app allows for easy control and customization, including the ability to create virtual boundaries and schedule cleaning sessions. While there are some issues with the app’s layout and certain functions, the overall cleaning performance, runtime, and suction power of the Vacmop are commendable. Despite some room for improvement, the Shark AI Robot Vacmop Pro proves to be a game-changer in home cleaning, revolutionizing the way we maintain cleanliness in our households.