Shark’s new PowerDetect robot vacuum has a monster feature

SharkNinja has unveiled its latest line of robot vacuums. There are three PowerDetect models and the most budget-friendly model is already available to buy from Shark.

What we love about it is that, even though we’ve been seeing some incredible robot vacuums with genuinely impressive feature sets, they still tend to be very pricey.

Shark’s PowerDetect Self-Empty Robot Vacuum RV2820VEUK has many of the same features – and it’s under half the price of market-leading models at £499.99. At the time of writing, you can buy it for even less on Amazon.

What it doesn’t have is the ability to mop floors. The two more expensive PowerDetect models will not only mop, but automatically refill the onboard water tank from the dock. The top-flight model will also automatically wash and dry its mop pads.

If those mopping features are important to you, you’ll need to wait for Shark to release the higher-end models.

But if you’re looking for an affordable dry robot vacuum with high-end features, here’s what the PowerDetect Self-Empty Robot Vacuum can offer.

Monster climbing wheels

The robot vacuum dream is that you schedule cleaning times and – well, that’s it. You forget about it. But that only works if the feature set allows your robot to get on with its work. For that, you’ll need an auto-empty dock, which this has (see below).

But it’s no good if your robot vacuum gets stuck on a thick rug at the start of every clean and can’t get on with its job until you come and rescue it.

The PowerDetect Self-Empty Robot Vacuum has what Shark is calling NeverStuck Technology. The robot is equipped with what look like a set of mini-monster truck wheels, and it lifts itself up to power over obstacles such as door thresholds and rugs.

It’s not quite at the stair-climbing level, but if you have a room that’s been inaccessible to a robot vacuum for cleaning, this one could crack it.

Dirt, edge and flooring detection

Not all areas of our homes need the same level of cleaning. For instance, if your pet has a favourite sleeping nook, that could need a much more thorough clean than the rest of your floor – but most robot vacuums will treat all areas the same way.

The PowerDetect Self-Empty Robot Vacuum will notice a dustier or fur-covered spot and increase suction to deal with it, going over the area in a figure of eight pattern until no more dirt is detected.

It will also distinguish between different floor types and give carpets a much-needed suction boost for a deeper clean.

Finally, it has edge detection and, when it comes to a wall, will use blasts of air to move dust and hair into its path to be cleaned up.

60 days of hands-free cleaning

As mentioned above, an auto-empty dock is vital to set-and-forget cleaning. Otherwise, you’ll need to remember to empty your robot vac’s tiny onboard bin every few days.

Shark’s self-empty base only needs to be emptied every two months. What’s more, it’s bagless, so you won’t have to keep shelling out for bags.

Pet-friendly features

The PowerDetect Self-Empty Robot Vacuum has a raft of features that make it a good option for homes with pets.

Its brush roll is self-cleaning, with anti-hair wrap technology. In our experience, this doesn’t always help with longer hair, which you’ll still need to remove from time to time, but it does guard against the worst pet hair clogs.

It also has an anti-allergen seal, which traps 99.9% of dust and allergens inside the machine. Good news if pet dander makes you sneezy. However, as the base is bagless, we do think you’re likely to encounter that dust again when you empty it into your bin – although that will only be necessary every 60 days. We’ll know more when we test it.

Finally, the robot has a spot for Shark’s anti-odour cartridges, which we tested and liked when we reviewed the Shark Stratos Pet Pro Upright vacuum. You don’t need to use these, but if you do, they leave a pleasant, and not overwhelming, scent behind.

Navigation and obstacle avoidance

Gone are the days when a robot vacuum would pinball senselessly around your room. This bot has a 3D sensor to avoid obstacles of all heights and 360-degree LiDAR mapping from a tower on top of the robot.

Once a map of your home is created in the app, you’ll be able to set up no-go zones if there are areas you want the robot to avoid, and send it out for a targeted clean of a spill or messy area.

We’ll be reviewing it as soon as we can, when we’ll have more detail on these features.