The Shark Matrix is a great robot vacuum with a bagless charging base and excellent cleaning performance. It can remove 96% of debris across all floor types and has minimal tangles with long hair, with only 7-8% getting tangled around the brush roll. It performs well in pet hair removal and navigating quickly without getting stuck.
Setting up the robot vacuum is simple and easy to maintain. The bagless dustbin on the charging base can hold up to 45 days of debris, reducing long-term maintenance costs. Overall, if the minor issues mentioned don’t apply to you, the Matrix is a fantastic choice for a robot vacuum.
What’s in the box?
- Shark Matrix Robot
- Self-Empty Base
- 1 Side Brush
Testing
We conducted different performance tests to evaluate the navigational efficiency, cleaning performance, and overall usability of the Shark Matrix. The cleaning performance was good across the board, with excellent debris removal and long hair management. However, it struggled with pet hair on high pile carpet.
Nonetheless, it still achieved fantastic results compared to the average of other robot vacuums tested. On low pile carpet, the Matrix could move 88% of debris, and on high pile carpet, it could move 87%. Although it had difficulty with pet hair, this is a common issue for most robot vacuums.
In terms of long hair tangles, the Matrix performed excellently. After running the robot vacuum over a small pile of hair on a hardwood floor, only a few strands remained wound around the brush roll and spinning side brush. These tangles were easy to remove, and no cutting tools were required to cut them off. The robot’s performance in managing long hair was impressive.
However, when it came to pet hair on high pile carpet, the Shark Matrix didn’t perform as well. It only removed almost half of the pet hair from the carpet after two cleaning passes, which is not the majority of the hair. If you have a pet that sheds a lot, you may want to consider a more powerful vacuum for this task.
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Navigation
In terms of obstacle avoidance, the Shark Matrix didn’t have the ability to recognize and avoid obstacles. When tested with a few objects placed on the floor, it charged through them instead of avoiding them in its cleaning process. However, despite this limitation, the Matrix navigated our room well, which had various equipment, furniture, and obstacles. It never got stuck and always returned to the charging base after each cleaning run.
Usability and setup
The usability of the Shark Matrix is solid. It is a straightforward device that excels in easy setup and maintenance. Setting up the Matrix only requires attaching the spinning side brush, plugging in the docking station, and setting the Matrix to charge.
The Shark Clean app provides access to most of the functionality, allowing you to manage maps, virtual walls, and cleaning settings. The app has a simple user interface that is easy to navigate, although it can sometimes be a little clunky.
However, we experienced some issues with the app’s control functionality, where commands sent to the app were not recognized. These issues might be specific to our network or could potentially be resolved with a future update.
Maintenance
Maintenance for the Shark Matrix is easy and effortless. The charging station automatically empties the robot’s dustbin into a bagless dustbin, reducing long-term maintenance costs. You only need to clean out the dustbin on the dock, clean the filters, and perform necessary maintenance as needed.
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Noise Test
During our noise test, the Matrix generated average noise levels. It produced 59.7 decibels of noise in eco mode, 65.1 decibels in max mode, and 76.5 decibels while self-emptying. These noise levels are within the average range for robot vacuums, and the self-emptying noise levels are also typically compared to other robots with this feature.
Should you buy it?
The Shark Matrix is a decent robot vacuum cleaner with great features and great app control. You should buy it if you need good cleaning performance, managing even long hair. Also, the Matrix is a great choice if you are searching for a self-empty robot vacuum cleaner. With this unit, you don’t have to worry about emptying the dustbin for up to 45 days.
In case you have pets and need a robot vacuum for removing pet hair, the Matrix may not be the best choice for you. Although the unit navigates well, you may want to consider another unit if you need a unit with great obstacle avoidance and perhaps a mopping feature. All in all, the Matrix delivers great performance and convenience for general cleaning requirements, making it a worthwhile investment for your needs.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, I would recommend the Shark Matrix if you are looking for a robot vacuum with excellent cleaning performance and a bagless design. It proved to be highly capable of removing debris across all floor types, managing long hair tangles well, and navigating efficiently. Although it lacks advanced features like obstacle avoidance, the Matrix is still a fantastic robot vacuum, especially considering its price.
