Best Shark robot vacuums of 2025, tested: The only 3 to eye on Black Friday

Read our full review of the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1.

The Matrix Plus 2-in-1 is one of two main Shark contenders for anyone who wants a robot vacuum that can mop. Price is the obvious factor that might make you opt for this one over my favorite Shark hybrid, the new PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro — the self-emptying version of the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 can almost always be found on sale while the PowerDetect rarely drops below $899.99 (if you can find it on sale at all).

Your expected level of automation of your Shark’s mopping pad will also play a huge role in choosing between these Sharks. If your home is mostly carpeted with only a few rooms that would need to be mopped, like a bathroom and kitchen-only type of situation, you may not mind having to physically attach the mopping pad or fill the water tank to enable mopping mode. The price difference may also be stark enough to convince you that having to manually wash the mopping pad after each run isn’t that bad. Alternatively, the pricey PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro washes and dries its own mopping pad and refills its own water tank.

Circling back to floor type, the Matrix Plus probably wouldn’t be the best choice for homes with a heavy rug situation, as the bot requires you to manually highlight rugs or carpets in the app and can’t vacuum while the water tank is attached.

Shark became relevant in the robot vacuum game again when it introduced its Matrix cleaning mode in 2022. I first experienced it when testing the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 and was pumped by the simplicity and reliability of its spot cleaning in particular. Though the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 has since been surpassed as the fanciest Shark hybrid, its combination of affordability, straightforward mapping, and meticulous cleaning keep it as a top pick.

Shark’s Matrix mode cleans better in selected rooms or zones in the app by going over the target area from multiple angles to suck up or scrub anything that may have been missed on the first pass. During regular vacuuming, Matrix mode cleans carpet 30 percent more thoroughly than the older RV Shark models, and during mopping, the mopping pad vibrates 1,000 times per second to put in a little more work on larger spills that need an extra wipe, or light dried-on stains.

In my testing, I watched the Matrix Plus 2-in-1 successfully clear crumbs near the kitchen counter, kitty litter in my bathroom, and minor drops on hardwood or tile several times — messes that similarly-priced Roombas I tested couldn’t conquer in one pass.