Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch review
The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch is one of the best robot vacuums out there, and it’s pretty much self-sufficient. It has effective vacuuming that leaves carpets totally clean, and excellent mopping that leaves floors sparkling.
It’s self-emptying with anti-odor, and the NeverTouch system keeps the mop clean with thermal technology, so (as the name suggests) you don’t have to get your hands dirty. The quick home mapping is also useful. But the short power cord limits where you can position the dock, and sometimes the vacuum gets lost en route.
Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch review: Specs
Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch review: Price & availability
The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch wet and dry robot vacuum is available in the U.S. directly from SharkNinja for $1,199, or from Amazon U.S. for $1,199. In the U.K., the vacuum can be purchased directly from Shark for £949 or from Amazon U.K. for £949.
If you’re looking to save money, consider an option without a self-emptying system, such as the Ecovacs Deebot N20, which is priced at only $199 and still delivers an effective mopping and vacuuming clean. But if you’re totally set on a self-emptying model and want to keep costs low, then the TP-Link Tapo RV30 Max Plus, which can look after itself, is only $219.
The Roborock Qrevo Curv, which costs $1,599, has similar features to the Shark, but costs a lot more. The Shark does a better job of vacuuming on carpeted surfaces, but the sleek look of the Roborock is what really sets it apart.
The ThermaCharged NeverTouch comes in black or white, and both colors look great. I tested the white colorway and it fit in perfectly with my home interior. Shark also offers another model, the similarly-named Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 NeverTouch, which lacks the mop pad drying technology of the ThermaCharged model but still mops and vacuums the home with ease. This model is priced at $999 but can often be found on sale for as little as $650.
Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch review: Design
The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch has a design that, despite its larger stature with the self-emptying dock, still manages to look sleek. It doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb at all. As I mentioned, I tested the white colorway, which has champagne gold accents, making it a stylish addition to my home.
The setup measures 18.15 x 17.5 x 14.3 inches and weighs 26.9 pounds. So it’s not a small docking station like that of the Roborock Q7 M5 ($299), which sits neatly under most wall baseboards. But the dock of the Shark doesn’t need to be touched once it’s set up, and it provides a no-fuss option to keeping your floors clean.
The charging dock has a 0.4-foot cable, so it needs to be positioned near a power outlet. The only assembly required is the ramp, which guides the vacuum back to the charging prongs, and this clips on easily. Once the microfiber mop pad of the vacuum is placed in the dog, the robot vacuum attaches and detaches it all by itself.
The onboard dust bin holds 0.4 quarts, and this self-empties after every run into the debris bin on the base, which can hold up to 60 days of debris. You may think this would smell, but there’s an anti-odor cartridge that lets out a pleasant scent each time the dust bin is filled.
At the front of the base are two water tanks, one for clean water and cleaning solution, and another for dirty water that is unloaded from the vacuum. The clean water tank holds 0.45 gallons of water, and 12 ounces of this comes from the multi-surface cleaner that comes with the vacuum. This water tank can last for up to 30 days, according to Shark.
At the bottom of the robot vacuum are rugged wheels that help lift it over uneven surfaces like room boundaries with ease, and a smaller wheel for navigating. There is also a triple-arm side brush that sweeps up debris and puts it into the path of the vacuum.
The vacuum gives three hours of continuous cleaning on a full charge. This is pretty standard considering other models like the Roborock Q7 M5 ($299) have two and a half hours of battery life on a single charge. The battery of the Shark is more than enough for my home. But if it needs longer, it will take itself back to the dock to juice up. A full charge takes four hours to complete.
Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch review: App
The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch is compatible with the Shark Clean app. This is super easy to set up and use, and everything worked the first time around.
Once you create an account and connect to the device using your Wi-Fi network, you can name the device. After a quick poll in the office, we decided to name our new helping hand ‘Sharknado’ — a fitting namesake. Shark also provides some other name inspirations in the app.
I found the app to be most useful for setting up cleaning schedules. I could choose days and times to send the vacuum around the house and even let it know if I want it to mop or just vacuum.
You can also control the power of the clean and the water flow from the app. And if you need to stop the clean, you can send the robot vacuum back to the base. If you somehow misplace the vacuum or it gets lost during its cleaning expedition, you can use the app to make a noise to help you locate it. This is how I located the vacuum when it was lost in my dining room (even though the map said it was at the charging dock).
Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch review: Mapping
When I initially connected the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch, I sent it on exploration around the house. After about 10 minutes, it returned to the base to draw up a floorplan of the house. This didn’t take long at all and was very accurate — I didn’t have to make any manual changes.
Once I had approved the floor plan, I could name the rooms and let the vacuum know which areas required mopping and vacuuming. I could even create zones that the vacuum should avoid.
While the map looked good, the vacuum struggled to follow it sometimes. As I write this, ‘Sharknado’ is having an absolute nightmare in the dining room while looking for the charging dock, which is located in the living room.
Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch review: Vacuum performance
The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch is an extremely effective vacuum cleaner. It left my carpets feeling fresh, and I couldn’t see any debris in the house when the robot vacuum was done with a full clean. I have a dog, and he loves to bring dirt and leaves from the garden, but this was no problem for the Shark vacuum.
It moves around the perimeter of the room, using the triple-arm side brush to sweep everything into the vacuum path. To ensure everything is picked up, it also uses blasts of air to push debris from the edges of the room into the robot’s path, but this proved to have the opposite effect in some areas, causing more mess.
I was able to select how powerful the clean was in the app, and more power means more battery drainage. But the vacuum also has Dirt Detect, which will increase suction where it senses more dirt using on-board sensors.
I would’ve liked the option to select the number of passes the robot does in the room during a clean cycle. For example, the Ecovacs Deebot N20 gives you the option to choose if you want a single pass or a double pass for a more thorough clean. The Ecovacs app also shows a trace line of where the robot has already been, which you don’t get from the Shark Clean app.
When I want to do a deep clean, I still use my hand-held vacuum as it is far more powerful, and I can be more targeted with the edges and corners of the room. But for daily upkeep, the Shark robot vacuum is ideal.
Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch review: Mopping performance
When the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch isn’t mopping, it leaves the microfiber mop attachment in the charging dock, but when you request a mopping mission, it will attach it on its own — part of the NeverTouch technology.
When moving over carpeted areas with the mop attached, the robot picks up the back of the mop, so it’s never touching the carpet. It fills up its own water from the docking station too.
The mopping is very effective and left my floors sparkling. It was able to pick up muddy paw prints and shoe prints by the door. The mop pad wiggles from side to side, so it can reach even the edges of the room. It leaves floors pretty wet, though, and I needed to let everything dry for around 30 minutes.
When it returns to the dock, the Shark runs a clean cycle with 185ºF water before drying with 175ºF air. The water cleaning is quite loud, but the air is just a low hum that lasts for about 30 minutes — not too disruptive.
Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch review: Verdict
The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch is an excellent robot vacuum with the premium looks to match its performance. The vacuuming functions on hard flooring and carpet are excellent, and the mopping mode leaves hard floors sparkling.
The NeverTouch dock means I didn’t have to fuss with the vacuum base or dust bin at all, making it simple to run the vacuum with a schedule and simply forget about it while it cleans my home.
The price tag is quite hefty considering there are far cheaper options with similar features out there, but you’re paying for the privilege of this robot vacuum taking complete care of itself. It also occasionally has some navigation issues, and the air blows debris in the wrong direction.
But while I still use a regular vacuum for deep cleans, the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch has nevertheless become a staple device for everyday cleaning in my home.
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