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Shark Matrix Review

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Welcome to Vacuum Wars and our review of the new Shark Matrix self-empty Robot Vacuum. We put it through all kinds of tests over a few weeks’ time. In this article, we’ll review all the results of those tests and show how the Shark Matrix stacks up against its most likely competitor, the Roomba i3+ EVO. 

Shark Matrix Robot Vacuum
$499.99 $429.99

The Shark Matrix self-empty robot vacuum impresses with its strong performance across various floor types and efficient navigation thanks to its LiDAR system. It stands out with a bagless auto-empty feature, making it more convenient and cost-effective compared to models using bags. The Matrix mode offers enhanced cleaning in heavy traffic areas, though its application is somewhat limited. Additionally, the anti-hair wrap brushroll is a useful feature for maintaining the brushโ€™s cleanliness. Overall, the Shark Matrix offers excellent value for its price, making it a strong competitor in the budget-friendly robot vacuum segment. See full review

Pros:
  • Auto-empty bin
  • Bagless bin system
  • Active hair removal
  • Anti-tangle roller
  • Lidar navigation
  • Room select
Cons:
  • Limited spot cleaning
  • Minimal feature use
  • Slower battery efficiency
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08/12/2024 09:51 pm GMT

The Shark RV2310AE Matrix is a LiDAR-based robot vacuum, meaning that it uses a spinning laser to map and then navigate around your house. As we’ll see later, it did this very efficiently.

LiDAR and Auto-Empty Bin

The Shark Matrix comes with an auto-empty dust bin. When the robot returns to its dock to recharge, it will automatically empty the contents of its dust bin into a bagless bin. Shark is one of the few manufacturers that do bagless auto-empty bins, which is a pro in and of itself.

Shark Matrix Review
The Shark Matrix we purchased for review. ยฉ Vacuum Wars

Shark has priced the Matrix quite low. It’s one of the cheapest robot vacuums out there with both LiDAR and an auto-empty bin. Even though the Roomba i3 doesn’t have LiDAR but uses a less accurate floor tracking system for its navigation, it’s still probably the Shark’s closest natural competitor due to the lower price on the Shark.

In the box

  • Shark Matrix Robot Vacuum
  • Self-Empty Base
  • 1 Side Brush
  • Manual and Warranty

Suction and Airflow

Starting off with performance, this is where the Shark Matrix really shined. In the bench test that we do, where we test things like suction and airflow, it was well above average

…we think that the Shark Matrix is Shark’s best-performing robot vacuum yet in terms of power, carpet, and hard floor performance, and navigation. It’s an excellent value for its price.

Crevice and Carpet Deep Clean Test

This power showed up in the crevice pickup test where it did significantly better than the Roomba i3+. The Shark Matrix also did extremely well with the carpet deep clean test, where it scored more than robot vacuums two or even three times its price. 

Carpet and Hard Floor Debris Pickup Testing - Shark Matrix Review
Testing the Shark Matrix debris pickup on hard flooring and carpet. ยฉ Vacuum Wars

The Shark was also really good with debris pickup on the surfaces of hard floors and carpets. While this is something that both the Shark and the Roomba did well at, as it is sort of the main job of a robot vacuum, we were really impressed with the Shark’s sweeping ability. We think it’s the best pickup test we’ve seen from a Shark robot vacuum yet.

Top Robot Vacuums

Moving on to the navigation tests. In our new navigation test, we run each robot vacuum several times on a fixed floor plan in different modes and on different power settings. The Shark Matrix does have a fast mapping mode and it mapped our 350 square foot area in a little over five minutes, compared to the Roomba i3 which took 26 minutes.

We also measured their navigation efficiency, meaning how fast a robot cleaned an area as well as how many square feet it covered during that time. The Shark covered about 15 percent more area than the Roomba and did so about 28 percent faster. So, the LiDAR navigation really seemed to make a difference here for the Shark.

Bagless Auto-Empty Dock Bin - Shark Matrix Review
The Shark Matrix features a bagless auto-emtpy dock. ยฉ Vacuum Wars

Battery Efficiency

We also measure battery efficiency during these tests. We found that the Roomba on its one power setting got an average of 1.41 minutes of run time per battery life percentage point, and the Shark got slightly less when its three power levels were averaged at 1.29 minutes per percentage point.

But even though the Roomba had better battery efficiency, it wasn’t enough to make up for its less efficient navigation. So, the math works out to the Roomba i3 being able to get 820 square feet per charge versus one 1,000 square feet per charge on the Shark Matrix.

Take those numbers with a grain of salt, since there are so many variables. In any case, they both have a feature called recharge and resume, where if its battery does run out, it will simply return to its base, recharge, and then resume right where it left off on the map.

Features

The final category is features, and here we should talk about the Matrix mode on the Shark since it is what this Shark model is named after. This is basically a mode that can only be activated in its spot cleaning or room cleaning mode. Instead of its usual back-and-forth pattern, it will clean in a cross-hatch or matrix pattern instead, and we’re pretty sure it does so on max power as well.

Anti-Hair Wrap Brushroll - Shark Matrix Review
Anti-hair wrap brushroll. ยฉ Vacuum Wars

Deeper Cleaning

The idea of the Matrix mode is that it can be used in heavy traffic areas which have a tendency to be more soiled, like around cat litter boxes or door entryways. It does seem to work pretty well, but it really is only for spot cleaning. You can’t even make the target area bigger on the map, so it is minimally useful, in our opinion.

Speaking of the app, Shark does have some high-end features like no-go lines on the app to keep it from going places that you don’t want it to go, which is nice, especially since the Roomba i3+ EVO does not have that feature. Both do have room cleaning and zone cleaning though, as well as lots of scheduling options.

Measuring Suction and Airflow - Shark Matrix Review
Measuring suction and airflow. ยฉ Vacuum Wars

Anti-Hair Wrap

The Shark Matrix also has an anti-hair wrap brush roll, which is basically little comb-like structures that actively remove hair from its brush roll. We think Shark must have a patent for this, since we don’t see this on other robot vacuums.

While we love this feature on Shark’s upright and cordless vacuums, we’ve never really noticed that much of a difference with it on robot vacuums.

In the Box - Shark Matrix Review
Unboxing the Shark Matrix RV2310AE. ยฉ Vacuum Wars

Verdict

In conclusion, we think that the Shark Matrix is Shark’s best-performing robot vacuum yet in terms of power, carpet, and hard floor performance, and navigation. It’s an excellent value for its price. In our scoring system, it beat out the Roomba i3+ EVO without any trouble.

Specs

Shark Matrix
Model NumberRV2310AE
Dust Bin Capacity0.2 qt / 0/19 L
NavigationLiDAR
Auto-Empty BinIncluded
Cleaning Path Width5.7 in
Google Assistant CompatibleYes
Amazon Alexa CompatibleYes
Cleaning Path Width5.7 in
Dimensions13.4 in x 13.4 in x 4.2 in
Weight13.2 lbs
Warranty1 Year
 

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Christopher White

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Christopher White CEO
Christopher White is the CEO of Vacuum Wars, the premier YouTube channel dedicated to vacuum cleaner reviews. Over the past eight years, Vacuum Wars has become a trusted resource, meticulously reviewing hundreds of robot vacuums, cordless vacuums, carpet cleaners, and various floor care products. Known for their comprehensive in-house testing, Vacuum Wars has built one of the most extensive databases of vacuum cleaner metrics available. Under Christopherโ€™s leadership, the channel has maintained a strict no-sponsorship policy, ensuring that all reviews remain unbiased and trustworthy. This dedication to integrity has garnered a loyal following of over 300,000 subscribers who rely on their expert advice. Christopher is also a recognized authority on robot vacuums, boasting one of the largest private collections of these devices worldwide. Learn more.

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