Product Features and Description
- Powerful Cleaning: The Shark vacuum delivers intense suction power, effectively lifting dirt and debris from all types of floors, ensuring even the most stubborn messes are addressed.
- Thorough Coverage: Utilizing Matrix Clean Navigation, the vacuum systematically covers your home in a grid pattern, ensuring no spot is missed and performing multiple passes for a comprehensive clean.
- Self-Emptying Convenience: The vacuum features a bagless, self-emptying base that can contain up to 30 days of dirt and utilizes true HEPA filtration to capture 99.97% of dust and allergens as small as 0.3 microns.
- Advanced Home Mapping: Equipped with 360° LiDAR vision, the vacuum accurately maps your home for efficient cleaning, skillfully avoiding obstacles and adapting to changes in the environment.
- Pet-Friendly Design: The vacuum is ideal for pet owners, with strong suction, a self-cleaning brushroll, and a HEPA filtration system that easily handles pet hair, dust, and allergens.
- Voice-Activated Operation: Users can effortlessly control their vacuum using voice commands through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, setting schedules or initiating on-demand cleaning.
- Long Battery Life: With up to 120 minutes of runtime, the vacuum can clean the whole home on a single charge, and will recharge and resume cleaning if necessary to finish the job.
- Brand: Shark
- Model Name: AI Ultra
- Special Feature: Self-Cleaning Brushroll, Pet Hair Pick Up, Bagless, Self-Emptying
- Color: Dark Grey
- Product Dimensions: 13.7
- Included Components: (2) Side Brushes, Filter, Shark AI Robot, HEPA Self-Empty Base
- Filter Type: Foam
- Battery Life: 120 minutes
- Power Source: Battery Powered
- Are Batteries Included: Yes
- Control Method: Voice
- Compatible Devices: Amazon Alexa, Google Home
- Form Factor: Robotic
- Item Weight: 14.42 pounds
- Manufacturer: SharkNinja
- ASIN: B09H8CWFNK
- Item model number: AV2501S
- Batteries: 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included)
- Best Sellers Rank: #49,321 in Home & Kitchen (See Top 100 in Home & Kitchen) #64 in Robotic Vacuums
- Number of pieces: 5
- Warranty Description: 1 year limited warranty.
- Batteries required: Yes
Discover the latest in home cleaning technology with our comprehensive roundup of advanced robot vacuums, including the Shark AV2501S AI Ultra. This innovative device boasts Matrix Clean, home mapping, and a 30-day capacity HEPA bagless self-empty base—ideal for pet owners. Dive deeper into its features and compare with similar products by exploring our detailed reviews here.
The Good, the Bad, and the Product: An In-Depth Review
The vacuum in question has garnered some positive feedback from users who appreciate its functionality and the convenience it offers. Notably, a user named J Jones found the mapping feature of the vacuum to be incredibly efficient, allowing for the labeling and selective cleaning of rooms via an app. This level of automation, combined with the ability to schedule cleaning sessions, provides a significant convenience factor. Users like Kevin Toomey have observed an impressive amount of pet hair collection, attributing this to the device’s advanced navigation capabilities, such as LiDAR mapping. This technology is praised for its precision in navigating around furniture and other obstacles.
The product seems to be relatively quiet, as noted by Taylor Carthas, and is effective on a variety of surfaces including hardwood, tile, and low-profile area rugs, according to Chester H. Leckner. The absence of tangled hair in the brushes is a unique selling point mentioned by deweyduo, which can be particularly beneficial for homes with pets. The device’s self-emptying feature, despite being noisy, is a highlight for some customers, eliminating the need for frequent manual intervention.
Furthermore, for individuals with mobility issues or those who simply detest vacuuming, like Chris D., the robot vacuum offers a hands-off approach to maintaining clean floors. The ease of removing and cleaning the dust bin, as mentioned by Susan H., and the aesthetic of neat carpet lines left behind add to the appeal of the vacuum.
However, the product also has its fair share of criticism, with a number of users reporting significant drawbacks. A common complaint, highlighted by Amanda Lipesky, is the vacuum’s inefficiency on carpet and its inability to effectively handle pet hair. This suggests that the product may not be suitable for homes with pets or those with carpeted floors.
The longevity and durability of the vacuum have been questioned by users like rich, who experienced a breakdown of the unit shortly after the warranty expired and faced challenges with the lack of available replacement parts or repair services. Similarly, patioelf’s experience with a unit that failed to charge and self-empty, despite its high cost, points to reliability issues. Additionally, issues with the device’s software and Wi-Fi connectivity, as described by Sumit@AWS and other users, seem to hinder the full utilization of the product’s smart features, which is a significant downside for a technology-oriented device.
Furthermore, customers like David C. have raised concerns about the product’s lifespan, indicating that the vacuum may not last as long as expected. Others, such as Stephani Perriman and Shelby Loftin, have encountered quality control issues, including receiving units that were previously used or malfunctioned after a brief period of satisfactory performance. User deweyduo’s frustration with the product’s multiple filters, the app’s lack of error notifications, frequent errors, and the high maintenance demands echo the sentiment of unreliability and inconvenience.
In summary, while the vacuum has features that are praised by some, such as its mapping and cleaning abilities, the overall sentiment from users indicates that the product may struggle with pet hair, carpets, and reliability over time, which could be potential deal-breakers for prospective buyers.
What do the stars speak of?
Opinions about this product were divided in such a proportion among the buyers.
The most helpful positive feedback Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2023 by RJMALLAK, and is titled “How did I live without it?”
We have a long haired cat and need daily cleaning. We have had great service from this vacuum. Transitions easily from hardwood to low profile area rugs.
Customer Rating: 5
Helpful Rate: 2
Variation purchased: B09H8CWFNK
People find the following negative one quite helpful. Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2023 by Amanda Lipesky, titled “Idea for non pet owners with no carpet”
Not good for pet hair or Carpet
Customer Rating: 2
Variation purchased: B09H8CWFNK
Melody –
Great Product
Very easy to figure out and it works very well! My dog is not a fan, but I love it.
Amazon Customer –
Small container
Smaller container on the vacuum itself than other sharks. Not as pleased as past sharks I’ve had with mapping the rooms. The self empty to container is good
hanna appliance –
Love my Shark Vacuum
Very happy with this guy, he remembers where he needs to go, without even using the app., mapping feature, not like the other lesser shark model, that went all over the room, confused. This is awesome to have to run everyday, or every other day, while your cleaning this guy is doing the floor. Love it, only wish they were less expensive so more people could buy one. If you buy one of the entry level robot vacs, you will not be so impressed, you spend your time finding it stuck around the house, rerouting it.
SR –
Wish
I would have got it sooner! It’s my 3rd vacuum and hands down the best.
Kierstin Browning –
Awesome!
Does a great job at mapping your house and cleaning up everyday dirt and spills
John –
Very quiet when running.
Like this model a lot better than our I robot, however, we did get this one for pet hair and it works great and runs a lot quieter. Super happy with this model.
Benjamin Hargreaves –
Saves me so much time
In a house in Florida, there’s constant sand. But with this, I can walk barefoot in my house again without feeling the need to vacuum every day. I’ve had it 7 months. No regrets!
Dane Hewitt –
This here thing is amazing!
Got this thing because I have a medium sized dog, that sheds little half-inch hairs like crazy. Swept and mopped the floors before I set it up and ran it. Had it go around and map the house, and then charged it overnight. I was amazed at the amount of crap it still found the next day. The amount of hair, dust, and plain old dirt it finds is ridiculous. I have it set to run every morning, after i leave for work. I dump it’s little dirt bucket every couple of days, and that’s it. It’s worked perfectly, since i got it a couple weeks ago. I am more than happy with this purchase.
Sarah T. –
WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG!
I love my shark vacuum robot!! I should have bought one of these a long time ago! It saves me so much time, my floors look and feel so much cleaner, and this thing does not miss much and has great coverage!! Great quality and easy to set up. Highly recommend!
JDY –
Was great and then just died
Purchased 08/2023. Worked great until recently. Now it will run for 5 minutes or so and then stop working. According to the lights (solid red, solid white, solid red) it has an internal issue. I followed the self help, but that only fixed it for a week. I called their customer support line and did the same thing. I am going to call tomorrow (they are closed on Sunday) and hope they replace the unit. 06/04/2024 update: Shark is replacing the robot (not the dust bin) for a $22.42 fee. In addition, I have to remove the Dustbin, along with the filter, the Side brushes, the Brushroll, the Brushroll door and the Battery and install them on the replacement robot. For the money I paid, I expected a whole new unit. I would not purchase again.
Rose –
Works So Well!
We have a large downstairs (approx 1,800 sq ft), wood floors, some tile, a low pile throw rug, alot of chairs and bar stools. No issues at all. The main reason for buying this was our 2 large dobermans that shed like crazy and some cats. It does an amazing job going through chair legs etc and sucks up everything it comes across. The app lets you program light cleaning to heavy duty, do the whole house or just a room, easy to clean and the battery life is outstanding. We did learn to look for electrical cords on the floor because it got stuck a couple of times. Lastly, using the app, I can start it from work.
Christian Moore –
Terrible.
Literally broke first day. Started making horrible squeaking noise that’s unbearable. Just wanted to exchange and was not allowed, had to get a full refund. Don’t recommend product
Nikki –
Ugh
So the reviews looked reasonable from what I remember tell me if I’m wrong cause I’m stupid then.. I’ve had it a lil over a month. Every freaking time I go to use it it gives me a dust pan error so I empty the container that barely has anything in it clear out the empty tunnel thing. Slap it back it. Same error message so I end up reinserting the try a billion times and each time I do it command it to clean til it finally does. Ugh! Cleans decent won’t get it all though so if you expect spotless have a traditional backup plan
Joseph J. Hance –
Great robot vacuum
We have used robotic vacuums in the past with mixed success. This one is our second purchase of this model, this time for the second floor. Worked great on the first floor, now we have one for the second floor.
Amazonee –
Broke after 1.5 years
So planned obsolesce is a thing and this is no different. I ordered this on Nov. 22, 2022, and after some good performance for a year and a half, it started getting “side wheel” errors. Not trusting customer service to recommend I buy an entirely new unit, I opened the wheel housing up to discover the wire bundle from the wheel to the rest of the unit looked like it had been chewed through by what I can only assume is some of the moving parts in vacuum. I will not be buying a shark vacuum again.
Tahereh Alavi –
Error number 6, doesn’t work
It only worked once and after that kept giving number 6 error (front bumper stuck) while the front bumper was fine and moving freely, I guess a programming bug or the sensor not working properly, anyway gonna return it
Lorri Beaver –
Works as it should
Works great
Julie –
Don’t Buy!
I bought this robot vac and in less than 2 1/2 months, it started saying, “My side brush is stuck!” I cleaned it and it continued with the same response, “My side brush is stuck!” I wish I could tell my husband the same thing when I didn’t want to work! I messaged the seller and got no response! Don’t buy this vacuum unless you want a major headache!
Jessica H –
Not great!
I think I bought this late last year, 2023, towards the end of my pregnancy. Out of the box, it made a thumping noise while it goes around the house, still does. I schedule it when nobody is downstairs because its massively annoying and really loud. When it cleans out at the machine, the room stinks like dust, which means it is in the air, so the seal is horrible. It trips up on everything. Not for houses with dogs. The food will not get sucked up and it will jam the roll, stop working, until you clear it out. It has got jammed up on a small receipt and a fabric softener sheet before too. I didn’t return it because I was pregnant and about to give birth. I am a single mom. I still use it because its better then nothing vacuuming the house in between vacuums. I had bought a pull vacuum with a hydra filtration and I never wanted to vacuum with it so this shark was my majority for the floors with a massively shedding dog. I just bought a new vacuum so this will be used to maintain the work I have done. Also the suction is not great, it hardly got up any dog hair on my rugs. I just vacuumed with my new vacuum after a week of this thing going and its almost half full with the hair it missed.
BBanks –
AI is a joke, this thing couldn’t find its way inside a shoe box.
Their added AI feature on top of this dumb thing gets stuck under furniture or won’t go under furniture like nightstands & dressers. It also does not clean next to the walls, it comes up to a wall and stops short. Very dissatisfied. The old version without the AI feature on top works much better.
MY –
Battery died after 2 years
The battery died and can’t hold charge after 2 years’ infrequent use. Very disappointed with the brand. I saw other reviews showing the same problem.
Bree –
Amazing
This Shark robot vacuum has completely changed the cleaning game for me! With its self-emptying feature, I can say goodbye to the hassle of constantly emptying the dustbin. The convenience it offers is unmatched – it effortlessly navigates through my home, sucking up dirt, dust, and pet hair with ease. The result? Immaculately clean floors without lifting a finger. Plus, its powerful suction ensures no crumb or debris is left behind. I can schedule cleanings from my phone, allowing me to come home to a spotless house every day. If you’re looking for a hassle-free cleaning solution, this Shark robot vacuum is an absolute must-have!
khanh nguyen –
return
this is not working 😕 so stupid
Nicola Cataldo –
Where has this been all my life?
I will never live without one of these again! With two dogs, I had been vacuuming twice a week but most uprights with decent power are heavy and unwieldy, hurting my back and hands. This Shark AV2501S keeps the floors spotless, even under the couches, tables and beds. And the total purchase price is about equal to 2-3 visits from a housekeeping service.
katesmcg –
Broke before I even paid it off
Worked fine for about 2 months now glitches and says “clean dust under logo” whenever I try turn on. I have tried cleaning this area dozens of times, tried compressed air, cleaned the sensors, restarting machine, redownloading… To say I’m disappointed is an understatement. Not worth it guys.
D&D –
Way better than I ever anticipated!
This thing is awesome! It mapped out my apartment and vacumes EVERYTHING. It docks to charge and clean itself when it needs to. The noise is minimal when it’s running, until it docks and the self-cleaning dock sounds like a very loud shop vac. Absolutely worth the 10 seconds of noise a day. It climbed up a pair of flip flops but very easily corrected and continued on. My cat likes to bump it and make it change directions, which is totally fine because it revisits missed spots on the 2nd matrix pass. I only wish it would automatically change to the atrongest suction when it gets to my area rugs. I can do it manually but would rather not. I’m so happy with this purchase! Thank you!
Dawn Dignan –
Works fantastic
The base to empty is key. It’s does a great job on all types of dog hair.
sansturgill –
wish I had purchased one of these years ago!
Love this product and only wish I had been using it for the last few years
Donnie Neal –
Shark
Works exactly like advertising. 👍
Obbeachlover –
Impressive
Great product & way easier to manage than our previous ‘bot Nice an quiet overall too
Dallas –
I’m pretty impressed
I think the matrix function is what makes this model great vs. others. Now, my entire home is stone-core LVP so I cannot speak to its efficiency om carpet. I can say I have shaggy rugs (like bath mat types) and it cleans those well. Otherwise the only function I wish it had is to be able to remap a specific room I have already divided in the app. Currently, if you move something around that was previously an obstruction, you have to remap the whole floor. Other than that, I’m running this little bot ragged. I have 3 dogs and it is perfect for dander and hair.
K Rich –
Disappointed
I’ve had this vacuum for about a year and a half. I have done a great job of keeping up the maintenance. I clean it regularly and replace parts as needed like the filters and roller and brushes. It has been giving me error messages about an obstruction but nothing is there. The messages started out just a few and now it has gotten to the point where it moves 5 inches and the error occurs again and again and again. I noticed that one of the side spinner brushes wasn’t moving properly. It either doesn’t spin or spins very slowly. I believe that this is what causes it to think it’s stuck on something. I called the help desk and they were nice however they only recommended replacing the whole unit and couldn’t repair any parts on it. They did a video chat and observed the repeat error in real time. They did offer a 30% discount but buying it directly from sharks website is a lot higher of a price. I decided to remove the one spinner brush that was stalling and run it like that. It worked fine that way. I will continue to use it for as long as I can. It is disappointing that it didn’t last longer considering how expensive it is and with the proper upkeep I did. Not sure if I will buy one from shark again. If I do, I am going to research more about the warranty.
Julaine L. –
Not perfect but I think it still deserves 5 stars
I’m about to give birth and have three shedding dogs (40 lb cur, 95 lb lab mix, 60 lb hound/lab mix). My cur and 95 pounder are blowing coat and no amount of brushing saves my floors. I alternate between vacuuming and brushing them daily. We don’t have any family around to help out with chores after baby is here which will leave my poor husband a 5 acre plot of land, a house, three dogs, and a wife/baby to tend to all by himself for a little bit. I also can barely get anything done since I have to vacuum every other day right now. My poor cankles! Out of desperation I gave this a try since it was on sale and, God bless America, this is the best thing ever. Ill start with cons since thats what most people really want to know: Wifi was tricky to connect BUT the best place for the base in my home is on the opposite side of the house from the modem. I could have moved it closer if all else failed but after a good 20 minutes of trial and error, I got it connected. After that, the app was very user friendly i found. My dogs have a little water spillage by their bowl so hair sometimes sticks from the roller into those spots but its a small space and doesn’t bother me. I usually do a whole house pick up before I start it anyways. Because of the immense amount of hair this thing picks up, I empty it weekly. Again, not a big deal to me. PROS: Literally everything. It does a really good job at mapping my house. It gets in corners shockingly well. Its not perfect but if it misses a spot, you can send it on a “spot clean.” This model doesnt have lots of bells and whistles. No mopping feature, not super silent. However, that usually means it does one thing very well and that is vacuum. Thats all I wanted. Something to pick up dog hair and dirt from dogs and husband. While its not dead silent, its way quieter than my giant Shark pet hair vacuum. I also don’t need something totally quiet. A baby can definitely sleep through it. Its more like white noise to me. And you can adjust the volume of the base from the app. No dog hair has gotten stuck in the rollers but if you find Sharky is leaving behind clumps of hair, you probably need to empty out the base. Note: I have only hardwood and tile flooring. It goes over the mat by the door very well thus far but keep in mind I have no real say in if this is great for a mostly carpeted home. If you have dogs, are a new mom, or just don’t want to waste your precious weekends vacuuming, you want this. Trust me, you do.
Riley McGriff –
Constant issues
I thought I’d love this and I’m very disappointed. Constantly knocks this over (I thought there was AI technology to help with this), always out of battery, never makes it back to the dock, always caught on something. I got this to make my cleaning less annoying and it’s just another toddler to take care of
Ashley –
Lasted a little over a year.
The media could not be loaded. This product worked great for a bit over a year. It decided to throw a constant error code 6 out that says that its bumper is blocked. So researched on how to trouble shoot the issue. I took a part the front bumper and cleaned everything. Then followed suit for the rest of the areas I could access. I even had to buy a special star screwdriver to get to most areas. Still doesn’t function. I’m not sure what else to do and haven’t been successful when trying to contact Shark for assistance. Super disappointed now that I’m out $500.
Phil –
Simple and tough
Vac works great but love the software mapping it makes the unit much more efficient.
Lidia T –
So far so good
Did the scanning and first run and really happy with this vacuum so far, zero issues, smart in spaces, quiet, very happy I replaced old giant shark vacuum I had with this little guy
MIchelle D –
Not sure about this
I ordered the like new version of this vacuum which was discounted. The product looks mostly new but is missing the side brushes and product information which is really annoying. I haven’t used it yet. It also came in plain brown box instead of original packaging
Dubbs –
Broken after 2.5 Months
The LIDAR module on top of the machine isn’t working correctly anymore (2.5 months of use), giving an error it needs to be cleaned every time the vacuum is scheduled to run. It takes 30+ minutes of playing with the vacuum anytime it tries to run (rotating the lidar module with cotton swaps, blowing it out with compressed air). Vacuum just isn’t robust to dust and dog hair. When it works, it’s great, but the 1+ hour a week sppending to get the vacuum to work would be better spent just cleaning myself. Wouldn’t recommend
mneria86 –
Terrible mapping and picture is not the accurate vacuum
Terrible vacuum mapping is awful. It takes about 5 to 10 map sessions before it gets it right because most of the time it won’t add a wall where the wall supposed to be and then it only does half of a room. And in the pictures it shows it has the edge cleaner where it blows the dirt from the baseboard. No it doesn’t. This picture is false advertising
Jason –
Worked great until it didn’t
Worked great while it lasted (9mo). Now we get this recurring “cliff” sensor error. Robot only responds sitting on the dock. This despite keeping the robot clean and free of debris. Sensors gently cleaned, etc. Just another example of an expensive and poorly manufactured electronic product. 5/17/24 Update: worked with Shark to troubleshoot. After some very (very) basic steps they somehow determined the battery is bad and needs to be replaced. It’s the only non-warranty item (surprise!). $60. I tested the battery with a multimeter and it’s fine… but Shark refuses this evidence and insists I must replace the battery on my dime.
Jonathan Rybczynski –
Great for the money
I got a cheapo one from Walmart and had to return it. Ordered this on Amazon instead and it’s amazing . Works flawless and never had a problem. It’s been about 6 months and had no issues .
Hattie Hill –
It will do the job.
It doesn’t empty out all the dust. I had to clean it out with my hand. I really need something to clean under my beds real good and it does.
William D. Stripling –
Poor software
Before it was a year old, the unit did not follow the rooms that it had done initially. After a few rooms it would say job complete and not even show on map what it had done. Unit had to be picked up and taken to remaining rooms to finish. Never again, I should not have given my older Iroomba to my daughter!
Guy –
50/50
Does a really good job cleaning which is the biggest concern. I live in an old house in Colorado with two dogs and it does fantastic with husky and lab hair. The biggest pet peeve is the edge detection isnt that great in an old house without perfect 90° steps. I mapped out the area and it still goes off the edge. When it is reset I feel like it loses its position a lot of the time. I also cannot believe this $650 vacuum can only map out one floor. This house is one level but has a tiny little step going to the bedrooms and another to the bathroom and hallway, and I can only have one “level” mapped and saved, I just put it to “clean” and I honestly don’t think it cleans any differently. Other than that it’s way worth it compared to my $100 Amazon ones in the past. This is very easy to get the long husky hair untangled from the rollers and I’m in awe everytime I empty the main bin. I run it every other day and sun/Monday and it’s always got a ton of hair. Also, the laser eye or whatever it is on the top, is pretty high and is the only thing preventing it from doing under my couches which is a little frustrating. I think it was $300 when I bought it, if I paid the full price I probably would have sent it back.
Jemal –
Not very durable
I’ve had the bigger brands of robot vacuums for a while that usually have lasted me years although quite expensive. I’ve purcharsed this robot in April of 2024…but set it up 2 weeks later….so it’s been up in running for maybe 2 weeks now and already the front wheel has fallen off. Now I’m debating if I should return it or go through their customer support. I’ll keep you updated. I think I’m going to try customer support first then do an update of how that went and report back
Monica walker –
Obsessed best purchase I’ve made all year
We use to have a cheap robot vacuum and it was entertaining to watch, but was horrible at actually vacuuming. This Shark is amazing! I love how you can create the map and send it out to certain areas. The size is perfect. It’s durable. It maneuvers Easily under beds and around furniture. The self emptying future is also very useful. I’ve owned this for a little over a month and cannot even imagine life without it!
MrsBooch –
Love it
This is a cleaner you would have to get. Does a very nice job of cleaning carpets and wood floors.
Amazon Customer –
15 months and the parts to fix it cost more than I originally paid for it!
I guess hair burned up one of the wheel motors…seems to be a design flaw because we cleaned it regularly and a vacuum should be designed to pick up hair. I guess we aren’t the only ones to have this issue either. $600 to repair it, 3 months after the warranty runs out. I don’t think I would want to repair or replace it. Worked good while it lasted, but costs way too much to throw away just after one year of use!
K.B. –
Good for light jobs
Had it for almost 2 yrs, stopped using foe the last few months because it doesn’t feel worth the maintenance. My house is ancient, in the country, leading to super dusty floors. I also have a cat, a Shephard mutt, and a rough coat Saint Bernard….. this little vacuum does well to pick up dust and hair, but it cant handle the long Saint hai or dust. The filter and roll bar have to be cleaned/replaced very often. I also have to frequently unclog it. It allows itself to become overfill before it returns to rhe tank meaning I have to manually empty it anyway. I’m sure this would be great for people with no pets.