SharkNinja’s Shark ION Robot has been touted as the Roomba killer. It was launched in the latter part of 2017 and currently has five different models available in the market. The two most notable models are the Shark ION Robot 720 and the Shark ION Robot 750.
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Shark ION Robot 720
Shark ION Robot 720 is a capable robot vacuum that can keep your floors clean in between sessions with an upright vacuum.
Some of the features of the Shark Ion robot 720 are:
- Sensor-based navigation technology. Shark Ion Robot 720 uses sensors to find its way around your room. It can efficiently clean low-pile carpets as well as bare floors. By using proximity sensors, the Shark ION 720 is able to detect walls, furniture, and other obstacles nearby, and therefore effectively avoid bumping into them. With a height of only 2.6 inches, the Shark Ion Robot 720 is able to get under most furniture and clean the floor underneath them. For really low-lying furniture, the robot vacuum can easily go around them.
- Anti-drop sensors. Additionally, the Shark Ion Robot 720 has anti-drop sensors, allowing it to detect if it gets near stairs and other steep drops. This will keep the robot vacuum from falling and sustaining damage.
- Three-stage cleaning system. The Shark Ion Robot 720 has a large main brush that helps to loosen up dirt and dust from your floors. The brush has a helix pattern and strong bristles, allowing it to pick up more hair, dirt, and debris. The good news is that the robot vacuum uses a self-cleaning brush that helps untangle and manage hair. This means that you maintain the brush roll less frequently and still get the best and most efficient clean. The main brush is complemented by two side brushes that extend the coverage of the robot vacuum. The side brushes spin to sweep in the dirt and dust from the wall edges and corners. All of the dirt that get dislodged by the main and side brushes are then sent into the dust bin by the Shark Ion 720’s powerful vacuum.
- HEPA filters. HEPA filters guard the dirt and dust that are sent into the dustbin and prevent these from getting back into the air you breathe. With other filters, some of the dirt and dust get re-circulated into the air, and those with asthma and allergies are often affected by these. The Shark Ion Robot 720 uses high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, one of the best filter types around. A HEPA filter can trap 99.97% of dust, dander, pollen, and other particles that are at least 0.3 microns small. The HEPA filter you find on the Shark ION 720 is even better than the filters you can find on Roombas, which can only trap 99% of particles that are as small as 10 microns.
- Remote control. The Shark Ion Robot 720 comes with a remote control that you can use for:
- Scheduling. With the remote control, you can schedule the Shark ION 720 to clean every day.
- Activating the spot cleaning mode.
- Manually docking the robot vacuum.
- Lithium ion battery. The Shark Ion Robot 720 uses a 14.8 volt 2600 mAh lithium ion battery that gives the robot vacuum a running time of 60 minutes. Once the battery runs low, the robot vacuum will find its own way back to the charging dock to recharge.
- Cleaning modes. The Shark ION Robot 720 moves in different directions when it starts cleaning. It automatically chooses the best path to give your floors a comprehensive clean. You can, however, invoke the spot cleaning mode if you want the robot vacuum to concentrate on a small area. In spot cleaning mode, the robot vacuum would go round and round a smaller area to make sure that it is thoroughly cleaned.
- Botboundary strips. When it comes to navigation control, the Shark ION Robot 720 uses the BotBoundary Strip included in the package. You would need to stretch the strip over doorways to keep the robot vacuum from crossing to another room. For instance, if you want to make sure that the Shark Ion 720 does not go into the playroom while your tot is playing, you can stick the Botboundary Strip across the playroom’s doorway.
- Manual docking. While the Shark ION Robot 720 can easily find its way back to the charging dock to recharge, you can also send the robot vacuum back to the dock just with a single button.
What could be better
The sensors you see on the Shark Ion Robot 720 assist the robot vacuum in finding its way around your room. But unlike Roomba’s dirt detect technology, which uses sensors to find the dirtier parts of your floor to give it a more thorough clean, Shark Ion Robot 720’s sensors do not help it detect dirtier areas.
The Shark ION Robot 720 is not Wi-Fi enabled, so you would need to rely on the remote control to create schedules for your robot vacuum. If you lose the remote control, there is no way to change or set cleaning schedules. You would need to pay $30 for a replacement remote control.
Moreover, the lithium ion battery delivers only an hour of cleaning time while taking three hours to charge fully.
Another negative thing with the Shark ION Robot 720 is that you really do not have that many cleaning modes to choose from. If you want to make sure that the wall edges or corners are thoroughly cleaned, there is no edge cleaning mode for you to use. You are stuck with the automatic mode, wherein the robot vacuum moves randomly, or the spot cleaning mode for cleaning a small circular area.
Also, you should consider that you need a lot of preparation time before you use your Shark ION Robot 720. You need to put away the toys and other small objects lying on the floor, and you have to make sure to move power cords and other obstructions out of the way. On top of that, you would need to put up the Botboundary Strips.
Shark ION Robot 750
The Shark ION Robot 750 is practically the same robot vacuum as the ION 720, except for two things. First is that the Shark ION 750 connects to your Wi-fi network, enabling you to set the robot vacuum’s cleaning schedules using your smartphone rather than relying on a separate remote control. You can also use voice commands to operate your robot vacuum with Amazon Alexa and get troubleshooting tips.
In short, the Shark ION 750 is much more convenient than the Shark ION 720, but you would pay $30 more for the ability to hook your robot vacuum up to your smartphone. What’s more, for people who are not so adept with technology, the Shark ION 720 is much simpler to use because you do not need to go through the Wi-Fi setup.
Side by side comparison: Shark ION Robot 720 vs. Shark ION Robot 750
| Model | Shark ION 750 | Shark ION 720 |
| Price | $379.99 | $349.99 |
| Dimensions (inches, d x h) | 12.6 x 2.6 | 12.6 x 2.6 |
| Weight (pounds) | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Smart Sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Main brush | Yes | Yes |
| Two side brushes | Yes | Yes |
| Three stage cleaning | Yes | Yes |
| HEPA filter | Yes | Yes |
| Full bin indicator | No | No |
| Scheduling | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic recharging | Yes | Yes |
| Lithium Ion battery | Yes | Yes |
| Running time (minutes) | 60 | 60 |
| Charging time (minutes) | 180 | 180 |
| Spot cleaning mode | Yes | Yes |
| Physical remote control | No | Yes |
| Wi-fi enabled | Yes | No |
| BotBoundary | Yes | Yes |
The Final Say
Both the Shark ION Robot 720 and the Shark ION 750 are very capable robots that come from a company that is known for its floor cleaning products and vacuum cleaners. For less than $400, these robot vacuums can help you with your everyday cleaning, and they come highly recommended. You can choose between the Wi-Fi connected Shark ION 750 or go with the physical remote control and $30 savings offered by Shark ION 720.