Whenever a new robot vacuum from another company comes out, it almost always gets compared with iRobot’s Roomba. Roombas have set the standards when it comes to robot vacuums and they will somehow be the yardstick that other robot vacuums must measure up to.
The Shark Ion Robot 750 is a recent entry in the robot vacuum cleaner space while the Roomba 890 is one of the Wi-Fi connected Roombas launched in recent months. How do these two compare with each other?
Bottom Line Up Front: Here’s my high level take if you want a quick decision…
Roomba 890: If you have high pile carpets, the Roomba 890 is a much better option available here for 30% off right now. That’s a record discount on the 890.
Shark ION 750: ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL, go with the normally cheaper Shark ION 750 here. It’s close to the “Roomba-killer” we’ve been waiting for. UPDATE 11/17/18: The Shark 750 was recently dropped to 42% off at this listing! This basically makes it half the price of the 890. Hard to argue with at least trying the 750 first…
Check out how Roomba compares to Shark ION here!
Main Differences Between Shark Ion Robot 750 vs Roomba 890
The Main Differences Between Shark Ion Robot 750 vs Roomba 890 are:
- Shark Ion Robot 750 comes with two side brushes, whereas Roomba 890 has a full bin indicator.
- Shark Ion Robot 750 has a boundary magnetic strip, whereas Roomba 890 comes with a dual-mode virtual wall barrier
- Shark Ion Robot 750 has a HEPA filter, whereas Roomba 890 comes with the AeroForce High-Efficiency Filter.
- Shark Ion Robot 750 navigates with a Smart Sensor System, whereas Roomba 890 uses the iAdapt Navigation Technology.
Price and design
The Roomba 890 is available from the iRobot online store for $ 500. Like most Roombas, it has a circular puck look measuring 13.9 inches in diameter and 3.6 inches in height. This allows the Roomba 890 to cover more of your floors in a single pass, while also fitting under most furniture and cleaning underneath it.
The Shark Ion Robot 750 also has a circular form, but it is shorter and smaller than the Roomba 890, measuring 12.6 inches in diameter and only 2.6 inches in height. It would take more passes for the Shark Robot 750 to cover the same floor area as the Roomba 890, but it can get under more furniture.
The Roomba 890
That being said, the designs of both robot vacuums are also quite similar. The Roomba 890 uses a black and brown color combination, with the singular CLEAN button at the middle. Meanwhile, the Shark Ion Robot 750 has a silver gray color, with black trims and center and metallic accents.
It has three physical buttons at the top and has a smoother look with silhouettes being used in the design, as opposed to the Roomba 890’s clean and solid look.
Read here my full Roomba 890 review!
The Shark Ion Robot 750
Smart and connected
Both the Roomba 890 and the Shark Ion Robot 750 connect to your Wi-Fi network and may be accessed using a mobile smartphone app. You can start or pause a cleaning session using their mobile apps, and even create schedules for both robot vacuums.
The mobile apps also give you tips and tricks on how to troubleshoot any problems, along with tips on how to get the most out of your robot vacuum. Both mobile apps also send notifications from your robot vacuum and allow you to remotely control (a smart WiFi integrated remote control) the robots even when you are away from home.
Navigation technology
The Roomba 890 has optical and acoustic sensors that allow it to find dirtier areas so that it could concentrate on cleaning that part. These sensors also help the Roomba 890 avoid any obstacles, avoid falling down stairs and make sure that it does not bump into walls.
The iAdapt navigation helps the Roomba 890 move around the room and ensures full coverage. The sensors will also detect if the robot vacuum is on a carpet, on a tiled floor, or a hardwood floors, and then automatically adjust its cleaning.
This means that you can be sure that your floors get an efficient clean, no matter what the floor type is.
The Shark Ion Robot 750 also has similar sensors that guide it to where it should go and help it avoid obstacles. Relying on its smart sensor technology, the Shark Ion Robot 750 also stays away from stairs while also pinpointing the dirtier parts of your floor.
Vacuuming and cleaning technology
Both robot vacuums follow a three-stage cleaning process. The Roomba 890’s Aeroforce technology uses the debris extractor and a side brush to agitate, loosen, and sweep dirt, dust, and hair so that the powerful suction could pick them up and send them to the dust bin.
Aeroforce suction is rated to be five times stronger than the suction found in earlier Roombas. The 890 also uses Aeroforce high-efficiency filter that can trap dust particles 10 microns or bigger, effectively trapping 99% of these airborne particles and keeping them circulating back into the air.
The Shark Ion Robot 750, meanwhile, has a main brushroll that takes up almost the entire length of its diameter. The main brushroll measures 11 inches wide and picks up all the hair, dust, and debris that it comes in contact with. The self-cleaning brush is also less of a hassle to maintain.
In addition to the main brushroll, the robot vacuum also has a pair of side brushes that can take care of the wall edges and corners, effectively making up for the robot vacuum’s round shape.
The Shark Ion Robot 750 uses HEPA filters, which can trap smaller particles that are 0.3 microns in size. That means that the filter you see inside the Shark Robot is able to trap 99.7% of all airborne dirt and dust.
One caveat about the Shark Ion Robot 750, however, is that it cannot handle high pile carpets.
Read here my full review of the Shark Ion Robot 750!
Lithium-ion battery
Both the Shark Ion Robot 750 and the Roomba 890 have lithium ion batteries that give you a one-hour running time on a single full charge. Lithium ion batteries are also more durable and longer-lasting.
However, it takes longer to fully charge the Shark Ion Robot 750, needing three hours for a full charge. The Roomba 890 only needs two hours.
Speaking of charging, both the Roomba 890 and the Shark Ion Robot 750 are able to find their way back to their charging docks in order to recharge when their battery juice runs low.
Once their batteries are fully charged, you would need to manually resume the cleaning because both robot vacuums do not automatically resume an interrupted cleaning session.
Spot clean
Both robot vacuums offer a spot cleaning mode, wherein they go in a spiral to concentrate on cleaning a small area.
Voice command
Both the Shark Ion Robot 750 and the Roomba 890 support voice control commands. If you have an Amazon Alexa speaker or Google Assistant, you can just your robot vacuum to start cleaning or to go back to its docking station.
Full bin indicator
When the dustbin becomes full, the Roomba 890 will let you know. This will preclude you from having to guess if you need to empty the dust bin or not. This feature is not found on the Shark Ion Robot 750, wherein you are expected to empty the dustbin after each cleaning run.
It is very easy to take out the dust bin on the Shark Robot; just detach the bin from the side and throw away the dirt and dust.
Boundaries
Both the Shark Robot 750 and the Roomba 890 have different ways of staying within a particular room or staying out of specific areas.
The Roomba 890 comes with a dual mode virtual wall barrier that can block off an entire doorway. You simply turn it on and the IR beams will prevent the Roomba from crossing.
You can also use this device as a virtual wall halo that will protect an area within the room itself. For instance, if you have a priceless vase or if you have dog food bowls inside the room, you can use the virtual wall halo so that the Roomba 890 does not even get near these objects.
If you have low-clearance furniture where the Roomba 890 always get stuck under, you can also use the dual mode virtual wall barrier to ensure that the robot vacuum no longer cleans underneath it.
The Shark Ion Robot 750, on the other hand, has the boundary magnetic strip, which does the same things as the Roomba’s virtual wall device, but looks less elegant and requires more work.
Instead of a device that emits invisible beams, you will rely on a tape-like strip that you would need to cut and stick on the floor in order to keep your robot vacuum from crossing over.
Want to see how the Shark Ion Robot 750 compares to other robotic vacuums? Read here my full comparison of the Shark Ion Robot 750 vs. The Roomba 980.
What’s in the box
The Shark Robot 750 includes:
- 2 side brushes
- HEPA filter
- Lithium-ion battery
- Charging dock
- 9 feet of Botboundary strip
- 2 Botboundary connectors
- Cleaning tool
Meanwhile, the Roomba 890 includes:
- Home base charging station
- Line cord
- Dual mode virtual wall barrier with 2 AA batteries
- Extra filter
- Owner’s guide
- Documentation package
Side by side comparison: Shark Ion Robot 750 vs Roomba 890
Let us make the comparison easier for you with this table:
| Shark Ion Robot 750 |
Roomba 890 | |
| Retail List Price | (For the latest prices and discounts, check here) | (For the latest prices and discounts, check here) |
| Shape | Round | Round |
| Dimensions (W x L x H, inches) | 12.6 x 12.6 x 2.6 | 13.9 x 13.9 x 3.6 |
| Weight | 5.5 | 8.4 |
| Connects to your Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Navigation | Smart Sensor | iAdapt navigation |
| Scheduling | Yes | Yes |
| Spot clean | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Life / Running time (minutes) | 60 | 60 |
| Charging time | 180 | 120 |
| Side brush | 2 | 1 |
| Auto recharge | Yes | Yes |
| Full bin indicator | No | Yes |
| Entire level cleaning | No | No |
| Brush type | Main brush roll | Debris extractor |
| Filter type | HEPA | Aeroforce high efficiency filter |
| Control Panel on robot | Yes | Yes |
| Navigation control | Botboundary Strips | Dual mode virtual wall barrier |
| Remote control | Yes | Yes |
| Lithium ion battery | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Amazon Alexa | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Google Home | Yes | Yes |
Frequently Asked Questions:
The Roomba 890 can learn the map of your house thanks to its iAdapt Navigations and mapping technology. Plus, it comes with a camera that can prevent the unit from crashing into obstacles.
With the Roomba 890, you won’t have to worry about checking on your robot’s battery. The unit will return to the base when the juice is running low and automatically recharge itself.
The time it takes to the Shark Ion Robot to clean your house depends on the size of the room, but generally, it can take about 3 hours to complete a finish mission and go back to the charging deck.
So What? – The Shark Ion Robot 750 or the Roomba 890?
It is interesting to compare these two robot vacuums. The Roomba 890 comes from the leader in the robot vacuum space, while the Shark Ion Robot 750 comes from the company that is known in the upright vacuum space. Now for the difficult part, which one should you buy?
If you are looking to save money and still get a very capable robot vacuum, then get a Shark Ion Robot 750. This robot vacuum uses a better filter and two side brushes, while offering roughly the same baseline features as the more expensive Roomba 890.
Price Conscious? Lots of Carpets? In fact, if you do not have high-pile carpets or area rugs with carpet fringe at home, then you should probably get the Shark Ion Robot 750 here.
However, price aside, I do have an overall preference here…
For the Best Overall Performance (particularly for pet hair – superior debris extractor): If you are looking for the better-performing robot vacuum, then there is no question about it, go for the Roomba 890 here. The Roomba 890 can keep your floors really clean and it has a more reliable cleaning pattern than the Shark Ion Robot 750.
How does the Roomba 890 compare to other robotic vacuums?
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