Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop with NeverTouch Pro Base review – low-maintenance cleaning with a friendly price tag

If you have a mixture of carpet and hard floors in your home, chances are that you have to vacuum and mop on a regular basis – but what if there was a gadget that could take care of both chores for you?

Robot vacuum-mop combos have become popular in recent years, and the latest models are more self-sufficient than ever. They have self-emptying bases that can also refill, clean and dry their own mop pads. The downside, however, is that these high-tech machines are quite pricey, often costing more than $1,000. So when I saw that Shark recently released a 2-in-1 vacuum robot and mop at a more reasonable price point, I knew I wanted to try it out.

I tested the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop with NeverTouch Pro Base for two weeks in my multi-pet home. Here’s how it performed in terms of vacuuming, mopping, and overall maintenance, to find out if it’s worth your money as one of the best robot vacuums.

Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 with NeverTouch Pro Base: Specifications

Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 with NeverTouch Pro Base: Unboxing and setup

This Shark robot vacuum-mop combo is easy to set up. Once you remove all the packaging, it’s just a matter of plugging in the base and setting the robot in place to charge. Within an hour or so, it had enough power for me to begin its mapping run, which you have to do before robot will clean.

The Shark app will prompt you to start a mapping sequence, and it tells you how best to prepare your home — make sure doors are open, power cords are tucked away, floors are relatively obstacle-free, etc. The initial mapping run uses a camera on the front of the robot, so it goes pretty quickly and creates a rough outline of your home.

Once it’s completed, you’re able to label rooms and create 'no-go' areas that the robot will avoid. For instance, I made my home office a 'no-go' area, as the floor is always a mess and I know the robot would probably get stuck in there.

Once the map is complete, the app prompts you to do a 'carpet detection' run, which allows the robot to avoid rugs while mopping. The robot actually vacuums the floors while doing this step, which I didn’t expect, so it takes a lot longer than the initial mapping run. I ended up cancelling it and having it finish another time when I was going to be home.

The final step in the setup process is to fill the base’s water tank. It has a handle that makes it easy to lift and carry to the sink and easy to fill up. One thing I did find confusing is that the robot comes with a jar of cleaning solution, but there are no directions that tell you how much to put in or if it’s supposed to go in the tank at all. I looked through the app’s FAQs and product manual but couldn’t find any guidance on how much to use.

After that’s all done, you can set up schedules for vacuuming and mopping. The app allows you to schedule up to two cleanings per day, and you can select specific rooms to clean, as well as whether you want the robot to vacuum or mop. I did find it a bit frustrating that the vacuum and mop setting is only available for whole-home cleaning. I would have liked the option to run both cleaning cycles in just one or two rooms. Ultimately, I scheduled the robot to vacuum on certain days and mop on others.

This is where more expensive vacuums such as the eufy Omni Pro S1 and X10, both of which H&G has reviewed and loved, come out on top. The AI tech in both and the accompanying app can setup a Smart cleaning schedule for you, or you can dictate which room it vacuums or mops (it auto detects carpet vs hard floors). You can also easily customize your cleaning cycles to particular rooms, whole floors or a particular zone you draw on the map. The S1 also auto-detects spills when mopping and concentrate its cleaning on that area.

Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 with NeverTouch Pro Base: Design and features

Shark has offered previous robot vacuums with mopping abilities, but there are a few features that are new to the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop. Perhaps the biggest update is its NeverTouch Pro Base, which minimizes the amount of maintenance you have to do manually and how often you have to clean your robot vacuum.

Not only does the base hold up to 60 days worth of debris in a two-liter tank, it also has integrated clean and dirty water tanks. It’s able to automatically fill up the vacuum’s on-board mopping tank, and it also washes and dries the mopping pad after use. This means it can start a mopping run all on its own with no manual intervention required, and prevents the build-up of bacteria, mold and mildew that cause bad smells on mopping pads.

Another key feature is this robot’s PowerDetect sensors, which are able to detect dirt and stains. The robot is able to optimize cleaning in these areas, increasing suction power or going over the debris again for a deeper clean. It’s also equipped with advanced edge cleaning technology that uses a burst of air to get debris away from walls for a more thorough clean.

Finally, this vacuum-mop combo has new 'NeverStuck Technology' that helps it detect and avoid obstacles, as well as lift itself over thresholds and raise its mopping pad to avoid getting rugs wet while cleaning.

What is the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 like to use?

To test the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop, I used it to clean the downstairs level of my home for several weeks. I scheduled the robot to vacuum three days a week and mop once, and I had it run early in the morning so it wouldn’t disturb me during the day. The vacuum is quite noisy during operatio, around 62-65 decibels (the volume of laughter and similar to other robot vacuums we've tested), and even more so when it’s emptying its dust bin or cleaning its mop pad. It also emits a low hum for several hours while it’s drying the mop.

While I generally let the robot clean on its pre-programmed schedule, you can also start a clean through the Shark app at any time. You’re able to choose a whole-home clean, specific rooms, or just a spot clean, and you can select whether you want the unit to vacuum or mop the floors. When it’s just vacuuming, the robot actually leaves its mopping module on the base, which I thought was an interesting touch and clever, to avoid the mop getting dusty or covered in debris.

The eufy Omni Pro S1 on the other hand leaves its mophead on the robot even when vacuuming, but lifts it up and away so no debris can get caught on it.

This Shark robot just under two hours to vacuum all the rooms in the downstairs of my home, which is a little over 600 square feet. For comparison, the eufy Omni Pro S1, which we rated 5 out of 5 stars, completed a 500 square foot vacuum (and a mop of third of the space) in 30 minutes.

Nevertheless, I was impressed that the Shark unit was able to easily climb over the thresholds between rooms, as they’re quite high and have been a problem for other robot vacuums I've tested. The robot’s NeverStuck technology also proved to be quite effective as the vacuum never got stuck on any obstacles throughout the course of testing, even when there were dog toys or stray socks on the floor.

Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 with NeverTouch Pro Base: Vacuuming tests

In addition to using the robot for everyday cleaning, I also put it through a series of tests to see how it would fare against different types of debris.

To test the Shark’s vacuuming ability on carpeting, I spread out coffee grounds, uncooked rice, pet hair, and a few puffs of fiberfill from a stuffed toy that my dogs had recently ripped open. Using the Shark app, I directed the vacuum to clean just that room. It sucked up the vast majority of the uncooked rice and all the puffs of fiberfill, but it didn’t fare quite as well with the coffee grounds. I would estimate that it picked up around 80% of the coffee, but there was still a noticeable amount left on the low-pile rug.

Additionally, while it managed to pick up the majority of the dog hair, a lot of the strands ended up wrapped around the vacuum’s brushroll. As someone with two long-haired dogs, this was a major downside for me, as I’d likely need to clean off the brushroll at least once a week to keep the vacuum working properly. For this reason it might not be the best robot vacuum for pet hair. The eufy Pro Ombi S1 on the other hand has a rubber brushroll, free from bristles, which meant over months of testing no hair, human, pet or faux got tangled in it.

I ran the same tests when cleaning hardwood floors in my home, and I also spread a few teaspoons of coffee around along the edge of the wall to test the robot’s edge-cleaning abilities. The vacuum performed better on the hard floors, picking up the majority of all the debris. There were a few stray pieces of rice and a spattering of coffee grounds, but the vacuum was able to pick up more than 95% of everything I spread around the floor.

However, I was disappointed in its edge-cleaning abilities, especially since that’s one of the key features advertised on this model. Only around 50% of the coffee grounds along the edge of the wall were vacuumed up, and the rest was just spread around the area.

Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 with NeverTouch Pro Base: Mopping tests

I also tested out the unit’s mopping abilities on my hardwood floors. The mopping pad is made from microfiber and moves in a back-and-forth scrubbing motion to help remove dirt from the floor. It’s also able to swing out from under the vacuum to get closer along the edges of walls. However, I think it’s worth noting that, unlike more expensive robot mops, this model doesn’t suck up the dirty water as it cleans.

To assess this unit’s mopping abilities, I created a few stains on my floors. I let some mud dry into a caked-on mess, and I also spread a few tablespoons of ketchup on the floor. Using the Shark app, I directed the robot to spot-clean the area, and it went to work scrubbing at the stains.

I was impressed by the robot’s stain-detection abilities—as soon as it drove over one of the stains, it would immediately stop and go back over the area, rotating in circles to ensure every inch was scrubbed thoroughly. It made several passes over both stains, and when it was satisfied that the marks were gone, it did one final pass over the whole space. When all was said and done, there was no dirt or ketchup left on the floor. Impressive!

Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 with NeverTouch Pro Base: Cleaning and maintenance

One of the best things about this vacuum is that there’s no daily maintenance needed. You don’t have to empty its dust bin or fill up its mop with water—the NeverTouch Pro Base takes care of all that for you.

Over the two weeks that I tested this robot, the only thing I had to do was cut hair off its brushroll, but you may not have this issue if you don’t have pets. You will eventually need to empty the base’s dust bin, empty the dirty water tank, and refill its clean water, but the brand says these chores generally only need to be done once a month. On a day-to-day basis, the robot is truly hands-off to operate.

There are a few long-term maintenance tasks that you’ll want to keep in mind, though. The instruction manual suggests cleaning the base ramp and replacing the mop pad every three months (a few replacements are included with the robot). You may also occasionally need to clean off the unit’s dirt detection sensors or the base charging contacts—all of which is explained in the manual.

How does the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 compare?

Most robot vacuum brands offer models with both vacuuming and mopping abilities, and one of our favorite options is the eufy Omni S1 Pro, which also has an all-in-one base that requires little to no maintenance. This robot vacuum-mop delivers a more thorough clean than the Shark PowerDetect, and it has a unique spinning mopping bar that’s really effective on tough stains. It also cleans the mopping bar as it works, ensuring dirt doesn’t get spread around your floors. However, the main downside of this model is its price point—it retails for $1,499 at full price, making it more than double the price of the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1.

The iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ is another top-performer that we’ve tested, still with a hefty price point of $1,199. It’s highly efficient at both vacuuming and mopping—it performs particularly well on pet hair—but it's not as self-sufficient as the Shark or eufy. It’s able to fill its own on-board water tank, but it doesn’t clean or dry its mopping pad, so you’ll need to do that manually after each mopping cycle.

Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 with NeverTouch Pro Base: Verdict

If you’re in the market for a robot vacuum and mop and want one that’s low-maintenance, the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop with NeverTouch Pro Base is one of the more affordable options out there today. It’s fully self-sufficient, maintaining its own mopping pad and vacuum with virtually no manual intervention, and I was quite impressed by its thorough mopping abilities—it was able to completely remove tough stains from hardwood floors. Plus, it navigated around my house flawlessly, avoiding all sorts of obstacles and climbing over tall thresholds.

However, this vacuum-mop combo does have some shortcomings to note. For me, the biggest downside is that its brushroll quickly gets tangled with long hair, so it may not be the best option for households with pets. The vacuum also doesn’t do a good job cleaning along the edges of rooms, and it’s quite a bit noisier than other robot vacuums, both while cleaning and doing maintenance at its base.

Not for you? Learn how to choose a robot vacuum cleaner to find a better suited model.