Shark AV2501S AI Ultra Robot Vacuum & Mop Review

3 Months of Real Use

Shark robot vacuums were excellent about two years ago — they were one of the first to come out with LiDAR navigation. The problem is they just haven’t kept improving. After three months with the AV2501S AI Ultra, the honest verdict is that it’s a perfectly basic vacuum that newer manufacturers have passed by on suction, noise, hassle factor, and app. It’s a Skip It for me unless you find it on an extreme discount.

What's in the Box and First Setup

Setup is straightforward, and the bagless self-empty base is the headline. One thing worth knowing up front: Shark sells what is essentially the same robot under a lot of different model numbers — they’ll swap a side brush, change the plastic color, or change the dustbin size, and it ends up being the same machine that cleans the same way. This AV2501S is the 30-day base version.

Cleaning Performance: What It Actually Picks Up

Hard Floor & Tile

On hard floors it does a passable job. Suction feels lower than current robots, and Shark doesn’t publish a Pa figure, so you’re going on feel — and the feel is mid.

Carpet and Pet Hair

The carpet is where the lower suction shows, and you hear a distinct mechanical noise when the brushroll is working a rug. Pet-hair pickup is only okay; there are pathway points inside the robot where hair tends to get stuck.

Mopping

There’s nothing to test here — this is a vacuum-only robot with no mop function.

Edge and Corner Cleaning

Edge work is average. The two side brushes sweep debris toward the path, but it won’t deep-clean tight corners.

Obstacle Avoidance

There’s no camera, so this is bump-and-LiDAR navigation rather than AI object recognition. It maps well, but it still knocks into furniture — the advertised obstacle avoidance didn’t hold up in testing.

The Dock and Maintenance

The bagless auto-empty base is the best part, and it does include a true HEPA filter in the base station, which I like. But here’s the catch: you’re left cleaning two foam filters that get extremely dirty. They’re reusable — you take them to the sink, wash them, and let them dry, which is nice for cost — but they get covered in really fine dirt and it’s a messy job. If you want something that’s not messy to deal with, this isn’t it. The robot’s own dustbin also doesn’t always empty into the dock, and the auto-empty cycle is loud.

The Shark App Experience

The SharkClean app is basic and hasn’t really changed in over two years. It does the essentials, but it lacks the modern features current robots include — and there’s no multi-floor mapping, so a two-story home means carrying the robot and base between levels.

What I'd Change About the Shark AV2501S AI Ultra

• App & suction — The SharkClean app hasn't changed in two years and lacks modern features; more suction power and published Pa specs are long overdue.
• Noise & filter mess — The brushroll makes a mechanical noise on carpet and the auto-empty is loud; cleaning the two foam filters is messy and needs a better solution.