Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 RV2610WA Robot Vacuum & Mop Review
IS THE SHARK MATRIX PLUS 2-IN-2 RV2610WA WORTH IT?
✓ Why Dad Likes It
LiDAR navigation
Bagless auto-empty bin
Mop pad is built in (no swapping dustbins on newer units)
Fine as a vacuum-only robot for a small space
− What To Know
No carpet sensor — you tell the app where carpet is, then sit through verification runs
Flat mop pad just drags; you clean the pad yourself; dock doesn't wash it
Mediocre vacuuming; old app; single roller wraps hair; bagless filters messy
BOTTOM LINE: Is the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 RV2610WA Robot Vacuum & Mop Just a Dad Approved?
It IS NOT Just A Dad Approved — this one is a hard Skip It. The Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 RV2610WA is an older robot the category has advanced far past. The fatal flaw: no carpet sensor. After mapping your home — with a map that isn't very accurate — you manually mark every carpet area in the app, then sit through a verification run. If it's off, you start over. Add a flat mop pad that just drags, a dock that won't wash it, mediocre vacuuming, and an old app, and it lands at a 5.5. Don't buy it.
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🏆3-Month Real World Test Score5.5/10
Hassle Free
4/10
Mop Performance
5/10
Carpet Cleaning
6.5/10
Hair Tangle Test
6/10
Obstacle Avoidance/ Clutter Test
6/10
Score Summary5.5
Real World Testing Results
🐾
HAIR & PET TEST
The single brush roller with a small comb gets some hair tangles — okay, not great.
💧
MOPPING TEST
Flat mop pad just drags, no carpet sensor, and you clean the pad yourself.
⚠️
OBSTACLE / CLUTTER TEST
LiDAR avoids taller objects — anything under 3 inches can get run over.
⚙️
MAINTENANCE REALITY
Bagless auto-empty, but dock won't wash the mop pad — filters are messy to clean.
Product Specifications
Full Technical Breakdown
Robot
Model
Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 RV2610WA
Price
Budget
Suction Power
N/A
Mop Type
Flat mop pad — drags only; you clean the pad yourself
Side Brush
Basic — 1 brush
Main Brush
Single brush roller with comb (older Shark design)
Water Tank On Board
Yes
Video Camera
No
Obstacle Avoidance
Fail/okay — only catches objects tall enough to hit LiDAR
Threshold
No
Chassis Lift
No
Dock
Dock Type
Self-empty only — NO mop-pad wash; bagless, filters messy to clean
Who Is It For?
Buyer Fit
Buy It If
You want a bagless vacuum-only robot
You're shopping a small home
You don't mind an older robot with an older app
It's on sale at a good discount
Skip It If
You want a modern, fast, feature-rich app
You need mopping — this is vacuum-only
You want deep carpet cleaning
You don't want to clean two messy dock filters
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This is an older robot that, frankly, Shark should just stop making — robots have advanced so much since this was a good one. They sell it as a robot that can vacuum and mop your house at the same time, and while that's technically true, there's a tremendous amount of work on your part to get it to mop accurately. After three months of testing, it's a Skip It at 5.5 out of 10, one of the lowest in the group. (A quick note: the RV2610WA is the same robot as the AV2610WA — just a different color and SKU — so everything here applies to both.)
What's in the Box and First Setup
The dealbreaker shows up immediately, and it's the app. There's no carpet sensor on this robot, so once it maps your home you have to go into the app and tell it where all the carpet is — and the map isn't super accurate or detailed, which makes that hard. Then the robot goes out and runs a verification pass to confirm the carpet boundaries you drew. Here's the catch: you have to physically watch it trace the edge of where you placed the carpet, and if it's off by a little, you go back, wait for it to finish, move the carpet line in the app, and run a whole new verification. It's extremely frustrating, and it doesn't always work. That's why ease of use scored just a 4 out of 10.
Cleaning Performance: What It Actually Picks Up
Mopping
Mopping scored a 5. The mop pad is simply dragged along the floor, and you're responsible for cleaning the pad yourself — the dock won't do it. Combined with the carpet-marking hassle, the mopping experience just isn't what today's robots deliver.
Carpet and Pet Hair
Carpet cleaning scored a 6.5 and is mediocre. Hair tangle scored a 6 — it's got the older single brush roller with a small comb, so you'll get some tangles. Overall, vacuuming is mediocre at best.
Obstacle Avoidance
Obstacle avoidance scored a 6. It does okay if an object is tall enough — over about 3 inches — to register with the LiDAR; anything shorter can get run over.
The Dock and Maintenance
The base is bagless and self-empties, which is the one genuine convenience. But it does not wash the mop pad, and the bagless filters are messy to clean. On newer units the dustbin and water tank are built in, so at least you're not swapping a separate dustbin for a mop module the way you were on the earliest versions — but you still have to lift the robot to install the mop pad, and you still clean that pad by hand.
The App Experience
The Shark app is okay but old, and it lacks a lot of features. Its biggest failing here is the one that defines the robot: making you manually mark and verify carpet because the hardware has no carpet sensor.
What I'd Change About the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 RV2610WA
Add a carpet sensor — today's robots detect carpet and lift or avoid the pad automatically. This is the whole problem.
Have the dock wash the mop pad instead of leaving it to you.
Modernize the app and improve map accuracy and detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Buyer Questions
Is the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 (RV2610WA) worth buying?+
No — it's a hard Skip It. It's an older robot with no carpet sensor, so you have to manually mark carpet in the app and sit through frustrating verification runs to mop accurately. With a drag-only mop, a dock that won't wash the pad, mediocre vacuuming, and an old app, there are far better options today.
What's the difference between the RV2610WA and the AV2610WA?+
Nothing meaningful — they're the same robot in a different color and SKU. Everything in this review, including the scores and the Skip It verdict, applies to both.
Why does the lack of a carpet sensor matter so much?+
Because the robot can't detect carpet on its own, you have to go into the app after it maps your home and manually mark every carpet area, then watch a verification run trace those boundaries. If it's off, you redo it. Modern robots detect carpet automatically and lift or avoid the mop — this one makes it your job.
Can I just use it as a vacuum?+
That's the only way I would recommend it — as a vacuum-only robot for a small space, and only if it's very cheap. The mopping is the part that isn't up to today's standards.
What should I buy instead?+
For a Shark with a real carpet sensor and heated pad washing, step up to the PowerDetect ThermaCharged. For better all-around value, I recommend the Mova P10 Pro, which handles carpet automatically.
About Tom Shelton
Tom Shelton
Tom Shelton is the creator of Just A Dad Approved. He tests robot vacuums, home products, and everyday gear in real homes so shoppers can see what actually works before spending money.
