Is a robot vacuum really worth it? This one changed my mind

Shark Thermacharged Powerdetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum: was £949 now £549 at Shark UK

The only thing better than finding a robot vacuum that I genuinely love is seeing a £400 discount on it too. It's limited for while stocks last and also for the Black Friday period, so don't hang around.

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You’ll have noticed this we don’t have many robot vacuum reviews on the site. It’s not an accident and it’s not through lack of testing. It’s because, up until now, I haven't quite been convinced by one. And now, we've hit a milestone. I’ve finally found a robot vacuum that I want to keep in my home: the Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum.

Famous for making some of the best vacuums, both cordless and corded, the brand will solve problems you probably didn’t realise you had. Their designs actually get me excited about cleaning, but none more than the Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum.

Formally known in my house as "Clean Elizabeth", the Shark PowerDetect ThermoCharged Robot Vacuum, has been mopping and vacuuming the floors for a month now. A family staunchly against gizmos and gadgets for the sake of it, we’re all in love. And I think it’ll swing even the most skeptical cleaner over to the side of robot vacuums too. Here’s everything you need to know before you buy a robot vacuum and why.

Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum review

Who would the Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum suit?

Robot vacuums are brilliant for taking care of the everyday cleaning you don’t want to think about. Set a schedule and it will quietly roam your home, collecting crumbs, pet hair, dust and general debris while life carries on around it. The Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum goes a step further, offering premium touches such as a mop function, a self-cleaning station, and smart detection technology that ensures it’s actually cleaning, not dragging dirt across your floors.

In many ways, it’s a vacuum that removes the admin of vacuuming altogether. The mopping system uses a dedicated cleaning fluid for a fresher finish, and even the dustbin contains a scented cartridge to keep the whole process as pleasant as possible.

Like all robot vacuums, it performs best in dedicated rooms or single-level homes. However, the Shark stood out in testing for its ability to navigate thresholds, rugs and changing floor types, even in my slightly quirky, older property. It’s particularly well suited to pet owners, busy families and anyone who wants consistently clean floors without the daily effort.

Unboxing theShark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum

Shark is really good with their packaging. whilst the box that the Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum comes in is both big and heavy, it’s not through lack of trying to keep things condensed. In fact, I don’t think Shark could have made things much more compact, added to that, they’re also all recyclable, which gets a big tick from me. It’s incredibly rare for a robot vacuum to come without a lot of extra plastics, so I’m very impressed.

Inside the box, Shark sends a really clear, quick start guide, which shows you how to get cleaning right away. They send a fluid for your mop water, an odour-neutralising cartridge for the bin, and then keep other accessories to a minimum. This means that all you really have is your vacuum, with its mop pad, a guide for getting your vacuum to its home, and the home. All in all, it’s a very neat set-up.

What is the Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum like to use?

On top of the Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum, you’ll find a set of glowing icons that guide you through setup. First, place the vacuum in its base and let it charge to at least 80%. Mine took around half an hour. Once powered up, you can control it using the on-board buttons or via the app.

If the thought of downloading yet another app fills you with dread, a robot vacuum may not be for you. I’m usually quite lax about setting up appliance apps, but with a robot vacuum, it genuinely makes all the difference. While you can trigger spot cleans or mops using the controls on the unit, the real convenience - scheduling, mapping, no-go zones, maintenance reminders - lives in the app.

Mapping and navigation

After charging, I connected the Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum to the app, which took seconds. It immediately requested permission to map my floors, so I let it embark on its reconnaissance mission. My open-plan room is triangular, full of quirks and awkward angles, so I wasn’t surprised that it took around 90 minutes. During that time, the Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum vacuumed, emptied its bin twice, and generally familiarised itself with the space.

I was itching to get into the map and start assigning no-go zones and carpet-only areas, but the navigation performance kept me patiently watching. The Shark manoeuvred confidently under sofas, through chair legs, around the kitchen island, and over some fairly unforgiving thresholds - even near the stairs. There were several moments where I braced myself, but it never collided, toppled, or got stuck.

Vacuuming performance

Once mapped, I set up controlled tests. I scattered flour, granola, and hair extensions across both hard and soft flooring. Unlike a handheld vacuum, a robot doesn’t immediately seek out dirt. It follows its pattern and happens upon the mess. Even so, the Shark usually needed only one, two, and occasionally three passes to clear everything. Flour was lightly tracked and some granola was nudged around, but it still collected the debris quickly and efficiently. Hair didn’t tangle the rollers, nor did the vacuum complain when faced with heavier loads.

Mopping performance

Mopping was equally impressive. I marked out carpets and no-mop zones in the app, hit go, and let the Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum work. Sensibly, it vacuums before mopping, then dampens the floor using its dedicated cleaning solution. I’m both horrified and delighted to report that the dirty water it returned was grey. Clearly my floors needed the help. The fireplace tiles, previously dull, were sparkling, and the whole room smelled fresh rather than artificially scented.

Everyday use

In daily life, the Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum has become something of a family favourite. It runs quietly on a scheduled clean, quiet enough for work calls and formal conversations. The Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum keeps the house noticeably tidier without any intervention. Our staircase edges, awkward island overhang and low radiators now look better than they ever have, thanks to the small side brush.

The base station does need to sit on hard flooring rather than carpet, but once placed, the system feels incredibly self-sufficient. Our skirting boards remain pristine, no rugs have been accidentally mopped, and the Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum confidently minds its own business. It even announces what it’s doing: heading home, emptying, starting a clean. It is unexpectedly charming.

My poor Dyson hasn’t seen much action lately, and frankly, I'm not missing the task.

Cleaning the Shark PowerDetect ThermoCharged Robot Vacuum

As is the theme of the Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum, this is a very independent cleaner. It takes itself to the base station to top up the mop, empty its bin, and generally keep itself in good shape. Slotted into the base station, the dirty and clean water is kept separate and can be easily removed and emptied. Similarly, the bin is bagged and easy to lift out and pop in the bin.

You can see in the image above that I've lifted off the mop from the bottom of the Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum to clean the filter and all the different elements. I'd recommend running through this every week and generally keeping an eye on the base station. The app will keep you updated though, don't worry.

Should you buy the Shark PowerDetect ThermoCharged Robot Vacuum?

In the past, when people asked me "is a robot vacuum really worth it?" I've been hesitant about recommending one wholeheartedly. The Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum has changed the game. This is hands-free cleaning at its finest. I'm tough to convert, but the Shark really has done it.