Shark AV2501AE AI Vacuum Cleaner with Self-Emptying Base: In-Depth Review and Customer Opinions

The Shark AV2501AE AI Robot Vacuum with Self-Empty Base is one of Shark's latest and most advanced robotic vacuum cleaners. This model comes with a self-emptying base for hands-free cleaning for up to 60 days.

The AV2501AE features Shark's mapping technology and AI navigation which allows the robot to learn the layout of your home and clean more efficiently room by room. With powerful suction and self-cleaning brushes, this vacuum is designed to deliver a deep clean on carpets and hard floors.

Other highlights include Alexa and Google Assistant voice control, scheduling options, an XL dust bin, and a bagless self-empty base. Overall, the Shark AV2501AE is a high-end robotic vacuum packed with smart cleaning features and advanced navigation.

Design

The Shark AV2501AE has an attractive, modern design with a circular shape and sleek black and silver finish. It measures 13.4 inches in diameter and 3.6 inches tall, making it low enough to easily clean under furniture. The robot weighs a lightweight 7.28 pounds, so it can be carried between floors.

The top features a large round button for starting and stopping cleaning cycles. There are also indicators for WiFi connectivity, error codes, and battery level. Sensors are located along the front bumper and underside to detect obstacles and edges.

Overall, the Shark AV2501AE has a nicely compact and portable design suited for home use. Its low profile allows it to access tight spaces while the modest weight makes it easy to transport and carry. The simple control button and indicator lights add convenience without cluttering the minimalist aesthetic.

The Shark AV2501AE has a very sleek and modern design that looks great in any home. The circular shape allows it to easily maneuver around furniture legs and into tight spaces. While it has a compact footprint, the low profile does not limit its cleaning capabilities. This vacuum can reach under beds, sofas, and other low furniture with ease.

One of the benefits of the Shark AV2501AE's small size and light weight is portability. Weighing only 7 pounds, it can be carried upstairs or downstairs with minimal effort. The modest dimensions make storage simple as well - it tucks neatly into closets or other out-of-the-way spots when not in use.

While the Shark AV2501AE focuses on delivering convenient cordless cleaning, other Shark models offer advanced features like self-emptying dust bins. The Shark RV912S includes a bagless base that holds up to 30 days of debris, removing the need to manually empty after each use.

This self-emptying capability makes the RV912S very low maintenance. It can hold nearly a month's worth of dust and dirt before requiring any effort from the owner. This allows busy households to essentially "set it and forget it" when it comes to keeping floors clear of debris.

In addition to the self-emptying base, the Shark RV912S has a larger dust bin in the vacuum itself compared to the AV2501AE. This further reduces the frequency of having to manually empty out accumulated debris. The RV912S is designed to need minimal oversight to deliver effective daily cleaning.

While the AV2501AE has a more portable and space-saving design, the RV912S trades off some compactness for extra convenience and automation. The self-emptying base eliminates the need to frequently stop vacuuming to clear out a full dust bin. So homeowners who want to spend less time managing their vacuum may prefer the RV912S over the more streamlined AV2501AE.

Features

The Shark AV2501AE AI comes packed with features to make cleaning your floors effortless.

Advanced Mapping and Navigation

The robot utilizes advanced mapping technology to intelligently navigate your home. It methodically maps your rooms, corridors, and furniture layout to clean efficiently in neat rows. The bot builds a persistent map of your home so it knows where it has already cleaned.

Self-Empty Base

This Shark vacuum empties itself for up to 60 days. After cleaning, it returns to the base station to empty its dust bin so you don't have to. The extra-large disposable bag holds up to 30 days of debris.

Powerful Suction

With strong suction power of up to 22 air watts, this robot lifts dirt, dust, and debris from carpets and hard floors for a deep clean. The brushroll effectively sweeps up pet hair. The amarey A90 Plus is another great robot vacuum option with self-emptying. It has a large 0.7L dust bin and 4000Pa strong suction power. The vacuum can run for up to 180 minutes on a full charge. It has an advanced navigation system using LiDAR and multi-sensor technology to map your home and clean efficiently. The A90 Plus works great on carpets and hard floors, picking up dirt, dust, pet hair, and large debris. It avoids obstacles and drop-offs for hassle-free cleaning. With smart app connectivity, you can schedule and monitor cleaning from anywhere.

App Connectivity

You can control and schedule cleaning via the SharkClean app. Start, stop, or schedule whole home or targeted room cleaning. The app also provides a map of where your robot has cleaned. The amarey A90 Plus also has app connectivity for scheduling, monitoring cleaning, customizing suction power, and more. You can also use Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands to control the robot vacuum. Advanced mapping allows you to label rooms and set no-go zones. Overall, the amarey A90 Plus is an impressive robot vacuum with strong suction, long battery life, self-emptying, smart navigation, app connectivity, and voice control compatibility.

Performance

The Shark AV2501AE delivers excellent cleaning performance on all surface types thanks to its powerful suction and self-cleaning brushroll. The strong suction is great for picking up debris and dirt from carpets and rugs. The brushroll is designed to actively attract hair and prevent tangles, making it highly effective at removing pet hair. You'll be impressed with how it lifts dirt from deep in carpet fibers.

On hard floors, the direct suction inlet sucks up fine particulates like dust and crumbs. Both the soft and hard floor modes work well. Edge cleaning is also good thanks to the side brushes. Overall, the Shark AV2501AE has top-notch pickup across carpets, rugs, hardwood, tile, and more. Its suction power and cleaning head excel at removing ground-in dirt.

Navigation

The Shark AV2501AE uses advanced navigation technology to map and clean your home efficiently. It comes equipped with LiDAR laser mapping and vSLAM navigation to scan and map rooms. As it cleans, it uses the onboard camera and sensors to build a map of your home, allowing the robot to expertly navigate around furniture and obstacles.

The laser navigation system scans and maps your home in real-time, detecting objects as small as 1 inch. This allows the robot to avoid collisions and clean around furniture legs and small items on the floor. It navigates methodically room by room to ensure full coverage without getting lost or trapped.

If the robot senses an area getting too congested, it will intelligently route around to find an alternative cleaning path. Obstacle avoidance sensors on the front, sides, and bottom detect objects and walls to prevent bumping into things or falling down stairs. You can rely on the advanced navigation and smart mapping of the Shark AV2501AE to thoroughly clean your floors while avoiding obstacles.

Battery Life

The battery life is one of the AV2501AE's best attributes. On a single charge, it can run for up to 90 minutes. This is enough time to thoroughly clean large homes up to 3,000 square feet.

The robot returns automatically to its charging base when the battery gets low. A full recharge takes about 3 hours. This is quicker than many competitor robots that can take 5+ hours to recharge. The fast charging time means you can start another cleaning run sooner.

Overall, the excellent battery performance means you can comfortably schedule daily cleans without worrying about the robot running out of juice mid-clean.

Dust Bin

The Shark AV2501AE has an advanced self-emptying dust bin that sets it apart from other robot vacuums. The bin has a large 0.7 quart (650 ml) capacity, which means the robot can clean for up to 60 days without needing to be emptied manually.

When the self-emptying base is full, the vacuum will automatically return to it and empty its bin. The base uses a high-efficiency filter to trap 99% of dust and allergens inside the bagless base, expelling clean air back into the room. This hands-free emptying makes maintenance much easier compared to robots that require regular manual bin emptying.

The process of emptying the robot's bin into the base is quick and seamless. When emptying is initiated, a flap opens to allow the dust and debris to be sucked into the base through strong suction power. Users don't have to do anything other than periodically emptying the accumulated debris from the base itself every couple of months.

Overall, the large capacity and self-emptying functions make the dust bin on the Shark AV2501AE very convenient to use and maintain. It removes the chore of emptying a small bin after every use like some other robots require.

Maintenance

The Shark AV2501AE is designed to be low-maintenance. The self-emptying base takes care of discarding dirt and debris into an enclosed bag so you don't have to empty the bin after each use.

The filters only need to be rinsed every 2 months or so. There is a pre-motor foam filter that captures fine dust, and a felt filter that is washable and reusable. Simply remove the filters and rinse under running water to clean. Allow to air dry completely before reinserting.

The brushroll also requires periodic cleaning to remove wrapped hair and debris. Use the included brush tool to cut away anything wound around the brushes. You can also remove the brushroll compartment cover to take out the roller and clean it thoroughly.

Overall, the Shark AV2501AE needs very minimal effort to keep it running effectively. The self-emptying base and infrequent filter cleanings make maintenance simple. Just be sure to check the brushroll regularly to remove tangles.

Noise Level

The Shark AV2501AE operates quietly at around 55-60 decibels when running on hard floors and carpet. This is similar to the noise level of a normal conversation and allows the vacuum to clean without significantly disturbing your household. Customers note that it is quieter than many other robot vacuums which can run upwards of 70 decibels.

The vacuum has a gentle hum when moving around your home and picking up debris. If you are sensitive to noise, you'll hardly notice it running. It does not produce irritating high-pitched sounds like some robot vacuums. The only time it gets slightly louder is when returning to the base station to empty itself, but even then it is not disruptive. Overall, the Shark AV2501AE has excellent noise control making it a great option for daytime cleaning.

Price

The Shark AI Robot Vacuum is available on Amazon for around $550 USD at the time of writing. This does sit at the higher end of robot vacuums, but the price matches the premium features and advanced technology that the Shark AI offers.

When you consider that this is a self-emptying model with a large dustbin, powerful suction, accurate mapping, and the latest AI navigation, the price seems justified. More budget robot vacuums may be under $200, but they won't have the full suite of capabilities that Shark packs into the AV2501AE.

Ultimately, the price comes down to the value you place on convenience and advanced cleaning. The ability to schedule whole home cleanings and avoid daily dustbin emptying alone could be worth the cost for busy households. If you want a hands-off approach to vacuuming with minimal effort, the Shark AI delivers on that promise.