Shark might not be the first name that springs to mind when one thinks of robotic vacuum cleaners, but with its PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro 2-in-1, the brand is striving to establish itself as a formidable contender in the mid-range market segment. It remains to be seen whether it has the merit to carve out a significant niche for itself in this category.
Scientists confirm: This is the most effective way to get your cat’s attention, according to new research
Elderly Couple Refuses Reserved Seats—Viral Train Standoff Sparks Fiery Debate on Courtesy
When considering robotic vacuums, Shark, the American brand, may not be the most obvious choice. However, the manufacturer offers a range of models at fairly competitive prices. The Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro 2-in-1 is its most comprehensive model, featuring mapping, obstacle detection and avoidance, as well as floor vacuuming and mopping capabilities. Additionally, it includes a versatile base that automatically empties the robot’s dustbin, refills its water tank, and washes its mop.
While the product itself isn’t groundbreaking, the brand promises a serious competitor to the mid-range market leaders for 799 euros—a promise that, according to our tests, holds substantial weight.
Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro 2-in-1 Technical Specifications
| Model | Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro 2-in-1 |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 36.4 cm x 44.6 cm x 47.8 cm |
| Obstacle Detection | Yes |
| Color | Black, White |
| Mopping Function | Yes |
| Product Sheet | Available |
This review is based on a product provided by the manufacturer.
Design of the Robot and its Base
Unlike competitors who often opt for completely smooth surfaces, Shark plays with textures. Despite being made entirely of plastic, the casing features both smooth and textured surfaces. Silver accents are added for the three front buttons and notably for the dome that conceals the laser telemeter.
This dome is well integrated into the design but is quite prominent. Consequently, the robot has standard dimensions for its diameter (35 cm) but stands at 10.4 cm tall, compared to the average 9.5 cm of its competitors.
This gives it a somewhat bulkier appearance than usual, accentuated by significantly protruding bumpers. However, the overall aesthetic is quite attractive and pairs well with its base.
Beneath the robot, there is a fixed side brush and a central double-bladed brush made of rubber and nylon. The mop consists of a removable support that vibrates to better clean dried stains.
The water and dust bin are removable, located at the back of the robot, and have a capacity of 312 ml for debris. A small HEPA filter is also present.
Like the Roborock Saros 10R, the Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro 2-in-1 is equipped with large, powerfully motorized wheels. This allows it to climb high door thresholds, free itself from blockages, and importantly, to automatically lift itself to avoid wetting carpets or rugs—a seemingly minor detail that significantly enhances daily use.
The Base
Shark introduces a truly versatile new station with this model. It empties the robot’s dustbin, automatically fills its water tank, and washes the mop after each cycle. All of this is housed in a nicely designed, somewhat bulky unit measuring 47.7 x 36.4 x 44.7 cm. While it’s not the largest base on the market, it does take up a fair amount of floor space.
Its design features well-thought-out material contrasts and two visible openings on the water tanks, allowing you to see at a glance whether to refill or empty them, even before an app notification.
Here, instead of a dust bag, there is a rigid bin, similar to those found in stick or handheld vacuums. It has a significant capacity and is removed by sliding it out to the right, which imposes some constraints on the placement of the base in a room.
On top, there’s space for adding a deodorizing capsule—an unusual but welcome choice, although no significant difference was noted in use. This likely compensates for the lack of a dust bag. A dedicated filtration system is also exclusively integrated into this bin.
The robot’s ramp leads to the mop washing area, featuring a mechanical system that directly scrubs the mop. This high-end equipment, especially at this price range, typically outperforms the passive systems seen in competitors, which involve the mop rubbing against a bristled plate. However, both washing and drying are performed using cold water and air, as there’s no hot water or air feature yet in Shark’s lineup.
Embedded Technology
At the heart of the Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro 2-in-1’s intelligence is a laser telemeter (LIDAR) housed under a silver dome.
This system is augmented by laser sensors on the front and sides of the robot, which enhance accuracy during mapping and navigation. Below the robot, there are anti-fall sensors to prevent accidents on stairs.
Application and Management
Shark Clean is the dedicated app for the brand’s robotic vacuums. It’s designed to be user-friendly for even the most novice users.
The setup process is straightforward, with the robot easily detectable. There’s even a touch of humor when naming the robot at the end of the setup.
The interface features a purple dominant color, with a line at the top indicating the robot’s status (charging, vacuuming, etc.) and battery level, followed by a complete map above the control panel.
The control panel is straightforward: you select the type of cleaning—whole home, specific rooms, or a spontaneously created zone. Then, you choose the floor treatment mode: vacuuming only, mopping only, or both. However, there’s no control over the suction power or the moisture level of the mop. The robot, like the Dyson 360 Vis Nav, automatically decides their intensity.
The settings menu offers a bit more, but it’s still limited with functions related to mop washing by activating eco mode or setting up a cleaning schedule. Shark’s philosophy is clear: the brand aims to handle everything to ease your mind, risking a bit of frustration for the user.
Maintenance and Accessories
The robot requires minimal maintenance. The central brush is prone to hair and thread wrapping, but this is well managed.
You should have no particular issues if you clean it once or twice a month, depending on your home, the same with the side brush. Regarding the dustbin, the HEPA filter is washable and should be cleaned at least once a month.
While the robot’s glossy exterior is very appealing, it also quickly becomes a dust magnet. Nothing that a dry cloth can’t remove, but if you are meticulous, be prepared.
The base features two water tanks. While the dirty water tank should be emptied weekly, the clean water tank needs to be refilled every 4 to 5 days if you opt for a daily vacuuming and mopping cycle. The dustbin is spacious and designed to be emptied every two months.
This estimate holds up well and can even be extended if your home isn’t very busy. If you have children or pets, don’t worry; you’ll only need to empty it once a month, which is already better than what most competitors offer.
This may explain the presence of the odor-neutralizing capsule, which has performed its job well. However, the filter system requires more attention. It’s very effective but needs to be washed every two months, or once or twice a month if you have a very active household.
The mop washing system is very effective. The brush that scrubs it does its job, but the cold water limits its efficiency. It’s above average but not at the level of its equivalent from Roborock, for example. Additionally, the cold air drying fulfills its purpose but takes longer than hot air drying would. For perfect hygiene and to eliminate potential bacteria, machine washing once or twice a month should suffice. Note that when the mop is in the base, removing it without risking damage is challenging.
Mapping and Navigation
The mapping generated by the Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro 2-in-1 is very precise, although its display is simplified, like Ecovacs or Dyson, for better readability. The robot detected most rooms in one go, except for our “trap” bedroom, which is accessed through a half-open door.
The space segmentation is quite good, and we didn’t have to make many adjustments. The tools for merging, splitting, or renaming rooms are very simple to understand and implement.
Creating a cleaning zone is also easy, but the zone size is fixed and quite small. However, it proves sufficient in most situations.
While the Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro 2-in-1 starts its cleaning like most competitors, by first treating the edges of a room, it then mixes zigzag and figure-eight movements. Ultimately, we get good room coverage, but we regularly notice small areas that are imperfectly treated.
The robot’s behavior with obstacles is still puzzling. For instance, it successfully detected and avoided USB cables, whether folded or not, a toy car, and a bag, but almost ran over a sock or a computer power cable. We didn’t dare test with animal droppings, a category not officially associated with the product. The results are thus quite random and may not be compatible with a very active household, with young children or pets, for example.
However, when it comes to door thresholds or other obstacles, its powerful motor and the ability to raise itself allow it to climb over almost thoughtlessly. If you have a home with non-flat thresholds or often leave a large extension cord on the floor, this robot will handle it easily, up to 3 cm.
Suction and Floor Cleaning
Due to its navigation, we sometimes noted small untreated areas, although this is rare. However, it’s more common for small furniture legs and especially corners to be left behind. Baseboards are average but not perfectly clean.
Suction
We subjected the Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro 2-in-1 to various suction tests. It faced dust, breadcrumbs, cookie crumbs, and cat litter.
While Shark does not disclose the power of its robot, it’s evident that it’s there. Dust disappears in one pass.
The same goes for breadcrumbs, but some cookie crumbs remain. However, nothing that a second pass can’t handle.
Cat litter poses more challenges, with some grains remaining even after two passes.
If this robot has power, heavier residues require a second pass for truly effective suction.
By distributing a precise weight of various residues in a room, we tested the robot’s capabilities on hard floors first. The robot performs very well, recovering 85 to 89% of the debris. On low-pile carpets, it vacuums 83 to 86%. Long-pile carpets pose a bit more of a challenge, with 75 to 78% recovered by the robot. Overall, we have excellent suction performance in the sub-800 euro robot category.
Regarding noise pollution, expect about 70 dB at one meter, which quickly drops to 65 at two meters and less than 55 dB in an adjacent room. The base is not very discreet, with 75 to 79 dB at two meters when emptying the robot’s dustbin.
Floor Mopping
The vibrating mop support of the Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro 2-in-1 mops with cold water, and the base does not have a detergent dispenser.
Faced with cola, coffee, marker, and greasy makeup—all of which had dried for several hours—the robot’s performance was uneven. The marker was removed in one go, but the makeup was only skimmed off.
Dried cola or coffee was eliminated without difficulty. However, the still-liquid parts were half-sponged and the rest spread around. A second pass was necessary for this type of stain.
Only after this second pass did the sticky effect from the cola disappear.
Overall, the results are acceptable but lag behind the best in the market and are in the good average for robotic vacuum cleaners under 800 euros.
Regarding battery life, it valiantly reaches up to 125 minutes at best. If that’s not enough to complete its task, it returns to its base before resuming. It’s not very impressive, sufficient for daily use but just adequate if your home is complex or large. However, it takes just under two hours for a full recharge.
Price and Availability
The Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro 2-in-1 is available for 799 euros on Shark’s website and from partner retailers.
Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro 2-en-1
at the best price
-
Boulanger
514 € -
Cdiscount
530 € -
Fnac
803 € -
Darty
803 € -
Pixmania Marketplace
505 €
Similar Posts
- Tapo RV50 Pro Omni Review: Discover Your New Daily Companion!
- Xiaomi H40 Review: Affordable Robot Vacuum Transforms Floor Cleaning!
- Karcher RCF 3 Review: Is This the Ultimate Floor Cleaning Robot?
- Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max Review: Top Features at a Low Price!
- SwitchBot S20 Review: Near High-End Performance for Half the Price?
Maya Singh is a senior editor covering tablets and hybrid devices. Her work explores how these tools reshape digital productivity and learning. She also contributes to feature editorials on emerging tech.