After dealing with a barrage of dust and general debris around my house, I decided to try robot vacuums to see if they could keep up with my family. The available research led me to the Shark Ion Robot Vacuum R85.\
Table of Contents
Shark ION Robot r85: What You need to Know
This is a good robot vacuum for large homes because of the extra-large canister inside and the long battery life.
It
even has an advanced sensor that mapped my home and identified obstacles in the way.
You can learn even more in my Shark Ion R85 robot vacuum review.
Pros
- Voice control options available with an app
- Extra-large dust bin holds 0.7 liters of trash
- Easily makes the transition between different floors
- Navigates through a whole home and from one edge to the next
- Automatically returns to its docking station
Cons
- You need a lot of space around the docking station
- It may go back over some areas of the floor multiple times and ignore others
- Error lights can come on frequently
Who Should Use the Shark Ion Robot Vacuum R85?
Robot vacuums are great tools for those who hate cleaning. By the time you get home from work, the last thing you want to do is run the vacuum. You might feel the same way on the weekends too.
Even if you work from home or are a stay at home parent, time is something you don’t have. Thanks to the Shark Ion robot vacuum, you can clean your home quickly and easily without running a traditional vacuum.
As someone with multiple pets, I’ve tried just about every tool there is to keep up with our cats and dogs. Very few robot vacuums could get rid of their hair.
I was tired of seeing little black and white fur clinging to my furniture and my clothes every time I stepped outside. Though I was skeptical about the R85, using it in my house proved that it was one of the best options for pet hair.
It outperformed the Roomba 690 because the R85 picked up more hair before heading back to the docking station. I highly recommend this vacuum for homes with multiple pets.
What You Should Know about Shark r85
Before you buy any robot vacuum, you need to get an idea of why it’s worth the investment. I included a list of some of the features I like best about the R85 below.
- Works with Google Assistant and Alexa via a downloadable app
- Advanced sensor technology identifies all types of flooring
- Provides up to three times more suction than previous Shark robot vacuums
- Includes a cleaning schedule feature for convenient cleaning while you’re away
- Large dust bin lets the R85 clean for longer periods without additional charging
- Built-in navigation keeps track of the home and any obstacles for faster future cleaning
- Automatically returns to the docking station for charging at the end of a cycle
- Side brushes grab debris from the floor and push it towards the vacuum for removal
- Runs along the edges of a room to get rid of more debris per cycle
- Attached bumper keeps the R85 from damaging the baseboards in your home
- Bristles are smooth to prevent damage to hard floors such as tile or wood
- Schedules cleaning cycles for up to seven days in advance
Now that you know some of the leading features of the Shark Ion R85, you can feel confident buying one for your home.
My First Impressions
When I first saw the R85, I was a little skeptical that it could keep up with my pets. After trying a few different robot vacuums that looked similar, I worried that this one would fail too. It did have a sleek and modern look that I liked, and I was fond of the docking station because it didn’t require a lot of space.
After the first time using this vacuum, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked. It did a good job of picking up pet hair on the tile in my kitchen and the carpet in my living room.
There was a significant reduction in pet hair and other debris in just one trip around my home.
The Use Phase
One issue I had with the R85 is that it had problems finding its way back to the docking station. I learned that leaving a few feet of space around the station helped the vacuum dock at the end of the station.
It’s also helpful to remove any obstacles in the path between the rooms that it cleans and the docking station. I also recommend checking the dust bin canister at the end of each cycle and before you run it. Once the Shark Ion R85 fills, it will stop working.
As someone with pets, I made sure to check for any “accidents” before I ran the vacuum. There is always a risk that the R85 can track feces around a home.
It’s helpful to check the error listings in the manual to make sure that you know what each one means. That can save you some of the frustrations that I had. After using the robot vacuum for a few weeks, I found that my first impression was right on the money. This is a great vacuum that can keep up with my pets better than I can.
Results
With two older dogs and two younger kittens, I worried that the vacuum would make too much noise when it ran and scare our pets. It took a few days for them to feel comfortable with it. They rarely even look up now when it runs.
The Shark Ion R85 removes the hair that our pets shed and eliminated dust too. You can see how it compares to the Roomba 690 below.
Comparison Table: Shark Ion R85 vs Roomba 690
Product Name | Shark Ion R85 | Roomba 690 |
|---|---|---|
Image |  |  |
Price | ||
Weight | 6 pounds | 8 pounds |
Run Time | 60 minutes | 90 minutes |
Dust Bin Capacity | 0.7 liters | 0.3 liters |
Boundaries | 9” boundary strips | Virtual strips |
HEPA Filter | Yes | No |
Brushroll | Bristle, single | Dual, composite and bristle |
Final Thoughts
As the best robot vacuum for pet hair, I have to give the R85 a high rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars. The only reason it doesn’t get a perfect score is that it because of the error lights that pop on often.
I also found that it sometimes focused too heavily on certain areas of my home and ignored or avoided others. With my Shark Ion robot vacuum R85 review, you can get a good look at the leading features of this model. Click here to bring home the R85 today.
