Neither brand publishes a suction figure you can compare. What they do publish is how the dock empties, and that single difference is worth more over five years than anything on the front of either box.
Everyone in this category says they tested twenty vacuums. We have not tested any, and we say so. What we do instead is read the manuals, compile the published specifications, and work out what each machine costs to run for three years — the method is written out in full.
We earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend or the order we recommend it in. Full disclosure.
Buy Shark if you want the dock to stop costing money; buy Roomba if you want the robot to be lighter and run longer. The two brands have made opposite decisions about the one part that has an ongoing cost. Shark's self-empty bases are bagless — you empty a bin in the base and buy nothing, ever — and Roomba's AutoEmpty docks use bags, which is roughly five bag changes a year at iRobot's own stated 75-day interval. Shark's base also publishes better filtration: True HEPA at 99.97% down to 0.3 microns, against iRobot's 99% down to 0.7 microns. Roomba answers with a lighter robot (6.2 lb against 15 to 17), a longer runtime (200 minutes against 110 to 120) and the deepest parts network in the category.
Neither brand will tell you how much suction it has
Start here, because it clears the field. Roborock, Dreame, Lefant and ILIFE all publish pascal figures. Shark and iRobot publish none at all — not for any machine on this page. What they publish instead are relative claims against their own older models: iRobot says the Roomba 105 has "70x more power-lifting suction" than a Roomba 600 series, and Shark says the Navigator AV2120 has "up to 50% more suction" than an unnamed "competitor robot vacuum".
Neither statement helps you choose between them, because neither is measured against the other. That is not necessarily a worse practice than publishing pascals — pascal figures are not comparable across brands either — but it does mean there is no suction number on this page worth using, and any comparison built on one is invented.
The difference that actually costs money: bags
Both brands sell self-emptying docks and they work in opposite ways.
Shark bases are bagless. The AV2501AE and the Matrix Plus both publish a 60-day bagless base with True HEPA filtration in the base itself. You pull out a bin, tip it into the trash and put it back. There is no consumable.
Roomba AutoEmpty docks are bagged. The 105 Vac AE and the 105 Combo AE both publish a dock rated up to 75 days hands-free with a bag that traps 99% of allergens as small as 0.7 microns. The bag is a purchase for as long as you own the machine — about five changes a year at the published interval.
The trade is the familiar one, and it runs the same way here as it does on any bagged versus bagless machine: the bag seals the dust and costs money; the bin costs nothing and you open it. What makes the robot case unusual is that Shark's bagless base publishes the *better* filtration figure anyway — 99.97% at 0.3 microns against 99% at 0.7 — so you are not trading filtration for running cost in the way you normally would.
The published figures side by side
Manufacturer-published figures for the six machines on this page. "Not published" means the listing gives no figure.
Roomba 105 Vac AE
Shark Matrix Plus
Shark AV2501AE
Roomba 105 Vac
Dock type
Bagged AutoEmpty
Bagless self-empty
Bagless self-empty
No dock
Dock interval
Up to 75 days
60 days
60 days
n/a
Dock filtration
99% of allergens to 0.7 microns
True HEPA, 99.97% to 0.3 microns
True HEPA, 99.97% to 0.3 microns
n/a
Dock consumable
Bags, about five changes a year
None
None
None
Rated runtime
200 min
110 min
120 min
200 min
Robot weight
6.2 lb
17 lb as listed, base included
15.3 lb
6.2 lb
Navigation
ClearView LiDAR
360-degree LiDAR, Matrix grid, object detection
360-degree LiDAR, Matrix grid
ClearView LiDAR, cliff sensors
Mopping
No
Sonic, 100 scrubs per minute
No
No
Published suction
Not published
Not published
Not published
Not published
Compiled from each machine's own retail listing. The Roomba and AV2501AE figures were read on September 1, 2026; the Matrix Plus and Navigator figures on September 26, 2026. Shark's 17 lb is a listed shipping figure that includes the base, so it is not comparable with Roomba's robot-only weight.
Where Roomba genuinely wins
1. Runtime, by a lot
The Roomba 105 publishes 200 minutes. The Shark machines publish 110 to 120. For a large single-floor home that is the difference between finishing in one run and relying on recharge-and-resume — which every machine here has, but which turns a 90-minute job into an afternoon.
2. Weight and size
6.2 lb against 15.3. If you carry the robot upstairs, that gap is the whole experience. It also matters for what the robot fits under: the Shark Navigator publishes a 4.6-inch body, but the two Shark machines with docks are physically large appliances and their bases take real floor space.
3. The parts network
iRobot has been selling robot vacuums for longer than anyone and sells brushes, filters and batteries for models years out of production. That is not a published specification, so we do not score it — but on a machine with a battery nobody rates, it is a genuine reason to prefer the brand that will still sell you parts. We make the same argument about brands generally here.
Where Shark genuinely wins
1. The dock costs nothing to run
Covered above, and it is the strongest single argument on this page. Over five years, a bagless base is five years of not buying dock bags, and Shark publishes the better filtration figure while doing it.
2. Mapping detail and edge cleaning
Both Shark self-empty machines publish 360-degree LiDAR with Matrix Clean grid coverage — a published grid pattern with multiple passes, rather than a single row-by-row sweep. The Matrix Plus adds CleanEdge Detect, published as pulling debris out of corners with targeted air blasts. Roomba publishes ClearView LiDAR and does not publish an equivalent edge or multi-pass claim.
3. Mopping, if you want it in the same machine
Shark's Matrix Plus publishes sonic mopping at 100 scrubs a minute; Roomba's Combo AE publishes a micro-pump that keeps a pad uniformly moist and automatic carpet avoidance while mopping. Those are different philosophies — scrub versus wipe — and Shark's is the more aggressive one. Neither replaces a proper wet/dry machine on a sticky kitchen floor.
#
Product
Best for
Score
Price
01
iRobot Roomba 105 Vac with AutoEmpty DockThe same robot as the 105 Vac with the dock that changes how you live with it: 75 days between bag changes instead of an emptying chore every run.
Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop (AV2610WA)A 60-day bagless base with True HEPA, sonic mopping and the only percentage claims on this shelf that name both a comparator model and a test method.
Shark AI Robot with XL HEPA Self-Empty Base (AV2501AE)The only self-empty dock here with no bags to buy — bagless, HEPA-filtered and rated at 60 days, which changes the three-year arithmetic completely.
iRobot Roomba 105 Combo with AutoEmpty DockIt detects carpet and stops mopping over it without being told, which is the one thing budget combos routinely get wrong.
Shark Navigator Robot Vacuum (AV2120)The cheapest way into Shark's robot line, with 120 minutes of runtime and an anti-hair-wrap brushroll — and a listing that cannot agree with itself about whether a self-emptying base is in the box.
Three machines from each brand, ranked by our published rubric. Neither brand publishes a pascal figure, so the suction column is the least useful one here — read the dock rows instead.
01 · Best self-empty under $400
iRobot Roomba 105 Vac with AutoEmpty Dock
The same robot as the 105 Vac with the dock that changes how you live with it: 75 days between bag changes instead of an emptying chore every run.
Ongoing consumable — roughly five bag changes a year at the stated 75-day interval
Suction in Pa
Not published
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+75 days between interactions is the single biggest quality-of-life feature in this category
+Bagged dock means emptying does not put dust back in the room, which matters for allergies
+Identical mapping and runtime to the cheaper 105 Vac — you are paying only for the dock
Where it stops
−Dock bags are a permanent running cost that the dockless version does not have
−The dock is bulky and needs clear floor space either side
−0.1-gallon on-board bin is small, which is fine only because the dock exists
Who it is for
Pet households and larger homes, where the on-board bin fills every single run.
Skip it if
Your floor is mostly hard surface and lightly used. At that dirt load the on-board bin lasts a week anyway, and the dock is solving a problem you do not have.
Our score: 8.4 out of 10
Published suction6.5
Navigation9.0
Runtime10.0
Bin and dock9.5
Running cost6.0
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
02 · Sonic mopping with no bags
Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop (AV2610WA)
A 60-day bagless base with True HEPA, sonic mopping and the only percentage claims on this shelf that name both a comparator model and a test method.
Bagless self-empty base, 60-day capacity, no replacement bags required
Dock filtration
True HEPA in the base, rated to capture 99.97% of dust and allergens down to 0.3 microns
Navigation
360-degree LiDAR with Matrix Clean grid coverage and object detection
Rated runtime
110 minutes, with recharge and resume
Mopping
Sonic mopping, published as scrubbing 100 times per minute
Edge cleaning
CleanEdge Detect, published as 50% better edge cleaning against the same model with the feature off
Carpet claim
30% better carpet cleaning against the RV2610WD single pass, tested on level loop sand
Stain claim
50% better stain cleaning against the RV2001WD, tested to a modified IEC 62885-6 — the only named test method on this page
Brushroll
Self-cleaning, published as preventing hair wrap
Tank
350 ml
Weight
17 lb as listed, which includes the base
Warranty
1 year limited
Suction in Pa
Not published
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+A bagless 60-day base means the dock costs nothing to run, where every Roomba AutoEmpty dock needs bags for as long as you own it
+True HEPA at 99.97% down to 0.3 microns in the base, against iRobot's 99% at 0.7 microns
+Its percentage claims name the comparator model and, for the stain claim, a modified IEC 62885-6 test — almost nothing in this category does either
Where it stops
−No suction figure in any unit, so it cannot be compared numerically with the pascal-publishing brands
−110 minutes is the shortest rated runtime of any machine on this page
−17 lb listed and a physically large base, which is a real consideration in a small apartment
Who it is for
A mixed-floor home with pets that wants vacuum and mop in one pass, and does not want to buy dock bags for the rest of the machine's life.
Skip it if
You want the mop to be more than a damp pad on hard floors. Sonic scrubbing is a genuine step up from dragging a cloth, but it is still a pad — a stuck-on kitchen spill wants a wet/dry machine, not a robot.
Our score: 8.1 out of 10
Published suction6.0
Navigation9.0
Runtime7.5
Bin and dock9.0
Running cost9.0
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
03 · Best bagless self-empty
Shark AI Robot with XL HEPA Self-Empty Base (AV2501AE)
The only self-empty dock here with no bags to buy — bagless, HEPA-filtered and rated at 60 days, which changes the three-year arithmetic completely.
True HEPA, rated to capture 99.97% of dust and allergens down to 0.3 microns
Rated runtime
120 minutes with recharge and resume
Navigation
360-degree LiDAR with Matrix Clean grid coverage
Brushroll
Self-cleaning
Weight
15.3 lb
Suction in Pa
Not published
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+Bagless dock — no consumable at all, which no other self-empty robot on this site can say
+True HEPA on the dock, so emptying does not re-release what it collected
+Matrix Clean makes multiple passes over dirty areas rather than one
+Self-cleaning brushroll
Where it stops
−Emptying a bagless dock does put you back in contact with the dust, HEPA or not
−No published suction figure in any unit
−15.3 lb with the base is the heaviest robot package here
Who it is for
Anyone who has done the maths on dock bags over five years and did not like the answer.
Skip it if
Allergies are the reason you are buying a self-empty robot at all. A bagged dock is the better answer for that specific problem, even though it costs more to run.
Our score: 8.1 out of 10
Published suction6.0
Navigation8.5
Runtime8.0
Bin and dock9.0
Running cost9.0
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
04 · Best mapping under $300
iRobot Roomba 105 Vac
LiDAR mapping, keep-out zones and a 200-minute rating from the brand that will still be supporting the app in five years.
70x more power-lifting suction, compared by the manufacturer against the Roomba 600 series
Control
Roomba Home app, on-device buttons, voice assistants
Wi-Fi
2.4 GHz required for setup and operation
Suction in Pa
Not published
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+200 minutes rated, the longest published runtime of any robot on this site
+Real LiDAR mapping, keep-out zones and room targeting at a budget price
+Recharge-and-resume, so a large floor completes without you
+iRobot's app and parts supply are the most durable bet in the category
Where it stops
−The 70x suction claim is measured against iRobot's own decade-old 600 series, not against a competitor
−No self-empty dock in this configuration — you empty the on-board bin
−No published bin volume
Who it is for
Multi-room homes that want scheduled, mapped cleaning without a self-empty dock's price.
Skip it if
Nobody in the house will install an app. Half of what you are paying for is mapping, zones and scheduling, and none of that exists without the phone.
Our score: 8.0 out of 10
Published suction6.5
Navigation9.0
Runtime10.0
Bin and dock6.0
Running cost7.5
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
05 · Best vacuum-and-mop combo
iRobot Roomba 105 Combo with AutoEmpty Dock
It detects carpet and stops mopping over it without being told, which is the one thing budget combos routinely get wrong.
Automatically detects and avoids carpet while mopping — manufacturer states no programming required
Mopping
Micro-pump controls water flow to keep the pad uniformly moist
Modes
Vacuum only, mop only, combined
Navigation
ClearView LiDAR
Dock bag filtration
Traps 99% of allergens as small as 0.7 microns
Suction in Pa
Not published
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+Automatic carpet avoidance while mopping, with no map editing required
+Micro-pump water control instead of a pad that soaks then dries out
+Three genuinely separate modes
+The 75-day dock applies to the combo too
Where it stops
−100 minutes is half the vacuum-only 105's rating — mopping costs you battery
−A flat pad drags dirt; it does not scrub, whatever any combo claims
−Mop pads are a consumable on top of dock bags
Who it is for
Hard-floor and rug homes that want a daily light mop rather than a deep clean.
Skip it if
Your floors are mostly carpet. You would be buying a mop that spends the whole run avoiding your floor.
Our score: 7.6 out of 10
Published suction6.5
Navigation9.0
Runtime6.5
Bin and dock9.5
Running cost5.5
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
06 · Cheapest Shark robot here
Shark Navigator Robot Vacuum (AV2120)
The cheapest way into Shark's robot line, with 120 minutes of runtime and an anti-hair-wrap brushroll — and a listing that cannot agree with itself about whether a self-emptying base is in the box.
The product title says "60-Day Self-Emptying Base". The same listing's what-is-included line says "Shark Navigator Robot, Charging Base, and 3x Side Brush", and no bullet mentions self-emptying. Confirm which base ships before buying
Rated runtime
120 minutes, with recharge and resume
Navigation
SmartPath Navigation using spot LiDAR, published as row-by-row cleaning with up to 1.5x more coverage than Shark's own ION
Bin
0.52 quarts
Brushroll
Self-cleaning, published as anti-hair-wrap
Obstacle handling
Published as detecting and avoiding objects in its path
Weight
6.5 lb
Filtration
Pre-motor filter. No HEPA claim and no test standard published
Suction claim
Up to 50% more suction than an unnamed "competitor robot vacuum" — no model named and no method published
In the box
Three side brushes, which is two more than most listings include
Warranty
Not published on the listing
Suction in Pa
Not published
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+120 minutes of rated runtime, longer than either Shark self-emptying machine on this page
+6.5 lb and a low 4.6-inch body, which is the easiest of these to move between floors and get under furniture
+Three side brushes in the box, on the cheapest Shark robot here
Where it stops
−Its own listing contradicts itself on the single most expensive feature a robot can have — the dock
−"Spot LiDAR" is Shark's phrase for a narrower system than the 360-degree LiDAR on its dearer models, and the coverage claim is measured against Shark's own discontinued ION
−No HEPA claim, no warranty term and no suction figure of any kind
Who it is for
A single-floor home that wants Shark's anti-hair-wrap brushroll and long runtime at the lowest price, and is happy to empty a bin by hand.
Skip it if
The self-emptying base is why you are buying it. The listing is ambiguous about whether one ships, and on this page the Matrix Plus publishes a base unambiguously.
Our score: 7.3 out of 10
Published suction5.5
Navigation8.0
Runtime8.0
Bin and dock6.5
Running cost8.5
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
The listing problem on the cheapest Shark
One warning, because it is the kind of thing that turns a good purchase into a returned one. The Shark Navigator AV2120 is titled "60-Day Self-Emptying Base" on its own product page — and the same listing's what-is-included line reads "Shark Navigator Robot, Charging Base, and 3x Side Brush", with no bullet anywhere mentioning self-emptying. Those two statements cannot both describe the same box.
We have not resolved it, because we buy nothing and test nothing, and we are not going to guess in Shark's favor. If the self-emptying base is the reason you are considering this machine, confirm what ships before you order. The Matrix Plus on this page publishes a base unambiguously.
What neither brand publishes
Neither publishes a battery cycle rating, which is true of every robot on this site and is the figure that decides how long the machine lasts. Neither publishes a suction figure in any comparable unit. And neither of the cheaper machines here publishes camera-based obstacle avoidance — both brands' LiDAR maps the room at wheel height and will still meet a sock, which is the distinction the obstacle-avoidance page sets out in full.
We have not used any of these machines. Everything above is read off the manufacturers' own published listings and compared on figures that mean the same thing on both sides. A spec sheet cannot tell you how a bagless base behaves when you empty it, how a map survives a rearranged room, or which app is still supported in five years. Our method page states exactly where our evidence stops.
The verdict
For most households, the Shark Matrix Plus is the better buy of the six — a bagless 60-day base with True HEPA, sonic mopping and the most checkable performance claims on the page, for less than either Roomba with a dock. Buy the Roomba 105 Vac AE instead if runtime and weight matter more than bags: 200 minutes and 6.2 lb are genuine advantages, and five bag changes a year is a cost some people would rather pay than open a bin. Buy the plain Roomba 105 Vac if you do not want a dock at all — it is the cheapest machine here and the dock is the part you are really paying for. And read the dock line twice before buying the Shark Navigator AV2120, for the reason set out above.
Common questions
Is Shark better than Roomba?+−
On published figures they win different things. Shark's self-empty bases are bagless with True HEPA at 99.97% down to 0.3 microns, so the dock costs nothing to run; Roomba's AutoEmpty docks use bags rated 99% at 0.7 microns, about five changes a year. Roomba publishes a much lighter robot (6.2 lb against 15 to 17) and a much longer runtime (200 minutes against 110 to 120). Neither publishes a suction figure you can compare.
Do Shark robot vacuums need bags?+−
No. Both Shark self-emptying machines on this page publish a bagless base with a 60-day capacity — you empty a bin in the base rather than replacing a bag. That is the clearest published difference between the two brands, because every Roomba AutoEmpty dock on this page uses bags.
How often do you change a Roomba dock bag?+−
iRobot publishes an interval of up to 75 days hands-free for the AutoEmpty dock on these models, which works out at roughly five bag changes a year. The bag traps 99% of allergens as small as 0.7 microns. Whether that ongoing cost is worth the sealed-disposal advantage is the same trade as any bagged machine.
Which has better suction, Shark or Roomba?+−
Neither brand publishes a suction figure for any machine on this page, so there is no honest answer. Both publish relative claims against their own older models — iRobot cites 70x a Roomba 600 series, Shark cites 50% more than an unnamed competitor — and neither is measured against the other. Any direct suction comparison you read between these brands was not taken from their specifications.
Is Shark or Roomba better for pet hair?+−
Both publish self-cleaning anti-hair-wrap brushrolls, which is the specification that matters. The difference is what happens after pickup: Shark's bagless base publishes True HEPA at 99.97% to 0.3 microns, Roomba's bag publishes 99% at 0.7 microns. If dander is the issue, Shark's published figure is the stronger one; if you would rather not open a bin full of hair, Roomba's sealed bag is the better experience.
Which Shark or Roomba should I buy if I want mopping too?+−
Shark's Matrix Plus publishes sonic mopping at 100 scrubs a minute alongside a bagless 60-day base. Roomba's 105 Combo AE publishes a micro-pump that keeps the pad uniformly moist and, usefully, automatic carpet detection and avoidance while mopping. Shark's is the more aggressive system; Roomba's is the more cautious one around rugs.
Sources
Manufacturer-published specifications — Every runtime, wattage, capacity, weight, filtration and warranty figure quoted on this page is the manufacturer's own published number for that model, retrieved September 1, 2026. Where a manufacturer publishes no figure, the page says 'Not published' rather than estimating one.
Sweep & Suction — How We Pick — Our published method, including the scoring rubric, the three-year running-cost formula and an explicit statement of what published specifications cannot tell you.
