Shark AV2001 Review

Quick Verdict

The Shark AV2001 launched as a capable mid-range robot vacuum, and for its time it was a solid step forward — particularly on navigation. But time has not been especially kind to it. As of 2026, this is a vacuum-only machine with no self-emptying dock, no mopping capability, limited obstacle avoidance, and cleaning performance that has been outpaced by newer models at similar or lower price points. If you find it at a significant discount — well below its original retail price — it can still do a reasonable job as a basic daily maintenance vacuum for smaller homes. At anything approaching its original pricing, the money is better spent elsewhere.

Where the AV2001 Still Holds Up: Navigation

The strongest aspect of the AV2001 remains its LiDAR-based navigation. When it launched, having true LiDAR mapping in this price tier was genuinely notable. The robot builds accurate multi-room maps, allows you to label individual rooms, supports no-go zones, and cleans in methodical rows rather than the random bounce-and-turn approach of cheaper models. That row-by-row pattern means it covers the full floor without repeatedly going over the same areas or missing strips in the middle.

Setting up rooms, zones, and schedules through the SharkClean app — once you’re past the initial connectivity process — is reasonably straightforward. You can target a specific room on demand, which is useful for quick clean-ups after cooking or if you’ve tracked in mud from outside. Voice control through Alexa and Google Home works reliably.

For users who’ve owned bump-and-turn robots before and found the navigation chaotic and incomplete, upgrading to the AV2001 would historically have been a meaningful improvement. The navigation hardware itself is not the weak point of this machine.

Cleaning Performance: Adequate Daily, Weak on Challenges

The AV2001 uses Shark’s PowerFins brushroll, which combines rubber fins and bristles to engage floors with constant contact. For light daily debris — dust, hair, small crumbs on hard floors — it does a reasonable job. It’s noticeably quieter than a traditional upright vacuum, and for pet hair in moderate quantities on daily runs, it manages without constant intervention.

The limits appear when the cleaning challenge increases. In independent tests, the AV2001 struggled significantly with larger debris like cereal on hard floors, leaving most of it scattered or pushed around rather than collected. Rice proved similarly problematic, with the robot displacing more than it picked up. These are not unusual limitations for robot vacuums in general, but some competitors in this price bracket have improved meaningfully on large-debris handling in recent years.

Carpet performance is passable for low-pile surfaces and acceptable for daily maintenance on medium pile. On deep pile it becomes less effective, though UltraClean mode — which runs the robot back over a targeted area in multiple directions with higher suction — does provide a measurable improvement when you specifically invoke it.

Hair management is a known weakness. While the PowerFins design reduces the frequency of tangling compared to older bristle-only rolls, it does not eliminate the problem, particularly in heavy-shedding households. Reviewers with multiple dogs or long-haired residents report needing to clear the brush intake opening regularly, which partially defeats the purpose of having a robot do the work.

The Missing Features Problem

This is where the AV2001 falls short most visibly against the current market. It has no self-emptying dock — you empty the onboard dustbin manually, which needs doing every few runs in a busy home. There is no mopping capability at all; it is a vacuum-only device. And the obstacle avoidance is limited to objects at least 4 inches tall, meaning cables, small toys, and low-lying debris are regularly run over or pushed along rather than avoided.

In 2021 or 2022, these absences were understandable given the price. In 2026, robot vacuums at similar or lower prices are routinely offering auto-empty bases, basic mopping, and improved obstacle sensing. The Shark AI Ultra is a more current Shark option that provides better performance at a comparable price. Buyers looking at the AV2001 on the second-hand market or in deep clearance sales should check whether those savings actually make sense versus spending slightly more on a newer machine.

App Reliability: A Persistent Issue

Multiple independent reviewers and a substantial body of user reviews document ongoing issues with the SharkClean app, particularly on Android. Common complaints include the robot appearing offline in the app while actively cleaning, initial WiFi setup requiring multiple attempts (often requiring deletion of the robot and starting the process again), and schedules that reset without apparent cause. Apple device users generally report fewer issues, but the Android experience is patchy enough to be a real concern for the majority of smartphone users.

To be fair: many users report no app problems at all, and Shark pushes periodic app updates. But the volume and consistency of connectivity complaints across years of reviews suggests this is a structural issue with the platform rather than isolated incidents.

Who Might Still Consider the AV2001?

There is a fairly narrow window in which the AV2001 makes sense as a purchase. If you need a basic vacuum-only robot for a small, relatively clutter-free apartment on a tight budget, and you find this model at a substantial clearance discount, it will do the job without embarrassing itself. The navigation is genuinely good, the cleaning is adequate for daily light soiling, and Shark’s hardware reliability record is solid.

For almost everyone else, the calculus has shifted. The robot vacuum market has moved quickly in recent years, and the AV2001 has not moved with it.

Consider the AV2001 only if:

• You found it at a significant discount (well below current market alternatives)
• Your home is small and relatively clutter-free
• You want vacuum-only cleaning and do not need or want mopping
• You are an iOS user and less likely to encounter the Android app issues

Look elsewhere if:

• You want hands-free maintenance with an auto-empty dock
• Your home has pets that shed heavily
• You have any interest in mopping capability
• Budget stretches to newer alternatives — the market has largely moved past this model

The Shark AV2001 is not a bad robot vacuum. It is simply an old one that has been outpaced by newer designs at the same price. Buy it cheaply or not at all.