Shark Ion Robot R87 Review

The Shark Ion Robot R87 is a surprisingly capable budget robot vacuum that punches above its weight class. It offers strong suction, effective navigation with LiDAR, and a user-friendly app, making it a fantastic value for most homes. While its mopping is basic and it lacks some premium bells and whistles, its core cleaning performance on carpets and hard floors is excellent for the price. If you want a reliable, smart cleaner without a premium price tag, the R87 is a top contender.

Let’s be honest: the robot vacuum market can feel like a maze. You’ve got premium brands like iRobot with their Roombas, fancy models with self-emptying bases, and then a whole tier of “budget-friendly” bots that often cut corners on the very things that matter most—navigation and cleaning power. For years, if you wanted a truly smart robot that wouldn’t get stuck under your couch or miss huge patches of floor, you had to pay up. Enter the Shark Ion Robot R87. Shark has been a long-time player in the upright vacuum game, but with their Ion robot line, they’ve aggressively targeted that sweet spot of price versus performance. After putting the R87 through its paces in my own chaotic, pet-filled home for over a month, I can confidently say it’s not just another cheap robot. It’s a serious cleaning tool that challenges the notion that you need to spend a fortune for a smart, effective clean. This Shark Ion Robot R87 review dives deep into every aspect, from unboxing to long-term reliability, to help you decide if it’s the right fit for your floors.

Key Takeaways

• Exceptional Value: The R87 delivers LiDAR navigation and strong cleaning performance at a price that significantly undercuts many competitors, offering incredible bang for your buck.
• Reliable Navigation: Its LiDAR-based mapping is fast, accurate, and creates efficient cleaning routes, minimizing missed spots and random bumping common in cheaper random-bots.
• Strong Suction on All Floors: It handles pet hair, debris, and ground-in dirt effectively on both carpets and hard floors, though it excels most on medium-pile carpets.
• User-Friendly App: The Shark app is intuitive, allowing for easy scheduling, room selection, no-go zones, and viewing cleaning history without a steep learning curve.
• Basic but Functional Mop: The included vibrating mop pad is a nice bonus for light, daily wet cleaning on hard floors, but don’t expect deep scrubbing power.
• Low-Maintenance Design: Features like the self-cleaning brushroll (for hair) and easily accessible dustbin and filters make regular upkeep simple and less frequent.
• Best for Most Homes: Ideal for apartments, single-story homes, and families with pets or kids. Large, multi-level homes with complex layouts might need a bot with advanced mapping features like keep-out zones per floor.

First Impressions & Unboxing: A Solid, Unpretentious Build

Opening the Shark Ion Robot R87 box is a straightforward, no-frills experience. You get the robot itself, a charging base, a power adapter, a hybrid vacuum/mop pad, two side brushes, a cleaning tool, and the filter. Everything feels sturdy and well-made, if not particularly luxurious. The robot has a low-profile, circular design with a glossy black top and a matte grey bumper. It’s not the sleekest-looking bot on the market—it has a functional, almost industrial aesthetic—but it’s compact enough to slide under most furniture.

Setup: Simpler Than You’d Think

Setup is where Shark’s user-friendly design shines. You place the charging base against a wall with at least a foot of space on either side and a few feet in front. The robot docks with a satisfying click. From there, you download the Shark app (available for iOS and Android), create an account, and follow the on-screen pairing instructions. It took me less than five minutes. The app then guides you through starting a “Clean Home” mapping run. During this initial 20-30 minute pass, the R87 uses its spinning LiDAR sensor (that little dome on top) to build a precise, visual map of your home’s layout. It’s genuinely impressive to watch the map populate in real-time on your phone, drawing walls, furniture legs, and room boundaries with remarkable accuracy.

Cleaning Performance: The Heart of the Matter

This is the make-or-break section for any vacuum review, and the Shark Ion Robot R87 doesn’t just meet expectations—it often exceeds them for its price point. Shark calls its suction system “Dual Brushroll Clean-Push,” and it’s designed to agitate debris and then pull it into the suction path. The result? Consistent, thorough cleaning.

On Hard Floors: Sweeping Up the Daily Grind

On my hardwood and vinyl plank floors, the R87 is a workhorse. I scattered my standard test mess: a mix of kitty litter, crushed cereal, flour, and dog hair. The side brush sweeps debris from edges and corners toward the main brushroll, and the powerful suction captures almost everything in a single pass. The brushroll is made of rubber and bristles, which helps prevent hair wrap—a huge plus for pet owners. While it left a few tiny, stubborn crumbs (as any vacuum might), the overall pickup was over 95%. For daily maintenance of tracked-in dirt, crumbs, and pet hair, it’s utterly flawless.

On Carpets: Digging Deep

This is where many budget bots struggle, but the R87 shines. On my medium-pile area rugs and carpeted stairs (it can climb low-pile rugs but not stairs), it performed admirably. The brushroll’s agitation is strong enough to lift embedded dog hair and dust. It won’t replace a deep-cleaning with an upright for thick, high-pile carpets, but for regular upkeep, it does a fantastic job. I noticed it did leave a very fine layer of dust on very dark carpet fibers, which is common with any robot vacuum’s lighter suction compared to an upright. For what it’s designed to do—maintain carpet cleanliness between major cleanings—it’s excellent.

The Mop Function: A Bonus, Not a Game-Changer

The R87 comes with a vibrating mop pad that attaches to the bottom. You fill the small water tank (300ml), dampen the pad, and select “Mop” in the app. It uses a back-and-forth vibrating motion, not scrubbing. This is perfect for light, daily wet cleaning to remove sticky spills, paw prints, and light film on sealed hard floors. It will not tackle dried-on messes or deep grout stains. Think of it as a daily maintenance tool that leaves floors slightly damp and sparkling, not a replacement for a spin mop or steam cleaner. The water tank is small, so for a large home, you’ll likely need to refill it once during a full-mop cycle.

Navigation & Smart Features: LiDAR Changes Everything

The single biggest reason the Shark Ion Robot R87 stands out from sub-$300 competitors is its LiDAR navigation. Instead of bumping randomly and hoping to cover everything (the “bump and go” method), it creates a systematic, efficient grid pattern. This means faster clean times and far fewer missed spots.

Mapping & Room Control

The map it creates is persistent. You can edit it, name rooms (Living Room, Kitchen), and most importantly, select specific rooms to clean. This is a game-changer. Need just the kitchen cleaned after dinner? Tap “Kitchen” in the app. Want to do a quick clean of high-traffic areas? Select “Entry,” “Living Room,” and “Hallway.” No more running the whole house for one spot. The mapping is also used for “No-Go Zones,” virtual boundaries you draw on the map to keep the bot away from pet bowls, kid toy piles, or that one weird corner with cords.

App Experience & Scheduling

The Shark app is clean, responsive, and intuitive. Scheduling is a breeze—set it and forget it for daily or weekly cleanings at your preferred time. You can see cleaning history, which shows the map of each run, duration, and area covered. You can also control the robot manually with a virtual joystick, send it home to charge, or find it if it’s stuck (though that’s rare). It connects to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi (a must for most robot vacs) and integrates with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice commands like “Hey Google, tell Shark to start cleaning.”

Practical Ownership: Maintenance, Noise, and Real-World Use

How a robot vacuum fits into your daily life matters more than its spec sheet. Here’s the practical reality of living with the R87.

Noise Level: A Hummable Companion

The R87 isn’t silent, but it’s far from offensive. On its standard “Auto” mode, it produces a moderate, constant whirring sound—similar to a quiet dishwasher or a strong hair dryer from another room. It’s perfectly acceptable to run while you’re watching TV, working, or even sleeping if you’re a light sleeper. The max power “Boost” mode is noticeably louder but still not deafening. Compared to some Roombas on max mode, it’s relatively quiet.

Maintenance: Designed for Busy People

Shark has clearly thought about reducing the “yuck factor.” The dustbin is a decent size (0.6L) and empties easily with a one-tap release. The filter is washable and reusable—just rinse with water and let dry for 24 hours. The standout feature is the self-cleaning brushroll. The rubber bristles are designed to repel hair, and while it still collects some hair around the axles, it’s dramatically less than traditional bristle brushrolls. I have two long-haired dogs, and I only need to clean the brushroll with the included tool every 2-3 weeks, not after every single run. The side brushes are also easy to pop off and clean. This low-maintenance design is a huge win.

Handling Obstacles & Getting Stuck

LiDAR navigation means it rarely gets truly stuck. It navigates around chair legs, table bases, and rug fringes with ease. Its biggest nemeses are low-hanging cords, loose rug edges that curl up, and very dark, thin table legs that its sensors may not see well. I had one instance where it nudged a charging cable under a desk and started to wind around it, but it quickly detected the entanglement and stopped. The app sent a notification, and I just went in, untangled it, and sent it on its way. For 95% of homes with typical clutter, it will be very autonomous.

How It Stacks Up: The Competition Context

At its price point (often on sale for $250-$350), the R87’s main competitors are mid-range models from Roborock, Ecovacs, and older Roombas. Compared to a Roomba 694 (random navigation, no mapping), the R87 is in a different universe. The mapping and room-select feature alone make it vastly superior. Against a Roborock E4 (also LiDAR), the R87’s mopping is less advanced (E4 has a vibrating mop too, but Roborock’s app and mapping are often cited as more polished). However, the R87 frequently wins on price. It also compares well to the Ecovacs Deebot N79, offering better navigation and a more capable app. The trade-off is that premium models like the Roomba j7+ or Roborock S7 MaxV offer self-emptying bases, better obstacle avoidance (AI cameras), and superior mopping (vibrating + scrubbing). If you want a fully automated, hands-off system for years, those are worth the splurge. If you want a brilliant, self-sufficient cleaner you empty yourself once a week, the R87 is the value king.

The Verdict: Who Is the Shark Ion Robot R87 For?

After a month of rigorous testing, the answer is clear: the Shark Ion Robot R87 is an outstanding choice for a huge swath of buyers. It’s perfect for the first-time robot vacuum buyer who wants to experience smart navigation without the premium cost. It’s ideal for pet owners dealing with daily shedding, thanks to its strong suction and anti-hair wrap brushroll. It’s a fantastic pick for busy families and professionals who want to schedule cleanings and delegate the daily floor work. It works wonderfully in apartments, condos, and single-story homes up to about 2,000 square feet (its battery life is around 90-120 minutes per charge, and it will recharge and resume if needed on a mapped home).

It’s not the bot for someone with a massive, multi-level mansion with complex furniture layouts who needs the absolute most advanced keep-out zone controls or a self-emptying base. It’s also not for those with primarily high-pile, shag carpeting. But for the vast majority of homes with a mix of hard floors and low-to-medium pile carpet, the Shark Ion Robot R87 delivers a cleaning experience that feels premium while costing a fraction of the price. It represents a shift in the market, proving that smart, effective navigation is no longer a luxury feature. In a crowded field, it’s the smart buy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Shark Ion Robot R87 good for pet hair?

Yes, absolutely. Its dual brushroll system and strong suction are specifically effective at lifting embedded pet hair from carpets and sweeping it from hard floors. The self-cleaning brushroll design also significantly reduces hair wrap, making maintenance easier for pet owners.

Can the R87 clean multiple floors or an entire large home?

It can clean multiple floors, but you must carry it between floors and place its charging base on each level. The map is saved per charging base location. For a large, single-level home (up to ~2,000 sq ft), it will recharge and resume automatically if it finishes a cleaning with low battery. For very large homes, a single charge cycle might not cover everything, but it will continue where it left off after recharging.

How loud is the Shark Ion Robot R87?

It operates at a moderate noise level, comparable to a standard dishwasher or a quiet conversation. On its standard “Auto” mode, it’s unobtrusive enough to run while you’re home, watching TV, or working. The “Boost” mode is louder but not excessively so.

Does it work with Alexa or Google Home?

Yes. The Shark app integrates with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. You can use voice commands to start, stop, pause, or send the robot back to its charging base. You can also ask for the cleaning status.

What’s the difference between the R87 and more expensive Shark models?

The main differences lie in navigation hardware and mopping. The R87 uses LiDAR, which is excellent. Higher-end Shark models like the R95 or AI Ultra may offer additional AI-based obstacle avoidance (to avoid cords, pet waste), a self-emptying dustbin base, or a more advanced mopping system with scrubbing action. The R87’s mopping is a simple vibrating pad.

How often do I need to clean the brushes and empty the bin?

This depends heavily on your home. With pets, you should check and clean the brushroll with the included tool every 2-3 weeks. Empty the dustbin after every run or every other run for best performance. The filter should be rinsed with water monthly and replaced every 3-6 months. The side brushes can be wiped clean as needed.