Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the Shark Matrix Plus cost?

The Shark Matrix Plus typically costs around $300 to $350, and it often goes on sale for less.

Does the Shark Matrix Plus have self-emptying?

Yes, it has a self-emptying base that holds dirt for up to about 30 days, so you only need to empty the bag once a month.

Can the Shark Matrix Plus handle pet hair?

Yes, in real-world testing it picks up pet hair well, along with cereal crumbs and dust bunnies, making it good for moderate-shedding pets.

What type of floors does the Shark Matrix Plus work best on?

It works well on hard floors and low-to-medium pile carpets, but it struggles on thick or shag rugs.

You Don’t Need to Spend a Fortune to Get a Smart Robot Vacuum

Look, I’ve owned more robot vacuums than I care to admit. When you have a seven-year-old who drops Goldfish crackers like she’s seeding a lawn, and a shedding dog that could knit a second dog every week, you learn pretty fast which features matter and which are just marketing fluff. So when I heard about the Shark Matrix Plus coming in under $350, I was skeptical. Could a robot vacuum at that price actually handle our chaos? Short answer: yes. Long answer: it depends on your floors and your expectations. Sparkles named this one “Sharky” because she insists the robot has a personality. It dodges her stuffed animals better than her dad does, she says. She’s not wrong.

Shark Matrix Plus at a Glance

  • Price: Typically around $300–$350, often on sale for less
  • Type: Self-emptying robot vacuum (bin capacity about 30 days)
  • Navigation: LiDAR + Matrix Clean pattern (back-and-forth rows)
  • Suction: Claims 2500Pa (in real-world testing, it picks up cereal, pet hair, and dust bunnies well)
  • App: SharkClean app with room mapping, no-go zones, schedules
  • Battery: Roughly 120 minutes runtime per charge, recharges and resumes
  • Compatible with: Alexa, Google Assistant
  • Dimensions: Standard 12.8-inch diameter, 3.5-inch height (fits under most furniture)

Who This Robot Vacuum Is Actually For

This isn’t a “set it and forget it” miracle machine for mansions. The Shark Matrix Plus is for parents like me — busy people with a mix of hard floors and low-to-medium pile carpets who need daily maintenance without breaking the bank. It’s especially good if you have a pet that sheds moderately, because the self-emptying base means you don’t have to empty the bin every day. We use it mostly on our kitchen tile and living room area rug. It handles the Goldfish apocalypse and the dog fur tumbleweeds without complaint. If you have high-pile shag rugs or giant door thresholds, you might want to look at a pricier model. But for the price? It’s a workhorse.

Pros and Cons From a Dad Who Actually Lives With ItWhat I Like (The Pros)

  • Self-emptying is a game changer. The base holds dirt for weeks. I empty the bag once a month. No daily dust clouds.
  • Navigation is smarter than I expected. The LiDAR mapping is fast and accurate. It rarely gets stuck on power cords or shoes — something my older Roomba couldn’t manage.
  • Matrix Clean mode does what it says. Instead of bouncing around randomly, it goes row by row. It actually finishes an area before moving on. The floors look cleaned, not just “touched by a robot.”
  • Good suction for the price. It picks up cereal crumbs, pet hair, and sand without scattering them.
  • App is simple to use. I’m not a tech wizard, but I set up no-go zones around the dog bowl and Sparkles’ toy corner in under five minutes.
  • Quiet enough to run while kids are watching TV. It’s not silent, but it’s not a jet engine either.What Drives Me Crazy (The Cons)
  • It struggles on thick carpets. On our medium-pile rug, it cleans fine. But on the high-pile shag in the guest room (yes, I tested it there), the suction drops and it sometimes stops with an error. Stick to hard floors or low pile.
  • Mapping is great, but occasional glitches happen. Once a month it might “lose” a room and re-map, which resets my no-go zones. Annoying, not the end of the world.
  • Can’t handle tall thresholds. Our bathroom door has a 0.6-inch threshold. Sharky gets stuck half the time. You can use the app to set a no-go zone for that area, but then you just have to sweep that room manually.
  • No mopping on this budget model. The Matrix Plus is vacuum-only. If you need mopping, you have to step up to a pricier version. For me it’s fine — I still use a Swiffer for spills.
  • App sometimes takes a few seconds to load. Not a deal breaker, but when you’re in a hurry, it feels slow.

Real-World Testing: What Actually Happened

First week, I let it run every day while we were out. When I got home, the floors looked good — not mop-and-bucket clean, but visibly less crumbly. Sparkles tested it by deliberately dropping a handful of Cheerios. Sharky went over them twice and got most of them. The ones that were crushed? A few left behind, but any robot vac struggles with crushed cereal. The self-emptying base did its job, though I did have to clean the brush roll of hair once a month (that’s normal for any robot with pets).

One thing that impressed me: the Matrix Clean pattern avoids the classic “missed a spot” that random-bounce bots create. It covers the room in neat rows, overlapping slightly. I watched it go around a pair of sneakers — it didn’t just bump into them and give up. It maneuvered around and kept cleaning. That level of navigation used to cost $600. Now it’s under $350.

The Verdict: Is It Worth Buying?

Yes — if you have hard floors or low-pile carpets and you’re tired of vacuuming every day. The Shark Matrix Plus cleans reliably, empties itself, and doesn’t force you to babysit it. It’s not perfect for deep shag or houses with lots of tall thresholds, but for the vast majority of families living on a budget, it’s one of the best values right now. You can find it regularly for $299–$349. Compare that to a Roomba j7+ that costs $600. For half the price, you get 90% of the same convenience.

Skip it if: you need mopping, have exclusively thick carpets, or you’re the type who wants every single feature for the lowest price. But if you’re a parent who just wants fewer crumbs on the floor so you can get through the day without gritting your teeth when you walk barefoot, this is the robot for you. Sparkles approved. “Sharky is my friend,” she says. And that’s really all the review you need.