ThermaCharged PowerDetect
3 independent reviewsRead the findings →Shark's vacuum and mop with a heated dock that washes the mop in hot water and dries it. It vacuums very well on carpet and hard floors. It leaves floors wet, though, and its app is basic.
Updated
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Where it sits in Shark’s range
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What reviewers found
Three tests: Vacuum Wars bought one and measured it against the NeverTouch Pro, Tom's Guide used the US model at home, and Woman & Home lived with the UK model for a month. All three rate the vacuuming and the hands-off dock. They split on navigation, where the two home testers were happier than the lab, and on water: Vacuum Wars measured unusually wet floors and Tom's Guide noticed them too. Woman & Home had no complaints at all.
Vacuum Wars, lab test, Jan 2026 · Tom's Guide, hands-on, Feb 2026 · Woman & Home, hands-on, 1 month at home, Nov 2025 (tested on the AV2910XEUKWH)
Hard floors
Reviewers rate it highlyVacuum Wars found debris pickup excellent on hard floors, and Tom's Guide rated its hard-floor cleaning excellent, though the edge air jets sometimes blew debris the wrong way.
Carpet and rugs
Reviewers rate it highlyVacuum Wars rated its carpet deep-cleaning on par with the best it has tested, and Tom's Guide found carpets felt fresh with no visible debris after a full clean.
Pet hair
Reviewers rate it highlyVacuum Wars measured above-average pet-hair pickup, and Woman & Home cleared hair in one to three passes with nothing tangled on the roller.
Mopping
Mixed resultsIt cleans well but leaves floors wet. Tom's Guide saw muddy paw prints go, but floors took about 30 minutes to dry, and Vacuum Wars measured one of the highest water outputs it has recorded, risking streaks.
Navigation and obstacles
Mixed resultsWoman & Home never saw it collide or get stuck, and Tom's Guide found mapping quick though it sometimes got lost finding its dock. Vacuum Wars rated its avoidance below average and saw it refuse a 25mm threshold.
Dock and upkeep
Reviewers rate it highlyTom's Guide found the NeverTouch dock made it a largely hands-off cleaner, and Vacuum Wars called its warm-air mop drying genuinely useful. Expect a weekly filter check, per Woman & Home.
App and software
Mixed resultsTom's Guide found it easy to set up and use for schedules, but missed a trace of where the robot had been. Vacuum Wars calls Shark's app the weakest in the industry, with no multi-floor or live map.
Noise
Not enough evidenceOnly Tom's Guide judged noise, finding the hot-water mop wash quite loud but the 30-minute drying cycle just a low hum.
Reliability and support
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use ran it long-term or judged Shark's support yet.
Value
Mixed resultsTom's Guide found the price hefty next to cheaper rivals with similar features, though you pay for a robot that looks after itself. Vacuum Wars thinks the cheaper NeverTouch Pro is the better buy.
Verdicts come from independent, hands-on, finished reviews. An area needs at least two of them before we say more than “Not enough evidence”. We don't score robots ourselves. How this works
Very good at vacuuming
Vacuum Wars found debris pickup excellent on hard floors and carpet, measured about 90% of embedded sand removed from carpet, and saw above-average pet-hair pickup. Tom's Guide said its carpets felt fresh with no visible debris after a full clean, though the air jets meant to clear edges sometimes blew debris the wrong way. Woman & Home needed one to three passes to clear flour, granola and hair, with no tangles on the roller.
Mops well, leaves it wet
All three liked the cleaning: Tom's Guide saw muddy paw and shoe prints go, and Woman & Home found dull fireplace tiles sparkling. The trouble is water. Vacuum Wars measured nearly 5g of water per test square, the second-highest it has recorded, which risks streaks, and it couldn't turn the flow down in the app. Tom's Guide also found floors needed about 30 minutes to dry, though it says its app did let it adjust water flow. Check which app version you get.
A heated dock that looks after itself
The dock washes the mop in hot water and dries it with warm air, which Vacuum Wars calls genuinely useful and missing from the cheaper NeverTouch Pro. Tom's Guide liked that the robot attaches and removes its own mop pad, but found the dock's short power cable limited where it could go, and the hot wash loud. Woman & Home notes the dock must sit on hard floor, and suggests checking the robot's filter weekly.
Navigation: home tests beat the lab
Woman & Home watched it go under sofas, through chair legs and over unforgiving thresholds without once colliding or getting stuck. Tom's Guide found mapping quick and accurate but saw the robot occasionally get lost looking for its dock. Vacuum Wars rated its obstacle avoidance below average, though better than the NeverTouch Pro's, and found it wouldn't attempt a 25mm threshold. Different homes and test courses may explain the gap.
A simple app, for better or worse
Vacuum Wars calls Shark's app the weakest in the industry: schedules and barriers, but no multi-floor maps, no live map and no cleaning routes. Tom's Guide found it easy to set up and use, and liked setting schedules, but missed a trace of where the robot had been and a choice of how many passes to make. Woman & Home says the real convenience, such as scheduling and no-go zones, lives in the app.
Vacuum Wars and Tom's Guide tested the US version; Woman & Home tested the UK model (AV2910XEUKWH).
Our take
Should you buy the ThermaCharged PowerDetect?
Best for: Homes with carpet and hard floors on a single level. Skip it if: Your wooden floors need very little water when mopped.
buy it for a single-level home with carpet and hard floors if you want strong vacuuming and a dock that washes and dries the mop, and you can live with damp floors. Vacuum Wars would rather you bought the cheaper PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro 2-in-1.
Shark's dock washes the mop in water at 85°C, dries it with hot air, empties the robot into a bagless bin and refills its water tank. The robot has no camera, and finds its way with a laser map and a 3D obstacle sensor lit by an LED. It lifts itself over doorway thresholds and keeps the mop off rugs.
Vacuum Wars found pickup excellent on hard floors and carpet, and Tom's Guide said carpets felt fresh with no visible debris after a full clean. Mopping cleans well but leaves floors wet: Vacuum Wars measured one of the highest water outputs it has recorded and could not turn the flow down, and Tom's Guide found floors took about half an hour to dry. Navigation split them, as Woman & Home never saw it collide or get stuck while Vacuum Wars rated its avoidance below average. Vacuum Wars calls Shark's app the weakest in the industry, with no multi-floor maps, and thinks the cheaper NeverTouch Pro is the better buy.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Will it avoid cables and pet mess?
It avoids bigger things better than it recognises small ones. Vacuum Wars rated its avoidance below average and it uses a 3D sensor rather than a camera, while Woman & Home never saw it collide with anything. Pick up cables and don't leave it with pet accidents.
Can it cross rugs and raised thresholds between rooms?
Rugs are fine: it leaves the mop in the dock for vacuum-only runs and lifts it over carpet, per Tom's Guide. Doorway thresholds are less certain. Woman & Home saw it cross unforgiving thresholds, but Vacuum Wars found it wouldn't try a 25mm one.
Will it leave my floors wet?
Yes, for a while. Tom's Guide let floors dry for about 30 minutes after mopping, and Vacuum Wars measured one of the highest water outputs it has seen. On old or unsealed wood, that's a real concern.
How big is the dock, and is it loud?
The dock measures about 46 x 44 x 36cm, per Tom's Guide, and needs to sit on hard floor, per Woman & Home. Tom's Guide found its short power cable limited placement, the hot-water wash loud and the drying a low hum lasting about 30 minutes.
How often do I have to empty or refill anything?
Shark says the base holds up to 60 days of dirt and refills the robot for up to 30 days, per the specifications. Woman & Home still recommends lifting off the mop and cleaning the filter weekly.
Does it map more than one floor?
No. Vacuum Wars found the app has no multi-level mapping, and Woman & Home says it works best in single-level homes or dedicated rooms. Carrying it between floors means remapping.
Alternatives
Other robot vacuums to compare.
PowerDetect UV Reveal 2-in-1
Why consider it: Shark's top model is excellent on hard floors, and its UV light finds sticky spots for the mop to go back to.
The compromise: It's also heavy on water, and the app is just as basic.
DEEBOT X11 OmniCyclone
Why consider it: Another bagless dock, with a self-rinsing roller mop; hard floors and hair went well in testing.
The compromise: Emptying its bin and its early navigation were messier than testers wanted.
Qrevo S Pro
Why consider it: A dock that washes spinning mops in hot water, and it's easy to set up and good with everyday dirt.
The compromise: It runs over small clutter and can't leave its mops behind for carpet.
ThermaCharged PowerDetect head to head
Head to head
Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro 2-in-1 vs ThermaCharged PowerDetect
Our verdict: Vacuum Wars tested both side by side and preferred the cheaper NeverTouch Pro, which cleaned slightly better and used about half the water. Pick the ThermaCharged only if you want the hot-water mop wash, heated drying and its better obstacle avoidance.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
Owner reviews
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Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Editorial reviews
- Vacuum Wars: Shark PowerDetect ThermaCharged vs PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro ↗Lab test
- Tom's Guide: Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 ThermaCharged NeverTouch review ↗4 / 5Hands-on
- Woman & Home: Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect Wet & Dry Robot Vacuum review ↗4.5 / 5Hands-on, 1 month at home · Tested on the AV2910XEUKWH
Sources
Videos
- Search YouTube for Shark ThermaCharged PowerDetect ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.