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Robovations
Robovations™
Robot Autonomy, Classified
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Comparison · 2 robots

iRobot Roomba 980 · Shark ION Robot 750

All robot vacuums. Every measure below is plotted against the full class, so a difference can be read against how much the class itself varies.

  1. iRobot Roomba 980
  2. Shark ION Robot 750
iRobot

iRobot Roomba 980

Autonomy
II Assisted Autonomy
Score
60/100 Capable
Readiness
Overhyped
Price
$899list
Shark

Shark ION Robot 750

Autonomy
II Assisted Autonomy
Score
55/100 Capable
Readiness
Ready Now
Price
$349list

Up to three

01 Classification

What each one does on its own.

The Autonomy Ladder is the same five rungs for every robot on the site. A rung describes the conditions a robot handles without you, not how good it is.

V
Generalized
Any task, any setting
IV
Environmental
Handles new obstacles without help
III
Conditional
Finishes familiar jobs on its own
II
Assisted
Runs preset routines, needs rescue
iRobot Roomba 980Shark ION Robot 750
I
Manual
One action, on command
02 Assessment

Where they actually differ.

The Robovations Score is nine inputs across three pillars, each weighted as shown and each scored so that more is better. A robot can lead on one and trail on another, which is the point of showing them apart. Cost of ownership and data handling are reported on each robot's own page and are never averaged into the score.

Capability

Task completion16% of score
Does it finish the job it is sold to do, unattended
  • iRobot Roomba 98065
  • Shark ION Robot 75045
18median 72 across 354 scored robots100
Coverage and navigation10% of score
Does it work the whole area, and hold that between runs
  • iRobot Roomba 98050
  • Shark ION Robot 75025
15median 70 across 344 scored robots100
Edge-case recovery10% of score
Does it recover from the failures its category presents
  • iRobot Roomba 98050
  • Shark ION Robot 75053
18median 50 across 261 scored robots100
Operating envelope4% of score
How far conditions can vary before performance drops
  • iRobot Roomba 98075
  • Shark ION Robot 75035
25median 70 across 320 scored robots100

Dependability

Field failure rate16% of score
Documented hardware failures per owner-year
  • iRobot Roomba 98088
  • Shark ION Robot 75085
6median 70 across 344 scored robots100
Software stability14% of score
Whether updates fix more than they break
  • iRobot Roomba 98065
  • Shark ION Robot 75082
15median 65 across 275 scored robots100
Support longevity10% of score
Committed parts, service and updates, with dates
  • iRobot Roomba 98058
  • Shark ION Robot 75040
0median 63 across 354 scored robots100

Ownership burden

Routine maintenance12% of score
Hands-on time it asks for in normal operation
  • iRobot Roomba 98040
  • Shark ION Robot 75043
22median 68 across 355 scored robots100
Consumables8% of score
Parts that must be bought to keep it working
  • iRobot Roomba 98038
  • Shark ION Robot 75083
30median 69 across 354 scored robots100
03 Measured against the class

How far apart is a long way?

A number only means something next to the spread it sits in. Each track below is the real range across every classified robot in the class, with the median marked.

Price193 with a published figure
  • iRobot Roomba 980$899
  • Shark ION Robot 750$349
$129.99median $699.99$1,799
Runtime168 with a published figure
  • iRobot Roomba 980120 min
  • Shark ION Robot 75060 min
60 minmedian 180 min360 min
Charge time150 with a published figure
  • iRobot Roomba 980120 min
  • Shark ION Robot 750300 min
90 minmedian 240 min420 min
Noise148 with a published figure
  • iRobot Roomba 98067 dB
  • Shark ION Robot 75064 dB
43 dBmedian 67 dB80 dB
Weight171 with a published figure
  • iRobot Roomba 9808.7 lbs
  • Shark ION Robot 7505.1 lbs
3.3 lbsmedian 8.2 lbs36.4 lbs
Height189 with a published figure
  • iRobot Roomba 9803.6 in
  • Shark ION Robot 7502.6 in
2.6 inmedian 3.8 in21.4 in

Not compared, because fewer than two of these robots carry a published figure: Suction.

04 Ownership

What the numbers leave out.

The trade-off

What each design gives up to be good at what it is good at.

iRobot Roomba 980

The 980 was flagship-priced at launch ($899) but delivered Level II performance; it did not adapt to novel obstacles or multi-floor layout changes.

Hardware reliability is exceptional for 2015, but software obsolescence is complete and irreversible.

Shark ION Robot 750

App scheduling and voice control arrived early for the price tier, but navigation is sensor-reactive, so coverage is approximate and cleaning order is not controllable.

Who each one is wrong for

Stated by the record itself. A robot being wrong for a household is a fact about fit, not a fault.

iRobot Roomba 980
Homes that want room-by-room cleaning or app-drawn boundaries
The 980 rebuilds its map on every run and saves nothing. Without a stored floor plan there is no room selection, no zone cleaning and no keep-out area drawn in the app; boundaries are set with the physical Dual Mode Virtual Wall barriers that ship in the box.
Homes wanting mapping reliability comparable to 2021+ models
vSLAM mapping is capable but discarded at the end of every run. Later robots hold the layout between sessions and route against a known floor plan instead of rediscovering it, whether they map with a camera like the Roomba j7+ or with LiDAR like the Roborock S7.
Owners buying for daily use or long-term investment
A used unit is likely running its original brushes, filter and battery. The replacements are current retail items rather than salvage, so the parts are easy to get; the question is whether a full refresh is worth paying for on a chassis this old.
Shark ION Robot 750
Homes needing room-targeted or zoned cleaning
With no mapping, the 750 cannot clean specific rooms or honor virtual zones; physical BotBoundary strips are the only containment tool.
Users wanting multi-floor persistence without manual intervention
The 750 stores no map on any floor, so there is nothing to save, switch or resume. Each run is an independent random pass over whatever the robot reaches.
Owners prioritizing hands-off maintenance
No self-emptying dock; manual bin emptying required every 2-3 sessions in typical homes.
Homes with thick or high-pile carpet and heavy pet shedding
Shark publishes no suction rating for the ION 750, so there is no manufacturer figure to compare it against other machines on. Owner reports document clumping on deep carpet with pet hair.
Owners wanting the latest firmware support
Shark has moved focus to newer ION models; older firmware updates are infrequent.

What stays your job

The upkeep ownership hands back to you, whatever the autonomy level says.

iRobot Roomba 980
  • Weekly: Empty dustbin if full; clean bumper sensors (no cost).
  • Monthly: Clean or replace filter, depending on condition (~$15 if new filter purchased).
  • Every 3-6 months: Inspect camera lens and clean if dusty; check brush bristle density.
  • Every 6-12 months: Deep clean vSLAM camera module and calibration window (no cost).
  • Annually: Replace brush assembly if bristles are sparse (~$40 if available).
Shark ION Robot 750
  • Weekly: Empty dust bin; check primary brush for hair tangles.
  • Monthly: Wipe sensor windows with a soft cloth; clean wheel undercarriage.
  • Every 3-6 months: Inspect charging dock contacts and clean with dry cloth.
  • Annually: Replace primary brush (~$30); replace secondary side brush (~$15).
  • As needed: Reposition BotBoundary strips when the furniture layout changes; there is no map to update.
05 Evidence

How much each of these is standing on.

Classifications rest on different depths of evidence. A pre-release assessment and a verified one are not the same kind of claim.

Evidence behind each classification
Robot Evidence status Sources reviewed Last assessed
iRobot Roomba 980 Discontinued 11 Aug 2026
Shark ION Robot 750 Discontinued 6 Aug 2026

Robovations classifies robots; it does not rank them. Nothing on this page is a recommendation, and no manufacturer influences a classification or its placement here.