Roomba 105 Vac vs Shark Navigator AV2120: Which Budget LiDAR Robot?
Short answer: The Shark Navigator AV2120, for most homes. Owners rate its cleaning higher and its brushroll fights hair wrap. Choose the Roomba 105 Vac only if a self-emptying dock matters more than pickup.
Roomba 105 Vac + AutoEmpty
4.1★ · 33,232 ratings
- You want a bagged self-empty dock rated for up to 75 days
- You already use the Roomba Home app or other iRobot gear
- Your floors are mostly hard surfaces with little long hair
Shark Navigator AV2120
4.2★ · 5,701 ratings
- You have carpet and a shedding pet
- You don't mind emptying a 0.52 qt bin after most runs
- You want the robot owners rate higher on cleaning: 75% positive
On paper these two look like twins. Both are vacuum-only, both carry a household name, and both now use LiDAR to map your home and clean in tidy rows. They even rank close together on Amazon. Look at what owners say, though, and they split along one line: the Roomba has the better dock, and the Shark has the better vacuum.
Side by side
| Roomba 105 Vac + AutoEmpty | Shark Navigator AV2120 | |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation | ClearView LiDAR | SmartPath spot LiDAR |
| Dock | Bagged self-empty, up to 75 days | Charging base only |
| Robot height | 4.1 in | 4.6 in |
| Claimed runtime | 200 min | 120 min |
| Obstacle avoidance | No | Yes (listed) |
| Amazon rating | 4.1★ from 33,232 | 4.2★ from 5,701 |
The deciding difference: what ends up in the bin
Owner numbers favor the Shark. Of 544 cleaning-performance mentions, 75% are positive. The Roomba sits at 65% of 1,402, and its listing summary is full of people saying it tidies rather than deep-cleans.
Independent results point the same way for pet owners. Vacuum Wars measured the Roomba 105 Vac collecting only 29% of flattened pet hair from carpet, far below the 81% average it reports. In its long-hair test, 79% of strands wrapped around the brush. Shark sells the AV2120 on its self-cleaning, anti-hair-wrap brushroll, and owners do keep mentioning pet hair as a strength. We couldn’t find a lab test of this exact Shark model, so treat that as owner sentiment, not a measurement.
Where the Roomba wins
The dock. Dumping a bin after every run gets old fast, and the Roomba’s bagged AutoEmpty base means you mostly forget about dust for weeks. Vacuum Wars also found its LiDAR covered ground slightly faster than average, 0.74 m² per minute.
The trouble is getting back to that dock. 84% of the Roomba’s 774 battery mentions are negative, and a lot of them describe the robot dying in the middle of a room. Vacuum Wars also notes it has no obstacle avoidance, so socks and charging cables need picking up first.
Where the Shark stumbles
It gets stuck. About 68% of the 157 comments on getting stuck are complaints, often about furniture bases. Reliability is worse still, with 214 of 269 mentions negative and a recurring story of units quitting around nine months. Register it for warranty on day one.
Our pick
Get the Shark Navigator AV2120 if clean floors matter more than convenience, especially with carpet and a pet. Get the Roomba 105 Vac if the self-empty dock is the point and your floors are mostly bare.
One more thing to weigh: iRobot went through Chapter 11 in late 2025 with its manufacturer Picea taking over. The company said the app and support would carry on, and Roombas still work. Just know who’s behind the app you’re relying on.
Where they differ
| Spec | Roomba 105 Vac + AutoEmpty | Shark Navigator AV2120 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon rating | 4.1★ (33,232) | 4.2★ (5,701) |
| Navigation | ClearView LiDAR | SmartPath spot LiDAR, row-by-row |
| Self-empty | Bagged dock, up to 75 days (claimed) | — |
| Runtime | Up to 200 min (claimed) | Up to 120 min |
| Robot height | 4.1 in | 4.6 in |
| Cleaning path | 5.8 in | — |
| Control | Roomba Home app, Alexa, Siri, Google | — |
| Obstacle avoidance | — | Yes |
| Brushroll | — | Self-cleaning, anti-hair-wrap |
| Dustbin | — | 0.52 qt |
| Dock | — | Charging base only (no self-empty) |
| Price | Check price | Check price |
What owners say about the Roomba 105 Vac + AutoEmpty
Topics mentioned most in Amazon reviews, split into positive and negative mentions. Snapshot taken October 28, 2026.
Owners are split on whether it cleans deeply or just tidies up, and slightly more call it poor value than good value. Battery and docking are the big complaint: 84% of battery mentions are negative, many saying the robot fails to make it back to its dock to charge.
What owners say about the Shark Navigator AV2120
Topics mentioned most in Amazon reviews, split into positive and negative mentions. Snapshot taken October 28, 2026.
Owners say it picks up pet hair and dirt well and is easy to get running. The worries are longevity and furniture: 80% of reliability mentions are negative, with several units dying around nine months, and two in three comments about getting stuck are complaints.
FAQ
Does the Shark Navigator AV2120 empty itself?
No. The AV2120 comes with a plain charging base and a 0.52 qt onboard bin. If you want a self-emptying dock, check the exact model number and what's in the box before you buy.
Why does my Roomba 105 not go back to its dock?
It's the most common complaint on the listing: 652 of 774 battery mentions are negative, many about the robot dying away from the dock. Keep the dock in an open spot with clear space on both sides and in front, and keep the charging contacts clean.
Will Roomba keep working after iRobot's bankruptcy?
iRobot filed for Chapter 11 in December 2025 in a deal for its manufacturer Picea to buy the company, and said it expected no disruption to the app or support. That was a company statement, not a guarantee about the long run.
Does either robot mop?
Neither. Both are vacuum-only. If you want mopping, look at the Roborock Qrevo S Pro or a budget vacuum-mop like the Tikom G8000 Max.
Ready to buy?
- Roomba 105 Vac + AutoEmpty4.1★ · 33,232 ratingsCheck price on Amazon
- Our pickShark Navigator AV21204.2★ · 5,701 ratingsCheck price on Amazon
Prices and stock change often, so the button shows today’s price on Amazon.com.
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How we put this together
We compared manufacturer specs and Amazon listing details, read the patterns in Amazon owner reviews (we refresh this snapshot regularly), and scored each product with our published rubric. We have not tested these units hands-on. When we do, the page will say so. Prices change constantly, so we link to the live price instead of quoting one.
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