Shark ION 720 vs. 750

When most people think of smart vacuums, their mind instantly goes to Roomba. These vacuums have been around for years at this point and are definitely the most recognizable brand of smart robot cleaner, but what if you want something a little less expensive? The Shark ION 720 and 750 represent budget friendly options for smart vacuuming, and share many of the same features.

The differences when comparing the Shark ION 720 vs. 750 are minimal, and mainly come down to the fact that the 750 supports a WiFi connection while the 720 does not.

These vacuums do not feature the same intelligence as Roomba vacuums such as Memory-Mapping or Charge and Resume, but they will get your floors clean without breaking the bank.

Below we break down the similarities and differences to help give you a sense of what each model has to offer. Read on for a detailed breakdown of all the features, or use the navigation bar to jump to the section that interests you most.

Shark ION 720 vs. 750 — Differences

  • Difference #1: Remote Control – The primary difference when comparing the Shark ION robot 720 vs. 750 is the way that you control the vacuum.

    The 720 uses a remote control, while the 750 uses the Shark ION Robot app on your iPhone or Android smartphone. This app allows you to schedule or start cleaning from anywhere you can get online, and you can find it easily by searching for “SharkClean” in the App Store.

    When you open the app, you’ll see two tabs: Robot and Scheduling. The Robot tab is the main way that you’ll control your Shark ION, as it lets you pause or resume cleaning, direct it back towards its dock, or prompt it to start spot cleaning mode in a specific area.

    To expand on the spot cleaning, when you activate this mode, your Shark ION will start cleaning in a spiral pattern in a specific area until the floor is clean. It’s the perfect option for when a specific area needs a little extra attention to pick up all the dust and debris.

    One thing to keep in mind is that the features between the remote control and the Shark ION Robot app are essentially the same, they are just different methods of controlling the vacuum. The main advantage that the 750’s app has over the 720’s remote control is that you can easily control your ION from anywhere with a WiFi connection while the 720 requires you to be in range with the remote.

    • Difference #2: Voice Control – Since the 750 features a WiFi connection and the 720 doesn’t, it able to offer useful features like Voice Control through Google Assistant or the Shark skill for Amazon Alexa.

      Controlling your smart vacuum with your voice is incredibly easy, and is quite useful for starting manual cleaning sessions, calling for a spot clean, or making schedule adjustments — all without pulling out your phone.


    Shark ION 720 vs. 750 — Things in Common

    Shark ION 750 - Extra - 01

    • Smart Sensor Navigation – Like most smart vacuums, the ION 720 and 750 take advantage of smart sensor navigation in order to effortlessly more around your home. These proximity sensors allow the vacuums to assess and adapt to surrounding obstacles. Part of the appeal of a smart vacuum is being able to take a hands-off approach to cleaning, and while you’ll still need to pay attention to your Shark ION in order to empty it after cleanings, you should generally be able to let it handle the actual vacuuming completely on its own.

    • Low-profile design – One advantage that these Shark ION vacuums have over traditional models is the fact that they have such a low profile design. Both models have dimensions of 12.4 L x 12.6 W x 3.5 H which should allow them to easily glide under furniture. Dust and debris accumulates over time underneath various surfaces, so it’s nice to have a robot cleaner that can easily get into the various nooks and crannies around your home and provide an excellent clean.

    • Detangling Technology – While most of us try to keep a room that is relatively free of obstacles, the fact of the matter is that sometimes our vacuums will get caught on cords, string, fibers, or even just pet hair. Both the 720 and 750 are built with detangling technology that makes these clogs a thing of the past. It’s not a completely perfect system, but you should rarely run into issues where you have to manually pull hair out of the brushroll.

    • Performance Brushroll – While some vacuums like the high-end Roombas have completely replaced traditional brushes, the Shark ION models instead chose to take a traditional brush and improve upon it. The 720 and 750 are built with helix-pattern high-tensile bristles that are perfect for thorough pickup on both carpets and hard floors. The brushroll is also self-cleaning, and is designed to easily pick up short and long hair, dust, dander, and even allergens to keep your floors as clean as possible. All in all, the Shark models manage to update outdated brushrolls into efficient and modern cleaning solutions with very few downsides.

    • Easy-Empty Dust Bin – Unfortunately, you’ll have to deal with emptying the dustbin on your Shark vacuums from time to time. It is, however, a relatively simple process due to the easy-access dustbin that easily detaches from the side. When it comes time to empty out the dust and debris, you should be able to do so effortlessly and without creating a mess.

    • Lithium-Ion Battery – Many vacuums — including some of the lower-end Roomba models — use outdated battery technology that doesn’t last very long and takes a long while to recharge. The Shark Ion and 720 and 750 use Lithium-Ion batteries, however, which are some of the most efficient batteries on the market. You’ll get over an hour of cleaning time from a single charge, and as soon as your robot recognizes that it needs to recharge it will head back to its dock automatically to wait until the next cleaning session.

      For the price, the runtime of the 720 and 750 is really quite good, and it should be more than sufficient for cleaning at least a few rooms.

    • BotBoundary™ Strips – While it might be convenient to give your Shark ION free rein of your home, there are bound to be areas where you’d like to block off access. Whether that’s a particularly cluttered area or perhaps a part of the room with fragile objects, it’s nice to have a solution that will steer your Shark ION away from any potential issues. The way that this brand approaches that problem is through BotBoundary Strips.

      BotBoundary Strips are brown strips that are included with your robot, and they are used to easily block off zones that you’d like your vacuum to avoid. Whether that’s an area filled with power cords that might cause tangles, or even just furniture with a particularly low clearance, these strips represent an excellent solution to keeping your Shark cleaning efficiently and out of trouble.

      Setting up the BotBoundary strips is pretty easy, although it’s a little bit higher maintenance than the Virtual Wall Barrier system that the Roomba family offers. To get your boundaries set up, simply cut the strip to the desired length (at least 18” long) so it can cover the entire perimeter of an object or span the length of a doorway you’d like your Shark ION to avoid.

      For the best results, make sure the strips are lying flat on the floor. The included connectors make it simple to customize the setup of your strips in order to efficiently make the various shapes you need to block off objects.

      It’s certainly a little bit of a process to get everything installed, but once you have the strips laid out you shouldn’t really have to worry about your ION going into forbidden territory.

      And if you’re looking for easier ways to restrict access to certain areas, check out our take on Shark ION Robot 750 vs. iRobot Roomba 690.


    Shark ION 720 vs. 750 — Comparison Chart

    Shark ION 720 Shark ION 750
    Smart Sensor Navigation Yes Yes
    Low-profile design Yes Yes
    Detangling Technology Yes Yes
    Performance Brushroll Yes Yes
    Easy-Empty Dust Bin Yes Yes
    Lithium-Ion Battery Yes Yes
    Remote Control IR Remote Control Smartphone App
    Voice Control No Google Assistant Amazon Alexa
    Weight 6.6 lbs. 6.6 lbs.
    Dust bin capacity (quarts) 0.45 0.45
    Filter type Non-washable filter Non-washable filter
    Dimensions 12.4″ x 12.6″ x 3.5″ 12.4″ x 12.6″ x 3.5″
    BotBoundary™ Strips Yes Yes

    Shark ION 720 vs. 750 — Accessories

    Shark ION - Accessories - 01

    All you really need for your Shark ION 720 or 750 is the vacuum itself, but there are some accessories that make managing your vacuum or maintaining it for years to come a little bit more convenient.

    As far as maintenance goes, you may want to invest in replacement Side Brushes or perhaps a Pre-Motor Filter. While your Shark ION should run efficiently for quite some time, daily cleanings can take their toll on your vacuum over the course of months or years. Having extra brushes or filters on hand will make it much easier to swap in a fresh piece of equipment when it’s needed — ensuring that your robot vacuum doesn’t spend too long out of commission.

    Outside of that, the other accessory worth mentioning are extra boundary markers. While you’ll have enough strips to get things started in the package itself, it’s pretty inexpensive to buy some extra strips in order to block off extra areas or entryways. It might be easier to get things started with competitor Roomba’s wall barriers, but there’s no denying that the boundary strips are extremely affordable for the Shark ION 720 and 750.


    Shark ION 720 vs. 750 — Our Thoughts

    Shark ION 720 - Extra - 02

    It’s easy to see from the small differences section that there isn’t aren’t too many upgrades when comparing the Shark ION robot 750 vs. 720. Overall, they both provide the same efficient clean and the actual vacuuming portion of these Shark models is functionally identical.

    Where the Shark ION 750 starts to pull ahead, however, is in its WiFi connectivity. The app and voice control that this model offers may not be a dealbreaker, but when you consider that the price difference between the two vacuums is actually pretty small, we don’t see a reason not to buy the 750.

    If the most affordable vacuum is your top priority, the Shark ION 720 will suit your needs just fine. For a small amount extra, however, you can control your vacuum from anywhere and enjoy being a little bit lazier by letting Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant do the work.


    Last update on 2024-03-28 at 17:06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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