Botvac D6 vs D7: Which One Will You Like More?

Neato might not be as well known as some other robot vacuum manufacturer’s we’ve reviewed, but they’re no spring daisy, either. They bring quality products to the table with excellent features.

All of Neato’s Botvac sport a signature D shape, helping them to tackle corners and edges with more efficiency. The D6 and D7 are just two of the Botvacs that Neato offers. They both have dimensions of 13.2” x 12.5” x 3.9” with a weight of 8 pounds. Despite these similarities, they do have some differences. Here’s a rundown of what you can expect.

Botvac D6

The Botvac D6 (read my full review here!) can clean corners with the best of them and comes with some feature upgrades that weren’t on previous versions of the D-series vacuums.

Design

The short, wide profile of the Botvac D6 means it can maneuver under furniture, ensuring a comprehensive clean, but it can struggle some in tight spaces like between chair legs. The primary benefit to the D6 is its enhanced brush. The larger size can life more pet hair and dirt than other models. It’s also easy to remove in case you need to clean it. Neato also provides a cleaning tool, making it easy to cut things out of it.

The side brush sweeps in dirt and debris from the side and pulls in dust from edges and corner. It places them right in the path of the D6 so it can easily suck them up. Equipped with an Ultra Performance Filter, the D6 can eliminate allergens from the air. The smartphone app will tell you when it’s time to replace the filter so even people with severe allergies can use this robot vacuum easily.

Operations

The D6 can clean your entire house at the push of a button. The button on top of the unit will start or stop a cleaning cycle. The unit will avoid obstacles and stairs with built-in sensors. If you double-tap the same button, you can begin a spot clean, where the vacuum focuses on a small area to clean thoroughly. This feature comes in handy when you need to clean up a messy spill.

Wi-Fi connectivity gives you an enhanced, hands-free experience. The Botvac D6 is easy to connect, and you can even connect more than one vacuum to the Neato app, which means you can have a vacuum on each level and monitor them all in unison.

The Botvac D6 can learn the landscape of your home and create floor plans, making it even easier for you to create custom maps and cleaning schedules. Store up to three maps at a time and then set your vacuum out from its docking station to clean according to whichever map you choose.

After saving your maps, you can mark No Go areas on the map using your finger to tell your vacuum which areas are off limits. If you don’t want to create No Go areas using the smartphone app, you can use the boundary tape included in your package to physically mark these areas.

You can only use maps and No Go areas by beginning a cleaning cycle from the docking station where you first programmed the map. If your docking station has moved, either move it back or save a new map so that your vacuum can use it.

If your D6 gets disconnected from the map or lost, it will explore on its own, cleaning as it goes. It will avoid anything in the way using lasers that helps it navigate, even working in the dark.

The Turbo cleaning mode on the Botvac D6 includes a faster brush speed and more powerful suction to clean stubborn areas. The Eco mode included with the D6 is very quiet, but less efficient, and is best used for routine and scheduled cleanings.

If you schedule cleanings to happen while you’re away, the vacuum won’t be in your way and you can count on a clean floor when you return. You can start and stop one-time cleanings from the mobile app from anywhere, so you can also clean outside of the normal routine.

Flooring Types

Your Botvac D6 runs like a champ on all flooring types. It cleans corners and edges extremely well. It can even dig deep for those tiny particles like flour, sugar, and sprinkles to clean the biggest messes in the house.

Your D6 won’t have any problem with routine cleanings since it’s such a powerhorse. Even though large messes don’t happen every day, you have the peace of mind you need knowing that your robot vacuum can handle any tough jobs you put in front of it.

Usability

Because the Botvac D6 works with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and IFTTT, you can use your voice to tell it what to do or set up automatic events. This makes it super easy to use and improves the automation that it already comes with out of the box.

Use IFTTT to trigger vacuum actions based on calendar events or the time of day. You can set up your D6 to clean when you leave the house by setting up an event based on your GPS location. Pause your cleaning cycle when the phone rings or send your vacuum back home when you walk in the door. The options with IFTTT are endless.

The Botvac D6 has superior mapping technology and laser navigation. It can see in the dark and its Gentle Navigation properties allow it to gracefully avoid obstacles with care. You can trust the D6 to protect fragile objects and you can manually change the sensitivity as needed.

You may need to pull out chairs from under the kitchen table in order for the D6 to navigate efficiently. Its wide base makes it difficult to fit in tight spaces at times, but it can climb from hardwood to carpet and back easily and the drop sensor prevents it from falling down stairs.

Maintenance

Your Botvac D6 needs attention, just like any other household appliance. You should take care to clean it regularly and make sure it’s running as it should. The maintenance required will depend on how often you use it or how messy your house is. Neato provides manufacturer recommendations that give you guidelines on replacement frequencies.

Battery and Runtime

The Botvac D6 lasts longer in Eco mode than in Turbo cleaning mode with up to 120 minutes of runtime. When the battery is low, it will return to the charging station and then start cleaning where it left off when it’s done. Charging time is about 150 minutes.

Overall Value

The Botvac D6 is one of the most attractive options from Neato, as well as many other manufacturers, because of the increased technology features. It costs quite a bit more than other Neato models, but you definitely get what you pay for when it comes to cleaning power and usability.

Botvac D6 Pros:

• Wi-Fi

• Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT connectivity

• Mapping

• Navigation

• Smartphone app

• Save up to three maps

• Laser navigation for night vision

• Mark off-limits areas

Botvac D6 Cons:

• May have trouble with some obstacles

• To use maps, docking station needs to be where the map was created

• Could be too tall for some low profile furniture

Botvac D6 Verdict

Everything you need comes with the Botvac D6. It features multiple cleaning modes, efficiency on many floor types, state-of-the-art technology, and a smartphone app with several integrations. You can also set up maps and cleaning schedules. With a powerful and flexible clean, plus connectivity and suction, the D6 is an excellent buy.

Botvac D7

The Botvac D7 (read my full review here!) is a step above the D6, which is already pretty great. It’s hard to believe it gets more advanced, but it does. The D7 is the most expensive model that Neato offers, so read on to find out why.

Design and Features

The signature D-shape of all Botvac robot vacuums is present on the D7 as well. This smart vacuum comes with scheduled cleanings, digital memory mapping, advanced navigation, wireless connectivity, a two-hour runtime, and the ability to return to the charging station in the middle of a cleaning cycle.

The D7 also features No Go lines, so you can create digital boundaries using your finger and the floor plans created with the mobile app. This makes it easy to section off parts of your home where you don’t want the D7 to go.

You can also use a variety of methods with which to start and stop cleaning cycles. Press the button on the top of the unit, use voice control with Amazon Alexa or Google Home, use the remote control, or open the smartphone app.

Cleaning Method and Performance

The full-width brush roll allows the D7 to clean a wider path and the small brush on the side sweeps extra debris into the path of the suction so it creates a more thorough clean. Its digital memory mapping comes from the built-in camera on top, enabling the unit to clean in straight lines more efficiently than bouncing off in random directions.

Using maps on the smartphone app, you can see exactly where your vacuum has been and find trouble spots. Once you find these trouble spots, you can use the Zone Clean feature, which is unique to the D7, enabling you to prioritize certain areas on the map into your regular cleaning cycles.

In conjunction with No Go lines, your vacuum is even smarter and has the tools it needs to provide an efficient, powerful, dedicated clean with less battery power than other models.

Size and Dimensions

The size of the D7 is as we expected at 12.5 inches deep, 13.2 inches wide, and 3.9 inches tall. The brush roll extends to 10.9 inches and the entire unit weighs 8 pounds.

Parts and Accessories

The Botvac D7 provides all of the parts and accessories you need for daily operation. It includes a spiral combo brush roll, a spinning brush, a filter, boundary strips, and a cleaning brush.

The spinning brush catches dirt from corners and edges, pushing them in front of the vacuum for the suction to remove. The spiral brush loosens dirt from underneath the vacuum and sucks it up in the dustbin.

The unit comes with boundary strips so you can manually block off certain areas of your home if you choose not to use the No Go lines on the app. The filter is a high-performance filter only contained on advanced Botvac models.

Usability and Setup

Once you connect and setup your Botvac D7, it’s a snap to use. It only has a few parts, which means less maintenance on your part and fewer moving pieces to understand.

Controls

When all else fails, you can use the buttons on the top of the unit to control it. If you connect your vacuum to Wi-Fi and integrate it with your smart home assistant, you can use Amazon Alexa or Google home to tell it what to do.

Mobile Application

It’s easy to download the Neato app from the Google Play store or the Apple store. Just launch the app and create an account. It will walk you through an on-screen guide to connect the D7 to your home network. Once that’s done, you can control it using your smartphone or your voice.

Cleaning Cycles

Simply use the mobile application to use No Go lines or create custom cleaning cycles. Use the backup boundary strips in the case that you can’t or don’t want to use the app. Enforce Zone Clean to hone in on trouble spots and save multiple maps for different areas of your home. Schedule routine cleanings and one-time cleanings all from within the application.

Botvac D7 Pros:

• Advanced mapping features

• No Go lines give you the ability to tell the unit where not to go

• Two-hour runtime

• Mobile application works with both iOS and Android

• Works with Google Home and Amazon Alexa

• Variety of control methods including physical buttons, voice control, and mobile app

• Boundary marker included to physically mark where you don’t want the D7 to clean

Botvac D7 Cons:

• High price tag

• D style body does not allow for tight turns

Botvac D7 Verdict

With Zone Clean, 5G W-Fi, and a manual remote, the D7 offers even more features than the D6, but also comes at a higher price. It gives you a hands-free experience and a thorough clean. If you want to most advanced technology, complete customization, and the ability to control your robot vacuum like a remote control car, then the D7 is the robot vacuum for you.

Comparison Chart

These two robot vacuums offer lots of features and capabilities. Let’s see how they stand up to one another in a side-by-side comparison chart.

Conclusion

Both the D6 and the D7 have multiple cleaning modes, powerful suction, and advanced technology for a superior experience. While the D7 is more expensive, it offers a more powerful Wi-Fi connection, a manual remote control, and Zone Clean features.

However, for the technology the D6 offers, it still exceeds many of the robot vacuums currently on the market today. Both have digital mapping, No Go lines, ledge detection, and many other features that give you the usability you need. They both come from a quality manufacturer and are durable and robust.

Further read:

• Botvac D7 vs Shark Ion 750