It is easy to see the allure of robot vacuums. It can clean while you do more important things, and it can reach areas that your upright vacuum cannot. The demand for affordable yet powerful robot vacuums has been increasing as more and more people now want one for their home.
Two of the best names in the robot vacuum space are Roomba and Neato. Out of the many models that these two brands have, two of the better-matched are the Neato Botvac D3 Connected and the Roomba 890.
Main Differences Between Neato Botvac D3 Connected vs Roomba 890
The Main Differences Between Neato Botvac D3 Connected vs Roomba 890 are:
- Neato Botvac D3 Connected has a “D Shape” that’s great for corners, whereas Roomba 890 has side brushes to clean the edges of walls.
- Neato Botvac D3 Connected features a SpinFlow technology, whereas Roomba 890 comes with AeroForce cleaning technology.
- Neato Botvac D3 Connected has a laser eye that scans the floor plan, whereas Roomba 890 has an iAdapt navigation system.
- Neato Botvac D3 Connected automatically goes back to its charging station, whereas Roomba 890 is capable of finding dirtier areas.
Neato Botvac D3 Connected
The Neato Botvac D3 Connected (read my full review here!) is one of the brand’s Connected Series robot vacuums. The Connected Series has always proved very popular with users, having an average rating of 4.5 out of 5.0 stars on Amazon.com.
The robot vacuum has a suggested retail price, but you can buy it for less (For the latest prices and discounts, check here) from Amazon.
The basics
The Neato Botvac D3 measures 13.2 inches in length, 12.6 inches in width, and 3.9 inches in height. With its extra-wide brush taking up most of its width, you can be sure that the robot vacuum covers more floor area in one pass.
It weighs 7.5 pounds, making it easy to carry the robot vacuum from one room to another or take up a flight of stairs.
It connects to your Wi-Fi network and has a mobile app that you could use to control the robot vacuum. You can start, stop, or pause the cleaning. The mobile app also allows you to see if the robot vacuum is still cleaning or is already done.
It also allows you to check the battery’s charge status and get maintenance alerts for your Neato. You can access these features on a compatible smartwatch as well.
Moreover, you can create cleaning schedules using the mobile app.
The Neato Botvac D3 runs on a lithium-ion battery, giving you longer run times than the nickel metal hydride batteries used in older robot vacuums. Neato Botvac D3 has a run time of 1.5 to 2 hours. The battery needs around two to three hours to fully charge.
Cleaning technology
The Neato Botvac D3 Connected has a laser eye that scans the floor before cleaning. It can then build a map of the entire floor, which includes any furniture, fixtures, and other obstacles inside the room.
The Botvac D3 then cleans in straight lines, going from one end to the other. Doing such, the Botvac D3 is able to cover your entire floor without missing a spot. If you have a big room, the Botvac D3 Connected will break it up into sections of 15 feet square.
It will then clean one section completely before moving on to the next. If the robot vacuum runs out of battery in the middle of cleaning, it will automatically go back to its charging station and will automatically resume cleaning after charging, until all the sections have been cleaned.
The Botvac D3 also features Neato’s proprietary SpinFlow technology, which makes use of a powerful vacuum suction and combo brush. The combo brush, which uses both blades and bristles, is ideal for those who have pets at home.
It can easily pick up stubborn dirt but can work quietly. Using drop sensors, it is able to avoid stairs and other steep drops, protecting itself from falling off and getting damaged.
What’s in the box?
Every Neato Botvac D3 Connected package includes:
- Wi-Fi Enabled Robot Vacuum
- Charging base
- Power cord
- Combo brush
- Standard filter
What could be better
The Neato Botvac D3 does not include boundary markers that could keep it just inside the room you want it to clean or that could keep it out of rooms you do not want it to enter. Also, while the Neato Botvac D3 has a companion app, it only lets you do the basics.
This is unlike the Neato Botvac D7 Connected’s mobile app, which lets you manually drive the robot and gives you a lot of important information such as the robot vacuum’s cleaning history, cleaning summary, coverage map, and a Find Me feature.
You can also use the mobile app to tell the Botvac D7 to give an area a more thorough clean.
Furthermore, the Botvac D3 does not have side brushes, which are used for a thorough cleaning of wall edges and baseboards. The Botvac D3 also uses the standard filter, which is not as effective as the high-performance and ultra-performance filters when it comes to trapping dirt in the dustbin.
Roomba 890
The Roomba 890 (read my full review here!) is one of the four Wi-Fi connected robot vacuums that iRobot is currently offering on their site. It costs a decent amount and gives you a robot vacuum that you can control on your smartphone or via voice commands.
As part of the manufacturer’s Series 800 robots, the Roomba 890 has the AeroForce cleaning technology that makes use of brushless debris extractors, side brushes, and a powerful suction. It has several sensors that keep it from bumping into a variety of obstacles and from falling off stairs.
The navigation technology also allows the Roomba 890 to find its way around your house, even cleaning the nooks and crannies. The Roomba 890 also has optical and acoustic sensors that allow it to find dirtier areas of your floor and give it special attention.
This means that the Roomba 890 finds the areas where there are higher amounts of dust, dirt, and pet hair, and cleans these areas longer than normal.
The mobile app allows you to operate your Roomba 890 even when you are out of the house. You can also use voice commands to operate the robot vacuum. What’s more, you can check on your robot vacuum’s status and see whether it has completed its cleaning, or whether you need to empty the dustbin.
You can also create cleaning schedules for your Roomba 890 on the mobile app.
Which is the better buy?
It would not be an exaggeration to say that other robot vacuum manufacturers would need to beat the lines of devices from both Neato and iRobot if they want to be known as the best in the robot vacuum space. When you have to choose between these two robot vacuum brands, it is certainly not an easy task.
Which of the Neato Botvac D3 Connected and the Roomba 890 is worth your money? Here are some guidelines:
If you are looking to save money, then the Neato Botvac D3 Connected is the one for you. The Botvac D3 Connected is cheaper than the Roomba 890. When it comes to cleaning technology, you might find that it is a draw between these two devices.
The Roomba 890’s iAdapt navigation can be very thorough and will comprehensively clean your floors without missing a spot. On the other hand, the Botvac D3 also follows a meticulous cleaning pattern with its map-based navigation. Even the lack of side brushes can be a bit contentious.
The Roomba 890 features a side brush to ensure that the wall edges, baseboards, and furniture legs are clean. With its round shape, the Roomba 890 would not be able to thoroughly clean edges without the side brush.
Meanwhile, the Botvac D3 has a D shape that allows it to get closer to the wall edges, so it might not be a problem that it does not have a side brush.
Furthermore, the Roomba 890 uses the debris extractor. It does not have brush bristles that can tangle with pet and human hair, or that could easily get dirty and dusty. In short, the Roomba 890’s rubber debris extractor requires less maintenance and encounters no tangles.
On the other hand, the Botvac D3 Connected uses both rubber blades and brush bristles, which can agitate deep-seated dirt better than the all-rubber debris extractor. However, because it does have brush bristles, it is more prone to tangling and thus requires more maintenance than the Roomba 890.
So for the cleaning aspects of both robot vacuums, it is more or less a tie between the Roomba 890 and the Neato Botvac D3 Connected.
Moreover, both devices connect to your Wi-Fi network and allow you to control your robot vacuum with a smartphone. You can also use voice commands with Amazon Alexa speakers or Google Assistant for both.
What’s more, you can create schedules that would tell these robot vacuums to start cleaning at the appointed time. Both devices feature a lithium ion battery.
Choose a Roomba 890 if these features matter to you
The Roomba 890 wins in terms of the filter used and the navigation control. With the Roomba 890, you have a high-efficiency filter that can easily trap smaller particles, which would have been recycled back into the air if you used the standard filter found on the Botvac.
The Roomba 890 also ships with dual-mode virtual wall barriers. The Botvac D3 Connected works with boundary markers but you have to pay extra for that. If you take this into consideration, then the price difference between these two robot vacuums would narrow down.
A 13-foot boundary marker sells on Amazon, while the dual-mode virtual wall barrier costs a bit more.
That will bring the price of the Roomba 890 down or hike up the Botvac’s price. Lastly, the Roomba 890’s height is 0.3 inches lower than that of the Botvac D3 Connected, which means that it can go under more furniture with lower clearance.
How does the Roomba 890 compare to other robotic vacuums?
Choose a Neato Botvac D3 Connected if these features matter to you
There are some things that the Neato Botvac D3 Connected does better than the Roomba 890. While both devices automatically find their way back to their own respective charging docks when the battery runs low, only the Botvac D3 Connected automatically resumes cleaning after it charges fully.
The Roomba 890 stays in its dock until you restart it yourself. This means that only the Botvac D3 is able to independently clean one entire level of your house, even if you live in a big home.
Another plus point for the Botvac D3 Connected is its support for IFTTT recipes, which allows it to connect with more devices and services.
Frequently the Asked Questions:
What are the D3 Robot Vacuum Cleaning Options?
The Neato D3 Robot Vacuum comes with 4 different cleaning modes, so you can choose which one goes better with the results you want to see. The 4 modes are:
- Spot Cleaning: The robot will clean a specific spot.
- Eco / Turbo Mode: This is the quieter mode. The robot cleans for a longer period of time with stronger suction.
- Scheduled Cleaning: It is a cleaning mission you scheduled before, and the Robot starts by itself when it’s time.
- House Cleaning: The robot cleans the entire space.
Which Features Does the Neato Botvac D3 App Have?
The Neato app comes with a Coverage Map, a Cleaning History, a No-Go Lines setup and an Extra Care Navigation feature.
Does iRobot have a trade-in program?
The iRobot has a trade-up program for those who already have an original Roomba. By purchasing a Discovery, a Scheduler or a Sage in their store, you can receive a 30% discount.
Side by side comparison
| Â | Neato Botvac D3 Connected | Roomba 890 |
| Price | (For the latest prices and discounts, check here) | (For the latest prices and discounts, check here) |
| Shape | D-shaped | Round |
| Dimensions (W x L x H, inches) | 12.6 x 13.2 x 3.9 | 13.9 x 13.9 x 3.6 |
| Weight | 7.5 | 8.4 |
| Connects to your Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Navigation | Map-based navigation | iAdapt navigation |
| Vacuuming technology | SpinFlow | Aeroforce |
| Scheduling | Yes | Yes |
| Spot clean | Yes | Yes |
| Side brush | No | Yes |
| Auto recharge | Yes | Yes |
| Auto resume | Yes | No |
| Entire level cleaning | Yes | No |
| Brush type | Combo Brush | Debris extractor |
| Filter type | Standard Filter | High efficiency filter |
| Control Panel on robot | Yes | Yes |
| Navigation control | Boundary markers (not included) | Dual mode virtual wall barrier |
| Remote control | Yes | Yes |
| Lithium ion battery | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Amazon Alexa | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Google Home | Yes | Yes |
| IFTTT | Yes | No |
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