Neato Robotics has been challenging iRobot’s Roomba in its quest to be recognized as the market leader in the robot vacuum space. The company has come up with a series of Wi-Fi connected robot vacuums that deliver a level of cleaning comparable to the best robot vacuums available today. While Neato opted to include similar technologies in their robot vacuums, they chose to differ when it comes to the robots’ shape: Neato is now known for its D-shaped robots.
Two of the company’s latest models are the Neato Botvac D7 Connected, launched in March 2018, and the Neato Botvac D5 Connected, which was launched even earlier.
Neato Botvac D7 Connected
The Neato Botvac D7 Connected has the familiar D shape with CornerClever technology. Because it has flat sides, the Botvac D7 can get closer to wall edges compared to round robot vacuums. In fact, it can get within half an inch of your walls. Moreover, the Botvac D7 is designed with a broader main brush, helping it clean a bigger area in a single pass. The Botvac D7 can effectively clean an area 10.9 inches wide with just one go.
With this design choice, Neato has made sure that the Botvac D7 can clean more efficiently than other robot vacuums. But the company did not stop there. They also included the SpinFlow Power Clean and the LaserSmart Mapping Navigation to help the Botvac D7 clean better than its competitors.
The SpinFlow Power Clean combines a spiral combo brush, a side brush, and a very powerful turbo vacuum suction. The brushes sweep and loosen dust and dirt up, while the turbo suction sends all of these to the dustbin. The spiral combo brush is enough to rid your floors of everyday dirt, dust, and debris, but you can opt to buy a spiral blade brush for a more thorough clean. If you live with somebody who is prone to allergies, you will appreciate the robot vacuum’s ultra performance filter. This traps the collected dust and dirt inside the dustbin.
Meanwhile, the LaserSmart Mapping Navigation makes use of lasers to scan your floors and create virtual maps of the room that the Botvac D7 will clean. The Botvac D7 will use this virtual map to plan the most efficient route that will ensure comprehensive coverage without missing a spot! Because the Botvac D7 uses lasers and not cameras, it does not need a well-lit room to work properly. Speaking of navigation, the Botvac D7 also has sensors that help it avoid obstacles and keep it from falling down steep edges like stairs.
What you would love about the Neato Botvac D7 Connected
With its broader brush and laser-assisted navigation technology, the Botvac D7 can clean your rooms faster than its competitors. What’s more, it can charge itself when the battery runs out, and then resume cleaning where it left off after charging. This means that you can leave it running on its own and let it finish cleaning an entire level of your home.
The Botvac D7 is also quite smart. It connects to the Internet using your Wi-Fi network, allowing you to control the robot vacuum in several ways:
- By using the companion mobile app.
- By issuing voice commands with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
- By using the Neato Chatbot on Facebook.
- By using IFTTT recipes.
The Neato Botvac D7 also offers a variety of cleaning modes to help you clean more efficiently. The automatic mode is suitable for everyday cleaning, while the Turbo mode is perfect if you think your floors need more attention. There is the Eco mode that allows the robot vacuum to clean quietly and extend its battery life. It also has the spot cleaning mode for cleaning smaller, dirtier areas, and the extra care mode, which tells the robot to be extra careful around furniture, vases, and other fixtures.
Furthermore, you can manually drive your Botvac D7 to where it needs to go.
The Botvac D7 can clean your floors methodically, and you can see it just by observing the robot vacuum as it does its job. If you doubt it, you can also check its cleaning route through the cleaning maps available on the mobile app.
You also have the virtual no-go lines with the Botvac D7. This means no more laying out the boundary markers to keep the robot vacuum out of specific areas or rooms. Just open the virtual map on your mobile phone and draw these no-go lines on the screen to tell the robot vacuum which areas are off limits.
The biggest plus for the Botvac D7, however, is its price. Even when it offers some features that you cannot find on other similarly priced robot vacuums, such as IFTTT compatibility and auto-resume, it costs only $698.
What’s in the box
All Botvac D7 packages come with:
- The Neato Botvac D7 Connected.
- Integrated charge base and power cord.
- Spiral combo brush.
- Side brush.
- Ultra performance filter.
- Boundary markers.
- Cleaning tools.
Neato Botvac D5 Connected
The Neato Botvac D5 Connected is a cheaper Neato Botvac model, but it has some of the features you would find in the Neato Botvac D7.
It has the same D shape that allows it to get closer to walls. It also has a three-stage cleaning system that uses a combo brush, a side brush, and a powerful suction. Moreover, it has a coverage map that allows you to see where the robot vacuum has been. The Botvac D5 is also connected like the Botvac D7.
- Laser smart technology scans and maps your entire house, cleaning in straight lines instead of a random pattern. It even lets the robot see in the dark.
- Set up virtual No-Go lines that tell your robot where not to go, So it avoids things like pet bowls and piles of toys.
- Out of bounds for robots. Set up virtual no-go lines that tell your robot where not to go, so it avoids things like pet bowls and piles of toys
- D-shape design gets into corners better than round robots.
- The main brush is up to 70% bigger than round robots making it great for capturing pet hair.
The Botvac D5 costs less than the Botvac D7. And as you can expect, there are some trade-offs for the lower price.
For instance, the Botvac D5 can only use the 2.4 GHz band to connect to your Wi-Fi. If you have a smart home, this frequency would be very crowded. The Botvac D7 is dual band and can connect to both 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz.
Both robot vacuums come with boundary markers that you can stick on your floors to keep the Botvac D5 or D7 inside a room and out of areas you do not want it to clean. The Botvac D5, however, does not have the virtual no-go lines that allow you to just draw on the map you have on your mobile phone.
The Botvac D7 Connected also comes with the Eco and Turbo modes, which you do not see on the Botvac D5. Also, you cannot manually control the D5.
Furthermore, the Botvac D5 uses the combo brush, which is perfect for every floor type, from hardwood, tiles, and others. The combo brush is very easy to maintain, clean, and remove. The spiral combo brush you see on the Botvac D7, however, is able to pick up more pet hair and dirt.
Lastly, the Neato Botvac D5 uses a high-performance filter. This filter can capture fine particles, making it efficient for trapping pet hair, dander, dust, and allergens. Meanwhile, the ultra-performance filter that the Botvac D7 uses traps even smaller particles up to 0.3 microns.
What’s in the box
- Neato Botvac D5 Connected.
- Charging base and power Cord.
- Combo brush.
- Side brush.
- Ultra performance filter.
- Boundary markers.
- Cleaning tools.
Side-by-side comparison: Neato Botvac D7 Connected vs. Neato Botvac D5 Connected
| Model | Neato Botvac D5 Connected | Neato D7 Connected |
| D-Shape with CornerClever | Yes | Yes |
| Dimensions (L x W x H, inches)Â | 13.2 x 12.6 x 3.9Â | 12.5 x 13.2 x 3.9Â |
| SpinFlow power clean | Yes | Yes |
| LaserSmart navigation | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi connected | 2.4 GHz | 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz |
| No-go lines | No | Yes |
| Main brush | Combo brush | Spiral combo brush |
| Side brush | Yes | Yes |
| Filter used | High-efficiency filter | Ultra performance filter |
| Battery runtime | 90 minutes | 120 minutes |
Final recommendations: Neato Botvac D7 Connected vs. Neato Botvac D5 Connected
The Neato Botvac D5 Connected robot vacuum is an efficient cleaner with the same cleaning and navigation technology and the Wi-Fi connectivity you find on the Botvac D7. Even their dimensions are somewhat similar. But the Botvac D5 is a whole lot more affordable.
The Neato Botvac D5 loses out against the Botvac D7 when it comes to the small things. The Botvac D7 Connected is dual-band, with a better main brush and filter than the Botvac D5. The Botvac D7 also has a longer run time of 120 minutes. Furthermore, it has the virtual no-go lines.
The Neato Botvac D7 is an excellent choice for those who have bigger rooms to clean. While the Botvac D5 is able to resume cleaning after charging, its short runtime makes it ideal for rooms with an area of only up to 4,500 square meters.
Needless to say, the Neato Botvac D5 is a good option for those who are looking for a budget robot vacuum without sacrificing its cleaning capacity. The Botvac D5 is also a better choice when it comes to availability because the Botvac D7’s is somewhat unpredictable. Sometimes, you can find a seller on Amazon selling the Botvac D7, and sometimes you can’t. There are times when Neato Robotics’ seller page on Amazon does not include the Botvac D7.
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