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When it comes to robot vacuums, various brands are trying to beat Neato Botvacs and Roombas. These two have been around for quite some time and both brands usually launch robot vacuums that experts and homeowners would love.
But what if you pit one Neato Botvac model against a Roomba model? Which one would come out on top? That is what we are going to do today as we compare the Neato Botvac D7 Connected and the Roomba 690. Which one should you buy?
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Neato Botvac D7 Connected
Neato Botvac D7 Connected is the latest robot vacuum to be offered by the Newark, California-based robotics manufacturer.
The robot vacuum retains the best technologies offered by the company so far and then improved on these technologies, making it the best robot vacuum that the company has come out with so far. It has the D shape form factor, allowing it to get closer to corners and edges and to give them a more thorough clean, especially when compared to round robots that have to rely on side brushes to clean these hard-to-reach areas. In fact, the Neato Botvac D7 can easily get into 0.5 inch of the wall edges.
The D shape also allows the Botvac D7 to include a wider main brush. Each pass of the robot covers an area of 10.9 inches wide, meaning it cleans 50% more than the Roomba 690 in a single pass. This also allows it to clean the room a whole lot faster.
The Botvac D7 Connected uses the spiral combo brush, a powerful vacuum suction and a side brush to help clean your floors more thoroughly. It can clean any floor type. If your floor is dirtier than usual, you can turn on the Turbo mode for maximum pickup. If you are home and just needs your robot vacuum to do a routine cleaning, you can turn on the Eco mode for a quieter clean.
What’s more, the Botvac D7 sends all the debris, dirt and dust to the dustbin and it is kept there with the ultra performance filter that recirculates only clean air.
How does it find its way around the room? The Botvac D7 Connected uses a range of sensors that keep it from dropping off stairs or colliding into furniture and walls. It also has the LaserSmart Mapping Navigation, which can scan your floors and make a virtual map of it. The robot vacuum will use this map to create a route that it will take when cleaning. In short, the Botvac D7 can “see” the entire room, so it knows exactly where it is and where it should go next. This technology also makes it possible for you to see cleaning maps on the mobile app, so you would know where the robot has been and if it has missed certain areas.
The best feature of the Botvac D7 Connected, however, is the ability to use this same map to create no-go zones. You can tell the robot vacuum to stay only within a particular room, or not to clean a certain area, just by drawing on the virtual map with your fingers. You do not have to lay down tapes on your floor or try to figure out where to position navigation control devices. All you have to do is draw!
The Neato Botvac D7 also has the ability to find its way back to the charging dock on its own when its battery runs low. The robot vacuum will also automatically resume cleaning after charging, going back to the last place it was before it needed to charge.
What else should you know about the Neato Botvac D7 Connected?
- Best for pet hair. Neato Botvac D7 Connected is perfect for homes with pets. The robot vacuum can easily pick up dog and cat hair.
- Smart and connected. The robot vacuum works with a mobile app, so you can control it even when you are not home. It is also dual band and can connect on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands. You can also use voice commands to control your robot if you have either Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Another way to control your robot is by using the Neato Chatbot on Facebook. You can use IFTTT recipes with your robot vacuum, as well.
- Steer your robot. You can use the mobile app to steer your robot vacuum to the direction you want it to go.
What’s in the box
- The Neato Botvac D7 Connected
- Integrated charge base with power cord
- Spiral combo brush and side brush
- Ultra performance filter
- 2 meters of boundary markers
- Filter and brush cleaning tool
Read here my full review of the Neato Botvac D7 Connected!
Roomba 690
The Neato Botvac D7 Connected is among the best robot vacuums that you can buy right now, but because it is priced at $800, other people might find it very expensive. For the budget conscious, there are several more affordable alternatives to consider and one of these is the Roomba 690.
The Roomba 690 is the least expensive of Roomba’s Wi-Fi connected robot vacuums, selling only for $375. It uses the AeroForce vacuuming technology and iRobot’s patented three-stage cleaning system that uses a main brush, a side brush, and the vacuum suction to clean your floors.
Unlike the Neato Botvac, the Roomba 960 has a round form factor with a diameter of 13 inches, and a height of 3.7 inches. It uses sensors to avoid dropping from stairs and to avoid bumping into obstacles.
Read here my full review of the Roomba 690!
Comparing the Neato Botvac D7 Connected and the Roomba 690
The Roomba 690 is a capable robot vacuum that can clean your floors efficiently. It may have very basic features, but Roombas have been proven when it comes to robot vacuums. Plus, it is also Wi-Fi- connected and it costs less than half of what the Neato Botvac D7 Connected would set you back for.
Both robot vacuums allow you to operate them using voice commands with Alexa and Google Home, and they both have a companion app. Both also allow you to create cleaning schedules. And both do not have a full bin indicator that would tell you that it is to empty the dustbin.
At double the price, however, Neato Botvac D7 offers the latest technologies that you can find on any robot vacuum. It is also Wi-Fi connected, but unlike the Roomba 690 with its basic smart features, you can do more with the Botvac D7 Connected’s mobile app, including seeing a cleaning map, conveniently setting no-go zones, and manually driving your robot vacuum. And if you have a smart home, you would find that it is easier to integrate the Botvac D7 than Roomba 690. It is compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home, while also offering IFTTT compatibility.
Then there is the differences in design. You walls are essentially flat, so there is no reason why a round robot vacuum would do better at cleaning along wall edges than a flat one. Indeed, the Botvac D7 can get closer to your walls than a Romba 690. The Roomba 690, however, has a shorter profile than the Botvac D7. This means that it is able to clean more area under the furniture with low clearance underneath than the Botvac D7.
When it comes to navigation, the Botvac D7 is clearly the winner. With the laser mapping technology, it can virtually see your floors and know where it is and where to go next. The Roomba 690 would only have to rely on its cleaning patterns and then use its sensors to avoid collisions with obstacles. What’s more the Botvac D7 Connected can resume cleaning after charging. This is one feature that is missing from the Roomba 690.
Speaking of charging, the Neato Botvac D7 Connected gives you a longer running time at around 130 minutes, while the Roomba 690 only has an hour of cleaning before needing to go back to the charging base.
Side by side comparison of Neato Botvac D7 Connected and Roomba 690
| Model | Neato Botvac D7 Connected | Roomba 690 |
| Price | $799.00 (Check out the latest price here!) | $374.99 (Check out the latest price here!) |
| Dimensions (l x w x h, inches) | 12.5 x 13.2 x 3.9 | 13.0 x 13.0 x 3.7 |
| Weight (lbs.) | 7.7 | 7.8 |
| Vacuuming technology | Spinflow Power Clean | AeroForce |
| Navigation technology
| LaserSmart Mapping and Navigation | iAdapt |
| Run Time | ~130 | 60 |
| Self-Charging | Yes | Yes |
| Scheduling | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi Connected | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Room Cleaning | Yes | No |
| Recharge and Resume | Yes | No |
| Lithium ion battery | Yes | Yes |
| Clean Map Reports | Yes | No |
Final recommendations: What should you buy
There are some considerations if you want to choose the perfect robot vacuum cleaner. If you are on a tight budget, or if you have a small room that you would want to keep clean, then it would make sense to get a Roomba 690. It has basic features but it can deliver a very efficient clean.
However, if you have a large house and would love to take advantage of all the features and functionalities that the Neato Botvac D7 Connected offers, then go for it. If you do not mind the $800 price tag, then the Botvac D7 should be a great investment. Not only does it clean better than the Roomba 690, it also offers you different ways to operate your robot vacuum, while also making it convenient for you to make sure every room in the house is clean. Between these two, you will need less commitment with the Botvac D7 because you can just start it and then leave it. It will recharge on its own and then get back to cleaning when it is done.
If you want to stick to Roombas but would want to get the features you find on the Botvac D7, then get a Roomba 980. You still won’t be able to create no-go zones just by drawing on the map, though.
Read here my full review of the differences between the Roomba 980 and the Roomba 690!
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