The Neato Botvac D7 is an expensive but smart and high-quality robot vacuum.
It’s loaded with most advanced features like laser navigation, interactive cleaning maps, simple and intuitive mobile app, impressive battery life, class-leading integration with third-party smart home devices and exceptional cleaning performance justifies the expensive price tag.
In this Neato Botvac D7 review, I am going to explain the pros, cons and features of this high-end vacuum.
Let’s get started…
Neato BotVac D7 Review
Table of Contents
Let’s review the design, performance, features, pros and cons.
Design of Neato BotVac D7 Connected
The D7 has D shape like Neato’s signature that resembles all other Botvac connected robots making it an ideal machine for tight spaces.
A major difference from the BotVac D5 robot vacuum is its new metallic finish which is resistant to dust and scratches.
Unlike the previous model with two LED indicators, the D7 comes with four LED indicator buttons which help to get feedback during cleaning sessions allowing you to view the Wi-Fi status, battery level and cleaning modes.
The D7 measures around 3.9 by 13.2 by 12.7 inches (HWD). There’s a circular turret top that contains laser navigation system and enables a 360-degree view of your home adds up the extra height. This little increment makes it taller than the iRobot Roomba 960 (3.6 inches), making it impossible to fit under low-clearance furniture.
The dustbin is very small and located at the top of the vacuum and requires a bit struggle to remove and replace.
Flip the vacuum and there are two main threads, two smaller wheels, a roller brush, and a small spin brush.
For the accessories, there is a charging dock, a typical assortment of spare brushes, filters, and a cleaning tool. You can prohibit the areas for vacuum by applying a two-meter magnetic strip as a physical boundary marker. But you can also set the boundaries in the app.
App and Setup
It’s easy to set up the vacuum. Everything comes pre-assembled and no need to attach the brushes or parts physically. You only need a Neato app for Android or iOS. From here, you’ll be guided through the process of pairing the vacuum with your Wi-Fi network either it’s 5GHz or 2.4GHz connection.
This application has been redesigned and now it’s more user-friendly and intuitive.
You will see only two things on the main screen the name of your machine and the current status. There’s a battery indicator that is located at the bottom left and upon touching it shows how much power is left.
Below that, there’s a start button. To the bottom right is a small square grid that stores everything related to cleaning history with detailed maps and statistics of the past 20 cleaning sessions. There’s also one more button that brings up a screen for cleaning options.
Cleaning options or cleaning modes are of different types: House, Spot, and Manual cleaning modes. With the house mode, you have the option to choose Eco and Turbo cleaning profiles-the former is a quieter, longer-lasting run, while the Turbo is more powerful.
You can also get Extra Care navigation that comes with the default mode. With the spot mode, you can specify certain areas for cleaning.
From the main screen, there is a three-bar icon located at the top left that allows you to access scheduling plus a newly added feature called My Floor Plan.
Either set the boundary with the aforementioned magnetic boundary tape or use No Go lines in the app.
After an initial diagnostic run, their machine will be able to map every corner of your home. After this, you can save your floor plan and specify the No Go area by drawing red lines for indication. But these lines work only when you start the cleaning sessions using a smartphone application.
If you have shag carpet then you can choose your best vacuum for shag carpet and if you have hard floors then you can choose best vacuum for hardwood floors.
Performance
In Home mode, the D7 moves back forth and navigates around the obstacles without touching them. It can perform on any surface either it’s hardwood, carpet, or tile without any trouble.
It also reliably returns back to the docking station where many infrared-based vacuums often struggle or fail. If by chance the D7 gets stuck, use your app and steer it, and you won’t be able to see this feature in the Roomba 960. (Steering is also useful for pinpointing a concentrated mess.)
The D7 delivers enough cleaning power to suck up every single pet hairs, dirt particles, and other debris from any type of surface with aplomb. Its suction power is on par with the Roomba 960, but it’s not powerful like the Dyson 360 Eye even in Max mode. However, Dyson 360 Eye can only last for 45 minutes while running in Max mode and about 70 minutes in normal mode. Similarly, the D7 managed to last for 130 minutes.
That said, it’s ideal for large homes or big messes where multiple passes are required. The small dustbin will require emptying more often before a cleaning session ends.
When it comes to noise, no one is quiet except the Eufy Robovac 11, the D7 is loud enough that it can awake the sleeping dog even from the opposite end of the apartment. You might not be able to watch TV in the same room that where the vacuum is operating, or you’ll need to crank up the volume.
D7 is one step ahead of the vacuum that uses Amazon Alexa. The D7 allows you to use Google Assistant and supports If This Then That (IFTTT) recipes allowing you to set particular conditions. For instance, a recipe that turns the vacuum on immediately as your connected garage door opener closes. You can also use the vacuum with Apple Watch.
Comparison
The Neato Botvac D7 is hefty. But, it’s precise navigational abilities, long battery life, interactive cleaning maps, dual-band Wi-Fi support, and third-party integrations are worthy of each penny. These features take the robot vacuum cleaning to next level.
In comparison with other machines, the Roomba 960 is $100 cheaper that lacks phone steering, incompatible with 5GHz Wi-Fi, and requires physical beacons to designate no-go zones.
Now you can guess what makes the D7 a high-end robot vacuum.
However, if you are looking to spend less and are willing to give up most of the bells and whistles then the Eufy Robovac 11 is the best affordable option.
- Excellent navigation and impressive battery
- App-based virtual boundaries
- Compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
- No-go lines are easy and effective.
- Easy to setup and assemble
- Attractive and low-profile
- Detailed, interactive Deep cleaning
- Quieter than Roomba 980
- Struggles reaching back to home.
- Cleaning the brush is gross and pain.
Neato Botvac D7Robot Vacuum Review (Updated Now) lists features, functions, pros, cons, and other options of this vacuum cleaner to help you make a good decision.
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