I talked about the previous BotVac 80 and if you are wondering what the difference is between the original and this version, scroll down.
The Botvac D is a minor upgrade from the Botvac 80. Please check the BotVac Series Manual if you want to see how these variants differ.
Neato says this has an improved motor and brush which means it should have better overall performance on carpets and bare floors.
But was it performed on an equal footing?
This is what we will find out below.
Please do not confuse this with the newer BotVac Connected model.
It looks the same but Connected is about $200 more expensive. But it does come with WiFi and a lithium-ion battery, so please prepare for my review on that.
Update: Neato has had a new robotic vacuum cleaner since they introduced the D80. These are the BotVac Connected and the BotVac D7. Both have better mobility thanks to SLAM technology and have WiFi. The D7 also comes with “no-go” zones that work similar to a virtual wall.
Quick look at the features
- Similar to the original BotVac series, it comes with a side brush
- It still uses a NiCad battery which will give you approximately an hour and a half of runtime
- The laser navigation system allows you to use this even in low light situations
- It comes with two blades – a combo brush (for hair) and a spiral brush for cleaning carpets
- 7 liter capacity for dry dirt
- 1 year warranty on the robot and 6 months on the battery
Positives
- Comes with two hair brushes and a carpet
- The laser-guided navigation system allows you to use this even in low-light situations
- Large dirt capacity (0.7 liters)
- The side brushes work well for picking up dirt from the edges
- It has outperformed BotVac in terms of capturing pet hair
- Efficient Mobility
Negatives
- Slightly more expensive than the best performing BotVac
- Still using NiCad battery
- Despite the upgrades it still hasn’t outperformed its predecessor BotVac 80
- Won’t go over dark floors or carpets because the cliff sensors think these are ‘slopes’
Table of Contents
What do you expect from the Neato BotVac D80?
Before anything else, I’d like to stress that the D80 and D85 are the same machine under the hood. This means that it has the same motor, brushes and performance. The difference is mainly in the included accessories (and also depending on where you buy it).
This is also the same machine as the D75 but the D75 does not come with the carpet spiral brush.
If you buy this from Amazon, you get two brushes – the bundled brush and the spiral brush plus the filter.
You will also get a magnetic strip to mark the restricted areas.
The accessories that come in the package may vary depending on the variant.
You will notice that the filter is rated as a high performance filter but note that it is not a HEPA filter. If you want a robot with HEPA filtering, go with Roomba.
When you look at the dustbin, it’s bigger than the XV Pro.
And the great thing about it (no pun intended) is that it tells you when it’s full so you don’t have to constantly check.
Mobility
One of the things Neato has over another camera robot vacuum is that it can still maneuver even when there is little or no lighting because it uses a laser-guided system to detect obstacles and the size of the room.
While the camera needs the right amount of light to “see” the room, the laser does not. So, if you live in a house with very little natural light, you don’t need to turn on the lights to be able to navigate properly.
He does a good job at avoiding obstacles
Judging by the video reviews, you’ll do a good job of avoiding things and you won’t bump into them.
Although this drawback is that it cannot detect transparent objects. So in the case of furniture made of plastic or transparent glass, you have to stick a sheet of paper on it so that this robot can see.
Please remove obstacles
Remove any obstructions such as chairs to maximize the functionality of the robot. The more chairs you have, the higher the risk of losing the robot.
Another drawback is that it only sees at its level which means if there is a bump (such as beds or other furniture) a little higher than the laser sensor, the Neato will bump into it and possibly scratch the furniture or the robot itself.
To make this more effective, you will have to equip the room by removing any chairs, wires and obstacles (toys, rugs, etc.).
Here’s a short video from Neato on the cleaning pattern…
Floor cleaning
If you look at the CNet test, the BotVAc D85 did a fairly good job of picking up pet hair, sand, and cedar on hardwood, outperforming in terms of picking up cedar and pet hair but still underperforming against the cheaper BotVac 85.
The 880 slightly outperformed the D85 in picking up sand.
Remember that the D85 and the D80 are almost the same…
Carpet cleaning
On the carpet, it didn’t perform well against the BotVac 85, Roomba 880, Samsung VR9000, and Neato Signature Pro quartet.
It performed better at picking up rice on a medium-pile carpet versus the 880, VR9000, and Signature pro but still lower than the BotVac 80. On a low-pile carpet it performed worse than a 5.
In terms of picking up sand on low and medium carpets, it also performed worse than 5. By now you should notice that all vacuums will struggle to pick up sand on carpets and you have to use a vertical vacuum cleaner for a proper deep clean. .
Pet hair removal
If I could give you one reason to buy this, it would be for pet hair as it outperformed 4 other robot vacuums in pet hair tests (yes even the BotVac 85).
Are you going to clean the stairs?
no.
scheduled cleaning
Like all Neato robotic vacuums, you can schedule this to clean once per day for up to 7 days a week even at different times for each day of the week.
Shipping time
It will take about two hours to fully charge.
maintenance
As with all robot vacuums, you’ll need to clean four parts regularly – the motorized brush, the side brushes, the sensors, and the dirt box. It comes with a brush cleaning tool that will help you remove dirt and dust from the brush.
The bot tells you when you need to empty the container (literally). For the sensors, you will need to wipe them with a microfiber towel to keep them sharp.
the show length
Neato did not specify the exact runtime but if you were based on the reviews it would be about 60 minutes.
Guarantee
Neato backs it up with a 1 year warranty and the battery gets 6 years. If you want even more peace of mind, Amazon sells extended warranties of up to 3 years.
Product specification
| Battery Type | NiCad |
| charger type | charging station |
| Shipping time | Unavailable |
the show length  |
1 to 1.5 hours |
| Door Crossing | Unavailable |
| net weight (with battery) | 9 pounds |
| Purchase weight | 22.5 pounds |
| an offer | 13.2 inches |
| Height | 3.9 inches |
| multi room |
 |
| self docking |
|
| remote control |
 |
| HEPA filtration |
|
| Detecting cliff |
|
| self-control |
|
| Edge brushes |
|
| bin full indicator |
|
| drawer cleaning |
|
| Cleaning sessions per week |
7 |
| Extra filter | Unavailable |
| containment |
magnetic stickers |
| brush cleaning tools |
|
| What’s in the box | High performance robot vacuum cleaner
standard filter Blade Spiral Brush side brush Integrated charging base power rope border marks Brush and filter cleaning tool |
| Voltage | 110 volts |
| Made in | China |
| Price | Check Price |
Customer Reviews
This robot has a fairly high rating on Amazon, and consumers say it performed well when compared to the old Neato XV Pro and older Roombas. Against the XV, this had a larger dirt box, side brush and a quieter engine that didn’t look like a jet engine.
You know, my old Roomba used a random cleaning pattern going in random directions, but Neato doesn’t.
But there is a caveat, if you have furniture that has a reflective surface, you may want to consider covering this part with paper as it will confuse the laser sensors and the robot may bump into it. Do the same with transparent furniture.
Make sure to remove the chairs
If the room you are cleaning has a lot of chairs, please move them. So that the bot has a clear path and doesn’t get stuck (this is a common complaint).
Although this is advertised as intelligent, it is not a human who can decipher the space between legs. There is a big risk that she will stick to herself. It just depends on the sensors and the laser sensor.
Cleaning wise, did a fairly good job on carpet and hardwood
You mentioned that CNet did a thorough cleaning test on carpet and hardwood using sand, pet hair, and cedar.
Of the three, she managed to brush the pet’s hair the best but had a hard time brushing the sand.
There are some limitations to this robot that you need to know before you buy it.
First, you will have a hard time cleaning fringed carpets as the tassels will “eat” from the brush roll. Not a big deal, as you can vacuum these carpets.
Second, it will get stuck in cables or wires. So you have a lot in the room, please move them to the sides. This is a good thing because it forces you to tidy up the room.
Finally, robotic vacuums will not clean stairs, you will need either a vacuum cleaner or a hand vacuum.
Where can I buy this?
You can buy this robot on Amazon for less than $400. It’s cheaper than the Roomba 960 and 980. It will be eligible for free two-day Amazon shipping. Amazon also sells extended warranties of up to 3 years if you want that extra peace of mind.
BUY NOW FROM AMAZONto finish
Although Neato regards this as an “upgrade” over the previous BotVac, the price difference does not justify the upgrades given to it which are pretty minor to say the least.
It’s like buying an improved Camry with a better looking wheel set. It looks better but the performance will be the same but in this case it was worse at least in the CNet test.
This bot is still cheaper than the Roomba 880 and looks better than the old BotVac.
It has done well at picking up pet hair, so if you have a lot of pets at home, this should be on your short list. Other than that it would be hard to recommend this when a cheaper but better performing option is available in the BotVac 80.