Neato XV-11 Review: Neato’s First Robotic Vacuum

The XV-11 was the first robotic vacuum cleaner built by Neato to challenge Roomba for market dominance in the robot vacuum niche.

Neato has come a long way since the XV-11 and is now technology so improved that it’s a viable option versus the Roomba. You can check out the latest Botvac series robotic vacuums which now have better navigation, longer run times and better cleaning performance.

In many ways it was doing things differently than Roomba, first it uses a laser scanner to draw a 360 degree angle of the room which is why you will notice that the video reviews will take about 10 seconds or so before it moves forward.

And unlike the Roomba, which primarily uses a brush to pick up dirt, the XV-11 uses suction that’s enhanced by a single silicone extractor.

Related:

• What is the difference between Neato and Roomba?
• Compare Neato BotVac – Watch the latest and best Neato robots

Positives

• It has a more predictable pattern
• You won’t bump into things like Roomba
• Good suction for a robot vacuum (claimed to have the best suction)
• Upgradable Firmware
• The silicone whisking bar does not require as much cleaning
• The dirt cup is hermetically sealed which makes it less messy and this prevents dust from seeping into the engine

Negatives

• annoying
• Do not clean edges or corners
• No HEPA filtration
• No remote control

What do you expect from the Neato XV-11?

In terms of features, this is similar to the newer XV-21, the difference being that it does not have a HEPA filter and a pet hair brush. Surprisingly, the XV-21 is $30 cheaper on Amazon!

Although there is no pet hair brush, it can still remove pet hair. Other features include.

• The patented RPS or room positioning system is used to plan the room and potential obstacles
• It starts with cleaning the perimeter before cleaning the interior with straight, predictable lines
• It features the most powerful vacuum engine on the market that uses centrifugal force similar to that of a jet engine
• Can clean various surfaces such as hard floors, carpets and rugs
• It returns to its charging base once the battery charge is low or cleaning is finished
• Programmable to clean alone once a day, 7 times a week

Full specifications can be found here.

Mobility

Like all Neato vacuums, the XV-11 uses a laser mounted on top to map the room before moving an inch forward.

This allows the robot to learn about potential obstacles and also determines the perimeter and location of entrances. It has a cliff sensor to prevent it from falling on the stairs.

It starts by scanning the entire area or room (rotates 360 degrees to do this) and then moves toward the ocean to clean that area first before moving toward the interior to clean in a straight line back and forth.

Below is a diagram of the cleaning pattern

Collision with objects is reduced because if the laser detects something in its path rotating around it, the downside is if the object is below or above the laser’s line of sight, it will not detect it and will collide with that object.

Although it can technically clean multiple rooms, many consumers have suggested closing the door and cleaning one room at a time because it tends to get “lost” and not find the charging base once it’s out of the room.

Are you going to clean the stairs?

no.

scheduled cleaning

You can schedule this bot to clean once a day, 7 days a week.

Shipping time

Neato did not say how long this bot takes to recharge. But if you look at the reviews, consumers say that it takes from 90 minutes to a few hours.

Filter cleaning

The dirt container is located in the middle of the body and the filter is at the end of it. To access the container, simply remove the basket and then the filter.

You cannot wash the filter because it contains a paper component. Neato recommends using another vacuum cleaner to clean it occasionally.

Note that you will need to replace the filter every two to three months.

A video on how to maintain this robot…

the show length

Again, Neato doesn’t specify uptime numbers but based on reviews, expect about 45 to 90 minutes per charge.

Customer Service and Warranty

Based on consumer reviews, Neato will send out a replacement for lemons or units that fail before the one-year warranty expires.

I have read reviews where they mentioned getting 2 or even 3 replacement units in a period of months because they got defective robots.

Good to know though that this plant standby is a product and will give you your money back if you are not satisfied with the product within 30 days.

Executing floor cleaning

It excels at cleaning exposed floors like tile, wood, and linoleum because it uses a motorized brush in addition to suction to clean dirt and pet hair.

Neato claims that it also picks up big bits like pills and lint and based on reviews, many people will agree even though it would take hours to finish the whole house with several recharges along the way.

Carpet cleaning

It will do a decent job on the carpet but don’t, I repeat don’t expect a deep clean from this or else you will be disappointed.

If you want to deep clean carpet floors, use a full-size pole or tray and then use this on subsequent cycles, it will do a good job of maintenance cleanings because it does this on its own resulting in a cleaner carpet that does not need a deep cleaning as usual.

Test it on the carpet, as you’ll notice it missed a few spots…

carpets

Since it has a decent clearance it will transfer well between carpet/hard floor and carpet just be sure to remove the tassels (if any) just to make sure they don’t get sucked in and might get stuck.

Also, make sure the rugs are not slippery or the rugs are too thick or this could be a transmission issue even though consumers don’t seem to have this problem.

Pet hair removal

It doesn’t have a pet hairbrush but is still able to pick up pet hair with silicone paddle bars that are more like a squeegee than a motorized brush.

Just remember to clean hair regularly from extracting tools, especially those near the engine because pet hair tends to accumulate in that area.

Watch it in action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8yKgdCCqzY

There have also been a lot of consumer complaints at Amazon and other online stores about the XV-11 not coming home. So this companion decided to test whether this was true and built an obstacle course.

Part 2 – Seeing it in Action

Part 3 – Conclusion

RobotShop Ultimate Challenge…

product specification

Battery Type	lithium ion
charger type	charging station
Shipping time	60-90 minutes
the show length	30-60 minutes (based on reviews)
net weight (with battery)	8.6 EGP
Purchase Weight	15 million pounds
Dimensions	12.5 x 13 x 4 inches
multi room
self docking
remote control
HEPA filtration
Detecting cliff
self-control
side brush
bin full indicator
drawer cleaning
Cleaning sessions per week	7
Extra filter
containment	Uses magnetic stripe instead of a virtual wall.
brush cleaning tools	Unavailable
Accessories included	2 filters 6 feet border sign user’s Guide Quick Start Guide
Voltage	110 volts
Made in	Made in the USA or Imported
Guarantee	1 year on Android 6 months on battery

Customer Reviews

Being the first Neato product on the market, it has garnered a lot of reviews, almost a thousand.

A lot of bad reviews come from consumers who get lemon units.

You have to understand that this is one of Neato’s first bots and we expect you to have lemonade units at this “beta” stage.

The silver lining even has one or two star ratings, consumers say it did a good job of cleaning only to wear off in a few weeks.

Other complaints include the following

• RPS error – this means that the sensors are dirty. You just need to clean it.
• hung under furniture
• wheel alignment problems
• Wrap hair around a beater bar
• Not going back to home base

Positive reviews say that it has good suction power. And that it was able to absorb a large amount of dirt on various surfaces, hard floors and carpets.

It also transitions well between different types of surfaces. Just don’t forget to move wires or tassels out of the way as they can get stuck in the extractors.

Reviews from other sites

Walmart

Over 200 people have left a review and most of them are positive and would recommend it to a friend.

They gave it a high rating because they did a good job of sucking dirt and debris off the carpet and bare floors even though it wasn’t very good around corners.

They also liked that it had a predictable pattern and that it didn’t run in random motion unlike the iRobot they’ve often compared.

The complaints here were due to the lemon units that either didn’t move or had any suction at all, but they said customer service was friendly and offered to send in a replacement unit, so that was very good to hear.

Reviews from tech sites are worth reading

• XV-11 Review from Geek.com
• Engadget XV-11 Review

Where can I buy this?

You can buy this one on Amazon for $145, but it won’t come with free shipping because a third party sells it.

The best option in my opinion is to buy a newer version of Neato BotVac. These next-generation Neato bots now have WiFi and Alexa compatibility that wasn’t on the XV series. It also has the latest Li-Ion battery and SLAM to help it navigate more efficiently.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a good robot vacuum that will do its job of cleaning dirt from hard floors, rugs, and rugs, so performance isn’t the issue.

The bigger question is how long will it last? I ask this because a number of customers have complained about this breakdown within the first few months of use.

Fortunately, Neato will honor the warranty and replace any defective units.

Remember that this is a complex machine with a lot of moving parts, so maintenance is very important.

Regular cleaning of the extractor, sensors, filter, motor and everything in between will go a long way to making this last as long as possible.

Don’t expect a deep clean from this product as none of the robotic vacuums on the market have been able to do that yet.

This product is great for busy people who have little income to spend and are looking for an assistant that cleans their floors without little human intervention.

It has what they claim to be the most powerful vacuum cleaner that sucks up all kinds or dirt and debris on various surfaces indoors, however it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of other brands like iRobot or LG but there are a few hundred dollars cheaper.

Even if it doesn’t have a pet hair brush, this robot can still clean pet hair with silicone extractors. If you can’t afford the XV-21, this would be a cheaper alternative at just under $300, if you don’t mind not getting a HEPA filter.