8.2.2017

Overall I am very impressed. It was very easy to set up taking only 15 mins. It does a fantastic job and has great suction leaving vacuum lines on the carpet like most powerful vacuum cleaners. I love that it gets right under the sofas and under the TV stand giving those hard to reach areas a thorough vacuum. I’ve attached a picture of how much it picked up after two full vacuums of our lounge and dining room, bearing in mind it had been hoovered with an upright vacuum the day before and we do have a little dog.Once out the box the first thing you need to do is plug in the charging base. The power cable is a very long 1.8 metre cable but you can adjust the cable length but pushing most of itin to a cable slot underneath the charging base which is clever.The instructions recommend there’s 1 metre clearance on all sides of the charging base which wasn’t practical for us. It also recommends the charger is positioned on a hard surface if possible, again not practical for us as we have carpet.To charge the cleaner you simply put the round end of the vacuum against the metal contacts on the charging base. Two lights on the vacuum start to flash, the battery light flashes green and amnber and the i-button slowly flashes blue.Now get on your smart phone and download the Neato app from Google Play Store or Apple App Store. The App is 10.48mb. Download and open the Neato App.When the App opens you have two options, sign in (if you already have a Neato account) or Create AccountIf first time robot vacuum user like me, click on Create account and then click on I agree to accept the terms and conditions. Enter your email address and choose a password with 6+ characters. Choose your country from a drop down list and click on create account. You then have to check your email for a message from Neato and verify your email address by clicking a link within the email.All pretty standard when using these smart devices. Only takes 2 mins.Now you can log in to the App and connect your robot vacuum cleaner. Within the App you are presented with 3 models of robotic vacuum cleaners. Click on the model that is your robot cleaner – Botvac D5. You are then asked to turn on robot Wi-Fi pairing mode. To do this press the i-button on the bottom left hand corner of the vacuum (as you look down on the vacuum cleaner) for 10 seconds which will turn the robot off. Now press it again once. The i-button will start to flash blue slowly. Your robot vacuum is now in paring mode for the next hour ready to connect.Make sure your home Wi-Fi is on then on your Neato App, click on connect to robot, your Wi-Fi (SSID) name will appear and you need to put in your Wi-Fi password so the vacuum can connect to your Wi-Fi. Next you are asked to give your Vacuum a name – You can call it anything.The App then comes up with a message saying - connecting this will take up to 3mins,m but it only took around 10 seconds for my Robot Vacuum to appear within the app with a message saying READY TO CLEAN.There are 4 options on this page, Settings, schedule, Information and Stats.Settings – allows you to edit the vacuum Name, edit Wi-Fi in case you ever need to update or change the connection details. Then there’s 3 reminder timers. Dirt bin alert 90mins, filter change reminder 1 month and brush change reminder 6 months which are all defaults.Schedule – allows you to set what days and times you want your cleaner to automatically vacuum.Information – this gives you model name and serial number plus battery infoStats – tells you things like average cleaning times, area cleaned and lifetime area and time cleaned.There’s also a menu button top left of the app to access your Neato account settings to update/change your email address and change password. And of course a handy button which takes you to the Neato Shop where you can purchase genuine accessories and spare parts like new filters and brushes.Finally there’s a + button on the App which allows you to add extra Neato Robot Vacuum cleaners. If you have more than one Neato vacuum you can manage them all within the Neato App.The instructions say keep the software on your robot current but I couldn’t see anywhere within the app where you can check for updates. I logged in to the Neato website with my account details and got the message - There are currently no updates available for your robot. Please check back soon for information on future updates. Maybe the updates get pushed out to your app.USING THE NEATO APP – To use your vacuum cleaner, click on the green – ‘Ready to clean’ link within the Neato App and you get a page with a large circle saying Start. There are 2 icons at the top of the App, one is a picture of a house icon, which is House Cleaning mode. This will clean the entire floor of one level of your house moving from room to room. The second icon is 9 small squares which means spot cleaning mode and covers a 7 foot by 7 foot area. Choose which one you want to use and press start.Also, at the bottom of the App you can pull up advanced settings which give you two more options, Double Pass to make your vacuum go over twice or Extra care which makes does exactly what it says and takes extra care when cleaning.Maintenance - The vacuum needs regular checking to keep the brushes clean and its recommended that you empty the vacuum after use. This will largely depend on your environment but if you look at the attached picture, this was taken after 2 vacuum runs of our lounge and diner so it does need to be emptied after 1 or 2 runs.Cleaning without a smart phone is also possible. You can operate the robot vacuum by simply pressing the large black button on the bottom left as you are looking down on the cleaner. Press once puts it in House cleaning mode. Press twice to put it in spit cleaning mode.The battery LED on the bottom left as you are looking down on the cleaner flash solid green when battery is normal and solid amber for when battery is low and needs charging.In total it probably took me 5mins to unpack, remove all the packaging and plastic film then get the base on charge and connect the robot vacuum. It took around 10mins to download the Neato App, create an new account, connect it to my Wi-Fi and find the robot vacuum and connect – ready to go. Very easy set up.USING THE CLEANER – Click on the start button within the Neato App and the vacuum makes a musical sounds as it turns on. It then sets off on its first journey which is very random. Our robot vacuum seemed a little obsessed with our dining table and chairs and went under there 5 times gently bumping the dining table and chairs legs finding its way round. It then vacuumed two thirds of the room and seemed not to want to come up one end of the room but then once it had vacuumed the first two thirds it happily finished off the rest of the room.It did get caught on a lamp wire under one of our sofas and the app alerted me with a message saying – I’m stuck, please can you help move me which was clever. I moved the wire and set it down again and off it went.Once completed the robot vacuum made its way back to the charger but couldn’t quite get it self back in but then if you look at the attached picture of where we first position the charger, you will see if only has around 5-6 inches when it recommends a metre each side. We’ve since repositioned the charger and it works perfectly. It actually sits hidden under one of our sofas now.Our dog was a little jumpy at first but soon settled down and just watched the cleaner do its work. It is quite noisy but not as loud as a powerful upright vacuum cleaner.A full five stars from me. It does a fantastic job.

7.2.2017

Quick verdict: Having spent a day with the Botvac I have to say I'm very impressed with it. It's easy to set up and use (more detail below) and picks up a surprising amount of debris.It has just finished vacuuming three carpeted bedrooms and a connecting hallway; it has done a pretty good job and has now returned to its charging station. The Botvac (we've called ours Robbie) gets about without any problems but one does need to prep the room(s) by lifting cable and anything else that would get caught up (like any vacuuming method really). Oh! and the vacuum is supplied with a four metres of cuttable magnetic strip which can be used to zone areas where the Botvac should not go ...for example marking pet bowls (stair protection not needed as the robot has two 'drop sensors on the front underside).Whilst Robbie can be controlled via the start button on the device, it's much easier to use the app (Android for me but also available for Apple). The vacuum can be started and stopped from anywhere using the app (which is pretty intuitive to use) and it also lets the user know if Robbie has finished cleaning or is going back to recharge itself or if it has a problem.Oh! and one will need the WiFi key and ensure the connection is to the 2.4 GHz if there's a dual band network available.Also I've discovered it can be controlled via Alexa. Find the Neato skill (and link it to the Neato account) ... and simply say "Alexa, ask Neato to clean" (Neato is pronounced "Neat-oh") UPDATE ... Incorrect detail. Only works with Botvac connected but not D3 or D5. Shame..I'm tempted to remove one star because the rotating beater bar (or combo brush as it is called by Neato) tends to get clogged up with hair, particularly at each end of the spindle. However, it's pretty straightforward to release the brush and either using the supplied cleaning tool or a pair of scissors, remove the hair (3 long-haired females and two fluffy cats).However ... it's nor Robbie's fault that there's so much hair in our house, so no stars removed.Longer verdict: It arrives pretty much ready to go. After unpacking and removing a couple of bags of silica gel, a quick read of the quick start instructions I had the charging station plugged in and the Botvac pushed against the charging contacts (the device was pretty much charged out of the box). The dock has quite a long cable which can be shortened by wrapping it inside a groove in the back of the unit. The instructions suggest siting the dock with a clear three feet of floor each side.Next download the app. Create an account by registering with an email address, respond to the verification email and then it's time to pair one's phone with the Botvac. Despite following the instructions to the letter it would not pair until the third attempt, but there is a helpful 'pairing issues' section in the instructions (with regard to the instructions they are exceptionally well written and there's a lot of useful information on the company's website (including a chat service which I used to find out how to release the brush)).The app gives the user a host of information (but in a smooth uncluttered manner) including battery charge % and remaining time to full charge (oh! and one can give the Botvac a name!). After a quick check for trailing cables etc, it was time to click start ... and it did! It moved away from the dock and then the sound level increased as the beater and side brush power up. On the ground floor there's a mix of short pile carpet, wooden floorboards and quarry tiles. The hallway is raised about half an inch (due to the carpet) and so are the quarry tiles, but Robbie did not find this a problem. After about twenty minutes it decided the job was done and parked back in the dock.It did gently bump into the dock as it cleaned moving it a little but this did not cause a problem when the cleaner returned to base. In terms of noise well it's difficult to miss, but (for example) turning the TV up a just little was enough. Now that confidence has grown I think I'll set the cleaner to perform its duties when we're out (there's a great schedule feature on the app).I've mentioned the problem with long hair getting caught which effectively stopped Robbie from moving and reporting a fault that it was 'stuck' and needed to be moved. It was only after moving it a couple of times and getting the same error that I noticed the clogged spindles (my fault). Happily the brush is easy to remove by unclipping the brush guard and lifting the brush out (no belts to unhook). The side brush also needed a quick clean ... it's held in place magnetically.The dust storage unit has a capacity of 0.7 litres which was plenty of space for the three bedrooms and hallway. It's easy to empty (by removing the dust compartment and unclipping the filter. I couldn't help but notice that it had done a very good job of lifting very fine particles ... very good! For even deeper cleaning there's a spiral blade brush available (but it doesn't seem to be on Amazon at the moment).I have to say I was surprised at how quickly Robbie moves around and it really does ensure it goes up and down (or back and forth) in a very organised manner. The D shape seems to get very close to skirting boards / walls and the side brush gets in pretty close.So anything not to like? Well not really. It's clear that the device needs to be regularly cleaned and emptied if one is to avoid 'help' messages. The price of spares and consumables seems quite reasonable (especially replacement batteries which are expected to last about eighteen months (I think I read).The magnetic tape is very useful for zoning (and protecting the device) and clearly it could be permanently fitted once a set routine has been established. All I need now is a version that can climb and clean stairs.Update 10/02/17: The Botvac has, on the last two mornings, lost it's charge overnight despite being connected to the powered-on dock. As I got up this morning the orange battery light was on and the App reported a charge level of 34%. Moving the robot away and back on to the dock initiates a recharge (which is what it's doing now). Whilst this is not a major issue as long as it recharges it does somewhat defeat the auto-docking feature, especially if a schedule has been set.I used the (excellent) online chat on the support page of neatorobotics and was asked to check contacts etc. I have also been asked to reset the device (move robot from dock; hold start button down for 10 seconds to power the device off and then turn it back on) . After a few minutes the robot reconnected with the app and all seems well. I shall see if the charging issue is now cleared in the morning (fingers crossed).Update. Well the reset did work ... for about four days ... it's now exhibiting the same behaviour. I've not heard back from an email sent to Neato help so I'll probably initiate a new online chat.More later.

5.2.2017

I've been using robotic vacuums for a long time, first importing an early Roomba model from the US more than 10 years ago. I now own a Dyson 360 Eye (Nickel/Blue) - Twice the suction of any robot vacuum, a iRobot Roomba 871 Robot Vacuum Cleaner, 33 W series and this Neato model - which replaces a Neato Robotics Botvac Wi-Fi Enabled Robot Vacuum Cleaner, 0.7 L, 43 W - Black/Silver which is refusing to charge correctly.All robotic vacuums have common features which mean that they are not as good as standard vacuums. In all cases suction will be less than a decent upright or cylinder vacuum cleaner; they will need to be emptied frequently as the dust container is small; they will only clean aroom without getting stuck under furniture or jammed by a loose cable if the room is prepared in advance; and whilst you're not actually spending time cleaning, I'm not convinced the total time spent on room preparation, emptying and servicing the robot doesn't actually take longer than using a standard vacuum would!With a three-storey house, a have each of the main competitors in the 'serious' robotic cleaner field, one on each floor, and can compare them. I would not bother with the cheap robotic cleaners out there - costing less that £250 - they really won't work. In brief in terms of serious robotic vacuums, I suspect the Dyson is best in terms of overall cleaning, something suggested in a Which? survey which showed it to have the best suction of any robotic vacuum cleaner. However, it's expensive, has a poor battery which means it has to recharge during most cleaning cycles, is therefore slow, and doesn't work well in low light. It uses a camera system to navigate around a room - hence the need to decent light - and it periodically needs to stop for up to a minute to work our where it is. It systematically cleans a room without recovering its tracks.The Roomba 800 is more basic - although to be fair a new model is now available (see iRobot ROOMBA980 Robot Vacuum Cleaner). It uses a system of infrared sensors and contact sensors to navigate around a room and does so in a semi-random way - although Roomba claim it's a complex algorithm! it moves about rapidly covering the same ground multiple times - what is not picked up during one sweep-through might be on the next. Generally the battery is good enough to clean a considerable area but it will return to base to recharge and continue if necessary. It suffers more than either of the other two systems in terms of getting trapped under furniture or on the edge or rugs. It is cheaper though, and the new model has changed technologies and uses the same navigation system as the Neato - LiDAR.The Neato is most similar to the Dyson, but cheaper. It navigates not randomly or using a camera, but using a a radar-like system based on light from a laser - LiDAR (Light Imaging, Detection, And Ranging). It's the sort of technology that creates 3D scans or objects or landscapes, but here is used to accurately navigate around a room. Like the Dyson, the Neato cleans a room is a systematic way moving in a linear fashion up and down, not unlike someone mowing a lawn. As a result each part of the floor is cleaned only once, unlike the Roomba. However, the battery is far better than the Dyson, and it moves more quickly, so that it is unusual for the unit to have to return to its base to recharge during a cleaning cycle. The Neato is also much quieter than the Dyson (on its full-suction setting) and the Roomba.The Neato like the Dyson, works best via a iOS or Android app and connects via your home wifi. The, now outdated, Roomba does not have this feature. This allows you to start the cleaner remotely - either from another room, or anywhere in the world. It means you get an update to your phone (or smart watch if you have one) advising when cleaning has finished or if the Neato has become stuck. It also provides some data on each cleaning cycle such as how long the cleaning took and the area in square metres cleaned. For the Neato Botvac Connected, after a software update, and with the Dyson, you get a map showing you the area cleaned as well. This allows you to see if there are any areas which are not being cleaned and whether a slight rearrangement of furniture would allow access to that area - but not on this model.So which is best? I'm tempted to go for the Neato because of its price point, the battery capacity, and the LiDAR functionality. The Roomba algorithm approach to cleaning is outdated, hence their release of the new LiDAR based system - and as a result this review comparing an old Roomba, even if it is still on sale, is a little unfair. But the Roomba, with similar technology to the Neato, is much more expensive. The Dyson is let down by its battery and price, but is a quality piece of kit.So on balance, for those new to robotic vacuums, I think the Neato is the best choice. Whilst it does not clean quite so well as the Dyson, because it is so quick, and the battery is so good, you can set it to clean twice which gives very good results. Why not five stars, but only four, well my Neato Botvac Connected has stopped charging after just over a year, which leads to questions about reliability. In fact it was always reluctant to charge without fiddling with the charging station. Plus there's a limit to how effective any robotic vacuum cleaner is - with the need to tidy a room before use, small waste bins etc. Despite my reservations about the longevity of the Neato Connected, if the price is similar, I'd be tempted to go for that model rather than the D5. The D5 is a more recent model but lacks some features, including an LCD screen which is much more user-friendly than the slightly cryptic system the D5 uses to communicate with you via two lights, and the Alexa Skill will only work with the Neato Connected model, not the D5, even once you've found out how to pronounce 'Neato'!. The app also has more functionality.

12.2.2017

There is no denying that one of the defining technological breakthroughs of the last 5 years has been the implementation of home automation. Everything from lighting to your coffee machine can now be automated, so it was just a matter of time before other product categories joined the market. Smart vacuum cleaners have been available for a few years now, but only recently started to make their way into consumer homes. The price is still a little steep, which may mean that it will be a few years before they become a common household feature. Retailing for £599, the neato botvac D5 is certainly not cheap. But does it live up to the high-end price-tag?UNBOXING /FIRST IMPRESSIONSThe neato botvac D5 ships in a very compact box with a handle on top. It is well packaged and easy to unbox. Included inside is the botvac itself, docking station, power cable, spare filter and belt, USB sync cable, instructions/quick-start guide and warranty information. The unit itself is very well designed. It is made from mostly plastic, but is very sturdy and solid. The plain design appears a little dated, being made from black plastic. Personally, I don’t mind this almost retro look. Featuring a D-desigm, it measuresThe charging base and main unit connect together by magnetic metal strips, which have a large surface area for easy docking.SMARTPHONE APPThere is a neato app which is available for both iOS and Android (free). I downloaded the iOS version and created an account. Once registered, I could then connect my neato unit. This was quite easy to do, as follows:-Press and hold the start and right bumper for 10 seconds to enter pairing mode-Turn on the unit again (you will hear an audible chime)-Go to your phone’s wifi settings and select “neato”-Enter your wifi password-You can now rename the unit (if you choose to do so)With the neato now set-up, you have a range of options, directly form the app. You can schedule cleaning times, so as not to interfere with busy periods of your day (i.e. mornings). For this reason, I have scheduled cleaning to be done when I am at work. This ensures that carpets are kept clean and dust-free. Further information about charge cycles, battery power, etc. can also be viewed.PERFORMANCEThis particular model is marketed at pet owners. Owning a golden retriever is a huge challenge with hair, and I was interested to see how a compact vacuum like this would handle things. I already use a Dyson V6 Animal, which has fantastic suction power and is very effective. However, robot vacuum cleaners fill a niche and alternative market.The neato is a very sophisticated piece of hardware. It features laser navigation which simply means it can detect obstacles, and clean around these. This mostly works very well. I have scheduled cleaning to take place when I am not at home, but have seen the neato in action as well. When it starts-up, there is an audible chime. After a brief pause, the neato assesses its surroundings and then starts to vacuum. It was incredible to see the neato in action for the first time. It skilfully navigated around my bed and other pieces of furniture, as well as the ability to climb over small permanent fixtures. The neato systematically cleans by moving neatly in a straight line, before turning around on itself and returning in the opposite direction, making its way across the room in this pattern.Cleaning is generally very good! It was particularly pleasant coming home to neat brush strokes along the carpet, seeing where neato had been busy. Carpets looked clean, and definitely had that ‘just vacuumed’ look and feel. I felt that suction power we was very effective, and there was no discernible dust, crumbs or pet hair on the carpet. Corner cleaning was mediocre, but I will not hold this against neato, as it still does a very effective job. It is also possible to operate the neato without the app, simply by pressing the main front bumper. Following cleaning, the neato will return to base and reduce to be charged.Noise levels are a big factor when purchasing a vacuum. I am pleased to report that they are very acceptable. The neato is no where near as loud as a conventional vacuum, and I could comfortable hold a conversation with the neato running in the background. There is a loud hum when the unit first starts-up, but this is the extent of how loud things will get.However, there are a few minor negatives I have noted. Going between chairs with many legs in the way (such as dining table), the neato can get a little confused. Also, you need to be mindful of any cables or bag straps on the floor, as these can prove problematic if they get caught in the vacuum’s spinning brush. I would say that the neato is great for general maintenance, but a human-handed thorough cleaning will still be required every so often. However, this will be drastically reduced with the scheduled cleaning by neato.MAINTENACEThe neato comes equipped with a spare filter and belt. There are timelines printed on the unit itself, with reference to the replacement/maintenance of parts (please see the attached picture). I found the timelines to be a little too generous, but we will see how the neato fares over time. There is a 0.7L dust compartment which will need to be removed and cleaned on an ad hoc basis. Notifications will also be sent to your phone with reference to maintenance, so you will always know when the dirt bin is full, when filters need to be changed, etc.CONCLUSIONSI have only been using the neato for around a week now, and am so far very pleased. This is definitely a unique and novel gadget that is not very main-stream. Carrying a steep price-tag, it may well be a while before we see automated vacuums in more households. I will be updating this review with further thoughts as time goes on.

25.6.2017

I am reviewing the Neato Robotics Botvac D5 Connected Navigating Robot Vacuum, 945-0239 (D502) - Pet and Allergy, 61W, Black. Here are my thoughts:^^ Now, I've had a longstanding love-hate relationship with Neato Robots. On one hand I'm a huge fan of these vacuums. I love the "idea" of them working for me when I'm out at work, saving me time and energy and keeping my home clean effortlessly On the other hand, I've had no luck at all with these and ended up feeling very mistreated by both the customer service and for parting with a lot of my money to buy one of these in the first place. (This is before I received any to review via the Amazon Vine Programme). I don't want to sound ungrateful,but I initally spent over £300 to get one of these, and was totally upset and disappointed. So if I sound miffed, it's because I am and I'd rather let you know my experience, so you don't have to go through what I did. [Deep breath]^^ So, will this machine be an improvement? After my last experiences I was almost reluctant to get this out of the box, because once again my expectations and hopes are high. If it works like a dream I'll finally be ecstatically happy and sing its praises from the rooftops. Okay, off to unbox. Keep your fingers crossed for me...^^ Well, first of all the app download and account creation went without a hitch. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to set up. The Neato came pretty much fully charged. Connected to my Internet within seconds and was busy cleaning less than 30 seconds later. I'm absolutely thrilled and very happy that I didn't have to write yet another scathing review. I so want to love this, and so far, so good!^^ The app itself allows you to set a regular cleaning schedule, you can also just set it to go when you are ready by a quick tap on your mobile phone in the app. The info section tells you bits of information like battery life, and how many charge cycles your robot has been through, and the cleaning history is fun for people who like stats. After it's cleaned once you get stats showing the charging time, cleaning time average cleaning time in hours.^^ It did get stuck and lost it's way, but it was because it had long hair wrapped around the brush, and it was easily solved by checking the app and finding out what to do. In this case, the app is so much more helpful, as there is also a chat form you can fill in and talk to someone fast about it, if you need further help. I know this feature was available over the computer, but to have it to hand by phone, was so much quicker. The app does indeed make all the difference. It helps me stay in better control of the vacuum, and the information I need about any errors, or a full dirt box, is much more accessible. It's also much easier to get answers!^^ Watching it vacuum it seems to cope with furniture legs and things in the way a lot easier than my past Neatos. To me this looks like they've made vast improvements with this machine. I've got my fingers and everything else crossed in the hope that this is not just a fluke but a better robot, that's not only more helpful, but works regularly as it is supposed to.^^ I like this picks up dog hair very well, better than even my standup vacuum cleaner.I wanted this particularly because I do have a dog and also have allergies and asthma so I need to regularly vacuum.^^ It did two lots of 20 mins cleaning, and still the dirt box wasn't full. Another point that surprised me.^^ The dirt box is easy to empty, just lift up the top and you'll find it underneath.^^ The charging station is a lot smaller than the last two Neato's were. I found this really pleasing, as they needed much more space, now this has been cut down somewhat. I keep mine under my bed, so my family members and I do not keep tripping up over it.^^ Also, new-to-me is the usb upgrade lead, a very small lead that looks like it can be inserted from the robot to the computer.Overall: This is definitely the best Neato robot vacuum I've owned, so far. As long as it keeps up the good work I'll be happy. I really do want to love these, and hate having to moan about them all the time. So far, so good. Added: After several weeks use, it's still going strong, so am I very happy!

21.7.2018

I did quite a lot of online research before buying Neato and came close to getting a different make but the reviews for both makes helped me make a decision. He’s been in use for around 6 weeks now so, as a bit of payback, I hope my review is useful to someone else.To put the review in context I have mostly hard floors (a mixture of tile, laminate and lino) with just the stairs and landing carpeted. I have rugs and door mats but none of them are thick pile.Neato uses a similar method to clean as someone who ‘parks by touch’ but he hasn’t caused any damage to my wooden furniture. Admittedly I haven’t got a magnifying glass out to check as he closely matches my own vacuuming style.(There is a gentle mode which I believe entails leaving a gap so I’ve never used it as I’d then have to clean the gap myself.) I do move breakables before setting him off as he manages to climbs up on the fireplace to clean it and likes to push things out of his way. I don’t leave phone chargers within reach or he will eat them. On the plus side if eaten they don’t seem to cause him any internal damage.He can get into and onto some surprising places. He practically stands on one end to manoeuvre around my dining table and chairs. The magnetic strip provided works well for stopping him going where he keeps getting stuck but next time I buy any furniture it is going to have Neato sized gaps underneath.He cleans the house Monday, Wednesday and Friday and any time there’s a bit of extra mess.I use the app to start him from the dock for downstairs and he cleans right through the downstairs in a thorough if slightly weird fashion. He does all the living room then moves onto the dining room and kitchen which he treats as one room (they’re not) and so he goes in an out of both rooms until they’re finished. Then he messages me to tell me he’s returning to base and docks himself. You do need a bit of space around the dock but he can do very tight 3 point turns so I have’t got as much space as specified in the manual.I use the single room method upstairs, mainly because the bathroom is then more accessible. He likes to treat the whole of the upstairs as one area and so would be in an out of the rooms on each run. As I’m at home when he’s cleaning it’s more convenient upstairs to put him a closed room and let him do that room and, when he’s messaged to say he’s finished, move him into the next room. He does protest loudly at being manhandled from room to room so you need to carry him with the wheels tucked in! He can be started with the app or by pressing the button manually, I still get the ‘finished cleaning’ message and map on the app either way.One plus side of the single room method is that the doors are shut so no problems with cleaning behind them. If the doors are open I pull any dust or bits out from behind them before Neato cleans.I was a bit wary of leaving him on the landing, he did go over the top stair once but luckily got jammed on the next step down. I think he’d been listening to my wishes for a stair cleaning Neato! Since then I blow on the sensors before letting him loose on the landing and he’s had no more close shaves.Overall I’m very happy with the standard of cleaning especially the hair pick up. There’s an occasional crumb or piece of grit missed but nothing to complain about. The house always looks freshly done and I don't have to dust as much as the dust level seems to have reduced because of the more frequent cleaning.Things I am particularly pleased about:-Long hairs (human) and short hairs (cat) are picked up brilliantly.The brush comes out easily and I can use the nifty little tool to get rid of said hairThe dust bin is very easy to empty and holds a surprising amount.Battery life is very good - yesterday every room in the house was done (a total of 80 mins) and the battery monitor said it was just over half full.It is very hot and only the stairs need doing (shame the hand held Dyson is not robotic).

27.4.2019

Update 4 May 2019:I'm a good few weeks into using the Neato D5, and I thought I'd do a quick update to address some comments I read about it not cleaning intelligently. I'm currently watching it clean my ground floor, where it started doing the edges of the room and negotiating the bases of a couple of Ikea Poang chairs. It finds the front legs of the sofa, and does a couple of circuits round the legs before cleaning underneath. In the dining room it is able to find the gaps between the legs of the chairs (the gaps between the back legs are narrower than the gap at the front and sides) to clean under the chairs. It does the edges of a room then runs up and down the open floor space.If I'd programmed a route into it my route would be very similar to the route it has taken.Sure it still uses its bump sensor to tell it when it's reached an object, but it's slowed down and seems to be expecting the hit - there's an extra sensitive setting that I don't use that would probably further improve this aspect of its navigation.I'm still impressed and it still does a better job than the wife. The only reason I keep it at four stars is because of the multi-storey mapping I mention below.Original review:Like many people, despite being a gadget fan I've dithered for a while before diving in with a robovac. I picked up the D5 while it was reduced, I couldn't justify £600 on a hoover, not when the wife isn't convinced by technological solutions.The Neato D5 is a good buy, with some caveats.You need a floor layout that suits a robovac (ours isn't ideal, but is OK).The mapping feature only works if you have a charge base on that storey.On the floor layout - we have a child and a cat, toys for both get left laying around. We also tend to shut doors to keep the cat out of some rooms. What this means is that I spend a few minutes picking up toys before a cleaning run, and have to leave doors open for an hour during the cleaning run.We also have a deep pile rug that I roll up against the wall during cleaning. The D5 didn't cope with it at all, but that's no surprise. It does cope fine with some fairly large thresholds between rooms with carpets and rooms with wood flooring.Cleaning two stories is a slightly negative point. I don't understand why it can't map a floor without starting at a charge base. I'd be happy with a limitation that said you needed to start it at the same point each time, but then again on the ground floor I can move it from the base, start it running, and after a minute it's worked out where it is and can return to the base... so it can work out a location without starting at the base.To clean upstairs I just start it on the landing with doors open and set it running. It avoided the stairs (so far) cleans the rooms and returns to the starting point. Would be nice if I could set a couple of no-go lines but I'm not bothered enough to buy a second charge base.All in all, the D5 does a good job cleaning across wooden floors, tiles and carpet. It copes with short pile rugs, but not anything with a deep pile. It was a good buy.It doesn't do as good a job as the Bosch vacuum it's supplementing (replaced?), but the thing with the Bosch is that the wife doesn't use it often enough. What's more, I ask the D5 to clean and it doesn't complain - that alone has probably added a little longevity to our marriage.

22.9.2017

This is our first robotic vacuum cleaner, although I've been watching the market for a while now. We live in a large house and have two very long haired cats which shed a huge amount of hair; in just a few days the carpet in most of the room is visibly covered in long white hairs. We moved in three years ago, and after a few years of struggling to keep on top of the cleaning and failing to find a paid cleaner, we finally bit the bullet and bought the D5.The first surprise was that it actually picks up significantly more than my Miele and my wife's Dyson (which we each owned before we met); of particular interest is that the D5 picks up al the cat hair with no issues (other than a weekly brush clean),whereas the Miele would roll it into threads and the Dyson would just throw a tantrum and stop working. Coverage is excellent; don't be fooled by the bits it misses when you watch it; it knows what it's done and will return to do those bits. It copes with slight steps (~1cm) with ease and just about manages our rug (approx 2cm pile). The tracking is quite remarkable; I recently laid our kitchen floor and know that the tiles are absolutely parallel with the walls, and the D5 trundles back and forth absolutely parallel to the walls. It'll also drive back to its base station pretty adeptly. Speed is superb: it covers our three main rooms (52m^2) in just under an hour. Our routine is to let it clean the three main rooms (living room, hallway and kitchen) every day whilst we're at work and then at the weekend we carry it to each other room; dusting first and letting the D5 follow us.There are some things that any potential buyer should be aware of. Firstly, you need your floor to be *completely* clear of clutter. If our cats leave a toy out, the D5 will suck the toy up and stop. If that happens, it'll patiently sit there until you get home from work, free the toy and press 'go' again, at which point it'll continue as if no time has passed. The toy may or may not survive this encounter! iPhone charging leads certainly don't, and I had to buy a new one for my wife within a week of buying the D5. So pet toys, thin cables, pieces of paper etc - these must *not* be on the floor. Secondly, you need to be ready for the odd strange moment; ours has got stuck in some odd places a few times, such as corners, or it's pushed open a door and got stuck in a cupboard etc etc. I think for the first week or two it got stuck every day, but now we've learnt its foibles and preferences it happens about once in every five cleans, which we're happy with. The other necessity of a manouverable robot is its small size, and this of course means that the dust collecting bin is pretty small. With our two long haired cats the D5's bin fills every day in its daily 52m^2 clean of our three main rooms. Without the cats I doubt anyone would have an issue though, as cleaning everyday means it keeps on top of things.Lastly, the iPhone app is superb, and deals with firmware updates, scheduling, stop/start and logging what it's done. Pairing was ridiculously easy and for us a once only operation when we bought it.So, in summary, it's awesome and we love it, but do be aware of what you're buying and how you will need to look after the robot with frequent emptying, clearing clutter, the odd weird moment etc.

7.6.2019

Let me start of by saying you won't be throwing out your regular vacuum with this or any robovac, but you'll save HOURS, and for that alone it's worth it.As a guy living at home on his own with a cat, vacuuming was done maybe once a week and took a good two hours; safe to say not my favourite chore. And by the weekend there would be enough cat hair and other debris from day to day life to be noticeable. Now i have set the vacuum to run a daily clean while I am at work, and come home to a visibly clean house - by the weekend it doesn't look like it needs a vacuum, and truthfully the Dyson's bin is under a quarter full.The good:Very easy to set up - once charged and connected to the app,run one 'floorplan' mode to map your house and then pick a schedule and forgetNotifications - if it gets stuck because you left your phone charger on the floor and it eats it. But it stops instantly before causing further damageMapping - not just a random pattern like cheaper vacs, it methodically covers every sqm of your houseSpeed - does 45sqm in 45 mins, so even if you are popping out for your weekly shop and want a quick spruce it'll be done when you get backScheduling - Set as many schedules as you like to suit you. I have daily M-F while at work and then early evening on SundayBin size - i have to empty every two days which i think is reasonable. It's super quick to do. Little and often is the key. If you only schedule it once a week i can imagine it won't complete a full cycle without needing emptying.Intelligence - never failed to return to base after a cleaning cycle, if the battery is getting low mid cycle it goes back, tops up, and continues where it left offGoes under the bed!Multiple floorplans - It can remember upstairs and downstairs maps - at present i move the dock upstairs once a week and set it going while i'm out. Neato do sell additional docks so you can just move the vacuum but i'm happy to move both.The not so good:Not a fault per-se, but it does very gently tap objects during discovery - never damaged anything like chair and table legs, but you wouldn't want to leave your ming vase on the floorMapping - probably my biggest complaint here is that sometimes it comes out of its base as per schedule, says 'i dont recognise these surroundings' and goes back. This has happened maybe 3-4 times in as many months which is too many being as it hasn't moved. The simple remedy however is to start from the app manually and it will do it a few more times, then finally remember where it is. Alternatively you can tell it to start a new floorplan and it'll go straight awayEdge cleaning - So corners are a common flaw with robovacs, hence the need to vacuum manually. This one however seems to leave a half inch gap along skirtings, kitchen plinths, etc. I don't see this as a problem to be honest, as you will need a manual vacuum, but to some this may be an issue. I'm more than happy with the coverage and quality of the 99.9% it does cover that edges aren't noticeable.The indifferent that are common to all robot vacs:Cannot do stairs :pYou have to make sure you leave the floor tidy. Shoe laces, phone chargers, and feathery cat toys are not friends

24.3.2018

I have been patiently waiting for years for the Neato units to come down in price ever since my parents got the Neato D85 unit few years ago (and which is still going strong). However, I wasn’t prepared to pay the £450+ price tag but when this came up on Deal-of-the-Day for £299 I jumped at the chance. Unfortunately when I went to order it said it couldn't be delivered to Northern Ireland (presumably due to the li-on battery) but then I then noticed Amazon Warehouse we're offering the same unit "Like New" for £225 and the website allowed me to order that no problem (?)Anyway, the "Like New" unit turned up and there were evident signs that it had been used since there was some dust in the filterand some carpet hairs wound around on the brush but everything else was there including the spare filter, boundary marker, cleaning comb and all the original packaging. I was tempted to take a star of this review because of this but that would have been doing this unit an injustice because of something that was Amazon’s fault.The unit was a breeze to set up and I had it up and running and connected to our wi-fi in about 15 minutes. Initially I thought this was inferior to the D85 as it has no built in display but in fact it surpasses it because once you download the app (I am using an iPhone) and link the unit to it, you can remotely start and stop the unit from anywhere. The app also shows you a floor map of your house that the unit has mapped out so you can see where it may have missed due to being inaccessible. You can use the unit without wifi but then you don't get all the features like being able to set a cleaning schedule and remotely starting and stopping it. Imagine starting the unit when you are setting home from work because a friend just called to say they were dropping by and you knew the floor needed vacuuming!What makes this stand out from all other units is the fact that it intelligently cleans your floor rather than randomly wandering about until the battery runs out. Previously I bought the Eufy unit because it was cheap (around £200) but returned it after a day because the method by which it cleans is so incredibly frustrating. You can read my detailed review of it here on Amazon and why I sent it back afyer a day. In short, this Neato unit takes about 10 mins to clean the exact same area that the Eufy unit takes over an hour to clean (it might have taken more but I stopped it manually after I got bored watching it!). Anyway I was chuffed to get this unit for about £25 more than the Eufy as it is infinitely better. I honestly can't see why people would buy these other randomly wandering units when units like this exist - they would only have to witness this in action to see how much different units like this Neato is.Anyway, bottom line is, I am so pleased that that I managed to get this unit at this price despite it being used when it got it. If it even lasts half as long as my parents D85 has to date, it will have been worth it. Neato, if you could lower your prices a bit for new units you’d ’hoover up’ the robot vacuum market ;)

11.2.2017

The first time we used the Neato it was a bit of a disaster. The machine managed to find several cables, wires, strings and tassels from under chairs and behind curtains and managed to suck them up causing it to either get stuck or make a horrible noise as it chewed through whatever it had caught. There were also a few things around the house which it didn't like - I have attached photos of the offending items. There was a thick rug which it managed to get onto but then just spent the next few minutes floundering around unsure of what to do. Another even thicker rug it couldn't climb on to, but the rug was too low for the LIDAR and the wrong shape for bump detection so again it got stuck on that.

11.3.2017

This really is a great bit of kit - with some provisos.Anyway, first impression is that this is a very well made and quite heavy bit of kit. Unlike some low end stuff this actually feels like it might work.Setup is really easy. In fact first time on before I even opened the app it scooted off and started to clean which was a bit Terminator like. When using the app you can set up times and schedules and regain a bit more control thankfully. The app works well and is simple to use.In use it's not too noisy but you will notice it. It's not anywhere near as intrusive as a normal vacuum cleaner but certainly not the kind of thing you would want trundling around the living room as you try and watch

10.12.2018

I have two of these and use them on schedule 5 times per week to clean the house for quite some time now (almost a year).So is this vacuum robot perfect? The simple answer is NO, but technology is getting there.If you expect to just plug this in your socket connect to your WIFI, click a button and have an untroubled cleaning cycle I think that you will be let down. You have to understand this device's limitations and change your environment in order to help it navigate around. I will try to list all the limitations and issues I have noticed so people make an informed decision.It will sometimes drop the WIFI connection and won't connect again, before contacting support, just reset the device,

30.9.2017

It's amazing! I read so many reviews and compared so many vacuum robots, watched videos all to find that illusive best vacuum. From the accounts the D5 could cope with pet hair and manoeuvre around different rooms and on different surfaces without trouble. So this is what I've learnt;When setting up allow the botvac to bump into things and find it's way around. On the first vac it is memorising and mapping the house so don't interrupt it. It may get stuck on the odd item , just do as it says lift it off and put it safely back close to where it got stuck, if it's in a kitchen or dining room with chairs move the chairs and allow botvac to manoeuvre until it doesn't get stuck.

25.2.2017

Having two cats that consistently shed hair, it can be very difficult to keep the carpets looking clean. We don't have a huge house, but with busy lives throughout the week, cleaning tends to get reserved for weekends as I'm sure a lot will relate to. This is where the Neato bot is brilliant for busy people. Set a schedule and the robot will quietly (and this vac is quiet), go about its business ensuring your home stays clean & tidy.The laser scanning works very well, and the robot does seem to follow a fairly methodical path, ensuring every nook & cranny is cleaned. It obviously helps if you can ensure that on cleaning days, clear as much of the area as possible. Things like shoelaces, bag straps,

Neato Robotics Botvac Connected D5 - Reviews

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