Neato D6 vs Neato D7: Which One is Best?

Cleaning the house is hard enough, but when you’ve got a pet who sheds a lot of fur, the cleaning never stops.

Just a few minutes after you’ve finished sweeping the floor, you’ll see wisps of fur floating in the air. If you happen to miss just a few days—and with your busy life, who can blame you? All that hair collects in the most inconvenient places. Under the sofa, on your carpet, all over your bed. You can’t sit anywhere without getting fur on your clothes.

What you need is a robot vacuum that can take over the cleaning for you. Switch it on and walk away to do something else… when you return, all the dust bunnies and furballs have been sucked away. But not all robot vacuums can handle pet fur, and others are so high-maintenance and difficult to program that it’s actually easier to just get a broom!

Breaking It Down

Robot vacuum cleaners aren’t cheap, so if they don’t have the features that will actually help you clean your home and make your life easier, then you’re just spending hundreds of dollars on a motorized paperweight. Let’s break it down into the features and specs that will justify investing in a robot vacuum cleaner for pet hair.

Power

Pet hair is thicker and denser than dust and dirt, and it tends to mat together into a solid and bulky mass. This is why it clogs vacuums and can get stuck in the roller. You need to get a vacuum that’s powerful enough to pull in the hair, and even lift it from carpets or any crevices in the house.

Intelligence

You should be able to “teach” your robot vacuum cleaner to avoid certain areas of the house, such as the stairs, or a play area that has a lot of small toys and accessories on the floor. And, in the age of the Internet of Things, it would be helpful if you can control it through your smart home devices and your smartphone.

Versatility

How effective is it on different surfaces, like kitchen tiles, wood flooring or carpeting? Will it be able to get the dust and dirt from corners or small spaces?

Easy controls

Vacuum cleaners should be easy to use. If the controls and settings are too complicated, you’ll either stop using it or only stick to the basic functions—in which case, why are you paying for all the extra features?

Low maintenance

How often do you need to empty out the bag or charge the battery? Ideally, it should have a large dustbin, especially if you have a very big, very furry pet (or even several pets). A long battery life lets you leave it on long enough to clean the whole house, even if you’re away.

Neato: The Vacuum Cleaner for Pet Hair

Neato Botvac D6

The Neato D6 is one of the brand’s best selling vacuum cleaners. It has a bold black finish and a sleek design that’s pleasing to the eye. But it doesn’t just look good; it cleans effortlessly even on different surfaces, thanks to its efficient design and smart features.

Specs:

• Product Dimensions: 13.21 in x 12.56 in x 3.92 in (33.55 cm x 31.9 cm x 9.96 cm)
• Weight: 7.5 lbs (3.4 kg)
• Dustbin capacity: 0.7 liters
• Brush: 11-inch (27.94 cm) Spiral Combo Brush and Side brush
• Batteries: 1 Lithium-ion battery (included)
• Run Time: Up to 120 minutes
• Charge Time: Up to 150 minutes

 

 

Features:

1. D-Shaped Design

The Neato line is famous for its unique D-shape, which can clean close edges and corners that can’t be reached by round robot vacuum cleaners. And we all know how fur and dander often get stuck along baseboards and corners, especially in rooms where your pet likes to sleep.

2. Powerful Brush

The straight edge of the vacuum holds an extra-large brush – 70% larger than the brushes you’d find in a typical vacuum cleaner. This is one of the reasons why the Neato D6 is so effective at cleaning. The bristles pick up more fur and dirt, and all that gunk doesn’t get stuck in the bristles.

You also have the option to turn on the vacuum’s Turbo Mode, for an extra thorough cleaning that removes dirt, dust, and fur that you can’t even see.

Notably, the Neato D6 even has an extra side brush, which you can’t find in the other models.

3. Laser Smart Mapping

Many robot vacuums randomly meander around the house, moving along until they hit a surface and are pushed into another angle. That can lead to many missed areas, especially if furniture or other objects get in the way of its path.

However, the Neato D6 is equipped with laser technology. It moves in straight lines so it doesn’t skip a spot, but the lasers scan the room and “sees” any objects that block its path. It will move around your furniture and avoid the stairs, for a more efficient cleaning path.

The lasers work even in the dark, so you can turn on the Neato at night and wake up to a spotless home.

4. No Go Lines

You can program your Neato D6 to avoid certain areas of your home. This can include your pet’s food bowls and toys, or your child’s play area (where it will inevitably suck up a stray lego or doll accessory, because kids can create as much mess, if not more, than a pet).

You can set up the No Go lines in the app, and also remove them when you want your Neato D6 to clean the entire room. You’re in full control over where your Neato cleans!

And in case you don’t want to set up the No Go lines on the app, you also get a roll of magnetic tape to mark where the Neato will stop cleaning.

5. Works On All Surfaces

You can use the Neato in any room of your home and on any kind of flooring material. Consumer tests have run it on wood floors, tiles, linoleum, short-pile carpets, and rugs, and saw that it worked well on all of them. However, like another vacuum cleaner, it will snag on a shag carpet.

6. Different Cleaning Modes

You can choose between an Eco mode that is faster and uses less battery or the Turbo Mode for a deep clean.

You can use Eco mode in areas that don’t get very dirty, then apply Turbo mode where pet hair, dust, and dirt are more likely to accumulate. Some people also use Turbo mode about once or twice a week, and then do short maintenance cleans on other days.

7. Stores Multiple Floor Plans

The Neato “learns” your floor plan and saves a cleaning path or routine. Unlike the more basic Neato models like the D4, the Neato D6 can save up to three-floor plans – ideal for multi-story homes!

When you save a floor plan, you can also select the cleaning mode for particular areas. So, you can program the vacuum cleaner to Turbo clean the kitchen area and living room, and Eco clean the bedrooms on the second floor.

8. HEPA Filter

HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters are made of special fibers that are very effective at trapping even small particles. This includes pollen, allergens, viruses, bacteria, and mold – basically, things that can make you itch, sneeze, or get sick.

Neato D6 has a high-quality HEPA filter that can trap 99% of dust mites, and allergens that are invisible to the naked eye (0.3 microns, to be exact). That’s really important since your pet can bring in millions of these particles after going for a walk, and then transfer them to any surface that they lie down on.

Some pets also have sensitive skin, and constant exposure to these allergens can lead to skin irritations, excessive scratching, and even bald spots.

9. Large Dustbin

Many Amazon reviews the size of the Neato D6 dustbin. You don’t need to empty out often (but that does depend on the size of your home and how much fur your pet sheds). However, you have to remove the HEPA filter before you can clean out the dustbin, which can be inconvenient.

10. Self-charging

The Neato D6 battery can run for 120 minutes, so it can efficiently clean medium-sized or even large homes. But when it detects that it’s low on battery, it will actually return to its power dock and recharge. Then, when it’s fully charged, it will return to the spot where it left off. (Note that you need to have a saved floor plan to activate this feature.)The Neato D6 battery can run for 120 minutes, so it can efficiently clean medium-sized or even large homes. But when it detects that it’s low on battery, it will actually return to its power dock and recharge. Then, when it’s fully charged, it will return to the spot where it left off. (Note that you need to have a saved floor plan to activate this feature.)

11. Convenient App and Smart Integration

You can control your Neato vacuum cleaner with an app! You can program a cleaning schedule: every other day or on alternate days, and whether to use Eco or Turbo cleaning modes. Once it’s done cleaning, it will also send a notification and a map of what it’s cleaned.

You also have the option to switch to Manual Cleaning mode and steer the Neato to a messy spot that you want to quickly clean. (The Manual Cleaning is actually fun to use, and can feel like you’re steering a toy car.)

The app is very easy to use, even if you’re not really a tech person. When you’re first setting up the Neato, you download it to your device and then activate the vacuum’s Wi-Fi radio. Go back to your app and select your Wi-Fi network. The device will automatically synch (if you get an error message, just restart the process).

What’s cool is that once the Neato is connected to your WiFi, it will ask you to give it a name and give it voice orders through Google Home, Alexa, and the Echo. Just say, “Hey Google, tell (NAME OF ROBOT) to set the schedule to every Wednesday at 11 am.” Or, “Hey Alexa, tell (NAME OF ROBOT) to stop cleaning.” It’s really convenient!

12. Intuitive interface

The only tricky part is the set-up process (and it’s not even that complicated, since the app will guide you through it.

One reviewer bought this for her 60-year-old mother who was very unfamiliar with “hi-tech” gadgets, and all she had to do was set it up for her. Since then, her mom has had no issues with using it—especially since it’s possible to control it through Google Home or Alexa.

Neato BOTVAC D7

The Neato D7 is currently the most powerful model in the Neato BOTVAC connected series. But what makes it different from the Neato D6, and is it worth upgrading to that model? Let’s go through the features one by one.

 

 

Specs:

• Product Dimensions: 13.21 in x 12.56 in x 3.92 in (33.55 cm x 31.9 cm x 9.96 cm)
• Weight: 7.5 lbs (3.4 kg)
• Dustbin capacity: 0.7 liters
• Brush: 11-inch (27.94 cm) Spiral Combo Brush and Side brush
• Batteries: 1 Lithium-ion battery (included)
• Run Time: Up to 120 minutes
• Charge Time: Up to 150 minutes

Features:

1. D-Shaped Design

Like the D6 (and every other Neato product) it has the D-shape that lets it clean the fur, dander, dirt, and microorganisms lurking in every corner. It’s also low-lying enough to clean under the beds and sofas.

2. Powerful Brush

The Neato D7 also comes with the extra-large brush and the side brush. It can pick up even the fur and dirt that has gotten stuck on the carpets, or any large clumps of matted fur. We’ve also seen the Neato D7 pick up cereal and other scraps that other robot vacuum cleaners can’t.

And once you switch on the Turbo mode, the Neato D7 initiates a really deep clean that removes even the particles that you can’t see. Floating strands of pet fur? Dust mites? Pollen? All gone in seconds.

3. Laser Smart Mapping

Like the D6, the Neato uses a very efficient linear pattern to clean. It goes forward, takes a tiny U-turn, and then goes forward again – over and over again until it cleans the entire room. You can be assured that it picks up every speck of dust, dirt, and fur on every square inch of your home.

4. Neato Zone Cleaning (NEW!)

This Is a new feature that is only available on the Neato D7. Zone cleaning lets you tell the robot vacuum cleaner to clean specific areas. Let’s say you were baking and accidentally spilled a bowl of flour on the floor. Now, you just have to say, “Neato, clean the kitchen” and it will roll over there and sweep up all the mess for you.

It’s not just for accidental spills, either. You can also select zones to be cleaned more frequently, such as the area around the dinner table that tends to be littered with a lot of crumbs, or the rooms where your pets usually hang out (and shed fur like freshly fallen snow).

You can set up Zone Cleaning through the app or through voice control (if you’ve connected the Neato to Google, Alexa or Nest). This is not available on the Neato D6. If you have that model, you can clean specific zones only through Manual Cleaning, and controlling the Neato’s movements through the app.

5. No Go Lines

Like the Neato D6, you can program your Neato D7 to stay clear of areas of your home. Maybe that’s where you keep your pet’s bowls and toys, or a room where there are a lot of toys or clothes on the floor.

Some people also prefer to keep the vacuum away from a place with a lot of fragile and expensive antiques; while it’s not likely to break anything, and gently cleans all surfaces, you may not want to take any risks of chipping that Ming vase.

You can create these “No Go Lines” through the app, or section off the area with the magnetic strips. Good news for Neato D7 owners: it comes with two rolls of magnetic strips, while the Neato D6 only comes with one roll.

6. Works On All Surfaces

We’re really impressed with how well Neato works on all kinds of flooring: wood floors, tiles, linoleum, short-pile carpets and rugs. That was true for the Neato D6, and it’s just as true for the D7.

7. Different Cleaning Modes

The Neato D7 also offers two cleaning modes: Eco Mode for fast, efficient cleaning and Turbo Mode for thorough deep cleaning. Combined with the new Zone Cleaning feature, you can really specify how you want your house to be cleaned.

We recommend using the mode in low-traffic areas, like bedrooms, the library/study room, or the corridors leading to the bedrooms. High-traffic areas like kitchens, the dining area, living room, and playroom will probably need a more thorough clean. You can set it on Turbo Clean for the whole room, or as an alternative, create a particular zone in that room.

8. Stores Multiple Floor Plans

We loved this feature in the Neato D6, and we’re happy that it’s also available in the D7. You can set up to three different floor plans, and it will memorize the layout and efficiently avoid any furniture or stairs. And don’t worry—even if a chair gets moved out of place, or you decide to redecorate, this smart robot can relearn the floor plan.

9. HEPA filter

The Neato D7 also has a HEPA filter to capture all the small, nasty particles that can make your family, and your pet sick. Studies show that house air holds millions of particles that can cause allergies and disease —not just viruses and bacteria, but mold, pollen, mites, and even the dead skin cells of insects.

One reviewer said that after buying the Neato D7, her daughter had fewer allergy attacks, and the rashes on her son’s legs went away. Apparently, there was a lot of dust collecting on the carpeted bedrooms which her old vacuum cleaner didn’t pick up.

10. Large Dustbin

The Neato D7 and the D6 have the same sized dustbin. It’s quite large compared to other vacuums, and you don’t have to buy vacuum bags either—you just empty out the dirt from the dust compartment. It’s more eco-friendly and convenient.

11. Self-charging

Like the Neato D6, the D7 battery can run for 120 minutes, so it can efficiently clean medium-sized or even large homes. It will also calculate how much power it needs to finish cleaning a room.

If it detects that it does not have enough charge, it will automatically return to its power dock and recharge. If you have a floor plan saved, it will also be able to remember where it stopped cleaning and return to that spot when its battery is full.

12. Convenient App and Smart Integration

The Neato D7 uses the same app as the Neato D6, so you enjoy all the features and easy controls, and the ability to connect it to a smart home device for voice activation. You will also receive regular software updates, such as the addition of Cleaning Zones mentioned earlier

13. Intuitive interface

Aside from the initial set-up, the only thing you need to do to run a Neato D7 is to press the red “On” button. It will automatically start cleaning based on your instructions or a pre-set cleaning schedule.

Winner – Neato D7

Both the D6 and D7 are very effective vacuum cleaners for pets, and the features are identical except for one thing: the Clean Zones.

It’s just one difference, but it’s a very important difference. The reality of daily life is that most mess is unplanned. Your child spills cereal, your cat jumps on the table and bumps on a vase and spills water all over the floor, your kids come back from taking the dog for a walk and they track in a lot of dirt and pebbles.

You can’t wait until your Neato’s next cleaning cycle to clean up the mess. So in real life, you’ll end up getting a broom and cleaning up that spot yourself—which defeats the point of having a really good vacuum cleaner.

So, Neato’s Clean Zone is the last piece of a puzzle for 100% automated cleaning. When there’s a mess, all you have to do is call Neato (literally call, via your smart voice assistant) and it will come and save the day.

So if you can afford it, we suggest paying a little extra for that feature, because it will save you from a lot of stress (and mess!) in the future.