The Neato Botvac D7, like its name implies, is a uniquely D-shaped automated vacuum. It does a very good job of cleaning bare floors and unlike many other robot vacuums, it's able to climb on to and clean high-pile carpet fairly well. It can last up to two hours before it needs to be charged, and it can also automatically mount itself to its charging dock, so you don't have to worry about remembering to recharge it. This robot vacuum can be paired with its companion app for even more features, including creating boundary lines as well as remote control access while it's operating, which can be handy for tackling more difficult areas. It's also designed to be fairly easy to maintain; however, there are quite a few recurring costs involved.
Our Verdict
The Neato Botvac D7 is very good to use on bare floors. It does an outstanding job cleaning bare floors and it can easily pick up pet hair, as well as small and large debris. It has a great build quality, although its dirt compartment isn't visible, so you have to monitor it as it fills up. While it's fairly easy to maintain, it has a lot of recurring costs.
-
Cleans pet hair on all surface types.
-
Fairly easy to maintain.
-
Many recurring costs.
The Neato Botvac D7 is alright for low-pile carpet. It does a decent job on this surface type, and it can easily clean up pet hair and most large debris. It does struggle a bit more with small debris like baking soda, though. This vacuum has a great build quality and it's fairly easy to maintain. Still, it has a lot of recurring costs.
-
Cleans pet hair on all surface types.
-
Fairly easy to maintain.
-
Struggles to pick up small debris.
-
Many recurring costs.
The Neato Botvac D7 is okay for high-pile carpet. Unlike many other robot vacuums, it has no problem moving around on this surface type, but it struggles to pick up both small and large debris. It can pick up pet hair pretty successfully, though. While it has a great build quality, you can't see the dirt compartment to know if it needs to be emptied, and it has many recurring costs. Luckily it's fairly easy to maintain.
-
Cleans pet hair on all surface types.
-
Fairly easy to maintain.
-
Struggles to pick up small and large debris.
-
Many recurring costs.
The Neato Botvac D7 is excellent for cleaning pet hair. It can tackle pet hair on any surface type, and its automated design makes cleaning easy when your cat or dog constantly sheds. It has a great build quality, and it's also fairly easy to maintain. However, there are quite a few recurring costs with this vacuum.
-
Cleans pet hair on all surface types.
-
Fairly easy to maintain.
-
Many recurring costs.
The Neato Botvac D7 isn't designed to be used on stairs.
The Neato Botvac D7 is a robot vacuum and it's not designed to be used to clean cars.
- Bare Floor
- Low-Pile Carpet
- High-Pile Carpet
- Pets
- Stairs
- Cars
- Workshop
- Updated Sep 07, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 0.6.
- Updated Sep 06, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 0.5.
- Updated Jul 09, 2020: Review published.
Compared To Other Robot Vacuums
The Neato Botvac D7 is a robot vacuum. Although its battery life doesn't last as long as the Roborock S5 or eufy RoboVac 30C, it has a shorter charge time. It's exceptional and bare floors and it also has surprisingly decent performance on high-pile carpet, especially as other robot vacuums like the Roborock S4 can't move at all on these surfaces.
The Neato D8 and Neato Botvac D7 each have their advantages, so one may suit you better depending on your needs. Both vacuums are similar in maneuverability, ease of maintenance, recurring costs, and overall dimensions, but there are a few small differences. The D8 delivers better performance on high-pile carpet and takes much less time to recharge, though its maximum battery life is significantly less than that of the D7. The D7 also delivers superior performance on low-pile carpet.
The Neato Botvac D7 and the iRobot Roomba S9 have different strengths. The Neato is much easier to maintain, has a considerably longer minimum battery life, and performs better on bare floors. The Roomba feels better built, clears more debris on both low and high-pile carpet, and can maneuver around obstructions like electrical cords more easily.
The Neato Botvac D7 is a better overall performing robot vacuum than the eufy RoboVac 30C. The Neato does a better job of cleaning all debris and hair across different surface types, it's easier to maintain, and it has a better build quality. It also has a better performing battery. However, the eufy is slightly lighter.
The Neato Botvac D7 is a better overall performing robot vacuum than the Samsung POWERbot R7040. The Neato does a better job with all debris across different surface types, it's slightly easier to maintain, and it holds more debris inside of its dirt compartment. Its battery performance is also much better. However, the Samsung has virtually no recurring costs, and it has slightly better maneuverability.
The Neato Botvac D7 is a better overall performing robot vacuum than the iRobot Roomba 675. The Neato does a better job of picking up all kinds of debris on all surface types, including pet hair. It's also easier to maintain, it has a larger dirt compartment, its battery has a slightly shorter charge time, and you can also control it using the companion app as a remote control. However, the iRobot has slightly fewer recurring costs, and it's lighter.
The Neato Botvac D7 is a slightly better robot vacuum for cleaning both low and high-pile carpet than the Roborock S5. The Neato is more effective at picking up small and large debris on these carpeted surfaces, it has removable batteries which make it easier to replace, and its overall maintenance is easier. However the Roborock has a mop attachment for cleaning wet spills, and it has better maneuverability.
The Neato Botvac D7 and the Roborock S6 are similarly performing vacuums with different qualities. The Neato is better at capturing all debris on low and high pile carpet, and while its battery doesn't last as long as the Roborock, it has a shorter charge time, and it has removable batteries, which is nice. It's also easier to maintain, but it has slightly more recurring costs. The Roborock, on the other hand, is better for bare floors, and it even has a mopping feature to help clean wet messes, but we don't currently test for this.
The Neato Botvac D7 is a bit better overall than the iRobot Roomba 960. The Neato has much better performance on bare floors and carpets, is easier to maintain, and the battery lasts longer. However, the iRobot's battery takes less time to charge and there are less recurring costs associated with this vacuum.
The iRobot Roomba i7 and the Neato Botvac D7 are two robot vacuums with different strengths. The iRobot can automatically empty its own dirt compartment into its charging dock, which is handy if you want an even more hands-off cleaning experience, and it can store a lot of debris before its bag needs to be emptied. It has better maneuverability and its companion app offers a bit more versatility than that of the Neato. However, the Neato is easier to maintain and has fewer recurring costs. It has a better overall battery performance and it can clean bare floors more thoroughly. Its performance on low-pile carpet is a bit better.
The Neato Botvac D7 is a better overall robot vacuum than the Ecovacs DEEBOT OZMO T8 AIVI. While the Neato seems a little more bare-bones in terms of features when compared to the Ecovacs, it's easier to maintain, has a larger dirt compartment, and offers a better battery performance. It also does a better job cleaning all surface types. However, the Ecovacs has a better build quality and maneuverability and fewer recurring costs. It also comes with a few features like a camera that you can also use to monitor your home via its companion app. It also has a mop attachment, although we don't currently test for this.
The Neato Botvac D7 is a better robot vacuum than the Shark AI Robot. The Neato is better-built, significantly easier to maintain, and has better performance on all surface types. However, the Shark has fewer recurring costs and has better maneuverability.
The Neato Botvac D7 is a better vacuum than the iRobot Roomba 981 for most uses. The Neato performs better on carpets, has more automation features, and is much easier to maintain. Nevertheless, the iRobot has a much better performance on bare floors and better maneuverability.
The Neato Botvac D7 is better than the iRobot Roomba 694. The Neato has fewer parts that need periodic cleaning, is fitted with an allergen-trapping HEPA filter, has a larger internal dustbin, and delivers better performance on bare floors as well as low and high-pile carpet. It also has substantially more advanced automation features, with a more advanced LIDAR mapping system that allows for smart-pathing capability, allowing you to set up virtual boundary lines to keep it out of certain areas. However, the iRobot does incur lower recurring costs.
The Neato Botvac D7 and the Roborock S6 MaxV have different strengths and which you may prefer depends on your needs. The Neato delivers better performance on every surface type and is significantly easier to maintain. However, the Roborock does a much better job of maneuvering itself. It also has an automatic surface type adjustment feature, as well as a unique 'Reactive AI' feature intended to allow the vacuum to detect obstacles and avoid them.
The Neato Botvac D7 is a better robot vacuum than the Roborock S7. The Neato is less demanding in terms of maintenance, has a larger dirt compartment, takes less time to recharge, and performs slightly better on bare floors as well as low and high-pile carpet. Meanwhile, the Roborock is better at maneuvering itself, feels better built, incurs fewer recurring costs, and has longer maximum battery life. It also comes with a mopping attachment, though we don't currently test that feature.
Video
Test Results
The Neato Botvac D7 has a great build quality. It's made from hard plastic with silver accents and a matte black finish. It also has rubber wheels that feel durable. It has a removable battery, which is nice if you ever need to replace it. On top, there's a laser distance sensor, as well as controls and access to the dirt compartment. While the dirt compartment could crack if dropped on the floor, it's easily removable and there's even audio feedback for it when it's removed from the vacuum. It also chimes when the vacuum is lifted off the ground.
The Neato Botvac D7 is fairly easy to maintain. Its maintenance info is only found on the manufacturer's website and it's not included in its user manual. That being said, the vacuum is well designed to be maintainable.
- Dirt compartment: You take it out by lifting its cover, and empty it by removing its filter. On the downside, you can't see when it's full since the compartment is hidden away however, the app can remind you when you need to empty the bin.
- Brushroll: The brushroll is removable but you need to remove the brush guard and side brush first. To clean the brush, you must pull or cut away hair or other debris gathered around the brush. It needs to be maintained every three to four weeks, depending on your usage.
- Filter: The filter is located inside the dirt compartment and it can easily be unclipped. The manufacturer recommends cleaning it regularly but not to clean it using soap and water. Instead, you can empty debris stuck to it by tapping it against the side of your garbage bin or by using another vacuum to clean it.
- Side brush: The side brush can easily be pulled off. Just like the main brushroll, you need to pull or cut away hair and debris to clean it. This part needs regular maintenance, depending on your usage.
If you wash any part with water, it must be air-dried before using it again.
There are a lot of recurring costs with the Neato Botvac D7. Underneath the dirt compartment, there's a sticker instructing the replacement time of the filter, brushroll, and battery. Depending on your usage, both the brushroll and side brush need to be replaced every six to eight months, while the filter needs to be changed every one to two months. The battery eventually needs to be replaced too, but each battery is advertised to last 1-2 years. Luckily, you can purchase all these pieces directly from Neato's website. If you want something with fewer recurring costs, look into the iRobot Roomba 675.
The Neato Botvac D7 has outstanding storage capabilities. The charging dock lays on the ground and the vacuum can automatically mount onto it by itself. You can also store the cord if it's too long, thanks to the dock's cable management.
The Neato Botvac D7 has a decent dirt compartment. Unfortunately, you can't see the compartment as it's hidden by opaque plastic, so to see how full it is, you need to take the whole compartment out. Luckily, if you're using the companion app, it notifies you to clean it regularly. If you're looking for a robot vacuum that can automatically empty its dirt compartment into a disposable dirtbag, check out the i7+ variant of the iRobot Roomba i7.
- Neato Botvac D7 vacuum
- Charging dock
- Charging cable
- 2x HEPA filters
- Brushroll tool
- Boundary strip roll
- Dirt compartment
- User guide
This vacuum has an unlimited range as long as it still has battery life left. However, it can't go up stairs.
The Neato Botvac D7 has good portability. Although it's a little heavy, you can still easily carry it if you need to bring it up another floor.
The Neato Botvac D7 has an outstanding battery performance. It has a larger battery than the newer Neato D8, which enables it to run longer on a single charge. On its maximum 'Turbo' mode, it lasts about an hour and a half, while its lowest setting, 'Eco' mode, keeps the vacuum running for around two hours. Unfortunately, when the charge is below 27%, the vacuum doesn't accept any clean jobs and it looks for its docking station. Luckily, you can see when it's close to running out of battery life as the battery button is solid green when it's fully charged, and the button lights up yellow when you're at the last 35% of the battery.
This vacuum has two power settings: 'Eco' mode, which helps the battery last longer and is quieter, and 'Turbo' mode, which increases suction power and speeds up the brushroll. On the app, you can also select 'Gentle Navigation' mode, which is for extra care cleaning.
The Neato Botvac D7 only comes with a removable brushroll, a side brush, and a boundary strip, which can stop your vacuum from entering a room or space.
There are no alternative configurations for this vacuum.
The Neato Botvac D7 has an outstanding performance on bare floors. It easily captures pet hair as well as small debris such as rice. While it manages to get all large debris when its dirt compartment is empty, it has a harder time when it's half full as it pushes around and crushes cereal.
This vacuum does a decent job on low-pile carpet. It manages to pick up all pet hair but it struggles a bit more with large debris. It has an even harder time with small debris like baking soda though, so it could take many passes to fully clean up this kind of mess.
The Neato Botvac D7 is alright on high-pile carpet. It cleans pet hair exceptionally well, and its performance on small and large debris is impressive for a robot vacuum. It manages to capture just over half of large debris like sand, but it struggles more with small debris. Take a look at the iRobot Roomba S9 if you need a robot vacuum that clears debris more easily on shaggy surfaces.
The Neato Botvac D7 has fair maneuverability. Using the 'Eco' mode with the 'Extra Care' setting, it makes an efficient cleaning pattern and it can easily go around furniture feet and legs. Unfortunately, the vacuum seems to get stuck when trying to maneuver around lighter furniture like rugs or electrical cables. It sends you a notification if it needs help so that it can be relocated. If you want a robot vacuum with better maneuverability, check out the Samsung POWERbot R7040 or the Ecovacs DEEBOT OZMO T8 AIVI.
The Neato Botvac D7 has excellent automation features. With the Neato app, you can check your map coverage, see your cleaning history, and create boundary lines, which is handy if the strip isn't long enough. You can also select 'Extra Care' navigation for more gentle navigation, and you can even control it remotely while it's operating.
