There’s no doubt that Neato and iRobot have taken the lead in the Robot Vacuum world by consistently being first to market with the latest tech. In this Neato vs Roomba head to head comparison, we examine the top 4 robot vacuum models from each brand.
Just as their name suggests, robot vacuums bring efficiency to your household. Whether you are looking for automated cleaning, quick cleaning, or just want a compact vacuum for your small apartment, robot vacuums offer all these benefits. One important feature setting robot vacuums apart is smart cleaning.
Their smart design offers features such as easy navigation and mapping during cleaning as well as presetting options. Robot vacuums even connect to smartphones and other smart devices for easier setup and operation.
Round 4 Head to Head
iRobot Roomba 17 7150
Model(s): 7150
The iRobot Roomba i7 really is a smart vacuum!Pros
- Intelligent robot vacuum that is perfect for corners and hard to reach places.
- The robot is excellent at taking care of pet hair that is usually so hard to remove.
- Use the convenient robot vacuum on both carpets and hard floors; no need to switch.
Cons
- The robot vacuum is not suitable for carpets with longer fibers, as a user on Amazon suggested.
Pros
- The iRobot Roomba i7 is a smart robot vacuum that’s compatible with Amazon Alexa.
- The smart robot vacuum employs smart mapping technologies that allow you to customize the route of the vacuum.
- The vacuum is very powerful and can pick up the smallest particles of dust.
Cons
- The app only works if you enable your phone’s location, which seems unnecessary.
Neato D8 and Roomba i7 are robot vacuum cleaners with excellent capabilities. It is almost impossible to tell which one is better, as both boast wonderful and unique features. Both devices can handle pet hair, which is a significant concern with other vacuum cleaners.
The iRobot Roomba knows when it needs to recharge. After doing so, it goes back to work on its own. The Neato boasts a similar feature: it can detect when it doesn’t have enough charge to finish the cleaning.
Routing
Both devices allow you to plan the route of the vacuum using the phone app. This feature is especially handy for households with kids, pets, and lots of obstructions. The vacuum from Neato gives you the opportunity to select special “no-go zones” where your robot will not go. You can also create a schedule for your vacuum cleaner to follow. That’s a great feature for those who enjoy organization in everything, including cleaning.
Restriction Zones
The iRobot is smart too, with a feature called Smart Mapping. It is entirely up to you when and where the robot will clean. Much like the Neato model, this one can be told to stay away from certain areas. The Roomba can also learn your schedule and create personalized suggestions for your cleaning routine.
Round 2 Head to Head
Neato D6
Model(s): 945-0308
With the Neato D6 robot vacuum, you can kick all your pet hair and allergen worries to the curb thanks to its new core brush design. The core brush is 70% larger than standard round robot vacuums, thus allowing the Neato D6 to pick up more pet hairs.Its ultra performance filter complements the core brush design to deliver superior allergen and fine dirt removal.
iRobot Roomba 690
To complement its full suite of sensors that coordinate up to 60 decisions per second, the robot vacuum cleaner also features a cliff detect sensor to prevent falls, prolongig its durability.
Pros
- Automatic clean/charge/resume feature.
- Ideally designed for pet hairs.
- Variable suction settings.
Cons
- No dirt cup fill up notification.
Pros
- Cliff detect sensor effectively prevents falls.
- Navigation sensors offer up to 60 decisions per second.
- Supports dual scheduling.
Cons
- The vacuum may have issues with navigation on dark floors.
Navigation & Software – Smart Features
In this Neato vs Roomba comparison, the Neato D6 does better than the Roomba 690. While the Neato operates with an intelligent navigational pattern, the Roomba still maintains a random leaning pattern.
Nonetheless, the Roomba shares useful features with the Neato D6, including the drop and dirt sensors. However, the Neato D6 has extra features such as onboard cameras and virtual walls.
Cleaning Modes & Floor Types
The Neato D6 and iRobot Roomba 690 vacuums cover most surfaces in your home, including carpets, rugs, hardwood, tiles, laminate, concrete, and vinyl. Additionally, both vacuums are equipped with normal, manual, and spot cleaning modes.
The Neato D6 robot vacuum features an eco/turbo cleaning mode, which is missing from the Roomba . Moreover, the Neato D6 has variable suction control for more personalized cleaning. The Neato D6 is an ideal choice for pet owners thanks to its core brush and filter design, designed specifically to handle pet hair and other allergens.
Suction, Household (Pets & Kids) & Maintenance
The Neato D6 comes with a powerful suction power of up to 1,500 Pa. It also features a dust bin capacity of 23 oz and a cleaning path that covers a width of 12 inches. The iRobot Roomba 690 has a relatively lower suction power of only 600 Pa and a dustbin capacity of 20 oz.
Additionally, the Roomba 690 bears quite a narrow cleaning path width of only 7 inches. So, if you want to cover more ground in less time and in a convenient way, the Neato D6 is the better robot vacuum choice.
Design, Battery & Sound
The Neato D6 and iRobot Roomba 690 are both Wi-Fi enabled and compatible with Android and iPhone apps, Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT. The Roomba 690 can be voice-controlled, however there is not Apple HomeKit integration in these two robot vacuums..
The Neato D6 features a multiple floor plan storage capacity. It is also designed to run longer, for up to 120 minutes, and charges for 150 minutes. The Roomba 690 runs for 30 minutes less and takes longer to charge, for up to 180 minutes.
Technical Comparison
| Neato D6 | iRobot Roomba 690 | |
| Battery Run Time | 120 minutes | 90 minutes |
| Charging Time | 150 minutes | 180 minutes |
| Auto Shut off and recharge | Yes | Yes |
| Cleaning Pattern | Intelligent | Random |
| Suction Power | 1,500 Pa | 600Pa |
| Brush Type | 11-inch Combo | Dual multi-surface edge-sweeping brush |
| Dust bin capacity | 700ml | 600ml |
| Weight | 7.5 lbs. | 7.8 lbs. |
| Wi-Fi Connectivity | Yes | Yes |
The Verdict
Neato D6
Model(s): 945-0308
With the Neato D6 robot vacuum, you can kick all your pet hair and allergen worries to the curb thanks to its new core brush design. The core brush is 70% larger than standard round robot vacuums, thus allowing the Neato D6 to pick up more pet hairs.Its ultra performance filter complements the core brush design to deliver superior allergen and fine dirt removal.
iRobot Roomba 690
To complement its full suite of sensors that coordinate up to 60 decisions per second, the robot vacuum cleaner also features a cliff detect sensor to prevent falls, prolongig its durability.
Round 3 Head to Head
Neato D7
Model(s): 945-0270
The Neato D7 robot vacuum cleaner offers you a versatile cleaning solution. Using its special zone cleaning feature, you can opt to clean specific areas of your home on demand. The Neato robot vacuum also boasts a turbo mode.The turbo mode helps enhance suction to address tougher dirt and debris and pick up stubborn pet hairs. Equipped with up to 120 minutes of run-time, it makes a great addition to a large household.
iRobot Roomba 960
This mechanism ensures your entire home is spotless. The vacuum’s improved filter design allows the vacuum to trap up to 99% pet hairs and allergens strewn around your home.
Pros
- Special zone mode to allow you to clean specific areas on demand.
- The turbo mode enhances the suction performance for effective cleaning.
- Improved navigation intelligence.
Cons
- The No-Go lines feature only works when the app is used.
Pros
- New filter design traps up to 99% of pet hairs and allergens.
- Rubber brushes easily adjust and flex .to stay in contact with the floor surface.
- Improved navigational technology to ensure every inch of your home is effectively cleaned.
Cons
- The vacuum can easily get stuck under low furniture.
Navigation & Software – Smart Features
If you are looking for a Roomba robot vacuum that matches the intelligence of a Neato robot vacuum, the iRobot Roomba 960 is what you need. Not only is this vacuum equipped with intelligent navigation, but it is also upgraded with the patented iAdapt 2.0 and vSLAM technologies for step-by-step precision cleaning.
Still, the Neato D7 triumphs in this Neato vs Roomba war as it boasts more navigational features. This includes magnetic boundary markers, visual mapping, drop sensors, onboard cameras, and virtual walls.
Cleaning Modes & Floor Types
Similar to other aforementioned Neato D series and iRobot 600 series, Neato D7 and iRobot Roomba 960 vacuums cover carpets, rugs, hardwood, tiles, laminate, concrete, and vinyl surfaces. They also equipped these vacuums with normal, manual, and spot cleaning modes.
The Neato D6 robot vacuum even offers the eco/turbo cleaning mode. Yet, both come with additional cleaning features, sharing variable suction control settings. However, the iRobot Roomba 960 comes with an upgraded full bin indicator as well as a carpet height adjustment feature.
Suction, Household (Pets & Kids) & Maintenance
The Neato D7 and iRobot Roomba 960 are specially designed with improved filters to tackle up to 99% pet hair and allergens in your home. While the Neato D7 has an advanced dual core brush, the Roomba 960 uses dual multi-surface rubber brushes which are tangle-free and flex the entire time during cleaning to remain in contact with the surface.
Weighing 7.5 lbs, the Neato D7 boasts a bin capacity of 700ml and cleaning path width of 12 inches. It also has a powerful suction of up to 2,000 Pa. The iRobot Roomba 960 weighs 8.6 lbs., has a dust capacity of 600ml, and a cleaning path of 7 inches wide. The Roomba 960 has a suction power of 900 Pa.
Design, Battery & Sound
The Neato D7 and iRobot Roomba 960 are designed with advanced operating features and an ultra noiseless finish, even when they are running. Both vacuum cleaners are compatible with most smart devices and facilities. Additionally, the Roomba 960 can also be voice-controlled.
Furthermore, both robot vacuums are equipped with an auto shut off, an auto charge and a clean/charge/resume feature. Yet, the Neato D7 runs for 120 minutes and fully recharges in 150 minutes. The Roomba 960 runs for 75 minutes and takes up to 180 minutes to fully charge.
Technical Comparison
| Neato D7 | iRobot Roomba 960 | |
| Battery Run Time | 120 minutes | 75 minutes |
| Charging Time | 150 minutes | 180 minutes |
| Auto Shut off and recharge | Yes | Yes |
| Cleaning Pattern | Intelligent | Intelligent |
| Suction Power | 2,000 Pa | 900Pa |
| Brush Type | Dual Core Combo | Dual multi-surface rubber edge-sweeping |
| Dust bin capacity | 700ml | 600ml |
| Weight | 7.5 lbs. | 8.6 lbs. |
| Wi-Fi Connectivity | Yes | Yes |
The Verdict
Neato D7
Model(s): 945-0270
The Neato D7 robot vacuum cleaner offers you a versatile cleaning solution. Using its special zone cleaning feature, you can opt to clean specific areas of your home on demand. The Neato robot vacuum also boasts a turbo mode.The turbo mode helps enhance suction to address tougher dirt and debris and pick up stubborn pet hairs. Equipped with up to 120 minutes of run-time, it makes a great addition to a large household.
iRobot Roomba 960
This mechanism ensures your entire home is spotless. The vacuum’s improved filter design allows the vacuum to trap up to 99% pet hairs and allergens strewn around your home.
Conclusion
Looking at the Neato vs Roomba head to head comparison, it is obvious that both vacuums have quality navigational features, decent cleaning capacity, and efficiency.
Neato robot vacuums display spot-on navigation and high suction power; making them perfect for large households and those with pets. Roomba robot vacuums are more tech-smart and efficient, you just need to pick the right size for your home.
Overall, the Neato D7 stands out when it comes to navigation, capacity, and suction power. The Roomba 960, on the other hand, has a better intelligent cleaning design and offers the convenience to pre-set your schedule and voice control it!