A Review of Neato Botvac D85 Robot Vacuum Cleaner

What is a Neato Botvac D85 Robot Vacuum?

There is a war going on trying to sell robot vacuums between top companies. Although there are many top players involved in the market such as Roomba, Shark, and Samsung, there is another vacuum cleaner manufacturer that is doing well. It is Neato Robotics. The D-series variety of vacuums from Neato Robotics is well-known for its pet hair collection programs. This machine has a serious pet hair collection suction power. When the Botvac D80 was first released, many consumers were raving about its capability to work on the whole house. They were also happy about its ability to clean even the dirtiest spots. But after 10 months, there were many complaints about battery failure. Neato Robotics had to discontinue this vacuum and go back to their drawing board. They came up with the Neato Botvac D85 which was an upgraded model of the D80. It comes with good batteries and extra high-performance filters. If you take a close look at the performance, the initial results were positive.

The Botvac D85 has retained the D-shaped exteriors from the earlier models. It is a cute robot that will become your trusted ally. This shape of the D85 means, unlike the circular robot vacuums, that they ensure that even the tight corners of the house are properly covered. You can combine this with the side brushes ensuring that you can clean the wall edges without an issue. You will get a clever machine for yourself. Although most robot vacuums have a remote control, the D85 comes with an LED display. This is where the vacuum can be controlled and cleaning schedules can be set. The newer models of D85 come with high-performance filters and combo brushes that are uniquely designed for picking up pet hair. The combo brushes work quietly on the hard floors such as tile and wood. the transition from carpet to tiles is pretty smooth. This is a lightweight, compact robot vacuum and it has almost everything you wish for.

Pros and Cons of Neato Botvac D85

Pros:

1. A patented laser guide technology is available with the vacuum.
2. There are 3x high-performance filters on the machine.
3. The vacuum automatically returns to the charging station.

Cons:

1. The vacuum is a bit expensive.
2. Its brushes need cleaning.
3. The battery available with the D85 last only for one hour.

3.Specifications

Brand	Neato
Model	Botvac D85
Suction and brushing	SpinFlow technology.
Mapping	Patented laser-guided room mapping.
Brush size	50% larger brush compared to D80.
Brush	Precise Edge cleaning brush.
Scheduling	Yes. Cleaning scheduling capabilities.
Automation	Automatically returns to charging base.
Shape	D-shaped device for precision corner cleaning.

 

Who should buy Neato Botvac D85? 

Although Neato Robotics has officially stopped making the Neato Botvac D80, it is still possible to buy the robot vacuum online from marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon. It might be tempting to opt for the cheaper version of the D85, but it might not be worth taking the risk. One of the main reasons for it is that the stability of the battery for D80 is suspect. Apart from that, the D85 will outperform the older version quite comfortably. Even though both these vacuums can efficiently provide intense cleaning sessions across the house, you need to buy the Botvac D85 for these reasons.

• It provides great overall suction power.
• There are two additional high-performance filters available with the vacuum.
• You can get a smooth surface transition.
• The battery available with the Botvac85 is a stable one.
• It provides a quiet operation.

Taking into consideration, all the positive aspects of D80 are retained, you should be spending a little bit extra. There is nothing like complete peace of mind. Although the D85 brushes will need you to perform frequent cleaning, the overall suction power of the vacuum is much better. It is a small price to pay for getting a vacuum that makes the older version look, pedestrian.

Review of Neato Botvac D85

Although the robot vacuums are super cool in general, many times you see some going backward and forward as if they are hard of sight. It is here that LaserSmart technology used by the Botvac D85 provides the machine an upper hand. This LaserSmart technology is available with a majority of Neato robot vacuums. It provides accurate navigation between objects and furniture, better than most other robot vacuums. By mapping your room, this technology will calculate the optimal route that the vacuum needs to take for covering the area. This means the Neato Botvac is cleaning the same floor around 4 times quicker than the conventional robots that utilize random movement pattern. This technology has not been perfected though. It is likely that LaserSmart is getting confused by these random objects lying on the floor such as toys and shoes. The vacuum also has issues with transparent furniture items.

Similar to any gadget available in the market today, there are many accessories you can buy for levelling up the device. In case you are worried about your Neato Botvac reaching difficult places there is no need to become an expert in robotics. There is a boundary marking feature available which is a nice touch. You can place strips of 13 feet length around the house. This will ensure that the Botvac will avoid obstacles without failure. This is specifically more useful close to the pet food bowl.

However, the real stand out feature of Neato Botvac D85 is its capability to pick up pet hair. In case you have a cat or a dog that sheds a lot, you need to have this vacuum on your shopping list. Pet hair have a tendency to get anywhere. You will need to vacuum it up each day without doing anything. This is an amazing advantage of the Neato D85 vacuum robot. CNET recently made a comprehensive comparison of this vacuum with other competitors. The Neato Botvac hammered its opponents picking up .2 ounces of pet hair. It worked well on all surfaces such as carpets, low-pile carpets, and hardwood floors.

Comparison Chart

Parameters	Neato Botvac D80	Neato Botvac D85	Dyson 360 Heurist
Operating time	NA	60 min	75 min
D shape	Yes.	Yes.	Yes.
HEPA	No.	No.	No.
Scheduling	Yes.	Yes.	Yes.
Mapping	Yes.	Yes.	Yes.

Questions about Neato Botvac D85

1. Does Neato Botvac D85 work without Wi-Fi?

Yes, it is possible to use the Neato Botvac D85 without Wi-Fi. But for getting access to all the great features the vacuum has to offer, you are going to need internet access. You will also need a smart mobile device for use together with the Neato app.

2. How long do Neato Botvac D85 batteries last?

The Neato Botvac D85 batteries normally last for 100 to 150 recharges. Therefore, every time the Neato Botvac D85 returns to the charging base for getting a recharge, it is gradually losing its life span. If you are cleaning the house once or twice every week with charging 3 times on each occasion, the vacuum batteries will last for around 8 months.

3. How long does a Neato D85 vacuum cleaner takes to charge fully?

You can charge a Neato Botvac D85 from the charging base for close to 3-5 hours. You can just hit the Clean House button, and allow the robot vacuum to run till the LCD screen displays a "Low battery" signal. You might have to hit the CLEAN HOUSE button several times till the "Low battery" message appears on the LCD screen.

4. Why is my Neato Botvac D85 not charging?

In case your Neato Botvac D85 is not charging, you may not have plugged it in properly. Many times, the power is off or the light switch is turned off. You can also clean a couple of charge bars by using a dry cloth and ensure that they are clear. 

5. How can I update my Neato Botvac D85 vacuum?

You can visit the robot vacuum LCD screen and choose the Main Menu -> Settings -> Software Update. Then hit the Select button for beginning the software update procedure. Your Neato Botvac D85 robot vacuum will update to the 2.1 version. 

6. Why is my Neato Botvac D85 not sucking?

Check the collection bin of the Botvac D85 and find out if the bin is full of dirt and debris. In case the bin is full, you will have to empty the bin and then clean the filter. In case the filter looks empty and damaged you will have to replace it.

Video of Neato Botvac D85 Vacuum Cleaner Review

Summary

Although the original D series vacuums from Neato offer better overall power, this robot vacuum is also a powerhouse. This is a solid low to middle-tier vacuum however, it lacks the style and polish provided by the top-quality products. But you will not be disappointed with the features it has to offer and the capability to get the job done. Better battery stability compared to the D80 is a blessing for the vacuum. It uses a patented house mapping technology with a return to charging station capability.