Neato Robotics, whose top-of-the-line Botvac D7 Connected is one of our top-rated robot vacuum cleaners, has introduced two new and less expensive models, as well as new features for existing Botvacs.
Neato’s announcements at IFA 2018 in Berlin should heat up competition in an already crowded field of smart robot vacuum cleaners.
The new entry-level Botvac D4, like all Neato robot vacuums, comes with an app that lets you program and view its cleaning path; schedule, initiate and pause vacuuming; and control it all using popular smart home technologies including Amazon Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT and Neato’s own Chatbot for Facebook.
New with the Botvac D4 is the ability to set so-called No-Go lines, boundaries to prevent unwanted incursions into specific spaces. This feature was previously only available in the flagship D7 Botvac, and Neato says the D4 is the first robot vacuum cleaner to offer No-Go technology at the unit’s $499 MSRP.
The D4 also offers superior battery life to its predecessor, and boasts a new Quick Boost fast-charge feature that calculates the amount of power needed for the current task so you only have to plug it in long enough to reach the required charge.
For pet owners willing to spend more, Neato’s new Botvac D6 Connected ($699) sports a larger main brush with a turbo option to spin faster, thereby picking up more hair and dirt. Also included are a side brush and a high-performance filter designed to better trap dust and allergens.
The D6 also supports multiple floor plans, allowing you to customize its path, including No-Go lines, for different rooms.
Neato also announced a new Zone Cleaning feature for the $799 Botvac D7 Connected. Available immediately on new units and later this fall via a software update for existing D7 owners, Zone Cleaning lets you define trouble spots within a floor plan and then have the Botvac D7 revisit or clean only those areas.
Neato says the new D4 and D6 Botvacs are available online now and should be in stores shortly. The company also plans to make the new Quick Boost and No-Go Lines features available later this fall via software update to owners of its legacy Connected models, the entry-level D3 Botvac and midrange D5 Botvac.
