Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Roomba vs. Neato: Robots Battle To Clean My Home

roomba vs neato robots battle to clean my home roombo robot vacuum wars
Image used with permission by copyright holder
The life of a technology analyst has its perks. While women don’t fight for my attention, technology does, and often that is a good thing. This occurred to me as I unpacked my Neato Robotic vacuum and put in down on the floor. I could almost hear the growl from the other rooms because we are a Roomba house, and each floor has one or two of those little monsters. They didn’t appear to be happy. Granted, the growls were in my head, but I’m pretty sure that if they were smarter they’d be pissed.

Now, one of the reasons they should be pissed is that the Neato is both smarter and more capable than a Roomba, as we geeks have discovered. Inexplicably, they’re also nowhere near as popular.

Neato vs. Roomba: The Battle Royale

There is something particularly satisfying about two robots fighting to clean up cat hair. No matter which one wins, as long as the cat hair is gone, you’re the winner. I mentioned that the Neato is smarter, but then it has to be, because it’s a real vacuum, the Roomba is more of a powered sweeper. A vacuum on carpet will always be better, but a vacuum uses a ton more power, so it has to be more efficient as well. So while the Roomba can bounce around the room, often covering the same spot a number of times, the Neato has to map out the room and execute on the map, maybe even needing to recharge once in the process.

There is something particularly satisfying about two robots fighting to clean up cat hair.

So the Roomba starts off merrily, like a drunk clown bouncing off everything in the room with wild abandon. The Neato stops, thinks a bit as it makes a plan, and when it has one, fires up the vacuum and methodically covers the room. It really is like watching the difference between the village idiot sweeping a room and a trained professional. Now, on a wood or tile floor, both products actually do a reasonable job, which is why I’m up to my armpits in Roombas. But on carpet the Neato is vastly superior, because you don’t have someone come in and vacuum to get the deep dirt out. Since the Roomba does get the stuff on top, you may not see the deep dirt, but it will reduce the carpet life and it is kind of gross to think about.

You really don’t want to run either of these products close to you when you are sleeping, but the Neato, once again because it actually vacuums, sounds like you have a little jet engine running in the house. It is best used when no one is home, and comes with an event timer to make that easy.

One really cool thing about the Neato is that it uses a technology similar to what is being used for self-driving cars to map out a room digitally. While I wouldn’t suggest giving it the key to your automobile, it is kind of fun to point this out. Oh, and when it is charging, since it senses the charger, you can slide the away from it and it has this cute, (yes I said cute, so what?), way of wriggling its butt back until it gently touches the charger again.

Which is better?

If all you need is a sweeper, the Roomba is fine, but if you want a vacuum, the Neato has this feature. Be aware that the Neato is taller and won’t go under many couches, but given how often we lose our Roomba because it has gotten stuck under the couch, I’m thinking I’m OK with that. For a geek, and yes I am a card-carrying geek, the Neato is far cooler. Even the jet-turbine sound puts a small smile on my face. Since the Neato is smarter, sucks better, and sounds cooler in my battle royale (which was mostly in my head) it is also the clear winner.

Crap, now I have to lock my bedroom door because I’m likely to be pummeled by pissed-off Roombas, which come from iRobot, the same company that makes it makes military robots. Maybe I should rethink this? Nah, I’ll live dangerously, just not Carlos Dangerously, the Neato wins my vote for King of the Robotic Vacuums.

Editors' Recommendations

Rob Enderle
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Rob is President and Principal Analyst of the Enderle Group, a forward-looking emerging technology advisory firm. Before…
Amazon Astro: everything you need to know about this home robot
Amazon Astro following a person through a door.

Amazon Astro came as a surprise when it was revealed in September 2021. The quirky device does a little bit of everything, serving as a robot companion that boasts facial recognition, impressive navigation skills, and tons of useful home security features.

But a lot has changed with Astro since it was first announced, and it's gotten some new competition in the form of EBO X. Here’s a look at everything we know about Astro, including how you can get your hands on it and add it to your home.
Designed to rove around the home

Read more
This is the cheapest Roomba robot vacuum worth buying today
iRobot Roomba 692 Robot Vacuum.

For families who need help in keeping their floors clean, you should check out the affordable but powerful iRobot Roomba 692. It's currently 43% off from Amazon, which brings its price down to just $170 from its original price of $300 for one of the top robot vacuum deals that you can shop today. You're going to have to hurry in completing your purchase though, because there's no telling when the offer will expire, and we're not sure when you'll get another chance to get this cleaning device with savings of $130.

Why you should buy the iRobot Roomba 692 robot vacuum
The iRobot Roomba 692 is worth buying on Labor Day because it's a smart way of cleaning your home without costing too much. It checks certain boxes in the features to consider section of our guide on how to choose a robot vacuum -- it's equipped with a suite of sensors that allow it to navigate around furniture and avoid falling down stairs, and you can schedule its cleaning sessions using the iRobot Home app or through smart home devices powered by Google Home or Amazon's Alexa. The iRobot Roomba 692 also features the brand's Dirt Detect technology that will allow it to determine the areas of your home that need extra attention.

Read more
This Roomba robot vacuum is discounted from $275 to $179
iRobot Roomba 694 at Best Buy - WiFi connected robot vacuum

The iRobot Roomba 694, the top-selling robot vacuum on Amazon, is currently on sale with a 35% discount that slashes its price to an even more affordable $179. The $96 in savings on its original price of $275 probably wouldn't last long though, so if you're looking at robot vacuum deals because you need urgent help in maintaining clean floors, you have to hurry. Add the device to your cart and check out immediately, because if you don't, there's a chance that you miss out on the offer.

Why you should buy the iRobot Roomba 694
iRobot's Roomba is a mainstay in our roundup of the best robot vacuums, so you shouldn't doubt the capabilities of the iRobot Roomba 694. Its three-stage cleaning system and powerful suction will pick up all kinds of dirt and debris, with dual multi-surface brushes working on different floor types and an edge-sweeping brush reaching corners and edges. The robot vacuum also has an auto-adjust cleaning head that changes its height depending on where it's moving.

Read more