The Roomba may be a giant in the robotic vacuum industry, but Neato is also a force to be reckoned with. The Neato D-Connected series has a number of mid-range and premium robots, with the D7 Connected being the most advanced in this series from Neato Robotics.
Both the Neato botvac D5 Connected and the Neato BotVac D7 Connected are top tier robots with great features such as multi-floor mapping for multi story houses, high-performance filters, a clear interface and simple usability, voice control, WiFi connectivity, etc. Evidently, these are two excellent robotic vacuums from Neato, with similar basic designs for completing the same task, but which of the two will do a better job? Let’s find out…in this Neato D5 vs D7 showdown.
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Neato Botvac D5 vs D7: Which Should You Buy?
Last update on 2022-05-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Between the Neato Botvac D5 and D7 Connected models, the latter is the more advanced robot. The Neato BotVac D5 Connected is a mid-range robot vacuum cleaner while the Neato BotVac D7 Connected is a premium robot and packs more advanced features.
The Neato BotVac D7 Connected is essentially an upgraded version of the BotVac D5, it has an advanced brush roll for better cleaning, the improved spiral combo brush, a bigger Li-ion battery for delivering a longer battery life, a more powerful motor and cleans much faster than the Neato BotVac D5 Connected.
The Neato BotVac D7 Connected also costs more than the D5, which is no surprise since it’s a better robot. The two robot vacuums are beautifully designed and both excel at cleaning floor surfaces (from hardwood and tile floors to a low-pile carpet). While they can be used on a medium-pile carpet too, the D7 doesn’t always clean these as easily.
With better features, the Neato BotVac D7 is obviously a better buy but the D5 Connected works well too and the robot you eventually go for will largely depend on your budget. It is worth noting that both of them have some shared factors too. A couple of similarities between the D5 and D7 include a rechargeable battery and auto charge, high performance cleaning, great navigation systems and magnetic tape/no-go lines, a HEPA filter and more.
In short, both of these two robotic vacuum cleaners are excellent at what they do – but it’s plain to see that the Neato BotVac D7 Connected model offers far more.
If you want to stretch your budget as far as possible, you may also be interested in reading our Neato D3 vs D5 comparison.
Product Overviews
Neato Botvac D5
The Neato Botvac D5 is a mid-range robot vacuum cleaner designed for large multi story houses. It has the patented Neato D-shape design and a LaserSmart technology for intelligently navigating and mapping your home. Instead of a random pattern, the Botvac cleans in straight lines. It uses a large core brush, a side brush and strong suction power to sweep up pet hair and debris from different surface types.
With the D-shape design and side brush, this botvac perfectly cleans out edges and corners of walls. The D5 also features an ultra performance filter which captures up to 99% of tiny dust mites and allergens. You can connect the robot to the Neato app to schedule cleanings daily, every other day, or on a schedule that works for you.
Points to consider with the Neato BotVac D5 Connected
This little root vacuum can certainly take care of your cleaning needs, often being able to efficiently clean harder to reach areas (like edges, corners and under cabinets). In addition to the high cleaning performance, it features a decent run time, WiFi connectivity (and an easy to use smartphone app), a great navigation system and much more.
This, alongside the fair price, make the Neato BotVac D5 Connected an excellent robot vacuum for a wide variety of smart homes.
Last update on 2023-01-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Neato Botvac D7
The Neato Botvac D7 is a premium robot vacuum for large homes with pets and allergic people. This smart home gadget beautifully cleans a range of floor types including carpets, hardwood, tiles, and it cleans out hard-to-reach areas like corners and edges, thanks to the D-shape and a side brush.
With laser-guided mapping, the Neato BotVac D7’s technology intelligently navigates and maps your home, cleaning in straight lines instead of a random pattern. The D7 has an ultra-performance filter that captures particles down to 0.3 microns making it great for allergens and pollen.
It also comes with an improved battery, a lithium-ion battery powers the robot for about 120 minutes. With a single charge, this robot can vacuum up to 5,000 square feet before heading back to the charging station for a recharge.
Key things to keep in mind about the Neato BotVac D7 Connected
there are certainly a lot of factors to consider if you’re hoping to buy a decent robot vacuum. With the Neato BotVac D7 Connected, you’ll find a number of features that make it an essential cleaning tool for any smart home, from its excellent cleaning performance, auto charge and zone cleaning to navigation, longer run time and voice control.
The only downside to the D7 is that it comes with a higher cost than the D5 model – although for all that it has to offer, you might just find that it’s worth the added expense.
Last update on 2022-05-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
How The D5 and D7 Neato BotVac Connected Work?
These two robotic vacuum cleaners belong to the Neato Botvac Connected D-series and come with very similar design features. They are built for the same purpose and have very similar working mechanisms.
Both the Neato BotVac D5 Connected and Neato BotVac D7 Connected are powered by a rechargeable Li-ion battery and feature the same LaserSmart technology for creating digital maps during a cleaning cycle which saves time and energy while improving cleaning efficiency.
With the smart navigation technology, the D5 and D7 Connected devices move systematically in straight lines from one corner to the other diligently sweeping up every part of the room as they go.
Both the D7 and D5 Connected models use a primary cleaning brush and an extra side brush for delivering better edge cleaning, as these brushes loosen dirt, a strong suction sucks them into a 700 ml dust bin.
With the automatic charge and resume feature, the D7 and D5 Connected robot vacuums drive back to the base to charge with no input from the user, and once their batteries charged and go on to complete the cleaning. You can control either the D7 or D5 Connected models from the Neato mobile app via Wi-Fi connection, and they are both compatible with Alexa and Google Home Assistant (which only makes them an even better option for a smart home).
Neato BotVac D7 vs D5 — Key Features
Design And Aesthetics
At first glance, you’ll notice the unique D-shape of Neato botvacs, they have very similar design features and are of the same size, measuring 13.2″ wide and 3.9″ tall. At this size, they can both fit under furniture with no problems.
The Neato BotVac D5 Connected and Neato BotVac D7 Connected models are equipped with the S.L.A.M algorithm and laser technology which emits signals to scan and create a map of the room, this helps the robot vacuums move smartly while cleaning and avoid objects in their path.
Filtration System
The D5 and D7 have the same ultra-performance filter, which is great at filtering off allergens and pollen from the air. Neither of them are marked as a HEPA filter, although it’s worth noting that they are of the same grade and perform just as well.
Virtual No-Go Lines
This is a feature found in the mobile app and allows you to digitally mark off sections in a room that you want the botvac to avoid, known as no-go lines (or no-go zones). The D5 and D7 both have this feature and it helps to prevent them from wandering off to places where they can get stuck. These two robot vacuums also come with a boundary marker tape which is a magnetic strip for setting boundaries and containing the robot in a particular section of the room, it works just like the no-go zones, but where no-go lines are virtual, the boundaries are physical (due to the magnetic tape).
This particular feature is one that is quite popular among robotic vacuums, so don’t overlook the ability to set no-go lines or the magnetic strips.
Wi-Fi and App Connectivity
Both robotic vacuum cleaners can connect with the Neato app via Wi-Fi, this enables remote control. However, the D5 is only compatible with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network, while the D7 works with both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks. Neato has apps for iOS and Android. You can only set no-go lines through the app, although the boundary markers work just fine without a WiFi network.
Auto-recharge And Resume
Both the D5 and D7 can detect when their batteries are running low during a cleaning cycle and drive back to the charging base for a power top-up before heading back to finish the cleaning job. When this happens, a quick charge boost enables the robots to calculate how much power is needed to complete the cleaning, and charges only that amount before completing the cleaning.
Side brushes
Besides the main brush roll, the Neato D5 and D7 both come with an extra side-brush with which they efficiently sweep up dirt and debris along the edges and baseboards in a room. The D-shape of these robot vacuum cleaner devices from Neato promote edge cleaning, but with the side brushes enable them to sweep up edges exceptionally well.
Different cleaning modes
Turbo mode and ECO mode are both excellent cleaning modes available on the D5 and D7 models. Essentially, if you want to save on power, use your robot in ECO mode. Alternatively, if you want maximum cleaning power, you can use turbo mode – although this will take up more battery life.
FIf you know that the robot will be cleaning pet hair or perhaps a harder to clean surface (like a medium-pile carpet for example), it might be worth using turbo mode to get the job done quicker. Better yet, since the robot vacuum will go back to charge by itself, you don’t really need to worry about doing anything when it runs low on battery power. For hard flooring however, ECO mode should work just fine (albeit a little slower).
The D7 Connected model also has a spot cleaning mode. With this, you can choose a specific radius for concentrated cleaning. Essentially, if there are any areas where you know a little extra cleaning is needed, just switch the device to spot cleaning and hone in on that space. This can be particulalrly useful on more difficult surfaces.
The turbo, ECO and spot cleaning modes are all excellent and without a doubt make the Neato BotVac D5 Connected and the Neato D7 Connected devices a great option for almost anyone, offering incredible cleaning performance on hardwood, tile and carpet surfaces.
Multiple floor plans
Both the Connected D7 and D5 models are built for large multi-story homes, they have the multiple floor plans feature which permits you to save up to 3-floor plans. This helps the robot clean large homes more efficiently, and coupled with an extra charging dock, these robot vacuums will always remember their location in the house at all times.
Neato D5 vs D7 — Key Differences
Brush Roll
The Neato D7 and D5 Connected Neato robot models come with different sweeping brushes, the D5 uses the much older combo brush while the D7 robot vacuum comes with the advanced spiral combo brush which is more suitable for sweeping up hair strands. This slight difference in their brushes gives the D7 better cleaning performance on carpets, especially thick pile carpets. Although the Neato D5 Connected comes with the combo brush, it’s also compatible with the spiral combo brush and you can get one on Amazon. Both robotic vacuums also have side brushes for better edge cleaning.
Battery Life And Runtime
Between these amazing two robot vacuum models, the Neato Botvac D7 has a bigger Li-ion battery with a runtime of 120 minutes while the Neato Botvac D5 Connected only runs for 90-minute before it gets a recharge.
However, both the D7 and D5 Connected devices take 2 to 3 hours to get a full charge.
Zone Cleaning
The zone cleaning feature is for creating zones to enable the robot vacuum cleaner to clean only certain sections of the house. For instance, you can make the kitchen a zone, and instruct the robot vacuum to clean that particular zone, the kitchen. This is a great feature for really large homes but only the D7 offers zone cleaning, the D5 doesn’t. It’s differences like these that really need to be considered when considering which one you should purchase.
Price
The Neato D7 is the more advanced model and more expensive than the D5 model, which is to be expected. The price difference is about $200, and if it fits nicely into your budget, the D7 is apparently a better deal.
Neato D5 vs D7 Connected — How Do They Perform?
The D5 and D7 are two Neato robots relatively close to the iRobot Roomba 980 range models in cleaning performance.
Both the Neato BotVac D5 Connected and Neato BotVac D7 Connected robots are ideal for homes with pets and allergic individuals, their ultra-performance filters suck up 99.5% of allergens and ultra fine particles from the air. The navigation is smart and sub-par with the robotic vacuum cleaners barely missing any parts, and with the extra side sweeping brushes they leave the corners and baseboards sparkling like every other part of the room.
These robot vacuum cleaners almost flawlessly sweep up dust from different surfaces including fine debris from low pile and thick pile carpets. However, the D7 robot vacuum performs better on thick pile carpets thanks to an advanced spiral brush roll and a stronger suction force.
The D7 also cleans much faster than the Neato BotVac D5 Connected, even though they both follow the same systematic cleaning pattern it does more work in less time, apparently the Neato BotVac D7 Connected is the more advanced robot vacuum.
Ease Of Set-up And Use
Getting each of these robot vacuums to work for the very first times is easy. Each vacuum has only a few buttons including the power button, but the bulk of the set up and programmable settings are found in the Neato mobile app and you’ll need to have this app installed on your smartphone and connected to the robot to get it programmed and tailored to your home.
From the app, you can create multiple floor plans, cordon off certain areas using the virtual boundaries, create different zones and schedule cleaning times for the robot. These gadgets have lots of smart features which are majorly accessed via the app which also acts as the remote control, the robotic vacuum cleaners can also be controlled by Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
Ongoing Maintenance
As you would expect, these machines require regular maintenance to stay in top form for optimal performance. For both robots, it’s recommended that the dirt bins are emptied and reloaded as often as possible, and the filter should be cleaned at regular intervals.
To prevent the accumulation of debris and hairs, the sweeping brushes also need cleaning, and they should be removed and cleaned frequently.
For each robot, Neato recommends that the filter should be replaced 6 times a year, the side brushes replaced 4 times a year, brush roll replaced once a year and the battery replaced every other year. New cleaning brushes can add a new lease of life to your Neato vacuum cleaner, so don’t forget to replace them if they’re starting to get old.
All replacement parts should be Neato branded products and following Neato’s replacement schedule for these gadgets will amount to between $100-$200 annual maintenance for these robot vacuum models from Neato.
FAQs on Neato BotVac D5 vs D7 Connected
Neato D5 vs D7 — Final Thoughts
Apparently, the Neato Botvac D5 and D7 Connected robot vacuums have very similar features and cleaning capabilities on all types of flooring, and they all have the same smart features.
However, the Neato BotVac D7 Connected is the more advanced robot and outperforms the D5. It uses an advanced spiral combo brush and coupled with an improved motor and battery, it cleans faster than the Neato BotVac D5 Connected. Offering high performance cleaning, longer run time and more, it’s not hard to see why the D7 can be such an excellent choice.
The Neato BotVac D7 Connected bots is simply an improvement over the D5 – with the only drawback being the somewhat high price tag. Despite this, it’s certainly not the most expensive you’ll find and considering the features and performance that comes with it, the price is more than fair. High quality sensors, large dustbin capacity, better pickup and longer run time are all part of the deal.
We absolutely recommend the D7 and if it fits into your budget, go for it. But if you’re working with a slim budget and want a robot vacuum for less than $600, then the D5 will be a great option for your home.
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Emma Marie is a valued writer at the Little Robot Shop. She studied robotics and deeply understands technology, which shows in her writing. She consistently produces high-quality content, making her a perfect fit for the Little Robot Shop team.
While not writing, Emma works in a popular electronics retail chain. Emma also enjoys running and has two dogs with whom she loves spending time.
