Neato Botvac Connected: Your Personal Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Yes, robot vacuum cleaners are cool, but not as they used to be. These days, we live in a world where almost everything has an app and boasts network connectivity so they have to have something different to impress us even slightly. This is exactly what the Neato Botvac Connected has accomplished. The company has succeeded in developing the most advanced robot vacuum cleaner in the market. The device doesn’t just rely on laser mapping to do its job; instead, it takes advantage of Wi-Fi connectivity and speaks to you via an app. Since it is integrated with Amazon Echo, you can activate it with your voice as well.

The Neato Botvac Connected has an all-black color scheme with metallic and shiny accents that make it a serious contender. A flat and wide design has been used, which is quite similar to other vacuum cleaners out there. Sure, it has a larger footprint, but it also means that the vacuum cleaner will be able to slide under the sofa with ease. A mix of brush power and suction are used for cleaning. The brush bar offers two flavors; one is the combo brush that has tough bristles for dealing with pet hair whereas the other is a spiral rubbery blade.

On one edge, there is a little spinning brush that has been aimed at flicking debris into the path of the big brush and handling border cleaning. There is a little screen at the top of the device for some simple interactions. You can find responsive touch controls for scheduling cleaning and changing settings. Two large physical buttons can also be found for control; full home cleaning or spot cleaning. There is a 0.7-litre dustbin that you will find at the top and it can be easily lifted out. There is a spare filter, a chunky charging dock and magnetic boundary strips used for marking no-go zones included in the accessories.

This robot vacuum cleaner offers you the best set of features in the market. Online connectivity is perhaps the most significant one you will find. The Botvac can be hooked up to your Wi-Fi and the Android or iOS app allows you to control it from anywhere, as long as you are online. Apart from tinkering with the settings and scheduling cleaning, you can also use the app for steering the robot like you would if it was a toy car. This makes the device good for manual cleaning as well.

The Amazon Echo support is another feature that helps the cleaner stand out of the crowd. Sure, it might not be considered very useful and has the same functions as the app, but it is quite cool. Mapping and navigation is done with the laser so the device doesn’t bump around the house blindly. Edge sensors are also included to prevent the cleaner from falling down the stairs and you also have the choice of adjusting the power settings. With the Eco mode, the vacuum cleaner uses less power and doesn’t make a lot of noise. This allows it to run for about 120 minutes.

If you go for the Turbo mode, you will be able to clean for 90 minutes on full power. When it runs out of power, the cleaner returns to the dock automatically and picks up cleaning again from where it left off once it is charged. The navigation is systematic and intelligent and the cleaning power is also quite impressive. The steering function also comes in handy in ensuring that the entire room is cleaned in just one sweep and you don’t have to do much.