NO MORE ROBOT VACUUMS!!!
So much smarter than a roomba. I’ve had 4 Roombas dating back to the original grey model up to the 5 series. They bounce around like a drunken sailor wasting time and batteries. They also don’t have very good suction.
The Neato solves all those issue and makes cool crop circle like patterns in your carpet.
Some of the Neatos have been shipping with bad batteries. If you don’t get 50-60 minutes per charge, you need to contact Neato support for a new set of batteries.
Neato XV-21 Pet and Allergy Robot Vacuum - New
Today on Woot = $299.99 + $5 Shipping
ebay = $299.00 + Ships Free - (low availablility?) seller states more than 10 available
ebay total price = $5.00 below today’s Woot price
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Neato-XV-21-Pet-Allergy-Robotic-Vacuum-Cleaner-New-Box-/400365772063#vi-content
Target = $429.99 + Ships Free
http://www.target.com/p/neato-robotics-xv-21-pet-allergy-robotic-vacuum/-/A-14197755?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=Google_PLA_df&LNM=|14197755&CPNG=Appliances&kpid=14197755&LID=PA&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=14197755
Amazon = $343.79 + Ships Free
http://www.amazon.com/Neato-XV-21-Allergy-Automatic-Cleaner/dp/B007JOJ9QQ
NOTE
All prices and dealers found using a random Google search. Your own search may find differing and/or lower prices.
No, there’s no remote. The unit is hackable, so you could probably get one made, if you really wanted it.
It does a great job with rooms full of furniture. Just watch it go a few times. If it gets stuck, it will chime, you move whatever is blocking it, and then let it go. After seeing it stuck once or twice in my dining room (with six chairs), I noticed that if I place the chairs over an inch or two, it can do the whole room without a hitch. I now have it going every day. I have two sheddy dogs, and this thing is great!
A really high rug can snarl the brush and stop any robot vacuum in its tracks. Assuming these aren’t those, then yeah, it’ll automatically adjust. There’s a fine balance between the wheel springs, the unit’s center of gravity, and the stiffness of the brush itself. It just kinda hovers at the right height for whatever.
That’s automatic. It’ll give off this plaintive “kablurp?” sound every ~30 seconds until the battery dies, which is plenty of time to come home an discover that it inexplicably jammed itself in an odd spot where it never got jammed before. Don’t throw out your broom; you’ll need it once in a while for retrieving the daredevil Neato from the otherwise-inaccessible places it goes. If you find a persistently-problematic place, block it off with the included magnetic strip.
Mine used to get lost under the bed sometimes. I realized there was a tag dangling from the mattress at precisely the right height to sometimes be invisible to LIDAR and sometimes appear right on top of the unit, “boo!”, which caused a nav fault. Removed the tag and all is good again.
I’ve never seen an ibug, but from a quick GIS, they look too big to get sucked up. YMMV.
Really? I did manage to confuse mine by opening and closing doors during a run, so that it could technically get back to base but not by the same route. That caused a few sad-Neato moments before I realized that picking it up and carrying it back to base negated all the fun of watching it get confused, so I don’t do that anymore. If I leave all the doors open, it seems to negotiate the donut floorplan with alacrity.
I’m really curious what’s different about your house than mine.
REVIEWS
143 Customer Reviews from Amazon = 4 Star Rating
I have had several Roombas and now have 2 Neatos. I like the Neatos much better. Mostly because the pet hair does not get stuck in the brush. I have had issues with both brands. My one Neato has been replaced 4 times in the last year. The other one has had no issues. Neato Robotics customer service is the best. They have replaced my unit with no hassle. I did buy a Square Trade warranty just in case.
As far as cleaning, I think it does a great job, better than the Roomba. However, It does not do corners well or get into small places. Mine will not go under the bed like the Roomba did. The battery life is far better than the Roomba. Overall, I will never buy another Roomba, but would replace my Neato in a heartbeat.
So if we buy this today, will we get it in time for Christmas?
Have 4 and all work great on hardwood or carpet. You can also update the software http://www.neatorobotics.com/support/software-updates/ for older versions. You can check the software version on the Neato itself. Our dog doesn’t bother Wally(s) anymore.
Well, I just answered my own question. When you go to order it, there’s a tag that says “too late for Xmas. Better luck next year.”
Get it for the same price with free shipping on Ebay.
I have two dogs and they pretty much ignore the Neato. Mine does run up sloping table legs and get stuck, and because I have a large house with five wings, it gets a little lost sometimes. But it does a fabulous job, it does go around tables and chairs, it picks up an amazing amount of dirt and hair. However, yes, I often have to rescue it from a table leg or stuck position. Compared to actually vacuuming myself, however, these are very minor concerns.
Also, I bought mine on Amazon for $80 more! This is a deal.
I ordered a Neato about a year ago when I saw Woot had one for the same price as this one. My wife was initially skeptical of a robotic vacuum but after she saw how much dirt it picks up in its bin and the neat tracks in the carpet after it did its scheduled chores, now she treats the thing like a pet or a child.
Neato isn’t perfect. We have found it stuck in places, chirping its alarms. It also tries to hump things so be careful of some items like cords, etc. We also get the dreaded RPS error but usually we acknowledge and it drives on. Interestingly enough, I called Neato about this and they did not define what this error is although they were aware of it. I think it is a relative position sensor and it “forgets” where it is in the room.
Despite these problems, my wife is happy about Neato.
Bought this model back in October. I must admit that we are on #3, but customer service has been flawless and easy. We also encountered the battery problem with #3, and Neato sent a new one, no questions asked. It is a bonus that they answer the phone 24/7.
Still loving #3. It takes about two weeks to learn your home. It does relentlessly try to get stuck under the lazy boy type chairs, but the magnetic strip has helped that issue. And he trick with the soda cans works like a charm! Even thinking about getting a second one for the upstairs.
I purchased this from Woot approximately seven months ago, so I believe I can speak fairly competently in regards to its performance. When I was contemplating this purchase, I wished members had noted floor types, needs, pets etc., in an effort to see if anyone mirrored my needs. So, I hope this review may be beneficial for some members…
I have two bulldogs and they have double coats. Unfortunately, this creates copious amounts of dog dander and shedded short hair. I also have porcelain tile and area rugs throughout approximately 1500 sq. feet of living area. Some people would argue that I’m a little OCPD in regards to the cleanliness of my home. I guess I would agree with that assessment and therefore usually have all dog toys returned to their bin and no other debris laying around. That being said, my Neato has a structured environment and rarely has an opportunity to get something stuck in its brushes as others have noted.
If I had to use one word to describe my Neato, the word “exceptional” comes to mind. It’s extremely efficient on surfaces and glides effortlessly onto the different heights of my area rugs. As far as run times with my square footage, it usually requires two cycles. It will run for approximately 45 minutes, automatically recharge itself (another 45 minutes), and completes its assigned task usually within another 30 minutes.
I always empty the bin after it completes each cycle. It amazes me that people actually complain that their bin is full and must be emptied! Isn’t that why they’re running a vacuum to begin with? I for one, am thrilled to see the debri in the bin…it’s that much less in my home.
I’ve programmed mine to run daily…there’s no effort on my behalf, so why not assist with the benefits of a cleaner home. It’s a mechanical being, so obviously there are occasional glitches. As others have stated, it does occasionally get stuck on an area rug tassel or ill defined furniture (for instance, my iron legged barstools). However these few hiccups are minimal compared to the benefits. As a norm, it completes its daily task without incident.
Over these few months, I had to contact customer service due to a right wheel getting stuck and a software error. They were extremely friendly and efficient. Without question, they replaced my unit and also included prepaid FedEx labels for return of the defective unit(s). Complete customer satisfaction appears to be something the company prides itself on. At the time of purchase, I also obtained the square trade extended warranty, so I have no concerns for many years.
In conclusion, if you seek a cleaner home with minimal effort, this is an exceptional purchase to meet that need.
worked for 6 months then crapped out. kept asking to be placed on the floor. got a boat anchor, no boat. waste of money
I picked this unit up back in October when it was last on sale. Given the color scheme, I decided to name it Jean-Luc. From the reviews then, it seemed a superior robotic vacuum to any roombas.
I have hardwood and carpeted floors in my apartment- it seems to make the transition just fine. For some reason, it reads half of my living room as part of my bedroom, and tends to jump back and forth between rooms with no problem.
It seems to work well with the two rugs I have in my place- I recently purchased one as a way to keep my wired sound system running as well as the neato since cords do tend to trip it up. It just moves onto the rug–and over the cord beneath-- with no problem.
I think it kind of adjusts the height- the suspension system for it allows it to move up and down so it can attempt to run up-and-over things. I guess I haven’t noticed if it intentionally raises or lowers itself, but it does do a great job of cleaning the carpets, hardwood, and rugs.
The vacuum does force you to pick up after yourself so it doesn’t get stuck as often.
I have some odd chairs with a bar that runs along the floor that it likes to get stuck on (but can sometimes ramp over), but using the magnetic strip has kept it safe. As previously mentioned, I got a rug to keep it running over some cords without a problem.
Additionally, if you want it to dock itself you will need the recommended 3’ clear (except for the back). I placed mine under a bookshelf so it wouldn’t get in the way- it will get itself back to the bookshelf but won’t dock. I actually like this as it gives me a chance to empty the dust bin before it goes back into hiding.
I seem to have success using the hose on my upright to clean the filter when it gets dusty.
Neatos are the best.
We like ours so much we bought a second unit for work. One will vacuum an entire 1 story house. We are very pleased.
We call ours RoboVac.
This! Yeah, I forgot, this was one of my main reasons for buying one – I’m “accountable” to “someone” when I leave crap on the floor. The human tendency to personify machines works out perfectly, in that I feel that my time spent cleaning isn’t wasted – it’s for the Neato’s benefit!
Ooh, good call. Because bags for even the most expensive upright are about 200x cheaper than robot filters per unit of dust collected.