Neato D8 review

My attention was immediately drawn when the Neato D8 robotic vacuum cleaner was announced. It is the very first D-shaped robot vacuum cleaner, which means that an extra wide brush has been placed under the vacuum cleaner.

I was so curious about this robot vacuum cleaner that I decided to buy it and test it. In this extensive Neato D8 review I discuss my experiences with this intelligent robot vacuum cleaner.

The Neato D8 is the first D-shaped robot vacuum cleaner. © Vacuumtester

Unboxing Neato D8

The Neato D8 comes in a striking orange box. View the complete content below.

The package contents of the Neato D8. © Vacuumtester

1. Neato D8: the robot vacuum cleaner
2. Filters: two extra High Performance filters
3. Slimline Charge Base: the charging station
4. Charging cable: a 2 meter charging cable
5. Plug adapters: for European or American sockets

Note: I purchased this robot vacuum cleaner in the Netherlands. The robot vacuum cleaner will therefore probably be supplied with a plug adapter for a European socket.

Suction Performance Neato D8 Robot Vacuums

How well does the Neato D8 perform on different floor types? I tested the robot vacuum cleaner on various floor types: from soft floors (carpet and rugs) to hard wooden floors. A big issue with robot vacuum cleaners is also how they work on dark floors: many robot vacuum cleaners then stop vacuuming.

In addition, I also looked at how well the D8 can remove animal hairs.

I have tested the Neato D8 on wooden floors, among other things. © Vacuumtester

Hard floors, soft floors, dark floors and pet hair

The Neato D8 scores very well on hard wooden floors. Both large and small dirt are well removed. Thanks to the larger rubber wheels, the floor is also well protected against scratches. And where, for example, with the iRobot Roomba J7+ I only encounter one swivel wheel under the vacuum cleaner, the Neato D8 has two swivel wheels.

The robot vacuum cleaner is equipped with a motorized roller brush of 28 centimeters wide. This is much wider than most other robot vacuums. Because the roller brush is equipped with rubber strips, removing pet hair is no problem at all.

The Neato D8 is equipped with two castor wheels and an extra wide brush. © Vacuumtester

The Neato D8 also does its job well on long-pile and low-pile carpet. In fact, the suction power is automatically increased here, so that it can remove dirt deep into the fibres.

The suction power is automatically increased when the Neato D8 vacuums carpet

Unlike many other robot vacuum cleaners, the corners and edges are also cleaned well. This is mainly due to the shape of the Neato D8. Because it is D-shaped, it can vacuum in the corners better than round vacuum cleaners.

Due to its D-shape, the Neato D8 can vacuum better in corners. © Vacuumtester

Does the Neato D8 work on dark floors?

The Neato D8 works well on dark floors, unlike many other robot vacuums. In fact, thanks to the LIDAR laser technology, the robot vacuum can even get to work in the dark.

• Hardwood floors: 7.5/10 (also compatible for dark floors)
• Carpet: 7,2/10
• Pet hair: 7/10

Obstacle Detection: Recognizing and Avoiding

When installing the Neato D8 (I'll come back to that later), you'll be told to remove all cables and clutter from the floor. I was shocked for a moment. However, it turns out that this is only necessary during the installation process, so that the robot vacuum cleaner can create a good virtual map of your home.

Once created, the robot vacuum cleaner recognizes obstacles well. He doesn't bump into furniture and doesn't even have a problem with chair legs. I did experience a few times when the vacuum cleaner had trouble recognizing cables: in many cases they are not detected. So you really have to take this into account.

User-friendliness: installation, app and functionalities

To analyze the user-friendliness of a robot vacuum cleaner, I test several factors. For example, the installation is an important point, I look at the operation and operation of the app and I view the functions of the vacuum cleaner. Let's start with the installation.

Neato D8 installation: easy

The installation of the Neato D8 consists of a few steps. It is important to first find a good place for the charging station. You must have at least 30 centimeters of free space around the charging station. There must also be a good and strong WiFi connection.

The charging station is placed against the wall and must be stable. Will you put the station on a wooden floor? Then you can attach the charging station to the floor using adhesive strips. This keeps the charging station in place and prevents it from scratching your floor. After the charging station is positioned, place the Neato D8 against the charging station, after which the battery icon will appear.

© Vacuumtester

You can then download the app, pair the Neato D8 and complete the installation process. Before the robot vacuum cleaner gets to work for the first time, it is equally important to remove cables and clutter from the floor. In this way, the Neato D8 robot vacuum cleaner can create a good virtual map of the cleaning area.

MyNeato app: cleaning schedules and virtual walls

Like all other robot vacuums, the Neato D8 is controlled with an app. The MyNeato app to be exact. The app is suitable for Android and iOS and is free to download. What strikes me most is that the app is very simple. After creating an account, you can easily link the robot vacuum cleaner and you can immediately start specifying preferences and settings.

Neato D8 Features and Capabilities

You can make the following settings via the Neato D8 app:

• Create cleaning schedules
• View cleaning folders
• Create virtual walls
• Creation of rooms and cleaning areas

Neato D8 works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa

If you have a Google Nest or Amazon smart speaker, you can control the Neato D8 with voice commands. For example, you can activate, pause or return the robot vacuum to the charging station.

Maintaining the Neato D8

Thanks to the D-shaped design of the Neato D8, there is a large dust container. With a capacity of 0.7 liters, it is much larger than the average robot vacuum cleaner. The dust container can easily be clicked out of the robot vacuum cleaner, after which you can empty it above the trash can.

The dust container of the Neato D8 is larger than the average robot vacuum cleaner. © Vacuumtester

The brush of the robot vacuum cleaner can easily be clicked under the Neato D8 robot vacuum cleaners. You can then easily remove tangles of hair and dirt or replace the brush with a new one.

Filters: Replaceable EPA 11 filters

The filter is located at the back of the dust container. It is an elongated EPA 11 filter with a dust retention of 95%. A cleaning brush can be found on the back of the charging station. This allows you to carefully clean the filter.

Unfortunately, you cannot clean the HEPA filter under the tap, but as we saw during the unboxing, you get two extra replaceable filters. So you don't have to buy a new one for the time being.

The HEPA filter of the Neato D8 is replaceable. © Vacuumtester

Neato recommends replacing the filter with a new one every two months. “We recommend that you replace your filter every one to two months. Factors that determine how often the filter should be replaced include: frequency of vacuuming, size of area Neato cleans, and amount of dirt, debris, and hair of pets that the robot sucks up,” said Neato Robotics.

Neato recommends replacing the filter with a new one every two months

Conclusion Neato D8 review

The Neato D8 is a special robot vacuum cleaner thanks to its D-shaped design. Its shape brings many advantages: it has a very large roller brush, an extra large dust container and can vacuum better in the corners. The suction power is excellent on all floor types; the robot vacuum cleaner even automatically adjusts its suction power when it starts vacuuming carpet.

Controlling the Neato D8 is very easy via the app. You can create cleaning schedules, create a virtual boundary and create cleaning areas. Do you have a smart speaker? Then you can also control the robot vacuum cleaner with speech.

What you should take into account is that the maximum threshold height is only 1.5 centimeters. In addition, the robot vacuum cleaner sometimes has some difficulty with cables on the floor: you will therefore always have to remove them from the floor when the Neato D8 starts vacuuming.