Neato robotic vacuum overcomes messy situation

The promise of a vacuum that picks up around the house while you put your feet up is part of the allure of robotic vacuums. But an early version of one of six robotics just tested by Consumer Reports revealed that the $550 Neato Botvac 80 needed more time and attention than a robotic normally would. But after we brought its faults to the manufacturer's attention, they told us they had a fix. Here's what happened.

The dirt bin for the Neato Botvac 80 is affixed to the top hatch, which must be closed before the vacuum will operate. The first sample we tested had issues right out of the box, when the unit didn't recognize that the lid was closed and displayed an alert, "Please put my Dirt Bin back in," on its screen. The second sample initially worked fine but hit the same problem partway through our tests. When we pressed down the lid with a little force, the alert would vanish. But of course, that won't work with a vacuum that's designed to run unattended.

We contacted the company, which traced the problem to last summer, when a production issue affected a small fraction of the units' circuit boards. While four models in all have the problematic circuit board—the Botvac 70e, 75, 80, and 85—we saw relevant online complaints primarily about the Botvac 80, the model we tested. Neato says that all models from that production period have passed through retail channels, with none on the shelves today. Still, anyone whose Botvac exhibits the problem should contact Neato (877-296-3286), which told us it will replace those models, with shipping on them.

Once we purchased two newer samples of the Neato, the vacuums worked as promised. Most other robotic vacuums we tested, such as the iRobot Roomba 880, $700, and iClebo Arte YCR-M05, $450, performed better overall. Still, the Neato Botvac 80 had impressive pickup from carpets and bare floors—though not the edges of bare floors—with top-notch navigation.

Need a new vacuum?

As with hand and stick vacuums, no robotic vacuum can ever take the place of a full-size upright or canister vacuum for deep-cleaning carpets. Still, the better models were fine at what you need between full cleanings. Be sure to see our vacuum cleaner buying guide before checking our vacuum Ratings of about 150 models, which include survey-based information on brand-repair history.

—Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter)