Neato D10 Review: Deep cleaning the D
RRP $800.00
"The Neato D10 has a unique shape and three cleaning modes that keep your floors nearly spotless."
benefits
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300 minutes of battery life
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Multiple powerful cleaning modes
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The unique shape ensures better cleaning on walls
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Easy to use app
disadvantage
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No self-draining base
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Expensive
Robot vacuums are one of the most popular types of smart home products. After all, what's not to love? You get a sleek, smart device that does all the vacuuming for you, without you having to do anything. The Neato D10 embraces this ideal to a large extent.
The Neato D10 is the company's flagship – the big brother of the Neato D9 and Neato D8. Perhaps it's better to say that the D10 combines the best aspects of the D9 and the D8 into the ultimate robot vacuum cleaner.
So does it deliver on its promise of amazing cleanliness? Absolutely.
A shapely cleaner
Let's get straight to the point: the Neato D10 looks great. That might seem odd when saying it about a robot vacuum, but it's true – the distinctive D-shape stands out from the dozens of flying saucer-shaped robot vacuums on the market, but it's more than just that an aesthetic choice.
The shape allows the Neato D10 to clean right on walls, bookshelves and more.
The shape allows the Neato D10 to clean right on walls, bookshelves and more. The cleaning brush also goes right up to the edge of the vacuum robot; it's not just focused in the center of the device. This actually allows it to clean against edges more effectively, rather than relying on a rotating brush. The end result is a deeper, more thorough clean.
The functional design is a big selling point, but I'll be honest: I love the looks of the device. It's slim and good looking, which is more than I can say about many robot vacuums. Many have a functional appearance at best. The Neato D10 looks like what I've come to expect from a vacuum cleaning robot in 2022.
Unfortunately, it doesn't have an auto-drain base. The Neato D10 sticks its charge points against the base, but you'll have to drain them yourself. In my testing, the D10 was able to clean for just over an hour before needing to be emptied. However, this depends on how clean or dirty your floor is.
Versatile cleaning modes
The new My Neato app simplifies and streamlines the operation of the Neato D10. It shows your cleaning history (which shows what day and time you cleaned, as well as what mode), allows you to set up routines, shows all recorded maps and provides easy access to your robot vacuum cleaner.
There are also a few interesting features. The location feature pings your Neato D10 and makes it emit a tone just in case you lose track of where it is. After all, nobody wants to play hide and seek with their smart home devices. The other feature is multiple modes.
The Neato D10 has three modes: Eco, Turbo and Max. Eco mode gives you the longest battery life (an impressive 300 minutes) but is by far the weakest of the three modes. It's ideal for everyday cleaning and can handle up to 2,700 square feet on a single charge. Turbo mode gives you more cleaning power at the expense of battery life.
Max mode throws caution to the wind. It's noticeably louder than the other two modes, and Neato claims it "deep cleans out the dirt and debris you can see and can't see." Having tested this, I cannot dispute the result.
I ran Max mode and worried if my carpet would stay attached.
I had already cleaned the floor twice – once in Eco mode and once in Turbo mode – and everything seemed very clean. Even the carpet felt softer. Then I ran Max mode and worried if my carpet would stay attached. It really brings tremendous suction power and fills the dust bin with even more dirt. Of course, Max mode has the shortest battery life, but that's not necessarily a bad thing considering how clean it is.
The Neato D10 will finish cleaning whether it runs out of power or not. As? Very simple: it just returns to its base and charges up until it's ready to continue cleaning. With the Quick Boost feature, it can be charged just enough to finish work before returning for a longer, fuller charge.
The Neato D10 talks to you during operation. If it gets stuck, it will warn you and ask for help. Sometimes it might say that it needs to orientate itself by its surroundings. If you want to change the voice, there are plenty of language options – a fact I appreciate as it means non-English speakers can use this device with ease.
zones and no-go zones
One of the coolest features of the Neato D10 is the ability to create zones. After it creates a map of your home, you can mark specific areas and give them names. After that, you can ask it to only clean those zones – perfect for quick cleaning around the dining table.
You can also set up no-go zones that the vacuum robot avoids. If you notice it getting stuck in a certain spot, e.g. B. on a hump in the floor, or tangled in cables, simply mark this area as a no-go zone and the vacuum will avoid it.
Our opinion
The Neato D10 doesn't really revolutionize anything or have different features than other robot vacuums on the market, but it does everything you expect it to do really well. It's like the classic advice in sports: focus on the essentials. The Neato D10 does this exceptionally well, with versatile cleaning modes, incredible battery life, and most importantly, its iconic shape. While lacking in bells and whistles, you get a satisfyingly deep clean.
Is there a better alternative?
At $800, the Neato D10 doesn't come cheap. Its shape is unique among robot vacuums, but you could also spend $600 and get the iRobot Roomba i3 Plus, which comes with a self-draining base, though at the cost of virtual zoning.
How long it will take?
The Neato D10 is built tough. Every aspect of the machine feels premium, so I suspect it will last for many years to come. If anything goes wrong, Neato Robotics offers a one-year limited warranty.
should you buy it
Yes. The shape of the Neato D10 means it cleans more thoroughly than other models, and its array of features makes it useful in just about any household.
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