Neato XV-11

Fantastic! – I use this machine in between proper vacuuming. Like all vacuums, unless you change the nozzle, it won't clean to the very edge of a wall or furniture, so I usually sweep this area at the same time it is on or before. It works systematically and doesn't randomly clean your floor. I was so pleased with it, I bought another 3 to give to family for… Read more ·  1

presents. My sister, especially loves it, as it cleans her large house while she is at work. It feels like I now have a little helper!

Battery will only last 2 years (if that) no support from retailer – I purchased my Neato robot in December 2013 and originally i would have posted a very positive review. The robot stopped charging like a few people on here have said, so i contacted dhsk (the Australian supplier) and i sent it back at their cost for repair, it came back with the issue not resolved. it was a great product. Was. fast… Read more

forward a month later and basically they want me to pay a further $150 to repair my product because it only had a one year warranty, really Neato? are you telling me that your product is only designed to last 2 years before breaking? for shame if this is the case, i purposefully purchased from David Jones and not eBay even though it would have saved me money because i wanted to know if something went wrong i would be protected.

well lesson learned, do not buy a Neato product.

Life changing – I have been reviewing the Robotic vacuum world for the last 4 months, visiting shops and picking the pros and cons of each machine. My real concern was we have a white golden retriever that sheds huge amounts of long hair and we live on acreage with lots of debris always being walked in the house. I gave my husband the best couple of machines l… Read more

had found and being the research king, 3 weeks later and 100+ hours he said the Neato looks the business.

Well she arrived 3 weeks ago and she is my new baby. She cleans unbelievably well, the dog hair is not an issue at all, she climbs up and over rugs, in and around obstacles. I am totally amazed at how much she picks up and in area's like under the bed where you just do not get to every week. My home has never been cleaner and looks like l have done the complete house work run every day. It has cut my house work load down by 75%. Friends have commented on how clean everything is. The operations are very simple and in 2 minutes l had it programed to come on at 8.15am Monday-Friday. I do empty the bin every time l come in to ensure she never has to stop wish is not an issue.

I hated vacuuming, l hated emptying the large vacuum and l always had it bashing walls and missing the end of a room here and there when the cord did not reach. I am truly amazed at how well my baby NEATO XV-21 works; better and quieter than any conventional cleaner. I feel completely liberated, this has been a life changing experience. easy, cleans amazingly weel could have more magnetic tape if l don't pull my island stools out it can get lodged between them

Do Not Buy This! – Multiple issues from day 1...gets stuck, gets lost, doesnt come with Australian power cord, so you need an adapter, will run out of charge before it gets back to its docking station leaving it stranded in the middle of the room, when the battery goes flat the clock resets, so it if want to use the scheduling function you are constantly resetting… Read more

the clock and your required schedule, also the brush head disintegrated in a matter of months and it constantly gets errors required resetting and firmware updates. The dust catcher fills very quickly, and often jams, but it doesnt stop when jammed, it just completes it run through the house not being able to pick up anything! It has also fallen down a step outside the house when I left a door open!!!

Customer service is appalling and the only way to get it serviced it to sent it to the USA. We got an error a few weeks ago and it can't be fixed by updates, so the company has advised us to sent it in for repairs, unfortunately we didn't get a chance to return it before the warranty ran out, so it will cost more to sent it for repair than it will to buy a new, decent, vacuum! It worked semi-well for a few weeks

I cannot live without my Neato – I purchased a Neato NX11 automatic vacuum cleaner from the US in November last year, added a universal adaptor & have never looked back. I schedule my boy to clean the house 3 times per week, Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. Every couple of weeks I'll follow straight after him with my steam mop to ensure I get a great finish on my home. This… Read more ·  2

little beauty scans out each room layout with LED lasers and works out a system to clean each room. My kids are often a little too messy for him to do a proper job, so I simply close their doors to keep the Neato out of the danger zone. My dining room chairs are not easy for Neato to work around due to their funky modern design aspects, so I place them outside in my Alfresco when he's scheduled to clean the house.

I recommend watching the way the vacuum cleaner works for the first couple of times to work out what pieces of furniture can cause issues, or which areas are too difficult. I live in a modern open plan house & look forward to kicking my shoes off each day I get home from work & the vacuuming in already completed. There is not much that can beat this feeling of cleanliness when I haven't lifted a finger or paid someone else to make it happen in my house.

Do yourself a favour if you are over the regular chores living in a house brings about, buy a Neato and enjoy the proper quality of life you deserve without having to spend hours cleaning your own home. Reliable, consistent and affordable Buy an adaptor so the product works in Australia before you set it up

Makes cleaning fun! – Bought an XV-11 18 months ago from AimToFind. With sale and freight discount vouchers it was about $320 total and arrived in a week. BuyHappier is also a popular source and can offer a 3 year warranty. No voltage issues as it runs 240/110v AC and swapping the US power cable for an Australian one is easy - many homes may already have a 'figure… Read more ·  1

8' AC lead lying about from an old laptop. Jaycar sell these leads for about $6. Pop open the case and swap the leads over. Alternatively, use the US lead with a cheap adapter plug.

More recent hardware updates, some with new model numbers, have resolved some known faults including broken suspension spring mounts (an easily DIY repair) and a laser navigation misalignment. Newer models get a choice of beater drums. The original, with relatively noisy rubber strips, or the newer 'Pet' drum with bristle and rubber spiral strips - swapping beaters is quick and easy.

The hopper, with a HEPA filter in new models, is easily removed to empty without spilling. The vacuum motor is very powerful, sounding like a jet winding up, but very effective even compared to many regular household vacuums.

Unlike Roomba robovacs, Neatos are smart. They know where they are in the house and can return to the docking station for a recharge mid-vacuum. Once recharged, it will trundle back to the exact location in the room it was cleaning last, and resume vacuuming the rest of the house, all unattended. Roombas, on the other hand, spiral about, bouncing off walls and furniture, until chance suggests it's probably cleaned that room, but by then it's nearly flattened its battery.

Roombas are also unable to resume where they left off, so have to be carried to the next task. Neato sizes up each room or hallway first by vacuuming the perimeter, then figures out the best pattern of overlapping runs to vacuum that section most efficiently before moving on, taking much less time to vacuum a whole house.

Neato navigates around chair legs and under beds, if they're not too low, and probably cover more floor than a regular household vacuum in the hands of a bored human. Unlike a very capable LG Roboking which uses cameras, Neato's laser system allows it to navigate even in the dark. Where Roomba's require several battery hogging 'lighthouses' to mark out-of-bounds areas, Neatos come with a flat magnetic strip that can be cut to suit and even works through carpet.

Lack of an edge/corner brush, that would sweep deep in against walls, does mean this model leaves a narrow strip along walls unbrushed. However, the vacuum motor is very powerful and while a coffee bean or grain of rice might get missed, dust bunnies rarely get left behind. A European model (Vorwerk VR-100) does get a rotating corner brush, but is much more expensive.

Firmware updates can be done on-line, using its USB port and a PC, to improve on its already amazing behaviour. Recently mine received an improved corner cleaning algorithm. It can be sent off manually or on a schedule while you're away, so if the noise of a Neato cleaning all the floors is too much, do it while you're out.

Neatos are very tolerant of cables, tassels, shag pile carpet, sudden floor level changes and thick mats. A pair of cliff sensors ensures it doesn't fall over sudden drops. Neato's bristled Pet drum does attract and sometimes tangle long human around itself, however unlike a Roomba that needs untangling and unclogging after each run, Neato can be left for several outings before even warranting an inspection. Neato's alternative rubber strip drum rarely tangles hair.

One pre-vacuum requirement with all robovacs is to scan floors for any liquid spills, pet mess, and lost socks and tissues. Neatos can untangle themselves from cables, but not from a pair of tights. Neatos do suffer occasional quality control issues.

Recently some new models were shipped with battery faults, so read forums before buying to see which model is best. From these forums, it appears Neato usually honour the US-only specified warranty with Australian owners, even refunding shipping costs, but it can't be relied on every time for everyone. Powerful. Runs complete house vacuum unattended. Mid-task recharges. Smart efficient navigation. Handles obstructions with ease. Relatively cheap. Noisy on hard floors. No rotating edge brush (yet). Warranty delays due distance.

So good to have clean floors – I bought this Neato online from a US store - BuyHappier. Had it with some coupon I found online so got it for a little cheaper. Under $400. This was after a lot of searching comparing with robomaid and vroomba, but finally settled on this model as the other brands had negative feedback but I couldn't find any negative feedback on this. Love it and… Read more

and it just saves me time.

*Roger* comes with two filters and a magnetic strip though don't use the strip much because I just close the doors, however it cleans the floor pretty well! If I have a lot of dust on the floor I just run it twice.

It really does methodically go through the floors and don't miss a spot (I watched it the first few times). You do need to make sure any unnecessary furniture is removed from the room, and that it won't get stuck in any tight spaces, but it beeps to let you know anyway.

While it's not as powerful as a proper vacuum cleaner, it is hands free, does the job, and easy enough to clean afterwards, that I use it more often than I use my normal vacuum cleaner. And it does suck up hair well. I do have hardwood floors so can only speak about that. No idea how it performs on carpet.

It's also very gentle on walls and has a bumper, so it will notice it's near a wall and is careful not to bang hard onto it. It has a good sensor on it.

A normal clean is about a half hour for a normal bedroom, which is an extra half hour for me to do something else!

You do need to buy a US to AU adaptor but they are pretty cheap online too. Saves time, vacuum floors well enough, easy to use Doesn't do corners too well, occasionally gets stuck.