In this article, we will talk about two very popular robotic vacuums Neato D5 vs Roomba 890.

Robotic vacuums are getting more and more popular, thanks to constant technological advancements. The manufacturers continuously improve their products, in order to achieve the most appealing technology and design.

This has created a new problem, which is picking the right robotic vacuum for your household. It can be especially hard for people, who don’t know their way around modern cleaning devices. 

This is why we created this article – Today, we will talk about two very popular robotic vacuums – Neato D5 vs Roomba 890. Based on opinions online, as well as our own experience, we will give you the most thorough review of each product. At the end of the article, you can also find a winner of this comparison.

Without further ado, let’s get into the proper part of the article!

Neato d5 vs Roomba 890

NAME:	Neato D5	Roomba 890
MAXIMUM SUCTION:	2000 Pa	1000 Pa
SIZE:	12.7 x 3.9 x 13.2 in.	13 x 13 x 3.6 in.
WEIGHT:	8 lb.	8.4 lb.
CAPACITY:	24 oz.	21 oz.
UNIQUE FEATURES:	More advanced navigation technology with mapping, longer battery warranty	Shorter charging time, dirt sensors
BATTERY LIFE:	90 minutes	90 minutes
NOISE LEVEL:	64 dB	68 dB
CHECK THE PRICE ON AMAZON:	Amazon.com	Amazon.com

Main differences

In the beginning, we would like to address, that both products are actually very efficient cleaning devices. What’s more, we are convinced, that either one of them should be sufficient for most people. However, there are few things, that you should keep in mind before you make the final decision.

The first main difference is the navigation technology. The navigation is much more advanced in the Neato D5, as it is based on the “LaserSmart” mapping. Thanks to this, the unit can scan the whole room and plan the most efficient cleaning path, opposed to just bumping around like the Roomba 890.

Mapping also allows for a much wider range of cleaning features, such as “No-Go Lines” (they work as virtual boundaries, that won’t be crossed by the vacuum), or storing multiple floor maps (this allows you to choose a separate floor map for each floor.

The next crucial dissimilarity is the suction power. Neato D5 boasts much more suction power, as it’s capable of producing around 2000 Pa while the Roomba 890 has only 1000 Pa suction power. This is a quite important factor, that directly influences the device’s cleaning performance.

The higher the suction, the better a particular unit is at removing deeply embedded dirt and debris. Pet hair can be especially problematic, for devices with low suction power.

There are also few smaller differences, such as dustbin capacity (24 oz. in Neato D5 vs 21 oz. in Roomba 890), battery warranty (6 months in Neato D5 vs no warranty in Roomba 890), charging time (150 minutes in Neato D5 vs 120 minutes in Roomba 890) and dirt sensors (present only in Roomba 890).

This is pretty much everything you should know. Based on those factors, you can already pick the best robotic vacuum for your household. Although, we strongly suggest to continue reading the article, in order to learn all the important details.

Cleaning performance

The cleaning performance is one of the most important factors when it comes to choosing your new cleaning device. By this, we mean how good is a particular device at removing dirt and debris from your floors, compared to other products from a similar price range.

Both products operate on completely different cleaning mechanisms. Neato D5 utilizes a slick “D shape” design, which allows for more optimal cleaning. What’s more, “CornerClever” technology makes the whole unit much better at cleaning corners, compared to the Roomba 890. It easily fits in all hard-to-reach spots and fully utilizes its wide cleaning path.

The whole design of the Neato D5 is rather simple, at the bottom you can find the main brush roll, that collects and sucks up all the dirt, a side brush, that collects all the dirt from walls and edges, and an “Ultra performance filter”, that takes care of air filtration.

The Roomba 890 has a 3-way cleaning system, that works by loosening, lifting, and sucking up the dirt. The auto-adjusting cleaning head keeps the brushes in constant contact with the floors or carpets. This feature, unfortunately, isn’t present in the Neat D5.

There is an “Edge-Sweeping Brush”, that collects all the dirt from walls and edges, a dirt detector sensor, that allows focusing on extra dirty spots, and “Dual Multi-Surface Rubber Brushes” which suck up all the dirt and debris. At the back, you can also find a high-efficiency filter, which works as well as the filter from the Neato D5.

The navigation system in Neato D5 is probably its main advantage over the Roomba 890. The “LaserSmart mapping” allows the vacuum to scan and map out all the floors in the house. Then, based on the results, it will find the most optimal way to clean your household, opposed to just bouncing around like the Roomba 890.

The mapping technology also comes with additional cleaning features, such as “No-Go Lines”. They allow you to set virtual boundaries in places, that you do not want the Neato D5 to enter. Everything can be done from the special Neato app, that syncs to your new robotic vacuum.

Neato D5 also allows you to save multiple floor plans, so if own a multilevel house, you can pick a separate floor plan for each level. This isn’t available in all of the Neato products, however, it is included in this version.

The Roomba 890 uses “iAdapt Navigation”, which is standard bounce navigation. The robotic vacuum randomly bounces around the floor, until the whole area is covered. However, there is one way to set virtual boundaries, and this is by using a special tower, that comes with the package.

In both models, there is also an auto-recharge function, however, there is a limitation implemented in the Neato D5. During a single cleaning session, Neato can only recharge twice, while the Roomba 890 doesn’t have this limitation implemented.

Charging time also differs in both models, many tests suggest, that the Neato D5 is fully charged after 150 minutes, while the Roomba 890 is charged after 120 minutes. What’s even more important, the runtime is the same in both models.

Those are pretty much all the essential aspects in terms of cleaning efficiency. Of course, there are many factors that can influence efficiency indirectly, however, we will talk about those in the latter part of the article.

Capacity

Capacity is the second most important limiting factor when it comes to the maximum cleaning time, right next to the battery life. Fortunately, the capacity in both Neato D5 and Roomba 890 is sufficient for most of the customers.

The Roomba 890 has a maximum capacity of 21 oz. while the Neato D5 has a total capacity of 24 oz. As you can see, the Neato is once again a better choice compared to the Roomba 890.

Noise level 

The next important aspect is the noise level. In most upright vacuums, people don’t pay any attention to the noise level, however, in robotic ones the situation looks different. The noise level here is actually quite important, as the whole point of robotic vacuums is to free up your time.

Therefore, you don’t want to have a very noisy vacuum in the background, which won’t let you focus on other tasks.

The noise level in both robotic vacuums is pretty standard for this price range. The Roomba 890 produces around 68 dB of noise when the Neato D5 produces only 64 dB of noise.

Remote control features

The manufacturers also implement many remote control features, that make the whole cleaning process more convenient. Many modern cleaning devices can be controlled using your voice, smartphone, or special remote controller. Some of those options were implemented in today’s competitors.

The Neato D5 can be controlled using an official Neato app, that works on smartphones. This will be the main way to operate this vacuum, as it has the most features available. Using this app you can create No-Go Lines, schedule the cleaning, start/stop the cleaning or view a report.

This vacuum also works with phones, Apple Watch, Amazon Echo, or Google Home.

The Roomba 890 can be also controlled using a special iRobot Home app, that allows for the most features. However, there are also other ways to operate your new Roomba, such as Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.

Battery life

Battery life is the main limiting factor when it comes to the maximum cleaning time. This is a factor, that may be especially important for people with big households. If you want to clean the whole house in one go, it may be worth considering the more energy-efficient model.

However, in this case, both models have the same run time which is approximately 90 minutes. This is actually a very decent battery life, compared to other robotic vacuums. Although, there is a difference in charging time, as the neato D5 needs 150 minutes while the Roomba 890 needs only 120 minutes.

What’s more, the Neato D5 has a limitation, that only allows the vacuum to charge two times during one cleaning session.

Design

The design in a robotic vacuum is something to keep an eye on, as they need to have a low-profile and slick construction, in order to fit under and around most of the furniture. Fortunately, once again both units are quite convenient in terms of design.

The Neato D5 has a unique “D shape” which optimizes the cleaning by making the cleaning path wide. Combined with “CornerClever” technology, this unit does great when cleaning corners and edges.

Price

Price is usually the first thing many people check when picking the new cleaning device. Due to this, you probably already know the eventual price difference, however, we still decided to touch on that topic.

The Neato D5 can be found on Amazon for a total price of $390.00 (Click here to see the price!), while the Roomba 890 can be found on Amazon for the total price of $499.00 (Click here to see the price!). However, keep in mind that the price can fluctuate quite a bit, therefore it’s advised to check the price again before making the final decision.

Necessary maintenance

Maintenance is a crucial aspect, that is unfortunately often skipped by many inexperienced users to robotic vacuums. It is necessary if you want to keep your new device operating at the desired level, and to prevent any permanent damage.

We won’t be getting into details here, however, we will try to give you some basic maintenance tips which should work for most of the robotic vacuums. To learn all the necessary details, you will have to read the user guide, that comes in the package.

Some of the most important, basic maintenance steps are:

• Regularly clean/rinse all the brushes
• Regularly check the brush roll and side brushes for any stuck dirt and/or debris
• At least once a week clean the cover of the vacuum/wheels
• Replace any used or damaged elements as fast as possible
• Regularly empty and check the vacuum’s dustbin for any stuck dirt or debris

The Neato D5 manufacturer also lists some of the most important maintenance steps on the Amazon page, and those are:

• Charge your robot overnight before using it for the first time.
• We recommend that you use your Neato frequently to keep it happy and healthy, and you get cleaner floors!
• Between cleaning cycles, always keep your Neato robot charging on its charge base.
• Empty your dirt bin after every cleaning.
• Tap your filter against a garbage can to remove excess debris.
• Clean your Neato brush frequently to keep the brush debris-free and running smoothly. If debris gathers, don’t worry. It’s easy to pop the brush out, clean it, and put it back in the robot.
• Clean debris from the side brush as necessary.

Those are some of the basic maintenance steps, that you should keep in mind. However, we highly recommend reading the user’s guide thoroughly, so you can learn all the crucial details.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both robotic vacuums are a great way to start or continue your cleaning adventures. Each of the models should suffice, however, there are some differences, that you should keep in mind before you make the final decision.

Some of the most important dissimilarities are navigation technology (Neato D5 uses much more advanced navigation with mapping), suction power (Neato D5 has 2000 Pa while the Roomba 890 has only 1000 Pa), dustbin capacity (slightly larger in Neato D5), battery warranty (6 months in Neato D5 vs no warranty in Roomba 890), and dirt sensors (present only in Roomba 890).

Based on the factors above, we would say that the Neato D5 is a winner of this comparison. This model not only has much more advanced navigation technology, that optimizes the cleaning path but also boasts much stronger suction.

We hope, that after reading this article you will be satisfied with your final choice.