Neato Botvac Connected Robot Vacuum review – CNET

The Good The Neato Botvac Connected is the best-performing robot vacuum we’ve ever tested. The new Neato app is well-designed and easy to use, and finally brings remote control functionality to the Botvac line.

The Bad At $700, it’s the most expensive Neato yet — $200 more than the previous generation. We also encountered a few usability quirks during testing.

The Bottom Line The Neato Botvac Connected is better at cleaning floors than any other robot vacuum on the market, and it costs less than its app-enabled rival, the iRobot Roomba 980. If you’re willing to live without remote controls, you can save some money by sticking with the previous generation of Neatos — but we think this one’s worth the splurge.

Before smartphones, before the cloud, before the Internet of Things was a thing, there was the robot vacuum. It’s a smart-home product that predates the app-centric Gordian Knot of platforms and standards that is the modern connected home. A robot vacuum’s definition of “smart” is simply to clean the cat hair off of your rugs without tumbling down the stairs in the process.

At least, it was. Now, a new crop of app-enabled “smart” robot vacuums is navigating into the picture, including the Wi-Fi-equipped Neato Botvac Connected. Pair it with its app on your Android or iOS device, and you’ll be able to start, schedule, and even steer it right from your phone — a welcome addition for a brand that, across all of its models to date, has yet to offer a remote control with any of its cleaners.

At $700 (or £549 in the UK), the Botvac Connected is Neato’s most expensive robot vacuum yet, costing $200 more than its unconnected predecessors in the Botvac D Series. However, it’s also $200 less than the connected version of iRobot’s Roomba — and it beat that Roomba in every test we ran. The same can be said for the app-enabled Dyson 360 Eye, which costs $1,000, but never bested Neato. In fact, in the majority of our tests, the Neato Botvac Connected beat out the entire field of robot vacs. It also features a new and improved lithium ion battery, a legitimate step up from the nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries of before.

Robot vacuums were brainy to begin with, and I wouldn’t blame you for scoffing at the addition of app controls (or the price increase). But make no mistake: this is the best robot vacuum Neato has ever made, and the best robot vacuum money can currently buy.

Neato’s new robot vacuum adds in app-enabled…
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Design and features

The Botvac Connected sticks with the design of the existing line of Botvac models, with only minor tweaks to the color scheme. It’s the same, D-shaped cleaner with the same brushrolls, the same accessories, and the same general approach to covering your floors.

That approach sends the Botvac out around the perimeter of the room, where it’ll feel its way along the walls with a side-sweeping brush to tidy up the edges. From there, it’ll use its laser-assisted navigation capabilities to sweep back and forth across the center of the room, nimbly dodging your furniture as it goes. When it’s finished, it’ll automatically return to its docking station for a recharge.

This long-exposure shot of the Neato cleaning house with a glowstick taped to its head gives you an idea of how it finds its way around.

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Those navigation capabilities seem to be somewhat refined in the connected model. Older Neatos were too efficient for their own good, sweeping along the walls and then covering the center of each room in a single back-and-forth pass. In smaller rooms and spaces, the Botvac Connected is more thorough: it sweeps the center of the room in both rows and columns, and edges along the walls multiple times, too.

That gives the Neato ample opportunity to pick up any debris it might miss on a single pass, though cleaning runs take a little longer as a result. I’m fine with that trade-off — if the Neato is doing its thing while I’m away at work, I want it to take all of the time it needs.

Here’s a time-lapse of that pet hair test. Most cleaners have a pretty easy time with it on hardwood floors. pic.twitter.com/pRPr5tFwkh

— Ry Crist (@rycrist) October 26, 2015

Also new with the connected Neato: cleaning modes. In addition to the default, full-powered “Turbo” mode, you can now flip over into a power-saving “Eco” mode, too. You’ll lose a little bit of suction power, but cleaning runs won’t drain the battery as quickly, and the Neato will run a little quieter, too.

You can switch between modes or set up scheduled cleaning runs by tapping through the settings on Neato’s color LCD screen, but if you’d rather not hunch over, you can also just pull up the Neato app on your Android or iOS device.

Screenshots by Ry Crist/CNET

How about that app?

The Neato app is the shiny new addition to the Botvac experience, and a big part of why this vacuum costs $200 more than the previous generation. Thankfully, the app is pretty terrific. It’s clean-looking, it’s easy-to-use and it works like a charm.

You’ll start by activating the Wi-Fi radio on the vacuum itself. It’ll broadcast a signal that your smart phone can join up with — from there, you’ll jump back into the app, reselect your home Wi-Fi network, and watch as everything finishes pairing up. I got an error message during this last part on my first attempt, but as soon as I started the process again, things instantly synced right up. A tiny hiccup at best.

Screenshots by Ry Crist/CNET

With the vacuum cleaner tethered to your home’s Wi-Fi network, Neato will ask you to give it a name. I went with “Roger,” then told Roger to start a cleaning run. Roger got to work without delay, and when he returned to the charging station, he sent me a push notification letting me know he was finished.

Screenshot by Ry Crist/CNET

You can also log on to Neato’s website if you want to do more than just give your robot vacuum a name. You can register its serial number, for instance, or save a photo of your proof of purchase. That’s a handy way to be prepared in case you ever need to take Neato up on the one-year warranty.

Another feature in the app is a manual cleaning mode that’ll let you steer the Neato around like a toy car. The controls work well enough, and they might be a lot of fun if you can get your cat to climb aboard. Still, the feature isn’t terribly useful for much more than steering the Neato over to a messy spot, then switching it over to the automated spot-cleaning mode.

Despite the clean, easy-to-use interface, the simplicity of the app leaves room for improvement. For instance, you won’t find usage statistics that track how long each cleaning run takes (or how much of the battery each one uses). You also won’t see the specifics when things go wrong. If the brush is jammed or the robot gets caught on a piece of furniture, the app won’t let you know — at best, you’ll see the vacuum’s status listed as “error” if something is preventing you from starting a cleaning run remotely. In most cases, you’ll still need to hunch over and look at the vacuum’s LCD screen to see what that specific error is.

Ry Crist/CNET

Powerful performance

We run lots and lots and lots of cleaning tests when we evaluate robot vacuums. There are different types of floors to test on, different types of debris to test with, and different cleaning modes to test out. All in all, I sullied and cleaned over 30 floors with the Neato Botvac Connected, carefully weighing the results of each run. And I’ve come away convinced that it’s the best performer we’ve ever seen.

iRobot Roomba 880 review – CNET

The Good The iRobot Roomba 880 replaces its predecessor’s bristly brushes with rubbery “extractors” as part of the new AeroForce cleaning system. This brushless technology removes debris better than previous iterations and keeps maintenance to a minimum.

The Bad The bin is supposedly larger than in previous Roomba models, but it still fills up too quickly when you’re dealing with dust and shedding pets. That, and it costs $699.

The Bottom Line The Roomba 880 is the most well-rounded, capable bot we’ve encountered so far, but the $449 Neato Robotics XV Signature Pro still wins the pet hair performance test on all flooring surfaces.

Much like Dyson brand vacuums, I had heard my fair share of iRobot hype before I began testing the Roomba 880. I even had visions of following in Tom Haverford’s footsteps and building a “DJ Roomba” of my very own. Sadly, my dreams of channeling “Parks and Recreation” were dashed when I unboxed it and began testing instead. Fortunately, though, what I discovered was a clever little robot vacuum that came in first or second place in every single performance category.

Colin West McDonald/CNET

The Roomba 880 is a new model for iRobot and the very first 800-series bot for the brand. At $699.99, it will replace the equally priced Roomba 790 that Katie Pilkington recently reviewed.

So what’s different? At first glance, not a whole lot. But, flip the vacuum over and you’ll see something entirely new: AeroForce technology. I’ll go into that more later, but it’s basically a design and feature upgrade that improves performance a lot.

Yes, I would recommend the Roomba 880 to anyone in the market for a luxury-priced robot vac. It performed better than the $699.99 Roomba 790, and much better than the $799.99 LG Hom-Bot Square, as well as the $349.99 Infinuvo CleanMate QQ5.

Overall, the 880 will be best for someone who appreciates gadgets and understands that a robot vacuum isn’t designed to replace all other floor cleaning. It also isn’t the best choice for someone only interested in vacuuming up pet hair. For that, the $449.99 Neato Robotics XV Signature Pro holds steady in the lead.

Unveiling the iRobot Roomba 880 (pictures)
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Design The 8.4-pound Roomba is a cute and capable robot vacuum. It has a height of 3.6 inches and a width of 13.9 inches. It’s finished in black (unlike the 790’s blue finish), and has a carrying handle so you can easily transport it.

Stylistically, the 880 doesn’t stray too far from iRobot’s existing design. It has the same rounded look, and that same large Clean/Power button in the middle. The company clearly wanted to maintain the Roomba’s unassuming, minimalist design and sturdy construction.

The iRobot Roomba 790 (left) and the new iRobot Roomba 880
Megan Wollerton/CNET

It comes with a removable dust bin with an easy-access release button, left and right side wheels, a removable caster wheel in the front, debris extractors, and a spinning side brush. Aside from the vacuum itself, you also get a Home Base, or dock, two Virtual Wall/Lighthouse sensors with four C batteries included, an extra HEPA filter, and a remote control with two AA batteries included.

Colin West McDonald/CNET

Features The most interesting feature offered on the Roomba 880 is iRobot’s newly designed AeroForce cleaning system. It includes two bristle-free extractors that rotate inward toward one another to speed airflow and increase suction. There’s also a high-efficiency vacuum, and a new XLife battery that claims to last much longer.

The display on the top of the vacuum includes the following buttons: Dock, Clock, Schedule, and Spot. Hit the Dock button and your Roomba will return to Home Base to charge. Select Clock and you can set the day, hour, and minute. Choose Schedule and you can program a specific cleaning routine for your Roomba to tackle every week. And the unique Spot option targets small cleaning areas — it rotates outward 3 feet from its starting point and then returns back to where it began to deep clean a particular section of floor.

Colin West McDonald/CNET

The 880 also has various indicator lights to communicate with you as it cleans or charges. Docked, the battery light will flash amber as it charges and it will maintain a solid green color when it’s fully charged. Solid red means that the battery is empty. A Dirt Detect feature senses debris and targets those areas for cleaning. A troubleshooting light will appear if there’s a problem, and an antitangle light will display when the Roomba is trying to untangle itself from something. A full bin light lets you know when the tray needs to be emptied.

Colin West McDonald/CNET

You can control those things directly on the Roomba, but you can also initiate regular cleaning and spot cleaning from the remote, dock the Roomba, or steer it around using the arrow buttons. And if you want to block off a particular room for cleaning, the Virtual Walls act like invisible fences; the 880 won’t move past them. You also have the option of turning your Virtual Walls into Lighthouses. Position them throughout your home and your Roomba will be able to follow them around to clean room by room and get back to Home Base without getting lost.

Colin West McDonald/CNET

Usability This vacuum is very simple to use. Set it on regular clean, spot clean, or create your own schedule in advance, and let it go. You can also rely on different accessories like the Virtual Walls and the Lighthouses mentioned in the Features section above to keep it from leaving a room or to help guide it throughout your house and back to Home Base. The 880 requires very little effort and interaction from you (possibly even less than the Neato, since the Roomba has a remote for increased accessibility and the Neato doesn’t).

Colin West McDonald/CNET

The 880 also senses how long it needs to clean a given space and it will return to the dock to charge when it thinks that job is done. It doesn’t get much easier than that. However, you can’t exactly estimate how long it might take the Roomba to clean a room — especially when you first get it.

So if you’re in a hurry, a robot vacuum is not the most efficient cleaning method. Sure, it follows algorithms that cover as much ground as possible, but if you want to clean something fast, watching a Roomba run is a bit like waiting for water to boil. While ease of use is high, speed of use is a bit less predictable.

Also, while the dust bin is easy to remove, if it isn’t positioned correctly it will dump everything it just cleaned all over the place. And because it’s small, you will need to empty that bin and shake out the filter pretty much every time you use it. It’s also recommended that you replace the filter about six times a year and clean both debris extractors every four months (even more if you have pets). The sensors need to be cleaned periodically, too.

Megan Wollerton/CNET

You don’t have to do much (or anything) with this robot vacuum while it’s in use. But when it isn’t running the upkeep makes this low-maintenance Roomba seem a bit high maintenance. Since it’s so small and easy to lift, though, cleaning isn’t nearly as involved as it would be with a larger, more traditional upright or canister vacuum cleaner.

Performance So, how did it do?

First, all of the built-in sensors performed flawlessly. The cliff sensors that keep the Roomba from taking a tumble down a flight of stairs knew every time it got near an edge, stopped, and changed direction. The Virtual Walls and Lighthouses I set up also did a great job either confining or leading the Roomba where it needed to go to clean around my house. And when I tested it in my living room, it fit underneath a pretty low arm chair, the media center, and the coffee table without objection. Now that’s dedication.

Shark Rotator Pro Lift-Away review – CNET

The Good The Shark Rotator Pro Lift-Away is a veritable master of versatility. It comes with so many attachments and accessories that you are pretty much guaranteed to have the right brush for the job at hand.

The Bad It didn’t lead during performance testing. Then again, it costs $450 less than some of its competition — and in many cases the results were only marginally worse.

The Bottom Line The Shark is a very good vacuum with solid construction and intuitive design. Other models may have performed better, but none of them can match this sweeper’s value for the price.

The $199 Shark Rotator Pro Lift-Away vacuum cleaner really had a lot to prove at the outset of this review. It claims to “clean carpets better than the Dyson DC41” on the box. So I tested it against the $649 DC41 (and the $499 DC50 for good measure). To diversify a bit more, I also compared it to the $399 Oreck Touch and the $309 Electrolux Precision Brushroll Clean.

The $200 Shark is the least expensive of the five models and makes pretty lofty performance claims. So, is it really better than a Dyson? Well, yes and no. I would recommend it over either Dyson because it is a more well-rounded machine. It offers good design, usability, and performance, and it has excellent features. Both Dysons struggled in the design department, while the more expensive DC41 outperformed the Shark (on carpet and everywhere else) and the less expensive DC50 performed on par with the Shark.

And in comparison to the Oreck and the Electrolux, it’s much more a matter of preference. The Shark is a fantastic budget vacuum that holds its own against these two in usability and features, albeit with slightly lower performance marks. Still, I would highly recommend this vacuum. It offers the best value of any of the models and its multitude of accessories will delight the more thorough cleaners among you.

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Design

This is a fine-looking vacuum, but it isn’t trying to appear high-end like the other models. It’s a glossy white machine with red accents that belie its more modern functionality. Fortunately, its slightly dated design doesn’t seem to hurt its construction in the least. It’s a solidly built vacuum with strong components.

The wand feels sturdy and secure, the transparent bin isn’t flimsy (as was observed in both Dyson models), and the vacuum is comfortable to carry around in canister mode. Just don’t expect this $200 budget buy to have the same design features as a more expensive model, and you won’t be disappointed. I do kind of wish there was a way to get all of the various Shark attachments and accessories to fit on the vacuum, though. The different parts would likely end up scattered around my house.

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Features

I gave the Shark the highest possible rating in this category. You really can’t get better than this, especially when you consider price and value. Using it as a upright model, it has a pivoting head and headlights. It also comes with a wand accessory like the other models and suction adjustment like the Electrolux.

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To the wand, you can add a flexible crevice tool for vacuuming corners, a multipurpose tool that does well on upholstery and hard surfaces, a straight suction floor nozzle for picking up stuff big and small from bare floors and area rugs, a power brush to take on pet hair and dirt from carpeted stairs and upholstery, a wide upholstery tool for getting pet hair and dust from fabrics, and a dusting brush. It can also switch between an upright and a canister vacuum so you can carry it around while using the cleaning wand, or set it on top of the canister caddy, which rolls around while you’re in wand mode. The Dyson DC41 gets the closest to this number of brush accessories, but still can’t really compete with the Shark on features.

Usability

The Shark gets a very good usability score. Considering the number of accessories offered on this incredibly modular machine, there was a chance that it would seem cumbersome and awkward. However, that just isn’t the case. It couldn’t be easier to convert the vacuum from upright to canister, set the canister on the caddy, or extend the wand and add various brush attachments. The bin, too, is easy to open and put back in place, although not quite as easy as the Electrolux. Also, its pivoting head makes for one maneuverable model that can go anywhere and do pretty much anything. It’s also 15.5 pounds, which is lighter than the 17.2-pound Electrolux model I like so much.

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Performance

In order to deliver a comprehensive review of this vacuum, I tested it on thin low-pile carpet, thicker midpile carpet, and hardwood. On each surface, I scattered fruity Cheerios, sand and sawdust, pet hair, human hair, and washers, nuts, and bobby pins to test different types of functionality. And I learned that the Shark does very well, although not as well as the Dyson DC41, the Oreck, or the Electrolux. Still, it really impressed me — it’s only $200, folks.

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Cheerios

Cheerios, 1 oz. (percentage picked up)(Longer bars indicate better performance)

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The Dyson DC41, the Oreck, and the Electrolux all did consistently well on this test, removing 88 percent or more of the Fruity Cheerios from thin carpet, thick carpet, and hardwood. That’s good news for parents with young kids or really anyone dealing with larger things that need to be dust-busted. The Shark remained competitive on the carpeted surfaces, but on hardwood, it picked up only 73 percent of the cereal dropped. That’s not terrible, but it isn’t as good as the other three. The Dyson DC50 performed pretty well on carpets, but didn’t collect any Cheerios on the hardwood.

Snuza Hero SE review – CNET

The Good The Snuza Hero SE is more affordable than the competition, and it features an active response if it registers that the child has stopped breathing.

The Bad The lack of app connectivity means you don’t get any of the data collection of other wearable monitors like MonBaby or Owlet. Plus, it’s kind of bulky.

The Bottom Line Snuza is definitely worth checking out. While it feels a little pricey, it’s affordable for the market — and it features solid basic functionality.

There is no publicly available statistical evidence that wearable baby monitors protect young infants from health concerns like Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). And yet many companies are selling them for as much as $250 — what seems to many an absurd price for a device without proven effects.

And yet, between anecdotal evidence online and simple logical reasoning, many parents have made the decision to shell out for wearable monitors. It makes sense: a monitor that alerts you if your child stops breathing should at least improve your response time during a potential crisis.

The Snuza Hero SE is another in the long line of wearables. Like those before it, Snuza is not an FDA-approved medical device, and for legal reasons it won’t claim to prevent SIDS or infant asphyxiation. But it’s a device that reliably tracks your infant’s breathing, alerts you if it stops and attempts to rouse the child with vibrations in case of emergency. And for $120, those simple features make it one of my favorite gadgets in this market.

This baby wearable will monitor and act in…
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The Snuza Hero SE strips the wearable monitor concept to its core, and nearly perfects it. Here’s how it works: you take Snuza out of the box, flip on the switch and clip it to your baby’s diaper. That’s it. It literally takes 20 seconds to set up, and it’s ready to go.

Essentially, the rubber sensor of the device rests on your baby’s belly, registering their breathing. If the sensor doesn’t detect any movement for 15 seconds, it vibrates to rouse the baby (this is important, since SIDS often occurs when natural arousal processes fail). If Snuza has to rouse the baby in this way three times, it will start beeping. And if the child doesn’t move for more than 20 seconds, it will set off a loud alarm.

Kenmore Elite 41072 Washing Machine review – CNET

The Good The $1,650 Kenmore Elite 41072 washing machine has a 5.2-cubic-foot capacity, solid performance, and 14 different cleaning cycles.

The Bad $1,650 is a lot to spend on a single laundry appliance. Fortunately, you can currently find it on sale for just under $1,000 at Sears.

The Bottom Line Kenmore’s 41072 performs well and can hold a lot more laundry than your standard front-load washer, making it a huge asset for larger families.

Visit manufacturer site for details.

Rather than making its own fridges, ovens and washing machines, Sears-exclusive Kenmore products are essentially rejiggered versions of products from mainstream appliance manufacturers. This $1,650 Kenmore Elite 41072, for example, is a variation of the $1,600 LG WM8000HVA.

With a huge drum capacity, above-average cleaning power, easy-breezy controls, and an appealing aesthetic, the high-end 41072 is a smart purchase. That’s especially true if your current standard-size washer can’t keep up with your laundry needs. Bonus: It’s available at Sears right now for just $990.

Kenmore’s supersize washer warrants a closer…
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How much washer do you really need?

I can think of a few specific reasons to choose this washer over any of the other front-load models we’ve tested so far:

1. You have a large family and regularly attempt to shove your surplus of dirty clothes into an already over-stuffed washer.

2. You are a laundry procrastinator and often let two-plus weeks of discarded clothes collect in a precariously growing pile. (This is where I land the majority of the time.)

3. You both have a large family and are dealing with a perpetual clothes-mountain-type situation.

Of course, this is a recommendable luxury washer in its own right, but its 5.2-cubic-foot capacity has usurped the $1,499 5-cubic-foot Samsung WF50K7500AV AddWash as the largest front-load model we’ve reviewed to-date. It really is the 41072’s main selling point, especially if you self-identify with one of the three categories I listed above.

Five-plus cubic feet of space is much more common among top-load models like Samsung’s WA52J8700, so that’s another route to consider taking if capacity is a main concern.

Here’s a closer look at Kenmore’s 41072 against its Samsung AddWash competition:

Joule Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

More about sous vide

• Anova Precision Cooker Bluetooth + Wi-Fi
• WiFi Nomiku
• A test kitchen food fight: sous vide or not sous vide?

There’s not much to look at when you unbox the Joule immersion circulator. But that’s the point of the latest connected sous vide machine that’s on its way to American kitchens.

ChefSteps, the Seattle-based food and technology company that created the Joule, will begin shipping the Joule in September to customers who preordered the $299 device. You use the Joule for a cooking method called sous vide in which you vacuum-seal food in a plastic bag and cook the food in a controlled environment, like a water bath. Like other immersion circulators, you put the Joule in water, and it circulates and heats the water to precise temperatures for cooking.

We got our hands on a beta version of the Joule, so I compared it to similar sous vide immersion circulators we’ve reviewed and cooked one steak. I still have more testing to do, but here are some initial observations about and first impressions of the Joule:

The Joule heats water for a sous vide steak.

Chris Monroe/CNET

• The Joule stands out by standing up. The device has a strong magnet on the bottom so you can put the device right in the middle of your water bath (as long as you’re using a magnetic steel pot or induction-ready cookware). Most immersion circulators clip to the side of your container. Joule has the clip option, too, for other types of cookware, but it’s nice to see a different design for this type of product.
  
  

  (From left to right) The WiFi Nomiku, the Joule and the Anova Precision Cooker Bluetooth Wi-Fi

  
  Chris Monroe/CNET
  

• Speaking of design, the Joule has a much simpler look than its competitors. The device is a an 11-inch tall, white column that looks like a mod-inspired lightsaber handle. A power button on top is the only sort of built-in control. This lack of physical controls stands out, especially when you compare the Joule with the WiFi Nomiku, which has a turn wheel for setting the temperature. And the Joule is also smaller than its competitors.
• The Joule needs its app more than any other sous vide device. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled sous vide machines such as the WiFi Nomiku and the Anova Precision Cooker Bluetooth + Wi-Fi let you set your desired temperature and adjust device settings from a smartphone app, but they always have some sort of controls built right onto the device. The Joule forgoes buttons and touchscreen controls and makes it mandatory to use the iOS and Android-compatible app to sous vide. The app has one of the most informative and polished interfaces I’ve seen on a sous vide-centric app. Recipes are divided into three categories: basic guides, ultimate guides for more advanced cooking and grilling guides. Each recipe has step-by-step instructions that include short video clips with each step that show you exactly what you’re supposed to be doing. So far, the app is impressive, but it makes me nervous how heavily the Joule relies on the app. What if I lose my phone but want to cook a bomb pork belly?

App instructions for preparing a sous vide steak (left), and a notification when the steak was finished (right).

Screenshots by Ashlee Clark Thompson/CNET

• You can watch the Joule circulate water in a new way. The components that make immersion circulators like the Nomiku and Anova work are hidden away on the inside of the device with openings at the bottom end that let the devices heat and circulate the water. The Joule, however, brings water into the device and spits it out through a small hole on its side. It’s like watching a small water fountain right in your pot.
• I’ve only cooked one dish, and it was delicious. I followed the Joule’s recipe for basic steak and cooked a strip steak for one hour in 136-degree Fahrenheit water. It came out medium, which was the intended result, and still juicy.