REASONS TO BUY
Cleans multiple rooms
Respects virtual barriers
REASONS TO AVOID
Poor edging performance
Doesn't spot clean well
No disposal system
Neato D10 Intelligent Review
This model is way too expensive for its average performance in our testing, we would look elsewhere for something more capable
Credit: Neato Robotics
Price: $600 List
By Jessica Riconscente and Benjamin Hickok ⋅ Aug 19, 2022
RELATED: Best Robot Vacuums of 2024
Our Verdict
Unfortunately, the Neato D10 Intelligent failed to impress our test team, exhibiting average performance all-around and a lack of convenience functions and features that our team would expect to see in a model at this price point. Unless you exclusively need a robot vacuum to clean oatmeal off of carpets while doing a good job of respecting virtual barriers, then there is really no other obscure niche that this model would fit. It would make more sense to consider one of the other much more capable, intelligent, convenient, and affordable models from our best robot vacuum review.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Although the Neato D10 Intelligent is excellent at cleaning oatmeal off carpets and respects barriers, this vacuum is average at best and therefore overpriced.
The Neato failed to impress when compared to its peers.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Performance Comparison
We purchased the most promising and top-rated robot vacuums and tested them in a series of challenges that we split up into six rating metrics, each weighted based on importance. The Neato D10 Intelligent offered a middling performance. Here is how it did in each of those tests.
A good-looking, but overall lackluster robot vacuum.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Navigation
When it comes to navigation, the most important of our six test metrics, and comprising 30% of its overall score, the Neato D10 Intelligent earned marks that put it in the middle of the pack.
The D10 has a tiny docking station.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
In our navigation trials around furniture, the Neato D10 tended to favor a specific side of our test environment and repeat certain patterns. It also seemed to avoid areas, specifically underneath objects, and lacks the ability to make tight turns.
It also smashed our simulated small poop in our poo-avoidance test, but recognized a larger simulated poop after a minor collision with it. It could have done worse, but it could have also done much better with detection and avoidance.
Regarding docking, the Neato does a great job returning to its station. While it may not be the fastest nor makes the tightest turns, it reliably makes it back to its charging station without collisions, even when it has to return from other rooms.
The Neato's shape allows it to reach edges thoroughly.
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
Home Coverage
In our home coverage set of tests, comprising 20% of each vacuum's overall score, the Neato D10 Intelligent was again average.
The D10 app allows you to set virtual barriers.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The app to manage the D10 allows users to set up multiple rooms, virtual barriers, and no-go zones that it avoids quite well. However, that performance was balanced by below-average spot cleaning, strange single room coverage, and poor edge cleaning.
Spot cleaning is managed via a zone set in the app, but it wasn't possible to define the specific shape of the spot versus having to set unnecessarily large swaths of the area to clean. Single room coverage was poor due to skipping areas after getting into a tight spot and completely skipping the areas under two chairs. The Neato also missed specific patterns near edges, a performance repeated in consecutive trials.
The D10 does an okay job navigating obstacles.
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
Carpet Cleaning
If you've caught on, the Neato D10 Intelligent is average in nearly every test metric, and its ability to clean carpets is no exception. When it comes to lifting rice, cereal, or flour from carpet, it struggled to go above and beyond. But, it was also surprisingly able to do quite a good job of tackling oatmeal, only leaving a little bit of fine dust behind.
The D10 left rice behind on carpet.
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
Hard Surface Cleaning
While the D10 Intelligent generally exhibited an average performance across most of our tests, it did a very poor job cleaning hard surfaces, with one strange exception that helped to balance its performance.
This model failed, like many, to clean cereal in our hard surface test.
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
Rice, oatmeal, and flour proved elusive for the D10 — it did a very poor job of picking up each material off hard surfaces. However, what was particularly surprising, was the robot vacuum's incredible ability to clean cereal.
The Neato D10 Intelligent was the only model we tested that had the clearance to run over the cereal without displacing them and picked up five of six pieces of cereal — much better than any other model we tested.
An attempt to clean hard surfaces.
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
Pet Hair
Yet again, the D10 fell in the middle of the test group, picking up just 24% of pet hair used in our test. Compared to its peers, it did neither an exceptional nor a poor job but yet again failed to impress.
Convenience
The Neato D10 Intelligent proved to be a less convenient model than many of the other robot vacuums we tested. This was primarily due to the lack of a dust removal system, a more robust spot cleaning ability, and the lack of a remote or joystick to clean areas that the Neato avoids or misses. The lack of these features, especially a dust removal system, will keep you busy maintaining the D10.
No dust removal system means users will have to maintain an onboard dust compartment.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Should You Buy the Neato D10 Intelligent?
The Neato D10 Intelligent is a fairly expensive robot vacuum for its mediocre performance. It also does not offer many smart features that today's robot vacuums deliver. As such, we can't recommend it over other more affordable and performant robots.
What Other Robot Vacuums Should You Consider?
For less than half the price, we'd recommend considering one of the best all-around robot vacuums, the Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid, instead of the Neato D10 Intelligent. Or, for the pet owner looking for extra help maintaining a home or apartment, consider the iRobot Roomba j7+.
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Jessica Riconscente and Benjamin Hickok
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