Neato XV-21 Pet & Allergy Automatic Vacuum Cleaner

I have allergies. I also have pets. And right now, it's shedding season. All of that shedding leads to a lot more sneezing than usual, which leads to a lot more vacuuming. But even an obsessive neat freak like me doesn't vacuum often enough to avoid the occasional tumbleweed of pet hair that mysteriously blows through the room when I turn on the ceiling fan.

That's where the $429.99 (direct) Neato XV-21 Pet & Allergy Automatic Vacuum Cleaner comes in. The XV-21 is an update to the XV-11, with upgraded filters and the use of a bristled brush designed to better collect pet hair. And it works. The XV-21 picked up a surprising amount of hair and dust I didn't even notice was on the floor. And it can be programmed to automatically clean as often as you like, even when you're not around. But its allergy-fighting powers are questionable, and it doesn't work well on tight corners. The XV-21 will keep your home free of pet hair tumbleweeds, but you'll still need to keep a traditional vacuum on hand if you like things squeaky clean.

Design and Setup
The XV-21 looks a heck of a lot like the XV-11 we saw in 2009. Unfortunately, both bots share a similar design aesthetic with the Super Nintendo video game system released back in 1990. The device is the same exact shade of Nintendo gray, with purple, orange, and black accents. And despite that fact that the back end is curved, it has a very blocky look. I realize it's a vacuum, but for something you'll watch zipping around your home, a slightly more attractive design would've been appreciated. Or at least a different shade of gray.

The XV-21 measures 13 by 12.5 by 4 inches (HWD) and weighs 8.2 pounds, which is right on par with other cleaning robots, like the Scooba 390?($499.99, 3 stars). There are five buttons used to control the vacuum: a start switch, two menu navigation buttons, a select button, and a back button. There's an easy-to-read 2.5-inch black and white display on top that allows you to control various options for the XV-21. You can set it to spot clean one particular area, for instance, or schedule it to turn on automatically and clean as often as you'd like.

Before using the XV-21, you first must plug in the charging station, which shares a similar look and feel to the vacuum itself. The station uses inductive charging, so the front of the XV-21 just needs to be pressed up against the charging block for it to work. It takes just under three hours to get a full charge. The device finished vacuuming my 550-square foot apartment in about 45 minutes, and had nearly half its battery life left. If the battery dies before the job is finished, the XV-21 will make its way back to the charger, charge back up, then go back out and finish the job.

Performance and Conclusions
Once you're fully charged, simply press the Start button and watch the XV-21 get to work. You'll be sure to know it's working, because the XV-21 is loud. The sound it makes upon starting is not dissimilar to that of a plane taking off, albeit at a slightly lower volume. It isn't as loud as a traditional vacuum, but the XV-21 takes a lot longer to clean the same amount of space as a traditional vacuum, and you tend to notice the noise a lot more when you're not the one doing the work.

The robot uses a laser-based room positioning technology to create a 360-degree view of the room, which allows it analyze furniture, doorways, and other obstacles within 13 feet in order to create the most efficient cleaning path. This worked surprisingly well in practice, as the XV-21 managed to systematically hit every part of my living room (even under the couch), with nary an accidental bump.

From the living room, it navigated out into the bedroom, then back through the living room and into the bathroom, but for some reason it never made its way into my kitchen. I had to place it there myself, and while the XV-21 did a fine job, I can't figure out why it wouldn't go in.

The big purple lid on top of the vacuum is the dirt bin. It fits in securely, but was easy to pop up when the XV-21 was finished. Now, I'm a pretty tidy guy, and I keep what I consider to be a pretty clean apartment. So I was shocked when I opened the XV-21's dirt bin to find it filled with dust and pet hair. I dust and vacuum regularly, so I wasn't expecting the XV-21 to pick up much more than the occasional crumb or stray dog hair. I was at once disconcerted to see all that I had missed, but pleased that the XV-21 managed to pick it up.

Additionally, the XV-21 handled the different surfaces in my apartment?hardwood floors, throw rugs, and tiles?with aplomb. I was especially impressed with the job it did on the large throw rug in my living room, which looked noticeably perkier after a visit from the XV-21.

Mysterious kitchen snub aside, the only major issue I had with the XV-21 is that it can't quite suck all of the pet hair out of a tight corner, which, of course, is where pet hair tends to accumulate. To be fair, even the main attachment on my Dyson vacuum has a hard time getting all the way into a corner?that's where the vacuum tube comes in. But that means you'll still need to keep a traditional vacuum cleaner on hand to pick up where the XV-21 can't.

Additionally, I'm dubious to the claims that this is an "Allergy" vacuum. Sure, cleaning up dirt, dust, and pet hair is sure to help remove plenty of allergens, but it's not like the XV-21 is releasing an antihistamine mist into the air as it cleans. This is no more an allergy-combatant than the handheld mini vacuum I had in my old college dorm room was. But the XV-21 will definitely do a better job of cleaning your floors.

Clean up is simple, too. Just remove the dirt bin, open its door, and empty the contents into the garbage. Pop it back into the XV-21, and you're ready to vacuum again.

If you already own an XV-11, there's no need to buy the XV-21. You can upgrade your model with the new bristle brush and updated filter for $60, then upgrade your device to the latest firmware. While the Neato XV-21 Pet & Allergy Automatic Vacuum Cleaner doesn't spray and scrub your floor like the Scooba 390, it works on a wider variety of surfaces, is programmable, and lasts longer. The iRobot?Roomba 770?($499.99, 4 stars), meanwhile, has a sleeker design and uses dirt sensors that allows it to pay closer attention to a particularly dirty spot on your floor. But if what you want is an extra hand to remove all that pesky pet hair, the XV-21 is a good, albeit pricey, tool. Just don't get rid of rid of your old push vacuum just yet.

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