Home CasaVerdeSmart ,,,,, Technology offers, from time to time, real fashions, temporary or lasting. It's time for the robot vacuum cleaners , which seem to have taken over our homes and are not afraid to run far and wide through the corridors. iLife V8s is one of these, but in addition to sweeping it also offers a water tank, which allows the small robot to wash floors. Here's how he performed in our test.
Unboxing
Inside the sales package there is everything you need for the operation of the vacuum cleaner, and even more, thanks to some spare parts that reassure the user about the possibility of easily replacing some parts, such as filters, brushes and cloth .
In addition to the vacuum cleaner itself, the sales package offers a kit of 4 brushes (two are needed for operation, two are spare), a filter already mounted and a spare, a cloth already mounted and another spare, the manuals, the power socket, the charging docking station, the remote control for controlling the vacuum cleaner, and even two AAA batteries to be inserted in the remote control. In short, there is everything you need to immediately start using the vacuum cleaner.
How it's done
iLife V8s does not differ in aesthetics from most robot vacuum cleaners of this type. It has a classic circular shape, with a low profile (excellent for getting under beds and sofas), with a two-tone upper part, particularly elegant, with a brushed and shiny look at the same time, with a small display on the upper part, surrounded from the control panel, which allows immediate start-up.
On the bottom there are two wheels, equipped with excellent “suspensions”, which allow the vacuum cleaner to climb up carpets and small steps in some cases. Two pins allow the two brushes to be recessed, which obviously serve to bring together the dust and dirt collected inside the 750 ml plastic compartment.
It is possible to swap the dust container with the water tank, which holds about 300ml, enough for washing a medium-sized room. The cloth is positioned under the tank, which allows the surface to dry as the robot passes.
iLife V8s has dimensions of 67.2 x 41.3 x 14.9 cm and weighs over 6 pounds. It is an absolutely robust product, well “planted” on the ground, and well built. On the front it also has a sort of cushioned bumper, which serves to prevent the vacuum cleaner from hitting furniture and obstacles.
Not only does this shock absorber work really well, preventing the vacuum cleaner from being damaged, but also the sensors it is equipped with almost always avoid the impact, and allow the robot to change “path” even before the impact.
Initial setup
Although there are so many ways to use and clean this iLife V8S, starting to use it takes very little time. After unpacking, turning on the main I / O switch and pressing the Play button, the V8S will immediately start cleaning the house.
An initial setup, therefore, practically nil: you take it out of the box and start cleaning the house immediately. In reality, this will be the daily use that the user decides to activate in 90% of cases. It is a vacuum cleaner, and being able to use it immediately with a simple click makes it useful and efficient.
Cleaning mode
While it is true that a simple touch of the “play” button starts cleaning, iLife V8s offers several modes. In everyday life, almost certainly, you will almost always prefer to use the basic mode, because as already mentioned it allows you to clean with a simple touch. For the smart ones, however, it is possible to have fun with the different cleaning options.
MAX mode
The standard automatic mode, the one in which just press a button to start cleaning, is flanked by the MAX one. The two modes differ only in the suction level, which is higher when set to MAX. Also in this case, a click will be enough to start the vacuum cleaner, which will automatically start its usual rounds around the house in search of dust.
Scheduled
It is the mode that takes the most time to be properly configured. It is necessary to set the start time of the cleaning operations, which can also be deferred according to the days of the week. The procedure of initial setting of times and days is not easy and will take a few minutes too long. Once set up, however, you can practically forget you have a remote control to start the vacuum cleaner.
Edge mode
In Edge mode, always activated by pressing a simple button on the remote control, iLife V8s will start cleaning corners and edges. This means that the vacuum cleaner will follow only and only the perimeter of the room, never going towards the center. Obviously, should there be any obstacles, iLife V8s will change direction, but always and only continue to clean the perimeter.
Mopping
It is the mode that most differentiates this vacuum cleaner from many others, because it allows the floors to be washed. Later in the review he will say about the actual degree of cleanliness, but in any case it is a mode that many other robots of the same type and price range do not enjoy.
Spot Mode
In this mode the iLife V8s will start cleaning by rotating to a fixed point, and widening the radius with each revolution. It is a cleaning method that ensures that you sweep a certain area more precisely, but it is only advisable if the vacuum cleaner is in a large and unobstructed room.
Path
The last mode is that path, which will initiate a more methodical cleaning, allowing the robot to go back and forth in a single room, following paths in a straight line. Also in this case, as for the Spot mode mentioned above, the advice is to activate it in a room without obstacles.
Manual
It is not a real mode, but the remote control also offers a directional cross, with keys that allow the user to direct the robot to the desired points. It's like having a pad in your hands, to “play” with the robot and direct it where you want to.
Performance
iLife V8s is capable of both vacuuming and washing. As a vacuum cleaner, the suction power is on par with similarly priced competitors, and it boasts a rather roomy 0.75-liter container, enough for the category. During our tests, the robot had no problems with different types of floors, including wood, laminate, tiles and carpet.
In Auto mode, it does not follow specific directions, but rather moves in a sort of random ping-pong, which sooner or later crosses all directions. To switch to washing mode, all you have to do is replace the dust container with the water tank. Obviously, in the latter case it is advisable to first clean the house, to prevent dust and dirt from mixing with the water, creating the opposite effect to the desired one.
Ok, but does it clean well?
The answer is yes, but with the necessary clarifications. If you think of buying a robot vacuum cleaner like iLife V8s, or any other in the same price range, and forget the classic cleaning with broom and water bucket you are on the wrong path.
Vacuum cleaner
During our tests the iLife V8s always performed well. cleans the house automatically without too much difficulty, making space even among the many obstacles that populate our homes.
Whether it's the feet of the table rather than those of the chairs, a stool rather than the carpets, V8s has always found the way to keep cleaning. The sensors work very well, the bumps with obstacles are reduced or in any case cushioned to the maximum by the self-propelled front edge. In short, the iLife V8s works, but it certainly doesn't get rid of 100% of the dirt on the floor.
At the end of the cleaning just take a look at the dust container to actually understand that the robot performs a good cleaning of the house. This is not to say that dust, pet hair, or other small debris completely disappears from the floor. Basically, at a general glance, after the passage of iLife V8s there is a greater cleaning of the floor, but it is not a solution to avoid 100% more thorough cleaning with traditional systems.
Wash
Even before switching on we were skeptical about the true washing capacity of our vacuum cleaner, also discouraged by comments from users who saw sudden blocks of the device during this mode. It is true, once it got stuck to us too, but this was due to the bad positioning of the cloth on the bottom. After fixing it properly, the iLife V8s continued scrubbing the floor without a hitch.
If the vacuum mode works well anyway, that cleaning turns out to be a little weaker. Yes, the V8s actually scrubs the floor, but thinking about peeling the stains off the floor is wrong.
We tried it with some coffee stains, and actually the cooler ones have gone away, but with the older ones there are still streaks. In general, even in this case, looking at the floor after the passage of the iLife V8s, one notices the passage of a cleaning robot, but it is not possible to think of replacing it with the classic Mop.
If you want to buy a robot vacuum cleaner in this price range mainly for the washing function, you would do well not to. Being able to wash is one more mode, which may be useful, but the one that certainly works best is cleaning as a vacuum cleaner.
Autonomy and noise
Promoted. We noticed that the V8s cleans for at least 80 minutes non-stop, even at maximum power: it's surprising, because it exactly reflects the figure estimated by the company. Full charging also takes place relatively quickly, around 3.5 hours.
iLife V8s isn't too loud, but it does make itself heard. Thinking that you can take a nap with the robot around the room is wrong. If you activate it, perhaps after lunch or after dinner, while they are cleaning, it will not cause any discomfort.
Return to base
Of course, one of the advantages of these vacuum cleaners is the automatic return to base. Just press a button and that's it. If it is close to the base, the vacuum cleaner returns to the home in a few moments. If it is on the other side of the room and with many obstacles in between, it will take several minutes. the vacuum cleaner begins to move slowly in all directions in an attempt to receive signals from the b ase of charging.
Conclusions
iLife V8s is a vacuum cleaner that is certainly worth what it costs. As already mentioned it cleans well, especially in the vacuum cleaner mode, but rightly does not work miracles. If you want to scrape off dirt stains on the ground, or pull out the cat hair now embedded in the carpet, you will need the traditional methods, namely elbow grease.
It is not very smart, in the sense that it does not have a dedicated smartphone application, but on the other hand we have not felt the lack of it: the most suitable use is that of automatic cleaning, with a click and go.
On GearBest it costs 234 euros and can be purchased directly from here .
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