iLife X5 robot vacuum – evolution never stops

Today I’ll be reviewing my 3rd iLife robot vacuum, the iLife X5. If you follow my blog regularly, I’m sure you remember I’ve previously covered the V7 and the V5 Pro. After the lovely experience I had with those 2 models, I expected nothing less from this one. The X5 is the latest robovac produced by the Chinese company, one for which I have a lot of things to talk about. As usual, this product was provided to me by the cool guys from GearBest.com, a company which will soon support another giveaway on my site.

If you have the patience to read my 2-minute piece on this product, you’ll find out:

• on which type of floors it works
• what are its complete and real specs
• how it compares with other robovacs which I’ve tested
• from where to get it the cheapest

By the way, if you’re looking for a complete comparison between all iLife models (V7, V7s, V5 PRO, X5 and A4), check out this chart.

The looks

Here’s the set of photos I’ve taken with the X5:

and here’s the very unprofessional video I’ve made with it:

Here’s a more civilized video from GearBest:

Specifications

Suction power

Similarly to the V5, X5 is also a 2-in-1 machine. In fact, to be fair, the 2 models are very similar, performance wise. They are using the same vacuum motor, which  delivers up to 850 pa. In case you don’t really know what this number means, I’ll just add that it sucks better than 80% of the other robot vacuums out there. I’ve measured the noise produced during operation at 52 db (although the producer advertises it at 40 db), which is more than bearable. In fact, I’m writing this article while the robot is working. The robot can also function as a mop. In this case, there won’t be any suction (it can not mop and vacuum at the same time). The way I see it, if you need a room cleaned, you can let the X5 to vacuum it first, and than switch to the mop function.

Input Power / Battery Life

Uses the same 2600 mAh battery as all current iLife vacuum cleaners, which is great. It allows the unit to work continuously almost 2 hours. You can recharge the bot either directly, or using the dock, in less than 6 hours.

Dust capacity

The box contains 2 bins, each with a capacity of 10 oz. One can be used for vacuuming (it holds the HEPA filter), and the other can be filled with water, for the wet mopping feature. The dry bin is difficult to empty. The liquid bin needs to be removed from the unit when charging or after completing the job. Do not store the robot with liquids inside.

Navigation

It can move in 3 different ways. The most common is the Auto cleaning. In this setting, the robot will clean automatically, return to base if low on battery, and continue cleaning after it recharges. The movement is as expected,  semi-random. However, I did notice that thanks to the improved proximity sensors, the trajectories are much smoother. This product does not dully hit walls. It slows down when it senses that obstacles are approaching. Moreover, it may change cleaning modes dynamically, depending on the taxonomy of the environment. For example, it may switch to Edge cleaning. In this mode, the robot follows the border of the furniture/baseboards. You can also activate this mode manually. Spot cleaning is another setting, in which the robot engages over a small portion of the floor. The robot may enter and leave the Spot cleaning mode on “the spot”.

You can schedule the robot to clean at certain hours. This may come in handy, especially for people with well-defined programs.

More on the sensory system, the unit also features efficient cliff detectors which prevent it from falling down the stairs. The IR sensor allows it to find the charging dock more reliably than other robot vacuums. The wheels can move over electric wires, can pass over small bumps or medium-pile carpet.

Filtration

Features a nice HEPA filter. The vacuum bin also contains an additional filter layer. You need to replace the HEPA once every 12 months. Luckily, the producer added an additional filter in the box.

Weight and dimensions

Measures 11.8″ in diameter and 3.5″ height. It’s low enough to get under most pieces of furniture. It weights 4.4 lbs.

Warranty

1 year.

Accessories

• a charging base
• an adapter
• an extra HEPA filter
• an extra cloth pad
• a remote control with batteries
• a virtual wall with batteries
• a dust brush
• 2 extra side brushes
• the water bin
• the User Manual

Special features

• Advanced anti-collision system
• 2-in-1 cleaning (wet and dry)
• Nano-fiber cloth mop (resist to more washes)
• Virtual wall

Usability

Since this unit is also built for hard floors, it features 2 side brushes and a small air intake. The unit can be used as soon as you get it out of the box, and the producer was even kind enough to supply 2 sets of batteries, for the remote control and the virtual wall. You can mop or vacuum your hard floors, but can’t do both in the same time. The additional virtual wall is a nice touch. The recharging process is more reliable than in its predecessors. The unit can cover multiple rooms, and can work on up to 1500-2000 sq ft.

Price

If you live in US, you can get it from GearBest with a nice discount, using the promo code ILIFEX5S ($134.99). If you live in EU, use this link and try the code ILIFEX5EU ($125.99). Some other GearBest promotions can be found here:

• Discount coupons for this summer
• iLife special promotion
• iLife featured products

Pluses

• good battery
• decent suction
• improved navigation
• HEPA filtration
• 2-in-1 vacuum and mop
• awesome price/quality ratio

Drawbacks

• works well only on bare floors and low-pile carpet
• difficult process of emptying the bin

Final thoughts and VGMrv

Overall, I really liked the iLife X5. It performs admirably. The evolution from previous iLife models is quantifiable. The results can the be seen with the naked eye. The unit leaves floors clean and sparky. Now, for the VGMrv (VacuumsGuide Mark for robot vacuums):

VGMrv table for iLife X5

What do you think about iLife X5? Would you like to be the owner of such a robot vacuum? Are you already, and like to share something with us? Please comment!