Chuwi ILIFE V7 Review – Is This Better Than Its Twin The V7S?

The ILIFE V7S has a twin and we’ll be looking at it today.

Let me introduce to you the ILIFE V7 robot vacuum and mop.

At first glance both of these look exactly alike – the only difference is the color but when you look closer these two machines are much more different than you think.

While the V7S comes with a water tank, this robot does not have that feature.

Instead of a wet mopping feature, you’ll only get a dry mopping feature – it does not have any water tank.

If you don’t need the wet mopping feature then this would be a great option, unfortunately, it isn’t cheaper than the ILIFE V7S Pro.

A feature you may find interesting would be the app that uses Bluetooth connectivity to connect the phone and robot.

This means you can use your smartphone or the remote to turn on or schedule the robot.

But there is a catch.

The app is only available in Chinese but even with this language barrier, the interface is easy enough to use without translating it.

A quick look at the features

• Has two-in-one functionality – vacuum and dry mopping (you can use these two features at the same time!)
• Remote control is included in the package (with 2 AAA batteries)
• You can schedule the robot to clean at a specific time once a day (7 days a week)
• 4 cliff sensors prevent this robot from dropping off stairs
• App is available for download that you can use to schedule, start/stop and control the robot with (currently only available in Chinese)
• 5 liter dirt bin
• Only one side brush
• Charging dock has storage for the remote control
• Up to 150 min. run time
• 5 hour charge time
• Only produces less than 60 decibels
• 1 year warranty

Pros

• Very long run time – up to 150 mins.
• Pretty solid navigation (even though it isn’t high tech like a Roomba 360 Eye)
• Easy to empty dirt bin
• Decent dry dirt capacity
• Dry mopping option is available

Cons

• No wet mopping feature
• Lots of squeaks (you’ll hear it in the video)
• App only available in Chinese
• No WiFi connectivity (uses Bluetooth)

What to expect from the ILIFE V7 hybrid mop and vacuum?

In terms of size, the V7 and V7S are exactly the same.

The top fascia of both robots has the same design and glossy finish except for the color—this one has a nice dark blue finish and a single clean button.

Despite having the same mechanical structure as the V7S, the V7 is more different that you think.

Dry Mop and Vacuum Only

First it does not have any water tank so this robot will not be able to wet mop your tiled floors.

This robot is purely a vacuum with a dry mopping capability. One option would be spraying the mop with a cleaning solution so that you can at least damp mop on a small area.

I like that it is capable of dry mop and dry mop at the same time especially in our home that has only bare floors because the microfiber mop is actually does a very good job picking up statically charged dust that the vacuum may have missed.

And it does it simultaneously so it will save you time. Our floors have been relatively dust free since I’ve used this.

Dirt Bin

When you open the box, it only has a dry dirt bin, similar to what you will get from the V7S which means it will be able to hold around 0.5 liters of dry dirt.

Parts of the dirt bin…

• the plastic case
• primary mesh filter
• secondary filter that isn’t washable.

It doesn’t have HEPA filtration unlike the X5, A4 and V5 Pro so if this is a concern for you opt for one of the three other variants.

V7 App

One of the unique features of the V7 is the App that you can download through Gear Best’s website.

A quick way to open the site is to use a QR code scanner on your smart phone to scan the code on the box.

After downloading the app make sure to turn on your phone’s Bluetooth connectivity. Without it, it won’t connect to the robot.

Also make sure that you turn on the robot.

Once you open the app, it looks like this…

On the left hand side of the photo is what the app looks like when you turn it on. It scans the area to detect for the robot and once it detects the app will display something similar to the right (see photo above).

Click on robot link and another window appears that looks like a remote.

The icons are pretty self-explanatory – the leftmost icon is the home or docking button, when you press this the robot will stop cleaning and search for home base.

Second button is the edge cleaning button. Before activating the spot cleaning you will have to press the clean button first.

Third button activates the spot cleaning. Again, to use the spot cleaning feature you will have to press the clean button first to turn on the robot.

The last button on the rightmost is the scheduling where you can tell the robot what time to clean. Pressing this icon will open another interface that looks like the interface on the right of the photo above.

Remote control

Aside from the App, this comes with the same remote control as its twin.

The layout of buttons is exactly the same, with the four arrow buttons flanking the clean button and five additional buttons at the bottom two rows that allow you to access the different features – scheduling, setting the clock, docking and edge cleaning.

Only one side brush

Another similarity with the V7 is the number of side brush – both only have one.

To be honest I’m a bit torn on the benefits of two side brushes. For everyday cleaning that does not involve cleaning a huge mess having two side brushes actually work at least on bare floor.

If there is a small piece of paper within reach, the side brush grabs it and flicks it toward the direction of the vacuum.

And a vast majority of the time you will use a robot vacuum as an in-between-deep-cleaning cleaner to keep dirt from piling up.

Motorized brush

The V7 comes with the same double V brush as the V7S which means it has both bristles and a squeegee in a V pattern, hence the name.

The motorized brush combines stiff bristles with a squeegee which is similar to a Neato brush.

Navigation

Watch this video to see how the V7 navigates (you’ll have to fast forward to the 7:39 mark because I start off by talking about the features)…

It does a good job to avoid bumping into large obstacles like walls, boxes and doors but it does occasionally bump into narrow objects like the foot of the bed and the black tower under the table.

Again, since the V7 and V7S both share the same architecture both will have similar navigational pattern at least on vacuum mode. The V7S is pretty slow when it comes to wet mopping.

Here’s how the V7 navigates with the mop attached (video coming soon).

Bare Floor Cleaning

The V7 like the V7S will work best on bare floor thanks to the mopping feature.

Both of these have the same power, the same brush roll so performance on bare floor will be the same. Yes even on big messes like this…

Here are more video

What’s in the box?

ILIFE V7 vs V7S: So Which is Better?

Now that you know what the V7 is all about your next question maybe is this better than the V7S?

That would all depend on your needs.

I like the dry mopping feature that helps greatly in cleaning statically charged dust on bare floor.

Dust is perhaps the hardest to clean because it is almost invisible and this the mopping feature helps in keeping it at bay.

Soak the mop in a cleaning solution and you have a damp mopping tool at your disposal.

The V7S cannot dry mop and vacuum at the same time since the mop also covers the vacuum inlet. You can only use it either to wet mop or vacuum depending on your needs.

Homes with tiled flooring (particularly inside the kitchen) would benefit most from the wet mopping feature just make sure to vacuum the area first.

I’ve covered the V7S extensively in this review so make sure to check it out if you’re looking for more info about it.

Product Specifications

Battery type	Lithium ion
Charger type	Charging dock
Charge time	approx. 5 hours
Water tank capacity	None
Dirt capacity (dry)	0.5 liters
Run Time	140 mins
Net weight (with battery)	6.5 pounds
Shipping weight	12.78 pounds
Diameter	13.39 inches
Height	3.15 inches
Vacuuming
Dry Mopping
Wet Mopping
Multi Room
Self docking
Remote control
Hepa filtration
Cliff detection
Self adjusting
Side brush
Full bin indicator
Stair Cleaning
Cleaning sessions per week	7
Extra Filter	2
Containment	None
Brush cleaning tools	1
Accessories included	Charging base A/C adapter Remote (AAA-batteries included) 2 extra filters 1 brush cleaning tool 2 extra side brushes
Voltage	auto volt
Manufactured in	China
Warranty	1 year (learn more)

To wrap up

The ILIFE V7 is a great option for homes that have a mix of bare floor and very little carpet.

Despite not having as much suction as the more powerful A4 or X5, the V7 did a good job on bare floor. When you add the dry mopping feature, you can use this as an everyday sweeper on most bare floor surfaces, except unpainted concrete.

It also has an app that uses Bluetooth connectivity to connect to the robot.

This is a step in the right direction but ILIFE still hasn’t released an English version, I’m waiting on that but the interface is simple enough to use that it is still usable even for non-Chinese speaking folks.

The filters included aren’t HEPA filters but the primary mesh filter still does a good job blocking out most of the debris and it comes with 2 extra filters.

Overall this is a solid product that dry mops and vacuums at the same time providing you with an autonomous cleaning tool that will help you keep your floors clean.

The long battery life is good enough for small to medium sized homes that have mostly bare floors.

Don’t forget to clear all the wires, stray toys and other large obstacles to maximize the cleaning functionality of this robot.