I’ve been doing a series of videos and articles about the ILIFE robot vacuum over the past few months and this time we’ll be having a look at the ILIFE V1 robot.
This robot is the most basic of all the ILIFE robots I’ve tested and you’ll see what this robot is all about.
We’ll take a close look at the features and performance and what’s lacking to help you make the right choice.
It is actually the cheapest of all the ILIFE products I’ve tested. Unfortunately this product has been discontinued.
Same as the V5
Please check out a similar variant called the V5 that has a charging dock and remote. If you need something with a mop then check the V5S Pro.
But I must warn you that this does not come with any remote or a charging base so when this robot runs out of battery you will have to manually plug in the charger.
This is a big downside since there will be more involvement from you. The good news is, it has the same cleaning performance as other ILIFE vacuums and as you’ll see in the video recordings below, performance does not suffer even it is the most basic.
A quick look at the features
- Dual filter system – a primary mesh plus a HEPA filter to prevent allergens from coming back out
- 300 ml dust box capacity
- 70 to 90 minute run time
- 200 to 250 minute charge time
- Less than 3 inches tall (2.95 inches to be exact)
- Has 4 spare HEPA filters included plus 2 extra side brushes
- OBS all-terrain detection system protects furniture getting bumped
- Cliff sensors ensure that this robot does not fall off cliff points like stairs
- One year warranty (see details here)
Pros
- Cheapest of the all the ILIFE robot vacuums
- Measures less than 3 inches tall which means it will fit under a lot of furniture and clean hard to clean dust bunnies
- Has HEPA filtration
- Does a good job of not hitting furniture hard during my tests
Cons
- No charging dock included and no remote
- You cannot schedule this robot to clean on its own
- After battery runs out you will have to plug in the charger (not as hands free as I would like it to be)
What to expect from the bare bones ILIFE V1?
This robot is the very definition of bare bones. It comes with the bare essentials that will allow it to clean your home but it lacks several features that may make you want to think twice before buying this considering the minimal price difference between this and the ILIFE V5.
Top View
Here’s a close up of the “clean” button.
As you’ve notice in the two photos above, this robot has only a single clean button. This activates the default cleaning cycle of the robot. The interface doesn’t allow you to schedule, do edge or spot cleaning.
It is as simple as it gets.
Bottom View
Underneath you pretty much get the same layout as the X5, V5 and V5 Pro meaning, it has a narrow inlet flanked by two side brushes.
It does not have any motorized brush which make this more suitable on hard floors rather than carpet.
No Charging Dock
This robot does not have any charging dock which was disappointing because it means you have to manually plug in the charger after each cycle.
I’ve also tested the charging base of the V5 and see if it will work but it does not. The V1 will not go back to the charging base after using up its battery.
Here’s how the plug looks like…
No Remote
Another omission would be the lack of a remote which really isn’t a big deal since pressing the clean button does not take a lot of effort.
The biggest downer though would be the lack of the scheduling feature that makes robot vacuums such a useful tool in keeping our homes clean.
That means every day you’ll have to get up every day unplug the robot from the charger and press the clean button. The few extra steps may or may not be a deal breaker for you but that is completely subjective.
Battery
This robot is equipped with a 2,200 mAh lithium ion battery which is slightly smaller than the 2,600 mAh found in the other ILIFE robots such as the A4, X5, V5, V5 Pro, V7 and V7S.
The smaller battery size means that it will run shorter – between 70 to 90 minutes and will take between 200 and 250 minutes to fully charge.
HEPA Filter
It also comes with a HEPA filter plus 4 extra inside the box.
Bare Floor Performance
When it comes to performance this robot did not disappoint even against the V5 Pro it was able to hold its own.
If you’ve watched the first video it managed to clean 47 out of the 50 grams of oats and powder scattered on the floor.
I prematurely stopped the robot because I didn’t want to record a very long video otherwise it would have picked up more.
Some when over the door stopper area that the robot could not reach, other small bits where left in the middle.
Price
This robot is available in GearBest and the cheapest of all the ILIFE robot variants.
Click on the links below to get the latest prices plus some coupon codes:
- ILIFEV1 (China and EU Plug)
To Wrap Up
The V1 performed really well when you compare it to its more expensive sibling the V5 Pro.
What makes it hard to recommend are the lack of key features essential in a robotic vacuum.
It lacks a charging dock where it can automatically go to and dock after a cleaning cycle. Without it you’d have to manually plug the charger every single time.
It also lacks a scheduling feature that will allow you to schedule it to clean on its own. You will have to press the clean button every single time.
Performance wise, it held its own even against its more feature-rich siblings that have remotes and charging stations.
If you don’t mind the limitations, this is the best cheap robotic vacuum available right now.
