If you are considering buying a robot vacuum, I bet you are “a little bit” outraged by the price tag of Roomba or Neato models. The latest units go between $500 and $800. Not to mention the $1200 Dyson is asking for their new 360 Eye. The basic idea you may infer is that you can’t find a quality robovac which costs less than $500 – $600. However, you couldn’t be more wrong, as today I’ll present the Beatles Chuwi iLife V7 a great automated cleaning unit that is on sale for under $150. Before I move into details, I would like to emphasize that I’ve received this robot for free (by the courtesy of GearBest.com). However, the views are still 100% impartial. The VGMrv given is 100% objective and the conclusions and discussion are not influenced by any entity (other than myself).
iLife is a small Chinese company focused on developing vacuuming, sweeping and washing robots. The full name of the company is Shenzhen Zhiyi Technology Co., Ltd. As its name says, it’s based in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, one of the most crowded places in the Orient. According to their official site, at full capacity, they can produce around 80k units per month, which is not much when compared to iRobot, but may still count as a medium-sized producer on the robovac market.
The design
The product is round, just like most robot vacuums out there. It has a 3-inch spinning side brush which helps it reach near the walls and baseboards. Here are some photos I’ve taken:
and here’s a video made for me by my good friend Radu:
Specifications
Suction power
Considering the medium-sized air intake and the low sound produced by the motor (<55db as measured by my iPhone), it’s has a relatively good suction power. Don’t expect to get deep cleaning out of this unit, but I’ve seen better suction only in the latest Roomba models (880 and 980), the Botvacs from Neato and the Eye 360 from Dyson. It is comparable i.e. with bObsweep Bobi, Ecovacs DEEBOT DM85 or the Bissell SmartClean Robotic Vacuum 1605. Given the mopping pad, it is very similar to the Infinuvo Hovo 650. However, all these units are much more expensive. If you want a value for suction, I believe the flow could be measured at 30 CFM.
Input Power / Battery Life
At this chapter, iLife pleasantly surprises us. The robot can work continuously for 120 minutes, thanks to its lithium 2600 mAh battery. This means if can vacuum an area of 1600 sq ft before returning back to base for recharge. Speaking about recharging, this operation lasts approximately 5-6h.
Dust capacity
The bin can accommodate 10 oz. That is definitely not the largest bin capacity in the world, yet nor the smallest either. I guess you can empty it once every 2 days, if you’re using the robot 1-2h per day and if you are vacuuming regularly, at least once a week.
Navigation
The V7 comes with an extensive sensorial system. 10 IR bumper sensors will protect it from running hard into obstacles. That means it will still touch most of the things, but it will slow down and completely reverse as soon as the process of collision detection starts. Also, 4 cliff detection sensor groups will prevent it from falling down the stairs. As for the movement logic, it has 4 operating modes: automatic cleaning, focus cleaning (or spot cleaning, as I like to call it), border cleaning and appointment cleaning. The automated cleaning mode allows it to move in a semi-controlled zig-zag manner. Thanks to a technology called Smart Route Planning, the robot tries to cover most of the working area. Focus cleaning lets you define a certain spot which needs to be vacuumed. Border cleaning is trivial: the robot will clean only along baseboards while appointment cleaning is a combo between scheduled and automatic cleaning.
Filtration
Doesn’t feature a HEPA, but comes with 2 different filters, one located on the dirt bin, and one located just before the output of the airflow. There’s not much more I can say about filters, except they are replaceable (their recommended lifespan is 6 months to 1 year).
Weight and dimensions
Another great thing about this robovac is that it’s completely round, with a radius of approximately 13.5 inches. It has only 3.2 inches in height, allowing it to easily go under furniture. It also weights less than 7 pounds.
Warranty
Comes with a 1-year warranty.
Accessories
Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with virtual walls like most premium robotic vacuums out there. All it features is a remote control with batteries, a cleaning brush, an extra pair of filters, an extra sweeping pad and an extra side brush.
Special features
For starters, it can be controlled via a smartphone app. There is literally no unit under $500 which features this capability. The application works via Bluetooth and can show dynamic variables in real-time.
Usability
The rubberized wheels are wide and with an off-road profile, which allows the unit to climb over half an inch obstacles. The air intake is large, much larger than in other units. The brushroll is designed in double v, and features both bristles and soft rubber wipers, a design which is perfect for gathering both light dust and pet hair. Moreover, the roller can be easily removed to be cleaned from tangled hair. The microfiber mop cloth is washable.
Price
At the moment it is retailed around $130 on GearBest.com. I have a gift for you: You can use the code GBCWV7 to get a discount and free shipping.
UPDATE!!! You can also find other deals on these resources:
- Gearbest discount code for this summer
- iLife special promotion
- iLife featured products
VGMrv and Conclusion
In conclusion, there are plenty of people who don’t really need the best product to be happy. They just need the best product for their money. In this case, iLife happened to build an unit which surpassed my expectations, bringing to the table a great price/quality ratio. Here’s the VGMrv:
So, what do you think, would you buy one of these for your loved one, now that the Valentine’s Day is getting close?
Jason Roberts
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Fred Suza says
Your enthusiasm for a round vacuum seems, to me , to be misplaced. For instance, on my NEATO it has straight sides on the front and sides which produce two very good benefits. 1. It easily provides an installed brush of almost the full width of the unit and 2. That also means you get closer to any wall you are cleaning along. Its intelligence is great because it cleans more area in a short period of time, indicates when its dirt container needs to be replaced, will recharge and return to where it left off if the cleaning has not been completed, and returns to its charging base to recharge when finished. Neato also lets you know if its brush needs to have too much hair cumulation from pets removed.
You don’t mention where you can buy it and if that is in the USA with local service.
Jason Roberts says
The D shape certainly has it’s benefits, I’m not denying that. However, the form of the vacuum is of little importance, if it manages to cover the area well. I think round units can achieve that, using a combination of a decent side brush with a good path planning algorithm, and Roomba proves it. Of course, this unit is not comparable with the Neato Botvac series, but as I said in the article, it has its strong points. I think you can get it directly from GearBest, I got mine from them in under 10 days. It’s a China product, so they ship it directly from China. The transportation will cost you an additional $40 or so. I haven’t found any local distributors.
Frans says
How would you compare this to a Neato XV Signature (retail €270,-). Wich is a much older model but has a proven trackrecord and support. I’m a bit hesitant to buy the Chuwi because I cannot find anything about the company online. Only a website from Chuwi wich only shows tablets. I can’t find any form of support or anything online.
Jason Roberts says
Between these 2, I would get the Neato only because, as you said, the support is much better. Chuwi is more of a newcomer, and if it would be sold i.e. on Amazon, I would definitely choose it over the pricey Signature.
Richard Law says
The Chuwi is now available for purchasing on Amazon.
Jason Roberts says
Not the V7 model, only the V5.
Jamie T says
Hi there,
Will this work on carpets? Is the suction power enough to take human hair off carpet?
Jason Roberts says
The efficiency depends a lot on the thickness of your carpets. It will work fine on low pile, but don’t expect miraculous results on high pile. None of 2016’s robovacs ensure a thorough cleaning on this type of flooring, with the exception of the Dyson 360 Eye or the Roomba 980, which cost about 10 times the price of a Chuwi.
John Dorch says
Is this the ILIFE robot that doubles as a floor washer….. that would, in effect, replace the Scuba by I Robot?
Jason Roberts says
That would be the iLife V5.
Marcos Romano says
Where I can find its owner manual?
On manufacturer site the link to Mopping robots is broken.
Jason Roberts says
Check it out here.
Melissa says
I wish you stated the area it covers per charge and doesn’t it start automatically after charge to where it left off? Thank you for the informative article. You can buy it on Amazon and they offer an extended warranty at a small additional fee.
Jason Roberts says
It doesn’t start from where it left off, because it doesn’t really map the environment. From my searches, I couldn’t find the iLife V7 on Amazon. In one charge, it can vacuum as much as 1500 sq ft, even more depending on the configuration of your house.
carlos sebastiao says
hello,
does this vacuum cleaner robot clean multi rooms automatically?
Jason Roberts says
Yes, it does. However, the auto-recharge feature may fail if the robot finds itself too far away from the charging station.