The review of another iLife robovac – the V5 PRO

4 months ago, I was talking about the iLife V7. I was surprised to find a more than decent robot vacuum, at a fraction of the price of an iRobot. The market for robovacs is changing fast. My insight on iLife company is that it’s rapidly evolving, as it diversified its products. Besides the V7, they now sell other units such as the V5 PRO (which will be analyzed in this article), the V5 and the A4.

GearBest.com was kind enough to provide me with the most recent model of the iLife V5 PRO, and as the stars aligned, they will be hosting a limited summer promotion starting from today. The “Summer Chillout deals” will take place between 13th-17th of June, make sure you check this thing out.

Now, returning to our business, let’s see just how good this new product really is. Here’s what you’ll learn from me in the next couple of minutes:

• what’s great about the V5 PRO
• what are its weak points
• how it compares to the V7
• from where to buy it

The looks

Here are some pictures I’ve made with the product before the real action:

And here’s the review movie:

The specifications

Suction power

When it comes to sucking up dirt and debris, the V5 performs admirably. Actually, the V5 is a 2-in-1 machine. It can either dry sweep or mop the hard floors. The producer measured the first capability at 850 pa. This is well beyond the capacity of many robot vacuum cleaners. By the way, if you don’t really know what this number represents, you can find out more about how suction is measured from my guide. Another important fact – the V5 PRO is even quieter than the V7, as its producing less than 50db (in the Super Silent mode, which delivers only 550 pa). IMO, the noise produced by this type of appliance is just as important as its suction power.

Input Power / Battery Life

Seems to be using the same technology as the V7. The 2600 mAh battery lasts more than 2 hours and recharges in less than 6. So far, these batteries are among the best I’ve seen.

Dust capacity

The 10 oz bin can be filled with water for continuous wet mopping (but no vacuuming), or can be left empty in order to be filled with dust and debris.

Navigation

It has 3 navigation modes. When in Automatic cleaning, it semi-randomly explores the environment. Border cleaning refers to the exact thing that you imagine – the robot starts with the borders. Cleaning at Fixed-point is handy if you want spot cleaning. You can also schedule the robot to clean in the future. The robot uses IR sensors to detect cliffs, and a bumper to protect furniture pieces. Although these sound great on paper, the navigation algorithms are definitely not V5’s strongest point. The wheels are made of high-density rubber, meaning that they will not leave marks on the floors.

Filtration

The filters are HEPA. You get one directly mounted on the unit and one extra in the package. The filtration is good for a robovac, but the filters need to be washed every once in a while and replaced every 6 to 12 months.

Weight and dimensions

1.79 x 11.79 x 2.751 inches / 4.5 lbs. It can go virtually anywhere with these numbers.

Warranty

12 months.

Accessories

• a charging base
• a remote control
• an adapter
• a dust brush
• 2 extra side brushes
• the User Manual

Special features

• Silent mode (50 db)
• 2-in-1 cleaning (wet and dry)
• Nano-fiber cloth mop (resist to more washes)
• 2 side brushes

Usability

As this unit doesn’t have a main brush roll (and can mop instead), it can be used mainly to clean bare floors. The start process is straight forward, as this unit comes ready out of the box. Recharging the batteries takes a little longer the first time. Just remember: it can either mop or vacuum. It can’t do both at the same time.

Price

The price of the unit varies with specific deals, between $120 and $200. Check out the latest deals on Gearbest.com or Amazon.com.

Update 2!!! This unit is now available in US in GearBest’s LA warehouse. Use the code V5ProLA at checkout, and get it for as low as $119.99.

Update 1!!! You can use the discount coupon GBCWV5S to get a good deal at GearBest. You can also find other deals on these resources:

• Gearbest discount code for this summer
• iLife special promotion
• iLife featured products

PROs – positive features

• Good suction
• Good mopping capabilities
• Efficient battery
• Has a remote control
• Very quiet

CONs – negative aspects

• no brush roll
• no full cup alert
• no stuck alarm
• no virtual walls or magnetic strips
• doesn’t always find its way back to the charger

iLife V5 PRO vs iLife V7

While the V7 comes with 2 filters, the V5 PRO features HEPA filtration. The V7 can be however be connected via Bluetooth to a smartphone. V5 lacks this type of connectivity. The V7 has a large brushroll which helps it to better clean carpets. The V5 PRO can instead use water to keep its mop cloth wet during the cleaning process. The V7 has a larger number of sensors and better navigation algorithms. V5’s battery lasts a little longer precisely because it needs to support a smaller number of such sensors.

Final thoughts

You should get the V5 PRO if you need automatic hard floor cleaning. Office spaces are most likely to benefit from acquiring such equipment. Although the product is Made in China, the quality of materials and the efficient design is undeniable. Here is my VGMrv:

 Would you buy an iLife V5 PRO, or you have some other robovac in mind? If you own one, what’s your status update?