Revolutionizing Home Cleaning: A Deep Dive into the ILife A10s with Precision Laser Navigation

The cleaning robot market in India has only begun to gain traction recently, although brands like ILife have been producing vacuuming and mopping robots for several years now. Based in Bangalore, the company boasts over 3.3 million customers in 35 countries, claiming that its robots clean an impressive 610 square kilometers of residential space daily.

ILife offers a modest selection of cleaning robots, starting at Rs. 14,900 and reaching up to their premium model, the Rs. 34,900 ILife A10s Robot Vacuum Mop, which is the focus of this review. Building on the success of the ILife A9s, the A10s features laser navigation technology, allowing it to create maps of your home and execute specific cleaning tasks tailored to its layout. Is this the leading cleaning robot on the market today? This review will explore that question.

The ILife A10s robot vacuum comes with plenty of spare parts in its sales package.

 

Introducing the ILife A10s: What’s in the Package?

Similar to its predecessor the A9s, the ILife A10s is a vacuuming and mopping robot. It boasts a conventional disc-shaped design equipped with wheels for mobility. At the front are two sweeping brushes, the vacuum zone positioned centrally, and a space at the rear for a removable module. While vacuuming requires the dust bin module, the water reservoir module is utilized for mopping.

The water reservoir module includes a cloth that attaches to the base. ILife claims that this mop fitting features a ‘vibrating tank’ function, enabling it to move in various directions to dispense water, allowing for effective and gentle mopping.

In addition to the front sweeping brushes, the vacuum zone contains a roller brush that collects dirt into the dust bin, along with a dust filter to capture fine particles. The retail package includes a charging dock and plate, an adapter for powering the dock, and a remote control for operating the ILife A10s manually without the app.

The power adapter can also connect directly to the robot for charging without the dock. The robot features a physical power switch, which should remain on while parked on the charging dock when not in use. The remote uses two AAA batteries and allows you to initiate cleaning, direct the robot back to the dock, or maneuver it manually by pointing and pressing the appropriate buttons.

The box also contains spares for the ILife A10s, including additional sweeping brushes, a rubber roller brush, and an extra dust filter. The cleaning robot has a flexible front bumper to minimize damage from collisions and a raised module at its top for the laser navigation system.

The ILife A10s is equipped with two sweeping brushes and a primary brush for dirt collection.

 

Navigation and Mapping of the ILife A10s

In contrast to the A9s, which uses a camera for navigation, the ILife A10s employs laser navigation, known for its accuracy and sensitivity to obstacles within its cleaning area. This capability allows the robot to function effectively even in darker environments. The A10s can memorize the layout of your home, enabling customized cleaning routines with features such as no-go zones, carpeted areas, invisible barriers, and more.

Rival products in the cleaning robot market, including the 360 S7 and Mi Robot Vacuum Mop-P, successfully implement laser navigation, and the ILife A10s comes close in terms of navigational precision. During my testing, the device moved swiftly and generally avoided obstacles such as walls and furniture legs.

However, I noticed that the device required specific setup, including designating no-go zones and carpet areas through the app. I had to relocate loose rugs and cords to facilitate its movement. Occasionally, the ILife A10s struggled with sliding door tracks and became entangled with the tassels of rugs. Therefore, its navigation isn’t as seamless as seen in some competing models.

When set up correctly with minimal obstacles, the ILife A10s navigated promptly and logically to complete its cleaning tasks. It effectively cleaned my 900 square-foot home in approximately 45 minutes for vacuuming and the same duration for mopping.

The ILife A10s App

The ILife A10s can be controlled via the ILife Home app, available for both Android and iOS. While I occasionally found it quicker to use the remote or the onboard buttons, the app provides greater specificity for controlling the robot’s functionalities. This includes remote monitoring and control, managing stored maps, defining cleaning orders or room lists, establishing restricted zones, and more.

The initial setup of the robot required some time, but once complete, I experienced no connectivity issues with the app throughout my testing period. The app’s main screen displays your home’s map along with indicators showing the cleaning area covered and time taken (while in use), as well as battery and charging status. Additionally, you can adjust suction power, side brush speed, and water utilisation level, as well as update firmware, set cleaning schedules, and review past cleaning logs.

Despite the mop module possessing a small dustbin, I found it necessary to run the vacuum and mop separately using the ILife A10s.

 

What’s handy is that the app can be installed on several devices, allowing multiple family members to control it as needed, unlike the 360 S7, which restricts use to one device at a time. The application is generally user-friendly and provides a real-time view of the robot’s location during cleaning, along with details about the areas it has covered and the time taken. Naturally, this demands a stable Wi-Fi connection for proper operation.

Cleaning Performance of the ILife A10s

While the ILife A10s is not as seamless in navigation compared to other products, and its app feels somewhat basic compared to those from 360 and Xiaomi, it remains one of the more efficient cleaning robots available. Although the company has not disclosed the vacuum’s suction power, it is sufficient for routine cleaning on hard flooring.

The presence of two sweeping brushes significantly enhances the ILife A10s’ ability to gather dirt from various surfaces and direct it into the vacuum area, especially along edges and in corners. No cleaning robot is entirely flawless, but the A10s performs better than many competitors equipped with just a single sweeping brush. Even with dry messes, it effectively cleared the area.

Nonetheless, as with any robot cleaner, manual intervention is still necessary for sweeping up dirt from edges, corners, and other hard-to-reach spots periodically or to use a portable vacuum like the Dyson Omni-glide. I found the A10s particularly effective at vacuuming with the suction set at approximately 80 percent, minimizing noise during cleaning.

For mopping tasks, the ILife A10s relies on a separate module that contains water and vibrates to dispense it while in use. Although this module has a small dustbin to capture dirt picked up by the vacuum, it’s advisable to use the dedicated dustbin module for larger capacity and efficiency during typical household runs. The mop tank can hold sufficient water for an extensive cleaning session and features a mop cloth attached for cleaning up the dispensed water.

The ILife A10s excels at mopping when using the mop module, outperforming models like the 360 S7 and Mi Robot Vacuum Mop-P. While it’s discouraged to add cleaning solutions to the water tank, sprinkling a few drops onto the floor before mopping yielded good results.

Like all cleaning robots, regular upkeep is necessary to maintain the ILife A10s’ performance. This includes cleaning the brushes and removing tangles, ensuring the water tank is filled, emptying the dustbin, and cleaning the mop cloth. Failing to perform regular maintenance can lead to a significant drop in cleaning effectiveness. The app aids in tracking the condition of consumable components such as brushes and filters, which will also require periodic replacement.

To function smoothly, the ILife A10s requires regular maintenance like all robot cleaners.

 

Battery Life and Charging of the ILife A10s

The ILife A10s is powered by a 2,900mAh battery, claiming a runtime of 80-100 minutes per charge. This duration is adequate to vacuum and mop my 900 square-foot home. It took about 90 minutes to complete both tasks consecutively. While the app does not display the actual battery level, it indicated that the battery was nearing depletion after approximately 90 minutes of operation.

From that point onward, recharging the ILife A10s took around four hours. Although this charging duration is relatively slow, assuming you run the robot once daily for cleaning, it should not present much of a hassle.

The docking station should be positioned where the ILife A10s can easily access it. The robot can independently navigate back to the dock, even utilizing its mapped layout to find a route from different rooms without requiring a direct line of sight. You can also connect the charger directly to the robot; this has proven beneficial in instances where the battery was completely drained and the robot could not recharge on the dock.

Although laser navigation enhances the A10s’ intelligence compared to its predecessor, it still trails behind some competitors.

 

Conclusion

ILife is a well-established name in the realm of cleaning robots in India and Asia, and the A10s presents a solid option for those with a budget under Rs. 40,000. The inclusion of laser navigation marks a significant improvement over its predecessor, allowing for mapping, room-specific cleaning, invisible barriers, and no-go areas, among others. Cleaning performance remains competent, provided you separate vacuuming and mopping tasks.

While I encountered a few navigational issues, my overall experience with the ILife A10s was positive, and its cleaning efficiency largely compensated for the minor drawbacks. However, I found the overall user experience to be superior with offerings such as the 360 S7 and Mi Robot Vacuum Mop-P; the ILife A10s doesn’t quite match the ‘smart’ capabilities of its competitors, despite its laser navigation advantage.

Price: Rs. 34,900

Rating: 7/10

Pros:

• Efficient at vacuuming and mopping
• Handy remote control
• Advanced laser navigation and mapping
• User-friendly app

Cons:

• Vacuuming and mopping must be conducted in separate cycles
• Minor navigation difficulties

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