iLife A11 robot vacuum and mop review: Nice vac, disappointing mop

This two-in-one robotic vacuum and mop is our subsequent candidate in our evaluate collection of tech that makes our on a regular basis lives simpler. 

For the previous few weeks, I have been placing the iLife A11 to the check in my dwelling in opposition to a super-shedding German Shepherd, a German Shorthaired Pointer, and our cat. So should you’re curious how this robotic stacks up in opposition to some critical filth and particles, my dwelling has it and I’ve tried it. 

The iLife A11 is an honest robotic vacuum, but it surely has its shortcomings. It has totally different vacuuming modes, which I loved utilizing, a mop constructed proper in, and makes use of Lidar expertise. Coming in at $400, this can be a highly effective robotic vacuum cleaner at a mid-level value.

Specs

Efficiency

The iLife A11 is a two-in-one vacuum and mop, with the potential to do each duties concurrently, however my flooring are soiled sufficient that I all the time vacuumed first, after which mopped simply to be secure. As a result of I broke up the 2 duties, I will individually evaluate each features, however for now, the general efficiency could be lumped collectively. The iLife did a pleasant job attending to know my dwelling. It was apparent that the extra it ran, the sooner and extra acclimated it grew to become. The Lidar expertise made positive that every one of my flooring have been being cleaned, they usually have been cleaned in a methodical method. 

Vacuum

The vacuum has three totally different suction settings you’ll be able to select from: max, auto, and quiet. Max was definitely the loudest and strongest setting out there, but it surely wasn’t one I discovered myself utilizing fairly often. Auto was about what you count on from a robotic vacuum when it comes to noise — it is there but it surely is not so loud that it is interrupting your conversations. And quiet, was in truth, quiet. I virtually all the time opted for the auto cleansing suction energy merely due to the filth and particles that accumulates day by day in my home. For houses with out children or pets, you could possibly seemingly run on quiet mode and be glad with the cleanliness of your own home. 

For the primary two weeks that I used the iLife A11, I used to be very pleased with the vacuum portion of the robotic. However then, and for no purpose that I may ever discover, it started fixating on one space in my home to scrub over and over. My poor lounge rug was cleaned numerous instances with this robotic. I’d set the robotic to hoover my complete home, and it might get one part carried out after which head straight for my rug. I virtually all the time supervise my robotic vacuums to make sure that nothing dangerous occurs, so I’d let it go for about 10 minutes, hoping it might resolve my rug was clear sufficient, however I continuously needed to choose up the vacuum and transfer it to a brand new location. This by no means solved the problem. I might put it again down, in one other room throughout the home, and bam, it was on its method proper again to my rug. This did not occur each single time I ran the vacuum, and it did not begin taking place till a few weeks in. However for no matter purpose, some days my rug was the one factor the iLife wished to scrub. 

To see if this was an remoted occasion, I took the iLife A11 to my father or mother’s home and allow them to set it up and run it from the very starting, as in the event that they’d simply pulled the machine out of the field. They didn’t expertise the identical situation. The vacuum did precisely because it was speculated to with out incident. The robotic labored there for over every week, selecting up all of their particles and working easily, simply as supposed.

Mop

After I realized that the iLife A11 was a two-in-one machine that would concurrently vacuum and mop, I used to be ecstatic. Vacuuming and mopping are tedious duties, and ones that I really feel might be carried out day by day if I had the time, so the thought of 1 machine that would do each of those for me was thrilling. However the outcomes from the mop have been disappointing. The Lidar expertise does a pleasant job of creating positive that the whole lot is roofed, however the execution is poor. The mop left streaks (see the image under) all through my complete home. I believed possibly it was as a result of the mop pad wasn’t damp sufficient but, however even after masking over 1000 sq. toes, the mop was nonetheless leaving streaks. So the place the mop pad truly touched my ground was clear, however the center portion was all the time left soiled.

One other drawback with the mopping function is that it doesn’t detect carpet or rugs when it’s working. It was irritating to should both choose up the smaller rugs or block off the bigger rugs that are not simply moved each single time I ran the mop.

One factor I actually preferred in regards to the mop perform is that it vacuumed and mopped on the similar time, making the machine much more environment friendly. It compartmentalized the filth and particles nicely sufficient that the mop head wasn’t full of further filth. As soon as the uneven streaking situation is addressed, this will likely be a terrific two-in-one machine for that reason alone.

Suction energy

I wished to see how the iLife A11 would stack up in opposition to some on a regular basis family particles that robots might encounter. I took an in any other case clear part of flooring and threw down some kitty litter, pet food, grass clippings, and crushed potato chips. The A11 picked the whole lot up in its path. It did a terrific job cleansing up the on a regular basis put on and tear on my flooring. Mud, canine and cat hair, filth — all of it acquired cleaned up. The 4000Pa suction energy may be very efficient and I believe you may be glad, and even disgusted, at how a lot filth and particles this robotic picks up.

Mobility

The iLife A11 additionally does a very nice job transitioning from one flooring sort to a different, together with rugs and carpet. The seamless transition ensures that the robotic can run by itself with out supervision or worry of getting caught someplace. By way of all of my testing, the A11 by no means acquired caught at my home or my dad and mom’ home. The mobility is unbelievable and the robotic itself is highly effective sufficient to beat any impediment.

Connectivity

The iLife A11 works with the iLife Vac International app, but additionally comes with a really helpful distant management for customers as nicely. Sadly, I may by no means get the app to work on my cellphone. With out the app, I used the distant management and it was very user-friendly, not less than when you be taught what the entire buttons do since they don’t seem to be simply labeled on the distant itself.

Backside line

The iLife A11 two-in-one robotic vacuum and mop will likely be a terrific machine with just a few further tweaks to the mop. I actually like that that is one machine that may do each jobs for you and may run within the background of your on a regular basis life. The vacuum’s suction energy and the machine’s total mobility are spectacular. If the mop points have been fastened, it might make this a improbable machine at a mid-level value vary.

Alternate options to contemplate

The next choices are all extremely rated and have the identical two-in-one expertise that the iLife A11 presents. We predict these are comparable choices to contemplate should you aren’t offered on the A11.