Robot vacuum cleaner iLife A6 is the best among the low priced devices of this kind. Well, what makes it so special? Won’t you regret the money spent? In this review you will find everything about this robovac advantages and disadvantages, its features, abilities and characteristics.

Chinese manufacturer iLife has proved itself as a company that produces low-end robotic technologies for house or flat cleaning. The company has already manufactured about dozen of models of A and V families.

Robot vacuum cleaner iLife A6 continues the product line, however, it is an upgraded, improved and enhanced robovac version if compared to iLife A4.





Packing

Quite often we get our first impression from anything we want to buy just when looking at how this thing is packed. As for robot vacuum iLife A6 it is packed into two boxes – the outer one is a thick corrugated box and the inner box is a bit thinner with a handle. Such packing minimizes chances that the device will be damaged while in shipment.



Package contents

The device supply package has all necessary components for the robovac to function, including batteries for its virtual wall and remote control device. Here’s what you’ll find in the box:

Robot vacuum cleaner iLife A6

Charging station

Additional НЕРА-filter

Remote control device

Auxiliary silicon brush

Two auxiliary side brushes

A brush to clean the device

A manual written in several languages

A power supply module

Virtual blocker

A set of batteries for the virtual blocker and remote control device

Spare parts and expendables presented in the supply package consist of replaceable HEPA filter, spare silicon brush and a set of side brushes (the right and left one).



The device appearance

The robovac upper cap is made of black stained glass, though such a surface is perfect to collect dust and fingerprints, it can’t be scratched and it is easily cleaned. The upper side of the robot vacuum case has a glassy, easily soiled and not quite damage resistant covering, however, the bottom side has more hard-wearing matt surface.

Dark colored case makes it difficult to find the robot vacuum cleaner, if it for some reason failed to get back to its charging base. It also means that it’s harder to spot the device out of the corner of the eye, when it is cleaning somewhere around, therefore the higher the chances are that you’ll step on it or something like that.

On top of the device case there is a luminous button Auto and power sign. Depending on the device current state this indicator shines or blinks with green, orange or red. The indicator isn’t very bright, that’s why it’s difficult to see what exactly is written on the device glassy surface in a lighted room.

The robot vacuum additionally informs about its current state by making short and not very loud sounds, which can’t be turned off. In front of the device case there is a flexible bumper with embedded sensors that respond to crashes when the device moves around. The bumper has a rubber edge to protect your furniture from damage.

Infrared sensors that help the robovac to see obstacles, its charging station and respond to the remote control commands are located behind the mat plastic above the bumper. On the right there is a socket to connect the device to the charger and ON/OFF button.

This robot vacuum cleaner is almost round shaped, its diameter is 315 mm. The distance between the bumper bottom and the floor is 15 mm, which means that this is the height the device can potentially climb on (a doorstep or a step).

A dust bin

There is a dust bin in the back of the robovac case. The release button to take the dust bin off is on the upper side of the case. So, you just have to push the button and then slightly pull the dust bin.

It is made from semi-transparent plastic, which isn’t very convenient, since you can see what’s inside only when you put the robovac upside-down or take the dust bin off. Its front side is easily shifted to throw the collected dust away.

The aperture in the dust bin isn’t very wide, that’s why it’s not very easy to empty the bin completely. Sometimes it requires using materials on hand. The dust bin itself isn’t very large which means that you’ll have to empty it almost after each cleaning cycle.

The charging station and the battery

iLife A6 robot vacuum cleaner has a branded Li-ion battery UR18650ZT-4S1P-AAF with 2600 mА capacity and voltage 14.8 V. Before using your robovac for the first time it’s recommended that you leave it to charge for the whole night.

Later it will take up to 5 hours to charge the battery completely. Once the device is ready to work, its main button shines with green color.

One battery charge is enough to perform about 160 minutes of cleaning. In normal use it is recommended to put iLife A6 back to its charging station every time it finishes cleaning, therefore you won’t have to worry if the device is charged enough.

The new charging station is made from black and white plastic and looks very nice if compared to similar stations of other models. There are two clip contacts which the robot vacuum uses when parking at its charging station.

It has a charge indicator on top that shines with red when the device is charging and with green when the battery is fully charged.

There are four rubber feet in the bottom of the charging station to make it more stable, a socket to connect the power supply and a label with the model description.

The manufacturer recommends installing the charging station so, that there is at least 0.5 m of free space on the right and left from it and 1.5 m in front of it.



Remote control device

A small infrared remote control comes in the device set. Its buttons are made from hard rubberlike material, the signs on the buttons are quite large and sharp. A small screen on the remote control shows current time, as well as the time, when automatic cleaning process is scheduled.

Cleaning modes

iLife A6 robot vacuum has several operation modes. Before you start using it, push the power button in the bottom of the device case. Then you can choose one of the following algorithms:

1. make your robot vacuum cleaner work by pushing the automatic cleaning button on the upper side of the device case;

2. run the robovac by using its remote control device.

Almost whole control process is performed by means of the remote control. It allows scheduling automatic cleaning at a given time or choosing one of the standard cleaning modes:

Auto mode

Sweeping the room in auto mode is performed till the battery almost gets discharged. When this mode is on the robot vacuum moves from one obstacle to another changing its direction chaotically, going along the walls and in circles. This process is looped.

The mode is switched on by pushing Clean or Auto button on the device case. This mode is also used when the robovac performs scheduled cleaning. After the process is finished the robot vacuum cleaner returns to its charging station to charge the battery.



Mini room mode

When this mode is on, the device works according to the same pattern as described above, but only for 30 minutes maximum. Then the robovac stops cleaning.



Manual control mode

When you are using this mode, the device moves according to the buttons you push on the remote control device. If you first make the robovac work in auto mode, it turns on a fixed angle, which is too wide to set the direction precisely when pushing left/right arrows on the remote control device.

If the robovac isn’t cleaning you can make it turn by pushing Max button, but the device stops after that and starts moving forward and cleaning simultaneously till it bumps into any obstacle (but it doesn’t turn on its fan).

To clean some specific area efficiently you should take the robot vacuum there or direct to this place by means of manual control mode and then push the button with a spiral sign on it. The device will start cleaning spiralwise from small to large spirals and back. The largest circle diameter will be about 1 meter.

Cleaning along walls mode

Another one cleaning option is when the robot vacuum cleaner moves only along the room walls and obstacles. You can turn this mode on by pushing the remote control button with arrows and a rectangle on it.

Max mode

When you perform cleaning in any of the modes and push Max button on the remote control, it increases the fan suction power (pushing the button one more time decreases the power up to its common value).

Auto charge mode

While Auto mode is on iLife A6 changes its motion pattern when cleaning and returns to its charging station to charge the battery. There is an option to set some specific time for the device to perform daily cleaning automatically. To do this you have to set your current time and the time to start cleaning on the remote control.

Also you should monitor the sound signals to make sure that both robovac and remote control timers are synchronized.

Virtual wall

This is a virtual blocker, a device that by means of an infrared ray creates an invisible border the robovac can’t cross. This blocker is used to mark the cleaning area as well as to stop the device from getting close to electric and computer wires, some fragile stuff on the floor etc.

Virtual wall requires two AA batteries. The invisible obstacle is created in the direction from the wall flat edge to a bit sharpened one. It is turned on by pushing the button on top. The robot vacuum cleaner doesn’t cross this border.

It is fitting that the virtual blocker has a division into the workspace and the forbidden zone, which means that the device can’t get into forbidden area from the workspace, but it can get out of the forbidden into the working area. This places restrictions on where and how you should put the virtual wall.

Its maximal length is 3 meters.

Summary

What we can name as iLife A6 advantages is its appearance, new modern rubber brush, high suction, long cleaning time, automatic return to the charging station and a virtual blocker that comes in the device set.

User can manage the robovac manually if it is necessary, turn on intense cleaning mode to clean some small area, cleaning in a small room mode or along the room walls. You can also program the robot vacuum cleaner to perform scheduled cleaning every day.

As for the device features – this is its new rubber brush that is supposed to wind less hair, fur and etc on it. That’s why iLife A6 can be recommended to those who have pets with fur.

As for the device demerits – this is its black glassy upper surface and absence of navigation system, which will inevitably lead to skipping some spots on the floor or cleaning other several times. However, only more expensive robot vacuum models are equipped with navigation systems.

Taking into consideration the device stylish appearance, perfect characteristics and abilities we came to the conclusion that ILIFE A6 is decidedly worth its money and we recommend buying it.

As for the device upper side made from stained glass – it is rather doubtful whether it is an advantage or disadvantage, but we can surely say that it is its unique design feature.



ILIFE A6 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner The Gen 2 CyclonePower cleaning system enhanced to delivery thorough clean for your home.

Ultra slim A6 goes into most narrow low places under beds, night stands to clean hide dirt.

Extra long lasting Battery - Up to 100 Mins working time on a single charge

Use Electrowall as an invisible barrier to confine A6 cleaning in a particular area you want.

Automatically adapts to different types such as hardwood, low-pile carpets

Pros



Rubber main brush

Excellent maneuverability (iLife A6 can overcome obstacles up to 1.5 cm high)

Quick-release silicon roller

Possibility to charge the device both from a charging station and from mains directly

Quiet operation at normal suction mode

Efficient side brushes

Not high case

Scheduled cleaning mode

Good package contents

Small sized dust bin. You’ll have to empty it after each cleaning cycle.

НЕРА-filter must be replaced each 6 month. You mustn’t rinse it under water.

No software to control the robovac from a smartphone.

Last update on 2020-09-19 at 23:48 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API