iLife V50 Pro: Minor Improvements and a Great Price

The iLife V50 Pro is a new product from the Chinese company Chuwi, released in the spring of 2019. This robot vacuum cleaner is designed for dry cleaning of hard floors, including laminate, parquet, tile, linoleum, and wood. Essentially, the robot is similar to the Panda X500 Pet Series, but it does have a number of advantages. First and foremost, the changes affect the power supply: the iLife V50 Pro is equipped with a 2600 mAh lithium battery, replacing the 2200 mAh nickel-metal hydride battery used in the Panda. Another change is the addition of a snake mode and a maximum mode (suction power of 1000 Pa). The model also boasts gyroscope navigation, which is completely unusual for budget models and is essentially a marketing ploy, as the robot's navigation is no better than its predecessors without a gyroscope. The last important difference is the absence of a virtual wall and a microfiber cloth for damp mopping, which allows the model to be priced at just $80, making it extremely affordable. We'll discuss these and other features of this robot vacuum cleaner in our review.

Equipment

The robot is packaged in two boxes: a protective outer cardboard box and a branded white box containing an image of the device, as well as its main functions and characteristics.

iLife V50 Pro package contents:

1. Robot vacuum cleaner.
2. Charging dock.
3. Power adapter.
4. IR remote control.
5. Spare side brushes (2 pcs.).
6. Additional filter (1 pc.).
7. Cleaning brush.
8. Operating instructions.
9. Warranty card.

Unlike the V50, this model lacks a wet mopping function, so microfiber cloths are not included. Compared to the similar Panda X500 Pet Series robot, it lacks a motion limiter, which, as we've already mentioned, significantly reduces the price to $75–$80.

Appearance

The robot vacuum cleaner's design is traditional for Chuwi devices, and hasn't undergone any major changes. The iLife V50 Pro has a round shape, and its body is made of pink plastic, almost 1:1 as iLife V7sThe overall dimensions are as follows: diameter – 348 millimeters, height – 92 millimeters.

When looking at the robot vacuum cleaner from the front, we see a single mechanical power button and a dust collector compartment cover.

The side of the iLife V50 Pro features a protective bumper, ventilation holes, and a power adapter port. It also features four pairs of sensors to prevent collisions with surrounding obstacles.

The bottom of the robot vacuum cleaner contains the drive wheels, a swivel caster at the front, a battery compartment, two side brushes, and a central suction port. Additionally, the bottom is equipped with four pairs of fall sensors.

Technical specifications

The iLife V50 Pro specifications are summarized in the table below:

Type of cleaning	Dry
Battery	Li-Ion, 11.1 V, 2600 mAh
Average operating time	120 min
Charging time	300 min
Rated power	22 W
Suction power	500 Pa (normal mode); 1000 Pa (Max mode)
Cleaning area	Up to 140 m2
Height of obstacles to be overcome	Up to 13 mm
Dust collector	Cyclone filter
Dust container volume	0.3 l
Dimensions	Diameter – 348 mm; height – 92 mm
Weight	2.7 kg
Noise level	52 dB

Functional capabilities

The robot vacuum cleaner is equipped with a brushless motor, providing low noise and suction power of up to 500 Pa in automatic mode and up to 1000 Pa in maximum mode. Max mode is activated by pressing the corresponding button on the IR remote control. The iLife V50 Pro also offers the following operating modes:

• auto;
• zigzag (snake);
• point;
• around the perimeter;
• manual.

You can also set the robot's automatic start schedule seven days in advance. The cleaning time will be the same every day; unfortunately, it's not possible to set a different start time for each day.

The robot vacuum cleaner cleans using side brushes that sweep up debris and direct it into a suction channel, where it's collected in a transparent dust container. The robot's dust container is equipped with a primary filter for filtering out larger debris, lint, and hair, as well as a HEPA filter for filtering out even the finest dust particles.

Wet wiping of the floor is not provided.

iLife V50 Pro compared to the previous version V50 It can clear thresholds up to 13 millimeters high, compared to 10 millimeters. The difference, while small, is still quite noticeable for a robot vacuum cleaner.

The main feature of the new model, according to the manufacturer, is gyroscopic navigation, but in practice, this feature was not detected. The first time the robot vacuum encounters an obstacle, it begins cleaning erratically.

Operating instructions

A paper manual is included with the iLife V50 Pro. It provides an overview of the robot vacuum cleaner's design, package contents, and performance characteristics, as well as a description of its features and operating modes. Finally, the manufacturer describes potential problems and troubleshooting methods, which can be very helpful for buyers (especially those purchasing an automated robot vacuum for the first time).

You can download the manual for the previous model (V5 Pro), which remains virtually unchanged in terms of functionality, by following this link: V5 instructions.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros:

1. Low price.
2. Attractive "appearance".
3. Compactness.
4. Automatic recharging.
5. Lithium-ion battery.
6. Adjustable suction power.
7. Several operating modes.
8. Improved cross-country ability.
9. Reduced noise level.

Cons:

1. Small volume of dust collector.
2. An adapter for a Chinese plug is required.

Despite the lack of a motion limiter (magnetic tape/virtual wall), for a device in the budget price segment costing up to $100, this is not a major drawback.

Finally, you might be interested in looking at a comparison of robotic vacuum cleaners from the iLife company:

Analogues:

• Clever & Clean 004 M-Series
• Genio Profi 260
• Kitfort KT-518
• REDMOND RV-R310
• PANDA X600 Pet Series
• GUTREND JOY 90 Pet
• iBoto X410