iLIFE L100: lidar, vibrating mop, replaceable turbo brushes, remote control and smartphone control

The iLIFE L100 is one of the most popular lidar robot vacuum cleaners in the budget segment. Its price starts at $165. For this price, the device features lidar navigation, a wet cleaning function, control not only via a smartphone app but also a standard remote control, and a replaceable silicone brush that makes it easier to clean hair and pet hair. These features have made the robot highly popular on AliExpress and one of the brand's best-selling products. So, let's get started!

Equipment

The robot vacuum cleaner arrived in a branded box like this:

The package includes:

1. Charging base.
2. Water tank with a cloth installed.
3. Power adapter.
4. Silicone turbo brush to replace the bristle-petal brush.
5. Remote control with batteries.
6. Two spare side brushes.
7. Spare napkin.
8. Spare HEPA filter.
9. Robot cleaning tool.
10. Operating instructions.

The package is well-equipped! All the necessary accessories and spare parts are included. That's a plus!

Appearance

Let's take a look at the iLIFE L100's design. It's round and comes in white. Visually, the robot is identical to the previously released one. iLIFE A10s, which is presented in gray color.

The control panel features a light indicator and a start/pause button. Navigation is handled by a lidar sensor with a spring-loaded cover.

The dust container is located at the rear and holds approximately 450 ml. The container's filtration system is unique, featuring a honeycomb structure. According to the manufacturer, this design allows the robot vacuum to maintain suction power as the container fills. Additionally, it features a HEPA filter that is not washable.

Instead of a dust collector, you can install a 300 ml water tank in the robot. It has a small compartment for collecting debris. The cloth is attached to the base with Velcro. Interestingly, the platform of this tank vibrates thanks to motors installed inside. This allows the robot to better scrub away dirt. It's worth noting that with the water tank installed, the iLIFE L100 only sweeps debris without suction, which is not ideal.

The robot has three fall protection sensors mounted underneath. It has two side brushes, each with a three-beam design and quick-release. The central brush unit is floating.

The robot comes with a standard bristle-and-petal brush out of the box. You can replace it with a silicone brush, which is easier to clean from tangled hair and pet hair. It also tends to tangle less. Both brushes are non-detachable.

Overall, the design is quite acceptable for the sub-$200 price segment, especially given the current exchange rate. All comments and strengths will be discussed in the final review.

Technical specifications

The main characteristics of the iLIFE L100, as stated by the manufacturer:

• Li-Ion battery, 2900 mAh
• Suction power: 2000 Pa.
• Operating time: up to 100 min
• Charging time: up to 380 min
• Dust collector 450 ml
• Wet cleaning tank: 300 ml + 100 ml for debris
• Height of obstacles to be overcome: up to 15 mm
• Overall dimensions: 330*95 mm.
• Weight: 2.65 kg

The characteristics are quite standard for this price segment.

Functional capabilities

Speaking of features, the main functionality is available in the iLIFEHOME mobile app. The interface is in Russian and everything is intuitive.

The most important functions of the iLIFE L100:

• Saving multiple cleaning maps in memory.
• Automatic zoning of premises into rooms.
• Selecting rooms and areas for cleaning.
• Setting up virtual walls and no-go zones.
• Separate restricted areas for wet cleaning.
• Continue cleaning after charging at the base.
• Automatic power increase on carpets.
• Adjusting the power and water supply level.
• Adjusting the rotation speed of the side brushes.
• Manual control.
• Setting up cleaning according to a schedule.
• Voice notifications in Russian.
• Do not disturb mode.
• Cleaning log.
• Monitoring the status of consumables.

One interesting feature is the ability to manually adjust the suction power and rotation speed of the side brushes. But overall, the functionality is standard for a lidar robot. Some useful features, such as double-pass or a custom mode, were missing.

An alternative to the app is the remote control. It features manual control with arrows, start/pause, current time setting, scheduled cleaning time, spot cleaning mode, power adjustment, forced return to the charging base, and perimeter cleaning mode.

A remote control is a great solution for seniors and if, for some reason, there's no Wi-Fi in the room where the robot will be cleaning. The iLIFE L100 is one of the few robot vacuum cleaners with good navigation and remote control.

Testing

A detailed video review of the iLIFE L100, including all tests, has already been prepared and published on the channel:

Navigation

Finally, let's move on to tests that will clearly demonstrate the robot's effectiveness. First, we'll test the iLIFE L100's navigation in a room with obstacles. When cleaning a selected area, the robot vacuum cleaner only navigates the designated area in a serpentine pattern. It didn't get stuck on the dryer. It swept near the chair legs, but didn't circle around them, and didn't sweep around the box separately. It also didn't perform a perimeter check. Overall, the cleaning algorithm isn't optimal.

When it comes to navigating within the home, the iLIFE L100 cleans room by room in a serpentine pattern, then makes a check run around the entire perimeter of the room and returns to the base. Again, this isn't the most optimal option, but it's not critical either. I also noticed that the iLIFE L100 cleans in a wide serpentine pattern, meaning the distance between passes is perfectly consistent with the robot's overall dimensions, including the sweep of the side brushes.

For example, it cleaned the carpet in just four passes. If it had been dirty, the side brushes wouldn't have captured some of the debris; this requires a closer contact with the turbo brush. Other robots make up to seven passes on the same carpet, and this algorithm is more effective, in my opinion. The snake is tighter. Overall, the navigation itself is good, and there were no uncleaned areas, but the cleaning algorithm isn't the most effective.

Suction power

The suction power is increased. The robot was able to suck up debris from a 6 mm gap. This power is sufficient for household cleaning!

Dry cleaning

Dry cleaning performance on laminate floors is good. The robot vacuum cleaner was able to pick up most of the debris from the floor, including not only small household debris but also pet hair and hair. Only a small amount of debris remained in the corners, which almost all round robots on the market fail to clean effectively. The center and side brushes picked up some pet hair and hair. However, under similar conditions, the silicone brush remained clean after the test.

To give you an idea, if you don't clean a silicone turbo brush for a long time, this is what condition it might end up in:

The silicone turbo brush, however, remains clean in most cases. But there's one caveat, and I'll explain it later.

Carpet cleaning

The bristle-petal brush is the clear winner when it comes to carpeting. It picks up debris better on carpet and upholstery. The silicone brush isn't as effective on carpet, so keep that in mind. Overall, the iLIFE L100's carpet cleaning performance is average.

Wet cleaning

There are no complaints about wet cleaning. The quality of cleaning dirt from laminate flooring is on par with similar products. Only a narrow strip along the baseboard remains, but this is a weak point of most robotic vacuum cleaners reviewed.

Wet cleaning and carpets

Regarding wet cleaning on carpeted floors, although the iLIFE L100 detects carpets and automatically increases suction, it doesn't avoid them in wet cleaning mode. Water flow also doesn't stop when it enters carpeted floors. This is worth keeping in mind.

Obstacle clearance

As for the robot's maneuverability, the iLIFE L100 can cross thresholds up to 15 mm high, as stated by the manufacturer. It cannot handle thresholds as thick as 2 cm.

Driving on black surfaces

And what's great is that this robot vacuum cleaner isn't afraid of black carpets, moving across them effortlessly. That's a plus.

Noise level

As for the noise level, it ranges from 61 to 73 dB, depending on the selected mode. This is quite standard, especially considering the increased power.

Personal opinion

The iLIFE L100 robot vacuum cleaner has been thoroughly reviewed and tested. our evaluation system he managed to gain 99 pointsThe result is quite standard and slightly higher than that of its iLIFE A10s counterpart, which scored 92 points.

Overall rating of tested robots: https://robovac.washerhouse.com/en/rejtingi/robovac-obshhij-rejting-robotov-pylesosov-robo.html.

I'll highlight the pros and cons of the robot vacuum cleaner in question, after which I'll share my own opinion about it.

I liked the following:

1. A good price for a lidar robot vacuum, especially considering the $150–$160 price range.
2. In reality, increased suction power.
3. Replaceable silicone turbo brush that makes it easier to clean hair and fur.
4. A vibrating platform that slightly improves the quality of wet cleaning.
5. The ability to control both via the app and the remote control, which will be very convenient in some cases.
6. Unique dust filtration system in the dust collector.
7. Two side brushes. For many, this feature is crucial, although robots with a single brush actually clean just as well.
8. The robot vacuum cleaner is not afraid of black surfaces and moves freely over them.
9. A good set of accessories, which includes all the necessary consumables for the initial period of using the robot.

But among the disadvantages I would like to highlight:

1. An outdated design that requires manual replacement of the dust bag and water tank. This means the robot has separate dry and wet cleaning modes, which is inconvenient.
2. The cleaning algorithm needs some improvement. This includes the lack of a perimeter walk when cleaning a selected area. The robot also doesn't clean around chairs and floor items. The sweeping pattern is also too wide, which negatively impacts the overall cleaning performance. Overall, the lidar system is a plus, but the cleaning algorithm itself isn't ideal.
3. Poor maneuverability. The robot vacuum cleaner is unable to overcome 2 cm thresholds.
4. Weak battery. In this price segment, you can already find robots with a battery capacity of 5200 mAh, although that's not much.

Ultimately, despite all the criticisms, I still think the iLIFE L100 is a good option for under $200, especially if you're interested in the remote control and lidar. And at $160, it doesn't have many lidar competitors. I'd recommend this robot vacuum primarily for cleaning hard floors, given its design and capabilities.

On that note, I'd like to end this review. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments. Happy shopping. Bye!