Liectroux XR500: An affordable robot vacuum cleaner with lidar and wet cleaning

The Liectroux XR500 is a robot vacuum cleaner that continues the brand's lineup and hit the market in 2021. I previously reviewed its predecessor. Liectroux ZK901So, looking ahead, I can say that the new product has received a number of important updates that have increased the robot's functionality and cleaning efficiency. Next, I'll take a detailed look at and test the Liectroux XR500, after which I'll express my opinion on whether it's worth buying. The price during sales can drop to $260, which is very attractive for a robot vacuum with lidar navigation. So, let's get started!

Equipment

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

The package includes:

1. Charging base.
2. Power adapter.
3. Water tank with microfiber cloth installed.
4. Operating instructions translated into several languages, including Russian.
5. Remote control.
6. Spare napkin.
7. Spare HEPA filter.
8. Two spare side brushes.
9. Cleaning tool for robot vacuum cleaner.

The package is complete, which is a plus. Surprisingly, the only thing missing was batteries for the remote control.

Appearance

Let's take a look at the Liectroux XR500's design. It's round, black, and made of glossy plastic. It's very impractical, as dust and fingerprints are easily visible. The cabinet height is 96 mm from the floor.

The front features a soft-touch mechanical bumper. The control panel has three buttons: a forced return to the charging base, start/pause, and a Wi-Fi reset. The lidar is equipped with a spring-loaded cover to prevent the robot vacuum from getting stuck under furniture.

The dust collector is removed from the back. Its design is identical to that of a very similar Chinese counterpart. Abir X8, which was also reviewed. This dust collector cannot be washed with water, as it contains a suction motor. The container holds up to 600 ml of dry waste. The filtration system consists of a mesh filter and a HEPA filter.

A water tank can be installed in place of the dust container. It contains a pump for electronically adjusting the dampness of the cloth. The tank holds up to 350 ml of water. There's also a small waste collection compartment. When the water tank is installed, the robot vacuum only sweeps; it doesn't vacuum, so keep this in mind. The cloth attaches to the base of the tank with Velcro. Water is dispensed through six holes with dispensers.

The robot's underside features three anti-fall sensors, two quick-release side brushes, and a central turbo brush with bristles and petals that can be removed from one side to remove tangled hair and pet hair. It's important to note that the central brush unit is non-floating.

Overall, the build quality of the Liectroux XR500 is average, despite its budget price.

Technical specifications

The main characteristics of the Liectroux XR500, as stated by the manufacturer:

• Battery: 3000 mAh.
• Suction power up to 6500 Pa.
• Cleaning area up to 200 sq.m.
• Dust collector 600 ml.
• Water tank 350 ml.
• Passability up to 18 mm.
• Dimensions 330*96 mm.

Of the specifications, the only important thing to highlight is the stated high suction power, which will be tested on test benches. Battery life is not specified, but given that the robot vacuum can continue cleaning after recharging in the base station, it is suitable for cleaning large areas.

Functional capabilities

Let's take a look at the Liectroux XR500's functionality. The robot vacuum cleaner can be controlled via both a mobile app and a remote control. To control it via a smartphone, you need to download the Tuya Smart app. Unfortunately, the app interface is only in English.

On the main control panel, the robot creates a room map and automatically divides it into rooms. You can set virtual walls and no-go zones on the map, even creating separate no-go zones for wet cleaning mode, which is a plus. In the map editor, you can edit room boundaries, name them, and even set individual cleaning parameters for each room, such as suction power, mop wetting level, and the number of passes the robot makes. That's a plus!

Below the map are statistics for the latest cleaning and the battery percentage. Below that are functions such as automatic cleaning, spot cleaning, cleaning in selected rooms, cleaning in a selected area, and forced return to the charging base.

The settings include manual control, a map manager where you can select one of several saved maps, enable the robot's search by sound signal, set up scheduled cleaning, adjust suction power and cleaning cloth wetting level, enable the resume cleaning function after recharging at the base, and adjust the volume and language of voice notifications. Incidentally, the Liectroux XR500 speaks Russian.

In addition, you can view the cleaning log, track the status of consumables, set the time when the robot vacuum cleaner should not disturb you, enable the Y-shaped floor cleaning mode and the user mode.

The remote control duplicates functions such as automatic cleaning mode, power control, manual control, start/pause, cleaning schedule settings, setting the current time, and forced return to the charging base. The remote control is a good alternative if there is no Wi-Fi in the home or the user finds the app inconvenient.

Overall, the robot's functionality is quite diverse and useful. You can flexibly customize cleaning parameters to suit your specific needs, which is a plus. The only thing missing is an automatic power boost feature for carpets, which would allow for more efficient battery use.

Testing

A detailed video review of the Liectroux XR500, including all tests, has already been prepared and published on the channel. I recommend watching the full video:

Navigation

And finally, let's move on to the tests. First, we'll test the Liectroux XR500's navigation in a room with obstacles. The robot vacuum first traverses the entire accessible area along the perimeter, then switches to a serpentine pattern. It didn't get stuck on the dryer's legs, swept around the box and chair legs separately, and then automatically returned to the base. Test successful!

As for navigation within the house, the robot also has no issues. It cleans room by room along the perimeter, and then in a serpentine pattern. There were no uncleaned rooms, and the cleaning speed is standard, so this robot has good navigation.

Suction power

But its suction power is quite average, despite the claimed 6500 Pa. The robot vacuum cleaner was only able to suck up debris from a 2 mm gap, just like robots that claim 2000-2500 Pa. So the manufacturer's claimed extreme suction power is nothing more than a marketing ploy.

Dry cleaning

The quality of debris collection from laminate flooring was above average, even for a variety of different types. The robot performed well, and even swept debris out of corners better than many other round robot vacuums. However, it wasn't perfect. Hair got tangled in the brushes, but the bulk of the debris remained in the dust bin. Passed this test!

Carpet cleaning

The Liectroux XR500 also handles carpet cleaning without any problems, despite the fact that the brush unit doesn't float. No complaints in this regard either.

Wet cleaning

And the cleaning performance of slightly dried-on dirt on the floor is above average. Only one narrow strip along the baseboard remained uncleaned, which is a blind spot for all the robot vacuums I've reviewed.

Wet cleaning and carpets

Regarding wet cleaning in the presence of carpets, the robot does not recognize carpets and, accordingly, does not avoid them during wet cleaning and does not turn off the water supply. Therefore, it is best to protect carpets with separate no-go zones for wet cleaning.

Obstacle clearance

The robot vacuum cleaner's maneuverability isn't very good. It only managed to cross a 20mm threshold once, despite the manufacturer's stated maneuverability being 18mm.

Driving on dark surfaces

The robot is wary of dark surfaces, recognizing them by their height differences. This is also important to consider.

Noise level

Finally, we measured the Liectroux XR500's noise level in different modes. With suction disabled, the noise level was 56-58 dB. At minimum power, it rose to 61-63 dB. In medium mode, the noise level remained within the same range. At maximum power, the peak was 64 dB. It's worth noting that this robot vacuum is quite quiet, even compared to similar devices with the same standard suction power.

Personal opinion

The Liectroux XR500 has been thoroughly reviewed and tested. our evaluation system he managed to gain 67 out of 100 points, a 12-point increase compared to its predecessor, the Liectroux ZK901. This is a fairly standard result for a robot vacuum cleaner with a gyroscope. And it's safe to say the upgrade was a success.

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

I'll share my personal opinion about the robot. I liked the following:

1. Control via app and remote control.
2. Good navigation, including support for multi-maps.
3. A wide range of functions for flexible adjustment of cleaning parameters.
4. Good quality dry and wet cleaning.
5. Y-shaped floor mopping mode.
6. Complete set.
7. Low noise level.
8. Budget price, as for a lidar robot.

This model also has its drawbacks. Namely:

1. There is no provision for suction of debris in wet cleaning mode.
2. Fear of dark floor coverings.
3. Poor cross-country ability.
4. The stated suction power does not correspond to reality.
5. The application interface is in English.
6. The body is easily soiled.

In general, the shortcomings aren't all that critical, and some of them are typical for most robot vacuums. So, if these issues aren't too important to you and you're looking for an affordable robot vacuum with lidar and a wet mopping function, you might want to consider this one, especially if the price is around $260.

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