First impressions are that this is a superb vacuum for hardwood floors and tile. It’s a very good vacuum for carpets. It has been observed doing battle with the bathroom throw rug. Sometimes it wins by rolling up the corner and sometimes, it goes around.
Let’s see what else this robotic vacuum can and can’t do.
**Click here tor read our review of the newer version of this model, the ILIFEV8s.
Features of the ILIFE V3s Pro Vacuum
This ILIFE has a ten ounce dustbin. It runs for about 90 minutes on a 2600maH battery. Note that there is an option to attach a mop but as it’s mostly just a damp drag option, we didn’t bother with it.
We will say that you shouldn’t run the V3s with the mop attached when running over carpets. The mop creates friction on the floor that can cause issues with your vacuum.
Dimensions: 11.8 x 11.8 x 3 inches.
At three inches high, the vacuum can get stuck under some lower hanging couches but it shouldn’t be a problem for most standard furniture.
Dustbin Capacity: 10 ounces/300ml
The dustbin is a little small but should be able to hold everything in its path on one battery charge.
Brushes:
If you’re worried about cleaning the roller brush, that’s not a problem. The V3s doesn’t have a roller brush. It does have two edge cleaning brushes to get in the corners.
Charging: Charging Station or AC Adapter
The V3s Pro has its own charging station. You can also charge the vacuum by plugging it directly into the wall using the AC adapter plug that’s included.
Battery: 2600mAh Lithium-ion
You’ll definitely need to leave space around the charging area for the vacuum to be able to clear out on its own. It also won’t clean the area within 3 feet of the charging station so be sure to charge it in a low traffic area. Once it reaches a low-battery level, it changes its behavior and the randomness of its movements becomes very deliberate. Don’t put the charger in an area where the V3s has to navigate an incline and don’t put any obstacles around the docking station. If you do, the vacuum will likely stop running prior to docking.
Be sure the vacuum is powered on when you charge it the first time. This charge will take around 4 hours.
Click Here to Learn More About the ILIFE V3s Pro Vacuum on Amazon
Power: Maximum suction capability is 600 Pa
The suction capacity is a little low when compared to other robotic vacuums but is still good enough to get the job done.
Runtime: A runtime of 90-100 minutes means it can clean an area of about 80-150 square meters before it needs to recharge or the dustbin needs to be emptied. That’s a lot of square footage.
Cleaning Modes: Automatic Mode, Point Mode, Edge Mode, Programming Mode.
Point mode is basically a spot cleaning option. Edge is self-explanatory. Two brushes with three spokes on each spindle. These are the only agitation brushes on the V3s Pro.
Sensors: Bumpers/Infrared Cliff
There are three sensors built into the vacuum to ensure it doesn’t fall down the stairs. There are ten sets of other sensors to avoid hard collisions with furniture and sleeping pets.
It’s very adept at avoiding obstacles and can fit into very narrow spaces. That means you’ll want to secure all of your cables and any other loose objects on the floor that it might find.
Without a roller, more of your stuff could wind up in the dustbin than you expect.
For navigating furniture, the V3s will try and circle any object it encounters so you don’t wind up with just one spot clean next to one leg on your coffee table. Since it isn’t a smart appliance, it won’t learn to deal with this obstacle, it will continue to work around it the same way.
It also seems to have more trouble navigating in brighter rooms. This is obviously a problem any infrared sensor will have, but the V3 seems to be even more susceptible to this issue. It works more by bumper sensitivity than infrared sensors in those rooms. The bumpers are spring-loaded so the V3s does slow its approach the second time through. We haven’t noticed any damage to anything it has bumped into but, as stated earlier, it won’t learn to avoid these obstacles since it doesn’t have an onboard learning function.
Anti-Drop Sensor: There are three cliff detectors on the V3s Pro.
Control Interface: Manual or Remote Control
One of the best part about owning a robot is that you don’t actually have to tell it what to do. The V3s has a scheduling function. If you want to wake up to clean floors, schedule it to run while you sleep. If you want to come home to clean floors, schedule it to clean while you’re at work or out coaching volleyball.
Operating this vacuum is pretty straightforward with the remote control or pressing the one touch auto clean button right on the machine.
This definitely isn’t a SMART appliance. On one hand, that limits your options for programming. On the other hand, it will still work automatically when your internet is down. It does have a remote control for some of the basic functions.
Setting Up the Remote on the ILIFE V3s
The remote takes two AAA batteries to run. These aren’t included with the shipment so plan ahead.
There’s a button on the machine itself but the remote control allows you to choose from four different cleaning modes: Automatic Mode, Point Mode, Edge Mode and Programming Mode. The screen is legible but not back lit and the little LED lights indicate which cleaning program is in operation.
The remote is also where you set the auto-cleaning schedule. The two times you’ll need set are the current time and the time you’ll want it to start cleaning.
The schedule is run daily at the same time. There is no way to create a different run time between say, Saturday and Monday. Don’t schedule it to run early if you like to sleep in on the weekends.
If you want to change the schedule, physically turn off the vacuum and then turn it back on. The vacuum’s internal memory is wiped out. The remote won’t show a change because you didn’t reset that but you can reprogram it from scratch again. Also note whether the remote is indicating A.M. or P.M..
There are buttons on the remote for manually changing the direction of the V3s but don’t put a lot of faith in these. For whatever reason, the V3s likes to do its own thing. While it will obey the command for a brief moment, it invariably goes back to the direction it was heading before you interrupted it.
Warranty: The ILIFE V3s Pro comes with a one year limited warranty on the vacuum and a six month warranty on the batteries from the date of purchase.
See the full explanation here.
Click Here to Learn More About the ILIFE V3s Pro Vacuum on Amazon
Feedback on the ILIFE V3s Pro Robot Vacuum
What Consumers Like
Reviewers commented that it can handle most any type of flooring but it isn’t great for picking up strings or fuzzy things on carpets. Think of it as if you had to go over a spot several times with a push vacuum. This vacuum just ignores it.
Navigating between floor types can be tricky but it handles standard floor strips with ease.
Drawbacks
At less than 55dB, it isn’t the loudest robotic vacuum we’ve tested but it isn’t the quietest either. Don’t run it while you or anyone else is watching TV.
Our Thoughts
We really like how well the iLife V3s Pro handles itself throughout the room. This machine is built with extra-large sixty-five millimeter diameter wheels, allowing it to easily navigate between floors of different materials: hardwood, tile, stone and carpet. It can navigate floor differences of up to 10mm. Differences higher than that and the stair sensor will kick in, forcing it away from the other area.
It’s very good at picking up debris and navigating the room. The self-charging capabilities make the V3s pro a great choice.
Click Here to Learn More About the ILIFE V3s Pro Vacuum on Amazon
Resources
Troubleshooting Video for ILIFE V3s
ILIFE created a FAQ video for some of the common issues buyers encounter.
Manuals for the ILIFE V3s Pro Vacuum
You can download the User Guide here.
You can download the User Manual here.
Maintenance
Recommended maintenance is to empty the dustbin and clean the filter after each use. Be sure and replace the filter every month. ILIFE tried to make this as easy as possible by showcasing how to empty the dustbin with one hand. Trust us, use two hands. You should also remember how every came out so you can put it back in without issues. You should never have to force the bin back into place. Doing so can damage the unit.
Support
If you need to contact support, you can do that by sending an email to Support@iliferobot.com
Phone support is available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM CST at their toll free number (North America) 1.800.631.9676
