iLife A10 Review

If you’re in the market for a value-priced robot vacuum, the iLife A10 robot vacuum may have caught your eye. This model is moderately priced and has some nice features including LIDAR navigation, digital mapping, and zoned cleaning.

See our tests of the iLife A10 below:

Pros

• LIDAR navigation
• Digital mapping; can remember multiple floor flans
• Zoned cleaning with virtual boundaries; automatically divides floor plans into digestible rooms which can be selected individually
• Can set up custom cleaning schedules based on rooms as well

Cons

• Struggles a bit with cleaning fine debris on carpet
• Digital mapping leaves a bit to be desired

Scoring

Cleaning Tests

For cleaning performance, we do an in-house test where we evaluate all robot vacuums we review against the same set of debris and flooring types.

We let the vacuum run on its own, cleaning up the scattered mess, and then measure how much debris is left over after the job is done.

We test the vacuums on three different floor types:

• Hardwoods
• Low pile carpet
• High pile carpet

And against four different debris, ranging in size and density:

• Dry cereal
• Rice
• Kitty litter
• Sugar

How did it do?

Here’s the full scoring breakdown of the iLife A10:

NOTE: All tests were done on Max mode at 1500Pa suction power.

Hardwood Floor

On hardwood floors, the A10 cleaned about 98% of debris, which I was fairly satisfied with. I will say that it left behind a bit more debris than I actually expected, especially rice.

Testing on hardwood floors is usually the highest performing floor type, but the A10 flung around some of the debris instead of just sweeping it up into and under the brushroll.

This made it have to work a little harder to clean the same area and ultimately left some debris scattered when it was done.

Low Pile Carpet

On low pile carpet, the A10 cleaned about 91% of debris, which was a decent dip compared to the performance on hardwoods.

Most of the missed debris was sugar, which isn’t hugely noticeable from our testing photos, but it was definitely there (we used another vacuum to pull the remainder out of the carpet).

Another note to mention is a strange experience we had with the carpet fibers…

During the test one of the brushrolls got wrapped around a carpet fiber, resulting in it stopping the vacuum and me having to cut the fibers loose.

I’m not sure if this is something that’s really the A10’s fault, but I cannot recall this happening with any other robot we’ve tested to date..

It basically destroyed the spinning brush, but fortunately, we had a replacement we were able to install.

High Pile Carpet

On high pile carpet, the A10 cleaned about 94% of debris from the carpet. The performance was definitely higher for high pile carpet compared to low pile carpet.

The better performance was likely due to the fact that it can create a better seal thanks to the longer fibers. Or it could be just a margin of error.

Similar to low carpet, the A10 mostly just missed sugar here.

Design

The design of the iLife A10 is sleek and modern. It has simple controls on the top of the vacuum (start or pause a cleaning cycle) and a LIDAR navigation system.

What does it look like?

It has a matte black body with a glossy gray top and silver accents.

There is a bumper at the front of the vacuum that helps to prevent damage to the vacuum or surrounding obstacles.

Below the iLife logo, there is a dust bin release that provides access to the dust bin and filter.

What’s under the vacuum?

The underside of the iLife A10 shares a lot of similarities with other iLife models (see more of our iLife reviews here). It has a simple spiral brushroll in the center of the vacuum with two 3-arm spinning side brushes which help to extend the reach along edges and corners.

The underside also has QR codes and a contact phone number for customer support. This is unusual for most robot vacuums and could be a nice addition if you’re concerned with long term maintenance.

The Parts

Here is a complete list of all of the parts included with the iLife A10:

• Spinning side brushes: captures debris from edges and corners
• Wheels: two large wheels navigate flooring transitions and a smaller wheel at the front of the vacuum steers and navigates
• Contact sensors: helps the A10 find the docking station
• Edge sensors: sensors along the perimeter prevent the vacuum from dropping off edges or stairs

The Modes

There are four different cleaning modes on the iLife A10:

• Auto Mode: automatically adjusts suction based on varying floor types and traffic patterns
• Spot Mode: cleans a small area in a radial pattern at 2000 Pa until the area is clean and then turns off
• Edge Mode: designed to clean the perimeter of a room and sticks to edges and along walls
• Max Mode: runs the vacuum at 1500 Pa suction for a deeper clean than Auto Mode can provide; good for high traffic levels, high pile carpet, or thick area rugs

Top Features

As with any robot vacuum, the features can make or break overall performance.

Here’s a rundown of some of the most attractive features in any robot vacuum that you may be looking for and how the iLife A10 compares:

The iLife App

The iLife A10 app adds a lot of usability and convenience to this vacuum. When paired with the app, you can have access to the following functions:

Size & Dimensions

The iLife A10 is a pretty average sized robot vacuum.

Here are the exact specifications and dimensions:

• Diameter: 13″
• Height: 3.7″
• Weight: 5.9 pounds

What’s in the box?

The iLife A10 comes with everything you need to get going and even some replacement parts.

Here is a complete list of everything that is included:

1. ILIFE A10 robot vacuum
2. Rubberized brushroll
3. Rubber & bristle brushroll
4. Remote control
5. AAA batteries (x2)
6. Charging dock
7. AC power adapter
8. Cleaning tool
9. Side spinning brushes (x4)
10. Extra filter
11. User manual

This particular model is a little unusual because it includes two separate brushrolls. One roller is 100% rubber and the other one is a blend of rubberized paddles and soft bristles.

What is each brushroll designed for?

• Rubber brushroll: best for hardwoods or cleaning large debris
• Rubber / bristle brushroll: best for carpets and finer debris

In addition to the other replacement parts, the remote control is a nice addition as well.

The iLife A10 has wifi connectivity for wireless app control but the remote control can provide a lot of the same features without having to set up the app.

Using the remote control, you can:

• Start or pause a cleaning cycle
• Max Clean
• Change mode
• Manual navigation
• Schedule a cleaning
• Return to the charging dock
• View how long a cleaning cycle has been running

Usability

So in terms of usability, how easy is it to get up and running with the iLife A10 robot?

Here’s the steps to getting started:

1. Unbox the iLife A10 robot vacuum and remove all of the packaging.
2. Make sure the filter and spinning brush are both installed.
3. Charge the vacuum.
4. Start a cycle.

Out of the box, the vacuum will come with a bit of a charge, but I always recommend charging before starting a new cleaning run just to make sure it’s operating at peak performance.

Getting Started

To start a cleaning cycle in one of the alternate methods, you can use:

1. Remote control: comes pre-programmed to work with the A10 right out of the box
2. App control: pair your smartphone to the iLife app by syncing it up with your local WiFi network.

To set up the app…

1. Install the iLife app.
2. Follow the prompts to find your local WiFi network.
3. Use the app to search for your vacuum and pair the two.

And that’s all there is to it.

Maneuverability

Let’s talk about the maneuverability of the iLife A10.

Overall, the maneuverability is about what you’d expect for a mid-range robot vacuum.

It has a round body that can make a quick 360° turn as well as a fairly slim profile. This profile makes it pretty easy to fit under most furniture for cleaning.

How does it navigate?

The iLife A10 navigates with LIDAR navigation. We found navigation to be pretty good and the LIDAR enables digital mapping within the app.

After a cleaning cycle, the maps can be saved for future zoned cleaning cycles later or targeted scheduled cleanings.

It can automatically divide up the space into suggested zones that you can then provide names for.

With established zones, you can send the robot to specific zones for targeted cleaning or you can schedule different cycles to clean different zones.

Maintenance

Maintenance on the iLife A10 robot doesn’t take too long at all.

Here’s a quick list of the tasks you’ll need to take care of:

• Regularly charge the vacuum (it should do this automatically after each cycle)
• Regularly empty the dust bin
• Clean the filter and replace as needed.
• Regularly check the brushes for clogged debris or tangles

The rubber brushroll will likely have less clogs and tangles compared to the bristle roller, so this could be something to consider if you have long hair or pets.

Specifications

Below is a complete list of specifications and features included with the iLife A10 robot vacuum:

Should you buy the iLife A10?

I would recommend the iLife A10 if you’re looking for the following features in a robot vacuum:

• Digital mapping: The iLife A10 can remember multiple floor plans digitally map a space after its first cleaning run. You can then use that map to set up zoned cleaning cycles, targeted runs, or scheduled cycles
• Remote control: The remote control is a handy feature if you’re looking for hands-free control, but don’t want the hassle of connecting it to your phone or needing an internet connection. This remote works without internet and doesn’t require any special setups.
• Dual brushrolls: If you like the idea of swapping out brushrolls, you may be happy to know that the A10 comes with two different options for brushrolls that are interchangeable—a rubber one and a hybrid of rubber and soft spiral bristles.

For more information or to check the price on the iLife A10, click here.

ChangeLog

• February 18, 2021 – Corrected a labeling error on 1 image caption and replaced 1 incorrect image.
• February 17, 2021 – Initial version of the page was published.