iLife A4s Pro

amazon iLife A4s Pro reviews

The iLife A4s Pro robot vacuum improves its predecessor with more power, a new auto-booster for carpets, and a lower price, but it still lacks app controls.

Wi-Fi connectivity is a standard feature in robot vacuums these days, but not everyone needs or wants it. If you don’t necessarily care about being able to control vacuuming from your phone, and affordable, no-frills model like the $189.99 iLife A4s Pro might be what you’re looking for. It’s easy to install, has a compact design that allows it to move around and under furniture, boasts several cleaning modes, and offers up to 2,000Pa of suction power.

Design, Features, and Setup

The A4s Pro replaces the A4, bringing a slimmer design, increased suction power, and a new auto-boost feature to the carpet. Measuring 12 inches in diameter and just 2.95 inches tall, the A4s Pro is slightly smaller than the A4, measuring 12.2 inches in diameter and 3 inches tall. That is one of the most compact robot vacuums we’ve tested, making it a good choice for cleaning under beds and sofas.

The Pro model also features a new high-speed motor that iLife says offers improved cleaning performance and a new 2-in-1 main brush with rubber fins and bristles that don’t need to be cleaned as often as tissue bristles. Front figure- single roller. In terms of power, it’s more than two times stronger than the regular A4, providing up to 2,000Pa in Spot mode and 1,500Pa in Max mode.

It comes with an ElectroWall, an accessory you don’t get with the A4, which creates an invisible barrier that the vacuum won’t get through. You can place it anywhere you want the robot to avoid, such as under your desk, where you might have many wires.

The A4s Pro is designed to clean hardwood, laminate, low-pile carpet, and tile. When it passes through the carpet, it automatically increases the suction power. Like many robot vacuums, it’s not intended for tall carpets or dark floors, where the sensors can mistake ledges and refuse to go through.

It has an Auto Clean button at the top, a power switch on the side, and cliff sensors at the bottom that help prevent it from falling down the stairs. The dustbin has a main filter, a sponge, and a high-performance filter to capture airborne allergens. It comes with remote control, a cleaning tool, an extra set of side brushes, and an additional high-performance filter.

The remote is powered by two AAA batteries included in the box. It has a small screen that shows the scheduled cleaning time above and the current time below. In the middle of the remote, there is a Start/Pause button, along with navigation buttons that allow you to control the robot manually and adjust the minutes and hours when setting a cleaning schedule or time. Below are six other buttons for different robot modes and features:

• Clock sets the current time, Plan scheduler.
• Spot makes the robot clean a specific area.
• Max increases suction power.
• Home returns the robot to its base station.
• Edge makes it clean along your baseboard.

Like its predecessor, the A4s Pro doesn’t offer apps or voice control, so setting it up is as simple as placing the charging dock on the floor, plug in the adapter, turn on the robot’s power switch, and press the Home button on the remote.

iLife recommends charging the robot overnight before using it for the first time. While charging, the Auto Clean button flashes orange. When charging is complete, the light will turn off.

Scheduling cleaning jobs is easy. First, you need to set your local time on the remote (press the Clock button, use the arrows to adjust the time, then press the Clock button again to save). Then press the Plan button, set the time for the unit to start cleaning, and press the Plan button again to confirm.

With most Wi-Fi-enabled robot vacuums, you can customize the cleaning schedule to set a different time for each day of the week. You don’t get that option with the A4s Pro; After you set the schedule, it will clean at the same time every day.

Before running the A4s Pro, you should clean your house and pick up anything the robot might get stuck on, such as wires or toys. Some high-end robot vacuums like the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI have a built-in camera to observe and avoid these obstacles, but they are much more expensive.

where can you get a iLife A4s Pro online

ILIFE A4s Pro Robot Vacuum, 2000Pa Max Suction, ElectroWall, Remote Control, Slim, Thin, Quiet, Self-Charging, Smart, Ideal for Hard Floor to Medium Carpet, Black: Buy it now

Performance

iLife says the A4s Pro can clean up to 100 minutes in Auto Clean mode on hard floors and 60 minutes in Max Mode. I have carpet, area rugs, and tiles in my house, and it mopped my floors for up to 90 minutes before the battery got low, and it started going back to the charging dock. That’s not bad, although the A4s lasted about 120 minutes in the mixed-use test. The Deebot N79S also only lasted a little longer during the test, with 95 minutes.

When the battery is running low, the A4s Pro’s Auto Clean button turns solid orange. It took about 15 minutes to find its way back to its charging dock, but it successfully got there without my help during each test run.

It’s not uncommon for robot vacuums to get stuck on things like cords and furniture while they’re working, and the A4s Pro is no exception. It passed a charging cord during a test run, and this cord wound up on its main brush. I removed the charging cord manually, pressed the Auto Clean button on the robot, and worked again. On another run, it got stuck in the foot of my chair. When caught in a melon, it will beep to warn you.

In testing, auto-boost worked as advertised. As soon as the robot rolls on the carpet or rug in the area, I can hear it getting louder as it increases its suction. The scheduling feature also works without a problem: I set it to clean at 1:30 pm, and at that point, the robot starts right up in Auto mode as expected. The ElectroWall accessory also works well; I placed it outside my office door, and when the robot approached the invisible fence, it turned and went the other direction.

The A4s Pro is fairly quiet, especially in Auto mode. You are watching TV or chatting with the TV in the same room without interruption.

After my first complete cleaning job, I was surprised when the vacuum’s 15-ounce trashcan was filled with dust, dog hair. I then let it fully charge again and ran it a second time. After the second emptying, the bin was half full, and my floor looked a lot cleaner.

Maintenance

The A4s Pro requires the same maintenance as other robot vacuums. iLife recommends emptying and rinsing the dustbin and cleaning the main filter after each use. Some robot vacuums can empty their trash, like the iRobot Roomba S9+, but they are more expensive.

You should clean the main brush about twice a week and the side brushes whenever you notice they are dirty or have bristles wrapped around them. iLife also recommends removing the front wheel with a screwdriver twice a week and cleaning any hairs in the wheel hub and axle.

High-efficiency filters need to be cleaned every two to four weeks and replaced every six months. You’ll also want to periodically remove the sensors and charging contacts on the bottom of the robot.

Compare and conclude

If you want an affordable robot vacuum and don’t care about controlling it with your phone, the iLife A4s Pro is worth checking out. It’s even more compact than its predecessor, making it a good choice for low-ventilated interiors while also offering more power at a lower price point. It’s a fair value at $189.99, though you can often find it on sale, making it even more of a strong buy.

In this price range, it’s also worth trying the Ecovacs mentioned above, Deebot N79S, which offers app control and Alexa voice command support for just $40 more. And if you’re willing to spend a lot more, the $299.99 Roomba 675 supports apps and voice control and offers the best battery life and navigation of the three.

Advantages

Good price

Compact design, low design

Easy to install and use

Automatically increase suction power on carpets

Comes with a virtual wall accessory

Defect

Lack of apps and voice control

Limited scheduling options