IMILAB V1 - Incredible what it does for what it costs !!!
The technological market dedicated to smart domestic cleaning is becoming increasingly rich in valid alternatives, but often to have a truly complete product in terms of functionality it is necessary to spend a capital. Fortunately, companies that have built their fortunes in other sectors have decided to exploit their know-how in the production of robot vacuum cleaners that are ultra-competitive in the introductory price. Among these companies we find the Chinese security giant IMILAB which gives poco has announced its entry into the field of tech domestic cleaning, with the debut of IMILAB V1, the first product of a long series that is already destined for success, which I will talk about today in this review.
The packaging of IMILAB V1 is rather bulky, but its entire interior will be a pleasure to unbox because we find everything we need to start covering months of cleaning with our robot. In fact, as equipment we find the following elements:
- IMILAB V1;
- Multilingual instruction manual (unfortunately the Italian is missing);
- 1 side brush replacement;
- Floor washing rack with relative microfibre MOP;
- 2 in 1 tank for dirt collection and water supply;
- Charging station with integrated SCHUKO type plug (therefore no adapters are required);
- 5 bags for collecting dirt to be inserted in the charging dock (one already integrated in the emptying station);
- 10 disposable cloths (swiffer style);
- 1 hair and tangled hair removal tool;
- 1 spare HEPA filter.
From the design point of view, IMILAB's approach is in line with that of all the satellite companies of Xiaomi, offering a product with a clean appearance and free of unnecessary elements, all seasoned with a white color with some colored inserts. silver. A color that does not clash in any environment but which must be admitted to be delicate, as it tends to get dirty. The shape of the robot is classic, that is round with dimensions equal to 350 x 350 x 98 mm, which will allow the cleaning gadget to reach everywhere, even under furniture, sofas, etc. .. We are also offered a laser turret for mapping. of the domestic environment, using LDS Lidar technology, with the possibility of mapping even multi-storey (up to 4).
On the upper part of the IMILAB V1, in addition to the laser turret, there are also two buttons, which will mainly carry out the on / off and cleaning function, as well as that of recalling the product recharging base, but if pressed together they allow to reset the WiFi of the robot, a 2.4 GHz module that allows pairing to the smartphone via the Xiaomi Home app.
On the front of the product we find the usual amortized band, which in fact absorbs the shocks that could derive from obstacles during cleaning, which protects the various collision sensors while on the back of the appliance we find two grids, used as air vent motor as well as a speaker, as the robot will talk to us for some activities, but unfortunately only in English. Then we find the dirt tank which also includes the water tank.
There is a sort of pincer release that allows you to remove the water filling mechanism and a more thorough cleaning, as the HEPA filter has been positioned inside the access cap to the dirt compartment. The dirt tank capacity is 300ml, more than enough to collect the intense dirt of a house of at least 100 square meters at maximum suction power. The water tank, on the other hand, has a capacity of 250 ml, which in medium washing mode allows cleaning of about 60/65 square meters. It is recharged by opening a small silicone cap positioned in the upper part of the 2 in 1 tank, where on the back there are the magnetic contacts that will allow the integrated battery of the IMILAB V1, a 5200 mAh unit, to be recharged.
To this tank we can then anchor a sort of rack on which the disposable cloths or the microfibre cloths will be placed, for washing the floor. Moving on to the lower side of the robot we find the two driving wheels, which allow to overcome obstacles up to 2 cm in height, the side brush that will facilitate the collection of dirt, conveying it towards the central mouth, where a propeller brush with combs is positioned bristled. Finally, we find the anti-fall sensors and the 360 ° directional wheel, which will allow the robot vacuum cleaner to perform the various movements in the available space.
We just have to analyze the IMILAB V1 charging station, which according to the company boasts a design that allows better suction. Thanks to this base we realize how productive today's technology is, in fact the charging base allows you to suck up the dirt collected by the robot while it is stationary for charging. In fact, the station consists of a large structure which is accessed through an upper door, in which a 3-liter dust collection bag is inserted.
To be clear, we are talking about bags similar to those we used to use on cordless vacuum cleaners. The capacity of the bag will allow you to collect the dirt for about a month of use, a time during which you will never have to worry about emptying the robot's dirt tank, because everything is automated by means of a powerful suction. Moreover, on the front of the station there is an LED screen where it is possible to view the battery charge status, the self-cleaning status as well as to notify us of the change of the inner bag, alert that also occurs through the companion app.
Ok but let's get to the performance, which mainly consists of a suction power of up to 2700 Pa, which is by no means noisy. In fact, with a noise level of less than 65 dB, you could easily study, watch TV series and much more, even while the robot is operating. Values that perhaps are not surprising, but IMILAB teaches us that for a thorough cleaning you do not necessarily need power but rather quality in the brushes and in the case of the V1, these are definitely promoted. IMILAB V1 has proved to be reliable in collecting all types of dirt, from the most traditional to the coarsest, as well as collecting the countless dog and cat hairs that are deposited daily in my home, as the owner of 3 cats and 1 dog.
Our domestic companion also allows you to vacuum the dirt from carpets, so much so that at the level of functionality we find a recognition mode of carpets and surfaces. Moreover, when we are in the washing mode, the carpet will be recognized in such a way as to avoid it and therefore not wet it. The autonomy of IMILAB V1 has been greatly promoted which, by means of a 5200 mAh battery, allows you to quietly clean up to 100 square meters of the house, this at maximum suction power, considering in this scenario, a 1% discharge per square meter of sucked surface. However, we can go up to 4 continuous hours of cleaning, if we take advantage of the ECO mode.
Even the washing turned out to be above expectations, leaving no halo, even parquet on every surface, although I must admit that clearly this use is better suited to polishing and disinfecting surfaces than to removing stubborn stains, but above all forget to insert detergents, which will only serve to occlude the electronic pumps. We have 3 different water supply intensities available while for aspiration we have 4 available, being able to combine the programs with each other, as IMILAB V1 allows you to vacuum, wash or do both at the same time.
All very nice right? In large part yes, but it is also right to point out the shortcomings of this robot vacuum cleaner starting from the fact that we do not have particular cleaning methods, such as the Y-shaped one, in addition to the fact that we cannot issue voice commands, since IMILAB V1 is compatible with Alexa, but not in Italian at the moment. For the record, in the video review I pointed out that the possibility of inserting virtual walls was also missing, having to resort to the zoned cleaning strategy, to prevent the household gadget from cleaning where we do not want, but in reality the latest update has solved this gap.
Overall, however, I can be satisfied, in fact, after connecting to the wireless network and carrying out the first mapping of the house, which I recommend to do by eliminating any obstacles that the robot vacuum cleaner might find in its path, the behavior of the robot in cleaning phase will be very smart and conservative for the battery. In fact, the perimeter of the starting room will first be aspirated and then continued with the entire aspiration of the same. Only after IMILAB V1 will it proceed with the cleaning of other rooms.
For the rest, the control of IMILAB V1 will pass almost exclusively from the Xiaomi Home companion app. From here it is possible to manage the maps, for example by renaming the rooms, or by dividing or combining the rooms. Of course we can create several maps, so great if we live in a house with multiple floors (up to 4 different maps).
The convenience of a well-made map also allows you to create different cleaning programs, such as cleaning the bathroom at 10 am with medium power and a wash on the first level, and then carrying out a thorough cleaning of the kitchen and dining room at 3 in the afternoon, at maximum power of both suction and washing etc .. In short, wide to the imagination and needs.
The accuracy of the mapping and therefore its cleaning is definitely astounding, thanks to the LDS Lidar technology with range of action up to 8 meters and 6 360 ° scans per second as well as the support for SLAM technology that will allow the robot to start cleaning again from the point. exactly he arrived at, if the battery autonomy did not allow him to finish the job earlier.
Also through the application, it is also possible to check the state of wear of some of the components of the vacuum cleaner, such as the filter, the brushes and so on.
PROJECTED IMPACT
As already mentioned, the cleaning performances are the strong point of the IMILAB V1, as well as its silence. I particularly appreciated the ability to cope not only with the dust, but also with the hair of my pets which, among other things, have never led to an obstruction of the suction cavity, nor of the brushes and then the convenience of not having to do nothing, because it empties itself automatically, thus avoiding even the slightest contact with dirt.
The sale price is about 376 euros, through our coupon to be exploited on the AliExpress store. A real bargain if we consider the efficiency of the product which in fact allows you to vacuum and wash the whole house. There really is poco to criticize the IMILAB product, indeed perhaps nothing and that is why I recommend it to everyone, because he could be the definitive vacuum cleaner.
Yes. But what if you need spare parts or technical assistance here in Italy?