The ILIFE A4s is a budget-friendly robot vacuum. It offers excellent battery performance. However, it really struggles on all surface types as it delivers a mediocre performance on bare floors and does an even worse job on carpet. Pet hair is especially tricky for it as hair can get caught in the brushroll or intake opening. It also requires a lot of regular maintenance and a few parts need to be replaced over time. Still, if you're on a tight budget and need a robot vacuum to clean bare floors, it's an alright option.
Our Verdict
The ILIFE A4s Pro is mediocre for bare floors. It really struggles to pick up pet hair and large debris like cereal can easily fill up the dirt compartment, putting a temporary halt to its cleaning job. It does a significantly better job picking up small debris though. Still, this vacuum has a lot of parts that need regular maintenance and replacement over time.
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Decently well-built.
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Can pick up most small debris like rice.
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Pet hair gets caught on brushroll and in intake on all surface types.
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Hard to maintain.
The ILIFE A4s Pro is inadequate for low-pile carpet. It has trouble picking up small and large debris while pet hair can cling to its brushroll and intake opening rather than ending up in the dirt compartment. Although it's decently well-built, this vacuum also requires a lot of regular maintenance and has a few parts that need to be replaced over time.
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Decently well-built.
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Pet hair gets caught on brushroll and in intake on all surface types.
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Hard to maintain.
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Struggles with small and large debris on carpet.
The ILIFE A4s Pro is disappointing for high-pile carpet. Although well-built, this vacuum struggles to pick up pet hair as well as debris on all surface-types. It also has several parts that need regular maintenance and replacement, which are recurring costs that can add up.
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Decently well-built.
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Pet hair gets caught on brushroll and in intake on all surface types.
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Hard to maintain.
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Struggles with small and large debris on carpet.
The ILIFE A4s Pro is poor for cleaning pet hair. It doesn't have a HEPA filter for trapping allergens and pet hair can get caught in the brushroll or intake opening rather than getting fully picked up by the vacuum. It also requires a lot of regular maintenance and some parts need to be replaced over time. On the upside, it's decently-well built and comes with a detangling brush to help tackle hair wraps.
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Decently well-built.
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Pet hair gets caught on brushroll and in intake on all surface types.
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Hard to maintain.
The ILIFE A4s Pro is a robot vacuum and it isn't designed for cleaning stairs.
The ILIFE A4s Pro is a robot vacuum and isn't designed for cleaning the inside of your car.
- 7.1 Bare Floor
- 6.8 Low-Pile Carpet
- 6.0 High-Pile Carpet
- 5.0 Pets
- 5.8 Stairs
- 4.8 Cars
- 4.2 Workshop
- Updated Nov 25, 2022: We've changed the full product name to 'ILIFE A4S' in order for the review to encompass all model variants.
- Updated Sep 23, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated Sep 23, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Nov 20, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Nov 16, 2020: Early access published.
- Updated Oct 13, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Oct 02, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Sep 28, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
There are three variants of the ILIFE A4s: the basic A4s, the mid-range A4s Max, and the top-range A4s Pro, We tested the latter, and you can see its label here. The Max and Pro models have upgraded suction motors for improved deep-cleaning performance, though they're otherwise quite similar to the base model.
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Model Name |
Extra Features |
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ILIFE A4s |
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| ILIFE A4s Max | Uprated suction motor |
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ILIFE A4s Pro |
Uprated suction motor, Electrowall boundary device |
If you come across another variant of this vacuum, please let us know in the discussions and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Vacuums
The ILIFE A4s Pro is a budget-level vacuum. While many robot vacuums have trouble on carpet, this model struggles noticeably with pet hair, which clings to its parts rather than getting fully sucked up. It also uses a block-like boundary marker called an electrowall to keep the robot from accessing a certain area, which can be a bit limiting if you need to block out more space. On the upside, it offers an excellent battery life. Check out our recommendations for the best robot vacuums for pet hair, the best robot vacuums for carpet, and the best robot vacuums.
The ILIFE A4s is a better robot vacuum for bare floors than the Eureka Groove. The ILIFE can pick up more large debris and pet hair. It also does a better job on low-pile carpet. However, the Eureka is better-built and easier-to-maintain.
The eufy RoboVac 11S is a better robot vacuum than the ILIFE A4s. The eufy offers better performance on all surface types. However, the ILIFE has fewer recurring costs. It also comes with an electrowall, which acts as a boundary marker.
The ILIFE A4s is a better robot vacuum than the eufy RoboVac 30C. The ILIFE has fewer recurring costs and offers better overall performance across all surface types. However, the eufy has better automation features as it comes with an app.
The iRobot Roomba 675 and the ILIFE A4s are robot vacuums with different strengths and, depending on your usage, you may prefer one over the other. The iRobot is better built, easier to maintain, and has a better battery performance. It can also pick up more small and large debris from bare floors. However, the ILIFE does a better job on carpet. Its dirt compartment is larger, and it has more automation features.
The ONSON GOOVI F007 Robot Vacuum and the ILIFE A4s are similarly performing vacuums but you may prefer one over the other, depending on your needs. The ONSON performs better on low and high-pile carpet and its battery performance is better too. However, the ILIFE is better on bare floors and has fewer recurring costs.
The Shark ION Robot AV753 Series is slightly superior to the ILIFE A4s. The Shark feels better-made, has a much longer battery life, and is more effective on bare floors and high-pile carpet, though it struggles more with pet hair than the ILIFE. The ILIFE is slightly smaller and lighter and does a marginally better job removing fine debris like baking soda from low-pile carpets.
The iRobot Roomba 694 is better than the ILIFE A4s. The iRobot is better-built, incurs lower recurring costs, maneuvers itself more effectively, and performs better on bare floors and high-pile carpet. It also charges much faster while offering a similar overall battery life. However, the ILIFE performs better on low-pile carpet.
Test Results
The ILIFE A4s Pro has decent build quality. It's made of hard plastic with a thin rubber bumper, which makes it feel sturdy. Its three wheels are also made of rubber. It requires little assembly right out-of-the-box, as its side brushes are already preinstalled. Unfortunately, the dirt compartment feels a bit more flimsy and could crack if dropped.
The ILIFE A4s Pro is hard to maintain as there are a lot of parts that need maintenance. On the upside, most parts are very easy to access.
- Dirt compartment: You can remove this part by pressing the button on the robot's backside. It should be emptied after each cleaning job.
- Brushroll: The brushroll can be removed after you've removed the brushroll guard. You should clean this part twice a week.
- Brushroll guard: You can clean the brushroll guard with a dry cloth or the cleaning tool when necessary.
- Pre-filter: This filter can be removed after taking out the dirt compartment. It can be washed when necessary.
- Foam filter: This filter is located on top of the dirt compartment and can be removed and washed after each use or thoroughly cleaned every 15-30 days.
- High-performance filter: The high-performance filter is located on top of the foam filter and can be cleaned after each use or thoroughly cleaned every 15-30 days. However, it shouldn't be washed under water.
- Side brush: There are two side brushes that are held in place by two Philips screws. You can unscrew these parts and clean them when necessary.
- Nose wheel: The nose wheel can be pulled out and should be cleaned twice a week.
- Sensors: The sensors on the vacuum should be cleaned with a soft cloth when necessary.
- Charging pins: The charging pins should be cleaned with a soft cloth when necessary.
If you wash any part with water, it must be air-dried before using them again. The dustbin, pre-filter, and foam filter are the only parts that can be washed under water.
It has quite a few recurring costs, more than comparable robot vacuums like the iRobot Roomba 692. There's also a discrepancy in reported time frames between the manufacturer's website and the manual and we report the manual's time frame. Some parts don't have reported replacement times, so we use the replacement intervals established by comparable robot vacuums.
- The foam and high-performance filter: The manufacturer suggests replacing these filters every month to ensure the best performance. However, the filters should be replaced after six months at the latest.
- Side brushes: The side brush should be replaced when visibly worn or damaged.
- Brushroll: The manufacturer doesn't specify a replacement time for this part but the brushroll can be replaced every six to twelve months, if necessary.
If you need replacement parts, you can purchase them from the manufacturer's website.
The ILIFE A4s Pro is very easy to store. It can self-dock onto its charging station or you can plug the power cord into the robot directly.
The ILIFE A4s Pro's dirt compartment is acceptable. It's slightly larger than the eufy RoboVac 11S but it still needs frequent emptying. The dirt compartment is clear so you can see when it needs to be emptied, but it doesn't have a sensor to tell you when it's full.
- ILIFE A4s Pro vacuum
- Charging dock
- Charging cable
- Pre-filter
- 2x set of high-performance filters
- Foam filter
- 4x side brushes
- Brushroll
- Brushroll guard
- Dirt compartment
- Remote (with 2x AAA batteries)
- Electrowall (with 2x AA batteries)
- Cleaning tool
- User guide
The ILIFE A4s Pro has an unlimited range as long as it still has battery life remaining and room left in its dirt compartment. However, it can't go up or down stairs.
The ILIFE A4s Pro is very portable. It isn't very heavy, and while it doesn't have a carrying handle, it's easy to take with you to another floor.
The LIFE A4s Pro has excellent battery performance. On its most powerful 'MAX' mode, it lasts for under 50 minutes. However, if used on its more power-conservative 'Auto Cleaning' mode, it can last for around 110 minutes. Although it's advertised to take less than 300 minutes to fully charge, we measured over an hour less. Also, the vacuum has a battery indicator light that changes from green when cleaning to orange when it has a low battery, and red when there's a malfunction. For a robot vacuum that can last over two hours on a single charge, check out the iRobot Roomba 694.
This vacuum has a couple of quality of life features. It has two power settings" 'Auto Cleaning', which is its default mode, and 'MAX'. Using the remote, you can also access different cleaning methods such as auto cleaning, edge cleaning, spot cleaning, or mini-room cleaning, which is suitable for smaller spaces. It also has an automatic 'Carpet Detection' feature, which increases its power when it detects thick carpets or harder-to-clean messes.
The ILIFE A4s Pro is equipped with two side brushes to help push debris into the vacuum's path. It also comes with a cleaning tool that has a hook blade on one side to tackle hair wraps as well as a brush on the other side for sweeping away dirt and debris.
The ILIFE A4s Pro doesn't have any other configurations.
The ILIFE A4s Pro has an acceptable performance on bare floors. It has a hard time picking up pet hair as it can stick on the brushroll and intake opening. It also struggles to pick up large debris like cereal as its dirt compartment fills up, though it struggles less with this kind of mess compared to the eufy RoboVac G30. It does a better job with small debris like rice, but it still doesn't pick up everything.
The ILIFE A4s Pro has a poor performance on low-pile carpet. Just like on bare floors, pet hair can cling to the brushroll and intake opening rather than getting sucked up. While it can pick up some large debris like sand, it struggles a lot more with small debris like baking soda.
This vacuum has a disappointing performance on high-pile carpets. Pet hair sticks to the brushroll and intake opening rather than getting sucked up. It also struggles to pick up large debris like sand as well as finer debris like baking soda. Consider the Shark ION Robot AV753 Series if you want a comparable robot vacuum that can clean messes on this surface type a little more effectively.
The ILIFE A4s Pro has just adequate maneuverability. It can get underneath couches and tables; however, it can get caught on electrical cords or stuck on tassels. Using its random pathing, it can clean an area well. It also has a 'Carpet Detect' feature that boosts its suction power on shaggy carpet.
The ILIFE A4s Pro has decent automation features. While it doesn't have a companion app, it comes with a remote control, so you don't even need an internet connection to use it. The remote allows you to adjust its power mode, set different cleaning modes, arrange a cleaning schedule time, and direct the vacuum by manually controlling it. The manufacturer also includes an electrowall which acts as a boundary marker and it sets an invisible barrier that the robot won't cross.