INTRODUCTION

   When i was very young (still going to school young) i used to believe that the older people get the harder it is for them to perform simple house chores like cleaning. However, i was wrong, it's not so much about being harder or not (let's face it though, as we grow older things aren't getting any easier) but rather if you have enough free time or not. This became especially evident to me when 9 years ago i decided to shelter a stray cat which didn't take long for me to consider part of the family (now i have 3). So, as I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, I'm always looking for products which can make cleaning easier and faster for me (resulting in more free time and less stress) and the latest of those is no other than the brand new i5 Pro Smart Vacuum Cleaner by Liectroux.

   Liectroux, the leading global consumer robot company, designs and manufacture robots that empower people to do more both inside and outside home. Liectroux's products, have been welcomed into millions of homes around the world. Liectroux Robotics has been engaged in improving people's life and helping people to enjoy life more and more! Visit http://www.liectroux.us/.

   The i5 Pro may be yet another cordless vacuum but as opposed to most such models in reality it was designed to be an all-around solution and so Liectroux has actually "tweaked" the concept quite a bit. For starters instead of using a tiny water tank for mopping Liectroux has actually used 2 large ones, an 750ml one in which you place clean water and an 450ml in which the i5 Pro collects dirt, debris and water since it also features a very convenient self-cleaning function. But that’s not all since Liectroux has also equipped the i5 Pro with an 2500RPM brushless motor that sports a suction power of 5000Pa, LED display, two rolling brushes (soft/hard), dual-water jets (both for cleaning of the floor and the rolling brush), 254nm band UV light/lamp (98% sterilization), 2600mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack (up to over 30 minutes of use) and a convenient charging base. I have to admit that I’ve been quite eager to test the i5 Pro so let's not waste any more time and see whether or not it delivers.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Liectroux packs the i5 Pro inside a large carboard box the front of which is taken by a product drawing, their logo and several certifications.

The product specifications are printed on the left side whereas the product features are printed on the right.

No problems when it comes to interior packaging, several pieces of cardboard keep the i5 Pro secure during transport.

Along with the main unit inside the box you'll also find a removable handle, hard rolling brush, clean water tank, air-filter, 2 cleaning brushes, charging base with its power adapter and the user manual.

THE I5 PRO

The i5 Pro is primarily made out of plastic and metal and without the handle attached measures 63cm in height (116cm with the handle).

7 activity LEDs (4 for the battery) are located at the front of the i5 Pro.

The dirty water tank is located at the front of the vacuum and can be removed just by pulling it outwards.

At the top of the tank, we find a pre-installed air filter.

By default, Liectroux has the soft rolling brush installed which you can easily remove and replace with the hard one (more suitable for carpets).

The UV lamp is located underneath the lower end of the vacuum but unfortunately is roughly half compared to the rolling brush (longer would mean more space covered).

Next is the removable handle which is made out of aluminum and plastic.

The handle has a total of 4 buttons on it, two at the top (power and UV on/off), one at the base (self-cleaning button) and a trigger button (water jets).

At the rear of the i5 Pro you'll see the area where the water tank gets mounted on.

The charging base is made out of plastic and has vertical areas to store both brushes.

I'm sure some of you will think that the i5 Pro is a large cordless vacuum cleaner (i did as well at first) but it's really not. It may have a thicker lower part yes, but larger, not so much (to showcase this i placed the i5 Pro right next to the Bosch Unlimited Serie 6, Roidmi X30 Pro and the Proscenic P11).

TEST RESULTS

Just like with robot vacuums all cordless handheld vacuum models will be thoroughly tested (for a duration of at least 20 days) to properly and accurately record/measure total battery life (using just the corner nozzle/flat suction) and noise levels (from around 50cm distance using the ExTech HD600 dBA meter) in all available modes.

CONCLUSION

   The very first thing you’ll notice about the i5 Pro is the lack of available suction modes. So, although every other cordless vacuum out there has at least 2 (some have as many as 4-5) the i5 Pro has but one which means that suction power and noise are both fixed. Personally, I can’t say I found the noise coming from the 25000RPM brushless motor annoying but it is quite a bit and so potential buyers do need to be aware of that. The dual-tank feature is probably the most important aspect of the i5 Pro since it allows you to use the mopping function far more efficiently compared to other vacuum cleaners. Unfortunately, dust, debris and water don’t “mix” well in the front tank so it may require a bit of extra cleaning at times. For the most part however the i5 Pro outperforms most cordless vacuums out there, at least in that regard. The addition of a UV lamp is always welcome (especially when you have pets at home) as is the charging base which however doesn’t scream “quality” no matter how you look at it (still better than not having one at all). As for battery life i was able to hit 36 minutes which although certainly not superb still it was more than enough for me to clean both floors of my house.

   With just over 1 month left before Christmas availability on the i5 Pro Smart Vacuum by Liectroux is limited at best. Still the limited online stores and/or distributors that do carry it have it priced at around USD390/350Euros a price which is indeed just a tad higher than expected. Of course, with similar products by other brands retailing for even more (and clearly not as “capable” with mopping) this may actually not seem as high to some people. With that out of the way however, does the i5 Pro deliver? The answer is yes, it’s certainly not a perfect product but it does mop a lot better compared to all the cordless vacuums I’ve used and/or tested to date and for that it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Overall Build Quality
- 25000RPM Motor
- Clean & Dirty Water Tanks
- Dual Water Jets
- Self Cleaning Function
- UV Sterilization
- Charging Base

CONS

- Size / Weight (For Some)
- Overall Noise Levels
- Battery Life (Up To 36 Minutes)