Many of you are sure to know the Realme brand as a smartphone manufacturer. If you monitor our site regularly, we believe that you did not miss the information about the first robotic vacuum cleaner from this brand. It bears the mark Real TechLife Robot Vacuum.
We have already tried several robotic vacuum cleaners of various brands such as Dreame or Viomi. These are brands that already have several proven models in their portfolios. How will a complete novice on the robotic vacuum cleaner scene cope? Read our review and find out if the first Realme model was a success.
Where to Buy Realme TechLife Robot Vacuum?
The Realme TechLife Robot Vacuum rovot vacuum cleaner is currently available at the best price on the international online marketplace Aliexpress. You will enjoy express delivery from the European warehouse by courier directly to your home.
Basic parameters in brief
Realme TechLife Robot Vacuum has been given the popular and years-proven LiDAR system, which takes care of space detection and orientation in it. It works on the simple principle of light rays that bounce back, so the vacuum cleaner knows how far the wall or other obstacle is.
The intelligent algorithm then takes care of calculating the ideal route for the fastest and most efficient vacuuming. The vacuum cleaner from Realme has up to 38 different sensors, but nevertheless it orients itself in space by hitting obstacles.
Its maximum suction power represents the value of 3000 Pa, at which the noise level reaches the level of 68 dB. The vacuum cleaner can intelligently regulate the suction force based on the surface to be vacuumed. The waste container has a capacity of up to 600 ml and the 5200 mAh battery should provide 300 minutes of operation on a single charge.
What is the package of the classic version
The Realme TechLife Robot Vacuum vacuum cleaner is sold in two versions. The first is the classic version, without a mop and the second also contains a mop and a water tank. We got the first, classic version without a mop in the editorial office.
You will receive the vacuum cleaner in this version in a compact box measuring approximately 42 x 49 x 14 cm. We appreciate the packaging in two boxes, one classic product and also the other, protective. Inside is a cardboard reinforcement that slides out of the box. The vacuum cleaner itself is placed in it in a protective foil. In addition, there is also a docking station for charging and an adapter for connection to the mains.
In addition to the classic small brush for cleaning, the accessories also consist of a spare filter, which is a nice bonus. The package also includes clear instructions for use with clear instructions for connecting and connecting the vacuum cleaner.
Quality of workmanship, design and layout of elements
From the design point of view, from our point of view, it is a very successful product. The whole vacuum cleaner is elegant, black with a glossy surface. This is complemented by the yellow color of the LiDAR navigation system in the middle of the upper surface of the vacuum cleaner, where we can also find the brand logo. This color combination has been very successful, but due to the glossy surface, maintenance is more difficult and visible fingerprints are a matter of course.
The whole vacuum cleaner is made of plastic, which does not create any premium impression. It is an average plastic, which gives it the impression of a cheap product. The docking station is also black and contains only one signaling diode and charging connectors.
As for the layout of the elements, as mentioned above, at the top there is only the LiDAR navigation system, which is complemented by a pair of relatively large, rubberized buttons to turn on / off and return to the docking station.
We will not find an opening lid under which there is a dust container. This is because it is located in the back, where it is easy to insert. It has a volume of up to 600 ml. From our point of view, this is a better solution, which gives the construction of the vacuum cleaner higher strength.
There is already a bumper around the perimeter, with which the vacuum cleaner detects obstacles. The underside is the place for the main rotary brush, sensors, the front wheel and a pair of large wheels with a deep pattern. The main brush is easy to remove, so its cleaning is trouble-free.
Compared to most robotic vacuum cleaners, we find one difference here. The Realme TechLife Robot Vacuum has two side whisks that collect dirt under the rotating brush. Most vacuum cleaners have only one such whisk.
First turn on and pair with the application
The first switch-on of the vacuum cleaner is accompanied by a pleasant voice assistant, who greets you in English. The vacuum cleaner then waits for pairing with the application on the smartphone. Realme TechLife Robot Vacuum uses the realme Link application, which is used for all smart devices from this brand.
After installing the application, registering and then logging in, it is possible to add new devices. After a while, the application automatically searched for a vacuum cleaner near the smartphone and informed us that it was necessary to connect it to a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network. The 5 GHz band is not supported. The addition is the same as for other brands. Just choose your home Wi-Fi network, enter the password to connect and the rest will happen automatically.
After a successful pairing, we were asked to enter the name of the device and the application guided us through a short tutorial, which provided us with basic information about the robotic vacuum cleaner, its operation and also about the possibilities of the application.
The whole process took only a few minutes and was really very simple. The first vacuuming is marked by the discovery of individual rooms and their first vacuuming. Our apartment has 3 rooms with a total floor area of 69 m2.
The vacuum cleaner did not get into the bathroom and toilet, where we have thresholds higher than 2 cm and we did not let it into the closet, so the total area that it could pass is significantly lower, approximately 35 m2. The whole process took 49 minutes. Additional vacuums were faster and lasted 32 to 36 minutes.
Application environment
The application offers a map of the entire space on the home screen, which is automatically divided into several rooms. In our case, the application divided the apartment into up to 8 rooms, for which only 3 different colors were used - blue, yellow and green.
In addition to the map, you will also find information about the last vacuum and the percentage of the battery. However, it often happened that the battery status was not updated and the application displayed the old value, despite the fact that the charging on the vacuum cleaner was completed.
In the left corner, right next to the map, the individual modes are switched, including vacuuming, mopping or vacuuming with moping. Buttons for editing restricted zones and customizing the map have found their place on the right.
The bottom bar consists of two elements. The first is used to switch between cleaning the entire area, selected rooms, areas or a specific place on the map. The second part of the bottom bar contains four large symbols. Specifically, it is about displaying the current status of the activity (charging, vacuuming, etc.), starting the activity, changing the suction power and we will also find a button to display other options, which we will talk about later.
Vacuum levels and our observations
There are 4 levels of vacuuming, which are graded based on the suction power. Specifically, these regimes are:
- quiet - 500 Pa
- normal - 1200 Pa
- turbo - 2500 Pa
- max - 3000 Pa
For moping, which we do not have due to the absence of a mop in the package, you also have a choice of four modes that define the amount of water used - dry mode, minimum, normal and maximum.
Vacuuming takes place in the standard way in the so-called S-metal routes, which gradually pass through all rooms. The quality of the vacuuming is good, the vacuum cleaner can handle common dirt. The problem, however, is a soft carpet with long hair, on which the vacuum cleaner is constantly stuck after a while. The application reported that the brush was blocked. After lifting the vacuum cleaner and brushing it, he was able to continue, but after a few seconds he got stuck on the carpet again. Classic carpets did not cause him a problem.
Automatic suction power switching works well and you can immediately hear the change in suction force when approaching another surface. A small negative is the occasional harder impacts on some objects. For example, if you leave children's toys on the ground, the vacuum cleaner will move them around the room. Once it happened to us that you even closed the door, which is why he didn't get into one room. Sensors that could prevent shocks would help.
Vacuum quality in difficult conditions
We also tested the quality of the vacuuming again under the more difficult conditions that we artificially created. We spilled coffee, red lentils and breadcrumbs on the tiles in the kitchen in large quantities and we were curious how the Realme TechLife Robot Vacuum would cope. Since it has two side whisks, we are afraid of excessive blasting of dirt into the environment. This is what it looked like before vacuuming:
The fears were partially fulfilled, so the vacuum cleaner fired a few whisks of dirt into the part it was already vacuuming several times during vacuuming. After the first vacuuming, it looked like this:
The vacuum cleaner could not remove all the dirt on the first try, but so far no robotic vacuum cleaner that we tested in this way has been able to do so. After the second vacuuming it was much better and after the third the floor was almost perfectly clean.
Customization options
There are quite a few options that you can customize, so let's just look at the more interesting ones. The application allows you to save up to five maps, which can then be customized. In addition to the classic connection or division of rooms, it is possible to select the level of vacuuming and moping separately for each room.
You can also set the order in which the vacuum cleaner should pass through the rooms during cleaning. We also praise the possibility of renaming the rooms with your own name. There is also the possibility of marking forbidden zones for vacuuming or moping or creating virtual walls.
Among other settings, we can find the schedule of automatic cleaning at the selected time, which can be repeated on selected days. There is also a remote control, a choice of moping style, similar to vacuum cleaners from the brand Viomi (in the shape of the letter S or Y).
The settings also turn on their own mode, in which the vacuum cleaner will walk through the rooms according to your settings - in the selected order and level of vacuuming or moping. You will also find the so-called auto boost, which allows the vacuum cleaner to intelligently change the suction power based on the surface to be vacuumed.
There is also a history of vacuum cleaner operation, setting of voice commands or display of the current state of wear of individual components (filter, main brush and side whisks). You can also share the vacuum cleaner with other users, ideally with household members.
Endurance and charging
The integrated battery in the vacuum cleaner has 5200 mAh and the manufacturer promises endurance at the level of 300 minutes when vacuuming a hard floor in silent mode. In our apartment, we have set a forbidden zone in the place where the problem carpet is located. In addition, we only have one small, standard rug.
As the suction power is weak in silent mode, we tested the endurance at maximum suction power. The vacuum cleaner discharged in 122 minutes of operation and managed to vacuum a total of 120 m2. After recharging, it automatically resumed the last, unfinished vacuuming.
In turbo mode, almost 20% was deducted from the battery capacity after one vacuuming, in standard mode it was 12% and in silent only 11%. The endurance of 300 minutes in silent mode, stated by the manufacturer, is not too overshot. Each vacuuming lasted approximately 32 minutes.
Final evaluation
Realme TechLife Robot Vacuum is a robotic vacuum cleaner with a good suction power of 3000 Pa. It offers a large enough dirt container with a volume of 600 ml, a LiDAR navigation system and a simple but elegant design.
We praise the many settings available, including the option to choose the order in which the rooms are cleaned, as well as the suction level settings for each room separately. The vacuum cleaner can store up to 5 different maps, so it is also suitable for a multi-storey house.
Disadvantages include orientation by impacts, which are sometimes relatively strong. Vacuuming of soft carpets with long hair, on which the vacuum cleaner gets stuck, is also problematic. Due to the fact that this is the first robotic vacuum cleaner from this brand, it is a successful product that can compete with well-known brands such as Dreame, Viomi or Xiaomi.
