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Lefant M210P robot vacuum cleaner: test / full review

Published on: 03-01-2023 / Modified: 04-10-2023

I tested several Lefant brand vacuum cleaners, both entry-level and high-end. This brand has evolved a lot in 2 years and I will probably be able to demonstrate it by testing a new version of a robot vacuum cleaner that I tested two years ago. I had tested the Lefant M210s and I will now test the M210P. The robots are similar but this new model should surpass its predecessor on many points while remaining within a reasonable price range.

Where to buy?

From Amazon

The Lefant M210P (like the other models by the way) is available on Amazon for 259€ (base price) but there is a reduction of 115€ to buy it at 144€.
Product link: Lefant M210P on Amazon

From lefant.com

I have a unique 10% coupon for any purchase on lefant.com. To activate the coupon, you only need to click on the following link and then select the product you want to purchase. The coupon will automatically be applied to your shopping cart:

Activate coupon Lefant.com

The price on the official site is much lower than on Amazon but you get only a 1 year warranty instead of 2 on Amazon (in Europe)

Unboxing

The packaging is the first contact with a product and it often gives good indications of the maturity of a brand. The first Lefant I tested was packaged in a slightly crumpled brown cardboard box. Lefant has found an identity with quite unique colors, the brand has evolved and the products as well.

The box contains the vacuum cleaner, 4 brushes, a spare HEPA filter, a charging station, a power cable and a small cleaning brush. It is a fairly complete piece of equipment, there is no mop because this robot is not equipped with a cleaning module.

Preview

The Lefant M210P has an almost military look with its black plastic and its somewhat peculiar shapes, the robot seems to have a shell like a turtle. Only a large ignition button interrupts the shell-shaped structure.

At the front we find the usual obstacle detection zone with a wide band that emits infrared rays to assess what is in the way of the vacuum cleaner. There's no shock absorber, so this robot vacuum will more than likely touch obstacles and then dodge them unless the infrared sensing is sensitive enough to avoid contact.

Below, nothing exceptional except that the robot is equipped with 2 brushes, it is quite rare in this price range. This will allow the robot to limit the ejection of dirt when there is only one brush and it should also allow it to make fewer round trips to cover the entire area to be cleaned.

Under the hood there is a dust tank with a capacity of 500ml and is also equipped with a HEPA filter for finer particles.

The brushes are protected by a rubber film which should reduce the risk of hair getting wrapped around the brush.

Features

Lefant M210P
- suction power: 2200pa
- tank capacity for dust: 500ml
- 120 minutes of autonomy

Lefant F1
- suction power: 4000pa
- tank capacity for dust: 600ml
- 210 minutes of autonomy

Lefant M210S
- suction power: 1800pa
- tank capacity for dust: 500ml
- 100 minutes of autonomy

The M210P is therefore more powerful and has a better autonomy than the previous model but it is clearly less powerful than the Lefant F1 with its 4000pa. Compared to the previous version, the M210P can be controlled with a much more advanced application than the previous model, so the improvement is not only technical.

Noise level

The Lefant M210P is less noisy than most vacuums I've tested, I measured around 60dB at 1 meter from the vacuum and around 65dB near it. We cannot say that it is silent but it is rather in the good average. It is undoubtedly the lower power of the engine which makes it possible to reduce the noise.

Spotting test

The Lefant M210P behaves similarly to most vacuum cleaners for tracking, it tries to follow a path made up of parallel lines and when it encounters an obstacle, it tries to resume its path on the other side of the obstacle. . This type of vacuum cleaner tends to touch its surroundings to get around it better and I was quite surprised that this one tends to systematically touch every obstacle trying to push it. Going through the options in the app, I found an option that manages detection sensitivity and this was set to minimum. By raising the detection sensitivity, I see a clear difference, the vacuum cleaner still touches obstacles but less frequently. This is the first time I've seen this kind of setting on a vacuum cleaner in this price range, consider changing the configuration if you also find that it bumps too often.

Soil suction test

This robot vacuum is less powerful than most models I've tested but it also costs less, it's a compromise between power and price. The power is especially useful for bringing slightly heavier or more distant dirt to the suction area under the vacuum cleaner. Less power doesn't mean the robot isn't efficient, it will just have a harder time picking up dirt where it can't move. I am thinking in particular of the corners of a room or under certain pieces of furniture that are too low to let the vacuum cleaner pass.

As usual, I tested the suction with cereals of different sizes, I then used the "remote control" mode of the application to direct the vacuum cleaner towards the area to be vacuumed, this explains the erratic movement of the 'vacuum. The vacuum cleaner managed to suck up all the cereals without ejecting everything outwards with the brushes, the smallest crumbs are sucked up on the first pass while the large pieces get stuck under the vacuum cleaner while waiting to cross the road of the canal suction. With the "remote control" mode I can make the vacuum move as I want so that it completes the work, if it is in automatic mode, the larger pieces may follow the vacuum all the way (while remaining below it). In the end, the result is good and the use of two brushes brings an advantage here, it avoids the phenomenon of ejection of dirt that I often encounter on vacuum cleaners with a single brush.

Carpet suction test

Carpets are not the favorite surface for robots, it is rather the domain of stick vacuums but that does not mean that robots are completely useless on this kind of surface. The Lefant will be able to pick up superficial dirt, but if you want deep cleaning, you need a stick vacuum cleaner that can stay longer in the same place and its power will allow it to pick up well-encrusted dirt. For the video, I used the "remote control" mode to bring the vacuum cleaner to the right place and also then to make it go back to where there was cereal left. Automatic mode will do one pass and may leave some dirt.

Cleaning speed

The cleaning speed depends on the configuration of your home because if the robot has to encounter a lot of obstacles, the cleaning time will be longer. I try to clear my house as much as possible so that the vacuum cleaner can circulate freely. Averaging the different cleanings, I measured a cleaning speed of around 0.45m² per minute. You can thus estimate the time needed to clean your home and check if the autonomy is sufficient for the surface to be cleaned.

Autonomy

Autonomy is a fairly variable element in robot vacuums because the composition of your home will play a role in the speed of cleaning and therefore also in autonomy. With a speed of 0.45m² per minute, it therefore takes 1 hour for 27m² and 2 hours for 54m². After two hours you will arrive below 20% battery. If you want to take advantage of longer battery life, you need to clear your home as much as possible so that the vacuum cleaner does not waste too much time with obstacles. The charge is not very fast, it takes more than 3 hours to recharge the battery, so you have to organize yourself so that the vacuum cleaner can do its job in 2 hours.

App

To control this vacuum cleaner you must use the Lefant app which will allow you to manage all your Lefant vacuum cleaners if you have several like me. Only older models are not supported. The app is easy to use and especially useful for setting suction strength or detection sensitivity. On the other hand, it does not allow you to manage the cartography of your home and I find that quite curious because the map is clearly visible when the robot is working but once it returns to its base, the map disappears.

Conclusion

The Lefant M210P is an entry-level robot vacuum, that means it doesn't have all the features or power of a more expensive vacuum, but that doesn't mean it doesn't do a good job. . This model of vacuum cleaner is certainly less powerful than the other models that I tested but it is less expensive and can easily get rid of animal hair, feathers, cereals, crumbs and all the dirt of everyday life as long as these dirt are not too encrusted or too large. To take full advantage of a robot vacuum cleaner of this type, it is necessary to promote regular cleaning to avoid excessive accumulation of dirt and if you have to intervene locally, I recommend using the "remote control" mode to be sure to do enough passes.

The application is well designed and easy to use, but the mapping of your home is not available on this model, so you will not be able to send the robot to a specific location without guiding it manually. On the other hand, the application allows you to adjust the level of sensitivity and by default, this is at a minimum and this will force the vacuum cleaner to touch obstacles everywhere. I therefore advise to change the sensitivity to prevent it from bumping everywhere.

Autonomy is correct for a medium-sized house or apartment but for a larger dwelling (ex: 100m²), the vacuum cleaner may need to return to its base before it has finished its work and you will therefore have to wait almost 3 hours before being able to continue. On all the tests I have done, the robot has always found its base.

Strengths:
- small size that easily passes under furniture
- less noisy than average
- equipped with two brushes, more limited dirt ejection
- very easy to use
- well-designed app
- possibility of manual guidance
- adjustable sensitivity

Weaknesses:
- Loading time
- not suitable for large homes
- no cartography
- not suitable for large homes