The Lefant F1 is an inexpensive and compact vacuum robot with a mopping function. The values for suction power, battery life and dust tank are impressive – and definitely arouse curiosity. Our hands-on test will tell you whether the Lefant F1 is a bargain vacuum robot for the price called up.
Per
- pleasantly quiet when vacuuming
- large dust container
- two cleaning brushes
- strong battery life
Contra
- stupid wifi requirements for setup
- no cartography function
- prone to obstacles
- “Light” wiping function
Lefant F1: price and availability
Disclaimer: This hands-on is part of a cooperation between Nextpit and Lefant. This had no influence on the editorial opinion in this test report.
The Lefant F1 is a compact vacuum robot. At the back you can see four holes into which the wiper module docks. / © NextPit
As for the regular price, the Lefant F1 isn’t exactly a bargain. The nominal price of the robot on Amazon is 329.99 euros – and there are numerous established competitors in this price range, some with better features. However, Lefant is currently running a discount campaign on Amazon that saves you a good 150 euros.
Lefant F1
Unboxing and setup
Even before opening the packaging, it is noticeable that the box is small for a robot vacuum cleaner. The impression is confirmed after opening the lid. With a diameter of almost 28 centimeters, the Lefant F1 is really tiny. The size typical for vacuum robots is around 35 centimeters. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean that the dust container will be significantly smaller. With 600 milliliters, it offers the same or even more volume than many of the much more expensive and larger vacuum robots from Roborock & Co.
Small robot, huge dust tank: the Lefant F1 has a disproportionately large capacity for dirt. / © NextPit
The accessories in the box are quite abundant: Here you will find a mop plate, two reusable wipes, a spare fine dust filter and a two-meter-long magnetic tape to mark areas forbidden for the robot. However, the latter is quite thick and is clearly noticeable under carpets. Last but not least, there are also a number of damp disposable mop towels in the box. There are replacements for both the disposable and reusable wipes on Amazon:
Bluelirr disposable and reusable wipes for Lefant F1
After inserting two of the four brushes into the holders provided, the storage robot is ready for use – the wiping cloth is optional. Incidentally, the Lefant F1 does not have its own wiping tank – so it can either take a wet washcloth or take the disposable wipes described above for a walk.
Several such moist disposable wipes are included in the scope of delivery. There are also reusable wipes in the box. / © NextPit
The setup itself is largely self-explanatory. The QR code on the robot leads to the download of the app, which is available in English and Chinese. Unfortunately, there are a few problems with the setup. When setting up the account, the app does not allow passwords with special characters. In the absence of a specific error message, I only find out by trial and error. Coupling with the home WLAN also fails. Here, in the help dialog of the Lefant app, there is a hint that neither the SSID nor the WiFi password may have more than ten characters. I’m at 19 or 28 – and swear a lot.
No special characters in the password and a maximum of ten characters for SSID and WLAN password: The setup was a bit bumpy. / © NextPit
Before the first test, I charge the robot to 100 percent. This takes a comparatively long time of around three hours, but it’s no wonder considering the strong battery. The power storage should also be sufficient for three hours of continuous suction. After the robot needs around 15 to 18 minutes per ten square meters, you get around 125 to 130 square meters of suction area. The cleaning process can be started either via the rather rudimentary app or via the buttons on the top of the Lefant F1. Let’s go!
Suction and wiping performance in the check
The Lefant F1 eagerly gets going with its two brushes and 4000 Pa suction power. However, the first few vacuums are frustrating. The little robot navigates itself several times in dead ends and does not get any further. Sometimes he gets stuck under a flowerpot stand, sometimes between the couch and the wall – and sometimes he gets tangled up in a jacket and screams for help. In contrast to much more expensive models, the Lefant F1 does not have a laser scanner or the like on board – and it does not create a (permanent) floor plan. If it gets stuck once and you free it, the suction process starts at zero.
If the robot gets stuck, the suction process starts at zero. In the app you can roughly see where and how the robot has already been on the move, but the Lefant F1 does not create a floor plan and save it. / © NextPit
In practice this means: you really should remove all obstacles. Don’t leave anything lying around on the floor – and mark danger spots with the barrier tape provided. In the absence of tickets, there is no other way to declare certain rooms or corners to be no-go areas – unless you just close the door. It is also not possible to clean individual rooms or corners in this way. That would be unfavorable in my case: the Lefant F1 – like other robotic vacuum cleaners – regularly sticks to the feet of my dining room chairs. A barrier using magnetic tape is unfortunately not practical here.
The charging dock is – in keeping with the Lefant F1 itself – compact and offers integrated cable routing. / © NextPit
When observing the Lefant F1, its suction pattern appears to be quite confused. However, the app shows as an animation how the robot moves through the rooms – and here it does not leave out any empty spots. This is also confirmed in practice. Crumbs, dust and dirt can no longer be found after the cleaning process has been completed. The wiping function cannot of course be compared with the more expensive models – but it is quite practical, for example, to free the kitchen or the entrance area of tomato splatters or shoe prints. You should then just close the doors so that the Lefant F1 cleans exactly this area.
Nom nom: With its two brushes, the Lefant F1 reliably shovels dirt into the suction module. / © NextPit
The app itself is quite rudimentary. Here you can start and stop the cleaning process, set up cleaning schedules, set different suction levels, adjust the collision sensitivity and install firmware updates. There is also a remote control function using virtual arrow keys and a find-me function that makes the robot beep loudly.
Lefant F1: bargain sucker or not?
The Lefant F1 costs a nominal 329.99 euros on Amazon. However, there is currently a discount campaign that saves you EUR 155.00. For just under 200 euros, the Lefant F1 is definitely a very exciting vacuum robot, which is particularly impressive with its large tank and powerful suction power.
You won’t find laser scanners & Co. on the Lefant F1. However, you can hardly expect that for 200 euros. / © NextPit
There is also the option of having the robot wiped, albeit only with a damp cloth – and not well-dosed and on larger areas using a water tank. In addition, the robot makes everything humid due to the lack of background detection. But at least for 200 euros, anything else would be too much to ask. For the regular retail price of well over 300 euros, however, there are better alternatives.
Below you will find the link to the Lefant F1 on Amazon. You can currently click on an 85 euro discount voucher under the discounted price and thus get a purchase price of less than 200 euros.
Lefant F1