With increasingly sophisticated robot vacuum cleaners, the Lefant M210 offers the essentials at a contained price. Let’s see what it is worth on a daily basis and if it is still effective despite its affordable price in this comprehensive test.
Robot vacuums have long been considered overpriced gadgets with questionable performance. However, they have greatly improved in recent years, to the point of becoming affordable and effective. The most advanced models, such as the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra or the Dreame L10s Ultra, are notably capable of vacuuming and mopping floors independently, while effectively identifying obstacles. On the other hand, they remain very expensive, exceeding the symbolic bar of 1,000 euros.
Fortunately, there are more affordable and less sophisticated models. This is particularly the case of the Lefant M210, the best-selling model on Amazon France. It owes its success in particular to a particularly attractive price, since it is very often displayed at less than 150 euros, which is very interesting for a robot vacuum cleaner. At this price, let’s see if it is worth it and if its performance is satisfactory.
Lefant M210 Technical sheet
| Model | Lefant M210 |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 28cm x 7.8cm x 28cm |
| Obstacle detection | 1 |
| Color | White |
| Wash function | |
Product sheet |
This test was carried out with a Lefant M210 lent by the brand.
Lefant M210 Design and ergonomics
Like the majority of robot vacuum cleaners, the Lefant M210 is round, but offers reduced dimensions, with a size of 28 x 28 x 7.6 cm, one of the smallest for such a product. The plastics are unflattering and seem of average quality, but you shouldn’t be too demanding at this price point.
On the top, there is a single button, as well as a hatch concealing the dust container. This construction is quite ingenious and avoids having to turn the robot over to empty the bin. The latter offers a volume of 500 mL, which is about average. The brand has also designed the top of the vacuum cleaner by putting edges on it, officially to prevent it from getting stuck under furniture, but we will judge the effectiveness of these later.
Source: Hagop Kavafian for Frandroid
Source: Hagop Kavafian for Frandroid
Under the robot, Lefant has included two rotating silicone side brushes that are responsible for collecting dust and cleaning the corners. Unfortunately, there’s no central brush roll, which means the M210 just sucks up dust, not being able to lift and dislodge bulky dirt.
Let’s finish with the contents of the box, which of course includes the vacuum cleaner and the charging base, but also a filter and two additional brushes, which is very significant. Many reputable brands no longer include spare consumables, even on very high-end products, which makes it all the more appreciated for the effort put in by manufacturers who take the trouble to do so.
Lefant M210 Application and management
The M210 is a connected robot vacuum cleaner and works with Alexa and Google Assistant, in addition to the Lefant app. It is easy to use and is quickly understood, despite the fact that it is translated into approximate French. It allows to consult the state of the battery and the progress of the cleaning, in particular thanks to a map generated live. The latter remains very approximate, but gives a rough idea of the areas to which the robot could not access. It is important to specify that this card cannot be used later to send the robot to a specific room. It is also generated anew at each cycle and is only used to map the cleaned space.
A few options are also offered, such as starting or pausing cleaning, sending the robot back to its charging base, making it make a noise to find it, and controlling the suction level. It is also possible to move it using the virtual remote control and choose the cleaning mode. This option allows in particular to vacuum a small area or only the edges of a room, in addition to a complete cleaning. Finally, the “timed tasks» allow you to program cleaning cycles in advance, which is very useful if you want the robot to work while you are away.
Lefant M210 Performance
As mentioned earlier, the Lefant M210 has two side brushes and a suction port without a brush roll. Its 1,800 Pa suction power provides decent performance, but well below the 6,000 Pa offered on the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra and higher-end models.
We were able to test the M210 in two houses of around 100 m² and test its performance. In the first, where the rooms are quite open and wide, he was able to easily find his way and find his way without too many problems. In the second, he very frequently got stuck under furniture and couldn’t get out. The lack of radar and laser is quickly felt, since the robot does not know how to detect obstacles unless it bumps into them. He also has a knack for trying to climb on the legs of tables or chairs and sometimes even get stuck there. Similarly, cables and curtains must be put away before throwing it, at the risk of seeing it swallow them.
Worse still, the robot has trouble navigating and recognizing parts. He goes back to the same places very frequently and sometimes ignores others. In the second house, he also turned in the living room without stopping until his battery ran out and without even going into the kitchen, despite the fact that there was no step between the two. pieces.
Navigation is therefore not the forte of the Lefant M210, but what is its aspiration worth? It is surprisingly good and quiet on hard floors. The robot is able to vacuum fairly dirty, dusty floors rich in canine hair without too much trouble. We purposely put it through its paces after a walk in the woods and grooming the dog, and the salon was clean after it went through, which is quite impressive for an entry-level product. The two side brushes are responsible for pushing the dirt to the center of the robot, where the hole is responsible for sucking it up. They effectively clean corners and skirting boards, without leaving any residual dust.
Three suction powers are available, ranging from the quietest to the most powerful. That said, the latter is not very noisy and it is still quite possible to have a conversation or watch TV while the vacuum cleaner is working.
On the mats, things get complicated. The low suction power and the lack of a rubber brush do not allow the robot to effectively collect dust in depth. However, it is suitable for picking up crumbs on low-pile carpet.
Let’s finish with the autonomy of about 100 minutes, which is suitable for an apartment or the floor of a house. The robot automatically returns to recharge when the battery reaches 14%, but often struggles to find its base and can sometimes “losebefore it had a chance to recharge.
Lefant M210 Interview
The M210 requires little maintenance. Its 500 mL dust container fills up quickly, so remember to empty it after an average of two cycles. The small brush integrated into the charging station allows you to clean the suction orifice, which you will have to think about doing about once a month or so, in order to prevent it from clogging. Apart from these few actions and the change of filter and brushes, the simplicity of the robot means that its maintenance is minimal.
In fact, you’ll probably spend more time looking for where it got stuck than maintaining it.
Lefant M210 Price and release date
The Lefant M210 is already available. Its base price is 220 euros, but it is around 140 euros.
Where to buy The
Lefant M210 at the best price?
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