We’ve reviewed a couple of Tineco mop vacuums in the past, like the Floor One S5 Combo and the Floor One S6 Pro Extreme. Both have been fantastic all-in-one options for my hardwood floors over the past few months. And yet, The Tineco Floor One S7 Steam feels like another step up. Sure, it’s and wet and dry vacuum mop for hardwood floors, but the Floor One S7 Steam manages to rectify a few issues we had with previous models, making it one of the best wet and dry vacuums available today.
Design
The Floor One S7 Steam bears many similarities to its predecessors and alternatives. It comes in a few separate pieces out of the box, which requires the handles to be plugged into the unit itself, and then the unit onto the included charging station. An additional rolling brush head and filter, along with a cleaning brush are also included for good measure.
When assembled, you’ll find the dirty water tank up front and the refillable water tank around the back. Both attach and detach with the click of a button and are super easy to clean and refill. The only issue with the overall design of the dirty water tank is that while the water is easy enough to pour out into a sink or drain, an interior plastic filter catches and separates any larger debris from the water. If you have dogs like me that shed occasionally, you’ll find yourself pulling gooey clumps of hair out from this compartment to pop into the bin. The cleaning brush helps to a certain extent, but it’s also worth noting that this pretty much affects vacuum mops in general.
On the handle towards the front, you’ll find a standard power button, along with a dedicated mode button that can switch between Auto, Steam and Steam Boost modes. The Self-Cleaning button resides at the top of the handle and is used to run a self-cleaning cycle when the unit is back on its charging stand. The unit also includes an LED display, which updates you on the battery percentage and selected cleaning modes, along with the same voice prompts from previous models to point out which mode you’ve selected and when to run cleaning cycles or charge the battery.
It’s a safe bet, and even if you’ve never used one of these before, a couple of trips to clean this out and pop it on charge will have you switching between modes, cleaning the tank and refilling the Floor One S7 Steam in no time.
Performance
General performance feels like the biggest leap forward in that the Floor One S7 Steam no longer requires Tineco’s dedicated cleaning solution. Instead, the unit includes a steam function that heats the inside of the head up to 140 degrees Celsius, in order to essentially kill any bacteria on the floor without the need to refill and measure cleaning solution. There’s no need to stress, as there’s really no part of the exterior that heats up to a point where you can’t touch it. It’s a huge plus, and the unit only takes around 30 seconds to switch into this mode as it prepares the steam function on the fly as you clean.
The Auto mode essentially acts like a regular vacuum mop and takes advantage of Tineco’s iLoop technology, which understands how to evenly distribute water as you clean. The Steam mode acts like it sounds, while the Steam Boost mode increases the suction and water distribution for a deeper clean. The running time suggests up to 35 minutes, but keep in mind, the regular Steam or Steam Boost mode will suck this thing dry in under 20 minutes. Pun intended. That being said, it’s mainly worth using the Steam modes in highly populated areas where bacteria may be more prevalent.
Otherwise, the Floor One S7 Steam is super easy to operate as far as the controls go, but it’s certainly one of the heavier vacuum mops I’ve ever used. It’s not as annoying in the sense that you don’t really need to pick it up to adjust it, only really to pop it on the charging stand. It controls much like its predecessors with a turning handle, but it just feels heavy in the hands. The front light helps pick up pesky debris which can’t always be detected by the naked eye, but you’re made aware of how heavy it is when you’re trying to twist and turn it to get into the corners of each room.
The charging stand includes all your add-ons and accessories once again, and allows the Floor One S7 Steam to begin a self-cleaning cycle. Much like the previous models, the unit pretty much wants to self-clean after every use, and this can sometimes mean not only emptying and refilling after a clean but emptying and refilling immediately after a self-clean again, just so the unit will stay happy.
The suction is generally fantastic, and I feel as though while more expensive at A$1199, saves you more in the long run without the need to constantly refill and measure with the aforementioned Tineco cleaning solution required in other models. As a result, I feel as though this builds on existing floor mops in a unique, yet efficient way, providing something that’s easy enough to use and reassemble after a clean.
Software
We’re taking an expert from our previous Floor One S5 Combo and Floor One S6 Pro Extreme reviews, as we believe the available software applies to the Floor One S7 Steam Extreme in very much the same way:
“It’s also compatible with the Tineco Life app, a feature that I admittedly was not aware of until later in this review period. While it can’t control the functionality of the vacuum itself, it can do a couple of cool things.
Firstly, it can detect and track how often you’ve used it per day and even track how dirty the water you’ve collected is, thanks to the vacuum’s iLoop Smart Sensor technology. Secondly, it can also be used to alter the volume and even silence the voice prompts featured and even download those prompts in various languages.
It’s not the flashiest app or even a necessary one for most users, but I can commend the added functionality and flexibility that this provides, should you want to keep on top of your cleaning schedule.”
Verdict & Value
The Tineco Floor One S7 Steam might be a little heavy and annoying to clean at times, but these flaws in no way detract from the immensely positive experience I had with this vacuum mop. The function is fantastic and its super easy to use, while the change to steam over a dedicated cleaning solution makes it much easier to manage in the long run.
While the more expensive price tag of A$1199 certainly deserves some consideration, I would recommend this to anyone in a home with hardwood floors or tiles, as one of the best wet and dry vacuum mops on the market today.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Easy to use and assemble, Handy display and voice commands; Great suction; Steam mode replaces Tineco cleaning solution
Lowlights: Like previous models, needs to be cleaned and maintained regularly; Heavier than most alternatives
Manufacturer: Tineco
Price: A$1199
Available: Now
Review based on unit supplied by Tineco.
