At a glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Excellent cleaning performance
- Easy assembly
- Versatile
Cons
- Self-cleaning doesn’t completely dry mop roller
- Small dustbin capacity
- Hard to conceal
Our Verdict
The Tineco Floor One Switch S7 takes a unique approach to double-duty floor cleaning by offering two separate appliances that share a swappable motor. Both do their jobs well, but the approach may not be to everyone’s liking.
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Best Prices Today: Tineco Floor One Switch S7
Tineco’s Floor One Switch S7 isn’t unique for being a double-duty floor cleaner, but its approach is.
For more conventional options, see our top recommendations among the best vacuum cleaners and the best wet and dry vacuums .
Rather than cramming all the features of a vacuum and mop into one multi-functional appliance, Tineco has simply paired two separate products that share a swappable motor in one package.
Design
The first is an upright floor washer that resembles a slimmed-down version of Tineco’s Floor One S7 Pro . It has some similar specs, too, including 0.72-liter and 0.85-liter tanks for dirty and clean water, respectively; iLoop sensor technology that detects wet and dry messes and tailors suction power and water flow accordingly; and a self-cleaning system that washes and air dries its roller.
The other product is a cordless stick vacuum that can be converted into a hand vac. The documentation is light on details about this device, but the typical components are present, including the vacuum body, a floor brush, a mini power brush, and a 2-in-1 dusting brush and crevice tool.
The Switch S7 dock holds both appliances and their accesories.
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
All that hardware is intimidating when you’re unboxing it, but once you organize each device’s parts, attachments, and charging docks, assembly is straightforward. All I had to do was insert the handle into the floor washer and then attach the stick vacuum body to the extension tube and the tube to the floor brush. The floor washer’s dock plugs into the wall and the vacuum’s dock attaches to it like a sidecar, thus allowing the switchable motor to be charged with a single power supply no matter which appliance it’s connected to.
The floor cleaner can be used with tap water alone or in combination with Tineco’s cleaning solution, a 16.9-ounce bottle of which is supplied.
Operation and settings
My experience with the cleaner was similar to the S7 Pro. It maneuvered much more nimbly than a corded vacuum, allowing me to easily clean around furniture, along walls, and under cabinets. As you clean, the iLoop indicator surrounding the motor’s LED screen shows your progress, glowing red when dirt is detected and gradually turning blue as it’s removed.
The cleaner defaults to Auto mode, but you can switch settings using the handle’s mode button. Max mode increases suction and water spray to tackle stubborn stains, while Suction mode is designed to remove liquid from surfaces. You can unlock a Custom mode, allowing you to personalize the suction power and water spray settings to suit specific cleaning needs, by pairing the cleaner with the Tineco Life app.
The iLoop indicator on the battery’s display lets you know when dirt is detected and when the floor is clean.
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
Performance
During my testing period, I had to use the floor cleaner to deal with a pretty big milk spill. What normally would have required about half a roll of paper towels and a vigorous mopping to clean up took only a few minutes with the Switch S7 floor cleaner and left the floor looking just as clean. It also made short work of dealing with coffee and jelly stains.
When I was done, I just set the floor cleaner on its charging dock and started the self-cleaning process, which washes and air-dries its roller and main pipe. Because the process only lasts a few minutes, the roller was never entirely dry at the end, so I always swapped in the spare roller and put the wet one outside to dry in the sun.
Although the floor washer vacuums as it mops, all the solid debris it picks up is deposited in the dirty water tank. That leaves you with the icky prospect of having to dispose of soggy food crumbs and pet hair, sometimes manually.
That makes the addition of the stick vacuum something of a lifesaver. I quickly pivoted to doing thorough vacuuming before using the floor cleaner. The stick vac is advertised as tangle-free, and indeed I never had to unwrap pet or human hair strands, both of which are in plentiful supply in my home, from the roller brush. It also left my floors visibly free of debris, and it easily passed our rice test, removing the entire half-cup I scattered on an area rug.
Both floor cleaners are powered by a single switchable motor.
Michael Ansaldo/IDG
Specifications
- Battery capacity: 3,900 mAh
- Maximum running time: 40 minutes (floor washer), 65 minutes (vacuum)
- Charging time: 4.5 hours
- Clean water tank capacity: 0.85l
- Dirty water tank capacity: 0.72l
- Weight: 22.93 pounds
- Display type: LCD
- Cleaning modes: Max, Auto, and Custom
Should you buy the Tineco Floor One Switch S7?
If you’re intrigued by the Tineco Floor One Switch S7, you should consider a few things before you purchase it. Although Tineco doesn’t explicitly say so, the system is best suited for smaller homes with lots of hard floors and maybe one or two area rugs. That’s because, while both devices do their job well, the floor washer is the clear heavy hitter of the pair. The stick vacuum is great for quick clean-ups, but it can’t match the power and dirt capacity of a corded vacuum, which makes it a tough sell for large or carpeted homes.
The system also requires a good amount of space. Unlike robot vacuums, which can be more easily concealed or blended in with home furnishings, the Switch S7’s two upright floor cleaners are likely to stand out wherever you install them. They can’t be stashed in a closet like corded cleaners because they need continuous AC power to keep their switchable motor charged.
If you’re OK with those caveats, though, the Tineco Floor One Switch S7 is a solid solution for your floor upkeep.
Best Prices Today: Tineco Floor One Switch S7
Author: Michael Ansaldo, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Michael Ansaldo is veteran consumer and business technology journalist. He’s been a contributor to our sister site TechHive since 2013, covering robot vacuums, home security cameras, and other smart devices. He previously served as PCWorld’s Small Business Editor, and his tech coverage has appeared in Wired, Macworld, Mac|Life, Mobile Magazine, Enterprise.Nxt, Executive Travel, and other publications.
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