We Tested The Tineco Floor One Switch S7. Here's How The Multifunctional Cleaner Performed

In my home — which includes two adults, two dogs, and two cats — cleaning is a seemingly unending task. All of our pets shed, but the most recent addition, a shepherd mix named Scarlett, loses fur with the power of 10. As much as I'd like to blame all the messes on the animals, though, my husband and I do our fair share. There are always crumbs from his snacking habit, and I have a special talent for tracking in dirt and leaves from the garden when I come in (and back out, and back in again...).

Our old Dyson is a powerhouse, but you can only extend a Dyson's life so far; it doesn't work as well as it used to, and it's lacking in modern features. Powerful and convenient floor cleaners are a must in our high-traffic home, and I think I'd be more likely to clean up messes as they happen with a cordless option. That brings us to the Tineco Floor One Switch S7 multifunctional cleaner, which offers some very appealing modern characteristics that just may help me keep my house cleaner.

Tineco has a variety of high-tech vacuums and floor washers featuring smart technology. The timing for this couldn't be better, on my end, as we are just beginning to add smart home technology to our property – a 1950s ranch home. While I absolutely love being able to adjust our home's temperature before I get out of bed, though, do I really need a smart floor cleaner? I decided it was time to find out.

The box for the Tineco Floor One Switch S7 multifunctional cleaner was pretty big, but it was still light enough for me to handle easily. Once I opened the box, it started to feel like I was clearing out a clown car; there were so many bits and pieces that I started to feel a little overwhelmed. At first, I thought, "This is way too much stuff for a vacuum," but I remembered it's not just a vacuum, it's a whole floor cleaning system. I really hoped the instructions would be clear.

Thankfully, it was much more intuitive than I had worried. There are two primary pieces in this set, the floor washer and a stick vacuum, which converts to a handheld cleaner. The hardware was simple to put together. I just had to insert the handles on each. Then, I plugged in the motor, which moves easily from the floor washer to the stick vac, depending on which one you're using. I put the two pieces of the charging base together and put each cleaner in its designated spot. The user guide provided instructions that were easy to understand, and I had my new floor cleaning system charging in no time. The charging dock is compact and tidy, with two spots to hold accessories.

While the instructions for putting the hardware pieces together were very easy to understand, there was very little information on the digital and smart features. I don't usually have a hard time with technology, but since digital floor cleaning functions are new to me, detailed instructions would have been very helpful. It didn't take too long to gain an understanding of the different features and how to change them, but connecting to Wi-Fi required some patience.

The instruction book states to press a button on the handle, which told me to scan the QR code to "download the app and connect the appliance." That took me to the website to register the product, but I could not find further instructions on the website to connect to Wi-Fi or a link to the app. I did find the app in the Google Play Store, but encountered several errors before finally getting connected to Wi-Fi. After all this, I still didn't exactly understand why connecting my floor cleaning system to Wi-Fi was necessary... Perhaps the purpose will become more clear over time.

The head movement of this floor cleaner is super smooth and easy to navigate compared to my old Dyson. The head swivels nicely with exceptionally intuitive movements. This floor washer has four settings; the eco and max modes determine how quickly the roller moves, and you can use this cleaner with or without a cleaning solution. I washed my exceptionally dirty kitchen floor on eco mode with only water and it provided impressive results.

The main problem I encountered is that my lower cabinets stick out about 2 inches above the floor, and this floor cleaner is too tall to fit in that crevice. While the accessible floor space was exceptionally clean, the area along the bottom cabinets could not be washed. The concept of having a mop and vac in one step seems like a great idea – run the cleaner once and all your nasty floor problems are solved. When I was finished cleaning, I placed the floor washer on the charging dock to start the self-cleaning process. This rinses out the system and washes the brush roller. This is great for those who are passionate about clean floors, but for those with hairy pets, know ahead of time that it gets kind of nasty – you have to remove soggy pet hair and other detritus from the dirty water canister when you're finished.

I did not have high expectations for the suction power of this little stick vacuum, but I was pleasantly surprised. It not only did a great job cleaning up surface gunk, like crumbs and pet hair, but it is also exceptional at picking up dust. In an old house with several pets, this is a really big deal. It also folds almost to the ground while cleaning, making it perfect for getting everything that hides under furniture.

I'd love for this little cordless vacuum to replace our old Dyson, but there are a few issues. The first is that the dust bin is pretty small; great for quick clean-ups, but not nearly big enough for whole-house cleaning. Just vacuuming my living room filled the dustbin beyond capacity. Luckily, it is really easy to empty. Also, even though the floor cleaner stands up on its own when not in use, the stick vacuum does not. If you need to take a break, you must prop it up against something.

The Tineco Floor One Switch S7 is an excellent option in most situations. For people in small homes without multiple pets, this product is efficient and compact enough to cover most, if not all, of your floor cleaning needs. For those with pets or larger families, it probably won't replace a full-sized vacuum cleaner. However, the floor washer alone is excellent, and the stick vac is easy to use and perfect for quick clean-ups. It would also work beautifully in homes that primarily have tile, sealed wood, or laminate floors.

If you want to use a cleaning solution to wash your floors, be aware that the instructions state that you must use their product. Luckily, the Tineco Floor One Switch S7 comes with a bottle to get you started. Still, this is something to know ahead of time.

Techie folks who love the idea of a smart vac may be a bit disappointed in the app, which currently has a rating of 2.7 stars in the Google app store. However, if you are looking for a high-quality solid floor cleaner with a bonus stick vacuum that has handheld options, this product would be hard to beat.