Credit:
Reviewed / Kyle Hamilton
Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.
Mopping is one of those household chores that can create more messes than it cleans. So that’s why we like products like the Tineco Floor One S3. It’s a cordless combination of a wet/dry vacuum and a Swiffer WetJet that can remove stains as well as spills. For anyone with hardwood floors, the S3 is the solution we’ve been waiting for.
About Tineco Floor One S3
The S3 comes with two brush rolls, filters, a cleaning tool, and the unit itself.
Tineco describes the S3 as a “smart floor washer” for its two special features. The first is the app and voice integration. The app displays the battery level and how dirty the water tank is, and it also gives you access to the manual. And instead of reading the stats off the app, you can have the Tineco announce things like when to empty the water tank.
The S3 also has an onboard user interface that displays how dirty the floor is that you're cleaning. It starts off red and turns blue when the internal dirt sensors detect a sparkling floor. We’ve seen this technology before in the Tineco Pure One S12 cordless vacuum. In our experiments with the S12, the sensors were about 80% to 90% accurate.
The S3 weighs about 11 pounds when full of water and we found it incredibly easy to maneuver around. However, we should note you can’t tilt the body more than 142 degrees, otherwise the water tanks fall out.
The user interface lets you know if your floors are clean.
On the cleaning front, the S3 uses a cloth brush roller driven by a 200W motor, and both clean and dirty water tanks. Water from the clean tank washes over the brush roll and then gets suctioned back up and pumped into the dirty tank. When you’re done, the brush can be cleaned while it is the dock.
Does the Tineco Floor One S3 clean well?
We found the S3 performed well at removing stains.
Yes. Our testing consisted of two challenges: sticky stains and spilled cereal. In both instances, the S3 powered through. For the sticky stain test, we tried cleaning dried ketchup without any cleaning solution—the S3 made the tile floor look spotless.
On the spilled cereal and milk, the S3 sanctioned up the mess with no issues, as well as any wet/dry vacuum we’ve tested. Afterward, we used the self-cleaning cycle in the dock and the roller looked brand new again.
How does it compare to the competition?
Karcher and Swiffer make similar products to the Tineco Floor One S3.
Tineco Floor One S3 vs. Swiffer WetJet
While a Swiffer WetJet has a lower upfront cost, over time, the price of pads, cleaning solutions, and AAA batteries will add up.
Our tests with the Swiffer for our best mops roundup showed that it had a hard time picking up large spills. The Swiffer is also prone to "snow plowing" where it just pushes spills and debris around, while the S3 picks stuff up.
Tineco Floor One S3 vs. Karcher FC 5
The Karcher FC 5 is very similar in design to the Tineco, but it uses a 25-foot cord. When we tested the Karcher, it impressed us with its power. It’s a little bit unwieldy until you turn it on, then the motorized brush makes the unit glide across the floor. When you’re done, the roller is machine washable.
Because of its power, we’d recommend the Karcher for homeowners who need to clean wood, tile, and stone. Comparing the two, we feel like the Karcher is better at polishing and general maintenance of surfaces, but the S3 is better at spot cleaning. The Karcher takes a little more to set up, while the S3 is more like a grab-and-go tool.
Tineco Floor One S3 vs. Hoover Floormate
The Hoover Floormate is part of the ONEPWR lineup—a group of cleaning products that have swappable batteries. Cleaning-wise, the Floormate has similar performance to the S3. If you’re looking for a cordless vacuum, a handheld vacuum, or even a leaf blower, it might behoove you to invest in the Floormate.
Should you buy the Tineco Floor One S3?
The Floor One S3 charges and self-cleans in the dock.
Look inside your utility closet. If you see a clutter of vacuums, mops, and Swiffers, the answer is probably yes. The S3 can consolidate all that into one cleaning tool. It may be more expensive, but it will save you time and energy. Scrubbing stains is hard on the back and mops make drippy messes.
The Tineco Floor One S3 is available on April 17, but you can preorder now.