Tineco Pure One S12 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner Review

About this cordless vacuum

• Battery: 2 removable batteries

• Runtime: 20 minutes on the highest setting between both batteries

• Attachments: Direct-drive LED multi-tasker power brush, mini power brush, 2-in-1 dusting brush, crevice tool, flexible long crevice tool, soft dusting tool

• Warranty: Two-year warranty

What we like

Excellent UI: The Tineco has one of the most unique user interfaces on the market. When you pull the trigger, the top of the unit lights up with how much battery is left, how dirty your floor is, and how much suction is being used.

Long battery life: On the highest settings, the battery lasted a little over 10 minutes. The total run time adds up to 20 minutes since the Pure One comes with two batteries. That’s way more than the nine minutes the Dyson V11 can last.

Self-cleaning filter: The Pure One S12 comes with a special attachment that pre-filters the air. The idea is that if debris-free air passes through the unit, it’ll help clear out the actual filter. It’s no substitute for checking and wiping down the internals, but it’ll lower the frequency of needed cleanings.

Easy on the hands: When shopping for cordless vacuums, there are two distinct designs: trigger or button. Trigger-operated models are good for spot cleaning—on and off as quickly as your index finger can move. Button models turn on and stay on, which is good for long vacuuming marathons. The Pure One has both, a trigger and a switch that keeps the trigger down.

What we don’t like

It looks better than it performs. For a vacuum that costs over $500, the Pure One’s performance lags behind similarly priced competitors. During testing, it picked up 67% of the dirt we laid out for it. That’s low compared to the LG CordZero, which picked up 72% of the dirt, and the Dyson V11, which picked up 95%.

We’re not sold on the app. The Pure One S12 has its own free app that reports data like filter status and how much dirt the vacuum has picked up. However, the most useful tricks we found are the stored manuals and tutorials for when things go wrong. In this day and age, everything communicates with the internet, but this app hasn’t convinced us it’s important for your cordless to do so.

Test results at a glance

• Weight: 6.8 pounds with heaviest attachments

• Battery life: 10 minutes on highest settings or about 30 minutes on medium, per battery

• Dirt pickup: 67% per run

• Storage and assembly: Requires wall mount

What users are saying

As of the writing of this review, user reviews are pretty scarce. Out of 12 reviews on Amazon, the average rating is a 4.1 stars out of 5.

Should you buy this vacuum?

If Silicon Valley collectively designed a cordless vacuum, we’d imagine it’d look like the Tineco Pure One S12. It definitely has a style all its own. Unfortunately, our testing shows that effort in style trumps that in performance. As a vacuum, it’s good, but not $600 good. In the performance department, the Pure One is outdone by Dysons and LGs in its price range. Techies who want the sleekest appliances should check out the Pure One, but everyone else might be better off with another model.