We’ve reviewed a few Tineco mop-and-vacs before, like the Floor One S5 Combo and the Floor One S6 Pro Extreme. Both have been excellent choices for cleaning my hardwood floors over the past few months. The Tineco Floor One S7 Steam feels like a step up. Granted, it’s a wet-and-dry vacuum for hardwood floors, but the Floor One S7 Steam has managed to address some of the issues we had with the previous model, making it one of the best wet-and-dry vacuums currently on the market.
The Floor One S7 Steam shares a lot of similarities with its predecessors and replacements. It comes ready to use out of the box, with a few separate parts that require you to insert the handle into the main unit before connecting the main unit to the included charging dock. There’s also an extra roller brush head and filter, as well as a cleaning brush included.
Once assembled, you’ll find the dirty water tank at the front and the refillable water tank at the back. It can be attached and removed at the push of a button, and it’s very easy to clean and refill. The only problem with the overall design of the waste tank is that while the water pours easily down the sink or drain, the plastic filter inside captures and separates any larger debris from the water.
If you have a dog that sheds occasionally, like I do, you’ll find yourself pulling the sticky hair out of this compartment and into the trash. The cleaning brush helps to a certain extent, but it’s worth noting that this affects almost all vacuum mops.
On the front of the handle, you’ll find a standard power button, as well as a dedicated mode button that switches between automatic, steam, and steam boost modes. The self-clean button is located on the top of the handle, and when the device is returned to the charging dock, pressing this button runs a self-cleaning cycle.
The device also features an LED display that shows the battery percentage and the selected cleaning mode, and provides the same voice prompts as previous models, telling you which mode is selected and when to run a cleaning cycle or recharge the battery.
It’s a safe bet, even if you’ve never used one of these before, and after a few cleanings and charges, you’ll be switching between modes, cleaning the tank, and refilling the Floor One S7 Steam in no time.
The Floor One S7 Steam feels like the biggest leap forward in overall performance, as it no longer requires Tineco’s proprietary cleaning solution. Instead, the device includes a steam function that heats the inside of the head to 140 degrees Celsius, essentially killing any germs on the floor without the need to refill and meter cleaning solution.
No worries, as no part of the exterior heats up to the point you can’t touch it. That’s a huge plus, and the device only takes about 30 seconds to switch to this mode, as it instantly prepares the steam function as you clean.
The automatic mode essentially acts like a regular vacuum mop, and utilizes Tineco’s iLoop technology, which distributes water evenly during the cleaning process. The steam mode does what the name suggests, while the steam boost mode increases suction and water distribution for a deeper clean.
The recommended run time is up to 35 minutes, but keep in mind that regular steam or steam boost mode will suck the mop dry in 20 minutes. No pun intended. That being said, the steam mode is mainly for densely populated areas where germs may be more prevalent.
Other than that, the Floor One S7 Steam is very simple to operate, but it is definitely one of the heaviest vacuum mops I’ve ever used. It’s not too heavy, though, as you don’t need to pick it up to adjust it, just place it on the charging dock.
It operates similarly to its predecessor, with a rotating handle, but it feels heavy in the hand. The front-mounted light helps pick up pesky crumbs that aren’t noticeable to the naked eye, but you’ll realize its weight when you try to twist it around in an attempt to clean every corner of the room.
The charging dock once again contains all the add-ons and accessories, and allows the Floor One S7 Steam to initiate a self-cleaning cycle. Similar to the previous model, the device will self-clean after almost every use, which sometimes means not only emptying and refilling after cleaning, but immediately after self-cleaning again to ensure the device is always in good condition.
The suction power is generally great, and although it’s more expensive at $1,199, I feel like it’s more cost-effective in the long run, not having to refill and measure the aforementioned Tineco cleaning fluid as frequently as other models. Therefore, I feel that this product improves on existing floor mops in a unique and efficient way, is also more convenient to use and easier to reassemble after cleaning.
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