Tineco Switch S7 review: a robust vacuum and mop cleaning system

While the Tineco Switch S7 is a fairly solid product, it’s a difficult one to review. That’s because this is more of a system than a single unit, and so doesn’t really have much of an analog out there. You would have to grab one of the best cordless vacuums and add a floor washer or wet dry vac together and see if this system is better than getting each one separately.

For the most part, I will say that it is if you don’t already have a great stick vacuum in your closet as both units do their job well. And, if there’s anything that keeps the Tineco Switch S7 from making the ranks of the best vacuum cleaners, it’s not due to performance as both the stick vacuum and floor washer do an excellent job with their intended use.

My main issues with the Tineco Switch S7 comes down to a few design issues. For instance, the stick vacuum base has charging contacts, but you still have to move the battery from the stick vacuum to the floor washer for it to charge (note that there’s one battery for both units). Also, the dirty water reservoir takes a little finagling to get back in place, when it should easily snap back into its cavity. And, while there’s a self-cleaning function for the brushroll, it didn’t take long for it to smell a bit mildewy to the point that the self-cleaning function didn’t fix it. And, if you use the brushroll when it smells, your entire floor is going to have that same (foul) scent. 

Luckily, it’s easily removable to wash in a sink, not to mention that there’s an extra brushroll on hand. Still, these are flaws I wouldn’t expect for a system that’s almost a thousand dollars, and hope gets addressed with future generations. With that said, these aren’t dealbreakers, especially once you see how clean your floors are after use.

James Holland

James Holland has spent the last three years testing, reviewing, and writing about all sorts of tech, whether it be computers and related peripherals to smart home devices, robot vacuums, and kitchen appliances. His work has been published in Top Ten Reviews, TechRadar, T3.com, and Android Police. When he’s not working, he’s playing music or at least pretending to. He also likes to eat questionable fusion-type foods.

James tested the Tineco Switch S7 over the course of a few weeks, using it on hardwood floors, marbled floors, and rugs, not to mention the various features, to see how it would fare.

Tineco Switch S7: Price & availability

If you want to purchase the Tineco Switch S7, you’re going to have to drop $899.99 through the company’s online store. It’s also available through Amazon for the same price. While its availability seems to be limited to these two digital storefronts, it does look like it gets discounted from time to time in both places.

If you just want the floor washer (maybe you already have a good stick vacuum), then you can get the Tineco Floor One S7 for $769.00 direct or through Amazon.

Score: (4 out of 5)

Tineco Switch S7: First impressions

Unboxing the Tineco Switch S7 can be a bit overwhelming when you realize that it’s actually two different units. While it’s all neatly packed in one large box, there are a lot of different parts. Granted, once I started actually assembling the stick vacuum and floor washer, I realized that it’s actually very easy to put together, and that there’s no reason to feel overwhelmed by it.

For the floor washer, all I had to do was install the handle, put it on the storage dock and then plug said storage dock in. The stick vacuum is a tiny bit more complicated as its base connects under the right side of the floor washer’s storage dock and has three pieces (actual vacuum, extension tube, and floor head). There are also a couple attachments for the stick vacuum that sit on the stick vacuum’s base. 

There are also a couple extras that come with the Tineco Switch S7 that you’ll have to find some closet space to store, such as the extra brush roll, extra filter, transparent floorhead cover, cleaning tool, and cleaning solution.

Tineco Switch S7: Design

While I need to discuss the Tineco Switch S7 as two different products here – as a stick vacuum and floor washer – I want to start by discussing the storage docks. Both units have a base with the one for the stick vacuum slotting into the side of the floor washer’s. However, while it does seem to have charging contacts, only the floor washer’s storage dock seems to provide a charge. That means you need to put the battery pack, of which there is one, on the floor washer to charge.

At least, the storage dock for the stick vacuum holds the additional attachment tools – a crevice tool and a mini power brush – though you’ll have to throw the extras in the closet, which include an extra brush roll, extra filter, transparent floorhead cover, cleaning tool, and cleaning solution.

As far as the stick vacuum goes, it’s like most in that it’s of the modular type. There’s the main vacuum portion with the motor, battery port and dustbin, along with a tube and floorhead. There’s also an empty canister that you can place on it or the floor washer when the battery pack is on the other unit.

As far as controls go, there’s a trigger on the handle that’s essentially the power button as well as a toggle button to switch between eco and max vacuum mode. When on, the LED panel on the top of the battery pack will read which mode you’re on and the amount of battery left.

Also worth noting with the stick vacuum is the fact that the floor head just hangs instead of snaps into place like most, so it can be a little more cumbersome when picking it up and moving it around. Also, while the floorhead is pretty good at dealing with hair and avoiding tangles, the mini power brush isn’t so you’ll have to clean that out from time to time.

Moving on to the floor washer, one of the first things I noticed is its weight. It’s a much bigger unit, eschewing the stick vacuum format for something much more robust, presumably to hold both the clean and dirty water reservoirs. Speaking of, the clean water reservoir, which sits on the back, is thin, long, and relatively easy to fill up. The dirty water reservoir is a bit bigger, probably because the floor washer can suck up large spills, and also fairly easy to take out and empty, though I did find that it took a little effort for it to latch back into place after the fact.

There are a few more controls on offer compared to the stick vacuum. All situated on the handle, there’s an independent power button and a mode button that will let you switch between auto, max, ultra, and suction modes. There’s also a button on the top of the handle to turn on self-cleaning when at rest on the storage dock. This will wash and clean the brushroll.

Score: (4 out of 5)

Tineco Switch S7: Key specs

Tineco Switch S7: Performance

Again, we’re going to separate how we discuss the Tineco Switch S7 into how the stick vacuum does and how the floor washer performs. With that in mind, let’s start with the stick vacuum. While there are only two modes on hand as discussed before, that’s all that there really needs to be. I was able to use just the eco mode most of the time to vacuum up whatever debris I needed to, which included hair, dander, kitty litter, and kibble. And, the stick vacuum had no issues.

The max mode was useful when vacuuming carpets, but not quite enough for a deep clean. So, if you need something for really getting those carpets spic and span, you’ll still need something more powerful (unfortunately, Tineco doesn’t advertise the suction power so I can’t share that with you). At least, it’s not too loud during use, around 69 dB.

It’s just as useful and easy to use with the attachments, just like most modular-style cordless stick vacuums. The crevice tool made it easy to suction up dirt on the edges of my stairs, for instance, while the mini power brush tool is great for upholstery. I also used it to vacuum my carpeted stairs. The only worth mentioning, which was earlier, is the fact that the mini power brush, unlike the brushroll in the floorhead, does not employ any kind of tangle-free design so it can accumulate hair around its little brush roll.

Also, the dustbin on the stick vacuum cannot be removed from the rest of the vacuum so you have to hold the whole unit over the trash can, pop the bottom open, and pull out everything it vacuumed up (as it will not just fall out).

The floor washer is the real star of the show here, whether it’s just buffing up the floor or cleaning up spills. Though the clean water reservoir seems a bit small, it offers plenty of capacity to wash a whole floor of a house. Also, since it self-propels, cleaning is easy and covers a lot of ground quickly. Washing a room can take as little time as five to ten minutes. Not to mention, it does an excellent job getting edges. During use, it looked to me to get almost right up against the molding, leaving no area untouched.

The brushroll, being covered in soft microfibers, leaves a thin layer of water and solution behind while the suction of the floor washer makes sure that that floor is scrubbed cleanly with all debris removed. Those microfibers also mean that the brushroll isn’t too harsh on your flooring, though I was only able to test on regular hardwood floors and marble.

It’s worth noting, however, that though the floor washer does suck up debris, you’ll still want to vacuum beforehand. I used the floor washer on a bathroom that had a lot of hair that needed picking up, and a lot of it would clump up, requiring a few more passes to suction up than would have been necessary if I had vacuumed beforehand.

At least, the floor washer can suck up entire puddles of liquid off the floor. I literally took a bowl of dirty water and dumped it on the floor and this unit just sucked it all up, leaving just that nice film of solution and clean water behind.

One other issue, however, is that the brush roll sometimes needs deep cleaning. Sure, there’s a self-cleaning mode that also dries the brush roll when placed back on the storage dock, but if you don’t take it out to clean properly from time to time, it can still get a bit mildewy (especially in a humid environment). If you don’t, you’ll end up like me and make the floor of an entire room smell like mold. Even after multiple passes, the smell lingered for a good half a day. Thankfully, removing the brush roll is easy. And, if you’re lazy, you can just put in the extra one, and leave the mildewy one for later.

The battery life is pretty good, though you just have the one battery pack to switch between the two units. It will last 65 minutes in the stick vacuum and 40 in the floor washer.

Score: (4 out of 5)

Tineco Switch S7: user reviews

When it comes to user reviews, the best place to look is on Amazon as there are just a few on Tineco’s own site. The users there have left this product with a generally favorable 4.4 out of 5 rating, citing its ease of use, efficiency, and quiet operation as big pluses.

Some people had issues with how wide the floorhead is for the floor washer. As mentioned earlier, it’s not modular like the stick vacuum so getting behind a toilet can be tricky with it, if impossible. Also, the price is a bit high for many, especially for a brand that hasn’t really established itself the way Shark, Dyson, or Bissell have.

Should you buy the Tineco Switch S7?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How does the Tineco Switch S7 compare?

The Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus might be a mouthful to say, but you shouldn’t discount it, especially if you already have a solid stick vacuum. This floor washer does an excellent job mopping floors and doesn’t need too much time to charge up. Of course, you can only use it for hard flooring, and it’s about as stripped down as it comes – no attachments here. However, it’s also less than half the price.

Also around half price, the Ultenic AC1 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum is a solid alternative – again, if you don’t need the stick vacuum included. It has an interesting design, does a good job at its intended purpose, and, since it’s a bit older (we reviewed it at the beginning of 2023), you’re more likely to find it on sale.

How I tested the Tineco Switch S7

To test the Tineco Switch S7, I used it on hard flooring including hardwood and marble as well as carpet. I tested the various features, including the various cleaning modes and attachment tools. And I used it consistently over the course of two weeks to get a good feel of whether it would make cleaning up a little easier.

Read more about how we test.