Ultenic AC1 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum review

The Ultenic AC1 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum promises to vacuum and mop your hard floors or sealed wooden floors simultaneously, taking care of two chores in half the time. 

With two 0.26-gallon tanks, one for clean water and one for dirty water and debris, the Ultenic A1 vac sucks up debris such as pet hair and dust, absorbs spills, and leaves floors freshly mopped. It also cleans and dries the roller brush with an automatic self-cleaning cycle.

Having never tested an upright vacuum/mop combo before, I was curious to see how well this vacuum fared compared to robot vacuum mops I'd previously tried at home. I tested it in a series of at-home assessments, looking at suction, ease of use, design, accessories, and maintenance.

In a busy household with pets and children, there were plenty of muddy footprints and leaves for the Ultenic AC1 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum to tackle. Check out our review below to see how well it fared and if, indeed, it is a contender for our best wet/dry vacuum cleaners shortlist.

If the Ultenic AC1 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum isn’t the right appliance for you, check out our buyer’s guides to the best vacuum cleaners and best cordless vacuums, with a range of models for pet owners, bargain hunters, and technology lovers.

Ultenic AC1 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum: Price and availability

• $379 / £239.99

Coming in at just under 400 dollars, the Ultenic AC1 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum is priced at around the same level as models by Bissell and Tineco, although you can pick up a cheaper wet-dry vacuum from Eureka or Hoover. Similarly-priced models to the Ultenic also include app support, self-cleaning cycles, and digital displays.

However, the Ultenic features a much longer run time than many wet/dry vacuums - around 10 or 15 minutes longer. So, if you have a larger area to cover, it could be a better choice for your household. 

I also like how the design of the Ultenic makes it stand out. Most wet-dry vacuums are gunmetal gray or black, so the quirky colorway of the Ultenic makes it more unique. 

The Ultenic AC1 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum is available from the Ultenic website and Amazon. 

Ultenic AC1 Cordless: First impressions

The Ultenic AC1 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum comes packed in a cardboard box measuring 12 x 13 x 30 inches. Inside, the vacuum is packed securely in cardboard and a mix of cardboard and plastic bags, not all of which will be recyclable. 

The vacuum comes with a short, quick-start leaflet and a more detailed user manual. The manual has lots of helpful info about assembling the product, how to use and maintain it, and troubleshooting tips.

Set-up is easy and quick. Simply insert the handle into the appliance until you hear a click, and connect the charging cable to the charging platform. You’ll also need to fit the battery that comes with the vacuum. This can be charged either within the main unit or separately in a compartment on the charging platform. 

Although the manual says the Ultenic AC1 can take up to four hours to charge, I found it completed a full charge within an hour.

Ultenic AC1 Cordless: Design

It won’t appeal to everyone, but I loved the design of the Ultenic. The cheerful orange, grey, and white colorway reminded us of BB-8 from Star Wars. 

The unit itself is pretty large and quite heavy. The white handle is easy to grip and features three orange buttons: one for activating the self-cleaning mode, one to power the vacuum on, and one to change cleaning modes. 

The handle and brushed steel shaft connect to the central part of the unit, which features two smoked gray plastic water tanks at the front and back. The rear water tank is for clean water, while the front tank collects the dirty water from the roller brush/mop and any debris.

This part of the unit also contains the 21.6V battery, which slots neatly into the back. You can charge the battery in situ or by removing it and placing it directly into the charging tray/port. 

The vacuum base has a reasonably small footprint and houses the roller brush mop, which mops the floor while simultaneously pulling debris and dust toward the vacuum. The base is pleasingly oblong with smooth curved edges. Again, the catch and release buttons to remove the roller brush for cleaning are picked out in orange.

The unit feels thoughtfully designed, with plenty of satisfying clicks when you connect or release the battery and water tanks.

I particularly liked the digital display, which further reinforces the friendly robot vibe by displaying two large blue ‘eyes’ during operation. Here, you can see how much battery charge is left and what mode your vacuum is using. It’s also where your vacuum will tell you if you need to add more water, empty the dirty water tank, or check the roller brush for blockages, although you'll also get voice prompts for these.

The Ultenic is for use on hard floors only, so don't try it on carpets. 

The vacuum features four modes of cleaning:
• Smart mode: auto senses debris and dirt and adjusts the power to suit.
• Max mode: Operates at maximum suction power and sprays the maximum amount of water.
• Sterilization mode: Makes sterilizing solution and works in Smart mode.
• Suction mode: Only absorbs liquid and does not spray water. 

The large water tank allows you to clean up to 2000ft² in one go. Ultenic says the AC1 has improved edge-to-edge cleaning alongside baseboards and tight corners.  It also boasts a HEPA filter, self-propelling motion, a self-cleaning function, app support, and voice assistance. 

Ultenic advises connecting to the app to keep the vacuum and firmware up to date while you can also optimize the amount of water dispensed, monitor the cleaning status, get further instructions, troubleshoot problems, and find customer support.

The brand also includes a 17 fl oz bottle of lemon-scented cleaning solution, which you can add to the clean water tank (one bottle cap) if you wish. 

Ultenic AC1 Cordless: Performance

I tested the Ultenic AC1 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum in a house with two pets and a family of three. I carried out all the tests in a 173-square-foot kitchen and hallway on a vinyl tile floor.

I started with a general cleaning test to see how well the Ultenic coped with everyday dirt and debris, running the vacuum in Smart mode. I was pretty pleased with the results. The vacuum picked up any visible dirt and debris and left a pleasingly shiny and clean floor behind it. You can hear the vacuum power up as it encounters more dust and debris. 

Next, I tested how well it dealt with different spills, including thick sour cream, crumbled cookies, flour, and oats. It picked up everything within a couple of passes, and the floor was left clean with a gentle sheen. Liquid spills were also absorbed quickly and efficiently - no need to get down on your hands and knees to mop up.

Although the vacuum is pretty heavy to lift, it really does propel itself along the floor's surface - you can feel the gentle pull during cleaning. All you have to do is gently direct its movement.

Once my cleaning tests were over, it was time to inspect the dirty water tank. All the dirt and debris sucked into the vacuum rests on top of the filter within the dirty water tank, with the murky water beneath. The vacuum reminds you to refill the clean water tank and will stop working once the dirty water tank reaches full capacity.

While it’s pleasing to see how well the vacuum performs, it’s not such a pleasure to empty the dirty water tank. You need to pull out the filter over a garbage bin to ensure none of it ends up on your clean floor again, and you’ll need to rinse out the dirty water tank in the basin. However, compared to emptying a dust cup and rinsing out a mop bucket, it’s definitely quicker.

Once the vacuum is back on the charging base, you can press the self-cleaning button to freshen the roller brush automatically. However, the clean water tank needs to be 40% full, and the battery should have at least 20% charge left to do this.

Once the roller brush is clean, the Ultenic AC1 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum sterilizes and dries itself with a fan and ultraviolet light, ready for the next spill or cleaning session.

During testing, I found that a fully charged battery gives you around 45 minutes of continuous cleaning on Smart mode and around 25 minutes on Max mode.

Ultenic AC1 Cordless: Care & maintenance

Thankfully, there’s not a great deal for you to do in terms of maintenance with the Ultenic, as it cleans itself. However, after each cleaning session, you will need to check and clean the roller, brush off any dirt and debris, and empty and clean the dirty water tank.

According to cleaning expert for Housetastic and cleaning business owner Karen Barrigan, cleaning the roller brush should be a familiar task. “Clean all roller brushes regularly, snipping away tangled hair and other debris,” she told us. “Remove debris from wheels, too, with a damp cloth.”

The Ultenic AC1 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum also comes with a 1-year warranty effective from the date of purchase, so you have peace of mind for 12 months.

Should you buy the Ultenic AC1?

If you like the design of the Ultenic AC1 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum and you want great performance and long runtime, it’s the ideal addition to your home. However, if your home is mostly carpeted or full of rugs, you might want to invest in a vacuum that can tackle both hard and carpeted floors.  

Ultenic AC1 Cordless: User reviews

At the time of writing, the Ultenic AC1 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum had a rating of 4.5 stars on Amazon, with an impressive 74% of users giving it the full five stars. They love how easy it is to maneuver, its ability to give your floors a deep clean, and its impressive suction power. One satisfied customer remarks, “Cleans so much grime that I didn’t even know my floors had.”

Negative reviews tend to be specific to individual appliance issues. However, some users report small leaks of dirty water from the vacuum if it’s left on the floor after cleaning, while others have problems connecting to the app.

Ultenic AC1 Cordless: Expert advice

“This model is great for both vacuuming and washing hard floors,” says Karen Barrigan, a cleaning expert for Housetastic and a cleaning business owner. “It mops the floor while also pulling debris, dirty water, and spilled liquids toward the vacuum opening.”

However, as Barrigan notes, the vacuum only works on hard or sealed floors, so if you have a lot of carpet or rugs in your home, you may not get as much value from it. 

How does the Ultenic AC1 compare?

The Yeedi vac 2 pro is an entry-level robot vacuum cleaner and mop with a long run time of 240 minutes. However, it can only vacuum or mop, not do both simultaneously, and it can’t clean itself. I think you’d get more value from the Ultenic, especially if you only want to clean up a quick spill. 

The Roborock S6 MaxV offers mopping and vacuuming in one, plus an impressive LiDAR navigation system that helps it avoid even the smallest obstacles. It also boasts a powerful performance, picking up flour, dirt, and daily messes easily. If you’re looking for a wet-dry vacuum that you can simply rely on to do the job in the background, it could be the better choice.