One-minute review
First, let’s get up to speed with the Tineco brand. It originates and manufactures its goods in China – a point it seems reluctant to admit – and has been wowing folk with its products at tech fairs since 1998. Claiming to have produced the first “smart vacuum”, Tineco has launched several impressive cordless vacuum models (both wet and dry cleaners) in the years since – and, randomly, a hairdryer! Or perhaps not so randomly, Tineco appears to have pitched itself as a serious rival to Dyson.
Launched in the summer of 2022, the Pure One S15 Pro’s most notable upgrades on older versions, most recently the Pure One S12 Pro, include Tineco’s first ever tangle-free brush head (which actually works), improved graphics on the generously sized LCD panel, and a floor-docking storage/charging module. Tineco has also made improvements to the ease with which you can empty the vacuum’s bin, with the Pure One S15 featuring a single-touch slider that clears dirt down the bin, opens and empties in one smooth action.
One of the main features that we love about the Pure One S15 Pro is its iLoop Smart Sensor tech, which delivers visual affirmation that floors are dust-free. It’s similar to the Dyson V15 Detect, in that it adjusts power automatically according to particulate size. When used in Auto mode this sensor tech ramps up – and reduces – suction power according to need, which saves on battery life and makes light work of particularly messy floors.
The machine’s five-stage filtration system is a big bonus for allergy sufferers, while the separation of air and dust aims to keep the filter cleaner for longer – which means you don’t lose suction (or have to wash the filter) as frequently.
It’s a little on the pricey side at £599.99/$599, and the battery life could be better. Nevertheless, the Pure One S15 Pro delivers plenty of bang for your buck, and we were very impressed by the high-quality look and feel of this smart cordless.
Keep scrolling to see how the Pure One S15 Pro performed during our review then, head to our best cordless vacuum cleaner buyers’ guide to see how it compares.
Tineco Pure One S15 Pro price & availability
- List price: £599.99/$599
- Available in the UK and USA
The Pure One S15 Pro is available direct from Tineco (opens in new tab) or via Amazon (opens in new tab). The price means it’s pitched to compete on the same playing field as Dyson’s V15 and Miele’s Triflex HX2 – a bold move given Tineco’s less-established reputation in the vacuum industry; but a good indicator of the kind of tech and quality you can expect to get for your money.
Value: 2/5
Tineco Pure One S15 Pro design
- Snazzy, futuristic looks
- Colour LCD screen with animated visuals
- 470ml bin capacity
The Pure One S15 Pro is about as sexy looking as a cordless vacuum should ever be, sporting a distinct air of the Apple AirPods aesthetic. The lines are smooth and the moon-faced LCD panel is stylish. This display sits at an easily readable angle when vacuuming and provides vital stats such as power level and battery use.
The LCD panel also boasts a seriously cool halo-style light ring, or iLoop Sensor, which changes from red to blue depending on the dirt detected. Not just a pretty light show, the sensor is designed to ensure no hidden dirt is left behind. If the halo turns red, keep cleaning until you get the blue all-clear. It’s super-smart, and very reassuring for knowing that your floors are properly clean deep-down, particularly on carpet.
The Pure One S15 Pro’s sleek design extends to its neat charging base, which also hosts the accessories. It’s freestanding, so you don’t need to get the drill out to bolt it to the wall. Instead, just slot the floorhead into the base and charging begins.
Setup was straightforward, especially given the Quick Start instructions are printed on the top of the packaging. Connecting the Pure One S15 Pro to the Tineco Life app was free of the usual glitchy pairing issues. Whether you actually need an app on a non-robotic vacuum cleaner is another matter. The app offers information such as specifying the area you’ve cleaned, in square metres, and how long you’ve spent cleaning and on what days – none of which is necessarily interesting or useful. You can view the current battery status via the app, in case you’ll be rushing home to vacuum and need advance intel on how much power you have to play with? Again, not useful. The app also sends messages if you haven’t cleaned in a while, which most people can probably live without.
However, as is the case with all apps, you’re free to turn off such bossy notifications – and, in the case of this vacuum, you can probably get away without connecting to the app at all. Perhaps the only bit of info we found it useful for is the filter life status, which tells you when the pre-filter needs cleaning; it’s the sort of thing you might easily forget.
Moving on to actual use. When you first turn on the Pure One S15 Pro, the display screen plays a handy tutorial on how to connect the parts and switch between functions. The first thing you may notice is the voice prompts, which are startlingly loud and often a tad unnecessary. Nobody needs “Power Off” shouted at them on turning off a vacuum – the fact it has gone quiet is evidence enough. However, you can turn off voice prompts using the app, so it’s no biggie.
The array of accessories supplied as standard is decent. The Pure One S15 Pro comes with a 2-in-1 dusting brush, mini-power brush and crevice tool, which slot nicely in the charging base, plus an extra filter and hair cleaning tool. Turning on the Pure One S15 Pro is a simple press of the trigger in the handle, and again to turn off. Remember to move your hand down the handle to avoid accidentally turning it off mid-clean.
If you stick to Auto mode (more on that later), you won’t need to press any more buttons. However, choose to clean in Manual mode and there’s a push-touch button below the LCD screen and then a slider button that lets you easily adjust the power levels. The same push-touch button will also get you into Max power mode. This button and the slider requires two hands to use, since it’s impossible to reach them with the hand that’s holding the vacuum. It’s a slightly awkward manoeuvre that doesn’t seem to get any easier with practice.
Switching between nozzles and brushes is flawless – an easy push button releases the nozzle and an audible click reassures you that a firm re-connection has been made. The paltry bin capacity is a bit of a letdown, and we found it needed emptying frequently. Too frequently. On the plus side, it has a built-in slider button that pushes dirt down from the inner bin cavity, reducing the need to stick your hands in to pull out clogs of dust. The slider automatically opens the bin, too, making emptying it a slick one-touch process. As long as the contents of the bin haven’t exceeded the Max line, it works beautifully.
In terms of user comfort, we found the handle ergonomics very good and didn’t get aching arms even after vacuuming a four-bedroom house from top-to-bottom, suggesting that weight distribution is excellent, too.
Design: 5 / 5
Tineco Pure One S15 Pro performance
- Impressive suction
- Hair-evading power brush
- Effortless in Auto mode
The Pure One S15 Pro packs a 500W motor, whose suction was truly impressive during our four-week test period. It was a tad too sucky on our rug, which has a thin top layer that ruckled and buckled under the mighty Pure One! The vacuum starts in Auto mode, but you can switch it to Manual mode and dial the power right down. However, even on the lowest setting, it was still too sucky to vacuum the rug with ease.
In terms of manoeuvrability, the bendy hose at the top of the floorhead pivots nicely in all directions, making for really smooth cornering and bending to reach under furniture. There are two sturdy wheels on the floorhead that help produce a smooth vacuuming action back and forth – this was especially welcome when transitioning between flooring types. In short, the floorhead doesn’t feel too light, clunky or cheap when being pushed along.
We didn’t find an official sound rating for the Pure One S15 Pro, but our sound meter app puts it at around 55dB in Auto mode and 66dB in Max power, which is fairly quiet compared to other vacuums we’ve tested. Turning down the volume of voice prompts would have been welcome, though; the Pure One S15 Pro is far too shouty, especially before the morning coffee has hit the mark!
Next we switched to the mini brush, which can be used with just the main unit to create a more portable handheld vacuum (it’s brilliant on stairs). We found this tool wasn’t the best at removing pet hairs from upholstery; you’ll find you have to go over the hair several times before it will yield. The brushes are perhaps a little too soft inside, plus there’s no anti-wrap tech on the mini brush, so longer human hairs wind around it all too easily.
Cleaning the filters is a simple enough process that requires opening the bin flap, twisting out the main mesh filter and then pulling out the smaller pre-filter from inside. There’s a handy sticker on the side of the bin that states these steps, should you not have the instruction manual to hand. Said instruction manual recommends cleaning the dust bin and mesh filter with a damp cloth after each use, which is a bit much – and unlikely to happen. But the recommended monthly wash and dry of the pre-filter is a little more doable. The pre-filter should be replaced every six months.
There’s also an additional pull-out HEPA filter in the top of the motor that should be washed and dried every three months and replaced annually. Two pre-filters and one HEPA filter cost $24.99/£16.99 from the Tineco website. This may seem like a lot to remember – but never fear: the app will send you a reminder when it’s time to get filter cleaning/replacing!
Performance: 5 / 5
Tineco Pure One S15 Pro battery
- Battery life is pretty paltry
- Battery indicator levels nicely visible
- Tedious three to four hours recharge
Auto mode is designed to save battery life by only boosting the power when it’s required. Unlike some sensor-packing vacuums, Auto mode works according to dirt levels rather than floor surface. You can also hear when the vacuum hits dirtier territory because the power suddenly increases – and then, when you move the floorhead onto cleaner turf, it chills out again. The battery life in Auto power mode is 40 minutes, which although wouldn’t suit someone who cleans for a living, was plenty to vacuum an averagely dirty four-bedroom family home. We timed it during a weekly full-house clean and found it easily made 40 minutes, with 3% power left to spare.
In Max power mode, you get only 10 minutes to work some magic. This is perfect for those quick spills that need sorting, but it’s probably wise to avoid Max mode when attempting a more thorough clean. We did appreciate the battery level display on the LCD panel, since it shows the battery level as the percentage remaining, making it easy to keep track of how much juice you have left. A full recharge takes three to four hours, which is painfully slow by current standards.
Considering the premium price of the Pure One S15 Pro, we’d have expected a longer battery life. The Dyson V15 and Miele Triflex HX2 both offer up to 60 minutes on a single charge, so might be better options if battery life is a priority.
Battery Life: 3/5
Tineco Pure One S15 Pro score card
| Attribute | Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Value | About £100/$100 overpriced, in our opinion. | 2 / 5 |
| Design | Stylish looking vacuum that moves and connects smoothly. | 5 / 5 |
| Performance | Built-in sensors tell you to keep cleaning if dirt is still lurking – very clever. | 5 / 5 |
| Battery | It’s sufficient for most cleaning tasks, but this is no Duracell Bunny. | 3 / 5 |
Should I buy?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
- First reviewed: October 2022
