Tineco PureOne S12 Plus Review (UK)

Tineco PureOne S12 Pro EX

Last updated: 07.07.2023 Reading time: 13 Min.

We’ve been looking forward to putting the new S12 Pure One Plus smart cordless vacuum from Tineco through its paces.

Our expectations were very high because the S12 is in the same price class as many established manufacturers from Europe.

But can the performance of the new Tineco keep up with them?

According to the manufacturer, the S12 is supposed to have lots of power and innovative advantages.

It’s the first cordless vacuum that has its own app, an extremely powerful cleaning performance, and lots of smart extras.

Those promises sounded too good to be true, which is why we at Smart Home Fox had to take a closer look at the device.

And we are more than happy to share our review with you now.

The Tineco s12 pure one cordless vacuum review with some accessories
  • Strong suction power
    Dyson
    V15 Detect
    Price from £ 624.95 £ (649 )
    Dyson's new flagship convinces with excellent cleaning performance and innovative technology.
    Dyson
    V15 Detect
    Dyson's new flagship convinces with excellent cleaning performance and innovative technology.
  • Smartest stick vacuum
    Tineco
    S12 PureOne Plus
    Price from £ 549 £ (599 )
    Smart, smarter, Tineco. A popular cordless hoover on Amazon UK with outstanding cleaning performance. The first battery hoover with its own app.
    Tineco
    S12 PureOne Plus
    Smart, smarter, Tineco. A popular cordless hoover on Amazon UK with outstanding cleaning performance. The first battery hoover with its own app.

Advantages:

  • Very good cleaning performance
  • Many useful accessories
  • Automatic suction mode
  • Exchangeable battery included
  • Chic appearance
  • Display
  • “Touchbar” for seamless suction power control
  • Charging station/wall mount is well thought through
  • LEDs on the brush
  • App

Disadvantages:

  • Sometimes it’s necessary to change soft roller to standard brush (depending on floor)
  • Packaging includes plastic and polystyrene
  • Brush roll lifts off a bit if the vacuum cleaner is too low

All important facts at a glance:

  • Premium cordless vacuum
  • Innovative design with display
  • First battery vacuum with app
  • High-quality workmanship
  • Popular device on Amazon in the UK

The smart Tineco PureOne S12 Plus cordless vacuum in our cleaning review

While we put the cordless vacuums through the wringer, we mercilessly reveal all their strengths and weaknesses. Of course, we didn’t make an exception for the smart Tineco PureOne S12 Plus.

We scattered lentils, sand, and oat flakes one after the other on different kinds of carpets and laminate and then vacuumed them with the standard brush in turbo mode.

With premium devices, it goes without saying that our expectations are high, especially since the manufacturer claims 150 air watts of suction power.

That would make the S12 heads-up with the Dyson V10 Absolute review. (popular cordless vacuum in the UK)

Spoiler alert: The S12 from Tineco really did impress us with its outstanding cleaning performance.

Cleaning on High Carpet

Here you can take a quick look at our vacuum review on high carpets:

A challenge that all (cordless) vacuums fear: the dirt that hides deep down in high carpets.

But to our surprise, the Tineco S12 didn’t have any problems with it. It purred like a kitten and didn’t leave any dirt behind.

Cleaning on Low Carpets

Here you can take a quick look at our vacuum review on low carpets:

Even on a short carpet, the cleaning performance was exceptional.

The suction power of the turbo mode was too strong so we had to hold down the carpet.

In the end, we went for the automatic mode. The cleaning performance was still perfect.

Before/after comparison of the cleaning on low carpet

Cleaning on Hard Floors

Here you can take a quick look at our vacuum review on hard floors:

Our laminate needed some cleaning, too.

We used the standard automatic brush here as well.

The Tineco PureOne S12 Plus didn’t have any problems with the sand and lentils and removed them quite fast.

It had a bit of a hard time with the oat flakes though. At first, it only pushed around the oat flakes in front of the brush and it sucked up only 85% of them. We had vacuum it two more times to get rid of all the oat flakes.

Before/after comparison of the cleaning on a hard floor

We can sing a song of this phenomenon from our past reviews: On hard floors, the dirt has nowhere else to go, but that’s not the case on carpets. Here the dirt can be pushed deep down into the fiber. This means that all the dirt has to go through the narrow slot of the brush.

If the dirt (in our case it’s oat flakes) is piled up too high, the battery vacuum cleaner can’t suck up everything at once.

Cleaning the oatmeal on hard floor

But don't worry: the Tineco S12’s got another secret weapon. We put it through the same review again, this time with the soft roller. This attachment is also included in the scope of delivery and it works especially well for cleaning hard floors.

And lo and behold: a perfect cleaning result - again!

Cleaning in Everyday Life

In everyday cleaning, the cordless vacuum does a great job. Even though we have children and pets, we can easily keep our chalet clean with the S12 Pure One.

The exchangeable battery and the long runtime come in very handy here. It never happens that we can't vacuum due to an empty battery.

Conclusion on Cleaning Performance of S12

Great performance!

We had high expectations and the S12 stood up to its promises. The powerful suction (22,000 Pascal according to the manufacturer) combined with the sophisticated cleaning features led to top cleaning results and very deep cleaning.

The Design of the S12 Pure One Plus smart cordless vacuum from Tineco put to the review

The first thing we noticed in our review was that the name of the new S12 Pure One Plus smart cordless vacuum from Tineco is quite complicated and the appendices make it rather long.

The appearance of the S12, on the other hand, is very sleek and simple. This gives the device an almost noble touch so it can easily count as decoration of a modern home.

The workmanship is of the highest quality and the device looks very valuable.

You can see that very clearly in the well-functioning connections and the smooth-running levers and buttons.

Is the power button lockable?

The answer is: Yes! You can activate the cordless vacuum with the pistol-like trigger and with the help of a small lever on the button it’s also super easy to lock it.

If you have long fingers, you can even do it with one hand.

It’s really convenient that you can choose between those two options and we use both modes in everyday use.

The power button and the lever for locking
The power button and the lever for locking

The LED display of the S12

The LED display of the S12 is not only chic but also practical.

It shows you various useful information, e.g. the battery level and suction mode you are currently using.

The display of the Tineco S12 Pure One Pro Ex

Your advantage: The display also notifies you when the cordless vacuum cleaner seems to have problems and what kind of problems they are.

That could be a notification that the brush is blocked or that the dirt container is full.

A brand new feature: A touch bar for controlling the suction levels

This gives you such a nice feeling when operating the cordless vacuum cleaner and it also increases control over the entire cleaning process.

With the touch bar on the top of the handle, you can regulate the suction power continuously and adjust it to your needs.

We’ve never seen anything like this before in any of our reviews.

The touch bar of the Tineco S12
The touch bar of the Tineco S12

How big and how heavy is the Tineco S12 cordless (floor) vacuum?

Measuring the S12
The size of the Tineco S12

The Tineco S12 is 118 cm (46.4 inches) high, which is a comfortable size for vacuuming.

We can’t really call the S12 a lightweight among cordless vacuum cleaners, because it’s got a weight of just under 3 kg (6.6 lbs).

Nevertheless: We don’t think that the weight gives you an uncomfortable feeling while vacuuming. On the contrary, the cordless vacuum cleaner rests on the brush and the small rollers so the weight is well distributed.

Size and weight of the Tineco S12 at a glance

Category Dimensions
Height 118 cm (46.4 inches)
Weight 3 kg (6.6 lbs)

How big and how heavy is the S12 cordless hand vacuum?

The S12 power unit is measured with one metre
The size of the power unit of the S12

If you convert the S12 into a handheld vacuum, it works very well for vacuuming your car or upholstery.

Here it’s very important that the device is not too heavy. The S12 as a hand-held vacuum cleaner weighs approx. 1.7 kg (3.7 lbs) and has a size of 35 cm (13.8 inches).

With these measurements, it’s still quite handy so you’re able to do a decent job with it.

Size and weight of the Tineco S12 at a glance

Category Dimensions
Size 35cm + attachment
Weight 1.7 kg + attachment

Conclusion on the Design of the S12

The design is a real success. It looks great and is also very well thought through. It’s a well-rounded and convenient appearance thanks to all the details.

The scope of delivery of the Tineco S12

All accessories at a glance
All accessories at a glance

You can buy two different models of the Tineco S12 in the UK:

  • The Pure One S12
  • and the Pure One S12 Plus

However, the main differences between the two cordless vacuums are the accessories included and the price.

Many manufacturers use this strategy to diversify the price and increase the product range.

Watch out: It’s often the case that a product is much more expensive, but you won’t see a big difference for your money.

We chose the luxury version that comes with more accessories for our review.

And we really got a lot of accessories!

We were amazed when we unpacked the appliance. So far, we rarely ever received so many attachments.

But is all that stuff really necessary?

We have taken a closer look at the individual parts and we’ll give you a quick overview of them now.

We’ll give you one hint in advance: we have a few surprises in stock for you.

The Accessories of the Tineco Pure One S12 Plus in detail

The Power Unit

It’s really the heart of the new S12: a great design, chic, and it comes with a lot of new extras.

The power unit of the S12

Automatic brush with direct drive and LED lighting

The standard brush of the S12 has its own motor and rotates at the push of a button. It instantly starts to rotate, which is by far not standard.

With many other devices, there is a delay between switching it on and the brush starting to rotate.

The rotating brush with the lamellae-like bristles transports the dirt towards the suction tube at high speed.

Your advantage: The LED lights on the front of the brush make it easier to see the dirt. No matter if it's dark or bright.

The Standard Electric Brush

The standard electric brush from below

The Turbo Brush

has a soft roller and LED lighting, too.

The brush with the soft roller comes in very handy for cleaning hard floors, so it’s up to you whether you want to use it.

It does take up some time to change the attachment. But in this case, it’s worth it, because you’ll get a better cleaning result with this brush.

The soft roller from above

The soft roller from below

The Mini Turbo Brush

is the perfect tool for cleaning upholstered furniture or small surfaces. Especially pet lovers will get their money's worth here because this attachment does a great job at removing dog and cat hair from the couch.

The Mini Turbo Brush

The mini turbo brush from below

The automatic filter cleaning tool and a spare pre-filter

We initially didn't really know what to do with it when it came out of the packaging. But once we realized what it’s for...

... we came to the conclusion that it’s the highlight of all accessories and a real game-changer.

You can easily attach it to the power unit. Then remove the filter from the power unit and put it in there.

Once you activate the vacuum, the filter starts to rotate and will be cleaned in the meantime.

Brilliant idea!

The filter cleaning tool is shown here

Insert the filter

Your advantage: a replacement filter is included in the scope of delivery as well

2-in-1 Dust Brush

One invented it, all imitated it. That's the way it goes these days whenever someone comes up with a good idea. It’s a great thing for us customers because we get a multitool with the S12 that works great for delicate objects and at the same time, it’s also good for rougher work.

Simply press the button and pull back the lever and the bristles disappear...

The dust brush with bristles

The dust brush without bristles

The Crevice Nozzle

is a tried and reviewed cleaning attachment. With this tool, you can get into every hard-to-reach crannies of your couch.

The crevice nozzle

The Flexible Long Crevice Nozzle

is ingenious for vacuuming out narrow, deep crevices. It’s super useful for cleaning the underfloor heating or the car.

The flexible long crevice nozzle

The Hair Cleaning Tool

has been a standard feature of the best robot vacuums (internal link: best robot vaccuums) for a long time, but it also comes in very handy for maintaining cordless vacuums.

Hair wraps itself around the brush from time to time, which leads to a decrease in cleaning performance. Right about then, you’ll be very happy to have this tool at hand to remove these buggers.

The tool to remove hair from the roll

The Flexible Hose

More and more manufacturers include this in their scope of delivery. But we still don’t really know what it’s good for.

From our point of view, it’s rather unnecessary...

The flexible hose from Tineco

The Spare Battery

The replacement battery is not even necessary to level up the battery life, because it’s sufficient as it is.

How long you want to vacuum at a time depends on the size of your flat or house.

In terms of environmental protection and follow-up costs, however, we think it's great that the battery can be replaced so easily. This means that you can still use the device even if the battery is defective.

The replacement battery

The Wall Mount with Charging Station

Here you can see again that the Tineco engineers were really clever and paid close attention to detail.

As we’re used from models of other manufacturers in the UK, this makes it possible to store the vacuum on the wall in a practical and space-saving way.

You can also attach some of the accessories to it so they are well organized and quickly at hand.

Your advantage: You can use the station to charge the cordless vacuum cleaner and the spare battery at the same time.

You can store the battery in a practical compartment on the side.

The wall mount with extra charging space

Good to know: You don't necessarily have to install the wall mount. You can still charge the cordless vacuum cleaner with the charger to save space.

Not everybody wants to hang their cordless vacuum on the wall.

Foldable Angle Tube

Being able to vacuum on the cupboard without having to get on a chair - that’s the theory...

...in practice, however, it’s quite difficult to vacuum on the cabinet without seeing anything.

The Suction Pipe

comes in white and grey colors, which give it an elegant touch.

Its appearance is sturdy and of premium quality.

The suction tube

Pure One S12 vs Pure One S12 Plus

Long story short: same difference.

You can distinguish these two models by their included accessories and their price.

We collected all the facts in this table for you:

Accessories Pure One S12 Pure One S12 Plus
Electric standard brush Yes Yes
Turbo nozzle with soft roller No Yes
Mini turbo nozzle Yes Yes
Filter cleaning tool Yes Yes
2-in-1 Multitool Yes Yes
Foldable angle tool No Yes
Replacement filter Yes Yes
Joint nozzle Yes Yes
Replacement battery No Yes
Hair cleaning tool Yes Yes
Flex hose No Yes
Flexible crevice nozzle No Yes
Wall mount Yes Yes
Charger Yes Yes
Total Accessories 9 13
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Pure One S12 vs Pure One S12 Plus: Which one should you buy?

The S12 Plus has some useful accessories that don’t come with the S12. However, the price difference is around 150 euros.

It really depends on your individual needs.

The benefits of the soft roller on hard floors are outstanding.

So if you have a lot of hard floors at home, it makes sense to buy the model where the roller is included.

The replacement battery is also a nice extra.

But don't worry, if you decide on the S12, you can always order all the parts afterward. But that’s a bit more expensive.

The Cleaning Features of the S12

Some manufacturers suggest that cleaning performance depends solely on suction power.

Dyson has even invented a new measurement for this: The Airwatt.

The manufacturer states that the S12 reaches up to 150 air watts, which is a very good value.

But there’s a lot more to a very good cleaning performance.

Caution: Time and again, customers are being lured into a trap by “great suction power” and “high Pascal measurements”.

The suction power of the S12 is very good, but Tineco UK has come up with a few extras to lift the cleaning performance to an even higher level.

The ILoop Dust Sensor

The auto mode, or as Tineco calls it: the ILoop dust sensor, comes in very handy. Only one other manufacturer in the UK included something like this in their model so far: We noticed a similar technology in our Dyson V11 review.

The sensor detects the amount of dirt or the surface of the floor and automatically adjusts the suction power accordingly.

ILoop Emblem

Your advantages: In total there are two advantages:

Firstly, the battery lasts longer because the device is not permanently vacuuming at full power.

Secondly, you don't have to regulate much by yourself. That saves both time and nerves.

Display shows auto mode

The electronic brushes with LED lighting

The electronic brushes from below

The standard brush also helps to improve the cleaning result. It picks up the dirt and flings it into the suction tube.

The brush is well made and works perfectly.

We particularly liked the LED lighting. With this, you can see every speck of dust, especially on laminate.

The LED illumination of the floor brush

On hard ground, the soft roller was extremely useful. It’s perfect for picking up coarse dirt from the hard floor.

The Tineco Pure One S12 cordless hand vacuum

One of the most important features of cordless vacuums is the 2-in-1 function.

Your advantage: You can convert your vacuum into an S12 cordless hand vacuum.

You can do this super quickly in just a few steps with the Tineco.

This makes the vacuum even more versatile so you have more cleaning possibilities. You can easily vacuum your furniture and objects in no time.

The Tineco S12 as a cordless hand vacuum

How easy is the handling of the Tineco Pure One S12 Plus?

The Set-Up

Unboxing of the S12

The commissioning is easy-peasy. We unpacked everything and were stuck with a huge pile of packaging material.

Unfortunately, Tineco didn’t get rid of plastic packaging yet.

The battery was already charged, so we were ready to go.

The click system for assembly is pretty self-explanatory.

You then just have to decide which of the attachments you want to review first.

Let the fun begin...

What’s the battery life of the S12 like?

The batteries supplied have 2500 mAh and last approx. 50 minutes in auto mode. This is an extremely good battery life, which is sufficient to clean most households.

The battery performance in turbo mode is also remarkable: 19 minutes! That’s a true record-breaker.

The Battery performance at a glance

Mode Duration
Eco 96 minutes
Auto mode 50 minutes
Turbo 19 minutes

Agility and Maneuverability

Overall, the maneuverability and agility when vacuuming was pretty good.

It’s easy to steer the Pure One thanks to the joint on the brush.

The joint on the brush
The joint on the brush

The device sits comfortably in the hand and it’s super easy to roll the S12 back and forth with its rollers on the brush.

The rollers on the brush

There’s one small drawback: The rollers adhere very well to the floor thanks to the rubber coating. However, that’s also the reason why sideway movements are a bit difficult.

Another thing that we noticed: Due to the rollers and the angle of the joint on the brush, you can't get all the way down with the S12. The brush would lift off the ground.

If you want to vacuum all the way behind the sofa, you have to turn the Powerunit to one side. You can also use the flexible hose or the extended crevice nozzle for that.

So it’s no biggie...

How easy is the maintenance of the S12?

The maintenance of the Tineco is very user-friendly and simple.

It includes the following tasks that have to be done on a more or less regular basis:

  • Emptying and cleaning the dirt container
  • Changing the battery
  • Cleaning the brush
  • Cleaning and changing the filter

How to empty the dirt container of the S12

The emptying of the dirt container is the standard procedure, just like it’s done for almost all cordless vacuums. The dirt container is installed vertically in the power unit.

You just have to hold the power unit above the trash and press the front button. The lid pops open and the dirt falls out.

That already works very well. Sometimes, however, some dirt gets stuck between the wall and the filter. Then we had to use our finger.

Attention allergy sufferers: To make sure that no dust comes back into the house, we’d advise you to empty the container outside above the trash.

You can also remove only the dirt container, that way you don't have to carry the entire device to the trash.

Emptying the dirt container
Emptying the dirt container

Your advantage: The capacity of the S12 dirt container is 600 ml. This is above average and ensures that you don't have to empty it that often.

How to clean the dirt container of the Tineco S12

Cleaning the container didn’t give us any trouble either.

You can take it off and then remove the filter with a twist.

You can wash it under running water.

Attention: Do not use it again until it’s really dry. Better safe than sorry...

Cleaning the dirt container

How to change the battery of the S12

Your advantage: The spare battery is very useful because you can easily double up your run time.

There is a drawer at the back of the power unit. You can simply pull out the battery and insert the other one.

It’s a huge advantage that you change the battery so easily. That really sets the Tineco S12 apart from most of its competitors.

Changing the battery
Changing the battery

Good to know: The battery also comes with a two-year warranty.

How to clean the brush

Our insider tip: Clean the electric brush regularly from hair and dirt. This helps to keep up the performance of your device and you save precious time and effort.

You can use the tool that’s provided or a sharp kitchen knife.

Cleaning the brush
Cleaning the brush

For stubborn dirt, the brush can also be removed in a few easy steps. Then it’s even easier to clean it.

Tip: Stubborn hairs occasionally get caught on the edge of the roller.

Hair caught on the edge of the roll

The cleaning and changing of the filter

The S12 has two different filters:

  • The prefilter
  • and the HEPA filter (high frequency particulate air filter)

You should clean both on a regular basis. At the lareview when the notification appears on the display or the app tells you to do so.

The S12 can only live up to its full potential if it has a clean filter.

Simply tap out the HEPA filter from time to time. To do this, you just have to pull it out of the filter compartment at the back.

Cleaning the HEPA filter
Cleaning the HEPA filter

You can clean the pre-filter with the filter cleaning tool that we’ve mentioned before.

To do this, you only have to pull the filter out of the compartment in the dirt container, and then you’re good to go to vacuum it.

Attention: It’s pretty obvious that you have to insert the replacement filter beforehand.

The removal of the pre-filter
The removal of the pre-filter

When the filters run out, which is going to take quite some time, you can buy new ones without any problems.

The app of the S12 cordless vacuum

Our cordless vacuums are getting smarter, too, and slowly but surely they’re becoming a part of our smart homes.

That's why Tineco has included an app to help you clean with the S12.

Installation

First, you can download the app for free from your Google Playstore or the Apple Appstore.

The app will help you to do the actual set-up, i.e. the connection of the app and the battery-powered vacuum cleaner.

You’ll get a step by step guide through the app with helpful pictures and short texts.

Unfortunately, the setup went wrong the first time. After the second try, it worked.

Tip: We activated flight mode on our second try. Then it went smoothly.

What functions does the app have?

You're probably asking yourself: What's the point of having an app with my cordless vacuum cleaner?

At first, we were asking ourselves the same thing so we dived into it.

App menu

The main purpose of the app is the following:

Monitoring the Cordless Vacuum

It monitors and shows the battery level and dirt container.

You’ll also get a notification when it’s time to clean the filters

Operating the cordless vacuum

Your advantage: It’s quite an interesting idea that you can minimize the app to bar size. That way you can still see all the necessary information and are able to watch Youtube videos at the same time.

Error Messages

Houston, we have a problem…

No, seriously, if the device has a problem, for example because the brush is stuck, your app will let you know.

That way you don't have to search for the problem. And it’ll even give you some tips on how to solve the issue.

That’s really useful.

Help forum in the app

You can access a FAQ forum via the app, where all kinds of questions about your cordless vacuum are answered.

You can even choose between text and video… If you ask us, that’s a really innovative idea.

The Tineco App Help Forum

Cleaning Schedule

You can create a handy cleaning schedule in the app’s calendar.

Then you'll receive notifications on your smartphone, which remind you that it's time to vacuum.

Advantage: With this function you can also keep track of whose turn it is to vacuum.

A problem shared is a problem halved... that way daddy won’t have to do everything by himself in the household ?.

Voice Control (Alexa)

It’s a pity: so far, voice control is only possible with Alexa.

The following voice commands are available

Tineco Skill on Amazon Alexa

Extra tip: Search for Tineco Skill on Amazon.

Conclusion about the app

Surprise, surprise: the app really is quite useful! The developers at Tineco have come up with a couple of nice extras to turn the battery-powered vacuum cleaner into a smart device.

Contact Tineco UK

Customer Service: To contact Tineco UK directly, please write an email to: support.uk@tineco.com.

Tineco PureOne S12 Plus Review (UK): Price-Performance Ratio and Conclusion

Long story short: We are thrilled!

Finally our review showed: The Pure One Tineco S12 Plus from Tineco came out with flying colors with a strong cleaning performance and many well thought-out innovations.

They even managed to top that sophistication with an astonishingly useful app.

We definitely recommend buying the device, and it doesn’t happen very often that we do this so unambiguous.

It’s worth every penny and it’ll help you keep your home clean in the future.

The Volume Review

Soundcheck

Tineco calls it "intelligent noise optimisation"....

...and we’ve got to give them the credits: it works.

At 69 dB in turbo mode, the S12 is very quiet compared to the competition.

There are worlds between the volume of the S12 and that of some other vacuum cleaners.

At the lowest level, we measured just 59 dB.

Volume scale

Read more

  • Promotional video for the Pure One S12


    Tineco's promotional video for the new Pure One S12 Plus is a real eye-catcher:

  • Can I buy Tineco Pure One S12 on Amazon UK?


    Yes, the Tineco Pure One S12 is available on Amazon in the UK.

Joe

I have always been excited about smart home products. User-friendliness is one of the most important criteria for new products for me and my reviews should also be user-friendly. This way, you can find the product that suits you best and I hope that our test reports offer you real added value in this way.

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