Tineco Floor One S9 Artist Steam review: I am all aboard this steam train

If you have hard floors, a cordless wet and dry vacuum makes cleaning them easier. If you have tiled floors, one with an added steam function makes cleaning more enjoyable. And if you're shopping around for the best cordless wet and dry vacuum with a steam function, the Tineco Floor One S9 Artist Steam should be around the top of your list.

I was already a fan of the S9 Artist Steam's predecessor when it was released in 2023. The Tineco Floor One S7 Steam made me lament that I didn't have even more tiled surfaces to steam, its satisfying results inspiring eager anticipation for cleaning my bathroom floor. Even so, the Floor One S7 Steam did have a few pain points, such as its poor front edge cleaning and inability to reach under furniture. 

Fortunately, the Tineco Floor One S9 Artist Steam works to address several such issues, while also offering a sleeker and more aesthetically pleasing form factor.

Tineco's Floor One S9 Artist Steam offers upgrades in function and aesthetics

The Floor One S9 Artist Steam is one of the latest wet and dry vacuums in Tineco's Floor One lineup, the company having skipped ahead from its S7 series. Like the S7 Steam, the S9 Artist Steam boasts steam temperatures of up to 284°F (140°C), can operate without steam to mop floors and suck up standard spills, and has a self-cleaning function to make maintenance simple. Both also have colour-changing sensor lights which turn from blue to red to indicate that you're sucking up debris, feedback which goes a long way to make cleaning feel thorough. Unlike the S7 Steam, the S9 Artist Steam was clearly developed with aesthetics as its guiding star alongside functionality. Though the LED screen does seem like overkill, there's no denying that this vacuum looks slick.

One of the most obvious and immediate differences between the S9 Artist Steam and S7 Steam are their builds. While the S7 Steam carries its 800-millilitre clean water tank on the front of its upright handle, the S9 Artist Steam more closely follows the S7 Stretch's build by placing its larger 880-millilitre tank on top of the vacuum head. This redesign makes the S9 Artist Steam appear slimmer, a notable improvement over its chunkier older sibling.

Paired with the S9 Artist Steam's new ability to swivel 90 degrees, the redesign makes Tineco's new wet and dry vacuum significantly easier to manoeuvre than the S7 Steam, with the weight of the water borne by the vacuum rather than the user. Swivelling the S9 Artist Steam's motor-propelled vacuum head around obstacles feels much less cumbersome, offering a smooth glide. 

Tineco has further upgraded the S9 Artist Steam's battery life, claiming up to 75 minutes of operation on one charge (or 30 minutes in steam mode). In contrast, Tineco states that the S7 Steam can operate for up to 40 minutes, or 20 minutes in steam mode. Though I had to keep an eye on the S7 Steam's battery to ensure I had enough power for a post-steam self-clean, this wasn't a concern with the S9 Artist Steam. Charging the vacuum doesn't take too long either, Mashable's testing finding that S9 Artist Steam's battery went from zero to 50 percent in around half an hour.

There's a lot to love about the Tineco Floor One S9 Artist Steam's quality of life improvements

Tineco has packed several useful new features into the Floor One S9 Artist Steam's sleek build as well.

Borrowing from Tineco's Floor One S7 Stretch, the S9 Artist Steam is able to lie flat and continue to clean, enabling users to reach difficult places and stretch under furniture. Said furniture does need to be at least five inches (13 centimetres) off the ground for the S9 Artist Steam to be able to slip under it, which is still fairly high. Still, this increased manoeuvrability definitely makes cleaning under tables, chairs, and vanities much less cumbersome, significantly enhancing the S9 Artist Steam's utility.

While the Floor One S7 Stretch can lie down as well, it doesn't offer a steam function, only heating water to 185°F (85°C). Now users don't have to choose between steam and the ability to reach more difficult places.

The S9 Artist Steam's redesign may also help it avoid some aesthetic damage. Mashable found that the S7 Steam eventually gathered noticeable marks on the front of its transparent clean water tank due to bumping into edges when trying to mop under furniture. The S9 Artist Steam's increased manoeuvrability might help users avoid such collisions. The 750-millilitre dirty water tank will still collect marks from cleaning while lying flat, but they're much less noticeable on the back of the vacuum.

Another notable upgrade is the S9 Artist Steam's ability to clean more closely along the front edge of the vacuum head, which was one of the S7 Steam's more irritating quirks. Though the S9 Artist Steam's front edge cleaning still isn't able to get right up next to your baseboards, it does halve the gap left by its predecessor's front edge, measuring closer to one inch than two.

However, one of my favourite yet undersung new features is how Tineco has upgraded the S9 Artist Steam's dirty water tank emptying system. While the S7 Steam required users to pry off the lid to its dirty water tank with their fingers, the S9 Artist Steam adds a new blue handle which makes the task phenomenally easy. This not only minimises the risk of spillage, it also makes the entire process less fiddly and offers a point for users to grip. It's one of those upgrades that makes the S9 Artist Steam feel thoughtfully designed. Clearing out the dirty water tank is by far the worst part of using any wet and dry vacuum, so reducing friction here goes a long way.

The Tineco Floor One S9 Artist Steam does have limitations

As much as I enjoyed the S9 Artist Steam, I did miss a few features from the Tineco S7 Steam, most notably the boost steam mode. Tineco told Mashable that while the S7 Steam's regular steam mode pushes steam out of six jets, its boost steam mode uses a single jet for a more concentrated stream. However, the S9 Artist Steam forgoes this boost steam mode completely, also using six jets on its only steam mode. 

According to Tineco, the S9 Artist Steam's steam reaches the floor at higher temperatures than the S7 Steam, reaching at least 210°F (99°C) to offer a more effective clean despite not having a boost steam mode. In our own testing, Mashable found that the S9 Artist Steam's steam mode provides noticeably more even coverage than the S7 Steam's boost steam, and is still powerful enough to keep tiles beautifully clean. Even so, I would have liked a boost steam option for extra power when tackling long-neglected stains.

Though if you're steaming your floors regularly, the S9 Artist Steam's lack of a boost mode may not be a significant issue. Considering how good it feels to use, you'll probably be whipping the wet and dry vacuum out to use every chance you get.

The S9 Artist Steam's base also forgoes holders for spare parts and accessories, a feature that was present in the S7 Steam. While the lack of such storage definitely makes the S9 Artist Steam's base prettier to look at, I do miss the functionality and convenience.

It's further frustrating that S9 Artist Steam does not have a separate compartment for cleaning fluid. Unlike the S7, the S9 can take cleaning fluid, with users instructed to pour the specially-made solution in its clean water tank. However, Tineco warns users not to use the steam mode with the cleaning fluid. 

This means that you need to completely use up any water that's been mixed with the solution before you can switch over to the S9 Artist Steam's steam mode. Considering the S9 Artist Steam's fairly efficient operation as well as its 880-millilitre clean water tank, doing so may require more than one complete clean of your home. Fortunately, the S9 Artist Steam does a good job of cleaning floors using plain water alone, but it would be nice to be able to switch between mopping with cleaning fluid and steaming with clean water on the fly.

Aside from this, the primary downside to the S9 Artist Steam is its high price. While it delivers a delightful and satisfying cleaning experience, you do need to pay a premium for it. This is one you'll probably need to budget for.

You should also consider whether the S9 Artist Steam is compatible with your flooring. Like most wet and dry vacuums, the S9 Artist Steam is only designed for hard floors, so you'll have to find a different solution for cleaning your carpets and rugs. Further, while you're free to steam your bathroom tiles to your heart's content, you should only subject wooden floors to the S9 Artist Steam's auto, max, and suction functions, lest the steam cause warping.

Though if you have hard floors, a large budget, and are after one of the best wet and dry vacuums on the market, Tineco Floor One S9 Artist Steam is a strong contender for becoming a useful new addition to your household.