There are a lot of cool things out there that make us wonder — do they really work? In our I Tried It series, we set out to use them in the real world and have determined that, in fact, they really do. Let me tell you, reader, this vacuum is a dream. Often compared to Dyson's V10 model, the Tineco A11 Hero is way less expensive and every bit as good. Having had the opportunity to use both, I can tell you that I could not tell a difference between their power levels. What I could see was that Dyson's battery cannot be removed, and their filter needs to be hand-washed. I simply don't have the patience for that. All of the cordless vacuums we tested were between 4 and 7 pounds, but none was so heavy that it affected our recommendation. All of the vacuums on this list were also very similar in height and overall size. The Dyson models are both roughly 49 inches, while the Tineco A11 is shorter at just 43 inches tall.

This vacuum does come with quite a few tools and parts, but that doesn’t necessarily mean more maintenance. The primary maintenance tasks for the Tineco A11 vacuumcan be broken down into the following to-do list: Manufacturers will often boast about their vacuum's suction power in terms of air watts, a figure that quantifies airflow in terms of power usage. Generally speaking, more air watts means a more powerful vacuum cleaner, but the actual design of the vacuum head plays a significant role, as well. The tighter a vacuum is against the floor, the greater the suction -- but if it's too tight against the floor, larger bits of debris won't be able to make it underneath the cleaning head, at all. The type of flooring you're trying to clean makes a big difference, too.

Design– I don’t love that you cannot lay it perfectly flat, but that’s small. Most other major design elements are on par with other industry best practices. Want a large dust bin: The Tineco A11 cordless has a decently sized dust bin, especially considering its small size. While it doesn’t quite beat the capacity of the Dyson V10 Absolute or Animal, it is a close second. Clean the pre-filter: As necessary, be sure the clean out the filter whenever you notice it getting dirty. Unlike traditional reusable filters that need to be washed, the Tineco filter takes a different approach. This vacuum includes a filter cleaning attachment that clips in and uses the suction power of the vacuum to clean the filter. A clean filter will not only help the vacuum to run at optimal suction, but it will also allow it to run quieter.

So, when I finally fried our handheld vac, I went on a search for a replacement and came across the Tineco A11 Hero vacuum in the unlikeliest of all places. Empty the dust bin: It’s important to empty the dust bin whenever it is full to avoid the vacuum losing suction or causing strain on the motor. We perform three runs (at minimum) on each floor type. We also test suction power with sand and rice separately. That comes to at least 18 tests per vacuum. To measure the results, we weigh the vacuum's dust bin both before and after each run.

FAQs

The Brief: I can't stand dust, dirt, or pet hair. But unfortunately, those are all found in abundance in a home with two kids, two cats, and a dog. Living with a combination of hardwood, stone floors, and various vintage rugs, I spend a disproportionate amount of time vacuuming, sweeping, and lint rolling. I was growing tired of switching from the handheld vacuum to the regular vacuum to the broom and dustpan just to maintain a basic level of cleanliness. For more great vacuum cleaning tests, see our complete vacuum cleaner review series here. Hardwood Floor Cleaning Want a good value: If you’re looking for lots of features, but want to cash out at a lower price, the Tineco A11 could be right for you. On Trial: The Tineco A11 Hero vacuum, a rechargeable and convertible vacuum with three levels of suction When choosing the best vacuums in various categories we considered other factors associated with each. We noted any vacuums with especially short battery life or a particularly heavy weight that might make them a less desirable option. Cordless vacuum battery life and runtime

As a handheld, you can attach a variety of accessories and toolsto help clean hard-to-reach areas. Tineco A11 Maintenance Each of these debris types is spread across our testing lane. The base surface of our testing lane is an engineered hardwood floor. For our carpet tests, we slide in a low pile and high pile carpet insert on top of the hardwood floor. Our vacuum cleaning process strives to be as consistent, fair, and true to real world use as possible.