Tineco FLOOR ONE vs Dreame H12: Which Cleans Better?

Like many of you, I strive to keep my home clean, but let’s be honest—it’s almost impossible! With three young kids and a husband who do their best to leave shoes and dirt outside, it’s still a constant battle. Living on the coast also means keeping the sand at the beach is a challenge, and my once beautiful hardwood and tile floors are often far from sparkling.

Our Current Situation

Currently, we own a few floor-cleaning tools, including a Shark Robot Vacuum, a Norwex mop, in addition to a Bissell Hand-held spot cleaner. While I manage to stay on top of countertops, endless laundry, and the constant cycle of dishes, my floors don’t get as much attention as I’d like. That’s why, for my birthday and Christmas gift to myself this year, I’m treating myself to a fancy new mop! (Yes, I purchased this with my own money.)

My Floors

We have real hardwood floors and tile on the main floor, which are essential when dealing with constant spills and the sand that inevitably sneaks inside. Unfortunately, we chose a white marble-look tile for our kitchen—a huge mistake, as it’s never actually white. The hardwoods often end up with dried cereal or rice stuck to them, leaving me scrubbing on my hands and knees to get them clean. After mopping, I still feel like I just moved the dirt around, so I know I needed a dry and wet mop combo.

What I’m in need of:

The main things I want/ed in this fancy mop were:

• Edge-to-edge cleaning (so I can get close to the walls and cabinets)
• Wet and dry cleaning (option to only dry vac too)
• Not just move dirty water around, but to remove it from the floor
• Under $400
• Cordless, preferred

After polling instagram and researching online, I came to the conclusion that these three were my top contenders:

• Bissell
• Tineco
• Dreame

One thing everyone said was CLEAN THE TANK AFTER USE. Apparently, a few folks had accidentally left the dirty water in the tank causing the smell to embed into the plastic and it could never be totally removed. Yuck!

Luckily, it seems you can purchase replacement parts just in case that happens to you.

Although TikTok and Instagram reviewers can easily influence me, I wanted to get to see the actual pros and cons before I spent a good chunk of money on a cleaning tool. After asking others, it was clear that the Bissell was the most difficult to clean, easily grows mold and mildew and many owners said they wish they never purchased it. So, I took their word for it and threw it out of my list. The two below are my top two options. So here we go:

Here’s a comparison between the Tineco FLOOR ONE S3 Smart Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner and the Dreame H12 Pro Wet and Dry Vacuum to help you decide which one might suit your cleaning needs best.

Tineco FLOOR ONE S3 Smart Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner (Amazon Link)

• Price: Typically around $400
• Cordless: Yes
• Battery Life: Up to 35 minutes
• Smart Technology: Equipped with iLoop™ smart sensor technology, which detects wet and dry messes and adjusts the suction power automatically, improving efficiency.
• Weight: Light and easy to maneuver at around 9.9 lbs.
• Water Tank Capacity: 0.6 liters for clean water, 0.5 liters for dirty water.
• Auto-Clean Feature: Yes, with a self-cleaning brush roll at the touch of a button.
• Best For: Families with moderate messes, small spills, and regular day-to-day cleaning on hard floors like hardwood, laminate, and tile.
• Pros:
  • Lightweight and easy to use.
  • Smart features adjust to different messes automatically.
  • Quiet operation.
• Cons:
  • Battery life might not be sufficient for larger homes.
  • Smaller water tanks require more frequent refilling during extensive cleaning.

Dreame H12 Pro Wet and Dry Vacuum (Amazon Link)

• Price: Around $499
• Cordless: Yes
• Battery Life: Up to 35 minutes
• Smart Technology: Features a debris detection system, optimizing cleaning power based on mess type and surface. It also comes with edge-cleaning capabilities to handle corners and along baseboards.
• Weight: Slightly heavier at around 10.5 lbs.
• Water Tank Capacity: 0.9 liters for clean water, 0.7 liters for dirty water.
• Auto-Clean Feature: Yes, with an upgraded self-cleaning function for both the brush roll and internal tubing, ensuring thorough cleaning with minimal maintenance.
• Best For: Larger households with high-traffic areas or bigger messes, and homes with pets or kids who create more significant dirt and spills.
• Pros:
  • Larger water tanks for less frequent refilling.
  • Effective on larger messes and can handle corners well.
  • Excellent suction and drying performance.
  • Easier to glide on floors/ self-propelling
  • Deeper auto cleaning features + drying the inside and rollers to prevent mold and mildew
• Cons:
  • Slightly heavier and bulkier than the Tineco FLOOR ONE S3.
  • A bit more expensive

Which One to Choose?

• Tineco FLOOR ONE S3: Ideal for smaller homes or light to moderate cleaning needs. If you want something lightweight, easy to maneuver, and smart enough to handle daily spills and dirt, this is a great option.
• Dreame H12 Pro: Best for larger spaces, high-traffic areas, or homes with pets and kids where there’s more to clean. Its larger tanks, edge-cleaning abilities, and more powerful suction make it a better fit for more demanding cleaning jobs.

Both models are strong contenders, but if ease of use and price are your priorities, go with the Tineco. If you need more power and efficiency for bigger messes, the Dreame H12 Pro might be the better choice.

My Decision

Ultimately, I watched a video on YouTube comparing the two and I was convinced that the Dreame H12 Pro would be the better choice for me. I liked that the brush sits lower to the floor, improving the amount of pressure to hard stuck-on messes and I think the cleaning features, including the roller dryer will help prolong the life of the vacuum and its parts. I like that I can simply sit the vacuum on the charging doc and that the vacuum would alert me when the tanks were high on dirty water or low on clean water.

At the time of my purchase (September 2024), they were just $20 difference on Amazon when I purchased, but they often drop on Amazon Prime Day.
During Octobers event, the price dropped to $209 for the Tineco ONE S3 and $279 for the Dreame H12 Pro.