Overview of the Ultenic AC1 cordless vacuum cleaner for wet and dry cleaning

Price under consideration

$359

Best Prices Today: Ultenic AC1

$379.00

The Ultenic AC1 is a cordless wet and dry vacuum cleaner with long battery life, large separate clean and dirty water tanks, powerful suction and edge-to-edge cleaning.

It also has some impressive tech specs: LCD display, app compatibility, and voice assistant. In addition, when you plug it in to charge, it automatically cleans and dries the roller brush.

But what is it like to use? Read on to find out.

Design and appearance

• Replaceable battery
• 45 minutes work
• Large tanks for clean and dirty water

The AC1 is shaped like an upright vacuum cleaner but has a compact, modern look. It has a shiny white plastic body with orange accents and smoke-clear water tanks, a gray cleaning head, and a gray charging base. It feels solidly built.

In the box you will find the vacuum cleaner itself, a charging base with a built-in UV light for cleaning the roller, a separate battery charging slot, a removable battery, a spare roller and a washable HEPA filter, as well as a cleaning brush (to clean the inside of the dirty water tank) and a bottle of cleaning liquid.

If you think you’ll be using it for more than 45 minutes at a time, you might consider buying a second battery. It’s a much more reasonable price than a cordless vacuum cleaner replacement battery and will set you back $59.99 / £39.99 (Ultenic in the US; Amazon UK).

Ultenik says you should only use the provided cleaning solution, but once you use up the provided 500 ml bottle by adding a cap to a full tank of water, I’m not sure what options you have as I couldn’t find it commercially. anywhere.

In any case, since I have a mix of tile, vinyl, and wood, and am careful about the products I use for wood, I tested the AC1 using only water. The results were impressive.

One of the best things about the AC1 is that it’s an absolute knick-knack to use. If you tend to avoid high-tech, labor-saving devices because learning how to use them seems like too much work, this product is for you. There is absolutely nothing to learn, except for the difference between the four cleaning modes, to which we will return.

Its ease of use starts as soon as you take it out of the box. To set it up, all you have to do is attach the handle, roller and reservoirs and let it charge.

When not in use, it needs to be stored in a compact charging base, so you’ll need a dedicated 30 x 33 cm space to store it next to a power outlet. It charges fully in less than 4 hours, so it doesn’t need to be plugged in all the time, but you will need to plug it in for its self-cleaning and drying program to work after use.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Once it’s charged, it’s ready to use. Fill his tank with clean water and you’re off. The water tanks detach easily and reattach with a nice click. The tanks are also surprisingly large, with a capacity of 1 liter each.

The dirty water tank also has a filter to separate debris and hair from the dirty water, making emptying it less inconvenient.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Spectacle

• 4 cleaning modes
• Voice Assistant
• self propelled drive

Once the vacuum cleaner is charged, it is ready for use. The controls are simple. The thumb has a power switch, and behind it is a second button that allows you to switch between four cleaning modes. There’s also a switch to enable a self-cleaning cycle when it’s in the dock.

The smart mode uses a sensor to detect dirt and then selects the appropriate suction and water levels. Maximum mode (as the name suggests) will use maximum water volume and maximum suction to remove tough stains and stubborn dirt. Then there is the suction or water absorption mode, in which the appliance sucks in excess water.

There is also a “disinfection mode” where AC1 asks you to wait a bit while the disinfectant is ready. But since disinfectant is never added to the machine, this can’t be done in a literal sense. However, this is translated elsewhere as “deep cleaning mode” and I think that’s the best description. As far as I understand, in this mode, air bubbles are added to the tank so that the detergent is more effective.

The instruction manual is basic and not very well translated, so it is useless in this matter.

As soon as you pick up the vacuum cleaner from the dock and turn it on, you’ll notice something else: the voice assistant. “Turn on the power,” he says, and from now on, he will give you a convenient voice prompt at every step. This is most useful when you are switching between cleaning modes, as the symbol on the screen does not always show which mode you are in.

Again, when reconnecting, you will be prompted to start the self-cleaning and drying mode. Part of the cleaning is noisy, but it only lasts a minute.

By the way, if you don’t like the voice assistant, you can turn it off.

Another thing you’ll notice once you turn it on is that AC1 works on its own. This means that he is moving forward. Basically, this makes it a lot easier to use, as at 5kg/11lbs it’s quite heavy. However, if you want to use it like a traditional vacuum where you vacuum back and forth, you will have to pull against its forward motion half the time.

This won’t be a problem for most people, but I wouldn’t recommend buying it for the elderly or infirm in the hope that it will make cleaning easier for them.

The LCD screen displays the remaining battery percentage, cleaning mode, various other indicators and error messages. The battery indicator is handy, but you may have to go back to the manual to interpret some of the other symbols.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

The AC1 runs for a maximum of 45 minutes in smart mode and 25 minutes in max mode, Ultenik says. My apartment just isn’t big enough to test this, but these numbers are in line with the battery life it takes to clean my bijou pad.

Its runtime compares favorably with top-notch cordless vacuum cleaners like Dyson. While it doesn’t quite match the Dyson V15’s 60-minute run time in eco mode, it squeezes out its 10 minutes in max mode.

I’ve cleaned wood, vinyl and tile floors with the AC1 and it’s not only effective but also fast. It handles daily cleaning in no time and handles spills very well. However, I have to say that when I spill food or the like, I still pick up most of it before I get out of the vacuum.

Ultenic’s own product photo shows it picking up a big, dirty batch of spaghetti, and while, yes, you can do that, you still need to empty the dirty water tank and clean the vacuum afterwards. I don’t think it’s worth it and I don’t recommend it.

Another thing to be aware of is that the AC1 will not replace your regular vacuum cleaner. Firstly, it cannot be used on a carpet, and it will be difficult to climb stairs.

You also cannot use it on upholstery. And while it cleans hard floors great, you can’t lay it completely flat while in use, which means you can clean under a coffee table with it, but not under a sofa unless you’re prepared to move it every time.

During testing, I found the Ultenic to be easy to keep clean and maintain. However, I emptied its dirty water tank after every use and regularly removed the roller (which is easy to do – it only takes a couple of clicks) to rinse it out and let it dry properly. The self-cleaning and drying function works well, but does not dry the roller perfectly.

And, if you’re using it to vacuum up piles of spaghetti, I’m guessing you’ll have to put in a lot more effort for maintenance.

Connected Features

The AC1’s connected features are limited but easy to use. Download the free Ultenic app for Apple or Android and connect via Wi-Fi. In my case, I connected quickly and easily, but there was very little point in this.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

In the application, you can see the status of the clean and dirty water tanks, the brush roller and the battery level – you can find all the information on the screen. You’ll also be able to access a weekly cleaning report that shows you how many minutes of your life you’ve spent cleaning your floor.

Price and availability

Given the feature set, this is a very inexpensive wet and dry machine. It is available on Amazon for $379 (US)/ £329 (UK).

We think it’s better value for money than the similarly spec Tineco Floor One S3, which is slightly more expensive but has a shorter battery life, smaller water tanks, and no debris filter in the dirty water tank.

Meanwhile, Dyson’s flagship V15 Detect is nearly double the price at $749.99/£629.99, while the Shark Stratos is $465/£349. While they cannot be directly compared, it illustrates the fact that you get a lot for your money with the AC1.

Verdict

If you have a lot of hard flooring, be it wood, tile, vinyl, laminate or linoleum, the AC1 is worth the investment. It is efficient and easy to use. However, you must be aware of its limitations. Because it’s heavy and filled with water, you won’t want to carry it up the stairs to use in the main bathroom, and you should keep it away from carpets.

For other options for buying a wet and dry vacuum cleaner, check out our review of the inexpensive Wessex and Tineco Floor One S3 wet and dry vacuum cleaner.