Simplicity S65 Cordless Multi-Use Review

Rarely does a budget to mid-priced cordless vacuum meet my high expectations.

It’s not surprising, since I’ve been testing these products for the past several years, you could call me a cordless vacuum snob.

So when I first got the Simplicity S65S Cordless Mutti-Use, there were doubts that crept into my mind.

But as I tested this product, those doubts slowly dissipated. Don’t get me wrong. This product isn’t by any means perfect. There’s no one perfect cordless vacuum available.

Each product will have flaws, which we’ll discuss later, along with its strengths.

Pros

• Outstanding surface debris pick up on hard floors and carpets
• Excellent deep cleaning (above 90%) using the max setting
• Responsive steering on both surfaces
• The dustbin is easy to empty with the wide opening
• There’s no need to squeeze the trigger continually
• The top-of-the-line option has lots of tools included in the package
• Decent-sized 0.5 liter dustbin
• The sealed system that didn’t leak during the fog test

Cons

• The premium option is priced at a more premium level
• Below-average run time (under 30 minutes)
• Cleaning performance isn’t as good using the non-powered handheld tools
• Non-powered handheld tools don’t have a latch (only rely on friction)

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Introduction to the Simplicity S65S Cordless Multi-Use

Not many consumers may be familiar with Simplicity, but it’s one of the underrated brands I’ve reviewed so far, thanks to its high-end performance minus the premium price.

The S65S Cordless Multi-Use is one of two Simplicity cordless vacuums and the more versatile option with its traditional stick vacuum configuration.

And we’ll look at its features, starting with the primary floor nozzles.

Before I continue, there are three different S65 variants.

• S65S or Standard
• S65D or Deluxe
• S65P or Premium

The option you’ll see here is the S65S (standard) with the fewest tools, but Simplicity was kind enough to send me the soft roller to test.

Two Floor Nozzles

The S65S cordless has two nozzles – the Multi-Floor LED (left) and soft roller (right) tools for cleaning carpets and hard floors, respectively.

Please note that the soft roller nozzle is only available with the S65P or Premium option, their most expensive variant.

These tools are both usable on hard surfaces, but the soft roller is more efficient on this surface, while the multi-floor LED is better on carpets.

Underneath, both tools have seals around the rollers – a significant reason they did well despite the lack of airflow.

The blue felt material provides a seal that funnels debris towards the suction chamber, improving cleaning efficiency.

These tools rely on agitation versus airflow to pick up debris.

One surprising aspect for me is how well the multi-floor LED picks up on hard surfaces.

You’ll also notice it has three LEDs on both sides to help illuminate the path.

This efficiency isn’t typical for most standard nozzles and is a plus if you don’t want to spend a premium on the S65P variant that’s more expensive.

Even with heavier pet litter, it made a clean pass even in the eco setting.

It didn’t leave anything behind the brush roll during the first forward pass, which is impressive considering pet litter is somewhat heavy.

Also, both nozzles have wheels covered with a rubber coating to protect the surface from unnecessary scuffs.

Nonetheless, dust and debris will stick on the rubber components, so you’ll have to clean them periodically to keep them tidy.

Dustbin Design & Capacity

The S65’s dustbin looks like a standard one (0.5-liter capacity) with a drop door design, but the ease with which you can empty it is above-average.

There are two ways of emptying it. First is using the trap door by pushing the front release latch.

Once you push the lever, the trap door opens like this.

Another way of disposing of dirt is removing the container by twisting it to unlock and detach.

Once the solid arrow lines up with the outlined arrow, remove the container if you need to dispose of large quantities of dirt.

If you’re curious about the quantity, it was from this pile of dirt from my other vacuum.

It’s a mixture of sand, pet litter, coffee grounds, and other stuff gathered from my other vacuums.

I know it’s not something you’d clean daily, but the S65 was able to handle this mess.

Filtration [+ Fog Test]

Simplicity says that the S65 uses a HEPA medium to capture particles up to 0.3 microns.

So I put it through a fog test to check if the dustbin and filtration system could hold the fog inside without leaking.

The fog test is a visual experiment to check if the vacuum’s seals and filtration are good enough to keep the fog inside the dustbin.

And with the S65, the answer is a resounding yes.

It’s one of the cheapest options with a fully sealed system I’ve reviewed.

Battery

This variant (S65S) comes with a single detachable 2000 mAh lithium-ion battery with a claimed run time of 25 minutes.

I tested the run time claims by running the vacuum with the soft roller on a full charge until empty, and it lasted around 29 minutes and 31 seconds.

Even with its detachability, you can’t charge the battery separately since the charging port is on the vacuum itself.

The port connects directly to the plug, and the charging pins are used for the docking station (more below).

The S65S (Standard) and S65D (Deluxe) only come with one battery, while the S65P (Premium) comes with two batteries, doubling the run time.

Consumers can purchase extra batteries. through the Simplicity website if they need more run time.

Handheld Configuration

The Simplicity S65 is also usable as a handheld vacuum, and the standard variant only comes with one attachment for cleaning upholstery – the combo crevice and dusting brush.

One issue with the non-powered tools is the lack of a latch to secure them in place.

It relies solely on friction which can cause issues like the tool dislodging during use.

Docking Station

Another cool feature of the S65 is the docking station with slots for all of the tools in one place.

It helps organize all the accessories, so there’s little risk of misplacing them.

Also, it doubles as a charging dock, adding to its utility.

Tools out of the box

Here’s what you’ll get from the S65S.

Please note that the soft roller attachment isn’t included in the standard or deluxe variants but only in the premium variants.

Simplicity sent me the soft roller to test for this review.

1. Soft Roller
2. Multi-Floor LED cleaning nozzle
3. Combo crevice and dusting brush
4. Docking station
5. Extension wand
6. Wall mount
7. Charger

Ergonomics

The Simplicity S65 utilizes the traditional stick vacuum configuration with the motor and dustbin on top plus interchangeable tools for its versatility.

Since it uses a smaller motor and battery, it’s reasonably lightweight, weighing a little over six pounds (6 lbs and 1.4 ounces, to be exact).

Its handheld configuration is relatively lightweight at 3 pounds and 7.1 ounces with the combination tool attached.

One plus for it is the trigger lock that holds the switch in the on position, so you don’t have to squeeze it continually.

Plus, its handle position is most optimal for stick vacuum use.

Another S65 pro is its responsive steering. I did side-by-side tests against other popular brands, and it had a sharper turning radius.

Here’s an overhead shot versus the Shark Vertex.

And LG CordZero.

You could see the difference in these overhead shots. The Simplicity S65 nozzle can turn in a 90-degree effortlessly, while the Shark and LG could not.

How much power does the Simplicity S65 have?

Next, we’ll look at power figures, and I used a multi-faceted approach for evaluation.

The first tool I used was an anemometer to check airflow at the wand and cleaning head.

Airflow is an excellent metric to determine cleaning performance, especially on carpet, since high airflow cordless vacuums pick up well on this surface.

Here’s the result for the S65 at the wand.

• Low: 29.98 CFM
• Max: 44.55 CFM

And cleaning head.

• Low: 26.63 CFM
• Max: 37.92 CFM

Compared to premium options like Dyson, the S65 airflow isn’t as good.

It’s slightly below the level of the Tineco A10 and A11 but with better cleaning results, which was surprising.

The next test I did was using a Y-gauge and water lift gauge to check suction at the max setting.

The Y-gauge is commonly used for checking central vacuums to see if there are clogging issues.

It’s one of the more accurate tools to measure power because there’s not much variability, unlike attaching the water lift gauge on a vacuum (using a PVC pipe as a bridge).

Using the latter can give wild readings that aren’t consistent.

Compared to the consistent results using the Y-gauge, the difference is night and day.

There are two sub-tests for the Y-gauge – the sealed (check photo above), where you cover the open end with your palm to get the maximum available power, and the unsealed test.

Here are the Y-gauge results for the Simplicity S65.

• Unsealed: 18 inches of water lift
• Sealed: 60 inches of water lift

These results are slightly better than the Dyson V8 Absolute but a tad short of the high-end V10 Absolute.

So this cordless vacuum is in good company with its suction levels.

The unsealed test is the most accurate since it represents the working suction of the vacuum.

Cleaning Performance

One of the most surprising aspects during the testing phase is the S65’s cleaning performance, which is outstanding, especially on surface debris.

I tested the S65 on debris like sand, quaker oats, quinoa, pet litter, coffee grounds, hair, etc.

First, here are the overall results.

• Overall: 99.3%
• Hard floor: 100%
• Sand on hard floor: 99.8%
• Carpet: 99.92%
• Deep cleaning: 97.5%

Please note that the deep cleaning test is done using the max setting, which is standard in my testing process.

However, I tried it using the eco setting, and it picked up a decent percentage at 84.4%.

Overall, I’m impressed by its cleaning performance for a stick vacuum in this price range.

It definitely exceeded expectations (at least mine).

Hard floor results

• Quaker oats: 100%
• Coffee grounds: 100%
• Quinoa: 100%
• Pet litter: 100%

With the soft roller, the S65 picked up a perfect score in all the hard floor experiments with the four different debris types.

But only the S65P has this tool included for a premium. If you don’t mind the added cost, this variant is an excellent option inside homes with mixed surfaces.

As I’ve said earlier, the multi-floor LED tool is also decent for vacuuming small debris like dust.

It can handle stuff like pet litter, but it won’t be as efficient.

Sand on hard floor results

Another barometer for hard floor cleaning is sand.

It’s one of the challenging items to clean on this surface, but the S65 makes quick work of it with its soft roller tool.

You could see the clean back and forth pass in the photo above.

Again, this is proof of the soft roller’s efficiency since it only needed a few passes to pick up 50 grams of sand.

It got an average of 99.8% after two tests.

Edge cleaning

The following experiment we’ll look at is the edge cleaning results, where the S65 was excellent using both the soft roller and multi-floor LED nozzles.

Here’s the before and after shot with the multi-floor LED.

And the soft roller.

There isn’t much variance between the soft roller and multi-floor LED tools cleaning this area.

Carpet results

Next, we’ll look at how the S65 did on low and mid-pile carpets using the same debris.

Aside from the usual experiments, I tried this cordless stick vacuum inside my mom’s large carpets.

There were two in their home – a plush reddish variety not cleaned for years.

I know that the S65 isn’t designed for thick carpets like this, but it was worth trying and did not disappoint.

It picked up this much only after less than ten minutes of vacuuming.

The carpet looked clean, but it really wasn’t with this much sticking on it.

One issue with using a lightweight stick vacuum on plush carpets is it’s harder to push forward and steer.

It was bumpy, and you’ll have to use extra force to plow through the thicker fibers, but it’s doable.

I also tried it on a thinner pile carpet, but (nonetheless) still plush versus my test rugs at home.

And here’s how much it picked up after a few minutes of vacuuming.

Again, this carpet isn’t regularly cleaned, so it’s a good barometer of how well this vacuum can pick up surface debris in a practical sense.

It wasn’t bad after a few minutes of work and could have gotten more had I vacuumed longer.

Now to the test results.

Low pile

• Quaker oats: 99.8%
• Coffee grounds: 100%
• Quinoa: 100%
• Pet litter: 99.6%

There’s nothing much to write about here except for telling you how good it is in these experiments, picking up a nearly perfect score.

One quirk with this tool is the low clearance, so there will be some snowplowing issues for large piles of debris.

Here’s another example.

But it didn’t stop the nozzle from picking up these in the succeeding passes.

I doubt you’ll need to clean this much debris in your daily cleaning tasks, but it’s good to know that this vacuum is capable.

Mid pile

• Quaker oats: 100%
• Coffee grounds: 100%
• Quinoa: 100%
• Pet litter: 100%

Similar to hard floors, the S65 picked up 100% in all the mid-pile experiments – impressive given its price level.

You could see it left zero remnants in the before and after photos above.

Please note that I used the max setting for the closing passes, which helped it pick up every crumb.

Deep cleaning results

Another impressive aspect of the Simplicity S65 is its deep cleaning performance, which is excellent (again) for close to a budget-level cordless stick vacuum.

It picked up an average of 97.5% in two tests at the max setting.

I also tried it in the eco (or default) power setting, and it picked up a robust 84.4% – an excellent score given its lower airflow figures.

Hair wrap results

Lastly, in the cleaning experiments, we’ll look at the hair wrap tests, where I check how well a vacuum’s brush roll will resist tangles from varying hair strand lengths.

I did the tests on hard floors and carpets for a more detailed overview of what to expect.

One thing I’d like to point out for this vacuum is it does not have an active anti-tangle system, so keep your expectations in check.

Hard floor

• 5-inch strands: 100%
• 7-inch strands: 100%
• 9-inch strands: 100%
• 11-inch strands: 94%
• 13-inch strands: 53%

The Simplicity S65 was excellent up to eleven-inch strands but struggled with thirteen-inch hair.

Nonetheless, these are excellent results given it doesn’t have any comb system to untangle hair from the roller.

The dustbin design is good enough to keep hair strands inside the dustbin container and not on the mesh filter.

However, there were instances where it wrapped around the middle filter piece.

But this isn’t a Simplicity issue; but other brands will have this same problem when cleaning long hair strands.

Carpet

• 5-inch strands: 94%
• 7-inch strands: 53%

Unfortunately, the Simplicity S65 wasn’t as good on carpet, which isn’t surprising because of its lowish airflow levels, thin brush roll, and no anti-tangle system.

I wouldn’t recommend this for cleaning large quantities of hair, or you’ll have to use a scissor to dislodge them.

Fortunately, the brush roll is detachable, making this task more straightforward.

How noisy is the Simplicity S65S Cordless Multi-Surface?

I used a sound meter to check the Simplicity S65 noise levels, and here are the results.

• Low: 73 dB
• Max: 78.6 dB

It exceeded 70 decibels in both power settings, so it isn’t exactly quiet, but most stick vacuums will have this same issue.

How long will the Simplicity S65 Cordless Multi-Surface run?

Simplicity says that the S65 will run for up to 25 minutes in the lowest setting, but it exceeded this figure in the run time test with the soft roller attached (a little over 29 minutes).

It was slightly above average in the max setting running a little over 8 minutes (8:13 to be exact).

I tested the low setting with the soft roller tool and max setting with the multi-floor LED to simulate real-world usage better since consumers will be using these nozzles for the respective surfaces.

You can purchase an extra battery from the Simplicity website or opt for the S65P that comes with two batteries.

Availability of Parts

Consumers can purchase spare parts direct from the Simplicity website – batteries, filters, etc.

But don’t expect a Dyson-like flood of options because Simplicity isn’t as popular.

Product Specifications

Where can I buy the Simplicity S65 Cordless Multi-Use?

This cordless stick vacuum is available on the Simplicity website. Check the links below for the latest pricing information.

• Simplicity S65 on the Simplicity web store

Disclaimer: I will earn a commission if you purchase through any of the links above, but at no extra cost to you, so it’s’ a win-win for us!

Does the Simplicity S65 Cordless Multi-Floor offer good value?

Yes! Its superb cleaning performance and fully sealed system make it a compelling option at its price point.

The S65 may not have the bells and whistles of a Dyson or Tineco, but it cleans debris well, which is what matters most.

Sure, there are issues with the lack of tools (at least for the Standard variant), but the floor cleaning makes up for it.

It’s had one of the best cleaning test scores for both surface and embedded debris, easily one of the best at its price range.

5 Reasons to purchase the Simplicity S65 Cordless Multi-Floor

1. Outstanding cleaning performance: It got a nearly perfect score in surface cleaning tests on both surfaces!
2. Fully sealed system: The S65 didn’t leak during the fog test – a rarity for a cordless vacuum in this price range.
3. Excellent deep cleaning: It picked up above 97% in deep cleaning tests on mid-pile carpet – again, an exceptional score regardless of price. And even in the low setting, it still picked up over 84%.
4. Steers well: Another surprise for me during the testing phase is the responsive steering that helps it maneuver around furniture.
5. Reasonable price: The S65S and S65D are priced close to the budget level, bringing up their value-for-money proposition.

The Verdict: Excellent Budget Friendly Cordless Stick Vacuum Alternative

Again, I had my doubts before putting this vacuum through its paces, but I was impressed with its cleaning performance, steering, and filtration after exhaustive tests.

The Simplicity S65 is an excellent option for folks looking for a reasonably priced stick vacuum on hard floors or carpets.

It performed well in nearly all the cleaning tests and aced the surface debris experiments with nearly a perfect score.

Yes, there are some issues, mainly with its limited run time and performance from its suction-only handheld tools.

But it’s floor cleaning performance, filtration, and steering make up for these deficiencies.