Tineco A11 Review

After reviewing both the A10 and the Pure One S12, I’ll be having a close look at Tineco’s mid-priced option, the A11.

This model is at the same price range as the Dyson V8, and I’ve tested this vacuum extensively to see how it does on various types of messes, its usability, noise level, ergonomics, and much more.

Pros

Cons

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What to expect from the Tineco A11?

The Tineco A11 Master is the higher-end option of the A11 series that’s right in-between the Tineco A10 and Pure One S12.

This model is at the same price range as the Dyson V8, but a little bit more expensive than the Shark ION P50.

The sample sent to me by Tineco is the A11 Master+, so it comes with both the LED multi-tasker power brush and the soft roller power brush.

Both of these tools work well at cleaning carpets and hard floors, respectively. One feature that separates this from a Dyson and Shark is the row of LED headlights that helps with visibility.

There are three different A11 options – the Hero+, Master, and Master+.

All these models have the same motor and battery (except for the Master that comes with the larger 2,500 mAh Li-ion battery), so there isn’t much of a difference in cleaning performance.

The differences are the attachments and color scheme, with the Hero version having the blue and white combo and the Master having the green and white combo.

What are the improvements that the A11 has over the A10?

The A10 and A11 share the same design cues, but the A11 is a better product overall in several aspects.

One thing I noticed with the A11 is the transparent body casing. You can see what’s beneath the outer plastic shell, except for the motor.

Even the batteries have a frosted, semi-transparent design where you can see the cells’ silhouette inside.

Like the A10, the A11 has a trigger lock that holds the switch at the on position, so there’s no need to squeeze it continually.

Improved build quality

One of my pet peeves with the A10 is the absence of a locking mechanism for suction-only tools.

Attachments such as the crevice and combination tool do not have a quick-release latch.

Tineco addressed this issue by adding this in all the tools for the A11.

Everything will securely lock in place, thanks to the quick-release latch.  Removing the tools also is smoother as it slides off easily.

Charging dock

The A10 did not have a charging dock but tool storage to fit most of the tools and the vacuum. Since it only had one battery, it only came with a plug to charge the vacuum.

With the A11, things are different; this variant comes with the dual charging dock that can charge two batteries simultaneously. It also has slots to store three suction-only attachments.

One downside to the dock is the need to drill holes on the wall, which is purely subjective, in my opinion.

How much power does the Tineco A11 have?

To measure the amount of power the A11 has, I used an anemometer to measure airflow on the wand’s different power settings.

Airflow is a good barometer of how a vacuum will perform on various surfaces. The higher the airflow, the better it is at picking up different types of debris.

Here’s the result of the Tineco A11 on the low and max power setting at the wand and cleaning head.

The A11 has almost as much airflow as the Dyson V8 (31.9 CFM vs. 32 CFM) on the default setting. And nearly as much as the Dyson V10 (58 CFM vs. 59 CFM) at the max.

In the max setting, the A11 has more airflow than the Dyson V8 (39.72 vs. 36.95 CFM) but is slightly lower at the low setting (24.35 CFM vs. 26 CFM).

This is impressive for a cordless vacuum at this price.

I did notice an airflow decrease as the battery neared empty, so there will be some airflow loss in the power cycle.

How long will the Tineco A11 Master run?

The A11 Master comes with two 2,500 mAh Li-ion batteries that Tineco claims will run for up to 60 minutes.

Take note that the lower end A11 Hero has a smaller 2,000 mAh Li-ion battery that runs for up to 50 minutes (combined)

To test if this claim is accurate, I ran the vacuum in different configurations to see how long it will run from full to empty.

Please check the table below for the results.

How Does the Tineco A11 Clean?

Thanks to the multitude of tools, the Tineco A11 is one of the most versatile cordless stick vacuums available in the market.

It is usable in different configurations as a handheld or stick vacuum, depending on the attachment.

One advantage over the Pure One S12 is its more compact design, so it’s lighter on the arm if you use it to clean areas high above, such as ceiling vents.

However, the primary function of the A11 is to clean floors, and it does it with high-efficiency thanks to the design of the primary cleaning attachments – the multi-tasker and the soft roller power brush.

Don’t let the terminology confuse you; these tools are similar to the Dyson V8’s direct-drive and soft roller attachment.

One feature I like with these tools is the row of LED headlights that will help track dust.

All the tools are usable with or without the extension tube, which gives this vacuum its versatility.

Attaching and removing the different tools is easy with the quick release latch.

Cleaning Performance

To test how the Tineco A11 performs on hard floors and carpet, I tested it on various types of debris such as quaker oats (first photo), coffee (second photo), quinoa (third), and pet litter (fourth).

I also tested it on Fruit loops to see how it does on huge pieces of dirt.

First, let’s look at the overall scores.

• Overall: 99.8%
• Hard Floor: 99.88%
• Carpet (Surface pickup): 99.8%
• Carpet (Deep cleaning): 96.45%

The overall scores of the Tineco A11 are impressive with 98.6% and not far behind from the Pure One S12 (99.4%), that is the costlier option of the two.

Hard Floor Results

For testing on hard floors, I primarily used the soft roller brush, and as expected, the results were superb. Please check the photos below to see some before and after shots.

• Quaker Oats: 99.6%
• Coffee: 100%
• Quinoa: 100%
• Pet Litter: 99.9%

The scores were nearly perfect as the soft roller attachment will inhale debris in front of it. I would say that the A10 and A11 version is as good as the Dyson V8 version.

Too bad, Tineco does not have a variant with only the soft roller as the Dyson has with Fluffy.

It also did well at cleaning fruit loops as it picked up everything in its path without the clogging issue I experienced with the Dyson V10.

Most of the debris went inside the dust cup, with only two pieces of fruit loops left underneath the tool.

The A11 standard brush roll can also clean on hard surfaces but won’t be as effective at cleaning large piles of messes as the Dyson V10 or V11 would because it lacks the adjustable gates.

Sand on Hard Floor Test

Sand is one of the toughest things to clean on hardwood surfaces for poorly designed vacuums. To see how well the A11 does, I scattered 50 grams of sand to check how much it picks up.

I did one test using the soft roller and the other using the standard brush roll. It was able to pick up an average of 99.4% on two tests which is an excellent score.

Edge Cleaning Test

To test how well the A11 cleans edges, I scattered pet litter in a corner with a quarter-inch crevice to see how much it picks up.

Here are the before and after shots.

The A11 did an excellent job picking up the pet litter on the edge. There was a minimal amount of pet litter left that you can’t see in the photo. But it’s on the upper right corner. The standard and soft roller attachments did an excellent job, though it’s not as efficient as the Dyson V8’s Fluffy attachment.

Hair wrap test on hard floors

I used one gram of five to seven inch human hair to see how much will wrap on the A11 roller. To my surprise, there was nothing wrapped on the soft roller attachment.

It was better than other brands like Dreame and Jashen, which had strands of hair on the roller brush.

Carpet Cleaning

To test the effectiveness of the A11 on carpets, I tested it on the same four debris on both low and mid pile. I also did a separate test where I rub 50 grams of coffee grounds on mid pile carpet to see how well it can deep clean.

The scores again are impressive for a vacuum at this price range. It scores higher than the Dyson V8 Absolute that’s more expensive. However, the Tineco filtration isn’t as excellent as a Dyson, so it’s a tradeoff you’ll need to consider.

Low Pile Results

• Quaker Oats: 100%
• Coffee: 99.6%
• Quinoa: 100%
• Pet Litter: 99.7%

The A11 scored a nearly perfect score on low pile carpet, which shows you that the multi-tasker power brush is good enough to do the task on this surface.

However, I noticed a bit of snowplowing when cleaning a pile of dirt, but for regular daily cleaning tasks, this should not be an issue.

Mid Pile Results

• Quaker Oats: 99.9%
• Coffee: 99.2%
• Quinoa: 100%
• Pet Litter: 100%

One of the biggest surprises for the Tineco A11 is the results on mid pile carpet. It scores higher than the Pure One S12 across the board. If you have a lot of mid pile carpet at home, this might be a better option.

Deep Cleaning Test

Next, we’ll look at how the A11 does at cleaning embedded dirt. For this test, I used 50 grams of coffee on a medium-pile carpet, which I rubbed with my hand to embed it on the strands.

The Tineco A11 scored an impressive 96.45% which is slightly lower than the A10 that scored 94.7%. It is actually not for behind the Dyson V8 that picked up an average of 97.7% and the V10 (97.03%). Again, the Dyson may have a lower score but you’ll have to clean the Tineco filter more frequently because it has the inferior cyclonic system.

One reason why the A11 did not do as well as the Dyson V8 is it lacks stiff bristles. It uses a combination of soft bristles and rubber blades.

Hair wrap test on carpet

Unfortunately, the A11 standard brush didn’t do as well in the hair wrap test. This much was left on the brush.

One reason why so much hair is tangled on the brush is the lack of mass. Unlike the Dyson V10, V11, and Tineco S12, the A11 brush is narrow.

How Does the Filter Look After the Cleaning Tests?

I put the A11 through many tests with different types of debris, so I was curious how the filter would look like after.

You can see traces of pet litter and coffee left on it. The vacuum still performed quite well despite the accumulation. Because of this, you’ll need to clean the filter more often (once or twice a month).

Fortunately, the A11 Master and Master+ come with an extra filter, so you’ll have something to use while waiting for the other filter to dry up if you decide to use water to clean it.

How Noisy is the Tineco A11?

To measure how much noise the A11 produces, I use a sound meter from a few feet away.

Here are the results of the test.

Even at the default setting, the A11 produces over 72 decibels, which can be annoyingly loud for some people.

At the highest setting, the noise level goes up further to the 75 dB mark, equivalent to loud music.

The A11 has that high pitched whiny noise, which is more noticeable at the highest setting.

All of these tests are with the primary brush roll attached, which is the configuration you’ll likely use a majority of the time.

Dust Cup Capacity and Design

Tineco says that the A11 can hold up to 0.6 liters of dry dirt – which is up to the fill line.

It is slightly bigger than the Dyson V8’s dust cup that has a 0.54-liter capacity.

However, it is smaller than the Pure One S12’s 0.77-liter capacity.

I don’t like the A11 bin because it lacks a hygienic system that helps push the dirt down.

The lack of it makes emptying the bin a very messy task, but the good news is the whole dust cup can be disassembled if you need a thorough clean.

What’s Inside the Box?

One thing unique about the Tineco A11 Master is the sheer amount of attachments that you’ll get. It’s got more than the Dyson V8 Absolute, which costs roughly the same.

You’ll get a total of 13 tools, which I’ll summarize in this section.

1. LED Multi-Tasker Power Brush: This tool is Tineco’s standard brush roll attachment that works best on carpets. However, the larger motor’s high airflow also enables it to work well on hard surfaces (except for extra-large stuff).

2. LED Soft Roller Power Brush: A purpose-built tool by Tineco for cleaning hard surfaces. One feature that separates it from Dyson’s version of the soft roller brush is the row of bright LED lights.

3. Mini Power Brush: It is a miniature powered brush tool that will work best on fabric upholstery.

4. Crevice Tool: An excellent tool for cleaning hard to reach areas around the upholstery.

5. 2-in-1 Dusting Brush: This attachment combines a brush and an upholstery tool.

6. Flexible Long Crevice Tool: The extended version of the crevice tool with bristles at one end that can extend further for that extra reach and flexibility.

7. Multi-Angle Folding Adapter: One of the unique tools Tineco has developed that helps significantly with cleaning areas high above, such as cabinets and ceiling fans. This tool can fold at a multitude of angles, so it provides many options for users.

8. Flexible Extension Hose: Another tool that improves the usability and reach of the A11 around tight spots. It is one of my favorite tools to use when cleaning inside the vehicle.

9. Dual Charging Powerhouse/Dock: A wall-mountable dock that can simultaneously charge two batteries and hold three extra attachments.

10. Two Lithium-Ion Batteries: The A11 Master comes with two detachable Li-ion batteries that will run for up to 60 minutes combined. Take note that the Hero version of the A11 has the smaller 2,000 mAh Li-ion battery that will run up to 50 minutes (combined).

11. Automatic Pre-Filter Cleaning Tool: Another first from Tineco, the automatic pre-filter cleaning tool, will clean the pre-motor filter without you having to remove it from the vacuum physically.

13. Soft Dusting Brush: This soft-bristled tool works excellent on delicate surfaces such as lampshades.

14. Extension Wand: This tool gives the A11 its versatility to function in different configurations has a handheld or stick vacuum.

Different Tineco A11 Options: A11 Hero+ vs. A11 Master vs. A11 Master+

There are a total of four different variants for the A11. All four have the same motor, but the Master version has the larger cell Li-ion battery that runs longer. Another difference is the color combo, with the Hero having the blue and white scheme and the Master with the more eye-catching green and white combo.

Cleaning performance will be the same because all models have the same power output and tools.

Please refer to the table below to see how these options are different. Plus, the attachments that come along with it.

Availability of Parts

Despite being a newcomer to this field, it isn’t hard to find replacement Tineco parts. You can find items such as the battery, filter, and adapter available on Amazon.

However, like the Li-ion battery, some of these parts aren’t cheap, but having it available is better than not having any options. However, it’s better to have the option to purchase an extra battery rather than not having the option, so it is a plus for me.

Because Tineco is a new brand to come out, I’m quite pleased with the parts availability.

Product Specifications

Where Can I Buy The Tineco A11?

The Tineco A11 is available in online stores like Amazon. Please check the links below for the latest prices.

• Tineco A11 Hero on Amazon
• Tineco A11 Master on Amazon

Please take note that when you purchase through any of the links, I’ll earn a commission, but at no additional cost to you, so it’s a win-win for both of us.

Does the Tineco A11 provide good value?

While the Tineco A11 isn’t cheap and at the same level, price-wise, as the Dyson V8 and Shark IONFlex 2X, it brings a lot of value to the table.

First, the A11 Master+ version has more attachments than the other two premium brands I mentioned, which means more options and flexibility.

The two detachable Li-ion batteries will run for up to 52 minutes combined so that this stick vacuum will cover a lot of ground.

Add to that the charging dock’s ability to charge two batteries simultaneously translates to zero downtime (if you don’t use up the battery in one cleaning cycle) as you can use the vacuum while the other battery is charging.

In terms of cleaning, the A11 is at par with the Dyson V8 regarding vacuuming surface and embedded dirt.

I would say that the A11 has the better standard brush roll as it can pick up Quaker oats better than the V8.

If the Tineco Pure One S12 is too expensive, then the A11 would be an excellent alternative that’s lighter but without the bells-and-whistles.

All three variants will perform equally well on hard floors and carpets, so choosing one will depend on the tools you need.

4 Reasons why you should buy the Tineco A11 Master

The Verdict: Who Should Buy the Tineco A11?

Based on tests, the Tineco A11 is an excellent stick vacuum that performs exceptionally well on hardwood and carpet.

Airflow numbers are impressive, which is a big reason why the A11 did great in cleaning tests.

Between this model and the Tineco A10, I would spend a little more for the A11 since it has better tools with the quick release latch, making it much easier to attach and detach.

There isn’t much of a difference between the A10 and A11 when it comes to cleaning performance. So the deciding factor for me would be the better set of tools in favor of the A11.

Even in deep cleaning tests, the A10 and A11 are incredibly close, and I feel that the difference is negligible.

It’s got the bright LED lights absent in other high-end options like the Dyson V8 and Shark IONFlex 2X.