Ultenic FS1 review: this self-emptying cordless vacuum means fewer trips to the trash

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One-minute review

The Ultenic FS1 is simply a cordless, bagless vacuum that tin bare its ain ungraded into a container successful the charging station, and determination aren’t excessively galore models astir with this feature. At the clip of writing, determination are nary cordless instrumentality vacuums that tin aforesaid bare successful our best cordless vacuums list, truthful volition the Ultenic FS1 marque the cut?

Ultenic is inactive a comparatively small known Chinese brand, and though it concentrates connected cordless and robot vacuums, its affordable aerial fryers person featured successful our roundup of the best aerial fryers. The Ultenic FS1 offers beauteous modular features for a cordless vacuum, with 1 notable difference: the self-emptying function.

Its ample charging dock houses a 0.66-gallon/ 3-liter particulate bag, and with a elemental property of a button, the ungraded is sucked into the bag. This means there’s nary particulate unreality each clip you eject the canister into your trash. Combine this with the five-stage HEPA filtration and this is simply a vacuum you’ll privation to earnestly see if you endure allergies.

With 4 suction levels to take from, I recovered it precise effectual connected each my floors; but struggled to usage it arsenic a handheld vacuum. The self-empty relation does its job, but would beryllium improved if it was automatic. Plus, the bulky charging and emptying presumption won’t suit each home.

Ultenic FS1 review: terms and availability

•  List price: $799/ £398

The Ultenic FS1 is presently lone disposable successful the UK, wherever you tin bid online from Amazon (opens successful caller tab). There are plans to motorboat it successful the US astir the extremity of June 2023, wherever it volition besides beryllium disposable from Amazon US (opens successful caller tab). And though the database terms is $799, we’re told it’s apt to beryllium discounted to $399 arsenic portion of a motorboat promotion.

The spare artillery enactment should beryllium disposable to UK customers soon astatine a terms of astir £39. We’ve yet to get immoderate details connected the database terms of spare batteries successful the US.

• Value score: 5/5

Ultenic FS1 review: specifications

Ultenic FS1 review: plan and features

• Telescopic wand
• 5-stage HEPA filtration
• Self-emptying

The charging and self-emptying docking presumption is the main plan diagnostic that sets this vacuum isolated from each the different cordless vacuums around. And astatine archetypal I was struck by however ample it is. The measurements erstwhile the vacuum is docked are 37 x 10.6 x 11 inches/ 94 x 27 x 28cm (h x w x d).

But, erstwhile you see that the dock has the quality to complaint 2 batteries arsenic good arsenic location a 3-liter particulate bag, it’s really rather good proportioned. Note that you'll person to find it adjacent a powerfulness outlet, though, and portion it isn't ugly, it’s astir apt thing you’ll privation to fell distant successful a laundry oregon cleaning cupboard.

When it comes to the self-empty function, each clip the vacuum is placed connected the charging dock, the particulate canister automatically opens. But here’s the thing, the dock doesn’t automatically suck each the ungraded into the container until you property a fastener to commencement the process. Then, erstwhile you region the vacuum, the particulate canister lid remains open, truthful you person to manually adjacent it. And if you hide to property the fastener to suck retired the ungraded earlier lifting it disconnected again, there's a accidental you’ll extremity up with particulate and ungraded spilling out. Although this is the benignant of mistake you’re lone apt to marque once.

The vacuum is switched connected via the powerfulness fastener that’s located adjacent to the show screen. Power levels are adjusted by pressing a fastener connected the end. There are mode indicators connected the screen, making it casual to spot if you’re successful Eco, Auto, High, oregon Turbo mode. The Turbo mode is designed to present precise precocious suction for abbreviated bursts, truthful it automatically switches disconnected aft 10 seconds.

The vacuum comes with a crevice nozzle and a tiny brush. These tin beryllium attached straight to the vacuum for usage arsenic a handheld unit, oregon attached to the telescopic conduit for overhead cleaning. There’s nary retention abstraction for the tools connected the dock, though, which I deliberation is an oversight fixed its size.

The Ultenic FS1 requires precise small setup erstwhile it archetypal comes retired of the box. A particulate container is already installed, arsenic are each the filters; but it besides comes with immoderate spare filters and particulate bags to get you started.

In presumption of maintenance, the filters are washable and the brushwood tin beryllium removed from the floorhead to marque it casual to chopped distant immoderate hairsbreadth oregon clogs. There are responsibility indicators connected the show sheet to alert you astir faults specified arsenic a clogged level brush.

• Design score: 4/5

Ultenic FS1 review: performance

• Good suction and maneuverability connected floors
• Heavy and bulky arsenic a handheld
• Suction is amended astatine the beforehand of the floorhead than the sides

The grip feels chunky successful the hands, verging connected uncomfortable if utilized for agelong periods. For context, I’m 5ft 2in, truthful I don’t person precise large hands; others whitethorn find it much comfortable. Another happening I noticed erstwhile I utilized it connected precocious suction for a prolonged play was that the centrifugal portion supra the grip started to get rather lukewarm and I could consciousness this vigor connected the apical of my hand.

When vacuuming up a flour spill connected my tiled room floor, I had to power it to Boost mode and spell implicit the country a fewer times to wholly region each of the flour. It was beauteous businesslike astatine collecting oats from wood floors, though. And erstwhile it came to tackling debris on the baseboards, it was acold much effectual erstwhile I approached the baseboard with the beforehand of the vacuum than erstwhile I walked on with the broadside of the floorhead against the baseboard.

The vacuum is beauteous good balanced erstwhile cleaning floors and offers bully maneuverability, gliding easy astir choky corners and crossed each level surfaces. But erstwhile utilized arsenic a handheld vacuum it feels unbalanced, dense and cumbersome. I tried vacuuming my car and rapidly developed an arm-ache, truthful recovered it champion to usage it successful abbreviated bursts.

When converted to a handheld vacuum its usefulness is limited, since determination are lone 2 tiny tools included successful the box. The crevice nozzle is useful for getting down the broadside of the car oregon sofa seats. But the circular brushwood is small, and I recovered that its size combined with the space of vacuuming, often meant it was tricky to usage unless attached to the telescopic wand. I besides missed having a instrumentality specifically for upholstery.

It is imaginable to connect the floorhead straight to the handheld unit, and I recovered this to beryllium the astir convenient mode to vacuum the stairs. But, the telescopic conduit is different utile diagnostic that allows you to alteration the region betwixt the grip and floorhead erstwhile needed.

The vacuum defaults to Auto mode erstwhile switched on, and successful this mode it supposedly increases the suction powerfulness erstwhile you determination to carpet. I tried to trial this, but recovered the measurement of the vacuum didn’t alteration arsenic I moved from 1 level benignant to another. This is usually a bully mode to corroborate that the suction powerfulness has changed, truthful without a alteration successful volume, it was tricky to measure whether it was really doing it. Nevertheless, Auto mode volition beryllium good for astir regular vacuuming tasks.

I recorded a sound level of 80dB successful Auto mode connected carpet, but for times erstwhile sound is an issue, this drops to 70dB if you usage Eco mode. The self-emptying relation deed 82dB connected my sound meter, but it lone lasts for 15 seconds.

• Performance score: 4/5

Ultenic FS1 review: artillery life

• Removable battery
• Can lone beryllium charged via docking station
• Screen doesn’t archer you the nonstop artillery percentage

During the review, I timed the artillery beingness erstwhile vacuuming carpet connected precocious suction; the artillery lasted conscionable nether 12 minutes. Ultenic says the runtime extends to 60 minutes, but this volition of people beryllium erstwhile utilizing Eco mode. Battery beingness successful Auto mode volition vary.

A afloat recharge took conscionable nether 2 ½ hours, which is beauteous speedy successful examination to different cordless vacuums I’ve reviewed.

The artillery doesn’t request to beryllium removed for charging; simply placing the vacuum connected the docking presumption initiates charging. But if you acquisition a 2nd battery, there’s an further slot connected the docking presumption for it to complaint simultaneously. 

There’s a artillery level indicator connected the vacuum's show panel, but it’s beauteous vague, since it lone uses 3 bars to exemplify the artillery level. During vacuuming, the past barroom volition flash erstwhile it’s astir to tally retired of juice.

• Battery score: 5/5

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How I tested the Ultenic FS1

• I utilized this vacuum successful my ain home
• I vacuumed floors, upholstery, shelves and my car
• I timed the artillery beingness and however agelong it takes to recharge

I utilized the Ultenic FS1 each astir my two-bedroom, split-level location successful the English countryside. I tried retired each of its suction levels connected my carpet, hard floor, tiled level and stairs. During testing, I monitored the artillery life, sound levels and tested it with purposeful spills of flour and oats, arsenic good arsenic wide mundane cleans.

I’ve been reviewing vacuums since 2008, erstwhile I started reviewing appliances astatine Good Housekeeping UK. I’ve seen a batch of vacuums travel and spell and tin spot imaginable gimmicks oregon annoying features a mile off.

Read much astir how we test.

[First reviewed May 2023]