Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner review
With most vacuums, corded or cordless, one has to awkwardly pop open the dust bin and pray the debris falls cleanly into the trash. Needless to say, we usually have to vacuum the area a second time when dust gets everywhere. Enter the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner: the ultimate best friend for anyone who despises emptying the debris from a vacuum.
Ultenic’s newest cordless vacuum model boasts an auto-empty system equipped with a generous 3-liter disposable dust bag, allowing you to reduce your contact with debris to a minimum. Beyond the convenience it offers over traditional models, self-emptying vacuums also greatly reduce exposure to dust, making them a boon for allergy sufferers.
In the relatively short time since its establishment in 2021, Ultenic is making its mark in the world of vacuum technology. During this period, the company introduced a total of ten vacuum models, including robot, cordless, and wet-dry vacuums, along with the introduction of two air fryer models.
The Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is the brand’s latest vacuum model, a powerful cordless vacuum with an impressive maximum suction power of 30000 Pa. Its Auto Empty Station not only makes clean-up easy but it also doubles as a charging dock. In low mode, the vacuum has up to 60 minutes of run time, a great asset for those who want to vacuum their entire home in one go.
I tested the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner over two weeks in a dust-prone studio apartment. The kitchen became an experimentation zone with oats, sprinkles and sugar coating the floors to test every single mode and attachment the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner has to offer. The cramped apartment also lended itself to testing the vacuum's attachments and using it as a handheld vacuum in those hard-to-reach crevices.
While the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner was a very powerful and versatile vacuum with impressive self-emptying technology, I found that it had a couple of flaws that may deter people from buying it. In handheld mode, it was too heavy to hold with just one hand for a long period (I am a 29-year-old woman with no mobility issues). The Electric Floor Brush moved awkwardly at times and I had to constantly push it down with my foot as I cleaned. While the vacuum boasts that your “hands do not come into contact with dust from the beginning to the end of the cleaning task” when using the attachments, debris always escaped when I removed them from the vacuum.
Read on to see how it fared during our rigorous testing then, head to our best vacuum cleaners buyer's guide to see how it compares.
Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner: First impressions
When reviewing vacuums, I refrain from looking at the user manual to assess whether assembly is as easy as the brand claims. In this case, the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner arrived in a cardboard box with a handy one-sheeter on how to assemble it. I was able to put the vacuum together in less than five minutes following this guide.
Setting up the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner was as easy as attaching the battery to the vacuum, clicking on the pipe, and attaching the floor brush. The dust bag was already installed in the empty station. Aside from the parts outlined above, the vacuum also came with two extra dust bags, a power cord, an extra HEPA filter and two attachments: a combination tool and a crevice tool.
While there were a few items wrapped in plastic, most of the packaging was cardboard used in clever ways to avoid having to use packing peanuts or other plastic to transport the vacuum and its various parts. This was one of the most sustainable-friendly packaging I’ve seen in all my reviewing years.
Once set up, the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner stands upright in the Auto Empty Station. With a max width of 11 inches and a height of 45 inches, the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner takes up minimal space.
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Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner: Price and availability
Originally retailing at $399.99 the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner’s list price is now $279.99 and is available from the manufacturer’s website. You can also find it at Amazon for $359.99.
While the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is on the expensive side, the price was cheaper than similar cordless vacuums with self-emptying stations, like the Bespoke Jet Cordless Stick Vacuum with All-in-One Clean Station retailing at $699.99 and the LG CordZero™ All in One Cordless Stick Vacuum with Auto Empty & Hard Floor Nozzle retailing at $599.
Score: 4.5 / 5
Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner: Design
Not only is the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner super functional, but the vacuum boasts a visually striking design too. Available in Navy Blue, the vacuum's design is sleek and modern, which works in its favor if it needs to live in a highly visible area of the home. The self-emptying mechanism is by far the standout feature of this vacuum and the dust bag is easily accessible for minimal cleanup.
The Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner stands upright and can be stored anywhere from a kitchen corner to a closet. But to charge the vacuum you'll need to plug it in so I recommend finding a permanent home near a power socket for the most convenient use. The Auto Empty Station can charge a second battery as well as the main battery on the vacuum, but it needs to be purchased separately.
One of my main criticisms of the design is that the attachments have no place to live on the vacuum or Auto Empty Station so they need to be stored separately. The vacuum is also not the most comfortable to handle. The floor runner is clunky and when used as a handheld vacuum, I struggled to use it one-handed because it was so heavy.
The Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner claims to boost your air quality with a 5-layer filtration system that traps 99.99 percent of ultrafine dust and particles. The five layers include a pre and post-motor HEPA filter as well as a sponge filter, cyclonic separator, and metal mesh grille filter.
Score 4 / 5
Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner: Performance
The Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner has four levels of suction power, with a max suction power of 30000 Pa. The four levels include Auto, Low, High and Turbo. When you turn on the vacuum, it will automatically be in Auto mode, with the suction power between Low and High. Turbo mode is triggered by pressing the four-leaf clover button (see picture) for 2 seconds. This mode delivers the highest suction power but only lasts 10 seconds.
Overall I was very impressed with the suction power on the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner. While Low and Auto modes would suffice for an easy mess pick-up, I recommend vacuuming in High mode if you want a truly deep clean, especially on carpets and rugs. Once the vacuum detects that it's on the carpet or rug in Auto mode, it will automatically increase the suction power. I recommend Turbo mode for those quick bursts of power for a section of your floor that needs an extra kick.
When testing the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, it is important to see how well it performs when picking up debris of different sizes. The vacuum's various modes were tested against spilled rolled oats, sprinkles and sugar. In short, in Low, Auto, High and Turbo, not a single oat, sprinkle or grain of sugar was left behind. Only one pass was needed every time. As for the noise level for each mode, Low mode yielded about 77 dB, Auto Mode 84.5 dB, High Mode 88 dB and Turbo Mode the highest at 93 dB.
One of the main features of the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is its Auto Empty Station which allows the user minimal contact with the debris and dust collected by the vacuum. This feature is especially helpful if you are prone to allergic reactions to dust. When you are done vacuuming, all you have to do is place the vacuum cleaner on the Empty Station and the dust bucket cover will automatically open. Some debris will fall through a hole into the dust bag, which is installed inside the Auto Empty Station. However, most of the debris will be stuck inside the vacuum’s dust bin so you have to long press the four-leaf clover button to activate the automatic dust collection function. Stand back and watch as the Auto Empty Station sucks out the debris from the vacuum into the bag within.
Once the dust bag is full, you can remove it from the interior of the Auto Empty Station and dispose of it. The Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner arrives with a dust bag already installed in the station and two extra bags. If you run out of bags, you can visit the retailer's website and purchase a set of three for $12.99. Unfortunately, this means that you have to continuously buy more dust bags as you run out. A trade-off that is worth it if your priority is avoiding contact with dust and debris.
The Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner was fairly easy to maintain. Emptying the dust bag was as easy as opening a panel on the Auto Empty Station, pulling out the dust bag and then dumping the debris and dust into your trashcan. After weeks of vacuuming, the dust bag was half full but how often you need to empty/replace the dust bag will depend on the size of your home and if you have any pets that shed. Cleaning the filter in the main part of the vacuum is easy too. You have to remove the dustbin by pressing the release button and then you can take apart the filter within. You can wash the HEPA filter and the filter sponge but make sure to air dry it before you insert them back into the filter.
Moving on to the attachments. The pipe of the vacuum is extendable, which lends itself well to users of different heights. The LED light on the Floor Brush helped me see exactly where the dust and debris had settled, allowing for a much more efficient vacuuming session. Removing hair wrapped up in the floor brush was a simple process. I disconnected the floor brush from the pipe and pulled out the rotating brush, using a cleaning brush to pull out the hair.
The Long Crevice Nozzle is a must-have to use the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner as a handheld vacuum. I live in a cramped studio apartment and I can use all the help I need to vacuum those hard-to-reach spaces in the corners. The crevice tool was long enough that I didn't need to maneuver around too many objects to get the job done. The Round Brush is useful when vacuuming surfaces or cloths that need a softer touch and I found that this attachment worked pretty well on my curtains.
While the attachments shined when vacuuming, when it came time to remove them from the vacuum, debris always fell out. It seems likely that not all the debris was sucked into the vacuum's dustbin and unfortunately, this meant I had to always quickly vacuum up what fell out. Also, whenever you remove the vacuum from the Auto Empty Station, the dustbin on the vacuum will be open so don’t forget to close it before you begin vacuuming.
Score: 4 / 5
Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner: How Does it Compare?
Compared to other cordless vacuums with self-emptying stations on the market, the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner was the most affordable option. The Samsung Bespoke Jet AI Cordless Stick Vacuum with All-in-One Clean Station offers users a similar 5-layer filtration system and a clean station that doubles as a charging stand. The brands are similar in many aspects including several modes and types of attachments. The Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner beat the Bespoke Jet vacuum in Clean Station capacity (3L to 2L) and in price ($279.99 vs. $999.99).
Another similar vacuum is LG’s CordZero™ All in One Cordless Stick Vacuum with Auto Empty & Hard Floor Nozzle which retails at $599. LG’s self-emptying vacuum can also be used as a handheld vacuum and has an adjustable pipe. The run time is also 60 minutes per battery but LG’s vacuum allows for the storage of the attachments, something the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner lacks.
Should you buy the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner?
Buy it if...
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How we tested the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner?
I used the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner for two weeks, testing all the attachments and modes available. I used the vacuum to clean up the natural buildup of hair, debris and dust and also tested it using controlled experiments with oats, sprinkles and sugar. I cleaned hardwood floors, rugs and curtains with the Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner.
See more about how we test
First reviewed: September 2023
