Redkey W12: Inexpensive wet & dry vacuum in test

How do you clean your own four walls? Do you rely on a vacuum cleaner and a mop or do you already own a device that offers both functions and thus saves you time? The Redkey W12 is such a vacuum mop. In addition to the powerful fight against dust and dirt, the company from the Far East also promises a wiping function that is supposed to ensure hygienic cleanliness. Since it also cleans itself, Redkey calls the cordless and lightweight W12 a 3-in-1 device. But can a wiping vacuum at a price of about 300 US dollars (~260 Euros) achieve halfway satisfactory results at all? We want to take a closer look at what the Redkey W12 has to offer in our test.

Technical details

Weight	3.8 kg
Height	112 cm
Battery	2,600 mAh
Cleaning time	approx. 45 min
Loudness	68 db
Fresh water tank	520 ml
Dirty water tank	460 ml
Self-cleaning function	yes
Price	$299

Redkey W12

€ 299.00

N/A

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Scope of delivery

In addition to the mop vacuum itself, there are also some accessories in the package. These include, on the one hand, the base station, which comfortably holds the device and charges the battery. In addition to the W12, there is also a water cup and a cleaning tool, which can also be stored on the base station. Of course, a suitable power adapter should not be missing either. I also found it particularly commendable that Redkey includes two replacement brushes – anything but standard in this price range.

Design & Workmanship

The look of the squeegee is characterized by a pretty combination of black and white – a real design classic, then. Here, the black-transparent fresh water tank is located in the upper half of the device, while the slightly larger, but also black and semi-transparent dirty water tank is used at the bottom. Between both tanks is a white casing unit, which almost looks classy thanks to the company logo. Very nice!

If you take a look at the back, you’ll see a convenient carrying handle located at about the same height as the fresh water tank. So you can carry the Redkey W12 quite comfortably from A to B, which is particularly suitable for apartments or houses with several floors. That was actually all there is to say about the “main unit” of the device. If you move upwards, you will see a thin handle that comes in a pretty aluminum look.

Once at the top, you’ll find the control unit. The handle is pleasingly ergonomic and thus best suited for longer cleaning sessions. The control element doesn’t just come with a pure on/off switch. On top of that, you can make detailed settings for the water flow rate (3 levels) here. In addition, the self-cleaning function can be activated at the top of the handle. Redkey’s display is particularly stylish. It cannot compete with expensive vacuum cleaners from Dreame & Co., but it does what it is supposed to. It primarily serves as a source of information about the current cleaning process and the status of the vacuum cleaner.

At the bottom is the cleaning brush, which is supposed to clean your floor from debris. Again, you can easily open and close the flap without having to hear annoying creaking or anything like that. Of course, you can’t compare the device with products from Philips or Dreame – but Bissell and Tineco are easily surpassed. Considering that the Redkey W12 definitely belongs to the entry-level class of vacuum cleaners with a price of about 250 Euros, the build quality is absolutely okay. Here you can not complain at all.

The cleaning performance

I think we’ve said enough words about the looks and build quality. Much more important, of course, is the question of whether the Redkey W12 also performs well on the floor. To be honest, a bit of skepticism always resonates with me when I scrutinize devices in this price range. After all, they are often more appearance than reality. Fortunately, this is not the case with the Redkey W12.

The flap for replacing the cleaning brush is accessible at the simple push of a button.

Starting things off is a simple discipline. I spread a little barbecue sauce on my kitchen floor to see if the squeegee could stand up to the savory, dark red smorgasbord of varied ingredients. And what can I say. The sauce was wiped or vacuumed away without leaving any residue. However, you again have to be careful not to make direct comparisons to mid-range or even upper-range devices. Although the final results look identical, you’ll have to spend a bit more time considering the repeated wiping movements.

To increase the difficulty a bit, in the following experiment I poured out my cornflakes mixed with milk on the kitchen floor. The difficulty here lies in the different consistencies and the coarse-grained particles that have to be picked up by the squeegee. Despite the increased demands, the Redkey W12 was also able to convince in this discipline. All cornflakes as well as milk were removed from my tiles. But again, it took a few passes over the affected area to get everything.

Many squeegees bring with them the problem of being too spendy with their fresh water. The problem I have with this is not the frequent refilling of the water tank. I am more bothered by the overly damp floor that is eventually left behind with such devices. However, the Redkey W12 surprised me positively in this regard. Even at maximum level, it scored with a good dosage, which is why the floor was always completely dry after five minutes at the latest.

The ease of use

Suction wipers should first and foremost make our lives easier. After all, thanks to their combination function, they offer the possibility of having to use only one device instead of two. This should save time, of course, but also be more convenient. But how does the W12 operate? All in all, you can maneuver the squeegee from Redkey through your own four walls relatively easily. The width of the suction or wiping surface requires a bit of getting used to. Since there is a small “brush-free” space on the right and left next to the brush at the bottom, it is not cleaned there either. With time, however, you certainly get a feel for it.

The display is simple, but useful. For example, you can read here that the fresh water needs to be refilled and the battery needs to be charged.

I got a big problem with my cabinets and furniture that have a low distance to the floor. To get under them with the Redkey W12 is simply an impossibility, but unfortunately it is common practice with many vacuum cleaners. The reason for this is usually the too large tanks. This makes the bodies of the devices simply too bulky to reach deeper regions. However, you can still get the head of the W12 under the couch or sideboard. That’s at least a scant 20 cm, which means that only stern eyes will catch sight of dust residue under corresponding furnishings.

Much is self-explanatory. Here, for example, you’re supposed to put your foot up to change the angle of the vacuum and get under low furniture.

When it comes to comfort for you and possibly your roommates, the volume naturally plays a big role. Here, the Redkey W12 comes around the corner with no negative surprises. Just under 68 dB is still perfectly acceptable for a squeegee. If you take a look at the fresh water tank, one or the other might think that this will never be enough to vacuum the whole apartment. I had no problems in this regard. I was able to “suction wipe” my apartment of just under 83 m² with one filling without any problems. And that at maximum water flow rate.

The enclosed cleaning tool offers the possibility to clean the dirty water tank with its brush. The integrated strainer ensures that coarse-grained dirt doesn’t clog your sink’s siphon.

While we’re on the subject of endurance. The 2,600 mAh battery didn’t flop in my practical test either. Since I cleaned my entire apartment after barely fifteen minutes, the W12 was still dewy fresh at the end. Redkey states a battery runtime of just under 45 minutes in its factory specifications. This is actually a decisive advantage over many competing products. These usually only offer a bit more than half an hour of battery life. Judging by my experiences in the practical test, I consider Redkey’s 45 minutes to be quite realistic.

Conclusion

The Redkey W12 is not an overachiever – no question about that. But what the inexpensive suction wiper from the Far East does, it does really well. Certainly, products from well-known other manufacturers deliver better results here. However, there is really not much to complain about. Redkey scores with a chic, down-to-earth design and a solid build quality. More importantly, the cleaning performance is really good. While you’ll have to invest a bit more time here to achieve results that expensive alternatives do with just one wipe, the end result always convinced me in testing.

At the same time, the Redkey W12 offers a very high level of operating comfort, which ensures that cleaning your own four walls is really fun. The reason for this is its flexible cordless handling and uncomplicated control due to its low weight. The battery life is also really impressive and ensures that the W12 even lasts longer than much more expensive competitor products. All in all, Redkey delivers a real price-performance hit with its suction wiper. I would not have thought that so much suction wiper is possible at a price of about 250 euros.