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O-Cedar Microfiber Review

A mediocre model the we don't think offers much of an advantage over a traditional mop
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Price:   $79 List | $68 at Amazon
Pros:  Relatively inexpensive, acceptable cleaning performance
Cons:  Prone to falling over, not as robustly constructed as other models
Manufacturer:   O-Cedar
By Max Mutter and Steven Tata  ⋅  Sep 27, 2018
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52
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#4 of 6
  • Cleaning Performance - 40% 6
  • User Friendliness - 25% 5
  • Maneuverability - 25% 5
  • Features - 10% 3

Our Verdict

While its cleaning performance was acceptable in our testing, the O-Cedar Microfiber didn't particularly impress us in any other way. It doesn't glide particularly smoothly, feels cheaply built, and the fact that it can't stand up on its own was more annoying than we would have thought. In fact, its cord holder broke on us because it wasn't perfectly balanced on the table we leaned it against, and it fell to the floor. Though the low price tag is quite appealing, spending just a little extra on the Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe provides such a big step up in performance that we just can't bring ourselves to recommend this mop to anyone. Honestly, we would either spend a bit more on the Bissell or just save some money and use a standard mop.


Compare to Similar Products

(change comparison)
 
This Product
O-Cedar Microfiber
Awards  Editors' Choice Award Editors' Choice Award   
Price $79 List
$67.99 at Amazon		$160 List
$129.99 at Amazon		$90 List
$89.99 at Amazon		$120 List
$98.84 at Amazon		$80 List
$59.99 at Amazon
Star Rating
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Pros Relatively inexpensive, acceptable cleaning performanceVery good cleaning performance, Hands-free cleaning pad changing, lots of attachments for various cleaning tasksPowerful, maneuverable, great scrubbing brush, reasonably pricedVery good cleaning performance, hands-free pad changingDecent cleaning performance
Cons Prone to falling over, not as robustly constructed as other modelsExpensiveNo hands-free cleaning pad changing, few accesorriesSomewhat expensive, no scrubbing brushHard to fill water tank, poor steam distribution
Bottom Line A mediocre model the we don't think offers much of an advantage over a traditional mopA great choice for those with lots of area to clean, and that want versatile accessoriesThe best, most effective model we've tested, and it's relatively cheap as wellA less expensive choice for those that need hands-free pad changingThe combo of low performance and middle-of-the-road price make this a poor choice for most people
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Rating Categories O-Cedar Microfiber Shark Lift-Away Pro BISSELL PowerFresh... Shark Genius Steam... Shark Steam Pocket
Cleaning Performance (40%)
10
0
6
10
0
8
10
0
9
10
0
8
10
0
5
User Friendliness (25%)
10
0
5
10
0
9
10
0
8
10
0
9
10
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5
Maneuverability (25%)
10
0
5
10
0
8
10
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8
10
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8
10
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6
Features (10%)
10
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3
10
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9
10
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7
10
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6
10
0
3
Specs O-Cedar Microfiber Shark Lift-Away Pro BISSELL PowerFresh... Shark Genius Steam... Shark Steam Pocket
Water Tank Capacity 400 ml 500 ml 474 ml 350 ml 450 ml
Opening Diameter 1.4" 1" 1" 1.25" 1"
Pad Attachment velcro hands free elastic hands free velcro
Cord length (feet) 20' 22' 25' 22' 20'

Our Analysis and Test Results

Performance Comparison


Decent cleaning abilities were not enough to save the O-Cedar Microfiber from mediocrity in our testing. It ended up trailing far behind the top scores in our testing, and isn't really cheap enough to justify it as a bargain pick.


Cleaning Performance


We would call the O-Cedar's cleaning performance acceptable, but not great. Accordingly it earned a slightly above average score of 6 out of 10 in this metric.


On tile and stone flooring we were able to get similar results out of the O-Cedar as we did from the top scoring models. The difference was that models like the Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe and the Shark Lift-Away Pro have larger cleaning pads that get even steam throughout. The O-Cedarhas a slightly smaller cleaning head, and the edges don't get as much steam as the center. Therefore it took more passes and more time to get good results with the O-Cedar than it did with the top scoring models.

The O-Cedar is an adequate cleaning machine but doesn't stand out in any way either.
The O-Cedar is an adequate cleaning machine, but doesn't stand out in any way either.

This mop does let you turn the steam power up and down, so if you want to go against our advice and clean something besides tile or stone flooring, you can at least reduce the steam and at least reduce the risk of damaging the floor. This feature is available on all the models we tested except the Shark Steam Pocket and the Pure Enrichment PureClean XL Rolling.

For stubborn stains the O-Cedar was mediocre. The steam did seem to loosen some of these stains a bit, but was never able to truly get rid of them. We still had to get down with a sponge or brush to finish the job. If you really want to combat stains with a steam mop you'll want the burst of steam feature of the Shark Genius Steam Pocket or, better yet, the attached scrubbing brush of the Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe.

User Friendliness


The O-Cedar was one of the less user friendly models we tested, earning a middle-of-the-road 5 out of 10. The highlights of its user experience are the large opening in the 400ml water tank that is very easy to fill, and it heats up in less than a minute (like most of the models we tested. Other than that, most aspects of the O-Cedar presented at least minor annoyances.

The steam control dial.
The steam control dial.

First off, the water tank is opaque, so you can't tell how much water you have left unless you open the tank. The dial that controls the steam output works, but feels a bit flimsy, and we have doubts about its long-term durability. In fact, the entire mop feels somewhat flimsily made, like you need to be kind of careful while using it. It is also the only mop we tested that doesn't stand up on its own, you have to lean it on something. In our testing this led to it falling over and the cord keeper breaking.

It's easy to both adjust the steam and fill the water tank.
It's easy to both adjust the steam and fill the water tank.

This mop's cleaning pads connect via velcro, unlike the hands-free or elastic style of our favorite model. This forced us to get our hands dirtier when removing the pad, which we didn't like.

All of these issues aren't present on the higher scoring models we tested. Considering that the Bissell solves all these issues for just an extra $20, it seems like a better purchase for most people.

Maneuverability


Here again the O-Cedar picked up an average score of 5 out of 10.


This mop just didn't glide as well as other models in our testing. It presents some drag you have to push to overcome, which isn't pleasant considering that it doesn't feel particularly well-built. The triangular cleaning head easily gets into corners, but it isn't particularly good for cleaning long edges. Overall we definitely preferred the rectangular and trapezoidal heads of the Shark and Bissell models. The cord length of 20 feet is slightly shorter than that of some other models, but that didn't feel limiting in our testing.

Features


The O-Cedar's only real feature is adjustable levels of steam. No cleaning accessories, brushes, or additional mop heads. This led to a low score of 3 out of 10 in this metric.


Value


Considering the O-Cedar Microfiber's performance, the list price of $79 feels a bit steep to us. While it is technically the best mop in that price range, the Bissell is orders of magnitude better, and costs just $20 more.

Conclusion


While the O-Cedar Microfiber is a reasonably capable steam mop, its annoyances make it just about as cumbersome as cleaning with a standard mop. If you're in the market for a steam mop we would strongly recommend spending $20 more on the Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe.


— Max Mutter and Steven Tata