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Bissell Vacuum Reviews

Derek Hales

Written By: Derek Hales

Updated on:

In the collection of vacuum cleaners to choose from, there are many Bissell models and Bissell vacuum reviews detailing the pros and cons. 

Bissell has been a name in the vacuum industry for over 100 years, but not without change to keep up with the constantly growing market.

The Bissell Bolt includes a combo crevice tool / dusting brush that slides directly into the suction slot
The Bissell Bolt handheld vacuum

Today, Bissell offers handheldsstick vacuumsuprights, canister vacuums, or even robots. Features range from the basics like bag versus bagless to the more advanced like self-charging, cord-retracting, or washable filters.

This series of Bissell vacuum reviews is going to break down the Bissell lineup and see if a Bissell vacuum might be right for you.

Bissell Crosswave
Bissell Crosswave stick vacuum

Bissell Vacuums Compared

Within the Bissell family, there are quite a few models and versions of each model. With various features and details, it can be difficult to know exactly what the differences are. And furthermore- what features do you need to be concerned about to clean your home?

This table highlights just a few of the most popular models from the Bissell line, ranging from portable handhelds to traditional uprights.

Bissell Pet Hair EraserBissell Pet Hair EraserBissell CleanView Bissell Bolt PetBissell Zing
Bissell Pet Hair Eraser handheld vacuum reviewBissell Pet Hair Eraser upright vacuumBissell CleanView upright vacuum cleaner reviewBissell Bolt Pet Lithium Ion stick vacuum reviewBissell Zing canister vacuum review
Model Number33A11650A9595A19546489
Vacuum Type Handheld UprightUpright2-in-12-in-1
Weight5 lbs.18 lbs.15.1 lbs.5.8 lbs.11.1 lbs.
PowerCorded; 16' cordCorded; 30' cordCorded; 25' cordCordless; 14.4V lithium-ion batteryCorded; 15' cord
Runtime (if applicable)N/AN/AN/AUp to 25 minutesN/A
Dust Bin Capacity0.78 liters1.5 liters2.2 liters0.6 liters2.0 liters (bag)
Accessories (included)Rubber nozzle or hard nozzleCrevice tool with LED, pet motorized tool, 2-in-1 pet brushBrush tool, dusting brush, crevice tool, extension wandCharging base, crevice tool with dusting brush, pet hair nozzle, sweep & scoop tool, pet hair brush rollCombination crevice tool / dusting brush,
Bonus FeaturesAdvanced brush roll cleaner headEasy empty dirt cup2-Way foldAutomatic cord retract
FilterReplaceableReplaceableWashableReplaceableWashable
Score94%90%83%
PriceCheck PriceCheck PriceCheck PriceCheck PriceCheck Price
ReviewRead ReviewRead ReviewRead Review

Bissell Handheld Vacuums

There are quite a few Bissell handheld vacuums, ranging in size from ultra-small to larger and a bit more powerful, but portable vacuums.

If you’re looking for a compact handheld, Bissell has one ultra-compact popular models that fit the bill. This includes the convenient Bissell Pet Hair Eraser cordless, or the ultra-compact Pet Hair Eraser corded model.

Small, Yet Powerful Handheld

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Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Handheld

This vacuum does a really great job of removing pet hair from softer surfaces, such as carpets and upholstery. It is certainly on the smaller side when it comes to overall coverage, but for quick messes, it’s hard to beat the compact size (and great price point) of this handheld vacuum. Check Price

If you’re looking for an ultra-small, yet powerful corded handheld, Bissell has two models that fit the bill. These vacuums weigh less than 5 pounds and have a 16′ power cord.

  • Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Handheld (33A1) – Corded, includes a rubber nozzle and a hard nozzle, excellent for cleaning up pet hair.
  • Bissell Cleanview Deluxe Handheld (47R51) – Corded, includes a rubber nozzle, hose adapter nozzle, 2′ hose, wide-mouth tool and crevice tool; excellent at cleaning car interiors or hard-to-reach spaces.

Pet Hair Eraser

Bissell Pet Hair Eraser handheld vacuum review

The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser includes a rubber nozzle and a hard nozzle; excellent for cleaning up pet hair. This one is a tough value to beat.

CleanView

Bissell CleanView handheld vacuum

The Bissell CleanView handheldincludes 2 nozzles, 2′ hose, wide-mouth tool and crevice tool; excellent for cleaning car interiors or crevices.

Beyond the petite handhelds, Bissell also offers a larger handheld option. 

The Bissell Bolt handheld vacuums are actually designed to fit into the Bissell Bolt stick vacuums for added versatility and usability.

These larger handheld vacuums may be corded or cordless. Cordless models have a runtime that varies from 15 minutes for the Pet Hair Eraser and Multi-Surface cordless, up to 25 minutes for the Bissell Bolt Pet.

These cordless Bissell handhelds use two different battery types- a nickle-metal hydride battery or lithium-lon battery.

The new wave of cordless vacuums are definitely moving towards the lithium-ion battery. From the Bissell collection, the vacuum with the nickle-metal hydride battery also has the shorter run-time (of only 15 minutes).

In addition, these handhelds are also a bit larger than the petite handhelds at 5 x 5 x 17.2″.

A Portable Handheld for On-The-Go

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Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless

The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser cordless handheld vacuum is an excellent option for those who need a handheld vacuum capable of cleaning up pet hair, as well as a multitude of other messes. Although this vacuum is cordless, the battery has a 15 minute run time on a full charge and can work its way into some areas not possible with other larger vacuums.Check Price

Bissell Stick Vacuums

If you’re looking for stick vacuums, Bissell has quite a few options for this as well. Many stick vacuums actually function as 2-in-1 vacuums, with a removable handheld vacuum. Some of the most popular stick vacuums by Bissell include:

  • Bissell Featherweight Stick Vacuum
  • Bissell Bolt Pet Lithium Ion Cordless Stick Vacuum (1954)
  • Bissell Bolt ION XRT 2-in-1 Cordless Stick Vacuum (1311)
  • Bissell Bolt XRT Pet 2-in-1 Cordless Stick vacuum (1315)
  • Bissell Lightweight 3-in-1 Corded Stick Vacuum
  • Bissell Lift-Off Floors & More (53Y8)

Portable, Cordless Stick Vacuum

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Bissell Pet Lithium Ion

The Bissell Bolt Pet Lithium Ion stick vacuum is a cordless vacuum that runs using a lithium-ion battery. With a fully charged 14.4V battery it can run for up to 25 minutes. This vacuum also has a 2-way fold, making it easier to navigate under furniture or other low obstacles.Check Price

Bissell Upright Vacuums

There are a couple different kinds of Bissell upright vacuum reviews. The four main categories include Pet Hair Eraser, the Power series, CleanView, and the Bissell Momentum.

Bissell Pet Hair Eraser

Similar to the handheld Pet Hair Eraser, the upright Eraser’s main job is to annihilate pet hair, and Bissell included a couple unique features to accomplish this.

First off, the upright Pet Hair Eraser includes a variety of accessories designed for pet owners including: a crevice tool, motorized TurboEraser brush, and the 2-in-1 pet brush.

The cleaning head of the Pet Hair Eraser utilizes edge-to-edge cleaning and an advanced brush roll which helps prevent pet hair from tangling around the axle.

The upright Pet Hair Eraser also comes equipped with a cyclonic spooling system that helps the pet hair to wind up in a single mass, preventing clogs or extra messes.

In addition, the body of the vacuum is designed for easy swivel steering, to maneuver through obstacles and furniture around your home.

Lastly, there is a built-in Febreze pet odor eliminator integrated into this vacuum that freshens while it cleans.

The Pet Hair Eraser upright vacuum comes as a standard upright or with a lift-off canister. Similar to the Lift-Away feature on many of the Shark upright vacuums, the Pet Hair Eraser Lift-Off has a canister that lifts off so the vacuum can be used as both an upright or a handheld.

  • Bissell Pet Hair Eraser (1650A)
  • Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Lift-Off (2087)

Upright Vacuum for Pets

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Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Upright

When it’s all said and done, the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser upright is a well-rounded vacuum, but could certainly be better in some areas. The vacuum’s ability to lift pet hair is impressive, but the struggles it faced with other debris types was a bit concerning. All in all, this could be a good option for those who need to clean pet hair frequently.Check Price

Bissell Power Series

The Bissell Power series includes a few different versions:

  • PowerSwift
  • PowerGlide
  • Powerlifter

The body of the Powerswift or Powerlifter is very different than the look of the Pet Hair Eraser.

These are a bit heavier and lacks the easy swivel steering and advanced tangle-free brushrolls. The PowerGlide has a lighter look and does have the swivel steering for enhanced maneuverability.

Exact features and accessories vary between the following models, but the overall body style and usability remains pretty consistent between all of these.

  • Bissell PowerSwift Lightweight Compact Vacuum (18082)
  • Bissell PowerGlide Pet Vacuum (1646)
  • issell PowerGlide Lift-Off Pet Plus (2043)
  • Bissell PowerGlide Lift-Off Deluxe Pet Vacuum (27632)
  • Bissell Powerlifter Pet Bagged Vacuum (2019)
  • Bissell Powerlifter Pet Rewind Vacuum (1792)

Bissell CleanView

All of the upright vacuums in the CleanView lineup have a more traditional body style, similar to the Power series.

While they lack the swivel steering of new uprights, like the Pet Hair Eraser upright, they’re lower cost helps keep them competitively priced. A Bissell CleanView upright vacuum are within the $ to $$ range.

Traditional, Basic Upright Vacuum

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Bissell CleanView Upright

The Bissell CleanView upright vacuum is a great option for people who don’t need an abundance of bells and whistles, but want a quality clean. This vacuum is one of the most popular online and offers an excellent overall value.Check Price

Features on the CleanView vary by model, but all models are bagless and have a similar body style. Some of the CleanView models have an automatic cord rewind for fast and easy storage.

One Pass Technology uses an advanced cleaner head which has a wider brushroll, allowing for more cleaning during the first pass. 

The CleanView series vacuums do not use the most advanced brushroll, as shown on the Pet Hair Eraser, which is the best Bissell brushroll for preventing tangles.

Included accessories for the Bissell CleanView also varies depending the model you select.

The CleanView Complete Rewind Pet vacuum, for example, includes the Pet TurboEraser tool, pet hair corner tool, crevice tool, and combination dusting / upholstery tool.

  • Bissell CleanView Upright Vacuum (9595A)
  • Bissell CleanView Rewind Deluxe Vacuum (1819)
  • Bissell CleanView Complete Rewind Pet Vacuum (1319)
  • Bissell CleanView with One Pass Technology (1330)
  • Bissell CleanView Plus Rewind Vacuum (1332)
  • Bissell CleanView Bagless Vacuum (1831)

Bissell Momentum

The Bissell Momentum vacuum is an older model, and there’s actually only one vacuum left in this series, as all of the others have been discontinued. 

The last vacuum standing is the Momentum Pet Rewind, which offers edge-to-edge cleaning, automatic cord rewind and a slew of pet-friendly accessories, including: TurboEraser tool, crevice tool, extension wand, Pet Hair Eraser tool, and dusting brush.

  • BissellMomentum Pet Rewind (1792P)

Bissell Canister Vacuums

Canister vacuums, although a bit old-fashioned can offer some real advantages for vacuum users who want the power of an upright, but also the lightweight in-hand feel of a stick vacuum.

The current selection of Bissell canister vacuums are in the Zing line.

A Compact Canister Vacuum

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Bissell Zing Canister

The Bissell Zing bagless canister vacuum has a wheeled base to roll around the house as you vacuum. At only 11 lbs. it’s lightweight for a canister vacuum and comes with a variety of accessories and tools for a whole home clean.Check Price

Zing canister vacuums come in bag or bagless models. Also, there’s the added features of automatic cord rewind, which is only available on the 6489 model. 

All of the Zing models listed below are within the $ budget tier, making them a more affordable option if you’re searching for a canister vacuum.

  • Bissell Zing Rewind Bagless Canister Vacuum 6489)
  • Bissell Zing Bagged Canister Vacuum (4122)
  • Bissell Zing Bagless Canister Vacuum (1665)

Bissell Robot Vacuums

Not to be left in the past, Bissell also has a few robot vacuum models that are less expensive than some other high-end vacuum models like the Neato Botvac and Roomba robot vacuums

Bissell robot vacuums in the current lineup, all are all competitively priced.

Both the Bissell DIGIPRO and the SmartClean robot vacuums offer multi-surface cleaning, dual edge cleaning, and a bagless dust bin capacity of 0.4 liters.

Bissell SmartClean robot vacuum
Bissell SmartClean robot vacuum

To preform a clean, both series of robots use the combination of a brushroll and spinning side brushes.

These vacuums are designed to automatically recharge when the battery gets low and offer a programmable docking station for scheduling cleaning cycles.

Nice features that the Bissell robot vacuums lack include a soft bumper to protect your furniture as well as dirt detection sensors.

Apart from the DIGIPRO, the SmartClean also comes with one invisible wall, similar to the Roomba virtual barrier as well as a remote control for advanced use.

  • Bissell DIGIPRO Robot Vacum (2142)
  • Bissell SmartClean Robot Vacuum (1605C)
  • Bissell SmartClean Multi-Surface Robot vacuum (1974)

Bissell Vacuum Models

This next part of the Bissell vacuum guide is going to go a little more in-depth about some of the Bissell’s most popular lines. Many of these lines have models that span across different vacuum types, including handheldsstickuprights, and canisters.

Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Reviews

The pocket-sized Pet Hair Eraser, mentioned above, is an excellent option for pint sized messes. But the Pet Hair Eraser expands to a larger handheld, or even upright vacuums.

As mentioned above, the smallest Pet Hair Eraser is pint sized and perfect for cleaning up small pet messes, stairs, or upholstery.

This little guy is very affordable and comes with a 16′ power cord. This vacuum is 10 x 5 x 8″.

bissell pet hair eraser handheld vacuum review
Bissell Pet Hair Eraser handheld (33A1)

Slightly larger is the Pet Hair Eraser cordless vacuum. This vacuum has a larger dust bin capacity and comes with the following accessories: crevice tool, upholstery tool, and motorized cleaning head.

This vacuum is also cordless and still well below the price of a stick or upright vacuum. Size wise, this vacuum is 16 x 4.5 x 6.75″.

Beyond the larger handheld, we have the upright Pet Hair Eraser, which comes as a standard upright, or an upright with a lift-off canister, allowing it to function more like a 2-in-1.

Pet Hair Eraser

Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Vacuum

The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser upright comes with the improved pet-friendly brushroll and a variety of tools and accessories for pet lovers.

Pet Hair Eraser Lift-Off

Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Lift Off upright vacuum

The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Lift-Off upright vacuum has a canister that lifts away from the body of the upright to function more like a handheld.

Bissell Bolt Reviews

The Bissell Bolt is a line of lightweight vacuum options for the modern home. Vacuums included in the Bolt collection are all cordless vacuums, offering anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes of cordless cleaning power.

Bissell Bolt Pet Handheld Cordless

The Bissell Bolt Pet handheld vacuum is small-but mighty, offering up to 25 minutes of cleaning time with a 16V lithium-ion battery.

It has got a dust bin capacity of 0.6 liters and comes with a combination crevice tool / dusting brush. This handheld vacuum weighs 2.7 lbs.

Bissell Bolt Pet 2-in-1 Cordless

The Bissell Bolt Pet stick vacuum is a bit of a bundle. The handheld vacuum is very similar to the one listed above, and it also come with the stick vacuum base to use this vacuum as an upright.

This bundle comes with a 14.4V lithium-ion battery and the same XL dust bin capacity (0.6L). Included accessories are:

  • combination crevice tool / dusting brush
  • pet hair nozzle
  • sweep & scoop tool
  • and advanced pet hair brushroll

This whole assembly weighs only 5.8 lbs.

Bissell Bolt ION XRT 2-in-1 Cordless

The Bissel Bolt ION XRT looks similar to the Bolt Pet stick, but has quite a few advanced features that help it achieves a more powerful clean.

Stick Vacuum With A Long Run Time

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Bissell ION XRT

The Bissell Bolt ION XRT stick vacuum is a 2-in-1, with a removable handheld vacuum. Its 25.2V lithium-ion battery means up to 40 minutes of run time, providing 15 extra minutes of cleaning compared to the Bolt Pet cordless vacuum.Check Price

The ION XRT uses a stronger battery- 25.2V lithium-ion, which provides up to 40 minutes of run time. 

The XRT also has a 2-way folding handle allowing it to sneak under furniture or into tight areas.

It’s a bit pricier, but its added features really bring it up to the next level, in my opinion.

Bissell Zing Reviews

Despite the perceived “old-fashioned” style, the canister vacuum is making a comeback with the Bissell Zing.

This vacuum has thousands of reviews for the bagged or bagless models. The Zing, is one of Bissell’s top sellers and for good reason.

The Zing is lightweight for a canister vacuum – weighing in at under 13 pounds (exact weight varies by model).

The Zing brings a bright colors plastic body to the canister vacuum with a wheeled base for easy portability and a carrying handle to tackle stairs.

Zing Bagged Canister Vacuum

The Zing Bagged canister vacuum weighs 12.8 lbs. It includes a telescoping wand, automatic cord rewind, variable suction control and a full bag indicator.Replacement bags and filters are sold as a set by Bissell.

Zing Bagless Canister Vacuum

The Zing Bagless canister vacuum is a bit lighter at only 8 lbs. It includes an improved dust bin,  combination crevice / dusting brush, automatic cord rewind, and an air flow regulator.

This bagless option does not have a full bin indicator, like the bagged model above, but the dust bin does have a clear front panel so you can easily see the contents and empty as needed.

Filters for this model are washable and reusable, which keeps maintenance costs for replacement parts down.

Zing Rewind Canister Vacuum

The Zing Rewind canister vacuum is another bagless canister model has many of the same features as the Zing Bagless, including the same accessories and automatic cord rewind.

One features it doesn’t have is the improved dust bin, which makes it easier to empty. Dust bin capacity is the same between the two models (2.0 liters).

Bissell Summary

All vacuums considered, Bissell has a lot of options, which range in price, quality and features.

Bissell makes a product that is a bit less expensive than some comparable models, and still provides a nice clean.

But many of the Bissell vacuums lack some newer features and have a bulkier body style, which could be a deal-breaker for some buyers.

If you’re wondering if Bissell may be right for you, but you’re not sure which vacuum to select, feel free to reach out to our team. 

Regardless of which product you ultimately buy, our goal at Modern Castle is to help you find it! Shoot us an email and we’d be happy to help you find the perfect product!

About Derek Hales

Derek HalesDerek Hales is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ModernCastle.com. He has been featured in Fast Company, Reader's Digest, Business Insider, Realtor.com, She Knows, and other major publications. Derek has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University. Hales has been testing and reviewing products for the home since 2014.