Bissell Hard Floor Expert Canister Vacuum Review

Canister vacuums are designed to give the user the power of an upright with the precision of a handheld vacuum. This week, we are taking a look at the Bissell Hard Floor Expert Multicyclonic canister vacuum and all that it has to offer.

Does this Bissell vacuum have what it takes to win you over? That’s what we’re here to find out.

Continue reading below to discover if the Bissell Hard Floor is the best canister vacuum for you.

Pros

• The Bissell Hard Floor multi-cyclonic does a great job of eliminating dirt and debris on hard surfaces
• This vacuum is lightweight and extremely easy to move around.

Cons

• The Bissell hard floor expert tool tends to clog with larger debris types.
• This canister vacuum only has one suction mode, which could be an issue as users clean varying floor types

Contents

• Design
• Cleaning Tests
• Usability
• Value
• Specifications
• Who Should Buy

Design

The Bissell hard floor expert vacuum has a design that follows the model of most canister vacuums, embodying somewhat of an egg shape.

Two large wheels are located at the base of the vacuum followed by a dust bin sitting on top and a hose connection point at the front.

This design style allows the vacuum to be moved around almost effortlessly by the user, making each cleaning session a much less daunting task.

Aesthetically speaking, this Bissell canister vacuum offers one of the sleekest color schemes I have seen to date.

A dark brown / bronze color runs along the bottom portion of the unit while the top half is a burnt orange. This combination creates a modern appeal overall, in my opinion.

Additionally, the Bissell hard floor vacuum uses an internal cord wrap that can be pulled out when in use. 

Users have the option of pulling out as much of the cord as they’d like (up to 18′) while cleaning; then, they can hit the cord wrap button located at the back of the unit and the cord will automatically wrap itself back up inside of the vacuum cleaner.

1. Power button
2. Filter
3. Dust bin
4. Hose connection

How It Cleans

The Bissell hard floor expert vacuum cleans through a two-stage filtration system.

As the vacuum sucks up the dirt and debris it processes it through a filter to determine what kind of material it is, then it filters the remaining debris to separate and store them appropriately.

By doing so, this Bissell vacuum is able to store a lot more dirt and debris inside of the dust bin.

If users have the hard floor attachment setup on the vacuum, a brushroll will spin, helping to lift dirt and debris as it sucks it up. This process also helps avoid damaging hardwood floors, as the bristles on the brush are soft.

The Bissell canister vacuum has a 9.2 amp motor that powers the suction and motorized brushroll attachment.

On the other hand, the multi-surface tool is a good option for those who need to clean carpets, rugs, etc.

This is just a straight suction tool; therefore, users have to place the head of the vacuum directly on top of the debris field and work their way backwards in order to complete a good cleaning session.

Bissell does include a few extra attachments with this canister vacuum cleaner.

RELATED – Want to see other Bissell options? Check out our complete Bissell vacuum review series.

The crevice tool and dusting brush are nice add-ons that allow users to clean above the ground. These tools are “onboard,” meaning they can be easily swapped out for one of the heads or vice versa.

The hard floor tool utilizes a rolling brush head with soft bristles to lift dirt from your harder floors without damaging them

Size & Dimensions

The Bissell hard floor expert vacuum is a decent size, coming in at 19.2″ long, 15″ tall, and 12.9″ wide.

The total weight of this vacuum is 9.3 pounds, which is the lightest canister vacuum I have tested to date.

• Length – 19.2″
• Height – 15″
• Width – 12.9″
• Weight – 9.3 pounds

Accessories & Parts

This Bissell canister vacuum includes the following parts and accessories:

• Hose
• Wand
• Handle
• Hard floor head
• Multi-surface head
• Crevice tool
• Dusting brush

Cleaning Tests

The following vacuum cleaner tests are designed to show how the Bissell hard floor expert performs on different surfaces, picking up a variety of debris types. We test on three different floor types, including hardwood floors, low pile carpet, and high pile carpet. For each floor type we test the vacuum cleaner against:

• Rice – 3 ounces
• Dry Cereal – 1 ounce
• Kitty Litter – 3 ounces
• Sugar – 3 ounces

Each of the aforementioned debris types was spread across our testing lane. The base surface of our testing lane is an engineered hardwood floor. For our carpet tests, we slide in a low pile and high pile carpet insert on top of the hardwood floor.

Testing Debris – From left to right: Rice (3 oz.), Kitty Litter (3 oz), Cereal (1 oz), Sugar (3 oz)

Our vacuum cleaning process strives to be as consistent, fair, and true to real world use as possible. Our tests utilize the following procedure:

1. Measure the weight of the testing debris and the weight of the empty vacuum debris container.
2. Spread the respective debris type evenly across the central portion of the testing lane.
3. Run the vacuum cleaner over the testing lane.
4. Measure the weight of the now filled container and take notes on the cleaning performance.

Hardwood Floor

The hardwood floor test results came as a bit of surprise. The Bissell hard floor expert vacuum has a special head that is designed to handle dirt and debris on hard floors, but that was not the result I saw after testing this vacuum on our hardwood floors.

The rolling brush head (hard floor tool) seemed to struggle when trying to suck up each debris type. Rice and kitty litter were both pushed forward before being sucked up, which resulted in a loss of performance. Sugar was fine enough to fit below the brush head and get sucked up. Cereal was simply too large and only 14% of the debris was cleaned up.

That said, I ran these same tests with Bissell’s multi-surface tool and saw improvements across the board. The multi-surface tool was able to clean up every debris type to a level of 99% or higher. Therefore, it made more sense to clean the hardwood floor with the multi-surface tool as compared to the hard floor tool.

Low Pile Carpet

As I moved onto the low pile carpet test, I saw a huge leap in performance. Each debris type was cleaned up to a level of 99% or higher and there did not seem to be any sort of struggle from the multi-surface tool during these tests.

High Pile Carpet

The high pile carpet tests were almost identical to the low pile. Every debris type was cleaned up at a level of 100%by this Bissell canister vacuum.

Usability

Using this Bissell vacuum is simple. There is not much to it besides choosing the cleaning tool you’d like to use, plugging the unit in, and turning it on.

Once these steps have been completed, the rest is up to the user. It all depends on what areas you’re trying to clean and how you want to clean them.

This vacuum is capable of a lot of things, so the user has to decide what style of cleaning they are going for in order to make the most out of using this Bissell canister vacuum.

There is only one suction power mode; therefore, you do not have to alternate between modes as you switch floor surfaces / types. Turn it on and tackle the mess.

Setting up the unit was more of a hassle than using it. The directions are not clear as to which end of the hose goes into the main unit and which end connects to the wand.

After a few minutes, I was able to figure it out, but in terms of efficiency, I would have liked to see Bissell be a bit more direct with their instructions.

RELATED – If you’d prefer a hands-off cleaning approach, take a look at our robot vacuum reviews. Roomba 690, Ecovacs Deebot N79, and iLife A4s are all solid robot choices.

Maneuverability

Maneuvering the Bissell hard floor expert vacuum is what you make of it.

With a 7′ hose, extendable wand, and lightweight base unit, users are able to pull or push the vacuum with ease, followed by placing the head of the vacuum directly on top of the debris field (the area you are attempting to clean).

This design allows for more efficient cleaning sessions.

• Weight: 9.3 pounds
• Power: 18′ long cord
• Hose: 7′
• Motor: 9.2 amp

As compared to upright vacuums, this Bissell canister vacuum certainly has an edge in terms of maneuverability.

Uprights are pushed in a way so that the entire vacuum is traveling with the suction path. That is not the case with this Bissell vacuum.

The main unit is set to the side, behind, or in front of the mess you’re trying to clean while the hose, wand, and cleaning head tool all extend out to clean the mess up.

All in all, the Bissell hard floor expert maneuvers quite well, whether its between floor types or between furniture, on drapes, or even in your car.

There are a multitude of maneuverability options available with this unit.

Maintenance

The following table indicates the frequency at which you will likely want to replace the various parts and components of the vacuum. The following replacement frequencies are what the manufacturer recommends. However, your individual experiences may vary.

Maintaining the Bissell hard floor expert vacuum is the most important piece of the puzzle to extending the life of the unit. There are two filters that need to be replaced on this canister vacuum; the pre-motor filter and the dust bin filter.

By changing these two filters at their recommended time frames, you can expect to pay $64 on the low end and $128 on the high end for annual maintenance costs.

Noise

All vacuum cleaner reviews on Modern Castle are put through our standard noise test. For this test, we use a sound meter to measure noise in terms of decibel level approximately 3′ away from the vacuum.

At 3′ away, the Bissell Hard Floor Expert canister emits 77 dB of sound.

Is the Bissell Hard Floor Expert worth it?

The Bissell canister vacuum offers a good overall value and is definitely worth it. The price is fair for the performance you receive, in my opinion.

Additionally, the extra cleaning accessories and tools give this canister vacuum a wider cleaning range, allowing users to expand outside of their normal vacuuming sessions.

A 2-year warranty is provided by Bissell with the purchase of this vacuum. Additionally, users have 30 days to test this vacuum out.

If it is not the right fit, it can be returned for a full refund (if you buy it on Amazon).

RELATED – 21 DIRTY spots in your home that need vacuuming NOW.

All things considered, this is a well-rounded canister vacuum that does offer a good value for most consumers and is worth it. The price is not crazy high, the performance is solid, and the design it well done.

Specifications

Below is a complete list of important specifications and features included on the Bissell hard floor expert vacuum:

Who Should Buy the Bissell Hard Floor Expert Vacuum?

The Bissell hard floor expert vacuum is a durable, powerful, and convenient vacuum designed to offer the power of an upright vacuum with the maneuverability of a handheld. Users have the opportunity to roll this vacuum around and place the wand directly on top of the mess, giving them a more precise level of cleaning accuracy.

I would recommend the Bissell hard floor expert if you’re looking for the following features in a canister vacuum:

• Want a longer hose – The hose of this Bissell canister vacuum is 7′ long, giving users a longer reach and a larger cleaning radius as a whole.
• Like multiple floor cleaning tools – Included with the purchase of this vacuum is a hard floor head tool and a multi-surface tool. Users have the option of selecting which tool they would like for each cleaning session. This is a major benefit, as some canister vacuums only offer one floor cleaning tool.
• Lightweight – Only weighing in at 9.3 pounds, this Bissell vacuum is easy to move around. Therefore, users have more freedom to relocate the unit between cleanings, making cleaning more areas of the house much simpler.

For more information on the Bissell hard floor expert vacuum visit here.