This corded upright has a tangle-free brush roll and a hair spooling system in the dust cup that makes pet (and human) hair pickup — and the inevitable cleaning of the vacuum after — a breeze. It comes with three attachments, and two are specifically for tackling more pet hair messes. The sealed filtration system keeps allergens trapped inside the vacuum, which means less sniffling and sneezing. Our experts appreciate that the dust cup can be removed with the push of one button, and Febreze odor technology in the filter prevents pet odors from building in the device.
Here we are, 6 months later, and I’m ready to give you a thorough, honest review of this vacuum cleaner. Its cleaning performance isn’t amazing, but it’s decent, especially for the price. It doesn’t have super strong suction, but works for quick pick-ups (say, after your child has spilled a bowl of Cheerios everywhere) thanks to its low weight. Liam McCabe is a former senior staff writer for Wirecutter, and has covered the wild world of appliances since 2011.
When it comes to cleaning products, the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab tests everything you need to help keep your home in tip-top shape. Bissell has a history of manufacturing vacuum cleaners from as early as 1867, and we have been testing Bissell vacuums for many years. We consistently find that Bissell vacuum cleaners rank as some of our favorites across the board for their versatility, durability and ease of use. Take your cordless vacuum up stairs, into the garage or even into the basement with ease.
That said, we recognize some people are willing to look past the high prices and mediocre longevity of cordless appliances; without a cord to wrangle, these machines can feel much more convenient than plug-in models. Vac-mop combos can clean your floors faster than other floor-care tools, but they still require some cleanup after you’re done using them. This takes at least a few minutes of hands-on effort that’s grosser than what is necessary with other types of mops. But they also dribble out some cleaning liquid and automatically scrub the floors with a spinning brush, sort of like an electrified mop-scrubber thing.
It also boasts 40 minutes of battery life, and has a collapsible handle for easy storage. This cordless vacuum even has LED headlights to illuminate any dirt or debris on the floor, and can be angled to pick up dirt in nearly any corner. Best overall
“I probably wouldn’t spend that much on a vacuum no matter how good it was. I love how simple it is to swap bissell cordless vacuum out the nozzles for varying uses. My regular vacuum has a cord, making it less maneuverable.” — Bill S.
The CrossWave’s tank can sit flat on a countertop, and on the side it has lines for measuring the intended water-detergent ratio. This makes pouring in the correct amount of detergent simple and unmessy. With the Tineco iFloor series, you’re instructed to use the tiny cap from the detergent bottle to measure out the correct dose of the super-concentrated liquid. Even though I have steady hands, I still spilled a little detergent most times that I filled the tank. On the downside, the Bissell’s dirty-water tank is just as unpleasant to clean out as any of the other models we tried.
At this point, there are multiple competitors with top models that can go toe to toe with Dyson on our test floors. The tanks need to be switched when going from vacuuming to wet mopping, but they are easy to remove and empty when your robot is done cleaning. The SpinWave’s microfiber mopping pads are machine-washable and we found the brush roll easy to remove and clean.
After our picks, keep reading to learn more details about how we test, what to look for when shopping for a stick vacuum and why you should trust our reviews. In our testing, we experienced great bare floor cleaning, pet hair pick-up and edge-cleaning performance on all our test surfaces. As you turn it, fine dust is knocked from the filter into the cup for better cleaning and emptying. The battery offered up just under 30 minutes of run time on the lowest power setting with the power nozzle attached, which is less than others in our test.
Specks and particles that were invisible in regular light — like those in the corners of stair treads — came into clear view when the laser hit them. And just in case you were wondering exactly what it’s picking up, the colorful display shows the amount and size of the particles it’s grabbing along with run time, power level and maintenance alerts. The only thing that would have made it better was having a second charged battery waiting in the wings.