We also tested cordless vacuums in a range of prices to see how much of a difference you can expect when you opt for a pricier model over a budget pick. This bagless canister vacuum has three cleaning modes and can be used across all types of flooring from carpet and hardwood to tile and linoleum. While we haven’t tested this model in the Lab just yet, our experts appreciate that it has edge-cleaning bristles to get the dust out of hard-to-reach places like baseboards and along the edges of cupboards. Bissell makes post-cleaning tasks easier with automatic cord rewind and a dust cup that is emptied with the touch of a button.
I WILL say though, it is clearly very well made because although my kids let it fall to the floor (sometimes even hard floors) at least 20 different times already, it just keeps on going. We run each vacuum in a straight line across three different surfaces (hardwood, low-pile carpet and midpile carpet). Break free from the restrictions of cords and wires with the BISSELL 3-in-1 CrossWave TM Cordless cleaner. Ideal for regular, routine cleaning as well as those messy accidents that simply happen in an active family home.
This model does its best on hard floors, particularly when picking up crumbs. It struggles on carpeting though, gliding over the surface without necessarily picking anything up behind it. It also struggles on pet hair and might not be the best option if you suffer from allergies because it lacks proper filtration. Bissell offers vacuums across a number of different varieties, including upright, cordless, stick, robotic, and canister.
Because of their low ratings for brand reliability, no cordless model earns a recommendation from CR despite scoring well in our performance tests. BISSELL has a diverse lineup of vacuums, and their naming convention can sometimes be confusing. In broad strokes, you can outline their model lineup as follows. I also love that Bissell uses their SmartSeal Allergen System, which does a great job keeping dust inside the vacuum. For allergy sufferers, this is a noteworthy quality of the ICONpet. I like to think that the Bissell is great for a seemingly limitless number of situations.
We typically can not vacuum the full 1500 square foot home we live in, so we do it in sections throughout the day and week. Manufacturers will often boast about their vacuum’s suction power in terms of air watts, a figure that quantifies airflow in terms of power usage. Generally speaking, more air watts means a more powerful vacuum cleaner, but the actual design of the vacuum head plays a significant role, as well. The tighter a vacuum is against the floor, the greater the suction — but if it’s too tight against the floor, larger bits of debris won’t be able to make it underneath the cleaning head, at all. The type of flooring you’re trying to clean makes a big difference, too. Our team of CNET experts, editors and lab technicians has been testing vacuums in a smart home and testing warehouse located in Louisville for over 10 years.
All of these vacuums have been thoroughly vetted, with more than 150 tests for safety, reliability, performance, and durability on each model before it’s made available to purchase. These test results are backed up by a limited warranty that can range from 90 days to lifetime, depending on the model. Most of the vacuums on our list feature a runtime of 40 minutes before needing another charge, though a growing number of models are starting to offer higher-capacity batteries with runtimes of 60 minutes per charge. In truth, it’s a rare occasion that one would need more than 40 minutes of runtime for a single vacuuming session, and the prevalence of charging docks makes it easy to recharge in between cleaning runs.
She’s a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and psychology and a master’s degree in journalism. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled vacuums and contact BISSELL for a free battery pack replacement. For Carpeting We embed 100 grams of sand into a carpet and vacuum the debris on high speed for 16 strokes using a strobe light to highlight the test area.
Over the past couple of months, we’ve been on the hunt to find the very best cordless vacuum on the market. We’ve already covered topics like the best Miele bissell cordless vacuum vacuum, the best Dyson cordless vacuums, and the best Shark cordless vacuums. Now, it’s finally time for the final company in our lineup – Bissell.
The same SpinWave technology can also be found in the Bissell SpinWave Hard Floor Spin Mop, a top pick in our round-up of the best mops tested by our cleaning experts. In our testing, we found this vacuum mop easy to assemble and use and were impressed with its performance in our dry pickup and wet/dry combo pickup tests. LED headlights make it easier to see the dust in its path, and unlike traditional mops, you’re never cleaning with dirty water thanks to its separate clean and dirty water tanks. BISSELL vacuums usually fall into a budget-friendly price range, though you may be sacrificing some measure of cleaning performance, build quality, or quality-of-life features in exchange for that affordability. They tend to perform worse on all surface types than Shark vacuums and struggle more with clearing large debris than most Eureka vacuums, though they tend to be similarly affordable.
The main differences are the higher voltage on the battery and a few more included tools. Not having a cord to deal with has been great, not only for my kids but for me too! Cordless vacuums are lightweight, convenient and easy to maneuver. From Dyson and Samsung to Tineco and Shark, here are the top models on the market today. Jamie (she/her) is a parenting and pets reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she spends her time testing, researching and writing about pet and family products. Prior to starting at GH in 2021, she worked at BuzzFeed and People, covering a combination of product reviews and lifestyle content.