We already talked about how much we love the Kurv (we’re not paid by them or otherwise perk’d in any way, we just truly love it) and now we’re even more excited because the day has finally come that we’ve discovered a full sized vacuum cleaner that we love just as much! Really, it sucks like a champ. And when we pair the carpet-friendly nature and the sheer power of our new addition with the super portable and wood-floor-friendly Kurv, the dust bunnies and tiny puppy hairs on our floors don’t stand a chance. Seriously, our house has never looked (or felt, because that’s important too) so clean.
We realized we needed to replace our sad excuse for a full sized vacuum known as the Dirt Devil Vibe Quick Vac (more like a leaf-blower as it actually blew out more dust than it sucked in) before the baby came, especially because it tried to kill me whenever I cleaned up during allergy season (seriously, I’m not kidding when I say that it blew things up and out into the air). It was really our fault when we decided it was a good idea to invest all of forty dollars on a vacuum cleaner. I mean what did we expect? So this time around we did some research and actually went into vacuuming shopping with a list of things we wanted:
- A HEPA filter (which helps keep allergies and other airborne pollutants at bay)
- A bagless variety (also great for allergies and simpler to operate for un-bag-coordinated people like me)
- A reasonably light-weight model (anything over 20 lbs, no matter how much power it has, is a bit much for a 5’2″ gal)
- Significantly more power than our previous model (which only boasted 8 amps)
- More settings for different jobs so it can effectively clean multiple surfaces (some area rugs in the house need extra suction while the hardwood floors need something geared for that purpose).
Your list might not be the same as ours at all (different strokes for different folks) but we highly recommend the idea of walking into any big household purchased like this with an idea of what you want from the get-go. It really helps to keep things from getting overwhelming since you can immediately whittle down all the options since they can’t all possibly meet your previously established criteria. It’s a nice little filtering method that allows you to hone in on a few models that seem to fit the bill and then you can do additional research or ask any questions about those few contenders to make the final decision.
Ladies and gentlemen, here’s what we ended up whittling down as our winner, the Bissell 82H1 Cleanview Helix Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner:
And since that name is such a mouthful, let’s just call him the newest member of our family. This guy has 12 amps of power and multiple settings (five to be exact, so you can add extra carpet suction or turn it to a more hardwood floor friendly setting). He also comes equipped with something called a Helix Dirt Separation System for deeper and more powerful cleaning. Of course he’s bagless (and has an easy-empty dirt cup) and has a HEPA filter as well. Plus he even has extra perks (like adjustable height settings and also comes with a slew of extra fittings like a TurboBrush, crevice tool, extension wand, and upholstery/dusting brush). Plus he’s just 15 lbs so he falls under my 20-or-less rule. And after reading many many customer reviews on a number of sites (thanks to our iPhone we could do that right in the store on the spot) we were confident that it was a great choice (it had over 40 five-star ratings on Amazon).
Perhaps the best news of all was the price. Our new friend happened to be on sale at Target (down from $80 to $69 just for the weekend) so although we walked into the store intending to spend around $200 for something that would last, all the high-ratings and the fact that it met and exceeded all of our previously set requirements had us feeling like we’d struck gold.
But back to my story. When I got home I broke it out on our grubbiest carpet (the yellow one in the living room was full of grime from lots of indoor-outdoor snowy-and leafy-foot traffic traffic as of late) and it seriously lifted every last bit of dust and dirt (John watched as the carpet literally got yellower and less brown before our very eyes). It looked brandy new again. Oh happy day. And it worked just as well on the hardwood floors (I got giddy when I got to change the setting from carpeting to hardwood- it felt so custom and fancy). I even took the upholstery brush for a spin on our sofa (it picked up every last hair, fleck of dust, etc).
Who knew cleaning could be fun? I was perma-smiling like a stepford wife with my new vacuum cleaner by my side. So that’s the story of our latest housecleaning weapon that I’m relieved downright psyched to have on hand before the bean arrives in May. After all, one of my resolutions this year is to simplify things and keep our house running more efficiently and easily. And this guy will definitely make cleaning stuff up much simpler than our former leaf-blower ever did. And I bet I won’t go to sleep with a runny nose every time I vacuum during allergy season anymore. Somebody stop me before I lift this machine up in the air and start singing “for he’s a jolly good fellow.”
Oh and just to be totally clear, Bissell didn’t pay us or otherwise perk us (nor did Target, Amazon or anyone else) to mention this vacuum. It’s actually the one that we researched and paid for ourselves because we thought it was the best thing since sliced bread and we wanted to share our find. So this post isn’t one big ad as much as one big weird love-fest for a new vacuum from an extremely appreciative homeowner. But let’s talk about your lean mean cleaning machines. Any other Bissell lovers out there? Any fancy Dyson peeps (I ogled the white pet-hair model for what felt like hours)? Anyone who doesn’t believe in vacuum cleaners and peacefully coexists with dustbunnies? Let’s talk about what sucks at your house.
Psst- Wanna know more about how we clean our entire house? Click here. And for the original suckie vacuum post about our beloved Kurv, click here.
I have a Kurv too! I love it and find myself using it more than our horrible upright vacuum. I’m inclined to check out this one, though… Thanks for the recommendation.
Sounds like a winner, and a great price too! If I hadn’t inherited a Kirby I would probably get one of these. BTW I love the Kirby but no way would I ever spend $1000+ on a vacuum!
I have the Bissell Lift-Off pet vacuum and I LOVE that machine! Nothing better (or grosser) than watching all that hair and dust come out of the rugs!
We also found ourselves in desperate need of a Vacuum in the fall after our hand-me-down Dirt Devil went on to Vacuum-Heaven. After shopping around for a while, we ended up with the same Bissell and we love it!
We have 2 cats and a dog that shed constantly and this thing does an amazing job getting rid of all the fur and keeping our house tidy. And I agree on the weight– we have carpeted stairs and I’m easily able to move this vacuum up and down the stairs with no problems. :)
Good pick!
I have the Animal by Dyson. I LOVE it. I’ve had it for 6 years now and it still works like it did the day I bought it – which is great with two kids, two very hairy dogs and lots of carpet (soon to be replaced with hardwood floors)
I have heard great things about the Bissel but since my Dyson works so well, there’s not really a chance that I’ll be getting a new vaccuum soon :) Is it wrong to be bummed about that??
No reason at all to have a Dyson and feel anything but sheer joy. Those things are amazing!
xo,
s
You have such an adorable way with words! I was SO hoping this was today’s giveaway!! ;o)
PS: I think you may have meant “Bissel did not pay us” in your last paragraph. Hate to rudely correct but that seems to be what you may have been implying ;)
Love from Ohio!
Thanks for the heads up. Monday mornings are prime time for typos!
xo,
s
We have a Roomba and we’re in LOVE. We scored him off of Woot.com for about 50% off retail, and between super dark hardwood floors and a shedding white dog it’s been worth every penny!
congrats on the newest addition to your family ;-)
my hsuband and I were lucky enough to splurge on a dyson (the canister one, not the ball one). It’s great! very powerful sucking!! only annoying this is that because we live in a new house with new carpet, the dyson sucks up all, and i mean all, the loose fibers from the carpet and it fills up the canister pretty quickly and the fibres get stuck in the brush so i’m cleaning that frequently too!
We just got this one from Traget a few weeks ago:
http://www.target.com/Hoover-WindTunnel-Rewind-Upright/dp/B002HFDLCK/sr=1-11/qid=1266851364/ref=sr_1_11/185-4792927-4242325?ie=UTF8&search-alias=tgt-index&frombrowse=0&index=target&rh=k%3Ahoover&page=1
It was on sale so we only paid $99 for it. I cannot tell you how much I… no WE, even my fiance… LOVE this thing! We have a Roomba, and while it’s fun to watch zoom around the room and show off when company is over, it doesn’t really do the job. It’s really just a glorified/ridiculously expensive broom. On the other hand, the Hoover can suck a golf ball through a drinking straw. My fiance was vacuuming our area rug yesterday and even said “This thing makes it fun to clean”!!! I was stunned. If that vacuum can mamke my fiance want to clean then in my book, that is a miracle!
We just got a new vacumn last week to replace a Hoover Wind Tunnel (bagless), I swore I would never buy a Hoover again… I hated that thing. Guess what I got. Another Hoover Wind Tunnel! Shock! After much research it was the one for me. Got good reviews on Consumer Reports. This one has the Hepa filter and is a bagged model. I hated the bagless, it’s really gross. I’d rather not see how much dirt is in my house. And really… how can one 35 pound dog shed so much hair!
I have a Dyson like the other commenter above and LIVE FOR IT!! I love it!
I had a Bissel and sadly it decided it was time to go to vacuum heaven. Thankfully we have a backup Hoover vacuum (that’s what happens when two people who each lived alone get married – double the stuff). We’re so glad we held on to the extra vacuum. Our original intent was to keep one upstairs and one downstairs. That way there’s no hauling of the vacuum up 15 stairs, but it didn’t work out that way. The day we moved into our house, the one we were keeping upstairs – my beloved Bissel – died. Now it seems as if our Hoover is about to die as well so this post couldn’t have come at a better time. Thanks for the recommendation and the test drive on pet hair!!!
My hubby and I currently on the hunt for a vacuum. We currently exist with a broom and a shop vac. They work great, but kind of tired of busting out the whole shop vac everytime we want to vacuum. We also need one that transitions well between hardwood floors and rugs/carpet. Thanks for the tips! Happy cleaning! :)
I really understand the over-excitement that comes from this post! You see, for years I used to vacuum our (under construction) house with a 18 yr old Hoover- that both sucked and did not suck at the same time. But since it was a free hand me down- who is going to complain about that price? The happiest day ever was when we got a new Bissel vac courtesy of our wedding registry. What a huge difference!
I understand your excitement. I am a single 27 year old who was THRILLED to get the Dyson DC25 Animal (which I TOTALLY RECOMMEND) as a Christmas gift from her parents. Some would think getting a vaccum for Christmas is depressing. Not this girl. I felt like I hit the jackpot. Just beware…you will find yourself vaccuming for fun.
I’m glad you found a vacuum that works great and you can’t beat the price. We have a Bissel Lift-off Pet Revolution and we love it. With two cats and a dog, we have a ton of pet fur to clean up and it does the job. We considered a Dyson, but just couldn’t justify spending so much $$$ on a vacuum cleaner. We love our Bissel and thanks to extra Kohl’s discounts we only paid $130 for it.
I invested in the Dyson Animal about three years ago when we got our German Shepherd and I love that thing – I actually LIKE seeing all the pet fur and dirt leave my house. The only issue I’ve had with it is that it has such powerful suction, one time it ripped the fringe off a rug! (the fringe had been replaced once and was not held on well, to be fair)
My mom has a Bissell though and loves it as well. If you have a good vacuum repair place nearby, it’s a great thing too – I had my Dyson cleaned and the brush replaced recently and it’s like having a brand new vacuum again.
I have 3 vacuums and 2 shop vacs in our house. I most recently acquired a Eureka handheld with the stair riser cleaner (the shield over the bristles flips down to make riser cleaning easier. But my best friend is our Roomba that my husband named Robby (the robot). I keep it in our bedroom to clean the carpet under the bed and the rest of the laminate free of dog hair and the associated dirt the two hairballs track in. It takes a bit of maintenance, but being able to keep the under bed rug clean is worth it.
just a tip: be extra careful on your hardwoods. When we moved into our house earlier this year, our vacuum did a number on our floors. we were told if you’re going to use it on your hardwoods, make sure it has rubber wheels. we ended up getting an elcotrulux. it was expensive but we really like it.
Hope you enjoy yours just as much!
Thanks for the tip Claire! It does have big rubber wheels as well as a setting that’s made for hardwoods. So far we’ve had no issues with it on our floors. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I’m desperately in need of a good vacuum. Mine never seem to last very long. My family says it’s because I over-use them. lol When I visited my sister, I got to try out her Dyson and it was awesome. I’m tempted to splurge on one, but I need to convince my husband it’ll be worth it. And then cross my fingers that it really is! :) Glad you found a vacuum that works so well for you!
Oooh, how gratifying to find other vacuum lovers!
My husband bought me a Dyson for Valentine’s day several years ago. Perhaps a dangerous move in other homes but he received a hero’s welcome here!
It is probably the only household cleaning chore that isn’t a chore. Instead, I find it immensely satisfying watching the cannister fill up with lord knows what.
Congrats on finding the right vacuum. I read your complete cleaning guide and noticed you mention the omop (I am currentlt shopping for a good mop). Where can those be purchased?
We’ve seen them at Target and Amazon. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
The Bisselll seems like quite a machine. I’ve been seeing so many posts about vacuum cleaners lateley on interior design blogs, that I might have to go get a new one myself!
Thank you for sharing.
xo
Coco of Cococozy
We have a Roomba right now, and we are pretty disappointed… Instead of using its sensors to tell it that it can’t go through the wall, it will repeatedly bash itself into it like it’s going to.
We also have a Hoover, and it’s been slowly dying for the last couple years… I got all excited about your post because I may have to “splurge” on a new vacuum soon! And I LOVE when there is someone “I know” with a recommendation for them, because I will just feel clueless standing there looking at them (even with prior research)!
Anyways, just wanted to ask… Does the hardwood setting stop the brush from spinning? I’m on a hunt for the type that doesn’t spin and cause flying projectiles on our wood floors…
Hey Laura,
Nope, the brush keeps spinning on the hardwood setting, but we believe that’s what helps to draw up the dust and dirt on the hardwoods. We haven’t had an issue with anything shooting across the floors as of yet. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
My tiny apartment has 100& hardwood floors, so I’ve been able to just use a broom. I usually machine wash the couple of rugs that I have. When I move into a larger house I will probably get a vacuum; but for now, the broom and dustbin work just fine and are very kind to the floors!
I just had an epiphany. Why don’t I have a Dirt Devil for my kitchen, bathroom, and pet hair? My mom had one I used constantly growing up. Sweeping doesn’t really work. Why has this thought never crossed my mind?
Anyway, the Kurv seems to get awful reviews. I take it you are pleased with yours. Anyone else care to weigh in with pros or cons?
Hey Tiffany,
You can follow the link at the bottom of this post to the Kurv post and read all the comments. It seems that an overwhelming majority of our readers love it and have all weighed in with their experiences there. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Love that you made a post about this vacuum! We purchased our Dyson Animal 5 years ago and I am just not a fan (actually, I kind of hate it). I vacuum daily, we have 2 small kids and 2 long hair cats and the Dyson just seems to blow things around (despite many send-backs and new parts from the manufacturer).
A few days ago I started researching vacuums and decided on this exact Bissell! In fact, I sent hubby to work with the vacuum info so he can check Amazon reviews!
Thanks much! Have a good day and keep up the great work!
We have a hoover windtunnel bagless something or other. Fantastic purchase!! We had a cat when we bought it and it sucked up canister after canister of pet hair that our other vacuum had left behind. I know what you mean about bliss, sincerely happy feelings from a clean carpet.
Do you have a sound machine for your baby yet? Lionheart makes a white sound machine, found at Baby’s r us and Target, the “wind” sound sounds like our vacuum and soothed a fussy Lucy back to sleep on many an occassion. A reccomended purchase!
We definitely have one on our list! Thanks for the suggestion!
xo,
s
Sherry, I have a question, since you’ve just done all this vacuum research. We have a Hoover upright which does a good job (though the wiring is going and the on/off switch is quite tempermental). However, since we bought a house that is all hardwood floors, I only use the little hose attachment, so I go around on my hands and knees. I’ve heard that canister vacuums (with the LONG and wide attachments) are better for hardwood. That’s what I’ve been wanting, so I could vacuum standing up and it’d be much faster. But did you hear the same thing? My Hoover has different levels for carpet and hardwood, like your Bissell, I’ve just never trusted it to do as good a job as the hose. Just curious since I was suprised you got an upright with your hardwood floors. Thanks!
Hey LauraC,
We actually haven’t heard that since we were mainly looking for a vacuum to clean up our area rugs (the hardwood feature was a bonus). We definitely use it on the hardwoods from time to time since it has that setting, but we actually prefer to use the Kurv around the edges of a room to catch all those hardwood dust bunnies and then just mop from time to time to give our hardwoods a deeper cleaning. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
We were just looking for a new vacuum and came home empty handed. We’d like to go with an upright as dealing with 2 parts and a long hose is a pain in the butt. It didn’t occur to me until we got to the store that we can’t get under the bed or couches easily with an upright vacuum. So my question for you, and other upright owners, how do you vacuum under the bed?
We use the long nozzle attachment! It’s easy to poke it under the bed from both sides and grab those dust bunnies with the 3-foot-long-ish arm. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I have a Bissell too (the Liftoff Revolution with pet hair attachments) and I love it! They really do make such a difference.
I love our Kurv too!
i got a roomba for my birthday a few years ago, and it’s great. nothing like science (and robots!) to do my work for me. =)
I have had a Bissell (the pet hair eraser) for a few years now and I love it! Just as good as my parents Dyson in my opinion.
I’m suprised to hear you say you like the Kurv. I have the Cone, and am not a fan. They must have improved the function when they changed the style… sounds like I need to go pick one up!
I bought a refurb’d Eureka Altima HEPA Upright Bagless from Overstock and it’s the worst $80 I’ve ever spent. It just blows dust and cat hair all over the house.
I got a Dyson Animal a year ago for Mother’s Day (my choice!) and it’s been a lifesaver. We’ve got a wonderful dog, but she sheds like it’s her job. Between her and our two-year-old the suction of the Dyson is a must. Love love love it. It’s nice to spend time cleaning and actually feel like the house is cleaner!
Just wondering where you keep the vacuum? I can’t seem to find a place that feels like “home” for ours and I keep moving it from the hall closet to laundry room and back again.
Hey Katie,
Ours lives in a hall closet back near our bedrooms, so it’s pretty close to most things and since it’s relatively light and easy to move around it’s nice and handy. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
My husband bought me a Miele canister vac for Valentine’s Day and it’s the best present ever!
We had a baby last year and I never felt our old vacuum was really cleaning. Not only is the new one great with actual vacuuming, but it is so quiet that it doesn’t wake up the baby and it is super lightweight which is nice for vacuuming the stairs. The icing on the cake is that we got it from a local dealer who gave us a great deal and threw in a bunch of freebies. I’m obviously super excited with this new addition.
I too recently purchase a Bissell vacuum like yours. It is the best vacuum I have EVER owned! I am amazed at how much it “sucks” up – I have to empty the container after every vacuuming job! Just FYI, I thought I would only have to empty the “cup,” but every so often (after four or five uses) there are a total of three places to ‘clean out’ so be sure to check your instructions on where these are located. If it starts to act like it’s not doing the job, these need to be cleaned, but they are easy to do so. I am in heaven with this vacuum – it is absolutely THE best!
Happy vacuuming!
I have a Kurv and LOVE it (totally necessary to pick up those tiny baby Cheerio messes which appear daily). After tiring of having to dismantle & clean my vacuum every time I wanted to use it, I recently invested in a Dyson DC17 and love, love, L-O-V-E it. It is both appalling and amazing how much stuff it picks up – and we don’t even have pets! It is such a relief when you find appliances that actually do what they are supposed to do.
We have the Oreck and it has been wonderful! It uses bags, doesn’t put out any dust in the air, and weighs 8lbs! I love it!! It’s not as fancy as a lot of others and costs a big amount, but comes with a 10 year warrenty!
Looks like you found the right vacuum for your home!
Was this your big purchase over the weekend?
Hey Danielle,
Nope, just check out our Facebook page for that info! We’re always spilling the behind the scenes beans over there!
xo,
s
Even though Bissell or Amazon didn’t pay you to say this, they should have, because I just went and ordered one based solely on your post. I despise, loathe and hate my heavy Hoover and curse and scream at it every time I drag it out. I’ve been trying to decide on a new vacuum literally for two years but was overwhelmed by the mixed reviews on some and the exhorbitant price on others. Thank you both for doing the research for me!
We have the same vacuum! It works great, you’ll be very happy with it :-)
My mom is known for always buying the most expensive product when she buys anything, but her last vacuum, some fancy schmancy one from Costco, was so hard to push she wound up having to return it. I showed her mine (the same as your’s) as well as the deal I scored on it at Target and she was ready to switch.
I have a Bissell too, very similar to your new one. I do love the sucking power & the Hepa/bagless perks. The only complaint I have which has been pretty big so far, is the foot pedal that moves the whole column back and forth, has broken twice (in less than a year). The replacement part is $15. I bought an extra the last time it broke. When that thing breaks, you’re out of commission. It’s like a flopping monstrosity that you drag around trying to vacuum. That foot pedal controls the whole machine. So, just be aware of that. The foot pedal part on mine is really cheap plastic. I hope yours lasts longer than mine did! Other than that, I do like mine a lot too.
This has nothing to do with cleaning, BUT since I’m a little wallered right now with my 5 year old, I don’t have much time to search for a “contact us” button. ANYWAY, I’m in the process of decluttering and looking for inspiration otherwise. I found this site http://thegardenerscottage.blogspot.com/ and thought that the two of you would enjoy it. Her design and decorating sense seemed to jive with what the two of you would appreciate.
I love your blog, and wish you the best with your growing family!
Rosie
We bought a Dyson three years ago, and it was hands down one of the best purchases we’ve ever made. We have 5 dogs, which obviously leads to quite a bit of dog hair around the house. The power of that Dyson is amazing, and I love the canister as well. We use it about every other day, and it still works great. The other great thing about the Dyson is that my husband now loves to vacuum because he enjoys watching the canister fill up! I find it a bit disgusting that it pulls that much junk from the carpet, but if it gets him to vacuum, I won’t complain!
I am actually on the lookout for a carpet cleaner vacuum. Does anybody have any suggestions as to what is the best value out there?
Good question Tracie! Anyone have any suggestions?
xo,
s
Another vote for the Dyson! We have one, too – but it was an “investment,” for sure! I’m glad to hear Bissell has a reasonably priced one! And having a multi-story home now, we actually had to got an get a second, canister vacuum to get up and down the stairs. Uprights just don’t cut it on full flights of stairs.
Semi-unrelated, we have the Bissell SpotBot, and it’s been heavenly for pet and food spots on carpets. I love Bissell!
we totally have a bissell thought EVERY SINGLE TIME we’re anywhere that sells a dyson…the hubby is like a kid in a candy store and wants to buy one.
i remind him that we have a perfectly good vacuum that works just GREAT at home! what is it with guys and dysons? it so draws them in…it’s like the ferrari of the vacuum world :)
glad y’all are loving the new sucker…is burger scared? zola is TERRIFIED of the noise…we have to send out a search team to find her after cleaning, hahaha!
oh wait, burger is such a tough man and is NOT scared of noise…my bad burger, i forgot :) cheers
http://www.casacullen.com/
Haha, we’d call Burger’s reaction to our new family member “cautiously curious”- he likes to watch the vacuum to make sure it doesn’t try anything funny in his house, but for the most part he’s happy to stand back and observe (but won’t attack or bark or go running in fear either way).
xo,
s
We bought a Dyson Slim DC18 right after they introduced the “ball” models. It was a floor model at Target that was 1/3 the original price. It was missing one attachment, but I found it at a local repair shop for 9 bucks. I hate to vacuum, always have, always will, but the Huz loves it. He’s been known to bring it to other people’s houses to show them just how great it is. I just like that it’s small and light weight, that way if he leaves it out, putting it away isn’t a huge deal for me.