Love it or hate it, vacuuming is a big part of owning pets. With the warmer weather at hand, kids and pets running in and out of the house all day long, our doors and windows open welcoming anything blowing in the wind, pet hair being shed all over the house isn’t the only thing we see more of this time of year. So, lucky for us another vacuum cleaner manufacturer was willing to take us up on our challenge since our Dyson review. Well, it wasn’t exactly in response to a challenge – we asked Bissell for their Pet Hair Eraser™ vacuum and they were more than happy to send us one.

 

review continues below ↓

What they say:

“…our engineers have designed the Pet Hair Eraser vacuum with special technologies and tools that effectively remove pet hair, pet dander and dirt from pet owners’ homes.”

 

In addition to the vacuum’s pet-specific tools and technology (Pet Hair Lifter, Pet Contour Tool™, Pet Turbo Brush and HEPA Media Filter), the Pet Hair Eraser vacuum includes a variety of features that make it convenient for everyday use. For example, its clear Easy Empty™ dirt container makes it easy to see when it needs emptying and releases easily to pour debris into the trash. With the convenient attachments, consumers can clean hard-to-reach places around furniture and baseboards. Plus, a clean filter indicator monitors air flow and lets the user know when it is time to clean the filter. It has a 15” cleaning path, a 35-foot power cord, and an extra-long hose.

What we say:

I’ll say right off the bat that the price is definitely right. At about $150.00, it is hard to go wrong. Aside from the price, however there is much to like about the vacuum.

 

In addition to being sleek, high tech and fashionable aesthetically (it even has paw prints imprinted on the outside), it is lightweight, making it not only easy to use, but easy to carry up and down steps as well.

 

The hose and handheld tools are easy to maneuver and allow easy access to ceiling fan blades and hard-to-reach areas behind furniture.

 

The suction is good, but in my opinion not quite as good as the Dyson we reviewed previously. That is not to say it has poor suction – the level of suction we experienced was definitely adequate. To be honest, when we used it on the velvet curtains it was easier to use. (I know, I know, as pet owners we’re idiots to have velvet curtains.) The fabric was much more easily separated from the vacuum’s attachment since it had less aggressive suction.

 

The dirt container is the easiest to remove, empty and replace of any vacuum I’ve used. As with any canister vacuum there is still the issue of dust blowing around during the emptying process, but that is difficult to avoid without bags. (A trade-off many of us can definitely live with as bags can become expensive if you vacuum a lot, not to mention an inconvenience when you find you’ve run out before the job is done.)

 

By the way, if you already have a perfectly good vacuum, Bissell has come up with something to help pet owners without their having to purchase the entire Pet Hair Eraser™ vacuum. They’ve made the attachments that come with the vacuum available to purchase separately. The Pet Pack provides you with the Pet Contour Tool™, a Wide Pet TurboBrush® and two universal adapters making the tools capable of working with any other Bissell vacuum as well as Dirt Devil, Dyson, Eureka, Hoover or Kenmore vacuums. The Pet Pack attachment kit is available for about $30.00.

About Stacy E. Smith

Stacy E. Smith is Editor-In-Chief of Paw Prints The Magazine, the lifestyle publication dedicated to pet owners and their relationships with companion animals. Email Stacy at stacy@pawprintsthemagazine.com.