BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser 1650A – an upright for every pet lover

I will continue my Bissell review series, as they’ve released several new products this year, and I feel like I have to cover some of these. Today I’ll be talking about the Bissell 1650A Pet Hair Eraser upright. By the way, if you’re in the market for a good vacuum for tackling pet hair, you may also want to check my top list on this subject first. Now, returning to our subject, I’d like to mention from the start that the Pet Hair Eraser presents itself as a top of the line pet hair cleaner for any type household with dogs, cats, squirrels, monkeys and so on. This unit has a large set of accessories which are designed to assist you in virtually any type of cleaning chore. Bissell has made considerable efforts to promote this product, constructing a separate website and hitting hard regular channels (TV, social media, ads on Amazon, Google, Facebook and so on). It has been rated well on most popular websites, including Amazon,BB&B, Sears, HSN and so on. Today I’m going to show you what’s real with the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser. Stick around, you’ll find out:

• if this unit delivers what it promises
• if it works on your type of floors
• if pet hair tangles in its brushroll
• how it compares with other uprights “made for pets”
• from where to buy it cheaper

Looks

Here’s a gallery with some photos of this upright:

and here’s the related video:

Specs

The Bissell 1650A comes with a great greenish design, several multi-use tools, a sealed filtration system, a height adjusting switch, a powerful brushroll, and the list could go on. Let’s talk about each of these features in an easy to understand kind of way.

Suction/Cleaning Power

When it comes to suction power, Bissell never was the absolute leader. It’s no secret, there are other vacuum manufacturers out there which offer higher suction in their units. However, as I like to say each time I get the chance to, suction is not the only important thing in vacuum cleaners. It is a key factor, yes, but definitely not the only one. Agitation, filtration, usability – a good vacuum should come with all of these. In the case of the 1650A, this unit is packed with a decent suction, which I’d rate around 150-170 AW. This is not a value provided by the producer, it’s more of a measurement made by myself. In fact, the producer doesn’t provide any value at all. Like many other manufacturers out there, Bissell doesn’t like to rate the suction of their products.  I’m still expecting for a regulation in this field, which in my opinion should force all brands to use a common suction rating system. Anyway, provided you assemble the unit correctly, the suction is enough to get you going.

The brushroll is well-designed. The suction is spread from edge-to-edge, ensuring you get the highest amount of dirt with each pass. You can adjust the height of the nozzle, so you can vacuum without any problem most types of floors, including bare floors, different levels of carpets, hardwood, tiles, marble and so on. The brushroll has a protection system which works as follows: if the air intake attracts in a large piece of debris, the light around the height switch will turn red (from blue). You just need to switch off the unit and inspect/remove the object from the nozzle.

It is also worth mentioning that Bissell uses its very own multi-cyclonic system, which is similar to the one invented by Dyson. This ensures that suction is not lost over time. The width of the cleaning path is 12″, which is preferable for an upright such as this. Wider nozzles would probably diminish the usability.

Input Power

The unit works on 8.5 amps, which is normal in today’s uprights. Given the suction power, I would say this unit has an efficient motor. The power cord is 30 ft long; unfortunately it is not retractable.

Dust Bin

The Bissell 1650A Pet Hair Eraser is a bagless unit. This eliminates the cost of purchasing paper bags. Bissell employed in this part a special technology they call the Cyclonic Pet Hair Spooling System. The name is appropriate, as this systems basically separates the hair fibers from the other types of dirt. The switch which detaches the bin is located right on top of it. The 0.4 gallons removable compartment is thus easy to detach and empty. The bin itself can be rinsed, but after this operation, you should allow it some time to dry up.

Filtration

The product is completely sealed, meaning that the air which enters through the nozzle can only exit the vacuum after it passes through its filters. Bissell calls this technology the SmartSeal Allergen System. The filtration is not HEPA. Bissell calls it a Multi-Level filtration. Trust me, all these “funky” names are made up for marketing purposes. The vacuum uses 2 filters: pre-motor ($6) and  post-motor ($10). The pre-motor filter has 2 layers: Foam & Felt. Thanks to a successful partnership between Bissell and Procter&Gamble, the Felt layer from the standard pre-motor filter can be replaced with a Febreze Pet Odor Eliminator Filter, which also produces a scent. The pre-motor filter is washable. Bissell recommends changing the post-motor filter every 6 months or so, and the Febreze Filter once the scent has dissipated.

Weight and Dimensions

This upright weights 18 lbs and measures (when assembled) 12.4 x 13.5 x 46.8. The hose is 8 ft long. 

Accessories

The standard package comes with a good tool set:

• the LED Crevice tool
• the Pet TurboEraser Tool
• the 2-in-1 Snap On Dusting Brush

You can get separately 3 cleaning tools, if you take Bissell’s TV offer:

• the Pet Hair Eraser Tool with Funk Fresh Odor Eliminator – for furniture and soft surfaces
• the Scoop & Sweep Tool – has a wide suction path attachment for faster clean up of kitty litter and dog hair
• the ShedAway Pet Tool – a pet grooming tool

Additionally, you can get directly from Bissell’s website (or from other online shopping malls) the Hard-Surface Glider Tool (designed for people with sensitive hardwood floors) and some dog bags (for people with dogs, although I don’t really see the connection to this vacuum, as an accessory). The “forward thinking” pet hair tools were contoured for increased user mobility.

Special features

Here’s a list with the special features of the Pet Hair Eraser upright:

• the tangle-free brushroll
• the Febreze scented filter
• the interesting set of accessories

Usability

I’ve found the 1650A to be very useful. The 5-level height adjustment ensures you get the best suction, depending on your floors. No more scissors – even the longest pet hair fibers don’t wrap over the brushroll. The swivel steering helps in maneuvering. The sound produced is in the normal limits (around 70 db). The power cord length is long enough. The hose can be easily detached and used by itself. Accessing the brushroll and the belt mechanism is simple.

Warranty

The unit comes with a 5-year limited warranty, one of the longest ever offered by Bissell. They also offer a hotline for any question/problem related to this vacuum cleaner. You can call 1-800-237-7691 from Monday till Friday (8am to 10pm), Saturday (9am to 8pm) and even Sunday (10am to 7pm).

Price

The price varies. You can get it for around $250 directly from the manufacturer, or you can check out this other deal.

Bissell Pet Hair Eraser vs Shark Rotator TruePet vs Miele Dynamic U1 Cat & Dog

Here’s a small feature comparison between 3 uprights – the Bissell 1650A Pet Hair Eraser, the Shark Rotator TruePet NV752 and the Miele Dynamic U1 Cat&Dog:

	Bissell 1650A Pet Hair Eraser	Shark Rotator TruePet NV752	Miele Dynamic U1 Cat & Dog
Suction Power	≃170 AW	≃240 AW	≃200 AW
Filters	Multi-layer filtration	HEPA	HEPA
Bin capacity	0.4 gallons	0.825 gallons	1.6 gallons
Weight	18 lbs.	15.6 lbs.	21 lbs.
Cord Length	30 ft.	30 ft.	39 ft.
Nozzle Width	12 inches	12 inches	13.5 inches
Warranty	5 years	7 years	7 years

Concluding, the Bissell is perfect for people with low budgets, the Shark is the right choice if you want more power and flexibility and the Miele is excellent for allergy or asthma sufferers.

Pros

• vacuums pet hair well
• good set of accessories
• large bin
• edge-to-edge tangle-free brushroll
• long warranty
• scented clean

Cons

• suction could be higher
• the filter is not HEPA

Final words and VGM

I really enjoyed testing the new BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser upright. There are still some little flaws, but overall, I find this upright to be a good product. To my surprise, I’ve found some new features which I haven’t seen in other uprights. And that’s another proof that we are evolving. Here’s the VGM for the 1650 series:

VGM table for Bissell 1650A Pet Hair Eraser

So, what do you think of Bissell’s latest addition? Pet owners out there, would you buy this unit? Bought one and care to share? Write in the form below.

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