Bissell is known for more basic, reasonably priced vacuums, but the brand has recently introduced new high-end features that will make cleaning your home even easier.
The Bissell SurfaceSense Allergen Pet Lift-Off is a new upright vacuum from the brand, and its 'SurfaceSense' technology automatically detects the flooring type and adjusts the vacuum’s suction accordingly – a feature that’s common in high-end models from brands like Shark and Dyson.
We wanted to see how this budget-friendly vacuum stacks up against the best upright vacuums, so I put it to the test in my home (which I share with several animals) over the course of two weeks.
Bissell SurfaceSense Allergen Pet Lift-Off: Specifications
Bissell SurfaceSense Allergen Pet Lift-Off: Setup
Like most Bissell products, this vacuum arrived in a plain box. The brand typically foregoes bright, bold packaging for simple cardboard boxes, and this one was tall and narrow, weighing around 15 pounds. It was easy for me to carry into the house, and the vacuum pieces were packed inside with cardboard, though each individual component was wrapped in plastic to prevent scratching during shipping.
The setup process for this vacuum was straightforward. It was simply a matter of attaching the vacuum’s body to the floorhead, then inserting the wand and hose into place.
I was able to complete the assembly without consulting the instructions. The vacuum also comes with two attachments – a crevice tool/dusting brush combo and a pet tool for cleaning upholstery – both of which are great vacuum attachments for pet hair. There are slots on the back of the vacuum to store both pieces. Once I popped them into place, the vacuum was fully assembled and ready to use.
Bissell SurfaceSense Allergen Pet Lift-Off: Design and features
This vacuum is fairly standard as upright models go. It has a bagless 1-liter dustbin to capture debris, as well as a HEPA filter and anti-allergen seal to keep dust and fine particles from escaping back into your home after they’ve been sucked up, faring well as a vacuum for allergies.
The Bissell SurfaceSense is equipped with a 27-foot power cord that wraps up on the side of the vacuum for storage, and it has convenient swivel steering that makes it easy to navigate around obstacles.
The vacuum also has a lift-away pod, so you can detach the body from the floorhead if you want to, for example, clean a staircase. It's a feature we absolutely love in the best Shark vacuums and it's great to see Bissell follow suit.
However, the vacuum does have a few additional features, several of which are designed to compete with the best vacuums for pet hair. The vacuum’s brushroll is designed to prevent hair-wrap, which means long strands won’t get tangled around it as you clean. Additionally, it’s earned the brand’s Pet Proven seal, which means it was specifically tested on pet messes.
This vacuum’s most compelling feature, though, is its SmartSense technology, which uses a series of sensors to automatically detect different floor types and adjust the suction power accordingly, just like the best Dyson vacuums. It will boost suction on carpets and dial it back on hard surfaces, allowing you to move seamlessly from one space to the next as you clean.
What is the Bissell SurfaceSense Allergen Pet Lift-Off like to use?
I tested this vacuum over the course of two weeks, using it as the primary cleaning tool in my home, which I share with two long-haired golden retrievers and a short-haired cat. Overall, the vacuum offered solid cleaning performance in most key areas, but it does have a few design quirks that I didn’t like.
This Bissell vacuum weighs around 15 pounds, which makes it one of the slightly more lightweight vacuums compared to other upright models, but I did notice that my arm started to get tired after around 15 minutes of use. It’s also louder than other vacuums I’ve tested, measuring in at around 80 decibels during operation.
The on/off switch for this vacuum is on the top of the dust bin, which I found to be much less convenient than having it on the handle. You have to reach around the front of the vacuum and bend over slightly to turn it off and on. I also didn’t like the location of the power cord – it comes out of the back of the vacuum very close to the floor, and I often found that I would run it over when pulling the vacuum backward.
That said, there are a lot of good things about this vacuum, too. The swivel steering is highly responsive, making it effortless to navigate around obstacles like furniture legs and get into tight corners.
The SmartSense feature is also great — it immediately responds to changes in flooring, adjusting the suction for optimal performance. The vacuum did a great job picking up dirt, dust, and pet hair across all flooring types during everyday use, and I loved that I never needed to manually adjust the suction power. It's one of the main reasons why we love the Dyson laser vacuums so much.
Test 1: Flour
I also ran a series of structured tests with the Bissell SurfaceSense vacuum to see how well it picked up different materials. The first test involved flour and coffee grounds, similar to our usual flour and sugar, which are good proxies for dust and dirt that you might find on the floor. (Plus, they’re very easy to see, so you get a good sense of how much debris is being left behind.)
I ran this test on both hard floors and a low-pile carpet, and the vacuum performed well on both surfaces. It did particularly well when vacuuming hardwood floors, where it picked up all the debris in just one pass back and forth. It even pulled up the debris from cracks between the floorboards.
On carpeting, it took a few additional passes, but it was still able to pick up all the coffee grounds and flour without any issues. That's a little less efficient compared to what we've seen in the Shark POWERDETECT or Dyson Ball Animal 3, but still strong performance at this price.
Test 2: Pantry
To test the vacuum’s ability to pick up larger debris, I spread cereal and uncooked rice across the floor. Rice will often scatter across the floor when hit with a brush roll, but the Bissell was able to pick up all the pieces quickly and efficiently. It didn’t send any grains flying on hard floors, and it made quick work of the debris on carpeting, as well.
Unfortunately, the Bissell had met its match when it came to picking up cereal. The pieces were simply too large to be sucked up under the floorhead — they either got stuck under the front lip or simply pushed around the floor. I tried lifting up the vacuum and placing it on top of the cereal, but a lot of the pieces ended up scattering around the floor. As a result, I ended up having to use the crevice tool to suck them up individually — a time-consuming task. Bottom line? If you regularly need to pick up large debris, this might not be the best vacuum for the task.
Test 3: Pet hair
Between myself and my pets, there’s no shortage of long hair that ends up on my floors, so the Bissell has its work cut out for it in this department. I used the Surface Sense Allergen Pet Lift-Off to vacuum the pet hair from my rugs where my dogs hang out all day, as well as all the corners where balls of fur tend to collect.
The vacuum did a great job with both tasks, and on hard floors, it often pulls in clumps of hair from a few inches away – that’s how strong the suction is, almost surprising from one of the more reasonably priced vacuums for pet hair. Plus, after a week of regular use, there wasn’t any hair wrapped around the brushroll, which is often why pet hair is so hard to vacuum.
Test 4: Attachments
This upright vacuum comes with two attachments: a combo crevice tool/dusting brush and a pet tool for vacuuming fur from upholstery. They both have on-board storage slots on the back of the vacuum, and they stay in place securely, even as you clean. When you want to use one, you simply release the vacuum’s wand, then slide the attachment onto it – it doesn’t lock in place at all, but the fit is tight enough that it stays in place during use.
The crevice tool is fairly straightforward, and it does a good job cleaning stairs, the upper corners of the room, and the top of baseboards. I like that the little dusting brush can easily be slid down the nozzle to help pick up dust without having to switch attachments.
When I first used the pet tool, I had it attached to the end of the vacuum’s wand, which made it incredibly awkward to use. After consulting the manual, I saw that the brand recommends attaching it to the flexible hose instead, which made it easier to operate, though I do wish there was some kind of handle to hold. The pet tool worked well for removing hair from my sofa, thanks to its fast-spinning rubber fins, and it never got tangled with pet hair.
Bissell SurfaceSense Allergen Pet Lift-Off: Cleaning and maintenance
When the dustbin on this vacuum fills up, there’s a button on top that lets you pull it off the vacuum body. There’s then a button that flips open the bottom, allowing you to dump debris into a trash can.
The bin’s wide body allows dirt, dust, and hair to fall out easily, and I never had any problems with debris getting stuck in the canister. Additionally, it’s quick and foolproof to pop the dustbin back into place.
But how easy is it to clean your Bissell pet vacuum filters? The pre-motor filter, which is on top of the dustbin, can be washed and reused, but the HEPA filter in the base isn’t washable and should be replaced periodically. The brand recommends putting in a new one every six months. You may also need to occasionally wash the 'inner cyclone separator' which is located inside the dustbin. when cleaning your vacuum.
How does the Bissell SurfaceSense Allergen Pet Lift-Off compare?
The Bissell SurfaceSense Allergen Pet Lift-Off Vacuum has an MSRP of $259.99, which is a bit more expensive than other Bissell upright vacuums. However, it’s much more budget-friendly than popular upright models from Shark and Dyson.
If you’re looking for something at a lower price point, the Bissell CleanView Swivel Upright Bagless Vacuum (at Amazon) is another popular option from the brand that costs just $120. It has convenient swivel steering and a triple-action brushroll for deep cleaning in carpeting, and its floorhead is actually height-adjustable, making it a better option for picking up large debris. However, it lacks advanced features like a non-tangle brushroll and SurfaceSense technology.
On the other hand, if you want the best upright vacuum out there today, our top recommendation is the Shark POWERDETECT. At $399, it’s a little more expensive, but it’s often on offer for just $299. It's incredibly efficient on all types of flooring and automatically adjusts suction based on the amount of dirt detected. It has an odor-neutralizing cartridge in the floorhead, and its “Power Lift-Away” design lets you clean under low-profile furniture.
Should you buy the Bissell SurfaceSense Allergen Pet Lift-Off?
Overall, the Bissell SurfaceSense Allergen Pet Lift-Off Vacuum is a solid upright vacuum that’s available at a competitive price. Features such as its non-tangle brushroll and SurfaceSense technology make it easy and convenient to use, and during testing, it held up flawlessly in a multi-pet household, picking up lots of hair, dust, and other debris.
However, there are a few caveats to keep in mind before you buy this vacuum. It struggles to pick up large debris, and there are a few design quirks, such as a poorly placed power cord. However, you’ll likely learn to work around these issues, and in terms of cleaning performance, you won’t find a better option at such a reasonable price.
Buy the Bissell SurfaceSense Allergen Pet Lift-Off Upright Vacuum for $259.99 from Bissell.
Next, consider the best Miele vacuums or the best Dyson alternatives for tried-and-tested cleaning power.
