BISSELL Hard Floor Expert Deluxe 1161 review

A good vacuum for all occasions

BISSELL Hard Floor Expert Deluxe 1161 Review

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

The BISSELL Hard Floor Expert Deluxe Canister Vacuum has the strong suction to fully clean and the right feature set to protect delicate hardwood flooring.

Pros

  • +

    Long hose for deep cleaning

  • +

    Great suction controls

Cons

  • -

    Ironically short power cord

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With suction control settings and automatic height adjustment, the BISSELL Hard Floor Expert Deluxe Canister Vacuum carefully cleans hardwood floors, as well as many other surfaces. The vacuum includes a long hose, several cleaning tools, and a retractable cord. This vacuum was excellent in our suction tests, demonstrating lots of cleaning power. If you prefer an upright to a canister, though, consider the Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away Speed. It's an older model now, so it's no longer part of our picks of our best vacuum cleaner guide.

The BISSELL Hard Floor Expert is tied for the second best in our cleaning tests. The cleaning head on this one pushed larger particles into piles, but it was able to clear test messes eventually. The sawdust and pet hair clogged the cleaning head temporarily during some tests, and at times, the head had to be lifted up and placed on top of the mess to fully clear it, but the suction strength was undeniable.

BISSELL’s hard floor vacuum features both automatic height adjustment and suction control settings. With the automatic height adjustment, the vacuum automatically regulates how close it sits to the floor, depending on what kind of floor you are cleaning. The suction control settings can be adjusted as well. For example, you will want a lighter suction on drapes or upholstery than you would with low-pile carpet.

The buttons to control the suction sit on the handle of the vacuum as well as on the base of the unit. If you want to control the suction using the handle, you must place batteries into the handle. With high suction power, you will want the option to adjust the suction for different kinds of surfaces.

The vacuum has a 16-foot power cord, which is relatively short and limits how much you can clean before having to change plugs. The cord is convenient in other ways, though. It winds itself into the base of the unit with the push of a button, which makes storing it easy. While the cord limits how far you can vacuum, the floor brush spans ten inches across, which helps you cover more surfaces as you vacuum.

The canister vacuum holds 33.8 ounces and does not use bags. While small, the dirt tank opens from the bottom so that you are not exposed to allergens and particles when you empty it. It sits comfortably in the base of the unit. The vacuum also has a filter that helps remove pollutants from the air.

You can use this vacuum to clean multiple surfaces. It works well on bare floors, tile, hardwood floors, and even rugs and low-pile carpets. As such, the vacuum has attachments and tools to help you convert the vacuum to the surface you are cleaning. Not all of the tools are intended to clean hardwood floors. The onboard tools include a dusting brush, crevice tool, telescoping extension wand, and low-pile carpet tool. Each attachment helps make the machine versatile and effective on different floor types and cleans the hard floors like an electric broom.

The lightweight canister and rubber wheels make this a good vacuum for hardwood floors. Weighing only nine pounds, you can either carry the vacuum as you clean it or have it roll on the floor. It runs comparatively quieter than most vacuums at only 82.5 decibels.

BISSELL guarantees this vacuum for two years against defective or malfunctioning parts and will replace or repair the faulty components. If you need to contact BISSELL, its website lists both an email and a phone number. You also can search for service centers on the site. If you have trouble with your vacuum, the site has several resources, including online product manuals, a FAQ page, product how-to videos, and cleaning tutorials.

The BISSELL Hard Floor Expert Deluxe Canister Vacuum cleans several different floor types and is particularly good at cleaning hardwood flooring. This versatile machine is gentle enough to use on upholstery but powerful enough to be used on carpet. While the vacuum has a short power cord and sometimes takes a few extra moves to remove larger debris, it effectively cleans hardwood floors and low-pile carpets alike.

Angie Parkinson

A contracted writer for TTR, Angie has been reviewing vacuum cleaners, countertop appliances and other home goods for more than eight years. Her spare time often goes to planning improvements for her quirky 103-year-old home or hiking in the gorgeous Utah mountains. In her past role, she was a newspaper journalist and she has a bachelor's degree in Technical Writing.