A few months ago, I wrote a review about the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser.But Bissell no longer produces this variant. They’ve since replaced it with the Bissell Bolt Reach.
Unfortunately it still uses an older Nickel Cadmium battery that has a tendency to fade unlike Lithium Ion batteries that have more a consistent power band throughout the power cycle.
But since this product still is still useful for quick pickups. And for cleaning pet hair as it comes with a crevice tool and a brush tool for cleaning upholstery.
It costs just under $70 so this is pretty good value for money for folks who cannot afford an expensive brand like a Dyson. But let’s see first what the consumers think.
A quick look at the features
- Powered by a 14.4 volt NiCad battery
- Comes with a crevice tool, brush tool and pet hair nozzle (for cleaning pet hair on upholstery)
- Uses a cyclonic filtration system and has a washable cloth filter
- Backed by a 1 year warranty
Pros
- Offers a cheap alternative that will clean pet hair off upholstery
- Very light
- Easy to empty and clean dirty cup
Cons
- Short warranty
- Still uses an old NiCad battery that is prone to power fade
- Small dirt cup
- Consumers say it fades after 5 mins of use and pet hair nozzle does not work as well as they hoped
What to expect from the Bissell Bolt Reach?
In a lot of ways this product is similar to the older version.
It’s a bit surprising that they didn’t upgrade the battery to at least a lithium ion.
Their competitors like Black & Decker already have upgraded their handhelds to lithium ion battery. And they have fallen behind at least for their handhelds.
This is a disadvantage in terms of suction power as Nickel Cadmium batteries are notorious for fading as it goes through the charge cycle.
Unlike a lithium ion or a nickel manganese cobalt battery where suction power is consistent until the very end.
I hope that Bissell comes up with a handheld with a lithium ion battery to compete with the likes of Black & Decker or Dyson.
The 1316 has all the tools you need from a handheld.
It has a crevice tool to reach in hard to reach areas, a brush tool for dusting stairs or upholstery and a pet hair nozzle to clean pet hair off upholstery.
If you’ve owned a vacuum that has a motorized brush, you certainly know how hard it is to remove hair (particularly long strands of hair) off it.
No matter how expensive the brand is, it is still a pain.
Doesn’t matter if it’s a Dyson, you will still have to take off those strands one by one.
This Bissell offers a different approach in terms of agitating pet hair.
Instead of a motorized brush roll it uses a ribbed tool as the main agitating agent.
Based on reviews, it works well and there is less maintenance work involved because you won’t need to take off the roller and pull out hair.
Bare Floor Performance
This machine is strictly a spot cleaner that will help you pick up small messes like pet litter or spilled cereal (this is not a wet/dry vacuum so only use this for dry debris!).
It also comes with a brush tool that you can attach on the crevice tool and use it to dust bare floor stairs.
Carpet Performance
Like what I’ve said above, this machine is best utilized as a spot cleaner.
Without any attachment that has a motorized brush you cannot use this more than cleaning surface dirt on low pile carpet.
If you have medium pile carpet, you will be better off with the more expensive Dyson V6 Absolute.
Upholstery Performance
This vacuum will be most useful on upholstery between the crevice, brush and pet hair tool you can clean a variety of surfaces from leather to fabric.
And with the pet hair nozzle, this machine offers a cheap alternative to clean pet hair off upholstery without having to pay hundreds of dollars.
You can pair this with a Shark upright like the Navigator if you cannot afford the premium price of a Dyson and still be able to keep pet hair at bay.
Pet Hair
This machine is built to clean pet hair on upholstery thanks to the pet hair nozzle. But you can also use it to clean carpet.
There are better cordless vacuums that will do the work on carpet like the Hoover Linx Stick or the DC59 MotorHead (also known as the V6).
Attachments and Accessories
The 1316 Bolt Reach comes with 3 attachments – the crevice tool, brush tool and pet hair nozzle. Take note that the brush tool and crevice tool go together (as I’ve shown you in the features section).
Charging Time
Bissell did not specify how long it takes to fully charge this vacuum but if you look at the reviews section, one consumer mentioned it took him 8 hours to fully charge this machine.
Filter Clean up
This diagram will show you how to access and wash the filter.
Battery Life
Bissell again did not specify how long this machine will run. Again, referencing the reviews expect suction power to fade after 5 minutes of use.
Warranty
It only comes with a 1 year warranty.
See it in Action
This video will give you a heads up on how loud this vacuum is…
Product Specifications
| Attachments | Crevice tool Brush tool Pet hair nozzle |
| Brush roll on/off | No |
| Battery | 14.4 volt NiCad |
| Charger | Plug-in charger |
| Charging time | N/A |
| Battery life | N/A |
| Net weight | 2.5 pounds |
| Shipping weight | 3.6 pounds |
| Cleaning path | N/A |
| Overall length | N/A |
| Battery indicator | Yes |
| Filter type | Washable filter |
| Dust capacity | 0.4 liters |
| Air Watts | N/A |
| Voltage | 110v |
| Manufactured in | China |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Customer Reviews
Reviews for this product were mixed consumers who liked this product said that they liked it because it was lightweight and worked well for quick pickups and such.
Despite being marketed as a pet hair cleaner there were some who said that this will not work as well as the corded Pet Hair Eraser because it lacked power. Also the long and narrow tip prevented it from cleaning lots of pet hair and larger debris.
The pet hair attachment did not work as well and power faded after 5 minutes of use which isn’t good, also according to reviews it takes 8 hours to fully charge. When you compare this to the Bissell Bolt, it lacked in versatility and when you add up the long charging time and a lack of suction power, it seems like this will only work well for spot clean ups and nothing else.
There are better options for such like the Black + Decker Pivot or the BDH2000L, both are more expensive but both will give you more power and a longer run time.
When you look at the reviews as a whole, this product will excel as a spot cleaner but despite the pet hair nozzle it will not do well in terms of cleaning pet hair. Power fade is another issue since it uses a NiCad battery.
Where can I buy this?
You can buy this vacuum from Amazon for less than $70. And it’ll be eligible to their 2-day free shipping if you join Prime.
Extended warranty is also available of up to 3 years if you want that extra peace of mind.
Another option would be buying direct from Bissell and it’ll cost roughly the same. But you won’t get the free 2-day shipping or the option to purchase an extended warranty.
To wrap up
This product is great for folks looking for a budget pet hair cleaner that will clean pet hair off upholstery. It does this thanks to the pet hair nozzle that comes with this product when you buy it from Amazon.
It will also work well as a spot cleaner that you can pair with your upright vacuums just in case you’re looking for a cheap one that’s lightweight.
My biggest concern is the NiCad battery that is prone to fading and the long charge time.
There are other options like the Black & Decer BDH2020FLFH that has a 20-volt Li-Ion battery or a Dyson V8. But these higher-end vacuums are more expensive.
The only reason you’ll buy this is if you can’t afford something more expensive than $70.
