Two in one vacuums are a godsend for people who own small homes because can clean practically any part of your home.
These products are lightweight and only require a small footprint.
While they will not deep clean carpet it will provide you with spot cleaning prowess full sized uprights won’t be able to match.
A few months ago, I reviewed the Bissell Bolt XRT ION stick and handheld vacuum.
This version has a smaller battery which means less run time at just 30 minutes compared to the 40 minutes 25.2 volt Bolt.
But this one is around $30 cheaper and surprisingly comes with more attachments than the former.
It also comes with a 2 year warranty which is pretty good at this price range.
One concern for me though is the built-in battery that you cannot replace which in some ways makes this a disposable appliance – unless Bissell comes up with a replacement battery.
Find out what consumers think about this products performance and functionality.
A quick look at the features
- Powered by an 18 volt lithium ion battery
- 30 minute run time
- Variable speed control – hi and low
- Brush roll on/off
- Has a two way folding handle that allows you to clean areas under furniture better
- 2 year warranty
- 180 degree swivel steering
- Weighs only 5.6 pounds
Pros
- Very lightweight – weighs less than 6 pounds
- Versatile – you can use it either as a stick vacuum or a handheld
- Long reach wand extends reach and allows you to clean up to the ceiling
- Has swivel steering making it very maneuverable
- Has edge bristles – this s supposed to make edge cleaning easier
Cons
- Does not deep clean
- Built-in battery cannot be replaced
- Low profile floor tool is prone to have a “snowplow” effect where it pushes larger debris instead of sucking them in
- Expensive
- Without the charging stand it is prone to tipping over
- No onboard storage for tools
- No LED headlights
What to expect from the Bissell Bolt PLUS?
This is part of the Bolt series of 2-in-1 vacuums that Bissell released last year – this version comes with an 18 volt battery that Bissell says will last for 30 minutes.
Based on a test done by CNet, it will exceed 30 minutes if you use the low setting but it goes down to 24 minutes when you use the high suction setting.
If you compare it with a Dyson DC59 which only has a 20 minute run time (and 6 minutes in boost mode), run time is pretty good. But against the Hoover Air Cordless that has 2 batteries (50 minute run time combined), it is somewhat lacking. Recharging this will take around 4 hours.
It only weighs 5.6 pounds in stick vacuum mode so this is very lightweight. If you take off the handheld, it will weigh even less.
For added maneuverability Bissell added an 18 swivel steering and a 2-way folding handle.
It also comes with 3 attachments for above the floor cleaning – an extension wand, 6” wide tool for the hand vac and a crevice tool (with a dusting brush).
Bare Floor Performance
Between the high and low suction and the brushroll on/off feature, you’d think that this vacuum would be great for hard floors but there’s on small problem – it will struggle cleaning large debris because of the way the floor tool is designed.
It has a low clearance and it does not have an opening in the middle (like the one found in the Hoover Linx Stick) that will funnel larger bits of dirt.
This result in what you call a snowplow effect, where large debris gets pushed around.
Carpet Performance
The brushroll and the high suction setting will help in picking up surface dirt but don’t expect this to deep clean carpet.
It simply does not have enough power to do so.
Also because of the low profile floor tool, this won’t be efficient in cleaning let’s say spilled chips or cereal. Using it as a handheld would be more effective.
Pet Hair Removal
On carpet and stairs, it should do a decent job in removing surface pet hair but on upholstery it is a big question mark because of the lack of a pet hair tool.
Upholstery Performance
In handheld mode this will be capable of cleaning up loose dirt on upholstery. It has a crevice tool and a dusting brush/upholstery tool to do the job.
A big question mark is the ability of this to clean pet hair. It does not have a pet hair attachment that would do this efficiently on upholstery so this may not be a great option for people who have a lot of pets at home.
Attachments and Accessories
It comes with these tools – Crevice tool with dusting brush, 6 inch wide tool for the hand vac (or upholstery tool), long reach extension wand, and multi-surface brush roll (with I think is the floor tool).
Charging Time
Bissell says it will take 4 hours to fully recharge.
Filter Clean up
To access the filter, you will need to remove the handheld portion of the vacuum, like so.
Watch this video to see how you empty the dust cup…
To remove the filter you need to do these steps…
Bissell advises user to wash the filter by hand in warm water and a mild detergent. Make sure that it is completely dry before putting it back in.
Run Time
Run time will be around 30 minutes, if you use the high setting exclusively that could go down to 24 minutes. If you use the low setting, it could run for more than 30 minutes.
Based on CNET’s tests at low setting with the brush roll on, it lasted 38 minutes. When they set it on high suction (with the brush roll on) it lasted for around 24 minutes which is longer than the Dyson DC59.
Warranty
All Bissell Bolt series vacuums will get a 2 year warranty.
See it in Action
Here’s an overview of the features…
Edge cleaning feature…
Product Specifications
| Feature | BISSELL BOLT ION PLUS 2-in-1 Lightweight Cordless Vacuum, 18v |
| Attachments | Crevice tool with dusting brush 6 inch wide tool for hand vacuum Long reach extension wand Multi-surface brush roll |
| Battery | 18 volt lithium ion battery |
| Battery indicator | N/A |
| Charger | Charging stand |
| Charging time | 4 hours |
| Battery life | 30 minutes |
| Brush on/off switch |  |
| Headlights |  |
| Swivel | |
| Net weight (with battery) | 5.6 pounds |
| Shipping weight | 10.7 pounds |
| Cleaning path | 10" |
| Above the floor reach | N/A |
| Overall length | 44" |
| Battery indicator | N/A |
| Filter type | Washable cloth |
| Dirt capacity | N/A |
| Power | N/A |
| Voltage | 110v |
| Manufactured in | China |
| Warranty | 2 years |
Customer Reviews
Overall this 18v Bissell Bolt got a solid rating in shopping sites like Amazon. Consumers really liked the versatility of this product as it can be used as a stick vacuum and a hand vac.
It is light and it can swivel. Consumers say that this machine would be perfect for small homes.
Power is decent but don’t expect it to be very effective on carpet. The editors at CNET say that they had trouble pushing this vacuum on the carpet. There were consumers who said that it performed will on carpet, even picking up pet hair.
You’d have to take this with a grain of salt because 2-in-1 cleaners like this will not have the greatest suction.
My personal concern for this vacuum is how it performs when cleaning larger bits of dirt like chips, pet dander or cereal, the low profile base lacks an opening to funnel all this debris in which will result in a snowplow effect.
Run time is pretty impressive. Again based on a test done by CNET they got between 24 to 38 minutes of run time (with the low and high setting respectively). Other reviews have reported getting between 20 to 30 minutes so run time is solid.
Other problems encountered by consumers include the propensity of this machine to tip over because of the swivel mechanism and the lack of storage for tools.
Also when you attach the extension wand on the handheld unit, suction seems to suffer partly because of the design.
Despite the negatives, consumers say this is still a solid product that thrives in cleaning light messes.
Where can I buy this?
The best deal I found online was directly at Bissell where you can buy this for just under $180. If you buy this in Amazon it will cost around $10 more.
To wrap up
This versatile cleaner would be great for small homes because of its small foot print and maneuverability. It would be able to pick up dust and small pieces of debris as a stick vacuum and clean upholstery, tables, vents, blinds, and even the ceiling thanks to the tools that comes with it.
If you a lot of carpet or area rugs, this will not be the right product for you because it lacks suction and users have found that it was hard to push on plush carpet so this would be best utilized on bare floor surfaces.
The Hoover Linx Stick or the Air Cordless would be better suited for carpet.
It is a bit expensive but you are getting two products in one – a hand and stick vacuum so consider it an investment.
My biggest concern would be the battery which is built-in the unit and you cannot replace it by yourself. You’d have to go to a Bissell authorized service center to have it replaced. This could be an issue in the long term.
For cleaning up small messes around the house this would be a great option if you don’t mind paying a premium for it.
