The biggest problems of older model stick vacuums like the bestselling Hoover Linx Stick and GTech AirRam is the lack of flexibility.
These two products are limited to floor cleaning and some folks would think twice on spending the money that they would on a corded upright because of the lack of versatility.
The idea of a “lift away” feature originally came from Shark. Hoover also entered the market and introduced the cordless lift vacuum which takes the cord of the equation.
Now Bissell has now joined the party and developed a cordless vacuum with a lift feature in the PowerGlide upright.
It looks exactly like a Hoover but it has a large 36-volt lithium ion battery
When you look at it, it looks like a copycat but under the hood this vacuum looks promising with its 36 volt lithium ion battery that only takes two hours to charge and will give you 45 minutes of uninterrupted run time.
If you compare this with the Hoover Cordless Lift, it is a couple of hours quicker because the Hoover gets its 50 minute run time from two 20-volt lithium ion battery so the turnaround will be much quicker if you need to clean the whole house.
For homes with low or medium pile carpet or bare floor, this machine is a very good investment. It is a lot cheaper than the Hoover but the warranty is only 2 years.
A quick look at the features
- 45 minute run time from the 36 volt lithium ion battery
- 2 hour charge time
- Has a lift feature that transforms this upright to a canister vacuum
- Comes with a combination crevice/brush tool for above the floor cleaning
- 13.5″ cleaning path
- 2 year warranty
- Lightweight at just 11 pounds
Pros
- Weighs just 11 pounds
- Wide cleaning path (2.5 inches wider than the Hoover Lift)
- Has swivel steering
- Versatile – capable of on the floor and above the floor cleaning
- Long 45 minute run time combined with a very short 2 hour charge time
Cons
- No tool included that will allow you to clean carpeted stairs (you have to buy it separately)
- You cannot use this on plush carpet
- Shorter warranty than the Hoover
- The combination tool attachment does not lock in place, it relies on friction to hold it in place
- Short extension wand
What to expect from this cordless upright:
The Bissell PowerGlide was built for folks looking for an upright with canister versatility minus the cord. Unlike other uprights that would have difficulty cleaning above floors, this machine excels at it.
Lift feature
With just a press of a button, you can separate the body from the floor tool and convert this upright into a canister vacuum.
I’m pretty sure they’ve taken the idea from the Hoover Lift which uses the same concept. But this one won’t cost as much.
However, it only comes with one attachment which is the combination crevice and brush tool. So don’t expect this to clean carpeted stairs.
Here’s how to convert this upright into canister mode…
But that attachment alone make this vacuum very useful in cleaning cobwebs of ceiling floors, dust bunnies on vents and air conditioning filters.
Upright vacuums even those with a hose does not have that flexibility.
The highlight in my opinion is the 36 volt lithium ion battery that only takes 2 hours to fully charge which will give you around 45 minutes of running time.
This means you vacuum more often because you don’t have to wait for 3 to 5 hours to use this again.
It has a generous 13.5 inch cleaning path so you will cover more area with less passes.
Lastly this machine has swivel steering which makes it very easy to maneuver around furniture. The old Hoover Linx did not have this.
Bare Floor Performance
It has a brush roll on/off feature that makes this suitable on bare floor. One big disadvantage of a bristle brush would be kicking around large particles of dirt. Turning off the brush roll also extends the run time.
Suction should be enough to pick up dust bunnies and other small to medium sized debris.
Here’s how the PowerGlide performed in comparison with the Dyson Ball Multi Floor, Bissell Symphony and Hoover Floormate. Pay careful attention on how the Floormate does on bare floor in low then in high power mode.
Carpet Performance
When using this on carpet make sure to switch on the boost feature located here…
This feature increases suction which allows you to clean low to medium pile carpet.
Also turn on the brush roll by pressing this button here…
It will activate the motorized brush to agitate dirt. This machine would be best utilized on low or medium pile carpet. Anything thicker, it will struggle.
Remember that this vacuum is not designed to deep clean carpet but use this as a maintenance cleaning tool in between deep cleaning sessions.
The Bissell may struggle with cleaning larger debris like cheerios because it does not have any opening in the middle of the floor tool to funnel these in so expect a snowplow effect.
This is easily resolved by using the extension wand and crevice tool.
Here’s a short demo on how it did on carpet…
Upholstery Performance
This is where this product shines.
In canister mode, you can take this anywhere inside your home without dragging along pesky wires to clean just about any upholstery.
The only downside I see is this product lacks a mini-motorized brush tool that should come in handy when cleaning pet hair on upholstery.
That tool can be purchased separately in Bissell’s website for around $34.
But the combination crevice and dusting brush is more than enough to tackle most of the upholstery cleaning chores.
Pet Hair
This machine is very capable of cleaning up pet hair at least on low to medium pile carpet. It won’t get to pet hair buried under strands but it will do a good enough job picking up surface hair and keep it from piling up on your carpet.
If you cannot afford a robot vacuum, this is a next best alternative to clean high traffic areas inside your home.
Attachments and Accessories
You’ll only get the combination crevice and dusting brush that looks like this…
Charging Time
According to Bissell, it will only take around 2 hours to charge this vacuum. Among the cordless stick or upright vacuums, this is the second-fastest behind the Makita.
Maintenance
In order to keep this machine in tip top shape, you will need to clean the filter and the motorized brush.
Bissell has recorded a video on how to clean both of these parts…
This product does not come with a cleaning tool so you may need to use your hands or scissors to remove any hair or debris caught on the brushes.
Run Time
A full charge will run for about 45 minutes.
Warranty
Bissell will back this up with a 2 year warranty on the whole unit.
Product Specifications
| Attachments | Combination crevice and brush tool |
| Battery | 36 volt lithium ion battery |
| Battery indicator |  LED |
| Charger | Charging base |
| Charging time | 2 hours |
| Battery life | 45 minutes |
| Brush on/off switch | |
| Headlights |  LED |
| Swivel | |
| Net weight (with battery) | 11 pounds |
| Shipping weight | 16.2 pounds |
| Cleaning path | 13.5" |
| Above the floor reach | N/A |
| Overall length | 43.9" |
| Battery indicator | Yes |
| Filter type | Cyclonic + Foam filter |
| Dirt capacity | N/A |
| Power | N/A |
| Voltage | 110v |
| Manufactured in | China |
| Warranty | 2 years |
Customer Reviews
Since this is a new product there are currently less than 50 reviews in Amazon and most of them where positive.
A lot of the folks liked how this product is cordless and the lift feature adds flexibility to it.
However one fellah complained that the extension wand is a tad bit too short for his liking (he’s around 6 foot 1 by the way just to give you an idea).
In terms of cleaning performance, most of the reviews say it did a decent job on both bare floor and carpet.
They did mention that this was not meant to be a deep cleaner as it didn’t have as much suction as a corded upright would. But the lightweight design and swivel steering made up for the lack of suction.
One reviewer compared this with the Hoover Air Cordless and concluded that the Air Cordless 3.0 was a better performer on carpet but the Bissell was a better performer on hard floors and rugs.
Also based on reviews this will struggle in terms of cleaning really plush carpet. And if you have a lot of pets, this product will struggle a bit because of the smallish bin and a lack of a pet hair tool for upholstery.
A Shark Navigator would be a better option for pet owners looking for a versatile vacuum to handle pet hair.
Overall consumers where pretty satisfied but there are limitations in terms of suction and the lack of a locking mechanism for the combination tool which only uses friction to hold it in place, an omission that did not sit well with several consumers which is a reason why they bumped down their scores.
Where can I buy this?
You can buy this versatile cordless upright in Amazon for just a little over $200. And it’ll be eligible for their free 2-day shipping if you join Prime. Amazon also sells extended warranties of up to three years if you want that extra peace of mind.
To wrap up
This product is great for people who live in small apartments with mostly hardwood or low pile carpet. It has enough suction to pick up dirt on both bare floor and low to medium pile carpet but it won’t have enough to deep clean.
The lift functionality instantly converts this upright into a canister vacuum. Combine this feature with the flexible hose and interchangeable tools, you’ll have a product that can clean from floor to ceiling.
It may not have the reach of the Dyson or the stair cleaning capabilities of a Shark Navigator but it holds up in the other features.
If you live in a home with a lot of medium pile carpet, this would be a great tool to have to clean high traffic areas that require more cleaning to prevent dirt from piling up.
It is a cheaper alternative than the Hoover Cordless Lift with one less attachment and 3 years less in terms of warranty length but it’s much cheaper.
