Bissell Cleanview XR Review

While the Bissell Cleanview XR doesn't boast many standout features and is underpowered, we appreciated its straightforward maintenance process. Cleaning the filters, dustbin, and brush roll was a breeze.

Carpet Performance

To test carpet performance, we use two types of carpet in 9' x 3' sections. The first is a low pile carpet that's common in many homes, and the second is a high pile carpet that's more likely to represent a shaggy area rug in someone's home. We start our test by measuring out 1/2 cup each of sand, rice, and Cheerios, which we also weigh to ensure accuracy.

Each vacuum is given precisely 24 seconds to collect as much material as possible, simulating the pace of quick cleaning around the house. We repeat the test 2-3 times to ensure accurate and reliable performance averages.

This XR vacuum seriously struggled with these tests, clogging on 5 of 6 test attempts.

Low Pile

We tried hard to go slow on this test to give this vacuum a fighting chance, but it clogged easily at any movement that wasn't at a snail's pace.

When a clog was less clear during the test, it became apparent when I turned off the vacuum, and a massive pile of rice and Cheerios fell out of the bottom. It's a shocking sight. So disappointing.

To put this performance in perspective, 24% pick up in this test is far below our 83% test fleet average and easily the worst result we recorded by a wide margin. If you buy this vacuum, you'll likely need to use your foot to spread out any mess first so that you can slowly attack it to prevent a clog. We can't say this enough: Go slow with this vacuum.

High Pile

The Cleanview XR performed slightly better on high pile carpet than on low pile carpet — but only because it managed to hold back getting clogged on one run until near the end of the 24-second time limit, giving it a slight boost to its average.

These clogs happened both at the bottom of the cleaner intake as well as at the intake hole in the bin. Based on my experience, I believe this vacuum has internal openings that are too small to let Cheerios through quickly enough. It's hard to imagine what bigger Fruit Loops might do to it.

Overall Carpet Cleaning Performance

As the chart shows below, the Bissell generated the lowest carpet scores in our lineup.

In previous, less-rigorous tests, we were able to suck up very small debris fairly well, but Cheerios are definitely its nemesis, leading to the lowest scores we've ever recorded in our more advanced multi-debris carpet tests. If you only have simple messes with very small types of debris, you might have an acceptable experience, but we can't recommend it here. The Kenmore Elite CSV Max DS4095 costs $50 less than the Cleanview XR and performed much better in our tests.

Hardwood Performance

As more people's households shift to vinyl and hardwood floors, people are looking for vacuums that can clean hard floors as well as carpets. To test hard floor performance, we again use a cocktail of 1.5 cups of rice, sand, and Cheerios, spread over 9' x 3' sections of hardwood.

Admittedly, this is a tough test, made even more difficult by a strict 24-second time limit. We designed it to help us reveal performance differences among vacuums and help you determine if a machine is capable of cleaning your own home.

Cleaning Performance

During our tests, the Cleanview XR continued to clog on hardwood. Badly. Frequently. Quickly.

While high-end cordless vacuums crush our hardwood test by sucking up more than 90% of debris with ease, most midrange-priced options still manage to contain over 80%. For a budget comparison, the similarly priced Black + Decker Powerseries+ 20V earned a much higher 5.8 hardwood ranking and collected more than 62% of the mixed debris.

I dread using this vacuum because it clogs every time I use it. And de-clogging just makes more of a mess than I started with!

Crevice

To test crevice suction performance, we weighed a set amount of sand, spread it in between the slats of a bamboo mat, and then ran the cleaner head over the mat 4 times. We then weighed the sand left at the end of testing to determine exactly how much sand was successfully collected by each vacuum.

The Bissell Cleanview did better in this test, collecting 62% of the sand. We believe that sand is small enough that it won't clog this vacuum, indicating this model provides decent suction but has some internal design flaws that allow clogs with bigger material.

Edges

To test near-wall pickup capabilities, we spread coffee grounds along the edge of a wall on a hardwood floor, then assessed each vacuum's ability to suck up the grounds in both a head-on attack as well as a parallel run.

The Cleanview XR did an awesome job with the head-on edge test, successfully sucking up all the coffee grounds! We were so excited. Then on the parallel run, it barely sucked up any coffee grounds at all. If you consider the distance between the sides of the head to the interior brush roll suction area, it should be no surprise that this Bissell struggled to suck up coffee grounds on parallel passes to the wall. The distance, along with the side bristle seals, indicates that edge debris will have a hard time getting sucked into the vacuum. You'll need to use a crevice tool for most close-to-wall cleaning.

Overall Hardwood Cleaning Performance

Interestingly, this machine's clogging problems led to an abysmal flat-floor score, the worst we've ever recorded, but an average score in our sand crevice test.

The average crevice score implies decent suction power for small debris, which reinforces our experience and suggests that this machine has a poor intake design that leads to clogs. This vacuum could be used for small materials only, but if you spill cereal on your kitchen floor, I recommend that you crush it into crumbs before trying to suck it up with this vacuum.

Pet Hair

Our pet hair test is a challenge we relish because so many pet owners struggle with shed hair, particularly in the spring when many dogs and cats shed their winter coats. To create a challenging scenario, we measure a huge fistful of mixed pet hair to 4 grams, then gleefully smear it into a 4.5' x 3' carpet section.

We add 1 gram of hair extensions to test performance with anti-tangle claims. To replicate typical traffic in homes, we roll a heavy wheel over it to further smash it into the carpet. Each vacuum has 12 seconds to collect as much hair as it can.

It performed comparatively better with pet hair than with large round cereal, collecting 62% of the hair on low pile carpets and 46% on high pile carpets. The biggest issue with pet hair wasn't how well it sucked it up but how to empty it from the dustbin. To get the pet hair out of the dustbin, I had to remove the filter and remove the pet hair, which was gross. If I had pets and had to do this every time, it would get old really fast.

Filtration & Suction

We test both filtration and suction together because some rigorous filtration systems can reduce suction power. These tests help reveal the balance between the two that might best meet your household needs.

After the poor showing on carpet and hardwood, we were pleased to see more competitive numbers in these tests.

Filtration

To test filtration, we spend far more time and attention on the details than other reviewers — and we're proud of it. We prepare a clean room in our lab by running air filters overnight. The next day, we measured the room's indoor air quality with two Dylos air quality monitors and started our tests. We spread 1/3 cup of flour on the floor, then vacuum it up. If the vacuum spews flour particles or releases tiny particulates, our Dylos monitors count and record them, giving us comparable ranking data.

We were pleased to see a spike of just 267 small particles, representing very low leakage and good containment. If you have moderate allergies to dust or pet dander, the Bissell Cleanview XR is unlikely to make things worse.

Suction

We were surprised to find that the Bissell boasts a moderate suction power, which we measured at 821 Pascals. In fact, it's more powerful than some vacuums, which cost twice as much.

Because this XR has a very competitive suction power measurement, its performance problems with clogging reaffirm our inclinations on the design issue with the debris pathway to the dustbin. It's a total letdown since there's so much potential shown by this test.

Ease of Use

With a handheld weight of under 4 pounds, the Cleanview XR is easy to maneuver and can glide across various surfaces, effortlessly transitioning from hardwood to carpet.

Maneuverability

Navigating around obstacles like table legs and furniture was easy. We were delighted by how smoothly the head swiveled around the coffee table legs. Because it's relatively lightweight, it was easy to slip under couches despite having to bend over. Overall, we ranked its maneuverability as above average, making it good for kids or aging adults who might lack the strength to push a vacuum around the home.

Maintenance

The manual for the Bissell includes helpful diagrams illustrating how to clean and replace filters, which we found incredibly useful. Maintenance of the filters was straightforward, thanks to the clear instructions provided.

The same user-friendly approach applies to the dustbin, which is easy to remove and clean. A dedicated tab effortlessly releases the brush roll, making it convenient to clean and reassemble. Overall, this model's ease of maintenance is one of its standout features.

Uphostery & Attachments

We tested the Cleanview XR on upholstery, cleaning up coffee grounds using the included dusting brush. While it successfully removed many of the coffee grounds we spread across pillows and an ironing board, it left behind more than we would've liked.

With some extra effort, however, this model can eventually get the job done with these hand tools — it just may take you a few more passes than the elite devices in this category.

The package deal also comes with a wall mount for storage convenience, but you can also lean it against a wall, and it will stay put if you want to avoid the mount.

Battery

We tested battery life on its lowest and highest settings. It lasts approximately 31 minutes on low and 11 minutes on high.

The low-power battery life gave us a wince when logging the time, as you may need to pause for a recharge during longer cleaning sessions. In our experience, you can vacuum a few rooms at a time but not an entire multi-room home.

Should You Buy the Bissell Cleanview XR?

Due to its sensitivity to clogging, we don't believe this vacuum is worth your time and money. Many of our frustrations during testing can be linked to this product in our cleaning tests. The poorly designed pathway into the dustbin means it's limited to only sucking small-sized debris at a slow rate to do its job. That doesn't leave much versatility when it comes to cleaning.

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