Bissell Lift-Off Bagless MultiCyclonic Pet Vacuum Cleaner Review

Click to see on Amazon

Avg. consumer rating = 81/100 

The Bissell Lift-Off MultiCyclonic Pet Vacuum (model 89Q9) is a bagless, upright with a number of great features - detachable canister, headlight, HEPA filter, 30 foot power cord, 15 inch cleaning path, rotating brush power on/off switch, etc.  Bissell indicates that the unit is good for both carpet and bare floors.  It gets decent consumer reviews and is not too expensive (under 200USD).

Let's cut to the chase.  What do consumers indicate that they like and dislike about the Bissell Lift-Off MulitCyclonic vacuum? 

PROS
- Brushbar can be turned off
- Consumers really like the Lift-off canister feature
- Easy to remove, empty and replace dirt canister
- 30 foot power cord

CONS
- Heavy
- Turbo brush can be difficult to lock in place
- Considered by some to be a bit noisy

Design & Features
The Lift-Off is an upright and bagless unit.  When compared to canister vacuums, uprights tend to be better/easier when vacuuming large carpeted areas and hallways and you are not in the position to have to lug the vacuum behind you. However they often prove difficult when vacuuming stairs and with their upright profile it can be difficult getting under furniture.  The Bissell 89Q9 deals with these issues by providing a detachable canister that you can use to clean stairs and hard to reach areas.  The Hoover UH30010COM (which is one of our best buys for an upright) also uses this same approach.  Consumer comments indicate that the removable canister is a great feature and is particularly useful for stairs and even cleaning automobiles.

Bagless vs bagged vacuum cleaners is always a contentious area.  Some people swear by one type and some swear by the other.   Bagless vacuum cleaners (like the Bissell Lift-Off) use a "dirt container" that is filled, emptied and re-used.  Bagged vacuum cleaners use a disposable bag to collect debris, and when the bag is full it is removed, thrown away and replaced.  It is typically easier to dispose of collected dirt and debris with a bagged vacuum cleaner, however these require the purchasing and "throwing away" of bags.  With a bagless vacuum cleaner it can be more of a chore to empty the dirt container (while keeping yourself and surroundings clean), however you do not have to purchase or toss away bags.  It should be noted however that bagless vacuums often have filters that need to be maintained or replaced and they rely on seals to prevent the dirt-container from leaking.

The Bissell Lift-Off has a multi-cyclonic system coupled with a 12 amp motor to provide plenty of suction.  It comes with a telescoping extension wand, pet TurboBrush (for removing hair from upholstery and staris), dusting/upholstery tool, and a crevice tool (for getting into hard to reach areas).   The 89Q9 also comes with a HEPA filter.  HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air and is a filter that removes 99.97% of all airborne particulates of 0.3 microns or larger that pass through it.  HEPA filtration is particularly popular with allergy sufferers.   The HEPA filter is post-motor.  There is also a pre-motor filter (not HEPA).

This vacuum has a 15 inch cleaning path (which is respectably wide) and has edge cleaning as well as a wide beam headlight.  Headlights are great for illuminating the immediate cleaning area as well as under furniture or in closets or any other dark or dim areas.  The Lift-Off comes with a 30 foot power cord – a decent length in our opinion (we have found consumers really like 30 feet or more in a power cord.  Less always causes grumbling).  There is also a quick release cord wrap.  This unit has an easily removable dirt canister that is also easy to lock back in.  Like almost all bagless units there are some complaints about dirt and dust escaping when emptying the canister.  Some machines are worse than others but this is a fairly common consumer comment/complaint with bagless machines.

The Bissel Lift-Off has a few other bells and whistles including the ability to adjust the vacuum to 7 different heights, an on/off switch for the motorized brushbar (popular feature with consumers and quite important for transitioning from carpet to bare floors or when vacuuming, for example, a delicate rug), a motor protection system which stops debris from entering the motor fan, and a clean filter indicator (this indicates a reduction in airflow through the system that could be due to dirty filters or even a clogged hose).  Customers do complain about the weight of this vacuum and it weighs in at a hefty 21.8 lbs or 9.98 kilos.  Dimensions of the vacuum in inches are (LxWxH) 13.5 x 14 x 44.  The Bissell Lift-Off is covered by a one year limited warranty.

How do consumers rate this machine?  Several quality sources of consumer comments rate the Bissell 89Q9 as follows: