Bissell Aeroswift 1009

Avg. consumer rating = 86/100 

The Bissell Aeroswift 1009 is a small, compact vacuum cleaner and is good for those with an apartment or small area to clean.  This is also a very affordable unit and we’ve seen it available for $50-$70.  It includes an optional Febreze filter which helps eliminate odors and also leaves behind a fresh, clean smell after vacuuming. The size of the machine is both a pro and a con.  It is lightweight and easy to carry but it also has a short hose/wand and the dust canister is quite small resulting in the need for frequent emptying.  It also does not come with HEPA filtration.

 

Quick Specs
Type	Upright
Bagged/Bagless	Bagless
Best for...	Hard Floors & Carpet
Pet Hair Features	No
Approx. Weight	12 lbs
HEPA Level Filtration	No
Power Cord Length	30 ft
Motor Driven Brushbar	Yes
Warranty	2 Years

 

Consumer Ratings
A review of online retail sites has provided the following Aeroswift 1009 consumer ratings (see table below).  When averaged these result in a score of 86/100 which is quite good.  You can compare that to other uprights here: upright vacuum ratings.

Source	Consumer Ratings	#Ratings
Amazon	4.4 stars out of 5	155
Walmart	4.2 stars out of 5	84
Wayfair	4.5 stars out of 5	63
Target	2.8 stars out of 5	17
Overstock	4.7 stars out of 5	11

 

The outlier in the above table is Target, and a quick look at low ratings on Target indicates consumer concerns with poor suction and poor build quality.  These kinds of comments are also present on other sites but are generally outweighed by more positive comments and scoring.

Consumer Insights
A thorough investigation of owner comments provided the following likes and dislikes:

PROS
- Lightweight
- Compact
- Reasonably priced
- Dust canister is very easy to empty
- Febreze filter leaves room smelling fresh
- Rinsable filters
- Designed for hard surfaces and carpet

CONS
- Small dust canister
- Hose and wand are a bit short
- Attachments stored on vacuum are easily knocked off
- No HEPA filtration

Probably the most common concern about this vacuum is its small dust canister.  Owners report having to constantly empty the dust canister as it fills quickly.   This is especially problematic for those with larger areas to clean – although one should consider that this is not a big machine so large area cleaning is not its forte.

There are also several comments that the vacuum has average to below-average suction.  However it should be pointed out that an equal number of folks report that the vacuum has good suction.  This discrepancy could be due to problems with the vacuum itself or, in some cases, the result of clogs or dirty filters.  There are also a few extreme cases where vacuum suction has just stopped altogether.

The cleaning path width of the nozzle head is somewhat narrow (12 inches).  Some owners complain that it takes too many passes of the vacuum to clean an area.  However some folks feel that the narrow cleaner head is an asset and allows the unit to easily get in and out of tight areas.  

Some people feel the hose/wand cleaning reach is limited resulting in the need to stretch the hose as far as possible.  Unfortunately the hose on the 1009 doesn’t stretch easily and when extended too far it often results in the vacuum tipping.

The vacuum power on/off and the handle release are both foot pedals on the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner.  A few owners find that they sometimes get these mixed up and end up turning the vacuum off when trying release the handle – or vice versa.  This is not a big issue however and most people don’t find this to be a significant problem.
 
On the plus side almost all owners report that the Bissell Aeroswift 1009 is lightweight and very maneuverable (nozzle head turns easily).  It also has a small footprint, and is compact and easy to store.  In addition, the small size allows the kids to help vacuuming – this point has been made by several people.

Owners have mostly positive things to say about the Febreze filter.  It does indeed leave rooms smelling clean and fresh.  Some even say that the house smells “amazing” after vacuuming.

In addition, there are a number of comments highlighting how well the Aeroswift picks up pet hair.  However, while it works well on pet hair it does not come with a HEPA filter which would have been a nice feature for households with pets.

Details & Specifications
The Aeroswift is a bagless vacuum cleaner that uses cyclonic technology (the typical approach used by most bagless machines).  This is a compact machine so most things about it are smallish and the dust canister is no exception with a volume of 0.26 gallons (larger, full size bagless machines have dust canister volumes on the order of 0.5 gallons).

The dust canister is exceptionally easy to remove, empty and reattach to the vacuum cleaner.  A button on the canister opens the bottom of the canister allowing the dust and debris to fall away or be removed.

Two filters are provided with the Bissell Aeroswift: A yellow standard foam filter, and a black Febreze foam filter.  You can choose which one to use.  It fits into the filter tray beneath the dust canister (see image to right).  Neither of these will provide HEPA level filtration however both are rinsable.  The Febreze filter is designed to eliminate odors and freshen the air as you vacuum, however continued use and rinsing will slowly decrease the filter’s freshening capabilities.

The Aeroswift weighs in at 12 lbs.  This is indeed quite light and it often helps with respect to maneuverability.   You can compare this weight with that of other lightweight machines in our list of lightweight vacuum cleaners.  Your typical upright is 14-17 lbs or so (ballpark).

The vacuum has a motorized brushroll and is designed for both carpet and bare floors however the brushroll has no on/off controls.   So if you are using the hose/wand you want to make sure the brushroll is not touching the carpet or it could do some damage.  An excerpt from the 1009 manual (available at the bottom of this review) states the following: “The floor brush will continue to rotate in upright position. To prevent carpet damage, do not lean on the vacuum or let the power foot tilt forward.”

To accommodate different surfaces and depth of carpet the vacuum comes with 5 height settings.  The height is set via an adjustment knob located on the front top of the nozzle.  The settings range from bare floors to high pile carpet.  If the vacuum becomes difficult to push when cleaning carpet you should move the height setting towards high pile carpet – this will lift the nozzle higher.

Despite being a compact machine the power cord is a full 30 feet in length.  This is a respectable length and even some larger machines don’t provide a 30 foot power cord.  The stretch hose on the Aeroswift is 8 feet in length and when combined with the wand and tools provides about 10 feet of cleaning reach.  This is enough for overhead cleaning and perhaps a short set of stairs.   

Several tools/attachments are provided with the vacuum and these can also be carried on-board the vacuum.  The tools/attachments include:
- Rotating turbo brush tool
- Crevice tool
- Combo dusting/upholstery brush
- Extension wand

The turbo brush is useful for cleaning stairs, furniture and areas too tight for the main vacuum nozzle to access.  However, it only provides average cleaning performance likely due to the fact that it is not motor driven.  The brushroll inside the tool is driven by the vacuum suction (thus the term “turbo”).

The Bissell Aeroswift 1009 is UL listed and carries a 2-year limited warranty.

Vacuum Cleaner Manual
You can view the vacuum cleaner manual here: Bissell Aeroswift 1009 Manual.  The manual is not particularly detailed but it has some assembly instructions along with information on features, maintenance, operations and troubleshooting.