Bissell Zing 1668 Canister Vacuum

Avg. consumer rating = 81/100 

The Bissell Zing 1668 is a small, bagged canister vacuum.  It is lightweight, compact and easy to carry.  It is designed for bare floors, rugs and carpet but performance on carpet isn’t particularly good as the floor nozzle does not have a brushroll.  It does perform fairly well on bare surfaces however and the unit is very affordable at well under $100.  This vacuum is very similar to the Bissell Zing 4122, and we believe it is actually the replacement for the 4122.

 

 

Quick Specs
Type	Canister
Bagged/Bagless	Bagged
Best for...	Hard Floors
Pet Hair Features	No
Approx. Weight	8 lbs
HEPA Level Filtration	No
Power Cord Length	17 feet
Motor Driven Brushbar	No
Warranty	1 Year

 

Consumer Ratings
Over 160 consumer ratings were found at several online retail outlets.  These are shown in the table below.  When the ratings are averaged they result in an overall score for the vacuum of 81 out of 100.  This is a fairly average rating for a canister vacuum and you can see all canister vacuum ratings in our vacuum cleaner finder.

Source	Consumer Rating	#Ratings
Amazon	3.6 stars out of 5	62
Kohl's	4.3 stars out of 5	70
Target	4.2 stars out of 5	26
Wayfair	4.5 stars out of 5	6

 

Also, given the ratings and the similarity to the Zing 4122 (which scored 88/100), you may wish to consider the 4122 if you can still find it.  It continues to be listed as a bestseller on Amazon (see it here) but we notice you can no longer buy it from Bissell.com (they actually send you to Amazon to find it).  You can also read our Bissell 4122 Review if you like.

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Aside: Over the years we have seen a tendency for consumers to be more lenient with ratings for a machine that costs less.  This is understandable of course but it is something to consider when comparing one vacuum to another via their score.  A $400 Miele that scores 81 and this $50 Bissell that scores 81 are likely not “equally as good” vacuums.  The scores have a tendency to tell you how the consumer feels about their overall purchase, which generally includes both price and vacuum, and in some cases may also include other areas such as customer service.

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Consumer Insights
A thorough review of 1668 owner comments has yielded the following likes and dislikes.

PROS
- Lightweight
- Easy to move and maneuver
- Low profile cleaning nozzle
- Very affordable
- Most owners report good suction
- Retractable power cord
- Washable filters
- Compact and easy to store

CONS
- Not great on carpet
- No brushroll in cleaning nozzle
- Short power cord
- No HEPA filter
- Handle/wand/nozzle assembly may be short for taller people
- No on-board tool storage

What Are Owners Saying?
Owners are pleased with the vacuum’s light weight and compact size.  It is easy to pick up and move (up and down stairs for example) and to store.  It is a simple machine and quite a few owners report that their kids can use it easily.

The Zing 1668 is popular for cleaning stairs, furniture, vehicle interiors and small spaces in general.  It excels at cleaning bare surfaces like hardwood floor, linoleum, tile, etc.

Many folks report that the vacuum has strong suction, especially for its size.  These same people report good pickup of dust, debris and even pet hair on bare floors.  The low profile cleaning nozzle also allows the unit to get under low furniture.

Another well-liked feature is the retractable power cord.  This feature is always liked by vacuum owners and the 1668 is no exception.  In addition, this vacuum has multi-level filtration and the filters are easy to access and clean.

Those who purchased the Zing 1668 are also very pleased with the cost of the vacuum and, while pricing varies from retail outlet to retail outlet, the vacuum can typically be found for well under $100.

However, not all aspects of this vacuum are liked by owners.  Probably the biggest issue is its lackluster performance on carpet.  The cleaning nozzle on this unit has no brushroll so it really doesn’t dig into carpet fibres and deep clean but rather runs over the carpet surface and relies mostly on suction to pull up dust and debris.  It also doesn’t move well on carpet and can be hard to push – especially on deeper pile carpet.

While the unit is generally praised for its performance on bare floors there are some comments that with the brushes in the nozzle extended debris cannot get under the nozzle and sucked up.  Also, the brushes sometimes collect debris like a broom and you may have to manually remove it.  

In addition, the nozzle does not have anything on the underside to help it “glide” across a bare surface and there are reports that it can scratch a delicate hard floor.  We have read of at least one case where an owner has added self adhesive felt pads to the bottom of the cleaning nozzle to alleviate this problem.

While some folks like that the vacuum is compact, there are aspects of the vacuum that are just too diminutive, such as the length of the power cord and the hose/wand assembly.  The power cord is under 20 feet and people find that this limits the cleaning reach of the machine, and the hose/wand assembly is too short for some taller folks – even with the wand fully extended.  In addition, the hose and wand are held together by friction (there is no “click fit”) and it sometimes slips apart.  

Many owners have reported that the vacuum has great suction but there are also several who report poor suction.  It is not clear why there is a difference.  Is there actually a difference in suction from unit to unit or is it perhaps just a difference of opinions with respect to what constitutes strong suction?  We don’t know, but what is clear is that some folks are disappointed with the suction provided by the 1668.

There are comments that the machine is too plasticky and that many of the components on the vacuum are not particularly well made (although this is fairly typical of many vacuum cleaners at this low price point).  There are also a few examples of wheels breaking on the machine.

The Zing 1668 comes with the same combo tool as the 4122 but it lacks the upholstery tool.  Several folks have complained that the combo tool is not sufficient for cleaning upholstery and wish that Bissell had included it with the 1668 package.  There is also no on-board storage for the tool so you have to go back to the closet or wherever you keep it when you need it.

Finally, the exhaust is vented directly behind the vacuum and this has a tendency to blow dust and dirt around that may be in the area.  This is not an issue if you vacuum in such a manner that there is rarely dust or dirt behind the vacuum but this is not always practical.

There are several comments from consumers that they “prefer the purple one” meaning the Bissell 4122 which is also a bagged Zing vacuum.  The main differences between the two units – to the best of our knowledge - are as follows:

	Bissell 1668	Bissell 4122
Motor	9.5 Amps	10.0 Amps
Dust Container Capacity	2.5 liters	2.0 liters
Tools	Combo tool	Combo tool & Upholstery Tool

 

Details & Specifications
The Bissell Zing 1668 is a bagged canister vacuum powered by a 9.5 amp motor.  It has variable suction which is controlled by a Min/Max slider found on top of the canister body.

The vacuum is designed for both bare floors and carpet and includes a multi-surface floor nozzle.  A foot rocker switch on the top of the nozzle extends or retracts brushes (see image from manual below).  Even though the unit has a multi-floor nozzle the nozzle does not have a brushroll and as a result its cleaning abilities on carpet are limited.

The tool set for the 1668 consists of one crevice/brush combo tool.  This tool is also quite small.  It can be attached to the end of the hose or the metal, telescopic wand.  The hose on the vacuum is 6 feet in length.

This is a lightweight machine and Bissell states that it weighs 8 lbs – the same as the 4122, although when reviewing specifications one finds a wide range of weights quoted.  Perhaps some are “canister only” while others include the canister, hose, wand and floor tool.  Sometimes even shipping weights get quoted (this includes all the packaging materials).  We’ve seen this kind of thing quite a bit when it comes to canister vacuum weights.

The 1668 has 2 stages of filtration – pre-motor and post-motor.  The pre-motor filter can be found underneath the dust bag and the post-motor filter is found on the underside of the post-motor filter cover on the back of the canister.  The filters are both washable and can be cleaned with a mild detergent.  They then need to be thoroughly rinsed and the water squeezed out.  Finally, they need to be left to dry for about 24 hours.  They must be absolutely dry before placing them back in the vacuum.  This process does render your vacuum unusable for 24 hours (unless you have spare filters you can use while the others are drying).  Also, none of the filters are HEPA.

The dust compartment on this machine has a capacity of 2.5 liters and the vacuum takes, according to Bissell, series #2138425 bags.  You can see them in the ad on the right of the page.  We have also found comments indicating that these bags do indeed fit the Bissell 1668.  When you purchase the 1668 you will find it comes with one spare dust bag and another already in the vacuum – so 2 in total are provided.

Like a number of canister vacuums, the Bissell 1668 has automatic power cord rewind.  The cord is auto-rewound at the push of a button located on top of the canister.  This feature is always popular on vacuum cleaners but is mostly found on canisters as opposed to uprights.  There is a concern with the power cord on this unit however – it is quite short.  At 17 feet it does limit the cleaning reach of the vacuum and one has to move from outlet to outlet more frequently than they would with a longer cord.  Power cords on canister vacs are usually shorter than those on uprights but consumers generally like to see something 20 feet or longer (we even see some complaints at the 21 – 23 feet provided on many of the more expensive Miele canisters).

The vacuum has a built-in convenient carry handle which is helpful when moving it around, and it carries a rather short 1-year limited warranty.

Vacuum Cleaner Manual
The manual for this machine does not provide much detail, but then the vacuum is quite simple and uncomplicated.  The manual covers a few basics such as assembly, maintenance, troubleshooting, warranty, etc.  You can see the manual here if you like: Bissell Zing 1668 Manual.