24.10.2015

This is, as they advise, the same size as many other normal mains powered vacuum cleaners. It's actually slightly taller than my old Dyson. It weighs about the same as well however it's saving grace is the lack of mains cable following you around and snagging on things as you clean.As for it's ability as a cleaner, it certainly works very well be that on carpets or hard floors. It manoeuvres about easily enough but, unlike the Dyson's ball this has a multi-position pivot where the beater head pipe connects to the main body of the cleaner. It works but isn't quite as free and easy with it's steer-ability and takes a while to adjust to,to ensure you get the thing to turn left or right as opposed to simply laying the body to one side and still moving straight ahead.In use it is surprisingly quiet, the beater motor being automatically engaged when you lean the body backwards as long, of course that the beater motor button is engaged. Unfortunately this button doesn't indicate it's position so you can't tell simply by looking.There is also a suction motor speed switch which I haven't really found much of a use for although I suspect that, if your carpet's not overly dirty, then you can increase your battery life by switching to low power.When you wish to switch from floor cleaner to using the extension pipe, there is a rotary control to divert the suction from the beater head to the extension pipe. This, like all of the controls is quite stiff in use.The body and motor unit can be removed from the beater head to be used and carried around with the pipe extended for cleaning curtains and soft furnishings but be advised that this, although battery powered, is still quite a heavy unit to lug about for too long.The dust collection cylinder is easy enough to remove and empty but be aware that when removed from the rest of the cleaner, the slightest of touches on the release catch on the rear of the base is going to pop it open and deposit all the dust and dirt back over your newly cleaned floors, something which happened a couple of times when I first started to use the cleaner.I mentioned the flexible hose earlier and this is the one major part of the cleaner which gives me cause for concern. It does not instil in me, a great faith in it's potential longevity. It feels very flimsy and it emerges from the upper pipe flexed over a shaped piece of plastic meaning it is constantly being flexed. I may be simply being a worrier and only time will tell.I also noticed that, very quickly dust can be seen to have made it's way past the rubber seals at the top of the dirt cylinder so attention needs to be paid to keeping that clean when emptying.When you want to release the body from the beater head you really need three hands as the release button at the bottom is very stiff and I found that I needed to stand on the beater with one foot, press the release with one hand and then attempt to pull the body clear with the other. Not that easy in fact. It also seems that there may be a slight problem when reassembling the cleaner after this activity as I found mine will occasionally not power up the beater head. I spoke to Bissell service (very helpful lady) who went off and, when she returned said that they'd tried and found their one did the same thing. The suggestion was to unplug and re-plug the unit a few times to ensure the power contacts to the beater motor made good contact. Hmmmm - not sure about that in the long term however they told me to contact them if it carries on and they'll arrange a replacement.Finally there's the finished look of the cleaner. The blue plastic looks OK but I thought that the dark plastic had a slightly cheap and cheerful look about it. Lots of what appear like stress marks are visible in the mouldings giving it a bit of shoddy look.In use I cannot fault it as a cleaner and would say it's as good as my Dyson and, as for use per charge, I've not needed to recharge it yet, vacuuming the upper floor of a 4 bedroom house a couple of times a week over a 3 week period.Is it pricey? Well yes at £250 I suppose it is but, when compared to other quality makes and models it's certainly no worse, and remember that if you want to clean the inside of the car, there's no need to drag an extension lead around outside if you haven't got a powered garage.Well worth considering if you're in the market for a new cleaner.UPDATE AFTER LONG TERM USE.Overall I am still impressed with this cleaner but, and a BIG but, the filter in the top of the cylinder becomes clogged far too quickly in normal use.I know that the instructions mention keeping the filter clean but my experience is that it needs this attended too far more often than is suggested.Annoyingly you may not even notice the major drop in capability as there is little if any change in noise from the machine when the filter starts to clog.Also you may even look at the filter and think it looks clean and well it may. But it won't be.You might only notice that you start seeing residues being left around the area where the beater touches the floor when you turn the cleaner off.You can only really appreciate how much its performance has dropped off by switching to the hose position.If the filter needs cleaning (or the pipe unblocking, another occasional problem) then there will be almost no sensation of suction at the open end of the pipe.Remove the filter and wash it under warm water. I add a small amount of liquid soap and you will be amazed at the colour of the water that runs from it.Leave the filter to dry FULLY (a window sill or the airing cupboard) while resting on several sheets of kitchen paper before reinstalling it in the cleaner.In my opinion you really need to wash this filter at least once every 2 to 3 weeks of normal use in a normal house, far more often than in any other cleaner I have used.Now whether this means the filter is far better or far worse than the others, I don't know but you need to clean it very, very regularly.

25.10.2015

I love the freedom that battery operated equipment gives you, but in the past I have been a little disappointed in the performance and the length of operating times that you get from some equipment..This new cleaner from Bissell does deliver in both these shortfall areas; giving a creditable 30 to 40 minutes of cleaning time, which is about as long as I want to spend vacuuming on any given day, and also being a very powerful cleaner.The cleaner comes in a large box, and is pretty easy to assemble from all the parts supplied. It is powered by a 36 volt Lithium-Ion battery, which detaches from the main unit and is charged by use of its own separate charger.My garden shed houses a number of tools (mainly saws)which all feature separate batteries, but this is the first domestic appliance I have over owned which has this facility.My other battery vacuum cleaner is a GTech Air Ram and the battery is contained within the main body of the cleaner.Perhaps Bissell have plans to create other domestic appliances that can all use the same battery. I know this system works with some of the DIY tools makers, so why not cleaning machines?The battery seems to charge in about 2 to 2 and a half hours and then it clips into the cleaner and is protected by a clear plastic panel which clips over it.The cleaning head has brushes, which you can have spinning or not. For the most part we have solid wooden floors and just a few rugs, and it did a very quick job of cleaning up everything from cat hairs in the lounge to breadcrumbs in the kitchen.The control for the brush is on the canister near the top of the unit.Also here is the on/off switch and also a control to alter the cleaning power from low to high. On the wooden floors low power is fine, and stepping up to high on the rugs did deliver a very impressive clean, and a full bin in a short period of time.The bin is easy to empty.Just press down on the button marked 'empty' at the top of the cylinder, then take the bin out to the rubbish, or compost heap, then press the button on the back edge marked 'empty' and the bottom flips down and the rubbish is gone.As well as operating as an upright cleaner, you can also use this model as a portable, cylinder type by simply removing the main body, complete with hose.Click on the 'release' button on the bottom and the whole upper part comes away, leaving the cleaning foot behind.Turn the circular dial on the side of the main body from 'vacuum' to 'hose' to redirect the suction.The upside of this is that you can now use it as a carry around cleaner, having slipped the hose out of the top by pressing the 'release' button on the handle. The cleaning head used in 'hose' mode is attached via a clip on the handle, so it is easy to get to and deploy.The downside, at least for me, is that the unit will now require you to hold or carry it until you replace it back on the base, as the bottom of the disconnected cleaner isn't flat, so you can't put it down.I would have thought that a simple plastic foot could have been included, to enable to stand the cleaner up while you change heads, for example, but it seems not.I have written to Bissell to ask if this is a simple accessory that they might consider adding - I'll let you know what they say!Weight wise it comes in a little heavier than my GTech model, but, to be fair, it does have a much better overall performance.There is a feeling of 'top heaviness' to the Bissell that you we all (3 testers in the same household) quickly got used to but, if you are at all uncertain, you could have a quick look at this at your local electronics supermarket.Overall I think Bissell have got it just about right with this model. The issue of the tipping cylinder and the slight top heaviness of the cleaner in use have robbed it of that 5th star for me, but at the moment I think you would be hard pressed to find a cleaner with these features in this price bracket that would perform any better than the Bissell.I know that if my GTech packed up anytime soon I would certainly buy the Bissell to replace it.

15.10.2015

I’m a great fan of cordless technology, especially for vacuum cleaners, where the cord is a particular hindrance. The downside, however, is that because of the power of the motor, battery life is usually quite short, 15 to 20 minutes. There’s nothing more frustrating than to run out of power when only half way through the job. With a battery life of 45 minutes from a 2 hour recharge, Bissell 1538A Powerglide Compact Ion Lightweight Cordless Vacuum Cleaner represents a significant step forward.The Powerglide is of a modular design and comes ready for assembly. The components click together which, using the instructions in the manual, takes less than five minutes. Put the Lithium Ion battery in the charger,plug in, and wait for the red LED to turn green. The manual says two hours, but I presume there was some charge already in the battery as it took just an hour and fifteen minutes. Open the battery compartment door on the front of the unit, firmly plug in the charged battery and close the door; you’re ready to go. If you haven’t pushed it right home, you won’t be able to replace the door.Fully assembled, the Powerglide functions as a conventional vacuum cleaner. Switches on the top of the unit control power on/off, power high/low and brush on/off; the brush should be turned off for hard surfaces or small rugs that could become caught up. The foot unit is fully articulated for getting into awkward places.For use above floor, the foot can be detached, making the Powerglide easier to carry around; when finished, just click back together. When used above floor, suction is diverted to the flexible hose by turning a knob on the side; remember to turn it back when reattaching to the foot. There is also a wand that stores neatly inside the body when not in use and a 2-in1 accessory that can be used with or without a brush that can be slid up the tool when not in use. The 2-in1 is stored on a clip on the back of the unit.The Powerglide uses cyclone technology with the dirt being collected in a transparent container that is easily removed for emptying. Just hold over an open bin and release the bottom to empty the dirt. Close the container and replace it on the unit.Maintenance is simple; the cyclone and filter need to be washed occasionally and the brush unit removed to take of anything that has become wrapped around it. The filter and cyclone can are easily removed from the dirt container and the cyclone parts just twist off. Both need to be washed with mild detergent and rinsed and dried before replacing. The brush unit is held in by two tabs that can be released with a screw driver or coin.In use, the Powerglide generates sufficient suction to pick up all usual dust, dirt, fluff and spillages. If I had any criticism it would be that there is no tool for use on stairs, but that doesn’t detract from a very attractive product. We have a three story house, so vacuuming used to mean constant plugging and un-plugging as we moved from room to room and floor to floor. It is now possible to vacuum the whole house quickly and easily of a single charge of the battery. It’s just necessary to remember to recharge the battery after use.The Bissell Powerglide sets a new benchmark for cordless vacuum cleaners; I’m enormously impressed with it.

7.11.2015

I have had a Dyson cordless vacuum cleaner which was and remains the Benchmark by which all cordless vacuums have been compared. We also have a Vax Cordless Vac which detaches as a dustbuster which is also great for smaller jobs, The problem with both of these is the battery life which is not great and renders them both less useful.Enter the Bissell 1538A which boasts a 45 minute battery life on a 2 hour charge. A very steep claim which I am happy to confirm is indeed true.Out of the box, the Bissell is a doddle to build. One thing slots into another and within 2 minutes, it was up and running, It comes with a huge battery and a separate charger. Once charged, (took 20 minutes from out of the box to be fully charged),the battery comes off the charger and slots into a space in the front of the vac. Then it is ready to go.The Vacuum itself is a joy to use. Has angled stearing which makes it move across hard floors and carpets with ease. The suction of excellent and the dust compartment is big enough to do a full house before needing to be emptied. There is a rotational dial on the side which sets between the hose and the floor vacuum and it soon reminds you if it is set wrong as it does not work. A quick rotation of the dial and you're back in business.The true beauty of this unit is on stairs. We have had filthy stairs for months as it is just too much hard work to do them properly with a corded vac. We use the hand held Vax on the stairs which picks up very little.The Bissell's business-bit detached from the Vacuum cleaner bit underneath to convert it into a hand held cordless hose cleaner - a bit like a Henry which is so powerful, it completely regenerated the carpet on the stairs. The small attachment gets right into the corners and the stairs and skirting boards look like they did when the carpet was laid. We could not believe it.The battery does last the full 45 mins and sometimes longer.The whole unit is smaller than a normal vacuum cleaner and packs a punch as strong as a normal Dyson. There are no disposables and no bags to change or replace. The filters can be easily cleaned and once purchased, that should be it in terms of running costs.This is quite a pricey cleaner and there are certainly cheaper cordless vacuums out there but having been through a whole series of different ones (see my other reviews), this is head and shoulders above most and certainly is up there with the Dyson and has the added advantage of a significantly superior battery stamina which is so essential, and makes this an viable alternative for daily vacuuming, not just an occasional unit to pick up spills.Feel free to send any questions - I am happy to answer your questions.In summary, this is quite expensive but, in my opinion, well worth the extra. The portability of the hose unit is genius and just so good. Excellent suction. Not too noisy. Impressive battery stamina and quick chargeThoroughly recommended

13.10.2015

I have been wanting to get a second vacuum cleaner for the stairs and upstairs as my Dyson Animal upright is a bit heavy to carry up the flight of stairs with ease and the hose not quite long enough to reach the top 4 stairs and subtending with ease. I'd been eyeing the lift off types for awhile now, thinking they'd make stair cleaning much easier as I wouldn't have to try stretching the hose as far as it could go and keeping it just so while using it to get the dirt up, nor trying to balance it on the subtending, or try to manoeuvre about the tiny subtending, etc. I'd not used a Bissell vac before, but in years and years ago had made use of one of their carpet washers and been impressed with their quality and performance.Seeing that overall their star rating on their other products was very good, I decided to take a leap of faith.The box that it is in is not overly large, and contains the vacuum in it's disassembled state. It was very simple to click the pieces of the vacuum together and place the battery into the charger to charge. It takes a full two hours to get a full charge of the battery, which apparently lasts 45 minutes. Once the battery is charged, you remove it from the charging station and pop it into its cubby in the vacuum body and are ready for cleaning. We have three cats, a Newfoundland/retriever mix dog and children so the carpets need a regular seeing to on a daily basis. I put it to the test by going over the living room first thing in the morning, then turned off the brush to vac the hard flooring in the hall, then pressed the button on the side and easily lifted the canister off the main floor tool to convert it into a pod. I then did the carpeted stairs using the crevice tool (it worked well enough, but a mini turbine head attachment would be better to loosen the dirt from the fibres in order to get more up), then took it outside to empty its bin as it was full. I hadn't done the stairs all weekend and we'd visited the local park and dog beach with he dog, so it had needed a very good going over, so rather than say the canister is to small, I say it was small, but more than adequate to the task.The suction was excellent all the way through the task, which lasted about 30 minutes without any issues battery wise. It was very light and when all clipped together onto the main floor tool head, it pivoted and turned with ease. I also used the crevice tool with the dusting brush extended to clean our blinds and it did so effortlessly, the pod making it an easy task to even do the window halfway up the stairs.The pod also made it convenient to use in the bathroom, where floor space is limited, and it easily sucked up tracked cat litter and dust bunnies under the bathroom cabinetry and around/behind the radiators around the house. I must admit I appreciated not having a cord to get tangled around things and can see this getting quite a bit of use on a daily basis.

1.11.2015

I haven't used an upright vacuum before, but I was sick of lugging a corded cylinder cleaner up and down the stairs. The Bissell 1538A is, I understand, a relatively lightweight upright (in terms of size) and the fact that it's battery powered (ie cordless) is another bonus.When the cleaner arrived it took me less than 10 minutes to assemble all the pieces as the instructions for this procedure are very clear and simple. I then switched it on and managed to vacuum the living room and kitchen before the battery ran out. Of course you're supposed to charge the battery fully before first use, but I got a bit carried away. I put the battery on the charger and it took about 2 hours to fully charge (the light on the charger turns green).Apparently this will give about 45 minutes vacuuming time (I haven't got there yet).There are two suction levels and I've only used the highest so far. I could hear a lot of dust and dirt particles rattling up in the cylinder, so presumably it's doing a good job of sucking up the dirt my old vacuum couldn't shift. You can switch the power brush option on for when you're cleaning carpets and off when going over hard floors or rugs which may get caught in the mechanism. I accidentally ran the vacuum over a chiffon scarf which was hiding under the bed and it got caught in the brush mechanism. According to the instructions there are two screws either side of the brush bar which can be removed to access this compartment if necessary, but I managed to remove the scarf by carefully pulling and unwinding it from the rollers.The switches for on/off, high/low power and brush on/off are located at the top of the cylinder. I'm 5'7" and would have preferred them to be a bit higher up as I had to keep bending slightly to reach them.Once it's on the vacuum tilts backwards and forwards nicely to get under beds and tables and, for an inexperienced upright user, I found it easy to manoeuvre and control. You can divert the power between the brushes at the base of the unit and the hose which can be removed from the top for when you want to access hard to reach places, and the cylinder and hose will detach from the base unit if you don't to carry the whole unit around when vacuuming the stairs.When you need to empty the cylinder it's easy to detach it from the base unit but I found opening it a bit tricky - make sure you're holding it over a bin at the time!There's an attachment called a 2-in-1 accessory tool which can be attached to the end of the hose. So far I haven't discovered what the 2 uses are - it just seems to have a brush at the end for vacuuming soft furnishings.So overall I'm pleased with my first experience of an upright, bagless vacuum cleaner. It's not quite as lightweight as I thought, but it's certainly more manoeuverable than a corded cylinder cleaner and the suction and battery life are powerful enough for my needs.

11.11.2015

This vacuum cleaner has been well designed.It is compact in size and is easily stored in a small space. In the interest of health and safety replacing an electric lead with a rechargeable battery is an ingenious idea eliminating the risk of trip hazards. It not only prevents this tripping over the lead but also you can move the vacuum over all rooms without having to look for the nearest wall socket. It is also light enough to lift, when the main funnel is detached and nozzle attachment is used instead, and use to vacuum out a car or clean curtains, dust from above book cases or around picture frames or mantel pieces about fireplaces etc.One problem I found was that the charge does not last long and recharges may be required to finish a complete clean,

12.11.2015

This is the first cordless vacuum I've used, so most of my comparisons will be with compact corded vacuums, like the Dyson DC26.The vacuum is futuristically styled in metallic plastics. It feels sturdy - definitely up to the task of being hauled around my flat time and time again. Weight was one of the primary issues I was concerned with. Bissell describe the Powerglide as 'lightweight' relative to other cordless vacuums, however, relative to the DC26, it feels quite heavy due to its upright form factor and the battery pack. Not too heavy - probably similar to upright corded vacs of this style, which I think is still a big achievement.Anyway, it isn't exactly lightweight, but it is usable.

26.10.2015

With a 3 storey house, vacuuming really is a bug bear, especially the stairs. Anything that makes life easier is a bonus in my book. This Bissell seemed to be a good solution to the lugging of a heavy vacuum cleaner. One thing that did surprise me however, was my expectation that it would also be main powered as well as being powered by battery. My expectation was wrong - this is truly cordless.Being truly cordless and light, it is much easier to move about than our Dyson ball. It's a good kilo lighter which really does make a difference when doing the stairs. It's portability and lightweight construction really are to be applauded.Onto the use itself. The unit has a fairly large removable battery tucked in the front.

18.4.2017

Bought this vacuum cleaner in April 2017 and, benchmarked against the Dyson V6, I am absolutely delighted with the purchase.The machine works surprisingly well on my deep carpets - far better than what some reviews suggest. It has a 36V battery with 45 min battery life (twice that of Dyson V6), 2 hrs charge time (nearly twice as fast as Dyson V6), 0.9L storage (over twice that of the Dyson), 2 year guarantee, and at a considerably lower cost. You can clearly see the machine I have benchmarked most closely against - the Dyson V6 Animal was on promotion at the time of purchase. Reviews form others are a bit mixed, but maybe they were written for when it was at a much higher price point or by people with the expectations of a corded vacuum,

7.11.2015

I must admit, I had a sneaking suspicion that a full-size vacuum cleaner powered by a rechargeable battery would not be a real competitor with a mains-powered model. I have had experience of small hand-held battery-powered vacuums, which were capable of picking up a few crumbs, but little else. However, the performance of the Bissell Powerglide Cordless is impressive, and it will manage to tackle anything my (now rather ancient) Dyson machine will do.After slotting together the various parts of the machine, even before the battery was given its initial charge, I had to give it a test run, and in only a couple of minutes it had efficiently removed quite a heap of fluff and hair from my kitchen floor.

21.10.2015

I was extremely impressed with the Bissell Powerglide vacuum cleaner. The item is delivered with easy to asemble parts which is fully explained in the leaflet. The battery is installed in a small compartment at the front of the vacuum and concealed behind a perspex flap which easily clips back into place. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the battery came already charged and was able to use the vacuum straight away. When using the vacuum on small rugs and hard flooring, the booster brush roll is not activated and dust and debris is easily picked up. If the booster brush roll is used on a rug with tassles, the tassles could become ensnared in the brush roll, hence the advice not to use the booster brush roll.

18.10.2015

This vacuum cleaner arrived in a very large box that was surprisingly light. It is shipped disassembled but goes together very easily.The battery is one of the heaviest components. This is the new lithium ion technology, very efficient and very powerful. It was charged overnight even though it indicated full charge after one hour.When switched on it is remarkably quiet, much quieter than a mains powered cylinder cleaner. The brushes have their own motor which can be switched on and off. On carpets it is best to have the motor on as the brushes pick up bits of dirt et cetera. On hard floors we had the motor turned off just using the suction not the beaters.I was very impressed at how manoeuvrable the vacuum was,

30.10.2015

I remember years ago buying my first ever 'cordless' vacuum and to be honest, it was rubbish. This however, is in a different league. Firstly the powerful battery seems to last ages and it keeps on going right to the end. It took a little over two hours to fully charge and gave 40+ minutes of solid use - amazing.A vacuum cleaner is designed to do a specific job, to suck up dirt, dust and fluff. Most of the 'cordless' cleaners I have tried have all failed to clean well, but this Bissell was as good as some corded cleaners - that in itself is quite something. The cleaner itself is simple to assemble, taking less than five minutes from opening the box to being ready for use.The controls are as good as on a good corded cleaner,

2.11.2015

This is a good vacuum cleaner and certainly better than some other upright vacuum cleaners I have used. The cordless aspect is a real positive here which makes the cleaner very easy to use and manouevre. The swivel head feature further adds to its excellent a It is also very simple to use, with easy-to-follow instructions and clearly explained settings.One of the key features that's advertised on the vacuum cleaner is its lightweight feature. In my view, the cleaner isn't particularly light, although perhaps that's just me as others clearly seem to think it is.The cleaning ability is very good, it has strong suction and while it hasn't quite passed the test of time yet that is through no fault

Bissell 1538A - Reviews

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