Bissell Zing Bagless Canister Review

The Zing Bagless Canister is one of the more affordable options we have tested. However, it delivered disappointing results in our cleaning challenges, making it hard to recommend for most people. It is easy to handle and very maneuverable, but its lack of overall cleaning power makes it ill-suited for all but the lightest levels of messes.

Performance Comparison

Carpet Performance

Our first round of tests for these products focused on their carpet cleaning abilities. We tried out the Bissell Zing and the other vacuums on low and high-pile carpets with a mess of Cheerios, sand, and rice to clean up. Overall, the Zing delivered some fairly lackluster results, earning a below-average performance. On low-pile carpet, it only picked up 75.14% of the mess we created. It even clogged twice due with Cheerios to the small opening on the brush head. Additionally, most of the sand and rice were missing. When tested on high-pile, it only grabbed 57.8% of the debris, clogging again with larger debris.

Hardwood Performance

We rated how well the Bissell Zing Bagless cleaned up different messes on a section of hard flooring. This budget vacuum couldn't match the cleaning and suction power of premium vacuums, earning it a lackluster performance. We measured how much of the mess it cleaned, and it only picked up 85.1% of our mess. While this is better than its carpet performance, it is still behind the pack.

This model did, however, impress us with its edging and crevice capabilities. The Bissell Zing did a really good job cleaning along the edge of the wall. We sprinkled two tablespoons of coffee grounds along the baseboard, and the vacuum absolutely crushed it. We approached the mess head on, with a small amount left behind. We then approached the grounds perpendicular along the wall, and we had no coffee left at all.

Ease of Use

We looked at how convenient and user-friendly each vacuum is to use in cleaning various areas of a home. The Bissell Zing Bagless did much better in this regard. It is easy to assemble and lightweight to carry up and down the steps, and we appreciate that it is one of the quieter models we have tested. This vacuum is the lightest in the lineup, at just 9.3 pounds.

The Bissell is average to clean and care for. It doesn't have a disposable bag like most other canister vacuums. Instead, the two-liter dustbin needs to be dumped when full. We found this to be mostly easy unless a lot of hair was vacuumed. Cleaning the filter is a much more involved process. The filter twists out of the dirt cup and, per the instruction manual, can be washed. There are pre- and post-motor filters that occasionally need to be replaced.

When using on upholstery, we had a tough time. The suction was far too strong and we had trouble passing over soft surfaces. We dumped coffee grounds on a throw pillow to see how well it would handle cleaning it. Our tester notes, “As I moved the brush across the pillow surface it just plowed the coffee across the surface.” The vacuum needed multiple passes to clean all the coffee. The bristles are short and tight, so the grounds could not easily pass through them into the suction.

Pet Hair

We scored each vacuum on pet hair — one of the most difficult cleaning tasks for these products. We brought in real pet hair and massaged it into the low and high-pile carpets to see how well they cleaned. To our surprise, the Zing did exceptionally well in our low-pile test, picking up 94% of the hair. The short bristles on the front of the floor head acted as a brush to lift the hair off the carpet to get pulled into the suction. However, we didn't have the same luck on high-pile carpet, with just 62% of the hair getting picked up.

Filtration and Suction

The Zing has a three-stage filtration system, and when tested, didn't prove to be the most effective. We used a Dylos particle counter to see how many particles escaped the vacuum and invaded the air. When testing for small particles, we detected a peak of 1,952, which is quite a lot! For large particles, we detected an average of 60. This vacuum isn't the best at containing small particles within the machine, so if you have allergies, you might want to look elsewhere.

For suction, we developed a test surface with a hole in the middle. This is connected to a manometer. So, as we run the vacuum over the hole, we are able to determine the unsealed suction power, just like it would be in your home. The suction of this vacuum is very strong at 2090 Pa. This was one of the strongest in our lineup. When you need high suction, this is a great thing. However, we didn't have the best luck trying to get the suction power down. When vacuuming soft items like curtains and upholstery, we would skid across picking up the fabric.

Should you buy the Bissell Zing Bagless?

The Zing is a good value option if you are only looking for a vacuum that can handle light-duty work. Otherwise, you would be better off saving and investing in a better vacuum rather than wasting your money on a product that just won't cut it for the inevitable heavy-duty job.

What Other Canister Vacuum Should You Consider?

This lightweight and economical product might be a good bet for a pet-free apartment or other small areas that don't require frequent cleanings. It's versatile and easy to handle but pales in comparison to other products when it comes to cleaning power. We wouldn't recommend the Bissell Zing Bagless to most people, particularly if they have moderate to heavy messes to clean. Households with lots of pets or carpets will especially want to steer towards the Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly for solid pet hair pickup or the Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction Powerline for top carpet cleaning performance.