If you have pets or if you are affected by allergies, you know the value of a quality vacuum for keeping your home clean. While many vacuums are great at capturing dirt and hair, they can have problems when it comes to things like pet dander, pollen and mold spores.
These common irritants can pass right through a standard vacuum filter and get blown back into the air. Fortunately, some vacuums come with more effective HEPA filters for capturing these microscopic particles. Several Bissell vacuums are available with HEPA technology.
HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air. A filter must capture 99.97% of all contaminants measuring 0.3 microns or greater in diameter to qualify for the HEPA standard.
For comparison, the average human hair is 70 microns wide. So in practical terms, a HEPA filter will catch pollen, lint, mold spores, automobile exhaust and insecticide dust. It will even stop bacteria, some viruses and tobacco smoke.
Because a HEPA filter can capture so many fine particles, it will need to be replaced or cleaned periodically. You’ll also want to make sure that the vacuum is designed so that air passes through the filter rather than escaping through vents or cracks before reaching it. That would defeat the purpose of having a HEPA filter in the first place.
Other than that, a HEPA filter is an excellent option for an ultra-clean room. And in the Bissell line of vacuums, the HEPA options are price-competitive or even less expensive than many others.
Bissell’s product specs list a variety of filtration options and levels for their vacuums:
The sealed systems will be best for capturing microscopic particles, as these should be air-tight to prevent anything from escaping around the filters. If you wish to remove a large amount of allergens from your home, your best Bissell vacuum options will use one of the following:
The SmartSeal Allergen System is designed to trap fine dust and allergens inside the vacuum, but the filters used don’t quite rise to the high standards of HEPA.
The SmartSeal Allergen System is upgraded here with HEPA filters to trap 99.97% of dust, allergens and other particles of 0.3 microns or greater in diameter.
Bissell offers one inexpensive hand-held vacuum with a HEPA Media Filter, but there’s no indication that it utilizes their Sealed Allergen System design. Customer reviews are very positive.
If you’re looking for a Bissell vacuum to cut down on the allergens in your home, your best bet will be one of their SmartSeal Allergen System or — even better — their HEPA Sealed Allergen System vacuums.
Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Plus Vacuum Cleaner
Bissell sells four Smart Seal Allergen vacuums branded as Pet Hair Eraser models. In addition to the powerful filtering system, they feature tangle-free brush rolls, quick-release extended-reach wands and a lightweight, agile design. The Turbo Plus is the entry-level model of these four vacuums.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Rewind Vacuum Cleaner
The Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Rewind vacuum comes with the same features as the Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Plus vacuum but adds an automatic cord rewind for quick and easy storage.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Kohl’s
Pet Hair Eraser Upright Vacuum
The next step up in Bissell’s Pet Hair Eraser line of vacuums increases the power from 7 amps to 8.5 amps but does not include the automatic cord rewind feature.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Pet Hair Eraser Lift-Off Upright Pet Vacuum
Power drops back down to 7 amps for the Pet Hair Eraser Lift-Off vacuum, but the key feature is that the vacuum converts to two distinct machines. The standard upright vacuum can be pushed as you usually would, or you can lift off the canister for use as a canister vacuum, which you can use to reach places the upright can’t.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Bissell also incorporates the SmartSeal Allergen System into two of its cordless vacuums, the ICONpet and ICONpet Pro. The base model includes the tangle-free brush roll design, specialized pet tools, a wall mount and a charging system. Customers report that the 22-volt lithium-ion battery will run the vacuum for almost an hour on the lowest power setting and takes four hours to recharge.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Kohl’s
The ICONpet Pro upgrades the battery to 25 volts while keeping the same cleaning modes and features as the base ICONpet.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Kohl’s
Bissell features two vacuums that feature the HEPA Sealed Allergen System. The MultiClean Allergen Pet vacuum is designed for use on a variety of surfaces. It uses Bissell’s tangle-free brush roll and features a lightweight design with swivel steering.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Kohl’s
MultiClean Allergen Lift-Off Pet
The MultiClean Allergen Lift-Off Pet vacuum has a design similar to the Pet Hair Eraser Lift-Off vacuum, easily converting from upright to canister modes for easier access to awkward areas. Despite the improved filtration system, the MultiClean Allergen Lift-Off is available for a much lower price than the Pet Hair Eraser Lift-Off. The specs are otherwise very similar between the two models, but the Pet Hair Eraser Lift-Off does have the advantage of variable suction control.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Best Buy
Pet Hair Eraser Corded Handheld Vacuum
And finally, Bissell offers this low-cost hand-held vacuum with a HEPA Media Filter (but not their Sealed Allergen System). It works well for furniture and car interiors but would be impractical for vacuuming an entire house.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Michael Ray is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
