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 Cleaning

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 samples of flat and medium-pile carpets with a variety of different types of messes to clean up. Overall, the Zing delivered some fairly lackluster results, earning a below-average performance.

We found this vacuum did a mediocre job with things like rice or oatmeal on flat carpet. It would usually clean up most of the mess, but only after a handful of passes. However, it did tend to catch extra bits in the squeegee part of the head but drop them later, except for Cheerios. This vacuum struggled with picking up any sort of larger debris.

This model did, however, impress us with its edging capabilities. The Bissell Zing did a really good job cleaning along the edge of the wall, and it also did much better with cleaning up the finer messes — like flour or sand — effectively cleaning both types of carpet with minimal effort.

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, meriting an above-average performance compared to the other vacuums we tested. 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.

We like how easy the Bissell Zing is to switch between hard floors and carpet cleaning modes using the foot-activated switch on the vacuum. This moves the bristles and the squeegee in the extractor head up or down to maximize cleaning performance. This vacuum doesn't have a powered brush roll, so there is no need to worry about turning that on or off.

Another thing our testers liked about the Zing is the low-profile head, which is especially great for cleaning under furniture. This, coupled with this vacuum's very long reach, makes for a very versatile cleaning product.

Handling

The Bissell Zing Bagless has a so-so performance in this metric. In our handling tests, we looked at agility, maneuverability, and how well each vacuum did when tasked with cleaning a flight of stairs. The Bissell Zing is lightweight at 9.2 pounds, earning it a few extra high marks. It's easy to push or pull across most surfaces, making it very maneuverable. Our chief complaint is that the vacuum is so lightweight that it's easy to accidentally whip the main base around while cleaning. It also resisted our turns and has a stiffer hose than we would like.

Hard Surface Cleaning

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.

It struggled with fine messes, leaving behind tons of flour. It also didn't do well with larger items, lacking ground clearance. Medium messes fared a bit better, and we could clean up rice and oats without too many passes. However, this product did a terrible job with Cheerios, crushing them up as it cleaned and immediately clogged. You would be better off with a broom and dustpan.

Pet Hair

We scored each vacuum on pet hair for our final metric — one of the most difficult cleaning tasks for these products. As we expected at this point, the Bissell Zing Bagless struggled mightily, wrapping up our review with another below-average showing. It only collected about half the pet hair we spread on our test carpet. Even worse, we found that a decent amount got tangled up on the bristles in the extractor head rather than making it to the canister, forcing us to pick the hair out manually.

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 Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor for solid pet hair pickup or the Miele Compact C1 Turbo for top carpet cleaning performance.