In the market for a canister vacuum, but not quite sure where to start? If this describes your situation, you aren’t alone. There are lots of products out there and choosing between them can be tough.
Today we have taken it upon ourselves to help you out a little bit. We have assembled an in-depth guide on two popular, high performing canister vacuums to help you determine which will suit your needs.
We will explore the similarities and differences and hopefully help you make your decision. Read on for a Bissel Versus Kenmore Cannister Vacuum comparison guide!
Our Recommendation
Before we dive too far into the guide, maybe we can spare you a little bit of suspense by letting you know that we actually do have a favorite here.
While both vacuums consistently deliver impressive results, we did feel like the Kenmore came out just a little bit on top. Thanks to the combination of quality and value that it provides, it has secured itself a spot as our top choice on this list.
However, that doesn’t mean it has to be yours! You can pick your own favorite as we now dive into our guide!
Bissell and Kenmore Comparison
Bissell Hard Floor Expert Multi-Cyclonic Bagless Canister Vacuum
We will start with the Bissel. While this may not have been our choice for the winner of this comparison, that certainly does not mean that it can’t be yours. Read on to find out how you feel about the Kenmore canister vacuum.
Hard Floors
Hard floors can be hit and miss when it comes to vacuums. While the goal should always be to remove dirt and mess from any surface, this is not often the reality when it comes to hard floors and vacuums.
The Bissel works to correct this problem. This unit has been optimized to keep your floors clean and scratch free. This feature is facilitated by a component that the manufacturer refers to as the “turbine foot”.
If you value the quality of your hardwood floors, you are definitely going to appreciate the turbine foot.
Compact/Lightweight
If you vacuum your floors regularly, you really don’t even need us to explain why it is extremely nice to have a lightweight design.
Traditionally, vacuums are heavy, bulky, and difficult to move around your home.
This isn’t the case here. The Bissel has been optimized with a lightweight design so that you won’t have any trouble getting it around from room to room, and you also won’t have any trouble storing it.
This may sound like a take it or leave it to feature, but if you have limited space, or you just don’t want to want to lug around an unnecessarily heavy piece of equipment you are going to be very grateful for this feature.
Easy Clean
This is actually the principal benefit of canister vacuums in general. This unit is certainly no exception. The dirt tank is optimized to empty from the bottom so that you are gifted with a streamlined, mess-free disposal process that can be completed in a matter of seconds.
Admittedly, you probably are not going to want to get involved with a canister vacuum that does not boast this component. Still, it is without question nice to see here.
Kenmore 81214 200 Series Bagged Canister Vacuum Cleaner
And now, the Kenmore. As you will of course recall, this is the vacuum that we chose as our winner between the two options that we will be taking a look at today. We will now take a look at a few key features to see if this unit jumps out to you the same way that it did to us.
Wand
You’ve got to love that vacuum wand, right? This is a fairly common feature in every variety of vacuum but that is not to say that its commonality in any way diminishes its value.
If you have a lot of difficult to access or high to reach places to clean in your home, you are absolutely going to love having a vacuum with a wand attachment.
Cord Rewind
The cord rewind is a relatively simple but also very handy feature to have on a vacuum. It works more or less the way you might guess it would.
When you are all done with your vacuuming, you can unplug the unit from the wall, and activate the cord rewind component to ensure that the cord winds up the way that it is supposed to.
While this may not be a make or break feature it will certainly be appreciated by anyone who has ever spent five minutes after a vacuum session fumbling to put the cord away.
Filtration
This vacuum also has the unique benefit of filtering the air as it operates to ensure that your home is rid of the maximum amount of allergens possible. In a household where someone has asthma or other serious allergic conditions, this feature can be a real game changer.
In the department of being thorough, it is hard to beat a vacuum that even cleans the air!
What these units have in common
The basic function of these two vacuums is, of course going to be more or less the same.
Both are designed to handle multiple surfaces well, both are roughly in the same price range, and (of course) both also fall into the category of a canister vacuum, meaning they will be easy to clean up afterward.
How these Units Differ?
While it is always nice to know what two products have in common, it is their differences that will ultimately inform your buying decision.
In the case of these two vacuums, the differences are fairly pronounced.
Design
The first difference that most shoppers will probably notice is that they feature different emphasizes in terms of design. While both appropriate a modern look, the Kenmore is more traditional in terms of its weight and size.
The Bissel, on the other hand, takes a more ergonomic approach to its design concept, featuring a lightweight build that will mitigate the effects of exhaustion. Of course, the actual body of the unit is also more compact which will make it a lot easier to store when your cleaning task is complete.
The Bissel also featured an extra long eighteen-foot cord that is going to make it easier to get around multiple rooms in your house with without encountering the need to find a new outlet.
Key Features
On the other hand, the Kenmore is also not without its advantages. The air filtration component that is at work here really is a valuable feature for homes with people that have serious allergies or asthma.
If that does describe your situation this feature alone may be enough to sway your decision towards the Kenmore.
We also cannot neglect to mention that the Kenmore benefits from the cord rewind feature as well. While this probably won’t sway a buying decision one way or another, it is very convenient post-vacuuming session.
Performance:
When it comes to vacuums, power and performance are intrinsically intertwined. And, it is in on the basis of performance that most people are going to want to make their ultimate buying decision, right?
The Kenmore excelled in terms of features, and we feel similarly that it also excels in the department of performance. It is actually on this basis that we have selected this unit as our top pick on today’s list.
The Bissel features an impressive 9.2 amps of power that will help to ensure that your floors are given a comprehensive clean every single time that you vacuum.
This is a pretty good level of power, especially when we take into account the compact size of the unit, but it is also a little bit less than standard when considering a vacuum in this price range.
The Kenmore, on the other hand, benefits from twelve amps of power. While both units are ultimately going to be good at taking care of most messy situations, the fact remains that the twelve amps of the Kenmore are ultimately going to outperform the nine amps of the Bissel every single time.
Need we say more? If you want your floors to be as clean as you can possibly be, you are usually going to want to go with the vacuum that has the most power to help make sure that happens.
Conclusion:
And there you have it! As you can see, there are clearly pros and cons to both units. The Bissell is optimal for users that need something extremely compact, while the Kenmore is loaded with power and features to deliver an easy, high-end clean.
If you are still struggling to choose between these two vacuums, it may help to remember that we actually did have a recommendation for you.
By our estimation, the Kenmore had just a little bit more to offer users.
But hey, that’s just our opinion. Now that you have read this canister guide, you are free to make your own informed buying decision.
