The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister vacuum is a basic model best suited for clearing small debris. It has a compact, lightweight body, a relatively simple design that's easy to take apart and reassemble, and great overall performance on carpeted floors. That said, it has a narrow head that allows large debris to get stuck, which has a serious impact on overall performance. Its short power cord can also be annoying if you're planning on cleaning large or cluttered rooms. Also, its disposable filters are recurring costs that can add up over time. Still, if you're searching for a budget-friendly canister model and don't plan on dealing with large debris, this is an alright option.
Our Verdict
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister vacuum is decent for bare floors. While it's decently easy to maintain and has a lightweight, maneuverable design as well as a relatively large dirt compartment, it struggles quite a bit when it comes to picking up larger debris. Material like cereal can get stuck in the head, preventing it from sucking up anything else. However, it does a good job of cleaning pet hair as well as small debris, such as rice.
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Lightweight, maneuverable design.
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Decently easy to maintain.
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Large debris can get stuck inside vacuum head.
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Short power cord.
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Recurring costs can add up over time.
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister vacuum is good for low-pile carpet. It clears pet hair and sucks up coarse and fine material, such as sand or baking soda, without much of an issue. However, large debris can get trapped in the narrow head. It also has somewhat high recurring costs and a very short range.
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Clears coarse and fine debris on carpeted floors relatively well.
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Sucks up pet hair easily on most surfaces.
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Lightweight, maneuverable design.
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Decently easy to maintain.
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Large debris can get stuck inside vacuum head.
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Short power cord.
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Recurring costs can add up over time.
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister vacuum is a decent choice for high-pile carpet. It sucks up pet hair easily and does a relatively good job of clearing coarse and fine debris. Unfortunately, large debris can get trapped in its narrow head, while its short power cord means that you may need to switch outlets when cleaning large or cluttered rooms.
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Clears coarse and fine debris on carpeted floors relatively well.
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Sucks up pet hair easily on most surfaces.
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Lightweight, maneuverable design.
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Decently easy to maintain.
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Large debris can get stuck inside vacuum head.
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Short power cord.
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Recurring costs can add up over time.
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister vacuum is okay for pets. It does an outstanding job of cleaning pet hair on most surfaces, though be warned that performance can drop drastically if you end up sucking up any large debris, which blocks the head. The vacuum itself is decently easy to maintain, but recurring costs are a little high and it doesn't have a HEPA filter to trap allergens from pet hair as you clean.
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Sucks up pet hair easily on most surfaces.
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Decently easy to maintain.
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No HEPA filter.
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Recurring costs can add up over time.
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister vacuum is good for stairs. Its lightweight design and integrated carrying handle make it easy to move around while its relatively compact body can be placed on a single step as you clean. Unfortunately, it struggles with clearing large debris and has a short power cord that can make it difficult to clean long staircases without changing outlets.
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Lightweight, maneuverable design.
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Decently easy to maintain.
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Compact body.
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Large debris can get stuck inside vacuum head.
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Short power cord.
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister vacuum is a good option for cars. While you need to work from a nearby outlet due to its short power cord, its lightweight design and included extension wand and crevice cleaner should allow you to clean tight spaces in your car.
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Lightweight, maneuverable design.
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Decently easy to maintain.
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Extension wand lets you clean tight spaces.
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Compact body.
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Short power cord.
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Decently easy to maintain.
- Bare Floor
- Low-Pile Carpet
- High-Pile Carpet
- Pets
- Stairs
- Cars
- Workshop
- Updated Sep 27, 2022: This vacuum's suction force has been retested with a more accurate manometer. The test results for the 'Maximum Suction' and 'Normal Suction' fields have been updated. All relevant scores and text have been updated.
- Updated Aug 05, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated Jun 06, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Oct 19, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Oct 14, 2020: Early access published.
- Updated Sep 30, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Sep 30, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Sep 27, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the bagless variant of the BISSELL Zing canister, which uses the model code 2156A. You can see its label here. Another variant of the BISSELL Zing Canister is currently available with a drastically different bagged design, referred to as the 2154A variant. The 2154A bagged variant has a functionally larger dirt compartment, a lighter design, and a simpler two-stage filtration system. Due to these differences, we can't say if they perform similarly.
If anyone comes across a model that's differently equipped from the variants listed above, let us know in the discussions so we can update our review.
Compared To Other Vacuums
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister vacuum is a lightweight bagless canister model with few features. It does a great job of dealing with coarse and fine debris on carpeted floors, has a lightweight design that can easily be carried around, and is somewhat easy to maintain. That said, it struggles to clear large debris with its vacuum head and has fairly high recurring costs. For more options, take a look at our list of recommendations of the best hardwood vacuums, the best bagless vacuums, and the best lightweight vacuums.
The Eureka Whirlwind Bagless Canister is a better bagless canister vacuum than the BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister. The Eureka is easier to maintain, incurs practically no recurring costs, and doesn't struggle nearly as much with large cereal-like debris. Conversely, the BISSELL is a little lighter, has a larger dirt compartment that requires less frequent emptying, and performs better overall on high-pile carpet.
The Eureka Mighty Mite and BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister have different strengths. The Eureka is a bagged canister vacuum with better bare floor performance, less demanding maintenance requirements, fewer recurring costs, and slightly lighter construction. The bagless BISSELL feels slightly sturdier and does a better job on both low- and high-pile carpets.
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister and BISSELL Zing Bagged Canister have slightly different advantages, and one may suit you better depending on your needs. The Zing Bagged is easier to maintain, has an effectively larger dirt compartment, and performs a little better on bare floors. That said, the Zing Bagless is a little lighter, more maneuverable, incurs fewer recurring costs, and performs better on low and high-pile carpet.
The Dyson Cinetic Big Ball is better for pet owners than the BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister. The Dyson has an allergen-trapping HEPA filter, is easier to maintain, incurs practically no recurring costs, has a longer power cord, and comes with a much wider assortment of tools and brushes. However, the budget-friendly BISSELL weighs almost half as much, feels slightly better built, and clears coarse debris on high-pile carpets far more effectively.
The Miele Classic C1 is a much better vacuum overall than the BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister. The bagged Miele is much better built, is easier to maintain, maneuvers more effectively in tight areas, and delivers significantly better performance on all surface types. Meanwhile, the BISSELL is much cheaper, has a lighter design, and has slightly fewer recurring costs.
Test Results
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister vacuum is reasonably well-built. It's made entirely of plastic that doesn't look especially premium, but it does feel surprisingly solid. That said, its dirt compartment and wheels are made of a flimsier material and feel like potential weak points in its construction. Its design is quite intuitive and can be put together without too much of a struggle.
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister vacuum is decently easy to maintain.
- Dirt compartment:The dirt compartment can be detached and emptied once it reaches max capacity via a release button on its side.
- Dust cup filter: The dust cup filter and lint screen are located inside the dirt compartment. They can be cleaned with warm water when necessary, as no precise maintenance interval is specified.
- Pre-motor filter: The pre-motor filter is located under the dirt compartment and can be washed with warm water only regularly, depending on your usage and if you notice a decline in performance. While the user manual doesn't specify a precise maintenance interval, the product description for the pre-motor filter recommends cleaning it regularly throughout its 3-6 month service life.
- Post-motor filter: The post-motor filter can be accessed by removing the cover from the back of the main body of the vacuum. It can be washed with warm water whenever you notice a drop in suction performance. While the user manual does not specify a precise maintenance interval, the product description for the post-motor filter recommends cleaning it regularly throughout its 3-6 month service life.
You must air dry any part that's washed with water for 24 hours before using it again.
This vacuum has a couple of recurring costs. Its dust cup, pre-motor, and post-motor filters need to be replaced every three to six months, depending on your usage. However, unlike the BISSELL Zing Bagged Canister, it doesn't use a dirtbag, so recurring costs are slightly lower. All these parts are available for purchase on BISSELL's website.
These replacement intervals are found in the individual product descriptions of the filters, not in the user manual.
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister has middling storage capabilities. While the vacuum's body is quite compact and features a retractable power cord, it lacks any sort of rack station or on-board tool storage. Its wand is also fairly tall.
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister vacuum's dirt compartment is decent. It holds more debris than that of the Eureka Whirlwind Bagless Canister and has a max fill line to show you that it's full.
- Vacuum body
- Vacuum head
- Dirt compartment
- Wand (two pieces)
- Hose
- Crevice tool
- Hard bristle brush
- Dirt cup filter with lint screen
- User guide
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister vacuum has a poor range. Its power cord is quite short, so you may need to switch outlets frequently when cleaning big areas. Its hose is also quite short, which can be annoying when trying to clean hard-to-reach spots like shelves.
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister vacuum has great portability. It's lighter than canister alternatives like the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball and has a carrying handle to make it easier to move from room to room.
This is a corded vacuum that doesn't have a battery.
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister vacuum doesn't come with a lot of extra features. There's a small opening on the wand/handle that allows you to change suction mode. The main head also has a foot pedal that allows you to retract or extend its bristles to suit either carpets or bare floors, respectively.
This vacuum comes with two tools. There's a crevice tool to help you clean tight spots as well as a hard bristle brush that's well-suited for tackling stuck-on debris like mud or dirt. Its handle/wand comes in two pieces, allowing you to change its length to suit your needs.
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister vacuum can be used in another configuration by removing its main head and wand and attaching one of the two included tools to its handle.
This vacuum has poor performance on bare floors. While it clears small debris, such as rice, without an issue, bulkier material can be more challenging to clean. Debris like cereal pieces can get stuck at the entry head, since it's very narrow, and can prevent it from sucking up anything else. Pet hair can also get stuck in the head on this surface.
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister vacuum delivers excellent performance on low-pile carpet. It clears pet hair without an issue and struggles very little when it comes to sucking up coarse debris like sand. While it doesn't do quite as well with fine material, such as baking soda, it shouldn't take too many extra passes to fully suck it up either.
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister vacuum performs impressively well on high-pile carpet. It clears pet hair easily, but it may take some time to fully remove coarse and fine debris like sand or baking soda from this surface. That said, performance remains consistent as its dirt compartment fills up, which is great.
This vacuum has good maneuverability. While its wheels can sometimes get stuck on the sides of furniture, its lightweight design makes it easy to move. Its controls for switching floor modes are also easily accessible. Unfortunately, you need to crouch to thoroughly clean under furniture or couches, and rug tassels can get stuck in the head. Its short power cord is also a bit of a nuisance when trying to navigate cluttered rooms.
