We’ve gushed before about how much we love the Kurv (no sponsorship — we genuinely adore it), and now we’re even more excited: we’ve finally found a full-sized vacuum cleaner that we love just as much. In short, it really sucks — in the best way possible. When we combine the carpet-friendly power of our new upright with the Kurv’s portability and gentle care for wood floors, dust bunnies and tiny puppy hairs don’t stand a chance. Our home not only looks cleaner but feels cleaner too.
We realized our old full-sized vacuum — a Dirt Devil Vibe Quick Vac — needed replacing before the baby arrived. That machine did more blowing than sucking and sent dust airborne during allergy season, which was unbearable. In hindsight, spending forty dollars on a vacuum meant we got what we paid for. This time we did our homework and made a checklist of features we wanted:
- HEPA filtration to reduce allergens and airborne particles
- Bagless design for easier emptying and fewer supplies to manage
- Lightweight construction (anything under 20 lbs works better for someone short like me)
- Considerably more power than our previous 8-amp model
- Multiple settings for different surfaces — more suction for rugs and a gentler mode for hardwood
Your priorities might differ, and that’s fine, but going into a big purchase with clear criteria makes the process far less overwhelming. A checklist helps you quickly eliminate models that don’t meet your needs and focus on a smaller set of contenders to compare more closely.
After narrowing the field, we picked the Bissell 82H1 Cleanview Helix Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner as our winner.
To keep things simple, this is now the newest member of our household. It packs 12 amps of power and offers five different settings so you can optimize suction for high-pile rugs or switch to a hardwood-friendly mode. The Helix Dirt Separation System helps lift and trap particles for deeper cleaning. It’s bagless with an easy-empty dirt cup and includes a HEPA filter, adjustable height settings, and several useful attachments: TurboBrush, crevice tool, extension wand, and an upholstery/dusting brush. At about 15 lbs, it meets our lightweight requirement. After checking multiple customer reviews on the spot, we felt confident it was the right pick.
Price-wise, it was a pleasant surprise. We found it on sale at Target for $69 (down from $80), which felt like a steal compared to our initial budget of around $200 for a long-lasting machine. Given its high ratings and how well it matched our checklist, buying it felt like striking gold.
Home testing exceeded expectations. On our dirtiest carpet — a yellowed living room rug marred by heavy indoor-outdoor foot traffic — the vacuum lifted grime so effectively the carpet looked significantly brighter. It performed equally well on hardwood when switching to the appropriate setting, and the upholstery brush picked up every stray hair and fleck of dust from the sofa.
Cleaning became oddly satisfying. I found myself smiling while vacuuming, thrilled that this tool will make keeping our house tidy much easier, especially with a baby on the way. One of my resolutions this year is to simplify routines and run the house more efficiently, and this vacuum helps toward that goal. It’s already more pleasant to vacuum during allergy season, and I no longer dread finishing with a stuffy nose.
For full transparency: Bissell, Target, Amazon, and no other brand paid or perked us to write this. We researched and purchased this vacuum ourselves because it fit our needs and impressed us. This post is a genuine recommendation from a satisfied homeowner.
Now we want to hear from you: any other Bissell fans out there? Dyson devotees? Or anyone who embraces dust and refuses to vacuum? Share what works (or doesn’t) in your home — let’s talk about what “sucks” where you live.
P.S. If you’re curious about how we clean our whole house or want the original post about our beloved Kurv, check our other posts for more details.