I decided to test the Bissell alongside my Dyson (standard head/no ball) because (1) the Dyson seems to be the “gold standard”, (2) the newer vacuum designs seem to mimic the Dyson design visually, and (3) the Dyson is my favorite vacuum cleaner of all of the vacuum cleaners I’ve owned (Eureka upright, Hoover upright, Watermaid canister, Rainbow canister).

Overall Impression:

The Bissell was easy to put together – a good thing since the enclosed instructions are poor.

The Bissell 17G5 PROlite is a good looking vacuum cleaner that is easy to pick up and cart around. The extension hose is accordion-style, fairly easy to remove and is attachment friendly (attachments don’t fall off). The tilt-extension arm is a cool idea & probably will be copied by other manufacturers in the future. The Bissell is a good vacuum cleaner for a typical household and is a good, solid choice for many families.

Warranty:

The Bissell 17G5 PROlite has a standard 5 yr limited warranty which does not cover the following: fans, routine maintenance components (filters, belts, brushes). It does not cover damage caused by negligence, abuse, neglect, unauthorized repair or any other use not in accordance with the User’s Guide.

Comparison of the Bissell 17G5 PROlite to the Dyson DC17:

Area Rug (6′x9′): I vacuumed the low-pile area rug with the Bissell as I normally vacuum – short strokes, long strokes, different directions – not too fast, but not real slow – a typical vacuuming job. The Bissell picked up a good deal of dirt and pet hair and I was impressed with its sucking power. Looking down onto the rug from a standing position, the rug looked good and I couldn’t see any obvious dirt or hair. Looking at the rug from a hands/knees position, I could see just a few dog hairs, but nothing major. I then got my Dyson – cleaned the filter and dust bin so both were clear of dirt – and vacuumed over the same rug (no dogs or people had been on the rug since the Bissell cleaning). I used the same cleaning motion – long/short strokes, different directions, not too fast/not real slow – and was very surprised to see that the Dyson had picked up more dirt and pet hair – about ½ cup more!

Upholstered Sofa: In a moment of stupidity, I reupholstered a sofa in a black wool fabric. The sofa is a dog hair magnet and is especially fond of my husky’s cream-colored fur. I tried the Bissell’s roller brush (about 4″ wide) and found it did an OK job. The roller brush left streaks of pet hair as it cleaned (a line of clean/ a line of pet hair/a line of clean). I had to go over and over the seat cushion in various directions and only about 60% of the pet hair came up. In contrast, the Dyson’s roller brush is about 6″ wide and doesn’t leave streaks of pet hair. In fairness, however, the Dyson’s roller brush didn’t pick up all of the pet hair either (picked up about 90% of the hair).

Tile Floor: I was equally happy with the cleaning job that both of the vacuum cleaners did on the tile floor.

Vacuum Wands: There are pros/cons to both vacuum cleaners’ attachments/wands. I like the accordion extension on the Bissell and think it is easier to use because it moves more with body movements. The permanent handle attachment on the accordion is a nice feature too. However, the accordion piece is short, so to reach higher, you’ll need to add an attachment to match the reach of the Dyson’s wand. The other Bissell attachment that I like is the bendable arm attachment allowing for vacuum pieces to get under things without having to bend your body a lot. In contrast, the Dyson has a long extension wand that pops out of the handle. It is a cool feature, but the length makes your body do some unnatural twists/turns when cleaning. Overall, I think that both wands have features that I’d like to see on each machine; for instance, I’d like to see the bendable wand on the Dyson and a slightly longer permanent accordion hose on the Bissell.

Attachments: Both vacuum cleaners have additional attachments that you’ll have to store separately from the vacuum cleaner. The Bissell will only hold the bendable extension arm and the rest of the attachments go into a storage bag (provided). The Dyson will carry three attachments on its body, but the rest of the ($$$) attachments need to be stored separately. I think the Bissell’s attachments are adequate and the vacuum comes with the most commonly used attachments. The only changes I’d like to see for the Bissell would be to make the roller brush wider and have a floor cleaner (a flatter roller brush to vacuum under sofas and beds).

Overall, I’d rate the Bissell 17G5 PROlite vacuum cleaner as high-average, and leave the reader to decide whether the price is worth the purchase. I plan to use it in our office (no pets) rather than in my home (too many pets). It has pretty good suction, comes with a good assortment of attachments, and is easy to pick up and carry around. Since it just can’t pick up the amount of pet hair/dirt that my household generates, I cannot recommend the vacuum cleaner “across the board” for all households.

Rating: 4 / 5

If you want the perfect household vacuum, I suggest the Bissell 16N5 Healthy Home 12 Amp Upright Bagless Vacuum Cleaner. If you must have a lighter vacuum, then stick with the Bissell 17G5 PROlite Multi-Cyclonic Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner.
Rating: 4 / 5