Bissell IconPet tested: A hoover for animals
Bissell promises that its IconPet hoover can easily cope with pet hair and is so quiet that it does not disturb pets. The hair was indeed no problem. However, the cat hissed at it while it was still off.
With no annoying cable and four different attachments, the Bissell IconPet seems to be a very flexible hoover in the fight against dust, dirt and pet hair.
A hoover that plugs together
When unpacking the Bissell IconPet, I think: "That's a lot of stuff in the box." But after a quick glance at the enclosed quick guide, it's clear which part belongs where and what it's for. The hoover is quickly assembled. The individual parts can be easily plugged together and taken apart again after releasing the fuse to put together a new configuration - which makes sense, but is also annoying.
In the pack, you will find the handpiece with motor and collection container, the extension wand and the floor nozzle/brush. There are also three alternative attachments: A dusting brush, a motorised turbo brush and a crevice attachment for narrow areas.
A wall bracket is also included in the scope of delivery. This is necessary, helpful and annoying. The IconPet does not stand on its own. The wall bracket is therefore the best way to store it. However, you need to find a place where you can drill it into the wall, where the hoover is not in the way and where there is a socket nearby. Ideally, the charging cable should end in the wall bracket and the battery should always charge when you put the Bissell to one side. It is practical that you can attach all four attachments to the wall bracket. So they have a fixed place.
Brushing instead of vacuuming
The motor in the Bissell IconPet is said to rotate at around 675 km/h. There is no wattage figure for the suction power. This would also be of little significance. The hoover lives from its rotating brush, which transports dust and dirt to the nozzle. This means that only areas over which the brush can move are cleaned. In contrast to models with more suction power, hardly anything is picked up from near the edge of the brush.
Two of the attachments do not have a brush. Due to their design, the suction power is significantly higher. However, the suction pipe of my conventional hoover still picks up more dust in tight areas. The IconPet's large brush attachment has seven integrated LED lights. This allows you to see under the bed where it has already been vacuumed and where it has not. But even in a brightly lit room, you can see the individual grains of dust better and your home will immediately appear dirtier than without this detailed lighting.
Since the Bissell IconPet is explicitly intended for homes with pets, it is quite relevant that the brush should not create hair knots. I didn't find any cat hair after vacuuming, only much longer human hair. However, these were not knotted and were easy to remove.
The IconPet works on different surfaces and it's nice not to have to adjust or change the vacuum attachment when switching from parquet to carpet. However, how well the brushes can remove dirt depends very much on the type of carpet. The suction power is barely sufficient to remove dust from the lower areas of a carpet. It may be worth reaching for the turbo brush. Although it is less wide and you therefore have to move the hoover back and forth for longer, the suction power is noticeably stronger thanks to the smaller opening. In addition to carpets, the attachment is also suitable for upholstered furniture - for the crevices, of course, the crevice attachment must be used on the Bissell.
Bissell advertises the IconPet as being so quiet that it would not disturb pets and states a volume of 69 decibels. Given that a hoover is a typical example of 70 decibels, this doesn't seem particularly quiet. Our cat agrees. He hisses at the running IconPet when it comes near him and then prefers to leave the room.
The attachments are easy to change. One click and the mechanism releases. Then simply attach the other attachment. That's it. However, you have to decide whether to carry the attachments around with you for a possible use - which is bulky and annoying - or to keep running back to where you last left them. So usually to the wall bracket. The attachments in a hoover that you pull behind you are more convenient to transport and always within easy reach.
Empty the small dirt container yourself
The dirt container of the IconPet has a volume of 0.4 litres. That's not much. Depending on the size of your home and the amount of dust that has accumulated, it is very likely that you will not be able to clean the entire home with one container filling.
However, it can be easily removed for emptying without a cloud of dust rising up. However, this does not completely disappear when the bin is opened and emptied. It is worth having as large a bin as possible. Depending on how full the bin is, hair and fluff can get stuck, so you may need to use your fingers or another tool to help empty it.
Cordless freedom comes at a price
The Bissell IconPet has no cable. On the one hand, that's good. With the CrossWave Pet Pro, the cable really bothered me when vacuuming. On the other hand, the suction time is limited. At maximum power, one battery charge only lasts for 17 to 18 minutes. Only a small flat can be vacuumed completely and thoroughly in this time. With less power, you can get closer to the 50 minutes specified by the manufacturer. For me, however, it was only just over 40 minutes.
I also tend to always work with the hoover at maximum suction power. But that's not always necessary. I couldn't tell any difference in cleanliness on smooth surfaces, regardless of whether I used the IconPet on the lowest or highest setting.
When the battery is empty, the IconPet takes me just over three hours to charge. That's faster than the four hours stated by Bissell, but still a very long time if the battery has run out halfway through your home and you can't finish your weekend cleaning as planned.
A hoover for short jobs
The Bissell IconPet can be used flexibly and has no problem with pet hair - cat hair in my case. However, this hasn't happened in recent years with the standard hoover either. It's much cheaper and its suction power picks up more dust in the immediate vicinity.
You pay a high price for a hoover that you can use to quickly vacuum up something in between, whose battery life is too short for a big house clean and which left me with too much dust in hard-to-reach places. This should be no different with the Bissell Icon for households without pets, as the main difference is the attachments supplied.
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When I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.
