Bissell is known for its various vacuum cleaners and other floor care products. The American company makes cordless sticks, upright robotic canisters, handheld vacuums, carpet cleaners, steam and hard floor cleaners, and carpet and floor cleaning formulas.
The Bissell IconPet Turbo Cordless Stick Vacuum is one of the company’s most advanced and expensive cordless stick models. Compared to previous models, this one has a tangle-free brush system, shorter charge time, longer run time, more advanced allergen system, larger dirty tank capacity, and more accessories.
I tried it out in my home for over three months to see how it compares to our list of the best cordless vacuum cleaners. I tested the vacuum on hard floors, carpets, rugs, and other soft surfaces. Keep reading to see how the Bissell IconPet Turbo performed.
Bissell IconPet Turbo: Key Specs
Bissell IconPet Turbo: Price & Availability
The Bissell IconPet Turbo Cordless Stick Vacuum is priced at $365.64 on the Bissell website. On Amazon, the list price is $365.64, but it’s on sale for $329.98
This is among the most expensive Bissell cordless stick vacuum models, but overall, it’s in the mid-range of cordless stick vacuums on the market. Some respectable cordless stick vacuums cost between $200 and $300. However, it’s not uncommon for cordless stick vacs to cost $500, $700, and even $1,000.
Bissell IconPet Turbo: First Impressions
The Bissell IconPet Turbo arrived securely packed in a brown cardboard box. The contents included the main vacuum body, extension wand, motorized tangle-free foot, lighted crevice tool/dusting brush, LED motorized turbo brush tool, battery charger, and wall storage and charging station. There’s also an instruction manual.
Bissell IconPet Turbo: Set Up & Assembly
The Bissell IconPet Turbo was easy to set up. There’s an instruction manual included, but having tested dozens of cordless stick vacuums, it was easy to connect the pieces. And even if you’ve never used a cordless stick vacuum before, it’s still easy to figure out how the various parts fit together.
The battery takes about 4 hours to fully charge, and Bissell recommends charging it fully before the first use.
One thing I don’t like about the Bissell IconPet Turbo is that it’s not self-standing. It has a parking brake, so when you lean it up against a wall, it keeps it from falling. However, it doesn’t stand up independently, like some vacuum cleaners. You may or may not consider this a negative feature. It’s a minus because I’d prefer to stand it up in the laundry room or the garage when not in use.
I already have a cordless stick vacuum mounted on the foyer wall and another one on the garage wall. I don’t want to mount another one, but some people may prefer to mount the vacuum since it can save floor space.
Bissell IconPet Turbo: Design
I love the versatility of the Bissell IconPet Turbo. It’s lightweight (7 pounds) and easy to maneuver. The various parts fit securely, and they are also easy to release and swap out.
The cordless stick vacuum has a simple interface on the main body. There are three cleaning modes. Low is for hard floors, High is for area rugs and carpets, and turbo is designed for maximum suction.
Although the vacuum cleaning isn’t self-standing, the parking brake on the front, when pressed, keeps the wheels from sliding as the vacuum is leaned up against a wall.
The display also reveals error messages. For example, the two lights at the top will flash if there’s a suction motor problem. This can occur if the filters are dirty or a machine clogs.
The lights in the middle will flash if there’s a brush roll stall. This can occur if the brush roll is clogged because it hasn’t been cleaned.
The LED light on the brush head is one of my favorite features. It reveals dirt and debris that may escape the naked eye. I tend to turn off the lights to make seeing debris on the floor even easier.
Bissell IconPet Turbo: Performance
After the four-hour charging cycle, I was ready to start testing the Bissell IconPet Turbo. It glides easily on any surface and can maneuver around furniture. I also love that the low-profile brush roll can go under furniture. I am able to vacuum more than halfway under my bed on one side, then go around to the other side and finish vacuuming.
The Bissell IconPet Turbo also fits completely under my sofas, ottomans, armchairs, and sideboards. Honestly, I only use my robot vacuum to access these areas, so I used it much less when testing the IconPet Turbo.
I was able to use the Low mode when vacuuming hard floors. The battery lasts almost 50 minutes in this mode, and the noise level is 67.6 dB. When cleaning area rugs and carpets, High mode is recommended. However, the battery run time is decreased to less than 20 minutes, and the noise level is 77.4 dB. The Turbo mode is the best option when I need maximum suction (which doesn’t happen often) and a noise level of 83.0 dB. This vacuum will only stay in this mode for 5 minutes, and then it will go back to High mode. As you can imagine, Turbo mode drains the battery very quickly.
The suction is excellent on hard floors. I used the vacuum cleaner daily to pick up debris and also performed tests to pick up coffee grounds and corn chips that I’d ground into small pieces.
I found the Bissell IconPet Turbo acceptable on the carpet. It did appear to remove dust, debris, and hair. However, I have tested cordless stick vacuums with stronger suction on the carpet.
The attachments provide additional functionality. For example, I can use the turbo brush tool (which also has an LED light) to vacuum the carpet on my stairs. I also test air purifiers regularly and use the turbo brush to clean the air purifier filters. It also does an excellent job of cleaning models with fabric exteriors.
Since all of my sofas and chairs are leather (as opposed to fabric upholstery), I can’t use the tools on them. However, I use the extension wand and crevice tool/dusting brush (also lighted) to clean the air conditioning vents on the ceiling.
The SmartSeal Allergy System does a good job of keeping dirt and debris inside the vacuum, which I appreciate. Vacuuming is meant to remove stuff, not recirculate it.
Emptying the dustbin is a semi-touchless process. After removing the dirt tank, there’s a latch to slide, and then I pulled the top of the tank up, removed the separator, and then tapped the side of the separator inside the trash can to remove any debris. Then, I poured the debris from the tank into the trash. Although my hands never touched the dirty parts, some cordless stick vacuums have a lever to touch, and it releases everything into the trash. And I prefer that to dismantle parts.
Otherwise, care and maintenance proved quick and painless due in part to the tangle-free brush roll, which means there’s no hair to remove. The vacuum has pre- and post-motor filters that can be rinsed under warm water and left to dry (at least 24 hours). The dustbin can also be rinsed under running water.
Bissell IconPet Turbo: User Reviews
The Bissell IconPet Turbo Cordless Stick Vacuum has positive reviews on both the Amazon and Bissell websites. Users appreciate that the vacuum cleaner is lightweight and easy to use, and they like the LED lighting. Negative comments tend to mention battery life – which is dismal in high mode (although high mode will always drain a cordless stick vac faster). Regarding suction, the comments are almost evenly split, with negative comments slightly outweighing the positive comments.
Should you buy the Bissell IconPet Turbo Cordless Stick Vacuum?
Buy it if
Don't buy it if
How does the Bissell IconPet Turbo Cordless Stick Vacuum compare?
The Samsung Jet 75 has excellent suction on all surfaces and is lightweight and easy to use. At $399, currently on sale for $368.81, it’s more expensive than the Bissell Icon Pet Turbo, but not by much. The vacuum has several power levels and a variety of accessories for use on different surfaces. The battery lasts for 60 minutes, and the vacuum is self-standing or can be mounted on the wall.
The LG Cord Zero has been one of my favorite cordless vacuum cleaners for several years. It performs well on hard floors and carpet, has a Kompressor feature that compacts the trash so the bin can hold more, and uses a 5-step filtration process. It also has two swappable batteries for up to 120 minutes of vacuuming. In addition, the vacuum automatically empties the dust bin and sits on a tower that holds the accessories. It’s expensive at $799 – currently on sale for $545, but does everything.
How I tested the Bissell IconPet Turbo Cordless Stick Vacuum
I tested the Bissell IconPet Turbo Cordless Stick Vacuum in my home for three months. It was used as a stick vacuum on hard floors, carpets, and area rugs and also as a handheld vacuum, cleaning air vents and air purifiers with fabric covers. I also conducted specific tests, such as cleaning up coffee grounds and crushed crunchy corn snacks. I observed battery runtime, charge time, and noise levels during the testing process.
Read more about how we test.
