The primary floor vacuum in my house is a Bissell PowerForce that belonged to my wife long before she took on that title, and it’s been cleaning sufficiently for years. But now, the hose is being held together by duct tape, and the lack of advanced features was getting more noticeable. I knew it was time for an upgrade, and our best mid-range pick, Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Lift-Off, seemed like a powerful and relatively affordable step up.

When I first got the Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Lift-Off to my house, I stood it next to my old Bissell PowerForce, and sent a pic to Popular Mechanics “Vacuum Queen,” Amber Joglar. Beyond general appearance, it is clear that Bissell has introduced a number of functional and quality-of-life improvements to its vacuum cleaners over the years. Upgrades that I’ve appreciated so far include much brighter lights on the vacuum head, a detachable canister build, powerful suction, and easy-to-use controls.

It’s versatile and functional.

Since we only have carpet in our living room and my son’s bedroom, I’ve often defaulted to using my shop vac. We have a dog, too, but it’s a non-shedding Maltese, so pet hair is rarely a major issue. Fortunately for me, my son is a toddler, so there is no shortage of crumbs and food debris finding its way into my carpet fibers. What good is a snack if you aren’t going to carry it around for 5 minutes and drop it a few times, anyway?

The hose has been easier to disconnect and reconnect from the machine for more detailed cleaning, and I love that the crevice tool has a built-in dusting brush that slides up and down whenever I need to use it. This is one less attachment to lose, and the dusting brush has a built-in light to illuminate that fuzzy goldfish cracker I didn’t know was lurking under my couch.

The Bissell’s lift-off functionality allows you to detach the vacuum canister from the base and carry it around with the hose and whatever attachment you are using, making this vacuum more useful than I expected. You could use it in place of a shop vac for light to moderate cleaning tasks so long as you are within reach of the power cord. I wouldn’t hesitate to use this Bissell to vacuum out my car, for instance. This also makes it easier if I want to clean off my stairs—I don’t have to drag the entire apparatus or my shop vac up and down.

It picked up plenty of dirt and grime from carpet and hard surfaces.

I was impressed (maybe a little horrified?) with how much dirt this thing picked up as I moved from my living room to my kitchen and then down to my lower level (I have a split-level house). I was able to vacuum hard floor surfaces without activating the brush rolls for less debris scatter. I used the thumb control on the handle to select low- or high-pile carpet when tackling our living room and my son's bedroom, and the vacuum adjusted suction power accordingly.

I also appreciate the low profile of the vacuum head, which allows it to traverse under the low shelf of my coffee table. The head also swivels, making it easy to turn in tight spaces. Similar to other upright vacuums, you just tilt the handle back and put a foot on the vacuum head wherever you want to release it from its standing position.

Once I was done cleaning, I pulled the collection bin off the vacuum, held it over my trash can, and hit the quick-release button to open the flap to discharge the dirt. Easy, and just like how it’s done on my old Bissell.

It’s a solid option for pet owners.

Granted, my dog doesn’t shed, but I have a wife who does, so I needed a vacuum that could hold its own against long hair. The Pet Hair Eraser brush roll uses stiff bristles to agitate dirt, hair, and crumbs from carpet fibers, and a cleaning comb to break up said hair before it gets sucked up the vacuum. This helps prevent tangles and lessens the need to periodically clean the brush roll. I didn’t try out the pet hair attachment, but I’d expect it to perform just as well as the one we’ve used with the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Allergen Lift-Off.

Should You Buy the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Lift-Off Vacuum?

This is a versatile all-purpose vacuum that’s able to cover all basic cleaning needs, and shines where it needs to. The lift-off functionality lets you use it like a mini shop-vac, which works well for cleaning stairs and upholstery, and the included attachments are thoughtfully made. While you are tethered to a wall outlet because this is a corded model, it offers the power and capability that a cordless model just can’t quite match.