BISSELL PowerForce Helix Vacuum Review

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix has mediocre build quality. It's made of hard plastic, but it feels flimsy in a few places like its two wheels or brushroll plate. The dirt compartment also seems fragile and could break if dropped. You need to also attach the handle to the vacuum's body with two screws before you can use it, which isn't very convenient.

Unfortunately, the brushroll doesn't stop spinning when the vacuum is on, so if you want to have it in the upright position and the head isn't high enough, it may damage your floor. Luckily, there's a head adjustment dial on the vacuum head.

This vacuum is fairly easy to maintain.

• Dirt compartment: The dirt compartment can easily be clipped or unclipped from the vacuum. Its cyclone is attached to its top cover, and it twists off. You can also reach it through the bottom of the dirt compartment if you don't want to remove the top cover. The dirt compartment needs to be occasionally emptied and cleaned, depending on use. The cyclone can be cleaned with warm water and a mild detergent if needed.
• Brushroll: You can remove the brushroll by removing six Phillips screws and the brushroll plate. From here, you can pull or cut out hair tangled around the brush if needed. You can also remove the brushroll belt if you want to check if this part has been damaged.
• Pre-motor filters: There is one foam filter located in the dirt compartment's top cover. It can be washed with warm water when necessary.

You must air-dry any part that's washed with water for 24 hours before using it again.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix Bagless has one main recurring cost: its pre-motor filter. This part needs to be replaced every six to eight months, depending on your use and how often you clean it. The pre-motor filter also comes in a Febreze-scented variant. You can buy a replacement belt drive if it becomes damaged or breaks, which is nice.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix has decent storage capabilities. While it takes up a bit of space, you can store its tools directly on the vacuum's body.

The BISSELL 2191 has a good-sized dirt compartment. It's made of clear plastic and there's also a line to indicate when it's full, but it feels a little flimsy overall. Although it's advertised as holding up to 1L of debris, we measured 1.5L when it's filled with rice.

• Vacuum head/body
• Vacuum handle
• Dirt compartment
• Inner cyclone
• Crevice tool
• Extension wand
• Soft bristle brush
• Turbo brush
• Lower cord wrap
• Filter cover
• Pre-motor filter (foam)
• User guide

This vacuum has a disappointing range. While the power cord is fairly long, its hose is very short, even when stretched out.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix has great portability. It's lighter than the BISSELL CleanView Swivel Pet and it has a carrying handle, which makes transporting it even easier.

This vacuum doesn't have a battery.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix has a couple of extra features to make cleaning a little easier. On the vacuum's bottom back, there's an on/off switch as well as a vacuum body/head release latch so you can place the head in a more convenient position. There's also a surface-type adjustment dial with five settings ranging from 'I' (which is best suited for bare floors and low pile carpet) to IIIII for high-pile carpet. You can easily adjust the dial if you're having a hard time pushing the vacuum.

Note that the brushroll keeps spinning, even when placed upright, and it may damage your floors if it's not raised.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix comes with a couple of extra tools to help you clean more effectively. The crevice tool is stored inside the extension wand and there's also a soft-bristle brush for cleaning more delicate objects like lampshades.

This vacuum can also be used in a half-held position with the wand and the soft crevice brush attached.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix is decent on bare floors. It's able to pick up all pet hair and most small and large debris. However, since the vacuum's brushroll is always spinning, it can send debris in different directions, which means that it may take you a couple of extra passes to fully clean a mess. If you want an upright vacuum with a bit better performance on bare floors, consider the Hoover WindTunnel 2 Whole House Rewind.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix is excellent on low-pile carpet. Just like its performance on bare floors, it can pick up all pet hair. It can pick up most small and large debris with relative ease.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix is great on high-pile carpet. It easily picks up pet hair, and although it doesn't pick up as much small or large debris in comparison to its performance on low-pile carpet, it still picks up over half of this debris. That said, you can also adjust the vacuum's surface-type to better suit your carpet level, which may improve its high-pile performance, but your mileage may vary.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix 2191 has sub-par maneuverability. As it doesn't have a rotating head, you need to make larger motions to navigate around your space. It can be difficult to get underneath tables or chairs as its dirt compartment is bulky and can get in the way. While it's easier to clean furniture, if you're using the hose, the vacuum can tip over or its brushroll can catch on the carpet. Unlike the Hoover WindTunnel Tempo Bagged, which has a brushroll you can turn on and off, rug tassels can get stuck in BISSELL's brushroll and move it around.

Note that the vacuum's brushroll continuously spins when upright. The head should be placed in a higher setting to avoid damaging your floor. Changing the head levels can be a little inconvenient as you need to crouch to reach the dial.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix doesn't have any automation features.