BISSELL PowerForce Helix Vacuum Review

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix has mediocre build quality. Its mainly hard plastic construction flexes and creaks while in use and has a couple of obvious weak points, like its floorhead wheels, brushroll cover, and dirt compartment.

Out-of-the-box assembly isn't too difficult, though you do still need to attach the handle to the vacuum's body with two screws.

This vacuum is fairly easy to maintain.

• Dirt compartment/Cyclone: The dirt compartment can be easily clipped or unclipped from the vacuum. The cyclone is attached to its top cover, and you can twist it free of its housing, though you can also access it from the bottom of the dirt compartment. The dirt compartment needs regular emptying. You need to clean the cyclone with warm water and a mild detergent if necessary, though the manufacturer doesn't give a specific maintenance interval.
• Brushroll: You can access the brushroll by removing six Phillips screws and then the brushroll plate. You can then clear tangled hair by hand or cut it away with a pair of scissors. You can also remove the brushroll belt if you want to check for damage or to see if it's been stretched out.
• Pre-motor filter: The foam filter is located in the dirt compartment's top cover. You have to wash it with warm water when necessary.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix Bagless incurs low recurring costs.

• Pre-motor filter: This part needs to be replaced every six to eight months, depending on your usage and maintenance habits. A Febreze-scented variant of this filter is also available.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix is decently easy to store. 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 clear plastic, and there's also a line to indicate when it's full, though it's worth noting that it feels a little flimsy. Although it's advertised as holding up to 1L of debris, its actual measured capacity is closer to 1.5L.

• BISSELL PowerForce Helix
• 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 alternatives like the BISSELL CleanView Swivel Pet, and it has a built-in carrying handle, which makes transporting from room to room even easier.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix has a few quality-of-life features. There's an on/off switch at the bottom of the vacuum as well as a body/head release latch so you can place the head in a more convenient position. There's also a five-level surface-type adjustment dial on the floorhead. These surface settings range from 'I', best suited for bare floors and low pile carpet, to 'IIIII', intended for very dense high-pile carpet. You can easily adjust the dial if you're having a hard time pushing the vacuum.

Note: The brushroll keeps spinning, even when the vacuum is upright, and it can damage your floors if you don't raise it.

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

You can clean hard-to-reach areas using the vacuum's hose in its semi-handheld configuration.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix is decent on bare floors. It can pick up all pet hair and most small debris like rice. However, since the vacuum's brushroll is always spinning, it can send debris scattering everywhere, especially bulkier material like cereal, so it might take you a couple of extra passes to fully clean a mess. If you want an upright vacuum that performs better on this surface type, consider the Hoover WindTunnel 2 Whole House Rewind.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix is excellent on low-pile carpet. It can easily clear all pet hair. It can also suck up fine debris like baking soda and larger material like sand with relative ease. Suction performance remains consistent as its dustbin fills up, which is good if you have several large messes to deal with and don't feel like emptying the dustbin frequently.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix is great on high-pile carpet. It easily picks up pet hair, and while it struggles a little more with fine and large material compared to how it performs on low-pile carpet, its performance in this regard is still very good.

Note: This vacuum was tested with its floorhead set to the 'III' brushroll height level. You may need to change this setting when cleaning even higher-pile carpet.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix 2191 has sub-par maneuverability. Since it doesn't have a rotating head like the Kenmore Intuition Bagged, you need to make larger motions to navigate obstacles. It can be difficult to get underneath tables or chairs due to its bulky dirt compartment. While it's easier to clean furniture if you're cleaning with the hose, the vacuum can still tip over or have its brushroll catch on carpets and rugs. 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, forcing you to turn the vacuum off to clear the obstruction.

The vacuum's brushroll continuously spins when upright. The head has to be placed in a higher setting to avoid damaging bare floors, like hardwood or vinyl. Changing the head levels can be a little inconvenient as you need to crouch to reach the dial.