Need to get up close and personal with those spilled Fruity Pebbles? Go handheld! (Amazon)(Amazon)
If you’ve ever had to replace a vacuum, you know how expensive it can be. Some models run well into the hundreds, and many robovacs are even pricier. But it doesn't have to be that way, and Amazon shoppers believe they’ve found the best budget model around: the No. 1 bestselling Bissell Featherweight Stick Vacuum, which you can snag for a mere $34. Now that's more like it! This bagless baby boasts over 71,000 five-star ratings from Amazon shoppers. Why so many? Besides the price, shoppers rave about how lightweight and versatile it is, tackling carpet and hardwood messes with ease.
Attention: Dust, pet hair and crumbs — you've met your match.
"I noticed the light dirt that had surfaced on my living room area rug had become increasingly noticeable due to high foot traffic," shared our Home and Garden Editor. "The Bissell Little Green transformed my rug in as little as 10 to 15 minutes. The dark spot is gone, leaving only natural variations in the handwoven fibers that were there when it was new."
Check out her full Bissell Little Green Carpet & Upholstery Deep Cleaner review for more.
It's not just a stick vac, either! You can detach the shaft and turn it into a handheld, great for sucking up messes on couches, stairs, counters and cars. Oh, and it comes in fun colors like blue and purple.
One professional cleaner wrote: "It saves me so much time trying to sweep floors, [and it] picks up very well. It’s lightweight, so not much strain on your back in the process. I use it every day. I own my own cleaning business and even take this along to clean for my clients. Absolutely love it!"
Don’t be fooled by its small size — shoppers also attest to its brawn. "This vacuum seems incredibly powerful ... and it weighs less than my chihuahuas!" wrote an impressed pet owner. "I feel like I'm holding almost nothing. It actually feels like I have a much more expensive vacuum in terms of power-to-weight ratio."
As far as versatility goes, this little 5.8-pound wonder can't be beat. "It’s terrific at cleaning up all the pet hair our cats and dogs leave around," shared a five-star fan. "I also love that it can be used so many ways — of course as a normal vacuum, but also as a DustBuster-style handheld vacuum or without the long handle to vacuum couches and stairs. It doesn’t require any sort of bags, and the container is so easy to empty when it’s full. This thing is terrific."
"This vacuum is great for maneuvering around cramped spaces in my tiny apartment," wrote a final reviewer. "I actually have a larger, more heavy-duty vacuum, but it's heavy and blows hot air, and using it is a bit of an ordeal. This little thing is light and easy to use, and it does a great job [of] picking up cat hair and litter from my hardwood floors. My only complaint is that the cord could be longer. Otherwise, it's great!" (Psst: An extension cord can solve that issue, or you can opt for the Bissell Featherweight Cordless Stick Vacuum, though it costs more.)
Have some stubborn stains you'd like to get rid of once and for all? One of our Yahoo Life Shopping Editors swears by the Bissell Little Green Carpet & Upholstery Deep Cleaner.
If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
