Spare yourself from drowning in reviews as I chat through every selling point to determine if it's worth it.
There's A Reason This Affordable Cordless Vacuum Sold Out – Here Are My Thoughts

Meredith Holser is B+C's resident affiliate writer. Meredith enjoys writing about a range of topics, but she's adopted e-commerce writing in all its many facets. Outside of work, you can catch Meredith hiking, trying new recipes, and dreaming about having a yummy little treat.
When it comes to investing in home essentials, I turn into a real skeptic. I want to know whether what I end up paying will really be worth it in the long run – thus, I dive into hundreds and hundreds of user reviews and don’t come up for air until I feel confident enough to pull out my wallet.
This was the case when I decided it was finally time to graduate from my small, dinky, under-performing vacuum that I used all throughout college. It was specifically designed for dorm rooms, plus it was one of the only actually affordable options when I needed to budget the most. But, adulting called for something more, and I never thought I’d be so excited about getting a new vacuum.
I got the Bissell PowerGlide Pet Slim Cordless Stick Vacuum 3080 over Amazon's Prime Day sale last year for a great deal. It was available at an even lower price and eventually sold out. Here's why it's that good. I’m here to spare you from wasted time reading Amazon reviews and tell you if it’s really worth it.
Scroll on for my full review of the Bissell PowerGlide Pet Slim vacuum, plus some similar models that get the job done!
It's Extremely Effective
Amazon
Superior Suction Power
I’d say that the Bissell PowerGlide Pet Slim picks up debris about 90% of the time. I don’t have to double back on certain spots very often, which is nice for executing a quick cleaning sesh.
The vacuum has a quite powerful suction, which I’ve found enhances its efficiency in picking up all the dust, dirt, and debris around my place.
Because of its power, though, I’ve faced complications with the corners and edges of my rugs getting stuck in the vacuum head. More on that below.
Hard Floor Mode Versus Carpet Mode
The vacuum has two modes – a hard floor mode and a carpet mode. When I run it, I can’t necessarily tell the difference in effectiveness between the two, other than the carpet setting having a stronger suction than the hard floor setting.
I found the hard floor mode to be a little slow to pick up larger pieces on my floor, primarily in my kitchen. Larger food bits, small rocks, and paper scraps I find in my kitchen seem to get left behind.
The carpet mode is impressive on this vacuum. It works wonders on my area rug, which gets the brunt of all the crumbs, hairs, and the like. I spend most of my free time on the couch, so the heavily-trafficked area needs frequent cleaning.
The most annoying thing about the rug mode is that I can’t really push the vacuum back and forth beyond the corners and edges of my rugs before they get caught in the vacuum head.
Luckily, the vacuum can detect when there’s a blockage and it’ll automatically turn off. Unluckily, I still have to manually pull the rug corners out of the vacuum for things to reset.
Absolutely Perfect For Pet Hair... Just Not Human Hair
Though this vacuum is marketed to primarily clean pet hair, I noticed it picks up more of my own hair, because I shed a lot.
Because the main hair-cleaning need for me from a vacuum is human hair, the longer strands posed an issue – the hair caused the Tangle-Free Brush Roll to actually…tangle. This was easily fixed by trimming the hair caught in the roller with scissors, but I realize this manual fix can be laborious.
The wound-up hair happens to me every time I’ve vacuumed, which has definitely proved to be a prevalent annoyance.
The Mechanics Make Sense
Amazon
Simple Settings
I found that the vacuum being cordless was a massive plus. Like I mentioned, I was using a very scrappy, corded, $40 vacuum, so transitioning to this one felt very rewarding.
The controls on the vacuum are very easy to understand – it just has one power button and two buttons for the two different modes. Plus, the user manual lays everything out very clearly.
Long-Lasting Battery Life
So, upon the first use, I thought I’d have to charge this vacuum for at least half a day per the booklet instructions, but it only took a couple hours to get a full charge! This was a pleasant surprise and soothed my impatience, TBH.
It's never died on me while using it. I do have a smaller area to clean (I usually just vacuum my entire apartment when I’m cleaning), so if you have a larger square-footage to care for, the vacuum’s battery life could potentially pose an issue.
Fantastic Features + Attachments
There's a bright light that sits at the base of the vacuum that helps you better see hard-to-clean areas and detect debris. I found that I really appreciate the extra visibility from this feature! Plus, the head of the vacuum is quite flexible, which is really helpful in getting under my couch and other furniture I have throughout my apartment!
The vacuum comes with a wall mount that you have to install yourself. I think it could be great for storage in your home, like in closets or other inconspicuous places. I opted not to set my wall mount up because I’m renting my apartment and it might not be the best idea to poke more holes in the walls!
The vacuum comes with a kit consisting of different attachments – a pet hair upholstery tool, crevice tool, and dusting brush for special vacuum jobs. I admittedly haven't used any of them yet, but could see where each one could have a use for furniture, car interiors, and baseboards.
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Manageable Canister Maintenance
The user manual for the vacuum suggests cleaning out the canister after every use. Since I do a full sweep (or in this case, vacuum) of my entire apartment when I use it, I’ve found this frequency to be accurate, but not hard at all!
The canister is really easy to detach from the vacuum stick. It comes fitted with an extra filter on the top that also locks into the canister for security – that way, the gunk you just cleaned off the floor doesn't end up on the floor again.
I make sure to open the canister above my trash can, just in case any fine debris try to escape. I’ve found that nothing sticks to the inside of the canister when I clean it out, which is great so I don’t have to move anything out with my hands. That’s a win, IMO!
A *Little* Top-Heavy
I do find the vacuum a bit top-heavy. My arm starts to get tired when I near the end of my cleaning sesh, and I have to switch off arms every few minutes. But hey, when chores can double as a workout, I won’t complain.
Also, because I don’t use the wall mount that came with the vacuum, when I lean the vacuum up against a wall or piece of furniture, it’s not super secure and I’ve actually had it fall over once because of the top weight. Would not recommend letting it stand straight up on its own if you’re not mounting it.
Amazon
Bissell PowerGlide Pet Slim Cordless Stick Vacuum 3080
All things considered, I think this vacuum is totally worth it. Any stick vacuum that makes your life easier is a done deal, IMO. If you’re looking for a replacement for your sad, under-performing vacuum, this is the one for you. It will work especially well for you if you live in a small space. Though it's currently sold out (and for good reason), there are several similar and just as effective models on sale for Prime Day.
Similar Models To The Bissell PowerGlide Pet Slim Vacuum
Amazon
Bissell PowerClean FurFinder Cordless Vacuum
$130, was $230
Also designed to tackle pet hair, this cordless Bissell vacuum helps you target all the necessary nooks and crannies with a bright light at its base. It also makes taking cleaning breaks oh-so easy since it can free-stand without any extra mounts!
Amazon
Dyson V8 Plus Cordless Vacuum
$300, was $470
This lightweight vac is a fan favorite for hair and dust since it can trap 99.99% of particles as small as 0.3 microns in a single swipe. It's also complete with three different attachments to clean past your floors – onto carpets, rugs, upholstery, ceilings, and baseboards.
Amazon
Bissell Featherweight Cordless Stick Vacuum
$110, was $160
Definitely ideal for small spaces, this stick vac actually folds down for compact storage. It can also break down even further to be just a hand vacuum, which is helpful for reaching tight corners or even cleaning out your car.
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This post has been updated.