A few months ago, I wrote a review for the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser, but Bissell no longer produces this alternative. They have since replaced it with the Bissell Bolt Reach.
Unfortunately, you’re still using an old Nickel-Cadmium battery that tends to wear out unlike lithium-ion batteries which have a more stable powerband throughout the power cycle.
But as this product is still useful for quick pickups. And for cleaning pet hair, it comes with a crevice tool and a brush for cleaning upholstery.
It costs just under $70, so this is good value for money for people who can’t afford an expensive brand like Dyson. But let’s see first what consumers think.
Quick look at the features
- It is powered by a 14.4-volt nickel-cadmium battery
- Comes with crevice tool, brush tool and pet hair nozzle (for cleaning pet hair on upholstery)
- It uses a cyclone filtration system and has a washable cloth filter
- Backed by a one year warranty
Positives
- Offers an inexpensive alternative that cleans pet hair from upholstery
- very light
- Dirty cup is easy to empty and clean
Negatives
- short warranty
- It still uses the old NiCad battery which is prone to power fade
- small cup for dirt
- Consumers say it fades after 5 minutes of use and the pet hair nozzle doesn’t work as well as they hoped
Table of Contents
What do you expect from Bissell Bolt Reach?
This product is in many respects similar to the older version.
It’s a bit surprising that they haven’t upgraded the battery to lithium-ion in the least.
Their competitors like Black & Decker have already upgraded their mobile devices to a lithium-ion battery. They have at least lagged behind their mobile devices.
This is a drawback in terms of suction power as Ni-Cd batteries are notorious for fading as they go through the charging cycle.
Unlike a lithium-ion or a cobalt-nickel-manganese battery where the suction power is constant to the end.
I hope the Bissell comes with a handheld lithium-ion battery to compete with the likes of Black & Decker or Dyson.
1316 contains all the tools you need from a handheld device.
It has a crevice tool for getting into hard-to-reach areas, a brush tool for dusting stairs or upholstery and a pet hair nozzle for cleaning pet hair from upholstery.
If you own a vacuum cleaner with a motorized brush, you definitely know how difficult it can be to remove hair (especially long strands of hair) from it.
No matter how expensive the brand is, it still hurts.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a Dyson, you still have to take those strands off one by one.
This Bissell offers a different approach to pet hair grooming.
Instead of a motorized brush stroke, it uses a polygon tool as the main moving agent.
Judging by the reviews, it works well and there is less maintenance because you don’t need to take the roller off and pull the hair out.
bare floor performance
This machine is strictly a spot cleaner that helps you pick up small messes like pet droppings or spilled grain (this is not a wet/dry vacuum cleaner, so use it only for dry debris!).
It also comes with a brush tool that you can clip to a crevice tool and use to dust bare floor stairs.
carpet performance
Like I said above, this machine is best used as a spot cleaner.
Without any attachment that has a motorized brush, you can use this no more than cleaning surface dirt on low-pile carpeting.
If you have a medium pile rug, you’ll be better off with the more expensive Dyson V6 Absolute.
upholstery performance
This broom will be most useful on crevice upholstery, brush and pet grooming, as you can clean a variety of surfaces from leather to fabric.
And with the pet hair nozzle, this machine offers a cheap alternative to cleaning pet hair from upholstery without having to pay hundreds of dollars.
You can pair this with a Shark in a portrait mode like the Navigator if you can’t afford the premium price tag of the Dyson and still manage to keep pet hair at bay.
pet hair
This machine is designed to clean pet hair on upholstery thanks to the pet hair nozzle. But you can also use it to clean carpets.
There are better carpet cleaners like the Hoover Linx Stick or the DC59 MotorHead (also known as the V6).
Attachments and accessories
The 1316 Bolt Reach comes with 3 attachments – crevice tool, brush tool, and pet hair nozzle. Note that the Brush Tool and Slot Tool go together (as I showed you in the Features section).
Shipping time
Bissell did not specify how long this vacuum cleaner would take to fully charge, but if you look at the reviews section, one consumer mentioned that it took 8 hours to fully charge this machine.
Filter cleaning
This diagram will show you how to access and wash the filter.
Battery life
Bissell again did not specify how long this machine would run. Once again, the reviews indicate that the suction power fades after 5 minutes of use.
Guarantee
Comes with only one year warranty.
Product specification
| attachments | slit tool
brush tool pet hair nozzle |
| Roll brush on/off | no |
| battery | 14.4 V Nickel Cadmium |
| Charger | plug charger |
| Shipping time | Unavailable |
| Battery life | Unavailable |
| Net weight | 2.5 pounds |
| Purchase Weight | 3.6 pounds |
| cleaning path | Unavailable |
| total length | Unavailable |
| battery indicator | yes |
| filter type | washable filter |
| dust capacity | 0.4 liters |
| Air Watts | Unavailable |
| Voltage | 110 volts |
| Made in | China |
| Price | Check Price |
Customer Reviews
Reviews for this product were mixed liked consumers who said they liked it because it’s lightweight and worked well for quick pickups and the like.
Although marketed as a pet hair cleaner, there have been those who said that this wouldn’t work as well as a wired pet hair eraser because it lacked strength. The long, narrow tip also prevented it from cleaning up a lot of pet hair and larger debris.
The pet hair attachment did not work well and the power faded after 5 minutes of use which is not good, and according to reviews it takes 8 hours to fully charge it. When you compare this to the Bissell Bolt, it lacks versatility and when you add the long charging time and lack of suction power, it appears that this will only work well for spot cleanings and nothing else.
There are better options like the Black + Decker Pivot or the BDH2000L, both of which are more expensive, but both give you more power and a longer runtime.
When you look at the reviews as a whole, this product will excel as a stain cleaner but despite its pet hair nozzle, it will not perform well in terms of cleaning pet hair. Power fade is another issue because it uses a NiCad battery.
Where can I buy this?
You can buy this vacuum cleaner on Amazon for less than $70. And you’ll be eligible for free 2-day shipping if you join Prime.
An extended warranty is also available for up to 3 years if you want that extra peace of mind.
Another option is to buy directly from Bissell and it will cost you about the same. But you won’t get free 2-day shipping or the option to purchase an extended warranty.
to finish
This product is great for people looking for an economical pet hair cleaner that cleans pet hair from upholstery. It does so thanks to the pet hair nozzle that comes with this product when purchased on Amazon.
It will also work well as a spot cleaner that you can pair with your upright vacuums in case you are looking for a cheap and lightweight vacuum cleaner.
My biggest concern is the NiCad battery which is prone to fading and the long charging time.
There are other options like the Black & Decer BDH2020FLFH which has a 20V Li-Ion battery or the Dyson V8. But these high-end brooms are expensive.
The only reason to buy this is if you can’t buy something more expensive than $70.