Bissell 1311 BOLT ION XRT 2-in-1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Bissell 1311 BOLT ION XRT is bagless, 2-in-1 cordless vacuum cleaner powered with strong and durable 25.2 V lithium battery. Bissell 1311 is 2-in-1 unit, easily transforming from lightweight stick vacuum cleaner into handheld unit and back.
It also features so-called EdgeReach Technology and additional cleaning tools, enabling the unit to thoroughly clean wall edges and other surfaces commonly found at home.
Published: June 25, 2018.
Bissell 1311 Features and Specifications
Bissell 1311 weighs only 5.6 pounds (~2.54 kg) as stick vacuum cleaner - it can be easily carried around, even up and down the stairs.
Unit features full swivel mechanism, allowing great maneuverability when cleaning floors with many obstacles present.
Cleaning path is 10 inches (25.4 cm) - actually, thanks to the edge bristles on both sides and the available EdgeReach feature, cleaning paths is slightly wider.
Unit height is 44 inches (~112 cm), when the handle is in upright position.
One of the significant features is foldable handle, which can be folded two ways:
- for cleaning under the beds, sofas, furniture and similar areas, handle can be folded 'forward', enabling the user to clean such areas without much bending. This is excellent feature, greatly helping elderly people and people with back issues. IMHO, call me lazy, but everyone should appreciate such feature.
- when being stored away, handle can be folded 'backward', significantly reducing the height of the unit.
Charging the Bissell 1311
When the unit arrives, it must be charged fully - due to the safety reasons, lithium batteries are not transported fully charged.
Basically, there are two ways to charge the battery:
- battery charger is plugged directly into the unit, or
- battery charger is plugged into the charging stand (recommended) which also acts as storage for cleaning accessories (up to three cleaning tools can be stored on the charging stand).
Battery charger is designed to allow the unit to be stored on the charging stand with the charger connected even after the battery is fully charged.
Note: When charging the battery, always use ONLY the charger designed for charging this unit! The use of any other charger can void the warranty and cause damage, fire or even explosion of the battery.
Although this is very simple to operate unit, it is highly recommended to read the manual/instructions before the very first use.
When the battery is fully discharged, it takes approximately 4 hours to fully charge the battery.
Battery indicator shows the current status of the battery. Battery charge status when being charged is given in the following list:
- 0-9%, LED light RED, 1 light blinking quickly,
- 10-32%, LED light BLUE, 1 light blinking,
- 33-65%, LED light BLUE, 1 light on, 1 light blinking,
- 66-99%, LED light BLUE, 2 lights on, 1 light blinking,
- 100%, LED light BLUE, 3 lights on for 10 minutes and then flashes once per minute.
Battery is not removable by the user - its cables are permanently soldered to the electronics board inside the unit.
Bissell 1311 BOLT ION XRT Cleaning Tools
The main cleaning tool is 10 inches wide cleaning head featuring rolling brush, which greatly enhance the cleaning on various surfaces.
Bissell 1311 is suitable for cleaning bare floors, carpets, rugs, wooden floors and similar.
Controls are positioned on the handle allowing the user to quickly turn the unit ON/OFF and to manage the features. Control buttons include:
- power on/off button - turns the unit on/off,
- brush on/off button - turns the brush on/off. Although the brush is relatively gentle, on the sensitive wooden and carpeted floors it should be turned off!
- suction mode - unit features two suction modes: Normal and High. Normal mode is used for every day cleaning, allowing the unit to operate up to 40 minutes on a single battery charge. High mode is used for cleaning really dirty areas and messes - suction is increased, but the operating time of the battery is shortened.
- EdgeReach on/off button - focuses unit's suction on the edges, greatly improving the cleaning of baseboard and wall edges and similar surfaces.
Note: due to the small gap between the floor and cleaning head, unit have certain issues with picking up of the larger debris. Smaller and medium size debris are picked up easily.
When the unit is being used in handheld configuration, there are two additional cleaning tools available:
- Combination Tool is 2-in-1 cleaning tool. Dusting brush allows the user to dust various surfaces like furniture, upholstery, tables and desks, windowsills, book shelves and similar. Crevice tool allows the user to clean narrow and tight places like between car seats and mattresses, in the corners and similar.
- Stair tool is 6 inches (~15cm) wide tool, suitable for cleaning stairs (hence the name), upholstery, smaller carpets and rugs and similar.
Bissell 1311 - Other Features
Dirt cup is of modest size and its capacity is 0.4 liters, which is enough for most cleaning tasks. But, if you use this unit to clean heavily soiled floors (which is unit easily capable of doing), expect to empty the dirt cup once or twice before completing the cleaning task.
Dirt cup is transparent allowing the user to see type and amount of vacuumed dirt.
Air filtration is good, but nothing special - it is done combining cyclonic action and one washable mechanical air filter. It is recommended to clean the filter after each use by gently tapping it against hard surface, removing any visible dirt. Occasionally, filter should be washed with warm water and mild detergent.
Note: never assemble the unit using wet filter. Also, never use the unit without the filter.
Bissell 1311 vs. Shark IONFlex IF201 DuoClean
Bissell 1311 BOLT ION XRT 2-in-1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner doesn't appear very similar to Shark IONFlex DuoClean Cordless Ultra-Light Vacuum (IF201), but essentially these are very similar units. Let us explain this:
- both units are 2-in-1 cordless vacuum cleaners that can be used as lightweight stick vacuums and as powerful handheld units. Bissell 1311 converts by removing the handheld unit from the erst of the unit, while Shark IONFlex IF201 converts by removing the long wand from the handheld part of the vacuum.
- both units are folding units, for easier access and cleaning under the furniture and for easier storage. Bissell 1322 features foldable handle, while Shark IF201 features foldable wand.
- both units feature rotating brush for cleaning floors and additional cleaning tools for cleaning stairs and other elevated surfaces. Bissell 1311 comes with the Combination Tool and Stair Tool, while Shark IF201 comes with Wide Upholstery Tool, Duster Crevice Tool (Combination Tool), Dusting Brush and Anti-Allergen Dust Brush.
- in lightweight upright configuration (stick vacuum cleaners) Shark IF201 is heavier than Bissell 1311 (8.7 pounds vs 5.6 pounds - that is 3.1 pounds difference!), but Shark IF201 features DuoClean main cleaning head, which is IMHO better cleaning tool than the main cleaning head found at Bissell 1311, except when cleaning edges thanks to Bissell's EdgeReach technology found at Bissell 1311 model.
- Shark IF201 also features LED headlights (Bissell 1311 doesn't come with headlights), but it also has a smaller dirt cup (0.33 vs 0.4 liters).
- both units feature maximum operating time of ~40 minutes on a single battery charge. However, Shark IF201 features removable battery, allowing the user to have two or more batteries ready, achieving longer operating time. IMHO, both units are designed to be main vacuums in smaller homes and apartments (or to be second vacuum cleaner in large homes and apartments), so the optional of second battery in Shark IF201 is not as large plus as it looks like. However, if the battery of Bissell 1311 fails, whole unit must be replaced.
Long Story Short: Bissell 1311 is well designed and balanced 2-in-1 vacuum cleaner. It is far from being the cheapest unit on the market, but it is also far from being expensive like much stronger and capable cordless units.
If you need good and lightweight upright vacuum cleaner for your home, that can be used as both main vacuum cleaner and in the emergencies, consider Bissell 1311. It has more than enough features to justify its price.
For more reviews and recommendations, check Bissell 1311 BOLT ION XRT 2-in-1 Lightweight Cordless Vacuum with EdgeReach Technology
Amazon link (link opens in the new window).