Bissell 3106A Review

The lightweight Bissell 3106A Featherweight vacuum cleaner is known by various resellers as the "Featherweight" or the "3-way" because of its weight and how it works.

Product Features
- Lightweight
- easy to use
- and bagless
- Converts from a floor vacuum to a hand vacuum
- Cleans bare floors, carpet, upholstery, draperies, and stairs
- Ergonomically designed comfort grip handle
- 9-1/4 x 4-1/4 x 44-1/2 inches
- weighs 3-1/2 pounds

The Bissell 3106A Featherweight is a remarkable lightweight cleaning unit but it offers dual functionality in one slim little machine. This handy vacuum cleaners functions in 3-ways but is being sold at the price of one. It can be easily used as a full-sized stick vacuum cleaner, convert it into a hand vacuum cleaner by removing the stick handle and nozzle, or turn it into a multi-purpose vacuum cleaner by adding the floor nozzle or crevice tool.

This slim little machine works well with draperies, bare floors, upholstery, and low pile carpets. And because it converts easily from a floor vacuum to a hand vacuum and includes a crevice tool, it is easier to clean around furniture, tight corners and hard-to-reach places. The unit is completely bagless and the dust and debris are collected in a dust cup with a washable cloth filter. When the cup fills up, all you have to do is pop it off and empty it. Although the dirt cup is easy to empty, it is a bit on the small side. On the other hand its small capacity helps to keep this tool sleek, lightweight and easy to maneuver. And since it is bagless, the user no longer has to buy expensive bags that are most of the time hard to find.

The Bissell 3106A Featherweight is very handy for small areas or anybody needing a lightweight cleaning tool. As a stick vac, the 3106-3 has a comfortable hand grip and is useful for overhead cleaning. As a hand vac, it's good for upholstery, cleaning out the car and other quick pickups. Attach the floor nozzle and use the Featherweight for it's most effective task - gathering dirt and dust from hard floors.

In all of these modes, it must be used with its 16-foot power cord, which wraps around hooks on the stick handle for storage. The long cord ensures you'll never be without charge, but the tradeoff is always having to locate an outlet and work with the cord trailing along behind you. Also included is a handy crevice tool, which is useful for getting into corners and cleaning along baseboards. Since there isn't onboard storage for the tool, it could get lost without care.

Advantages
The major advantage of Bissell 3106A Featherweight is its being lightweight and compact. It has the power of a regular machine so you no longer have to look for a second machine for your cleaning tasks.

Disadvantages
This unit has no bumpers, which is a must when cleaning furniture to protect it and the furniture as well. A bumper is also helpful to protect walls and delicate pieces. The cleaning of the cup can be a bit messy, too!

Consumer Reviews

The good points
- Versatile
- Multi-purpose cleaning tool
- Lightweight
- Bagless
- Inexpensive
- Easy to assemble

The 'not so good' points
- Cord is cumbersome when used for quick pickups
- Cord is not retractable
- Small dust cup
- Messy cleaning

Summary
Overall, the Bissell Featherweight 3106-3 is a competent and versatile performer offered at a great price. It is lightweight and easily converts from a full-size stick, to a hand vacuum, and finally into a multi-purpose cleaner.

Several online stores sell the Bissell vacuum cleaner and you will find one at low online prices at Amazon.com