Bissell is an American company that has been making carpet sweepers and vacuum cleaners for over 100 years. How well does their Smartclean 1974 robotic vacuum cleaner sell?
Introduction
The Bissell Smartclean 1974 has all the usual features you expect from a robot vacuum: side brushes, rotating brush, multiple floor types, virtual wall, self-recharge, lithium-ion battery, scheduled cleaning and cliff sensors.
The Smartclean 1974 is not the most popular robotic vacuum cleaner on the market. However, its affordable retail price makes it a direct competitor for the Roomba 650 (which might be the most popular robot vacuum). Even so, the Bissell might never beat the popularity, performance and reliability of the Roomba vacuum robots. It does not sell so well.
How much assembly does the Smartclean 1974 require?
First, you need to install the lithium-ion battery in its compartment underneath the robot vacuum.
Next, you have to install the two edge-cleaning side brushes. There are no screws to screw in: the side brushes simply push and click into place in their holders.
You also have to buy four AA batteries and install them into the invisible wall barrier.
Finally, you have to charge the battery before using the robot for the first time. Plug the included power adapter into the charging port on the vacuum cleaner and then into a wall outlet. Turn on the power switch of the robotic vacuum cleaner and let it charge for almost five hours. You may use the charging dock to recharge the battery, but use the adapter for the first initial charging of the battery.
Can this vacuum robot clean carpets?
It can clean low pile carpets, but not medium to high pile. However, do not expect it to clean carpets deeply. It does not have the suction power of a regular carpet cleaner.
Does dark carpets trigger its cliff sensors?
The Smartclean 1974 will unfortunately perceive very dark or black carpets as a drop-off. It will avoid such areas and therefore not clean the carpet. The only way to solve this issue is to cover the cliff sensors with sticky tape. However, you then need to put the virtual invisible wall at the top of the stairs to prevent the robot from falling down.
How many cleaning modes?
The Smartclean 1974 has a control panel and LED display with three buttons for controlling the cleaning time, navigation and power.
Press the mode button to change the navigation patterns: spiral, wall edges, Z-formation, diagonal path and automatic (cycles through all the patterns).
The time button lets you choose how long the robot vacuum should clean. It starts at 90 minutes and then goes down to zero (sends the robot back to the charging station).
The cleaning power button has two settings: normal or turbo.
The LED display has icons and numbers for displaying information on the settings. It also shows “LO” when the battery is low and needs recharging. The trash can indicator lights up when the dust bin is full and needs emptying.
Does the Smartclean 1974 vacuum multiple rooms?
The Smartclean 1974 will move randomly from room to room. However, you may prevent it from entering a specific room by placing the included virtual wall in the threshold of the room.
Can it clean on a schedule?
The Smartclean 1974 is different from other vacuum cleaning robots because the charging station has the scheduling function buttons. First, toggle the switch to choose between CLOCK, SCHEDULE or RUN. Set the clock before setting the schedule. There are five schedule formats to choose:
- One day per week
- Sunday to Saturday (5 days)
- Monday to Friday (7 days)
- Monday to Saturday (6 days)
- Saturday and Sunday (2 days)
Slide the switch to RUN and check if both the clock and schedule icon is lit up.
Is it noisier than other robot vacuums?
The Bissell Smartclean 1974 seems to be quieter than a Roomba or a Neato Botvac (such as the D80). Still, it does produce noise, and you will definitely hear it working. Even so, it is quieter than a regular upright vacuum cleaner.
Bissell Smartclean 1974 vs. 1605
It does not seem like there is any difference between these two models. The Smartclean 1974 is probably just a newer model which replaces the older model. This simply means that the Smartclean 1605 is no longer available for purchase from the Bissell company.
Bissell Smartclean 1974 vs. Roomba 650
These robotic vacuum cleaners have similar features, so not much to say about that. However, the Roomba 650 (read my review) is much more popular than the Bissell Smartclean. Still, the Roomba 650 has a higher list price of almost $400. This makes the Smartclean 1974 the more affordable option, with a suggested retail price of about $300.
What does the package contain?
- Bissell 1974 Smartclean robot vacuum
- lithium-ion battery
- dust bin (0.4-liter capacity) with filter
- edge cleaning brushes
- docking station
- power adapter
- virtual wall (4 AA batteries NOT included)
Conclusion
The Bissell Smartclean 1974 is slightly more compact than other vacuum cleaners, with a height of only 3.4-inches. Its best design element might be the LED display and buttons for cleaning time, navigational pattern and suction power. However, the location of the schedule function buttons on its charging station seems a bit odd. Another thing is that it does not have a dedicated button for sending it home to its charging station: you have to press the time button five times to send it back to its station.
The biggest design problem seems to be with the main brush and suction intake. It is difficult to remove and clean the main brush. Also, the vacuum intake is rather small. The intake can be choked quite easily by debris, especially if you have lots of hairy pets or small kids leaving toys on the floor. Check the brushes and intake regularly and keep it as clean as possible. Pick up all loose objects before sending it to vacuum the floor.
The Bissell Smartclean 1974 is a competitively priced robotic vacuum cleaner. You might buy it if you have a small home or apartment with no more than one pet and mostly hardwood or tile floors (shop now on Amazon).