Bissell CrossWave Vacuums Reviews

The idea sounds good and my husband bought it because he didn't want me tripping on a cord. (I have never tripped on my corded vac!) When I finish using my old vac I can either empty the dust holder right away or empty it later. With the CrossWave, I had to empty and clean it right away because 2 days later it stinks. Think of wet matted rug fibers! Yuk. So my usual way of Swiffing, or using a dry mop or broom depending on the floor, was quick and easy. Mopping was spritzing a floor with the appropriate cleanser for wood or tile, and mopping up with a Swiffer or occasionally going full monty with a wet O-Cedar mop. Either way was much quicker than cleaning out the CrossWave. Even with the much-touted "self-cleaning roller, I still had to take it apart, clean, and allow it to dry so it wouldn't smell. Then I had to clean out the dirt caught in the cover, mop up the dirty water in the charging tray, empty the clean water container, strain the fibers out of the dirty water container, clean everything, put it all back together (not that easy), and get down on the floor to clean out the suction crevices. Not worth it. It takes more time to clean it and reassemble than how I usually clean!

My daughter bought one too and it won't vac her Berber carpet nor work on tracks around the cat's litter box. The Bissell CrossWave reminds me of the old Rainbow wet vac which earned the nickname "the mud machine." Same problems: mixing floor dirt with water!

I really wanted to love this because my husband was thoughtful in buying it for me, but after two weeks, it's going back! You can get a hint of this by sweeping all the dirt in your house into a pile, pour a cup of water over it, and stir. Now get your vac and suck it up. Then take apart your vac and clean out the dust cup, hoses, brushes, filters, dry thoroughly, and forget about those "quick vac & mop" reviews! It's a "Mud Machine."

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I've had FOUR machines in 18 months! It works at first and I loved it. After the first machine was replaced I was happy. Then it happened again...NO SUCTION! Third machine AGAIN! Now four AGAIN, STAY AWAY!

Length of Use: 1–2 years

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Not as I expected, not nearly enough power to pick up wet debris. The idea is a good one but a lot more suction is needed. I have to stop several times to clear the vacuum head or things clog up and suction becomes worst. In all, a cheap steam mop, and a vacuum would be cheaper and as quick of a job.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

We loved the way this machine cleaned...yes, it does leave streaks on the tile floor but overall it really serves our needs, until it stops working. We had this happen to both the original and the replacement that they sent us. It is a known issue, so very sorry that they can't fix it to last. Warranty covered the replacement but the replacement was not in warranty when it stopped working.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

It is very pricey and not reliable. I only own this machine for two years. It has broken twice. First was the foot assembly. They can replace parts in there so I have to buy the whole foot assembly which cost me over a hundred dollars. The second time is the water pump which they told me also irreplaceable. I call the Bissell company, the representative offers me 20% off to buy a new machine from them. I am not that stupid to spend more money to buy another machine for the same company who makes unreliable products. When I was in their service center the tech told me that I should never pay over $100 for a vacuum. You are really not getting more benefits than a $30 vacuum. The mechanism between $30 machine and $300 aren't really that much different. I hope anyone reading this review could learn the mistake I have made. Sincerely.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I just wanted to say thank you for this awesome product! It works so well and I am so pleased.

I live in a rental and the kitchen galley, hallways, and dining area are all very old and porous linoleum.

I had been cleaning it with a Mr. Clean Magic Erase Mop. It's the only thing that would remove the dirt...until I saw your ad. So I bought the CrossWave and have used it for 6 weeks now and it has cleaned beautifully the first time and every time. We have a very large family of 17 grandchildren and various pets who come to visit and your product has not let me down.

I am 71 years old and I love a clean house but not at the expense of my knees and shoulders.

The only precaution I took was to use distilled water as ours is from a well and we have minerals.

Again...thank you so much.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

I bought this a year ago as a housewarming gift to myself. I have mostly hardwood and I have lots of area rugs. I spent nearly $300 on it and used it 4 times. It’s been collecting dust ever since. It mixes the water and solids together to make a horrible mess inside the unit.

I contacted Bissell to explain my problem. They apologized and sent me a replacement part - it was the solution container! Clearly not what my complaint was. I’m writing because they run ads CONSTANTLY claiming it has a "special tank" inside to separate the water waste from the dirt. It doesn’t. I’ve always bought Bissell products. It is also a unit that needs to be cleaned thoroughly after 20 minutes of use. I spent more time cleaning the unit than I did cleaning WITH IT! I’ve never been so disappointed in a product.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Yes, cleaning with it is absolutely amazing. The cleanup, however, makes up for the hassle. Taking it apart to clean it isn't horrible unless you don't do it right after you use it. Then when you do clean it, you can't use it until the filter air dries, which takes a day. I haven't even had to use it for a big mess yet and it isn't worth the money to me to have that instead if a vacuum and steam mop.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Note: solution for hard surfaces only! Use the brand product on your area rugs! Excellent machine. Amazed at every time I clean, but the solution gets expensive. For tile, hardwood, and laminate I tried (and it works great) Armstrong multi-surface cleaner. I only add about 3 tablespoons, and at Walmart, a gallon of concentrate is just about $15.00. I wouldn't, WOULD NOT recommend on your area rugs though! Not sure if safe for carpet.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Do not purchase this machine if you use clumping cat litter. This machine does not vacuum up the litter, it turns it into mush and spreads it all over your floors. The litter cakes up into the crevices on the bottom of the machine. And I contacted Bissell customer service and they do not refund money. I would have to take it back to the store. I had to redo my entire house after using this with a handheld mop that did a much better job. I was hugely disappointed. I was on the fence about buying this and I should have never bought it.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I just got the cleaner today. I have the newer purple version. I have two chihuahua's, the one with short hair sheds like crazy. Daily I have been Swiffering and mopping. I thought I was doing a good job, until I cleaned with this Bissell! It makes me wonder, what have I been living and walking on all these months?

The water was filthy, and the amount of hair it picked up was quite a surprise. It was disgusting and amazing at the same time! My house smells great, and I can SEE by the dirty water, it's cleaner. I did not purchase this to "save time" as other reviews complain. I purchased it for a better clean.

Yes, you have to clean the unit. I am sure that after a few times, it will only take me a few minutes. A small price to pay for not having to sweep, then mop and the bonus is I can clean the rugs. I have already ordered more of the multi-purpose with Febreze. I'll be searching for something more cost effective, but for the meantime, I'll invest in the genuine product by Bissell.

So far...so good!

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

IT leaves dirty water and streaks all over the floor. After using an entire tank of clean water on my house, the vacuum only sucked up maybe 15% in the dirty water tank. I called Bissell, assuming something was wrong with my unit, and they sent me a new one. The new one did the exact same thing. I’m certain all the great reviews you see online are paid and fake or people aren’t really looking at the amount of water the unit doesn’t suck up.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I was very excited when I saw the CrossWave on television. I thought it was the answer to a prayer. I couldn’t wait to purchase one. The first two weeks I had it I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not, I noticed streaking right away, so I read the manual again and went online at Bissell.com, but the streaks continued. Now I have to stop halfway through cleaning my floors because the suction is not strong enough to pull the dust and pet hair up into the cup and when I mop it puts dirt water back onto my floor. This is the worst purchase I have ever made. I will go back to my broom and mop.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Not only was the vacuum delivered late, it arrived broken. I called customer service and their solution was to have me bring it to a certified company to get fixed. Why should I have to fix a vacuum that was brand new out of the box?

I asked for a refund, and I would just go buy me another vacuum, and I was told it would take four weeks for a refund!

Their solution was they would send me a new vacuum after I provided pictures of me cutting the cord to the vacuum and a pic of the serial number. Once I receive the new vacuum, I was told to trash this one. I find that an odd way to prove the vacuum is broken and not very good for the environment.

Once the pics were received, I was told it could be up to six more business days to get a replacement. I did not back down until I got express shipping as the first vacuum was already delivered late and now I will be going longer without a vacuum.

I hope to receive my replacement soon; however, I don't have high hopes for the vacuum or Bissell. I am without a vacuum for another few days. I would have been better off going somewhere else.

I thought purchasing directly from the manufacturer would be a better experience; however, I am still vacuum-less, holding on to a $300 worthless piece of plastic, and the only compensation received was an apology read from a script and had to fight for express shipping.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I'm in my second month of using the Bissell CrossWave. I hesitate to use it too often because of all the cleanup of the unit itself after using it! It vacuums okay, but I expected more thorough picking up from a Bissell. I've always liked Bissell products for that reason. My floors nor area rugs look much different after cleaning and shampooing them. I'm just going to continue using for it awhile, to see if maybe it's something I'm doing wrong in operating the CrossWave.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Today I called in my SECOND warranty failure on my $300 CrossWave.

I purchased it in August 2017 and the first one failed in February 2018, less than 6 months after receiving it. The water fails to disperse through the two small nozzles

I called for service information and was told to take a paperclip open and poke into the two water tubes at the base of the unit, nope didn't work. So, the instructions are to "cut the power cord" from the device and they will email me a return label for the electric cord, and once received, they will send me a replacement.

Two weeks later the replacement arrived and it worked, I use it more for vacuuming, but the floors (hardwood and tile) are cleaned two a month or as needed.

This afternoon the replacement fails, same problem, and I call into the service department. Same thing, paperclip and try and dislodge anything preventing the water from coming out. Nothing.

As a NEW approach, I was instructed to "remove and reset the handle itself," I did so, and water came out only "once" than nothing, again.

Same instructions, waiting for a return email, so I can cut off the power cord for return. I also made a point that my record was to reflect this is the last one, and if I have a third failure within one year I'm expecting a full refund.

Since this is the second one, I asked for a similar Bissell apparatus to mimic cleaning the floors, and was advised "same for same."

This will be the second one headed for the trash bin when replaced; good advertising, or neighbors think I'm rich.

OH! One final comment - these are disposable units, you can NOT take them into an authorized Bissell repair facility, they won't touch it.

It did an initial good job when first received, I liked the simplicity of the two in one idea. However, I am expecting reliability for $300 and I "ain't" getting it.

Lesson learned for "a trusted name." I gave this two stars; the vacuum works, but that's NOT what I purchased it for.

I will give the people in the call center five stars; very good and informative, helpful, and explained everything clearly. Great job.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Ok, here it goes. I can no longer bend because of my back problem. My husband, the greatest husband on this earth, went out and brought me a Bissell CrossWave. OMG, this does exactly what it claims it will do. My floors come out so clean you can eat off them. I have always told my kids "if you want a good vacuum, buy Bissell, its the best." I love this mop/vacuum. Thank you so much for making my life easy and pleasurable.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

I have dogs and the one-step cleaning and vacuuming is fab. You don't have to carry around (and slop) heavy pails of water. I love the fact the cleaning is always with clean water not mopping with increasingly dirty water. Also, simple button change goes from floor to area rug so can do whole room efficiently. Best on laminate or tile with small grout line. It will maintain more uneven tile (Saltillo) well, but best to steam scrub floor every once in a while to get the grout really clean. Hardwood is similar. A wax polish once in a while and use CrossWave to maintain between. So light, so maneuverable.

I got a second brush so one can be drying while the other is in the machine. The brush is a combination of microfiber 'yarn' and random stiffer bristles. So it cleans, lightly scrubs, lightly polishes and dries in one step. I wish you could buy the solution in larger containers. I bought first one at full price and so loved it that got additional ones for other houses at Ollie's for $99.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

I was excited when my Bissell CrossWave arrived. It works just like the infomercial said. I loved it, just what I wanted.

When I had finished a small area in my kitchen because I just had to test it immediately, I cleaned everything. The next day I put the cleaner back together. It did not have suction, and one of the sprayers would not work.

I called Bissell, and they wanted to walk me through on how to make it work. I didn't use this 5 minutes and needed to troubleshoot, so I decided this would be an issue. I called to return, and they advised me that I was still in my "timeline" to return. I would have been stuck with this had I not tested the cleaner out. I was lead to believe I would have been stuck with this product if my time had run out even though the machine wasn't working. I'm still waiting to receive my refund.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I bought a refurbished one at Ollie's for 99 bucks. I was not willing to pay $250, so this was my chance! I'm so glad I did! It cleaned my kitchen and bath tile floors so quickly and easily. No more "Swiffering," vacuuming, and mopping. The CrossWave does it all in one step! I'm very happy with my purchase.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

I find that the vacuum cleaner does not work like the ad on TV. It takes forever for the roller to dry, and when you shut off the vacuum, it leaves a huge wet spot on the floor and you have to wipe up the water left on the floor. It also does not suck up big dirt piles really well. So I have to sweep the floor first and then vacuum the floor. We also have to take the roller out of the vacuum to dry. For how much it cost, it should work like the ad! So NOT impressed!

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Wow, what a cleaning machine! I love it. I filled to the highest level with water and solution, and it ran for at least 25 minutes before it ran out of solution and water. No more sweeping or mopping. Easy clean up also. I was able to do all my tile at one time and 4 area rugs. Love it! I highly recommend!

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

We have tried the Shark and many other products to keep our laminate floors and area rugs clean over the years. We have two dogs and we definitely have constant shedding. With my husband and myself having back injuries and many back surgeries, it's very hard for us to maintain our home.

Low and behold, thank you Bissell CrossWave!

We used it tonight for the very first time and this machine is totally totally beyond our expectations! We didn't need to strain at all; it was easy peezy!

We can't thank them enough for making an all in one vacuum! THIS product is OUTSTANDING.

And we HIGHLY recommend this CrossWave to anyone, especially with back problems.

My husband kept telling me tonight to please get online and give a great review! This pleases me so very much Because my husband will enjoy doing my floors now!

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

I purchased the CrossWave seven months ago. I have used it two times, and am not thrilled with it. It's fine for picking up M&M's, coffee grounds, etc., on hard surfaces. However, the rug roller bristles are too soft, and barely tickle the rug, not much cleaning. Disappointed! Poor design!

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Do NOT buy a Bissell CrossWave!

I have had my CrossWave a little over two years. As of yesterday, the interior belt broke and the plastic spindle that the belt and brush roller goes on melted. I was using it on my hardwood floors and it smelled like something was burning. I turned off the machine, unplugged it, then removed the brush roller to find the spindle was so hot, too hot to touch, and the spindle had melted. My husband took it apart, and the belt had also melted.

I called Bissell asking for replacement parts only to be told they do not have those parts so you cannot replace them. And they tried to argue that there is no belt. I explained to them several times there is a belt, I have it. So now my Bissell CrossWave is GARBAGE!

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I must say that in 57 years of marriage we have never purchased any household appliance that we have been more pleased with. As seniors, it has been the answer to cleaning our floors with little effort. I find it does an excellent job, it easy to clean and store. I am so thankful our son who bought one and is pleased with it showed us, and we got one right away and had never regretted it. Thanks again Bissell.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

We have hardwood floors throughout our home with area rugs. In addition to the sweeper getting clogged, it picks up hardly any debris. I have taken a paper towel over the floor after I've run it, and my floor is not clean. I will never purchase another Bissell product regardless of its promotional promises.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend