I bought the Bissell Cleanview Compact Bagless Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner because I'm a tiny, tiny person plagues by a carpeted staircase and two labradors. I had inherited a Dyson upright which routinely tried to kill me by making me fall down said stairs. I wanted something titchy, light, and able to get dog hair off my stairs without me developing a hernia.

Well, this is not it.
When they handed me over the box at Argos, I was surprised at the size. It was tiny. Still, I was after something small and light, so I didn't panic. I was happy enough to accept having to empty it frequently, as long as I could use it easily. I figured, if I used it daily and emptied it daily, it would be just fine. Ha ha ha. I had to empty it three times after cleaning a smallish bedroom. The cylinder is minute. It says it's 2lt, but that includes the doodah thingie in the middle, a filter I guess. In reality, and if you want to maintain suction, you're looking at maybe a litre, on the outside.

I wasn't too impressed, but I could have soldiered on. I realised I was having real issues, though, when I found myself hand-sweeping dust into a pile, hoping the darn thing would suck it up. And still it wouldn't. Yes, it's light. Yes, it's small. Unfortunately, it's pretty darn useless too. You go over the same bit of fluff again and again, and yet there it stays. And it's not that I've over-used it and it's not defunct. I used it maybe 4 times. Now I just hand-sweep my stairs with a rubber brush. It actually takes less time and you get a beter result. Unimpressed. Just say no.