The Quick Verdict: Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush 42943
The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush 42943 is one of the most competitive upright vacuums Bissell has released in years. Its dual-roller floorhead picked up everything we placed in front of it on both hard floors and carpets, earned a perfect score in our carpet deep-clean evaluation, and produced one of the stronger sealed-suction results we’ve measured.
It also performed well in our hair-tangle evaluation, passed our sealed-filtration assessment with no visible fog, and includes useful features such as Lift-Off technology, automatic floor detection, manual suction adjustment, and bright FurFinder headlights. The compromises are relatively minor: the dustbin is small, it’s slightly louder than average, and the wand configuration makes some above-floor cleaning tasks more awkward than necessary.
Pros
- Excellent debris pickup on hard floors and carpets
- Perfect carpet deep-clean score
- Strong sealed suction and sealed HEPA filtration
- Effective FurGuard anti-tangle brushroll
- Lift-Off design with responsive swivel steering
- Competitive price for a flagship-style upright
Cons
- Small 1.3-liter dustbin
- Slightly louder than the upright-vacuum average
- Heavier than the overall upright average
- Tools cannot attach directly to the hose
- Limited long-term owner data because it’s new
A strong new flagship-style upright from Bissell, the Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush combines excellent pickup on hard floors and carpets with a perfect carpet deep-clean score. Its sealed HEPA filtration, anti-tangle brushroll, and Lift-Off design make it especially well suited to homes with pets and mixed flooring.
| | Dual-Brush Floorhead | Soft Front Roller | FurGuard Anti-Tangle | Lift-Off Canister | Floor Detect Suction Adjustment | FurFinder Headlights | Swivel Steering
Bissell has been consistently raising the bar over the last couple of years. First with its cordless line, then with its robot vacuums, and now with its upright vacuums. We bought the new Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush Upright Vacuum (model 42943) and put it through our complete series of studio evaluations. We assessed its strengths, limitations, and overall performance. And as you’ll see in our Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush review, this upright vacuum became the first Bissell in a long time to make the top five on the Vacuum Wars Top 10 Upright Vacuums list.
DualBrush Floorhead Improves Pickup Across Floor Types
The headline feature is Bissell’s DualBrush floorhead, which combines a soft roller at the front with a more traditional brushroll behind it.
Shark was the first major brand to bring this type of design into the mainstream, and several other manufacturers have since introduced their own versions. Bissell did attempt something similar before with little success. But the company has finally gotten it right with its DualBrush design.
The soft front roller helps the vacuum pick up debris on both hard floors and carpets, but the difference is especially noticeable on hard floors. It can collect everything from fine dust to extra-large debris without requiring the user to change floorheads or repeatedly push larger material around.
If you’ve never used a vacuum with a soft roller, the improvement in hard-floor pickup can be a game changer.
Debris Pickup and Carpet Cleaning Performance
Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush 42943 earned perfect scores in our debris pickup evaluations on both hard floors and carpets. Results at this level are usually associated with premium dual-roller Shark uprights and newer flagship Dyson models.
| Pickup evaluation | Bissell 42943 | Upright average |
|---|---|---|
| Hard-floor debris pickup | 4 out of 4 | 2.7 |
| Carpet debris pickup | 4 out of 4 | 3.1 |
| Carpet deep clean | 100% | 97.5% |
| Crevice pickup | 3.5 | 3.2 |
The upright vacuum also earned a perfect 100% in our carpet deep-clean evaluation. For this assessment, we embed sand into medium-pile carpet and weigh the collection bin before and after a controlled number of passes. The upright vacuum average is approximately 97.5%, making Bissell’s result exceptional, even within the flagship category.
As for crevice pickup, its score was above average at 3.5 compared with the upright average of 3.2. The DualBrush floorhead maintains a strong seal while still allowing larger debris to enter. This is one of the primary advantages of placing a soft roller at the front of the cleaning head.
FurGuard Hair-Tangle Performance
The Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush uses an anti-tangle brushroll system that Bissell calls FurGuard. It performed well in our hair-tangle evaluations using both 7-inch and 14-inch human hair replicas.
Hair wrapping around an upright vacuum’s brushroll has traditionally been one of the most frustrating maintenance issues for pet owners and households with long hair. It’s nice to see that the FurGuard system largely addresses that problem.
Suction, Airflow, and Power Measurements
This upright vacuum had one of the strongest sealed-suction results we’ve seen. It scored 92 inches for sealed-suction, which is well above the upright average of approximately 80 inches. Its hose airflow, floorhead airflow, and unsealed-suction measurements were around the category averages. However, those more moderate measurements didn’t appear to limit its practical cleaning ability. It still delivered perfect debris-pickup scores and a perfect carpet deep-clean result.
It’s an important reminder that individual bench measurements don’t always predict a vacuum’s overall performance. Floorhead design, agitation, sealing, and debris pathways can all affect how effectively the available power is used.
Lift-Off Design and Above-Floor Cleaning
Another major strength is the vacuum’s ergonomics and versatility. The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush has a one-click removable wand that can be pulled out quickly for above-floor cleaning or collecting debris too large or awkward for the main floorhead.
It also includes Bissell’s Lift-Off technology. Pressing another release button allows the canister to separate from the floorhead, making it easier to carry the vacuum while cleaning stairs, furniture, and other areas away from the floor.
This configuration was clearly influenced by Shark’s Lift-Away designs, which is a good thing. The system adds meaningful versatility without making the vacuum difficult to operate.
The swivel steering is also highly responsive. Small wrist movements provide good control around furniture and other obstacles, and the upright vacuum is easy to maneuver during normal use.
Sealed HEPA Filtration
Filtration is another significant advantage. The Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush has a sealed HEPA system that Bissell says captures 99.97% of dust and dander allergens down to 0.3 microns. It also passed our fog evaluation with no visible leakage.
We consider a sealed filtration system a must-have feature on a modern upright vacuum. Without a properly sealed system, fine particles collected from the floor can escape through gaps in the vacuum body and be blown back into the room.
This problem is more common among inexpensive vacuums than many realize. A HEPA filter alone isn’t enough if air can bypass it elsewhere in the system.
Automatic Floor Detection and Suction Control
The upright vacuum includes a Floor Detect feature that senses whether it’s on carpet or hard flooring and automatically adjusts its operation.
We generally find this type of feature more important on cordless vacuums, where automatic power management can have a substantial effect on battery life. It’s less critical on a corded upright, but it remains a useful convenience.
There’s also a manual suction adjustment feature. This lets you reduce suction when cleaning thick or long-pile carpets, making the vacuum easier to push and preventing the floorhead from sealing too aggressively against the carpet.
Bright FurFinder Headlights
LED headlights have become common on modern vacuums, but Bissell has taken the feature further than most. The Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush floorhead includes LED lights called FurFinder Headlights that are exceptionally bright. There are enough of them to illuminate a broad area in front of the vacuum.
They make dust, pet hair, and fine debris easier to see, particularly on hard floors where lighter particles can otherwise blend into the surface.
Strong Value Compared to Flagship Uprights
You can buy the Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush for less than the average upright vacuum in our database and substantially less than several of its main flagship competitors.
That gives Bissell a strong value argument. It combines premium-style features, including a dual-roller floorhead, Lift-Off functionality, sealed HEPA filtration, automatic floor detection, anti-tangle technology, and bright headlights—while remaining below the typical pricing of the leading flagship models.
Cons of the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush
Its top-five ranking is well earned, but the design still comes with some potential drawbacks—and our Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush review won’t be complete without discussing them. None are deal-breakers, but they may matter depending on how you plan to use the vacuum.
Dustbin Capacity is Below Average
The most notable limitation is the dustbin. Its capacity is approximately 1.3 liters, compared with the upright vacuum average of around 2.6 liters. That makes the bin unusually small for a full-size flagship upright, though it functions properly and isn’t difficult to empty.
It may require emptying more frequently than the bins on most competing uprights. This will be more noticeable in larger homes or households with multiple shedding pets.
Weight Compared with Other Uprights
The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush weighs 16.3 pounds, about 1 pound heavier than the overall upright average of 15.3 pounds. But it’s lighter than its most direct flagship competitors.
In other words, it’s somewhat heavier than upright vacuums overall, but relatively light within the flagship segment.
| Upright vacuum | Weight |
|---|---|
| Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush | 16.3 lb |
| Shark Stratos | 17.2 lb |
| Dyson Ball Animal 3 | 17.3 lb |
| Upright average | 15.3 lb |
Wand Configuration Could Be More Flexible
One design choice that’s not necessarily a major con but is worth mentioning involves the removable wand.
When the wand is pulled out, the handle remains attached to it. We would prefer the option to separate the handle from the wand so that accessories could be connected directly to the hose.
Some competing upright vacuums allow this, creating a shorter and more flexible configuration for furniture, stairs, and tight spaces. On the Bissell, tools must be attached to the end of the full wand. That makes certain above-floor cleaning tasks slightly more awkward than necessary.
Noise Is Slightly Above Average
The upright vacuum measured 84 decibels in our noise evaluation, compared with an average of approximately 82 decibels for upright models.
That difference isn’t severe, but it does make the vacuum slightly louder than the category norm.
Limited Long-Term Owner Data
The Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush is still a new product, so there aren’t enough long-term customer reviews to confidently evaluate its durability.
While the available reviews are mostly positive, a small number of owners have described its edge cleaning as underwhelming. However, we re-evaluated that area and found its performance good when approaching edges both head-on and from the side.
We couldn’t reproduce the reported issue. Even so, long-term reliability remains less established than that of older flagship models since the vacuum hasn’t been on the market for very long.
Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush Review: Vacuum Wars’ Verdict
Overall, we are extremely impressed with the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush 42943.
Bissell has been manufacturing upright vacuums for decades, but only recently have its newest models begun competing seriously with the highest-ranked products in the category. The Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush represents a substantial step forward.
It earned perfect scores in our hard-floor debris pickup, carpet debris pickup, and carpet deep-clean evaluations. It also delivered above-average crevice pickup and sealed suction, performed well in our hair-tangle assessment, and passed our sealed-filtration fog evaluation.
The smaller dustbin, slightly elevated noise level, and less-flexible wand configuration keep it from being flawless. However, those drawbacks are relatively minor when considered alongside its cleaning performance, feature set, and competitive positioning.
After adding all its scores to our ranking system, the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush entered the Vacuum Wars Top 10 Upright Vacuums list at number 5. Just narrowly ahead of the substantially more expensive Dyson Ball Animal 3.
Top 10 Upright Vacuums
Explore Vacuum Wars’ always up-to-date rankings of the best upright vacuums, based on independent, hands-on testing. We purchase every unit ourselves and have evaluated more than 50 models, giving us a strong benchmark for cleaning power, airflow, carpet performance, usability, and features like above-floor cleaning and sealed filtration.
Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush
