Bissell PowerClean 4173
Vacuum Wars Stars 3.02
The Bissell PowerClean 4173 is a budget cordless stick vacuum that delivered strong floor-cleaning performance in Vacuum Wars’ studio evaluations. It handled debris well on hard floors and carpets and achieved a perfect 100% carpet deep-clean result, compared with the 93% cordless-vacuum average. Its sealed HEPA filtration passed the fog evaluation without visible leakage, and it operated at 74 dB on maximum power, quieter than the 77 dB category average. Other conveniences include bright floorhead LEDs, a removable battery, self-standing storage, and up to 40 minutes of runtime on low power. Tradeoffs include a heavy 1,880-gram handle, a small 400 mL dustbin, manual bin emptying, a limited attachment package, slightly below-average long-hair performance, and recurring customer reports of brush-roll, suction, and wand failures over time. See additional info
Bissell PowerClean 4173 Review
Bissell is one of the better-known names in the cleaning world, and the PowerClean is one of its more popular cordless offerings right now. It’s priced below the average cordless vacuums we evaluate, selling for around $200. And on paper, it has a solid enough feature set to warrant a closer look. So we purchased the Bissell PowerClean 4173 and put it through several weeks of evaluations in our studio. In this Bissell PowerClean review, we’ll cover the pros and cons and reveal whether it earned a spot on our Top 10 Best Cordless Vacuums list.
Features and Design Overview
The Bissell PowerClean 4173 is a cordless stick vacuum designed for both hard floors and carpets. It comes with a tangle-free brush roll, a sealed HEPA filtration system, and a claimed runtime of up to 40 minutes on low power.
The cordless vacuum includes two specialty tools — a crevice tool and an upholstery tool. These are stored on the included wall mount rather than on the vacuum itself. That’s worth noting if you frequently use attachments for above-floor cleaning. The PowerClean also weighs 7.1 pounds and uses a relatively small 400 ml dustbin.
Pickup Performance
The most impressive aspect of the Bissell PowerClean 4173 is its pickup performance. The tangle-free brush roll is paired with a floor head featuring a large front gate. That combination allowed the cordless vacuum to handle a wide range of debris types and sizes. From fine dust to oversized debris such as Froot Loops on hard floors, the PowerClean consistently delivered strong results.
Its hard floor pickup score was well above average, and carpet pickup performance was similarly strong, removing debris nearly perfectly (more on this in a moment).
How We Test Cordless Vacuums
Vacuum Wars purchases the products we review independently and does not accept paid sponsorships. We evaluate cordless vacuums using standardized studio tests conducted under consistent category conditions. These evaluations include debris pickup, carpet cleaning, suction, filtration, hair resistance, battery performance, usability, noise, and other ownership-related factors. See also: How Vacuum Wars Tests Cordless Vacuums
Carpet Deep Clean
In our carpet deep clean evaluation, we embed sand in medium-pile carpet and measure how much is removed after a set number of passes at max power. The Bissell PowerClean 4173 achieved a rare perfect score of 100%, compared to the cordless vacuum average of 93%.
It delivered one of the strongest carpet deep cleaning performances we’ve recorded, outperforming the category average by a meaningful margin. Its crevice pickup score was also above average, indicating a reasonably effective seal on hard floors.
HEPA Filtration
Another major pro of the Bissell PowerClean 4173 is the filtration system. Bissell calls it a HEPA Sealed Allergen System, and it passed our fog evaluation with no visible fog escaping from the vacuum. That means the air passing through the machine is properly filtered before it exits.
Good filtration is one of the most important qualities to look for in a cordless vacuum because many models leak microscopic particles back into the air during operation. This PowerClean model didn’t exhibit that issue.
Learn more about the HEPA filters in your vacuum cleaners:
Vacuums with HEPA Filters and Sealed Systems: Cleaner Air, Healthier Homes
HEPA Across the Globe: How Vacuum Cleaner Filtration Standards Differ and Why It Matters
How Vacuum Wars tests filtration in Cordless Vacuums and Upright Vacuums
Noise Levels and Convenience Features
The PowerClean is quieter than average and has a few thoughtful convenience features. We measured 74 decibels at max power, compared to the cordless vacuum average of 77 decibels across the models evaluated.
It also includes bright LED headlights on the floor head and can stand upright without requiring wall support, which remains a relatively rare feature among cordless stick vacuums.
Handle Weight and Ergonomics
The most significant issue we found during our Bissell PowerClean review is the handle weight. The PowerClean 4173 recorded a handle weight of 1,880 grams compared to the average of 1,512 grams. All of that weight is carried by the user’s forearm while cleaning. The heavier the handle, the more tiring any extended vacuuming session becomes.
The added weight becomes even more noticeable when in handheld mode, where the handle also feels somewhat awkward.
Attachments and Dust Bin
This model’s attachment package is fairly limited. The included crevice tool and upholstery tool cover the basics, but there’s no motorized upholstery tool and no hose extension. Those omissions make above-floor cleaning less convenient than it could be.
The 400 ml dustbin is also considerably smaller, well below the cordless vacuum average of 746 ml. Plus, emptying requires removing the canister entirely rather than using a one-touch emptying system. Together, the small dustbin and limited accessory package reduce convenience.
Battery Life and Efficiency
This was somewhat mixed. The PowerClean 4173 ran for 40 minutes on low power, slightly below the average of 45 minutes. On max power with the floor head attached, it achieved roughly 13 minutes of runtime. That essentially matches the average of 13.5 minutes.
But while the runtime is just below average, the motor uses battery power efficiently. It scored 18 compared to the category average of 16 in battery efficiency.
Best Cordless Vacuums Under $200 – Vacuum Wars’ continually updated rankings of the top cordless vacuums available for under $200.
Hair Tangle Performance
The PowerClean 4173 doesn’t have an active hair-removal system. These are the plastic comb systems built into a brush housing to prevent hair from tangling on the roller during use.
That said, this cordless stick vacuum includes what Bissell calls a Tangle Free Brush Roll. But it wasn’t enough. In our 14-inch hair evaluation, it scored slightly below average. Not great considering several competing models at similar or lower prices handled long hair more effectively.
Customer Review Concerns
Our evaluation results paint the picture of a cordless vacuum that performs well in the fundamentals, including strong pickup, excellent carpet deep cleaning, effective filtration, and quiet operation. However, we also factor in customer sentiments.
We reviewed various one- and two-star customer reviews and noticed a recurring pattern. Multiple verified purchasers reported failures after only a few months of ownership. These include brush rolls that stopped spinning, unexplained loss of suction, and mechanical issues involving the wand connection.
Some complaints may be due to misuse or unrealistic expectations, but recurring reports of the same types of failures warrant attention. While our hands-on evaluation experience was positive, we can only evaluate what happens over a few weeks. Long-term durability concerns are worth considering before buying.
Bissell PowerClean 4173 Review: Conclusion and Recommendation
After adding up all the scores, the Bissell PowerClean 4173 ranked around 30th place among all cordless vacuums evaluated. As a result, it didn’t make our Top 10 Cordless Vacuums list.
That’s somewhat disappointing since this PowerClean model performs very well in several key areas. It has excellent debris pickup, a perfect carpet deep clean score, strong filtration, quiet operation, and a few useful convenience features. But the heavier handle, limited accessory package, small dustbin, below-average long-hair performance, and a concerning pattern of negative long-term user reviews hold it back.
If you already own this vacuum, evaluation results suggest you’ll get solid cleaning performance. But if you’re currently shopping, there are several cordless vacuums in the $200 price range that rank considerably higher while selling for less.
For that reason, we’d recommend comparing the Bissell PowerClean 4173 against the latest models on our Top 10 Cordless Vacuums list before making a final decision.
Bissell PowerClean 4173
Vacuum Wars maintains always-updated rankings of the best cordless vacuums. Because we purchase every unit ourselves, each recommendation is built on hands-on testing data. Our database now includes more than 110 models, giving us a strong benchmark for evaluating suction power, cleaning performance on carpets and hard floors, battery life, maneuverability, and useful features such as anti-tangle brush rolls, smart sensors, and advanced filtration.
