Bissell SpinWave + Vacuum review: brilliant cordless mopping performance

I may have gotten my hopes up when reviewing the Bissell SpinWave + Vac, as I was hoping for a 2-in-1 vacuum and mop similar to the likes of Roborock or Tineco. Needless to say, if you’re reading this review and considering whether you should get the Bissell SpinWave + Vac, it entirely depends on your expectations.

As a cordless mop, it does a great job leaving floors spotless. It’s easy to assemble, easy to use, and easy to maintain. But, one of its major selling points is its vacuuming capability. While it’s a useful addition that gets some debris out of the way for a consistent mop, you shouldn’t consider that vacuuming ability to be a replacement for the best cordless vacuums. And, even though it technically has the ability to dry vacuum, you can’t bypass the mop pads so you can’t use the Bissell SpinWave + Vac on carpeting or rugs.

Still, if you want to upgrade from a regular mop, swiffer, or even a cheaper cordless mop, the Bissell SpinWave + Vac is worthy of your consideration.

Bissell SpinWave + Vac review: price and availability

The Bissell SpinWave + Vac is certainly not the cheapest cordless mop out there. It isn’t even the cheapest in Bissell’s lineup – that distinction goes to the Bissell SpinWave Hard Floor Spin Mop, which goes for £90 / $102.99. But, at £179.99 / $249.99, the Bissell SpinWave + Vac is still a reasonable price, especially with its additional vacuuming capabilities.

The Bissell SpinWave + Vac has unfortunately only been made available in the US since its release on December 2023, although the mop only version of the Bissell Spinwave is available on the UK site. At least, it regularly sees a sale when ordering direct on Bissell’s US site.

Bissell SpinWave + Vac review: Design

The Bissell SpinWave + Vac has an interesting look – almost like a transformer posing as a vacuum. Instead of more ergonomically shaped vacuums, this model is a bit more angular. It's also a bit muted in the aesthetics department, mostly grey, black, and a few splashes of green.

More specifically, It has a slim handle that terminates in the slightly larger body of the vacuum. The top of the body contains the entirety of the controls – namely, power, dry vacuum, and wet mop mode as well as a battery LED indicator. Below that is the dustbin, which has its release button underneath. The back of the body is mostly unadorned except for the charging port.

The floorhead is a bit thicker than one might expect. However, that’s because this is where the water reservoir resides. It’s a flat piece of plastic that lies across the entire top of the floorhead with a release near where it meets the vacuum. Of course, underneath are two removable mop pads, which by the way can be thrown in the wash when they get too dirty. Also worthy of note is the fact that Bissell includes soft pads and scrubby pads based on what kind of cleaning you want to do as well as a storage tray when it’s not in use.

Since operation here is pretty straightforward, there’s no app support (or need for it). The only real thing that I’ve experienced in vacuum and mop combos that’s missing here is some automated propulsion. So, you do have to put in the work to push this 9.87lb heavy mop around. It’s really not that bad, but you’re not going to get any extra help from the unit.

At least, putting the Bissell SpinWave + Vac together for the first time is incredibly easy. Just snap the handle / stem into the body and then snap that into the floorhead. Attach your preferred set of mop pads, which are held in place by velcro. And, then remove and fill up the reservoir with water and cleaning solution. Bissell includes an 8 oz. bottle of their own “Hard Floor Sanitize Formula.”

Bissell SpinWave + Vac review: Performance

While I don’t want to overstate my disappointment, I do want to reiterate that you need to adjust your expectations for the Bissell SpinWave + Vac. If you want a cordless mop that can give your floors a great post-vacuum clean, this model is very able. But, its vacuum capability is in service of the mopping and isn’t on equal footing, even though you can technically engage the dry vacuum mode separately.

So, let’s discuss its mopping capability first. When using the wet mop mode, the two mop pads spin in a way that Bissell describes as cyclonic. I used the wet mop mode on hardwood flooring as well as tile and marble. When doing so, I found the mop to do a great job removing debris, mud, and dirt – anything outside of a deep stain. And, it only left a thin, consistent layer of water and solution behind so that the flooring dried fairly quickly after use.

The vacuum mode is interesting as even when used by itself, the mop pads would still be wet and leave a film of water behind. You just don’t get that cyclonic cleaning action. It does a good job of vacuuming most smaller debris so that they don’t get stuck on the mop pads, but it doesn’t have nearly the same level of suction as a regular vacuum, so I had to do several passes on dirtier floors with a bunch of debris.

As far as navigating floors go, it does a great job of getting to edges and really only has issues with deep corners. And, since it can tilt flat from the floorhead, you can easily reach and clean under furniture if they offer enough clearance.

Where the Bissell SpinWave + Vac really had trouble was when I used both modes in a bathroom with a bunch of hair on the floor. Some of the hair would get stuck on the floor instead of being vacuumed up. And, of course, the water solution would make it harder to remove even after a couple passes. This is a situation where a dedicated vacuum is needed before you pull out the Bissell SpinWave + Vac for mopping duty.

On a more positive note, emptying the dustbin is quick and easy. Just pop it out of the vacuum body using the release button. Open it on one side and empty. And, if you need to, you remove the filter on the other end to rinse out.

Lastly, I want to mention battery life. Bissell rates the SpinWave + Vac as lasting twenty minutes when using the vacuuming function and 70 minutes when just mopping. And, having tested it, particularly with modes going, it took about 15 minutes to get down to one bar (out of three) on the battery life indicator. More importantly, I was able to cover the entire ground floor of a decently large house in that time without rushing.

Bissell SpinWave + Vac review: Verdict

Even though I’ve thrown out some caveats, I do think the Bissell SpinWave + Vac is worth the money and worth the investment. There are other vacuum and mop combos, but they’re generally much pricier. And, though this model is a little more than some other cordless mops, the inclusion of the vacuuming feature is a nice addition. Just remember that it’s there to serve the mopping and not really to be used as a standalone vacuum.

Otherwise, it delivers from its great mopping to the ability to get edges and under furniture, not to mention the fact that it dries rather quickly unlike a traditional mopping job. It also offers enough battery life to tackle most cleaning jobs. Just make sure to still get a dedicated vacuum cleaner, especially if you’re dealing with lots of hair (even pet hair).

Bissell SpinWave + Vac review: Alternatives to consider

While we’ve reviewed some of the best robot vacuums capable of also mopping, such as the iRobot Roomba Combo J9+, these two-in-ones can get quite pricey. This one is $1,399.99 / £1,249.00 / AUD$1,999.00, for instance. Still, something like this Roomba combo offers hands-free operation and the ability to schedule cleaning when you’re not even home.

If you do want something that gives you a bit more hands-on control, the Tineco Floor One S5 Extreme is certainly going to fit the bill. This is one of those models where the vacuuming is just as powerful as the mopping, but you will have to pay for it as it goes for $499.99 / £499.99 (about AU$770).