So the Dyson has died. It breathed its last breath a few weeks ago. I was so devastated I’m only just ready to talk about it.

Okay, we weren’t best friends. It was so heavy it was a real faff lugging it around the house and vacuuming the stairs was an impossibility (for the last year we’ve used a dustpan and brush instead). Because of this, Craigy assumed the role of Chief Vacuum’er, I only learnt to turn it on a few months ago when I set myself the task of helping out more around the house as part of my New Year’s Resolutions - this particular one lasted a week (Stepford Wife I am not!)

Nevertheless, I think the only person in the house celebrating the death of the Dyson was Dexter. Due to it being so noisy, we always referred to it as The Floor Monster. It’s become a bit of a running joke to threaten him with it when he’s naughty and he used to run away in fright whenever the Dyson came out of its lair (the cupboard under the stairs).

When it came to replacements, we were keen to try a different brand. The requirements His Lordship gave me were:

• Bagless to save money
• Nothing over £100
• Lightweight
• Cylinder rather than upright
• Must come with accessories for skirting boards etc

So off I went, on a search for reasonably priced vacuum that would finally make vacuuming a 10 minute job rather than an hour long mission.

So now I’m introducing you to my BISSELL C3 Cyclonic Cylinder Vacuum - currently reduced by a whopping £190 and available from the BISSELL website for a bargain £59.99 (with a 5 year guarantee and free delivery). In fact, nearly all of their vacuums are currently reduced and the savings are simply amazing - it’s well worth a look if you’re on the hunt for a new Floor Monster of your own.

What’s so great about it?

There’s a lot to shout about.

For a start it’s far less noisy than the Dyson. I can vacuum when Heidi is asleep and she won’t wake up. Dexter is equally scared of it, but that’s no bad thing - sometimes you just don’t need a pint-sized helper.

As requested by the Bloke, it’s bagless with a large 2.5L dust capacity. We tend to empty ours after every vacuum as Craig has a dust allergy and I like to transfer it into the dustbin quickly. Because of this, we’re unlikely to ever fill our dirt bin, but it still never fails to amaze me just how much is collected from one quick whizz around the house. The dirt bin is so easy to empty, I can manage it one-handed and transfer all the dust and dirt into a carrier bag to keep it away from Craigy. Simple.

The suction is really powerful with “350 air watts of high-powered cleaning to leave your floors deep down clean” - Jargon aside, all you need for me to tell you is that our floors look cleaner than ever, and there’s a notable difference in quantity of dust collected between the BISSELL and the Dyson. This might well be because our Dyson was on its last legs, but even so the improvement is so vast it would be silly of me to not attribute it, in part, to the cleaning power of the our new and improved Floor Monster.

It’s a real pleasure to push around too. At only 6.8 kg and far more compact than traditional cylinders, I’m able to go up and down the stairs with ease (damn it! This means we’re taking turns doing the vacuuming again). The head also twists and turns to get into tight spots and there’s side suction on the floor tool for edge-to-edge cleaning. I’m actually chuffed to bits with this as cornices and covings are often neglected in our house. Having the ability to do these without having to change heads is a real bonus.

Better still, the BISSELL C3 Cyclonic Cylinder Vacuum allows seamless transition from standard vacuuming, to detailed cleaning and dusting. Given that dust and dirt settles in a blanket-like fashion throughout your home, the idea is that you can achieve a full clean over every type of surface using this vacuum alone. To do this, you have a number of tools to help you achieve the perfect clean!

• The upholstery tool is perfect for dusting sofas and soft furnishings
• The Soft dusting brush allows you to vacuum away dust from delicate areas, such as pictures and lampshades
• The Firm dusting brush is great for corners and curtains

All in all, I couldn’t be happier with my new toy. It’s already saved me from a mean-looking spider that was living on the ceiling at the top of the stairs, and Craig’s allergies have been much better since making the switch to BISSELL.

Making the big switch from upright to cylinder has also been great in terms of storage. Now there’s plenty more room in the Floor Monster’s Lair for confiscated toys! Sorry Dexter…

If you want to find out more about BISSELL’s range of products, from carpet cleaners to vacuums, then head to bisselldirect.co.uk or check out their YouTube, Facebook or Twitter for brand news and instructional videos.