If you think about it really, cleaning your floors with a mop and bucket isn’t actually cleaning. The water ends up lukewarm and finally, you are using dirty water to mop the floors. Often you will notice a stale smell, which is disheartening after all your effort. With today’s technology, there are a number of options for cleaning floors that are quicker, more effective and more hygienic. The Bissell Crosswave and the Bissell Symphony are examples of a 2-in-1 vacuum and mop. With either machine you can glide over a variety of floors and in one pass, the floor is vacuumed and mopped. The water stays constantly hot and fresh smell is left behind. This article is going to cover the main aspects of the Bissell Crosswave vs Symphony. We will take a closer look at their features and uses. There will be detailed descriptions of how they are similar and different and side-by-side comparison. After out pros and cons and the final verdict, you will be able to choose which of the two is right for you.
In terms of their similarities, there actually aren’t any major. The Crosswave has an RPM of 3500. The Symphony RPM is not stated, so it could be the same but there are no guarantees. Both machines have a 25ft cord. The only rather obvious thing we could mention is that they both vacuum and mop. On that note, let’s get straight into the differences.
Bissell Crosswave vs Symphony
The following chart will help you to see the information we have talked about.
Bissell Crosswave
- Size: 46 x 10.5 x 12 inches
- Weight: 11.02lbs
- Color: White/green/black
- Water tank: 2 tank system
- Tank capacity: 28oz
- Cleaning path: 12 inches
- Cord length: 25ft
- RPM: 3500
- Uses: Tiles, sealed wood, pressed hardwood, rubber mats, laminate, area rugs, carpet
- Cleaning abilities: Dual-action brush roll
- Cleaning extras: Multi-surface pet formula with Febreeze
Bissell Symphony
- Size: 46.5 x 9 x 11 inches
- Weight: 13lbs
- Color: Silver/blue
- Water tank: Dry tank technology
- Tank capacity: 12.8oz
- Cleaning path: 11 inch
- Cord length: 25ft
- RPM: 3000
- Uses: Hard Floors, Bare Floors, ceramic, tiles, granite, marble, linoleum
- Cleaning abilities: Cyclonic vacuum, digital controls to switch between vacuum and mop
- Cleaning extras: Scented water and spring breeze freshening discs
Bissell Crosswave vs Symphony: Appearance
The Crosswave and the Symphony look like most standard upright vacuums. They have a removable tank on the front, a long handle with the controls at your fingertips.
Bissell Crosswave
It is a rather bright vacuum mop with lime green features. It weighs 11.02lbs, which makes it light enough for most people to use it. The dimensions are fairly standard at 46 x 10.5 x 12 inches.
Bissell Symphony
It weighs a little more at 13lbs but there is no noticeable difference in the size at 46.5 x 9 x 11 inches. The colors are blue and silver.
The winner is – A tie
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Bissell Crosswave vs Symphony: Uses
It is rare to find a home that has just one type of flooring. For this reason, an ideal vacuum mop will function on various floor types. Modern machines should allow you to adjust the floor type without having to stop the power.
Bissell Crosswave
Not only is it safe to use on various floors it is also effective. You can use the Crosswave on sealed wood floors, carpet, rugs, laminate, and linoleum, to name a few.
Bissell Symphony
The Symphony will work on all sealed floors including hardwood, ceramic, tiles, linoleum, granite, and marble. You can’t use the Symphony on rugs or carpets.
The winner is- The Crosswave
Read next: Bissell 1806 vs 1940: Which Steam Mop is Better?
Bissell Crosswave vs Symphony: The Tank
The tank on a vacuum mop will play a role in the ability to clean and the ease of use. A larger tank allows for more cleaning time but it will also add to the weight.
Bissell Crosswave
This comes with 2-tank technology. There is one tank that holds the clean water and formula you choose to add. The second tank is for the dirty water. We do love this feature as you know your floor will be cleaned with clean water, unlike a mop and bucket.
Bissell Symphony
With the dry tank technology, the moisture is kept away from the debris that is vacuumed up. This way the dirt tank is kept completely dry.
The winner is- A tie
Bissell Crosswave vs Symphony: Cleaning abilities
When you choose to invest a large amount of money (compared to a broom, mop, and bucket) you want to know that the vacuum mop you choose is going to do an excellent job. Personally, we like a fresh smell throughout the house too.
Bissell Crosswave
It has a dual-action brush roll with an innovative microfiber and nylon brush. As the head moves over the surface the brush will pick up larger pieces of dirt while mopping the floor at the same time. There is a range of formulas that you can add to the clean water depending on the surface or a multi-surface formula. There is even a formula for pet owners. These formulas leave a spring breeze scent.
Bissell Symphony
The digital buttons allow you to choose between suction only, mop only, or a combination of both. You can also choose between high or low steam pressure. There are two washable mop pads included, one soft and one scrubby. There is an opening in each where you can add a spring breeze freshening disc. There is also a choice of 4 scented waters.
The winner is- The Crosswave
Bissell Crosswave vs Symphony: Ease of use
Both the Bissell vacuum mops are lightweight so you won’t have to worry about lugging them upstairs. An easy vacuum mop will be maneuverable around furniture, straightforward to clean, and with a long enough power cord to reach most of your rooms.
Bissell Crosswave
With a swivel head, it is easy o steer the head around any obstacles. The power cord is 5ft long, which is sufficient for most. It comes with an easy-clean storage tray and the brush is easy to remove too. The water tank capacity is 28oz, so again, sufficient to clean most homes.
Bissell Symphony
Unfortunately, there is no swivel head, so it is a little bit like going back in time to a backward and forwards vacuum. Also, the water tank only has a 12.8oz capacity. On a positive, the head is slightly smaller so it will be able to fit under furniture better. The detachable mop pad tray makes changing the mop pad easy.
The winner is- The Crosswave
Pros and Cons
Before the final verdict, here is the chance to read some of the pros and cons of the Crosswave and the Symphony.
The Bissell Crosswave
Pros:
- You will be amazed and the speed of how it cleans and how well it functions, you will notice how well by the dirty water tank
- It gets close to sideboards and easy to swivel around objects
- It’s easy to clean the brush and you don’t get long hairs wrapped around the brush
Cons:
- It doesn’t have the longest life span
The Bissell Symphony
Pros:
- It does a good job of breaking down dried on mud and you won’t be left with a streaky floor
- Great for people who have pets, children, or high traffic homes
- It’s well built and feels quite sturdy when you use it
Cons:
- Again, the life span isn’t very long
The Final Verdict
While we were testing the two vacuum mops we noticed a couple of things that improve the cleaning abilities. With the Crosswave, you really only need a tiny bit of the cleaning formula. If you use too much you may end with streaky floors. To reduce the chance of getting streaks with the Symphony, it is best to use the low-pressure setting and keep the high pressure for stubborn dirt.
We tried the Symphony and Crosswave on the relatively clean floor to floors that were covered with hairs and dirt. Both did an amazing job and leaving the floors spotless. As sad as it sounds, it was almost fun comparing our dirty water. After a little bit of trial and error, we got the right amount of formula for a nice smell without streaks. Don’t be surprised if it takes more than one go to get the right balance for you.
Our overall winner today was the Bissell Crosswave. It didn’t come down to the cleaning abilities but more about the use of both of them. The larger water tank capacity made a huge difference. The Crosswave tank is more than double that of the Symphony, so you get double the cleaning time.
The swivel head on the Crosswave also gives it an advantage. It is quite awkward not having one, especially if you have had a swivel head before. It is also a huge plus that you can use it on rugs and carpets and notice a real improvement. We liked the fact that the brush is built-in. It felt a little bit more solid compared with the mop pads.
The Crosswave is just slightly more expensive but we felt it was more than worth it considering how much easier it will make cleaning.