I bought a Bissell handheld vacuum for my stairs (which it does very well) but had no idea how quickly the filters clog and need to be cleaned. be changed. Every time I remove the ladder, I religiously clean the tank, clean the wire mesh filter, and blow as much dust out of the filter as possible, but still, filters are meant for only a few uses. After discovering them, the cost of using my Bissell dropped dramatically. They are almost indistinguishable from the originals, have a perfect fit, excellent filtration and each filter comes with a wire mesh pre-filter. If you have a portable Bissell, they are a must.