Best Carpet Cleaners - 2024
Welcome to Vacuum Wars' definitive guide to the best carpet cleaners of 2024! These selections are based on our own in-depth independent and non-sponsored evaluations, focusing on cleaning performance and essential features like water management, maneuverability, and versatility. We also consider customer satisfaction scores to ensure you choose a rug cleaner that offers high value for your investment. Our recommendations are updated regularly to reflect the latest evaluation results and industry insights so you can easily find the ideal and best-rated carpet cleaner for your home.
Features such as the onboard hose system, oxy solution mixing system, and easily emptied dirt bin are game changers that make it well worth the premium price. If you value thorough cleaning performance, then the Shark CarpetXpert just might be your next carpet cleaner. See full review
- Exceptionally powerful suction
- Onboard hose enhances versatility
- Premium attachment set
- Dual activated solution dispensing
- Effective on both wet and dry stains
- Easy to empty and clean
- Lightweight and agile for its class
- Smaller water tank than competitors
- Only two water modes
The dual tank system maintains the separation of clean and dirty water, optimizing the cleaning process. With multiple cleaning modes, including a quick-drying Express Clean and a comprehensive Deep Clean, this machine is adept at handling a variety of cleaning tasks. Additionally, the inclusion of a hose and multiple attachments extends its utility to upholstery and stairs, making it a versatile tool for thorough home cleaning. See full review
- CleanShot technology for targeting stains
- Dual tank system for efficient cleaning
- Deep Clean and Express Clean modes
- Quick drying in about 30 minutes
- Includes hose and multiple attachments
- Excellent at removing deep-seated dirt
- Heavier build
It offers a superior water capacity of 1.7 gallons and demonstrates efficient water usage, ensuring extended cleaning without frequent refills. The Bissell Big Green also excels in suction performance, especially at the floor head where it's most needed, outperforming its competitors in both forward push and backward pull operations. With a long hose and versatile attachments, it proves to be an excellent choice for those seeking a professional-grade carpet cleaner. See full review
- High water capacity (1.7 gallons)
- Efficient water usage
- Exceptional unsealed suction power
- Versatile forward and backward use
- Longest hose offered by Bissell
- Includes tough stain tool
- Effective on wet and dry stains
- Heavy
The Kenmore RevitaLite boasts a balance of features typically found in more expensive machines, such as good suction power and a user-friendly design. It's particularly suited for pet owners or anyone dealing with frequent spills and stains who require a robust, yet budget-friendly, cleaning solution.
- Excellent stain removal
- Cost-effective compared to competitors
- Good suction power
- Lightweight and easy to handle
- Simple, user-friendly design
- Smaller water tank
- Lacks some premium features
- No handheld hose attachment
This carpet cleaner is straightforward in operation, relying on a simple trigger mechanism for water solution application, and proved effective in handling light to moderate stains efficiently. It’s a solid choice for anyone needing a budget-friendly solution for maintaining their carpets, especially given its lightweight design and surprising effectiveness. See full review
- Lightweight, easy to maneuver
- Impressive suction for its class
- Effective on light and moderate stains
- Simple trigger operation
- Affordable price point
- Compact size for easy storage
- Smaller water tank
- Lacks some premium features
- No handheld hose attachment
How We Tested and Picked These Carpet Cleaners
We have purchased almost every popular consumer carpet cleaner on the market and put them through various tests. This year, we even introduced a brand-new testing method designed to measure and compare actual performance.
Keep reading, and we'll delve into each carpet cleaner’s specifications, features, and the evaluation results crucial in scoring each product. We’ll also share why each evaluation method was chosen, our verdict on the best carpet cleaners, and highlight our top picks in three essential categories.
Best carpet cleaners: the fundamentals
All the carpet cleaners we evaluated operate on the same fundamental principle. You start by filling their clean water tanks with water and the manufacturer-provided carpet shampoo. Then, press the trigger on the handle to release the water and solution mixture onto the carpet, which most models include.
As you move the vacuum back and forth, the brushes agitate the carpet while the machine draws the dirty water into a separate tank.
However, some models do not have triggers; they automatically switch between water application and suction-only modes instead, which enhances user convenience. The ones with this feature earned extra points in our evaluation.
Additionally, we gave a lot of extra points to the carpet cleaners with a hose option. That means they include a hose, ranging from 7 to 12 feet in length, and at least one attachment for tackling upholstery, stairs, or stubborn stains.
Most models we reviewed included a hose feature, except ultra-budget options like the Hoover PowerDash Pet and the Bissell TurboClean Powerbrush Pet.
Notably, the Shark CarpetXpert features an onboard hose, which means it’s more or less permanently attached for easy access, similar to an upright vacuum.
Evaluation and performance
In our quest to determine the best carpet cleaners, we evaluated more than the basics. Let’s examine more evaluation outcomes, highlighting key findings and how they translate into real-world usability.
Power and suction
We assessed each carpet cleaner's power in multiple ways. For example, we measured suction using maximum power at the hose and/or base.
We also evaluated usable suction—the suction power measured at the head on a flat, unsealed surface—which we consider a more useful metric. It provides a better practical indication of performance.
Interestingly, both the Shark's premium and budget models demonstrated superior suction power, significantly outperforming their competitors in this vital aspect.
Specs and Features
We considered various features and specifications, such as the tank size of each carpet cleaner. Notably, the Bissell Big Green Professional and the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 had the largest tanks. This makes them particularly suitable for large areas or frequent use.
Also, if you have a very large area to clean or plan on using your carpet cleaner daily, consider the commercial-type models. The larger tanks reduce the need for frequent refills and emptying, enhancing efficiency for extensive cleaning tasks.
Bissell Big Green Professional
Best Professional
Plus, commercial-grade models are built to a much higher standard. You’ll commonly find them in rental fleets. Because of this, finding replacement parts for these carpet cleaners is easier.
Water modes
Another critical criterion in our evaluation was the availability of multiple water modes. Models with adjustable water modes got extra scores due to their added flexibility. For instance, using less water is a considerable advantage for people who want their carpets to dry more quickly.
Some carpet cleaners feature a rinse-only mode, which allows you to use only water to clean your carpets—perfect for a quick refresh without any soap residue.
Unique features
Some of the carpet cleaners have unique features. For example, the Bissell 2X Revolution Pet Pro features a “Clean Shot” technology, which allows you to target stains directly by pressing a button with your foot—functioning like a pre-treatment.
The Bissell HydroSteam is the only model that uses steam. Similarly, the Tineco Carpet One is the only one we evaluated that uses hot air to dry carpets and keep the water warm. It's also the only carpet cleaner with a dirt sensor and an automatic suction adjustment feature. That means it will raise suction power up or down based on the level of dirt detected in the carpet.
With every contender for the best carpet cleaner, we also considered practical aspects such as weight, cord length, and the number of attachments provided in our evaluations.
Stain test
For the stain evaluation, we went with a newly refined approach aimed at delivering unbiased scores for each carpet cleaner’s stain removal abilities. First, we applied equal amounts of juice to a white carpet and allowed it to dry for several days.
To ensure consistency across all evaluations, we used the same batch of cleaning solution mix. We also used identical brands of carpet shampoo and the exact same water-to-shampoo ratio to ensure the results were due to the given carpet cleaner, not the solution.
Additionally, we introduced a new testing method with this year's competition, where we measured each stain's perceptual lightness or CIELAB L data using a spectrophotometer both before and after the assessment. We took five readings for each stain, discarding the highest and lowest measurements and averaging the remaining three, resulting in over 400 precise measurements.
We ran each machine over the stains, doing four five-second back-and-forth passes at maximum power. Then, allow the stains to dry for 24 hours before measuring the lightness again.
It's important to note that we did not use any pre-treatment sprays; our goal was to leave a slight residue to measure post-cleaning. However, pre-treating is recommended if you’re trying to remove similar stains at home.
The results of our stain evaluations were quite revealing. The Shark EX201 CarpetXpert led the pack, closely followed by the Kenmore KW4070 RevitaLite Pet and Bissell Big Green Professional.
Surprisingly, ultra-budget models such as the Bissell TurboClean Powerbrush Pet and the Hoover PowerDash Pet also performed well, making the top six list in stain removal efficiency.
Best carpet cleaners: final scores
After meticulous scoring across evaluations, the top contenders overall, with and without price taken into account, looked as follows.
As you can see, the Shark EX201 CarpetXpert secured the top spot in both cases, with the Bissell 2X Revolution Pet Pro Plus runner-up. And with that note, here are our top picks for best carpet cleaners.
Best Overall: The Shark EX201 CarpetXpert
The Shark CarpetXpert had excellent suction power, the best stain reduction capabilities, and considerable versatility with its onboard hose and additional features. It’s also available at a competitive price despite its premium features. The only potential drawback we found was the somewhat small water tank. However, previous evaluations showed it has pretty good water efficiency.
Shark CarpetXpert
Best Carpet Cleaner
ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro
Runner Up
Best Value: The Kenmore KW4070 RevitaLite Pet
The Kenmore RevitaLite Pet ranked second in the stain reduction assessment. It’s priced significantly lower than the Shark CarpetXpert and Bissell 2X Revolution but offers most of the same features. This makes it an outstanding value purchase.
Kenmore KW4070 RevitaLite Pet
Best Value
Best Budget Option: The Bissell TurboClean Powerbrush Pet
Finally, the Bissell TurboClean did very well in the stain evaluation. It’s also super lightweight and affordable compared to the others. However, it has minor potential limitations, specifically the smaller water tank, a lack of extra features, and no hose attachment.
Bissell TurboClean PowerBrush Pet
Best Budget
These options cater to various needs and budgets, all capable of delivering impressive cleaning results for your home. Whether you prioritize efficiency or seek the best bang for your buck, these models make excellent selections.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the different types of carpet cleaners available and what are their primary uses?
- Compact Carpet Cleaners: Ideal for spot cleaning or small areas. They are lightweight and easy to use but have smaller tank sizes, requiring frequent refilling for larger spaces. A notable downside is the lack of hose and attachments for manual spot cleaning.
- Budget and Premium Mid-Size Carpet Cleaners: Suitable for cleaning entire houses with larger tank capacities and hoses for manual cleaning. These models often feature dual or spinning brushes for enhanced cleaning efficiency. Budget options often do not have hose attachments.
- Commercial Carpet Cleaners: Designed for frequent use or large-scale cleaning with larger water capacities and more powerful motors, making them highly efficient for extensive carpeted areas.
How does suction power impact the performance of a carpet cleaner?
Suction power is crucial for a carpet cleaner's performance as it directly affects its ability to remove water and dirt from the carpets. Strong suction ensures better water pickup, contributing to faster drying times and more effective cleaning.
Why are hose attachments important for a carpet cleaner?
Hose attachments significantly enhance the versatility of a carpet cleaner. They allow for spot cleaning, easy cleaning of upholstery, and reaching into tight spaces. Premium attachment sets with different brushes can also provide more effective cleaning on a variety of surfaces.
What should I consider regarding the tank size of a carpet cleaner?
A larger tank size means less frequent refills, making it more convenient for larger cleaning tasks. However, it also makes the machine heavier and potentially harder to maneuver. It's important to find a balance between tank size and the efficiency of water use to suit your space and cleaning habits.
Can I use a carpet cleaner to wash hard floors?
While some devices are designed to handle both carpets and hard floors, such as certain hard floor cleaners, it is crucial to check the manufacturer's guidelines for your carpet cleaner. Using a carpet cleaner in ways not intended by the manufacturer can damage both the floor and the cleaner. Always refer to the user manual to ensure compatibility and proper use.
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