Best Carpet Cleaners – 2024

Welcome to Vacuum Wars’ definitive guide to the best carpet cleaners of 2024!

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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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.