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Head-to-head · Best Carpet Cleaners

Bissell Big Green Pet Pro 3288 vs Shark CarpetXpert EX151

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Shark CarpetXpert EX151 comes out ahead by a clear margin (4.0 vs 4.5). The gap is mostly about Budget-conscious users seeking good suction and easy maintenance — read the strengths below before deciding.

Bissell Big Green Pet Pro 3288
Ranked #3 in Best Carpet Cleaners
Bissell Big Green Pet Pro 3288
3 sourcesall derived$459.99as of Aug 1

The Big Green Pet Pro 3288 is the heavy-duty end of BISSELL's home line, built around an 8-row DirtLifter PowerBrush and dual 1.75-gallon tanks so a large area can be cleaned without stopping to refill. A 9-foot hose and pet-specific tools reach stairs and upholstery, and it ships with the brand's urine eliminator formula. The catch is mass: at 44 lbs it is difficult to move, awkward to empty and hard to carry between floors, and it wants warm tap water to work at its best. It suits households with multiple pets and a lot of carpet, and nobody else.

Strengths
  • — Features 8-Row DirtLifter PowerBrush for powerful stain and odor removal
  • — Includes long-reach hose (9') and specialized pet tools for hard-to-access areas
  • — Dual large tank capacity (1.75 gallons each) reduces refilling frequency
Watch-outs
  • — Heavy weight (44 lbs) may be difficult for some users to maneuver
  • — Requires warm tap water for optimal cleaning performance
$459.99 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →
Shark CarpetXpert EX151
Higher ratedRanked #1 in Best Carpet Cleaners
Shark CarpetXpert EX151
2 sourcesall derived$199.99as of Aug 1

The Shark CarpetXpert EX151 pulls strong suction, particularly at the nozzle, and keeps maintenance simple with easy access to the brushroll and cleaning components. It does poorly on certain stains, peanut butter and tomato sauce among them. The small dirty water tank limits how much ground you cover, though the hose storage system and integrated spot cleaning tool give it more reach than competitors. Buyers who want a budget-friendly machine with good suction are the fit; anyone expecting heavy-duty stain removal is not.

Strengths
  • — Above average sealed suction at the hose and well above average unsealed suction at the nozzle
  • — Brushroll is highly accessible and easily removable for cleaning
  • — Hose stores on the carpet cleaner itself, which makes transitioning from upright cleaning to spot cleaning very easy
Watch-outs
  • — Below average performer cleaning tomato sauce, grape juice, and especially peanut butter in upright stain test
  • — Dirty water tank has exceptionally low capacity, which gives this cleaner a very small area of coverage before you need to empty this tank
$199.99 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

How they stack up

Bissell Big Green Pet Pro 3288

While the Bissell Big Green Pet Pro 3288 excels in heavy-duty cleaning with its 8-Row DirtLifter PowerBrush and dual tank system, it's significantly heavier than the Bissell ProHeat 2x Revolution Pet Pro Plus 3588F and lacks the latter's specialized pet tools. Compared to the Shark CarpetXpert EX201, it has better overall stain removal but is less versatile in spot cleaning.

Shark CarpetXpert EX151

The Shark CarpetXpert EX151 offers better suction at the nozzle than the Bissell TurboClean Pet XL 3746 and has an integrated hose for easy spot cleaning, but it performs worse on tough stains like peanut butter compared to the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam 4120. It also has a smaller dirty water tank capacity than the Bissell Big Green Pet Pro 3288.

Specs side-by-side

SpecBissell Big Green Pet Pro 3288Shark CarpetXpert EX151
Weight44 lbs15.9 lbs
Cord Length25'25 ft
Hose Length9'5 ft
Tank Capacity1.75 Gal—
Cleaning Path Width10.5 in10 in
Suctionpowerful suctionWell above average at nozzle
Dimensions21"D x 11"W x 108"H13.2"D x 12"W x 43.5"H
Coverage—56 sq ft per dirty tank
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