Head-to-head · Best Carpet Cleaners

Bissell Revolution HydroSteam 4120 vs Shark CarpetXpert EX201

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

Bissell Revolution HydroSteam 4120 comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.2 vs 4.0). The gap is mostly about Users wanting steam cleaning for tough stains — read the strengths below before deciding.

Higher ratedRanked #2 in Best Carpet Cleaners

Bissell Revolution HydroSteam 4120

4.2

3 sourcesall derived$309.99as of Aug 1

Bissell's Revolution HydroSteam adds a steam pretreat stage to a conventional upright carpet cleaner, and that is what it is for: sticky, set-in stains that soap and hot water alone leave behind. Vacuum Wars scored its stain removal 89.2 against a field average of 83.5. The trade is extraction - carpets come up wetter than average, the tanks need refilling often, and coverage is only about 105 square feet per clean tank. Buy it for stain removal, not for fast whole-house cleaning.

Strengths

— Well above average performer in upright stain test, especially cleaning syrup stains
— Uses steam in addition to soap and water, which helps loosen dried-on stains
— Good build quality and easy to use and maintain

Watch-outs

— Leaves carpet wetter after cleaning than most competitors
— Requires frequent refilling of clean water tank and emptying of dirty water tank

$309.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Ranked #4 in Best Carpet Cleaners

Shark CarpetXpert EX201

4.0

1 sourceall derived$249as of Aug 1

The Shark CarpetXpert EX201 has strong suction and covers a lot of ground, doing especially well on moisture extraction and spot cleaning with its StainStriker handheld unit. Reviewers noted below-average stain removal on most stains during upright cleaning tests, peanut butter in particular. Its compact design and easy maintenance suit pet owners and households that need both full-area and targeted cleaning, though the small water tank limits coverage between refills. That makes it a solid choice for targeted cleaning and a weaker one for large areas without frequent refills.

Strengths

— Excellent suction power at the nozzle, well above average for moisture extraction
— Easy maintenance with accessible brushroll and detachable dirty water tank
— Versatile design allowing easy transition from upright to spot cleaning

Watch-outs

— Below average performance on most stains in upright cleaning test, particularly peanut butter
— Small water tanks with below average capacity requiring frequent refills

$249 · Check Price on Amazon Full 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 Revolution HydroSteam 4120

The Bissell Revolution HydroSteam 4120 outperforms the Bissell TurboClean Pet XL 3746 in stain cleaning, particularly with syrup stains, thanks to its steam technology. However, it leaves carpets wetter and requires more frequent tank refills compared to the Shark CarpetXpert EX151, which has better suction but worse stain performance.

Shark CarpetXpert EX201

The Shark CarpetXpert EX201 surpasses the Bissell TurboClean Pet XL 3746 in suction power and offers better versatility with its StainStriker handheld unit, but it underperforms in upright stain tests compared to the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam 4120, which uses steam for better results. It also has smaller tanks than the Bissell Big Green Pet Pro 3288.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Bissell Revolution HydroSteam 4120	Shark CarpetXpert EX201
Weight	20 lbs	18 lbs
Cord Length	20 ft	20 ft
Hose Length	7 ft	5.1 ft
Tank Capacity	1 Gallon	0.53 gal
Cleaning Path Width	10 in	10 in
Suction	2.5	most powerful suction among carpet cleaners we’ve seen
Coverage	105 Sq. Ft. Per Clean Tank	122 Sq. Ft. Per Clean Tank
Material	Plastic	Foam
Dimensions	—	1"L x 1"W x 1"H

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