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Head-to-head · Best Carpet Cleaners

Shark CarpetXpert EX151 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

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

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 →
Shark CarpetXpert EX201
Ranked #4 in Best Carpet Cleaners
Shark CarpetXpert EX201
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 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

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.

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

SpecShark CarpetXpert EX151Shark CarpetXpert EX201
Weight15.9 lbs18 lbs
Cord Length25 ft20 ft
Hose Length5 ft5.1 ft
Cleaning Path Width10 in10 in
SuctionWell above average at nozzlemost powerful suction among carpet cleaners we’ve seen
Coverage56 sq ft per dirty tank122 Sq. Ft. Per Clean Tank
Dimensions13.2"D x 12"W x 43.5"H1"L x 1"W x 1"H
Tank Capacity—0.53 gal
Material—Foam
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