There are so many carpet cleaning machines on the market, and they’re not all created equal. When I began searching for the best carpet cleaner for pets, I obviously turned to Bissell, which has manufactured some of our favorite machines. The brand’s latest model is the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam pet carpet cleaner, which the company claims is its best carpet cleaner to date. I put it to the test ourselves to see if it’s truly as good as expected.

What is the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam?

The Bissell Revolution HydroSteam is an ultra-powerful upright carpet cleaner that uses proprietary HydroSteam technology to break up tough, set-in stains and messes that are difficult to clean, such as spills of oily or sticky substances. It offers three cleaning modes to handle jobs of all sizes, and the “Quick Dry” mode helps get carpets dry within 30 minutes. In addition to cleaning the floors using its upright design, this best Bissell carpet cleaner has an attached hose for cleaning upholstery, stairs and messes in hard-to-reach places.

We Tried It

Bissell Revolution HydroSteam Pet Carpet Cleaner

As the only upright deep cleaner with HydroSteam technology, it's now easier than ever to tackle stubborn pet messes.

How Does Bissell Revolution Carpet Cleaner Work?

Just like an upright vacuum cleaner, the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam pet carpet cleaner uses two rotating brushes to remove surface dirt and debris from carpets. The patented DirtLifter PowerBrushes and powerful suction lift up dirt that regular vacuums leave behind, and work cleaning solution deep into the carpet fibers, quickly scrubbing away stains. For stubborn spots, there’s a steam pretreat mode, as well as a quick-dry mode to thoroughly remove excess moisture.

This corded machine has easy-to-use controls on the handle, and a light-emitting diode (LED) display that lets you know what mode you’re cleaning in. Included with the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam is an 8-foot detachable hose, a 6-inch tough stain tool, a two-in-one pet upholstery tool and a three-in-one stair tool. It also comes with 8-ounce bottles of Bissell’s carpet deep-clean formula and urine eliminator formula, and a rinse and storage tray to make it easier to clean your machine after use.

How We Tested It

Bissell Revolution Hydrosteam Pet Carpet CleanerAllison Robicelli for Family Handyman

The Bissell Revolution HydroSteam is a monster of a machine, cleaning carpets in ways I’ve only seen professional machines do. When I tested it on a heavily soiled carpet, it felt like bringing a flamethrower to a fistfight. It demolished almost every carpet mess I threw at it with only one pass, and for the extra-stubborn stains, a second pass got them out for good.

The suction power of the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam is nothing short of incredible, pulling up dirt and lint that even a top-of-the-line vacuum can miss. It cleans with steam and soapy water simultaneously, which pulls up grime with ease. For all its power, this best carpet cleaning machine is surprisingly not as loud as you might expect—it’s about the same noise as an old-fashioned vacuum, so it’s not deafening.

Bissell Revolution Hydrosteam Pet Carpet CleanerAllison Robicelli for Family Handyman

In addition to doing a stupendous job of getting carpets clean, the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam is very user friendly, with easy-to-adjust settings and clear markings. It’s also simple to attach and detach the clean and dirty water tanks without struggling.

As for the downsides, you should know this pet carpet cleaner is one of the heaviest carpet cleaners I’ve tested, which is to be expected from a machine this powerful. At 22.5 pounds, it’s not so heavy that it can’t be brought up and down stairs, but it does take a good amount of effort, so if you have trouble lifting things, you might need an extra hand to help out.

It’s also worth noting that this machine runs through water quite quickly while cleaning, so if you’ve got a big area to cover, you may need to refill the tank with water and additional cleaner multiple times. This model includes two small bottles of cleaner to get you started, but you may want to keep extra carpet cleaner handy, just in case.

Pros

  • Gets carpets truly clean—and quickly
  • Quick-dry mode gets carpets dry in 30 minutes or less
  • Powerful suction
  • Simple operating controls with clear markings
  • Easy to clean

Cons

  • Heavier than other cleaners
  • Pricey (but a worthwhile investment!)

FAQ

Bissell Revolution Hydrosteam Pet Carpet CleanerAllison Robicelli for Family Handyman

What cleaning solution do you use with Bissell Revolution HydroSteam pet carpet cleaner?

Though Bissell suggests that you use its brand of carpet cleaning solutions with this machine, in my tests I’ve found that other brands of pet carpet cleaners are just as effective. Check out the best carpet cleaners for eliminating pet stains.

What Other Reviewers Had to Say

Fellow real-life users are loving the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam for all their pet messes. Here’s what they have to say:

Amazon customer, Carly Merriman, raves that this unit is better than renting a professional machine. “My husband and I thought our fairly new carpet was ready to be removed, as we had paid for professional cleaning multiple times and the carpet just never seemed clean. We have three boys and a dog and there were stains/smells we never thought would leave,” she writes. “We decided to purchase this carpet cleaner as our last attempt to save our carpet and [I’m] so glad we did! This thing is SO worth buying. After one pass over our entire floor and a few passes over the heavily stained areas, our carpets look new and smell great.”

“I am truly amazed at how good this machine worked,” writes verified Bissell customer, Robin. “There were some very old and deeply set stains in my carpet that would go away momentarily with my older model but always seemed to reappear, and it completely removed them without a trace. I will recommend this new machine to everyone I know.”

“My little girl is in her geriatric days so there’s way more accidents then before. Immediately I got this and put it straight to work,” writes five-star reviewer, Brandy. “It pulled way more out then I thought it would!! I’m going to clean and deep clean the carpets this weekend and get the nasty out. And as far as the urine stain and smell remover, my house no longer smells.”

Final Verdict

Of all the best pet carpet cleaning machines I’ve tested this year, nothing has wowed me like the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam pet carpet cleaner. It’s an absolute beast that gets carpets as clean as can be, leaving them smelling fresh and looking brand new. If you’re looking to invest in one of the best pet carpet cleaning machine brands on the market, I cannot recommend this product highly enough.

Where to Buy the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam

We Tried It

Bissell Revolution HydroSteam Pet Carpet Cleaner

This ultra-powerful upright carpet cleaner uses proprietary HydroSteam technology to break up tough, set-in stains and messes that are difficult to clean.

You can buy the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam directly from the brand’s website, where it retails for $399.99, but frequently goes on sale. It’s also available from Amazon and Target. Goodbye, pet stains (for real this time)!