Shark CarpetXpert (EX201) Review

Analysis

A step by step breakdown of the EX201's performance.

The EX201 was measured to have right around average suction at the base (at a port near the vacuum motor) and at the hose (where tools are attached for spot cleaning).

It was measured to have well above average suction at the nozzle (where the cleaner head extracts moisture from carpet).

The table above lists the number of passes it took the EX201 to clean up each of the seven stains we lay out for our upright stain test.

Scores greater than 10 indicate that the cleaner did not completely clean up that particular stain after 10 back and forth passes (we ended the test after 10 passes). In this case the score describes the lightness of the stain. The higher the score, the darker the stain the cleaner left behind.

As you can see, the EX201 left behind a tomato sauce and peanut butter stain after 10 back and forth passes.

The tomato sauce result is worse than average, but even the average is 11 – meaning most other cleaners also didn’t completely clean this stain.

The peanut butter result is much worse than average, and the average is less than 10 – meaning most competitors could completely clean this stain in less than 10 passes.

Cleaning up most other stains the EX201’s performance was right around average. The only stain it cleaned faster than average was the ice cream stain, which it cleaned in 7 passes vs an average of 8.

After our upright stain test we measured the moisture level of the carpet that was cleaned.

The reading (on the moisture meter) for the EX201 was 27% which is exactly what the average was for all of the carpet cleaners we tested.

After taking this measurement, we pushed and pulled the carpet cleaner three more times across the same section of carpet. During these three passes we set the cleaner to dry only mode so that it would only dry the carpet (not wash and clean it). After these three passes the reading for the EX201 was 24% which is slightly drier than the average of 25%.

The EX201 has very small water tanks, and so it has a very small area of coverage before you need to refill its clean tank (with soap and water) and empty its dirty water tank (of dirty water). This is definitely a weakness for the EX201.

Cleaning the EX201 after washing carpet is fairly easy and straightforward.

Its dirty water tank comes apart so you can clean the inside of the tank very easily. The EX201 does have two filters you have to clean – a hard plastic filter and a black foam filter. Most competitors only have one filter you have to clean.

You can remove the front nozzle of the EX201 and you can pop open the plastic piece that covers its brushroll. Beyond that, you can also very easily remove its brushroll (without a screwdriver). Overall, cleaning the EX201’s cleaner head is about as easy as it gets for an upright carpet cleaner.

Versatility is definitely a strength of the EX201.

First of all, you can store an attached hose and spot cleaning tools on the cleaner itself.

Most competitors require that you store the included hose and tools in a bag.

Needless to say, it’s much easier to transition between upright cleaning and spot cleaning with the Shark.

The EX201 was also the best performer overall in our spot cleaning test.

Even with the same soap and water mix we use to test all carpet cleaners, it cleaned up the stains in our spot cleaning test significantly better than most other upright cleaners we tested.

Other Notes and Features

The EX201 is one of only a handful of upright carpet cleaners we tested that automatically dispenses soap and water when you push it forward and automatically maximizes extraction when you pull it backward.

Most competitors have a trigger that you have to pull to dispense soap and water and that you have to release to maximize extraction.

Another unique feature is the EX201’s StainStriker reservoir. You can fill this reservoir with Shark Oxy Multiplier solution for spot cleaning only. Using this solution really didn’t make much of a difference though in our spot cleaning tests. We recommend you just use a standard soap and water mix for spot cleaning with the EX201.

Verdict

Our bottom line recommendations.

The EX201 is the best spot cleaning upright carpet cleaner we tested.

If this functionality (spot cleaning) is important to you – if you plan on spot cleaning just as much as or even more than you plan on using the cleaner in upright mode – then the EX201 can certainly be a viable option for you.

However, if you plan on using the cleaner primarily in upright mode, there are much better options out there – models that clean carpet better and faster, leave carpet drier after cleaning, and can cover a much larger area before you need to refill and empty their water tanks. For the latest updated list of those competitors we recommend, see here.