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The Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro has garnered thousands of rave reviews from its users for the past few years—a feat not many products can match. Our team wanted to find out what the buzz over this Bissell was about, so I volunteered to test it.
This product is just one in a long line of carpet-cleaning products. Since 1876, Bissell has developed and manufactured cleaning products for every type of floor, from tile to area rugs. Our team has tested more than a dozen Bissell products, including spray cleaners, mops, vacuum cleaners, and, of course, carpet cleaners. There’s a reason Bissell products make so many of our best-of lists—simply put, they work.
I used this Bissell in my home for 3 days on everything from dirt to chocolate to red fox urine. (Yes, really! It’s a common rodent repellent.) In addition to using it on seven test stains, I used the machine to clean the carpet in my 300-square-foot family room, a couple of old stains on my stairs, and my dog’s favorite nighttime sleeping spot. I also lent it to a fellow dog owner to get her take. Bissell claims that this model can deliver professional cleaning results. I don’t think they’re wrong.
Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Plus Carpet Cleaner: At a Glance
Rating: 9/10
SPECS
- Weight: 17.5 pounds
- Power cord length: 25 feet
- Hose length: 8 feet
- Dimensions: 42 inches tall by 13 inches wide by 16 inches deep
- Attachments: 3-inch crevice tool, 2-in-1 pet upholstery tool, bag
- Cleaning path width: 11 inches
- Clean water-tank capacity: 1 gallon
PROS
- Intuitive design enables users to start cleaning almost immediately after assembly
- Can easily replace the need for a carpet cleaner rental or a professional cleaning
- Easy to clean all compartments on the machine, from top to bottom
- 25-foot-long cord and 8-foot hose enable uninterrupted cleaning of expansive rooms
CONS
- Balance of weight tilts to the front of the machine, which makes carrying it awkward
- Large machine takes up a good amount of storage space
- Dirty tank requires frequent emptying during larger jobs
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What is the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro?
The Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro is a carpet and upholstery cleaner designed to rival professional carpet cleaners. It has three cleaning settings: express, deep, and max. The max setting sprays the most cleaning solution and offers the strongest suction power of the three settings. That is the setting that, according to Bissell, delivers professional results. It also has Heatwave Technology, which Bissell claims keeps the water warm during cleaning.
This model also features a CleanShot spray nozzle to directly target stains when cleaning upright and has two attachments, a cleaning tool for the brush roll cover and a tool bag.
Simple Assembly
It took me about 10 minutes to put together the Bissell, and that was only because I double-checked my work to ensure proper assembly for testing. The only additional tool I needed was a Phillips screwdriver. First, I inserted the handle into the top of the base until it clicked into place—no tools necessary. Then I aligned the carry handle with slots on the base, clicked that into place, and secured it with a single screw. After that, I just placed the clean water tank on top.
Detailed Cleaning Instructions
Once I got past assembly, I found that I had to read the directions extra carefully. Solutions have to be mixed a certain way depending on the type and cleaning mode, and each cleaning mode has specific pace and usage directions.
Though they are easy to understand and fairly straightforward, it can be a lot to keep straight when getting started. For instance, I didn’t notice that one of the included cleaning samples was considered an easy-fill formula, and I just filled the tank for express mode. (Though my error didn’t matter much as you’ll see below.)
To help users easily mix solutions, handy water and formula fill lines mark the back of the clean-water tank. There are three sets of fill lines. The lowest set is for the express-clean mode, which requires the least amount of water and solution. At the top of the tank, there are two sets of fill lines. One is for deep clean and max-clean modes, and the other is for easy-fill formulas.
Then there are cleaning mode instructions. These get very specific. For example, for max or deep-clean mode with the antibacterial formula, Bissell suggests a pace of 8 inches per second. At that pace, you’ll want to hold the spray trigger for one pass forward, one pass back, one pass forward, and then release the spray trigger on one pass back. Again, this is straightforward, but there are three other modes with two other sets of instructions.
These specifics slowed me down a bit at the start, but once I got going, I was trying the Bissell everywhere I could think of in my home and on a set of stains I created just for testing.
Intuitive Design, but Limited Portability
If you know how to use an upright vacuum, you can figure out how to use the Bissell. Every button and lever is clearly labeled with words or recognizable symbols. All of this made the machine easy to use and clean. The clean-water tank lifts up easily for filling and slides back into place for use. The dirty-water tank is released with a purple lever, has a pull tab for emptying, and also slides easily back into place.
To start the machine, there is a red power button on the left side and a purple foot pedal to unlock it from its upright position. Next to the foot pedal is a large button, the Clean Shot, for dispersing cleaning solution directly onto tough stains for a 5-minute pretreat. I liked this feature, but I would have preferred for the solution to disperse from the center of the base rather than the side. I found it a bit more difficult to aim from the side, which led to some waste of cleaning solution.
On the other hand, I found attaching the accessory hose incredibly convenient. I understood exactly how the hose went in—without reading directions— thanks to the bright red door on the base. I just lifted that and clicked the hose in. I also appreciated the length of the hose—8 feet. I could take the hose halfway up or down my staircase while leaving the machine on the floor. The long hose was not just convenient; it was essential for cleaning the stairs. Given the size of this carpet cleaner, I could not have set it on my stairs, and it was too heavy (roughly 25.5 pounds when the tank is full) to hold while also cleaning with an attachment.
Though its design makes it easy to use overall, the balance of weight on the machine makes it difficult to carry, especially when the tanks are full. The carpet cleaner’s weight is all on the front of the machine, but the carry handle is on the back, so it tilts far forward when it’s carried. Plus, the handle itself lacks an ergonomic shape. When I carried the cleaner upstairs, the hard plastic handle dug into my hand. I couldn’t wait to set it back down.
Professional Cleaning Quality
For testing, I used the max-clean mode to clean my family room and part of the bedroom where my dog sleeps. The Bissell did an incredible job in my family room. That room was overdue for a professional cleaning, but I’m not sure it needs it now.
The Bissell removed the dinginess of the carpet, eliminated dark spots, and lifted and softened the carpet overall. I wanted to improve the look of the worn carpet near the family room entrance. That 3-foot by 3-foot section gets heavy foot traffic and serves as a resting spot for my 60-pound dog. I went over that section three times. Now, that carpet is as close to new as a 9-year-old carpet is going to get. The only downside was that I had to empty the dirty-water tank five times during cleaning, but that took less than a minute each time.
I also used the Bissell on my dog’s favorite nighttime sleeping spot. The carpet had become grayish and there was a clear dirt line between where he rests and a nightstand. Thanks to the Bissell, that line vanished, and I only had to clean the area once.
Powerful Stain Removal
I also spot cleaned seven stains: red wine, ketchup, chocolate syrup, mud, coffee, vegetable oil, and red fox urine. For the first six, I let them sit on a carpet remnant for 2 hours. I wanted to see what the Bissell could do with the least amount of effort on my part, so I didn’t pretreat any of the stains and let them soak.
After I removed excess liquid and debris first, I started cleaning. I filled the clean water tank with solution and warm water to the express-mode fill lines. I tried to clean the coffee stain first on express mode. That didn’t work, so I bumped up to deep-cleaning and then to max-cleaning mode. (Now, technically, I should have filled the tank, according to directions for those modes, but it didn’t seem to matter a great deal.) The coffee stain remained but was significantly improved after cleaning it for just a few minutes the first time.
On the first round of stain removal, the Bissell soaked up all of the other stains almost completely. However, I wanted to see how perfectly clean I could get the carpet. The mud and ketchup came out after two rounds of cleaning, and everything else came out after three times—except for the pesky coffee stain, which I ended up going over five times. It’s just barely there and would be unnoticeable to house guests.
Because my dog doesn’t accidentally potty inside, I also used the Bissell on red fox urine (on a separate remnant from the one pictured) and lent the Bissell to a friend with an accident-prone dog. We had the same experience as I had with the food stains—namely, that tough, set-in stains require more than one round of cleaning and a pretreat, but the first round offers significant improvement.
My friend ran out of cleaning solution before she could go over some stains a bit more, but she was confident doing so would remove them. (She has another Bissell model that she uses to clean regularly.) I was able to remove the fox urine stain after two rounds of cleaning. The odor of the fox urine stain, however, just faintly remained—but was significantly improved.
Is the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro worth the money?
The answer is, of course, it depends. When compared to portable carpet cleaners that land in the $100 range, $300 for a carpet cleaner can seem expensive. On the other hand, when compared to upright carpet cleaners, $300 seems more reasonable, with cheaper models around $100 and professional cleaners around $500. For its cleaning performance and versatility, the Bissell’s price point is on the money, so to speak.
Should you buy Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro?
If you mainly spot clean your rugs or carpet, this Bissell model might be overkill. In those cases, the Bissell Little Green could be a better pick. Also, those with area rugs might prefer a gentler cleaning option. With its rotating brush and powerful suction, the Bissell can pull carpet fibers out of their loop, as my friend noticed on one of her area rugs. Though it didn’t significantly change the appearance of her rug—it pulled four small fibers less than ¼ inch in length—it’s something to keep in mind.
On the other hand, if you have a busy household with accident-prone occupants and plenty of storage space (it’s a big machine), the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro could give your floors the more thorough cleaning they need. It’s a powerful spot and carpet cleaner that gives floors a much-needed refresh.
Where to Buy the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro
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Meet the Tester
As an editor at BobVila.com, Beth Cranston designs the testing guidelines and rubrics for the product reviews team. She has been a writer and editor for more than a decade, with a focus on all things home since 2017, covering everything from kitchen design ideas to electrical plans for home remodeling blogs.