Bissell is one of the most popular brands in floorcare thanks to a longstanding history of producing well-made and useful appliances that don't cost the earth. Their carpet cleaners are among some of the best in the consumer market, so I had to see for myself whether they live up to their reputation.
I was intrigued to get my hands on the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro and find out what it's capable of. I already have one of the best vacuums for pet hair so, naturally, a carpet cleaner has to be up to the task of deep cleaning my floors, too.
I'm Homes & Gardens' home tech editor, and I review vacuums and floorcare products almost every day. I tested the Bissell in my own home with a set of measured substances, and in a local animal shelter to see how it handles the ultimate source of mess: pets.
Specifications of the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro
Setting up the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro
The Bissell ProHeat 2X took longer to setup than any other cleaning appliance I've used. It required a screwdriver (that's not included) to attach the carry handle to the main body, it took around 20 minutes in total.
Although it was a slow setup, I appreciated that this meant it was packaged in a much more compact box.
Included in the box were: carpet cleaner, hose in a carry bag, handle, water tanks, water tank handle, three cleaning attachments and three cleaning solutions.
Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro: Design and features
The ProHeat 2X works just like any carpet cleaner with a couple of useful additions. On the floorhead there's a Clean Shot spout on the side, and if you press the button with your foot, it'll shoot out cleaning solution to pre-treat stains. Pre-treating stains is one of the golden rules of stain removal and especially makes a big difference with older and tougher stains.
There's a trigger on the handle for wet cleaning – press it and cleaning solution will release from the 11-inch floorhead into the carpet. Bissell recommends two wet passes using cleaning solution then two dry passes to remove the dirty water.
It also comes with a set of attachments that have you covered for different cleaning tasks. The stair tool rotates for three different uses: one with angled brush bristles, one with straight bristles, and one without.
But the main attachment is the 2-in-1 pet upholstery tool. It has its own filter, a switch for wet or dry cleaning, and green rubber bristles to loosen dirt and stains from carpet and furniture. This tool can spray cleaning solution on an area and actually suck up pet messes directly (but it's recommended to scoop most of it away first).
What is the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro like to use?
As ever with a Bissell cleaner, the ProHeat 2X is a breeze to use. Aside from the long-winded assembly, everything about this carpet cleaner is straightforward, with clear visuals on the appliance to know what to use and when. You don't have to worry about switching between cleaning modes, you either use the floorhead for large areas or any of the attachments for furniture and spot cleans.
The water tanks slot in and out effortlessly, with no fiddling around or finding the right angle. The buttons are all easy to access while using it, too, which is a very welcomed design quality to avoid bending down or struggling with parts.
Clean Shot is super straightforward to use and a thoughtful feature from Bissell, to better tackle any tough stains that won't budge from normal cleaning. Press it to shoot a small stream of cleaning solution about four inches from the floorhead onto any stains, then press again to stop. It's a nice touch to be able to apply solution without having to attach the hose or mix it yourself in a separate container and pour it on.
The ProHeat 2X really shines is in its attachments. The pet upholstery tool can capture small solids with its own filter while the liquid feeds back into the dirty tank. Being able to spray solution in a handheld tool also gives great freedom when spot cleaning or dealing with tough furniture stains.
It weighs just 17.5 lbs, which is around the average weight of the best upright vacuums, but around 3 lbs lighter than your average carpet cleaner so it isn't too demanding to swivel around the house. It makes around 81.5 decibels of noise, which is similar to a hairdryer or blender, but pretty standard for a carpet cleaner.
It's sturdy, with a long cord to reach far into the house, and a small lever by the feet for press when you need to recline it (helping to avoid you doing so by accident). It's all designed to work naturally with the body as you move around the home.
My only complaint is that a lot of water dribbles out of the machine once you stop using it. Sure, you can wipe it away if it's a hard floor, but if it's on carpet then that area of the carpet might need cleaning again. It can also be a problem if you have hardwood floors; as I discussed in the best way to mop hardwood floors, letting any moisture sit on the surface can damage the panels. If you finish using the ProHeat 2X and leave it there without checking underneath, there could be a puddle of liquid sat there for days or weeks.
Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro's performance on cleaning tests
I tested the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro in a local pet shelter, Bristol ARC, and my own home using standardized substances. I tested it alongside the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam.
The first cleaning test was on barrier matting at the staff entrance to the pet shelter. It's a high traffic area with rough carpeting to capture dirt from people's shoes – and it hadn't been cleaned in over a week. I vacuumed the carpet beforehand, then the Bissell Pro Heat 2X took care of the rest.
I deep cleaned the mat in just 5-10 minutes and I saw how incredible the suction is from the speed at which is was pulling up murky water. It was also a great opportunity to test out the Clean Shot. It works exactly as described, maintaining its shooting distance for you to accurately aim it at specific spots.
I then took it to some carpet that had been stained for more than two years by the previous owner's dog. The stains were incredibly tough as the area also has high foot traffic, so every time somebody would walk across the floor, the stains would become more embedded into the carpet.
I gave it its best go, repeatedly doing wet and dry passes as tackling stains older than two years means going back and forth a lot, but I saw instant success. After two full dirty water tanks, I was still not quite able to get the last of the stains out. They weren't super visible from afar but you could see them with a closer look.
Although this was an incredible attempt for such old stains, I tried to clear the rest using the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam, and it was able to finish the job. The HydroSteam works similarly to the ProHeat 2X but with the addition of a steam cleaner that uses heat and moisture to really break down stuck-on dirt.
I also tested the Bissell ProHeat 2X in my own home using a half cup of cola, a quarter cup of red wine and a quarter cup of marinara sauce. I created one set of stains to set for a couple hours, then created another set when it was time to clean to test both new and old substances.
I used the stair tool and the pet upholstery tool to see how well the spot cleaning abilities were, and they didn't disappoint. It wasn't the quickest, but all of the old and new stains were cleaned in no more than 10 total passes from the cleaning tools. I found that the upholstery tool worked best to start with, then the stair tool is great for getting the final bits as the brushes can completely agitate the carpet when you move back and forth.
Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro: Cleaning and maintenance
All of the parts are removable and washable, including the smaller cleaning tools that can be taken apart for easier cleaning. I will say that the water tanks have quite small nozzles, so getting inside to properly scrub them clean is a challenge. But cleaning with hot water and dish soap should do the trick, even if it isn't a deep clean.
The floorhead cover easily pops open and you can clean inside and remove any debris that's been collected in there.
How does the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro compare?
I tested the ProHeat 2X alongside the Bissell Revolution HydroSteam. Both are absolutely excellent cleaners, but the Revolution HydroSteam wins in comparison thanks to its steam cleaning function. This means it's more able to break down dirt that's stuck to carpet fibers, as shown in its ability to clean the two-year-old stains that the ProHeat 2X couldn't quite handle. It does cost around $130 more however so, if comparing the two, it's worth weighing up how often you'll need to be cleaning incredibly tough, dried stains.
Another one of our favorites is the Shark CarpetXpert which shares almost all the features of the ProHeat 2X. Both can handle pet mess with their own tools, clean carpets exceptionally well, and are designed thoughtfully with easy-to-use features. They also retail for a similar price.
Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro: Verdict
The Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro is absolutely worth considering for your next carpet cleaner. It deep cleans carpets easily and efficiently, with intuitive features like Clean Shot that just make sense to have in a cleaning appliance. It can remove dirty liquid rapidly from your floors and takes around eight hours for them to dry.
I've seen better performance in other carpet cleaners, but for the price this is an incredibly capable machine that will leave your floors fresher for years to come.
Now, browse our tried-and-tested selection of the best vacuums for carpet.
