Vax Platinum SmartWash Carpet Cleaner vs Shark CarpetXpert with StainStriker
Get the Vax Platinum SmartWash for whole rooms. Bigger tanks, fewer trips to the sink, and a six-year guarantee. The Shark CarpetXpert is the pet-stain specialist, with its hose always on board.
Vax Platinum SmartWash Carpet Cleaner
We may earn a commission from these links.
Which one is for you?
Vax Platinum SmartWash
Get the Vax if this sounds like you: several rooms at a time, the longest guarantee, no trigger and fewer refills.
Is the Vax Platinum SmartWash Carpet Cleaner worth it?Shark CarpetXpert
Pets and their stains, quick stops for stairs or a sofa, lighter to push? Then it's the Shark.
Is the Shark CarpetXpert with StainStriker worth it?Key differences
Whole rooms
Pet and old stains
Stairs and sofas
Wool carpets
Guarantee
What owners say
Verified buyers only; every 1–3 star review read by us. How we do this
Vax Platinum SmartWash
Owners love how it brings tired carpets up like new and how easy it is to use. The main complaints are machines that broke or stopped working, and carpets that didn't come out much cleaner.
- Carpets come up like new
- Easy to use
- Carpets dry quickly
- Broke or stopped working
- Didn't clean much better, or left carpets wet
Shark CarpetXpert
Owners love how it shifts stains, old ones included, and how easy it is to use. The unhappy ones found it left carpets wet or didn't lift stains, or had one break within months.
- Cleans well, old stains included
- Easy to use
- Carpets dry quickly
- Weak cleaning or water pickup, leaving carpets wet
- Broke or stopped working within months
Related pages
How we reached this verdict
We compared independent expert reviews with the manufacturer's specifications, then checked it's sold at a major retailer where you live. We don't test products ourselves.
Sources: Expert Reviews, Which?, Real Homes, Vacuum Wars, manufacturer specifications.
Owner reports for the Vax Platinum SmartWash: 891 verified buyer ratings at Currys, read November 2026.
Owner reports for the Shark CarpetXpert: 1,269 verified buyer ratings at Currys, Home Depot (US), Costco (US), Costco (Canada) and Harvey Norman (NZ, Australia), read November 2026.