Bissell SpotBot

While more expensive than most portable carpet cleaners, the Bissell SpotBot is the top performer in reviews for two main reasons: It does a better job of removing tough stains, and it's the easiest to use. Users love that they can park the SpotBot on a stain and leave its agitating brushes to do the work by itself. We also found far fewer complaints of residue being left on the carpet than with Bissell's less expensive portable, the Cordless Spot Lifter (*Est. $50), which users say leaves carpets very wet.

The SpotBot's biggest drawback ironically serves as testimony to its effectiveness: areas that have been "Botted" appear cleaner than surrounding carpet, leaving a "crop circle" of contrast. We also found scattered complaints of wet carpets and leakage, although less so than with other small cleaners. While the SpotBot gets better ratings, the Bissell Little Green is less expensive (*Est. $80) and also gets good reviews, though they aren't as strong.

We found no expert tests of the SpotBot, but a strong evaluation emerges among users contributing to retail websites. Amazon.com is the best source of information with the most reviews, followed by Target.com and Epinions. Sears.com sells the SpotBot but has no reviews posted on its website.