Hoover SteamVac with Clean Surge F5914-900

We found a clear consensus that the Hoover SteamVac carpet cleaner delivers great results at an affordable price compared to the competition. Both expert and user reviews -- we found hundreds of them -- rave about the SteamVac, often noting it works better than other machines they've used. The SteamVac uses five spinning brushes and two tanks that dispense and collect hot tap water for cleaning, and the Clean Surge feature delivers an extra squirt of solution for tough stains. We found fewer of the common complaints about carpet cleaners, such as the carpet being left wet and the hose leaking, with this machine than the others we reviewed. Interestingly, the SteamVac gets better ratings than more expensive Hoover models, including the Hoover SteamVac All Terrain Carpet and Hard-Floor Cleaner (*Est. $250) and the Hoover SteamVac Dual V (also called V2) (*Est. $180). If you'd like to spend a bit less, the Bissell QuickSteamer PowerBrush 2080 (*Est. $100) also receives generally positive owner reviews, but isn't as powerful and works best for small carpets and rugs.

User reviews give us the strongest information about the Hoover SteamVac; we aren't convinced the few expert reviewers we found actually tested the machine. This carpet cleaner receives positive reviews across the board, including some from nearly one thousand Amazon.com users, which we consider the strongest source. Most of the best consumer-oriented testing resources, particularly ConsumerReports.org, haven't reviewed carpet cleaners for years.