Quick Answer: Unlike our Shark vs Bissell matchup, no major independent lab has actually scored the Shark CarpetXpert EX151 against the Hoover SmartWash+ head to head — Vacuum Wars’ 2026 rankings tested the EX151 (73.78 overall, the best score of any Shark or Bissell machine) alongside a different, cheaper Hoover model, not the automatic SmartWash+. What you’re really choosing between is two different cleaning philosophies: Hoover’s SmartWash+ automates the entire pass (Auto Mix, FlexForce brushes, Auto Dry), while Shark’s CarpetXpert mixes a two-part chemistry at the tool head under your manual control — and Shark undercuts Hoover’s list price by roughly $90.
Every other rivalry on this site has a scoreboard. Bissell and Shark have both been through Consumer Reports and Vacuum Wars testing on the same or comparable models, so that comparison can point to actual numbers. Hoover’s automatic SmartWash+ line hasn’t shown up in the same test batches as Shark’s CarpetXpert — so this comparison has to be honest about what’s actually measured versus what’s just each brand’s own pitch.
Head to head
| Feature | Shark CarpetXpert with StainStriker (EX151) | Hoover SmartWash+ Automatic Carpet Cleaner (FH52000) |
|---|---|---|
| Vacuum Wars overall score | 73.78 (vs. 52.51 category avg.) | Not tested by Vacuum Wars in this model |
| Cleaning mechanism | Two-part chemistry mixed at tool head, manual trigger | Automatic wash: Auto Mix + FlexForce PowerBrushes, no trigger |
| Drying | Standard suction pass | Auto Dry with HeatForce, triggerless pull-back motion |
| Tank size | 0.6 gal | 144 oz combined (per third-party spec comparison) |
| Weight | 15.9 lb | Upright, heavier full-size chassis |
| Cord length | 25 ft | 25 ft |
| Typical price (2026) | ~$199.99 | $289.99 list, sometimes $219.99 on sale |
| Best for | Independently-scored value, manual control | Hands-off automatic pass, larger fill capacity |
Shark vs Hoover by the numbers
- 73.78 — the Shark CarpetXpert EX151’s overall Vacuum Wars score, the highest of any Shark or Bissell machine in that 2026 test group; no SmartWash+ score exists in the same batch to compare it against directly.
- ~$90 — the typical list-price gap between the Shark CarpetXpert EX151 (about $199.99) and the Hoover SmartWash+ ($289.99), narrowing to about $20 when Hoover’s $219.99 sale price is active.
- 2x — Hoover’s own quantified suction claim, tested under ASTM F2828-12 — but it’s measured against Bissell’s ReadyClean PowerBrush for the budget PowerDash Pet Advanced, not against any Shark model or the SmartWash+ itself.
Where the data actually points: Shark’s independent score
The one hard number in this matchup belongs to Shark. Vacuum Wars’ 2026 carpet cleaner rankings scored the CarpetXpert EX151 at 73.78 overall against a 52.51 category average — the top score of any machine from Shark or Bissell tested that round, as covered in our Shark vs Bissell breakdown. Consumer Reports separately tests the Hoover SmartWash+, but its member-only rating isn’t publicly viewable, so we can’t cite a comparable figure for it here. That’s the honest state of the evidence: Shark has a public, repeatable lab score in this price range; Hoover’s automatic flagship doesn’t, at least not in a source we can verify and link to.
Shark CarpetXpert with StainStriker (EX151)
- 73.78 overall in Vacuum Wars' 2026 testing — the highest score of any Shark or Bissell machine in that group.
- Two-part Deep Clean Pro + OXY Multiplier chemistry mixes at the tool head rather than sitting pre-mixed in the tank.
- About $90 less than the Hoover SmartWash+ at list price.
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Where Hoover wins: hands-off automation and fill capacity
Hoover’s pitch isn’t a test score — it’s not having to think about the pass at all. The SmartWash+ runs on what Hoover calls Automatic Cleaning Technology: Auto Mix meters cleaning solution without you measuring anything, FlexForce Pet PowerBrushes scrub in multiple directions, and Auto Dry with HeatForce kicks in on the pull-back stroke — push forward to clean, pull back to dry, no trigger to squeeze at any point. A third-party spec comparison also credits the SmartWash+ with a larger combined tank (144 oz) against Shark’s smaller reservoir, meaning fewer refill trips on a big room — though that figure comes from an independent spec-comparison site rather than a major test lab, so treat it as directional rather than lab-verified.
Hoover SmartWash+ Automatic Carpet Cleaner (FH52000)
- Auto Mix and FlexForce Pet PowerBrushes remove the manual measuring and scrubbing Shark's trigger-based system still requires.
- Auto Dry with HeatForce runs automatically on the pull-back stroke, rather than a separate drying pass.
- Larger combined tank means fewer refills on whole-room jobs, per third-party spec comparisons.
The claims that don’t actually compare these two
Hoover publishes two quantified claims worth knowing about, and neither settles this matchup. The “2x the power of the leading lightweight carpet cleaner” figure, tested under ASTM F2828-12, is about the budget PowerDash Pet Advanced against Bissell’s ReadyClean PowerBrush — not the SmartWash+, and not Shark. Its “35% faster dry time” claim is measured against Bissell’s Revolution HydroSteam, again with no Shark model involved. If you see either number cited as a reason to pick the SmartWash+ over a Shark machine, that’s a stretch the source material doesn’t support.
How to choose
- Want the one machine in this matchup with a public, independent lab score → Shark CarpetXpert EX151.
- Want to skip manual trigger control entirely and let the machine automate mixing, scrubbing, and drying → Hoover SmartWash+.
- Buying on a tight budget and don’t need automation → Shark, by roughly $90 at list price.
- Cleaning large rooms and want fewer tank refills → Hoover’s larger combined tank has the edge, though verify that spec against the retailer listing before you buy.
The bottom line
This is the one brand rivalry on the site where the scoreboard is genuinely empty on one side. Shark’s CarpetXpert EX151 has a real, repeatable 73.78 Vacuum Wars score backing up its price; Hoover’s SmartWash+ hasn’t shown up in that same test batch, so its case rests on automation (Auto Mix, FlexForce brushes, Auto Dry) and tank capacity instead of a lab number. If an independently-verified score matters to you, that alone points to Shark. If you’d rather never touch a trigger and don’t mind paying about $90 more for it, the SmartWash+‘s automatic pass is the real differentiator — just don’t expect either brand’s own suction claims to tell you which one actually cleans better, since neither one names the other. For the full field beyond these two, see our best Shark carpet cleaner and best Hoover carpet cleaner roundups, or our Bissell vs Hoover comparison if Shark isn’t in your consideration set at all.