If you feel like you’re seeing double with this review on the Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner, it’s not because you need glasses. We recently reviewed its close cousin, the Bissell Little Green ProHeat Portable Carpet Cleaner. While this review will try to focus mostly on this non-ProHeat version, there will be some comparisons as they’re very similar but with some subtle differences.
Like the ProHeat version, the Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner is incredibly simple to set up and use. When you use it for its intended purpose, it does its job perfectly. As I mentioned in that other review (which also holds here), this is a great cleaning companion to the best vacuum cleaners and a contender for best carpet cleaner.
The way this has been designed shows that Bissell knows what it’s doing. After all, the company has been around since before electricity (1876, if you’re curious). We’ll get into details of the design and performance, but suffice it to say that it’s almost perfect as it is. While the ProHeat version does slightly improve upon it, it excels and suffers in the same ways.
The Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner is a small job-level cleaner. If you want to clean a whole house, you’ll get back pain doing it with this. But, if you have a small area with a deep stain, this model can get it out. It’s essentially the opposite of the best robot vacuums, which are great for everyday overall cleaning but not so good at deep cleaning. In essence, this spot cleaner is an ideal appliance to supplement your vacuum, whatever you’re using.
James Holland has spent the last three years testing, reviewing, and writing about all sorts of tech, whether it be computers and related peripherals to smart home devices, robot vacuums, and kitchen appliances.
His work has been published in Top Ten Reviews, TechRadar, T3.com, and Android Police. When he’s not working, he’s playing music or at least pretending to. He also likes to eat questionable fusion-type foods.
James tested the Bissell Little Green ProHeat Portable Carpet Cleaner over the course of a week, using it on both carpet and upholstery to see how it fares in different conditions.
Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner: Key specs
| Model no: | Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner, 1400B |
| Type | carpet cleaner |
| Dustbin capacity | 48 oz |
| Suitable for | Carpet, Upholstery |
| Dimensions | 9.29 x 19.02 x 13.39 inches |
| Weight | 9.65 lbs |
| Storage | Freestanding, attachments clip on |
| Warranty | 1 year, limited |
Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner : Price and availability
With a list price of $123.59, I consider the Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner very affordable. It might have light-on features, but what do you need with a small handheld carpet cleaner anyway? It does what it needs to and at an affordable price. Plus, it’s widely available, whether you order it directly from Bissell or get it from one of the big retailers such as Walmart, Target, or Amazon. Since it is so widely available, shop for the best price. It's also a popular product during sales events, so it gets rounded up with Amazon Prime Day deals and the best Black Friday deals.
As I mentioned in my review of the Bissell Little Green ProHeat Portable Carpet Cleaner, the sample-size cleaning solution won’t last very long, so add in the price of a bottle of solution when considering this product. A 32-oz. bottle costs $12.99. Unlike the ProHeat version, you don’t get as many cleaning accessories, so you’ll have to factor that in as well. The crevice tool I mentioned above retails for $10.34, for instance.
Score: 5 / 5
Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner: First impressions
When unpacking the Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner, it’s impressive how tightly the company packed it, as this carpet cleaner is almost as big as the bog. It comes with two inserts, three accessories, and a sample size of Bissell’s Oxy Spot & Stain (with Febreze) cleaning solution.
As with the ProHeat version, I didn’t need to read the manual to figure out how to assemble or use it. Sliding the two inserts into place, which hold the hose, is about as easy as it gets, though the one in the back does require a screwdriver.
Of the included accessories, the “3-inch tough stain tool” clips onto the hose, while the self-cleaning accessory sits on the handle until needed when you switch them. There’s also a black spraying crevice tool for getting into corners that don’t seem to have a proper storage place on the unit. And, looking at the product page, you might not have to order it separately.
Except for that crevice tool, you’ll end up with a single, compact, and portable unit with everything you need within arm’s length.
Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner: Design
As the name states, the Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner is green and little. It's an off-putting green for whatever reason. However, don’t let that detract from what’s on offer here. It’s a compact and ingeniously designed unit with a clean water and solution tank on one side and a dirty water tank on the other. The hose wraps around the base, and except for the self-cleaning tool attached to the sizeable handle, everything is very sturdy (the self-cleaning tool has a habit of falling off quickly).
One of the only real issues I have with the Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner is that the front insert is in there for good. If you somehow break a piece off, it’s very tough to remove. That said, Bissell does offer replacement parts. I’ve already alluded to my other issue, which is that there isn’t much on-unit storage for additional accessories.
But at least the four-foot hose and fifteen-foot extension cord mean that you don’t have to cart the unit around too much while working on an area. Of course, that changes if you try to clean a whole room with this, but that’s not the purpose of this guy.
As far as controls go, there’s an on/off button at the center of the cleaner and a spray button underneath the hose's end. There’s also a clasp at the end of the hose for attaching and releasing the accessories.
The clean and dirty water tanks, both with a sizable 48 oz. capacity, are secure during use and very easy to remove to either fill up or empty. The clean water tank marks the ratio of solution to water, though there’s only one line for each, meaning you may have plenty of water and solution left over if you’re just cleaning up a small stain.
As far as the accessories themselves, the main one is a basic three-inch tool with bristles and a suction area, while the crevice tool looks like one of those edge attachments that come with vacuum cleaners – there are no bristles, just long, narrow areas to suck up water. The self-cleaning tool essentially caps the hose so that water cycles through the hose and into the dirty water tank thereby cleaning the hose.
Score: 4.5 / 5
Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner: Performance
I tested the Bissell Little Green ProHeat Portable Carpet Cleaner on both carpets and upholstery, and the results were great. While I felt like I had to do an extra pass compared to the ProHeat version, the difference is minimal. And, just like that other version, this one gets to about 79 dB during use, which is loud but manageable.
Using the cleaner is incredibly easy. You just remove the clean water tank (and all you have to do is tug) and fill it with the appropriate cleaner solution and hot tap water. Put the tank back in, plug it in near the cleaning job, turn it on, and go to work. This carpet cleaner separates the water application from the suction, so you need to press the spray button underneath the hose and point the accessory at and around the area you want to clean, getting it nice and wet. Then, you just vacuum up the water. Easy-peasy.
I did this on carpet stains from a heavily trafficked area, and it took just a couple of minutes to remove them. The carpet cleaner was also used on a large sofa to remove the sheddings of two rambunctious dogs, and it didn’t take too long to remove all remnants of pet hair from there as well.
The only thing to remember is that this carpet cleaner is small despite its 48 oz. capacity, you won’t want to use this on a large area as you’ll give yourself back pain. As mentioned, there is a four-foot hose and fifteen-foot extension cord, but you’ll still end up on your hands and knees while cleaning with this. It’s not a replacement for a wet vac if you have a whole apartment or home to clean.
While emptying the dirty water tank and cleaning it out is incredibly easy – there’s just a release lever holding it in place – the main accessory is difficult to clean. It has a see-through lid, as I experienced with the accessories from the ProHeat version, but unlike those, it is seemingly impossible to pry it off – there’s no release button – and clean out hair.
Score: 4.5 / 5
Should you buy the Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner?
| Attribute | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | The price is more than right for the simple and straightforward little carpet cleaner. | 5/5 |
| Design | It’s easy to set up and easy to use, though there’s some concern about how easily replaceable some parts are. | 4.5/5 |
| Performance | Cleaning is a breeze here and so is maintaining it, except for cleaning out the accessory. | 4.5/5 |
Buy it if...
Don’t Buy It if…
How does the Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner compare?
The Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner is hard to fault. However, the ProHeat version is only a little more expensive, with a retail price tag of $133.89. It comes with more accessories, which are easier to clean, and does a slightly better job cleaning.
Non-Bissell options include the slightly more expensive Rug Doctor Pet Portable Spot Carpet Cleaner ($153.36), which is also just for spots but has a more robust cleaning accessory.
To clean a larger area, you might want to consider the Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe carpet cleaner. It has the same form factor as a vacuum cleaner, so you won’t be bending over to use it, costing a reasonable $229.99. Just be aware that you’ll still want a spot cleaner as its hose is a bit on the short side, making it not ideal for use on upholstery.
How I tested the Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner
To test the Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner, I cleaned several carpeted areas and an upholstered couch. I used the two attachments and took pains to clean out the unit to see how easy it is to maintain. I also spent about a week using it where necessary to understand how it would last over multiple cleanings.
See more about how we test.
