Design and Handling
The CarpetXpert HairPro Pet is an upright machine — it stands and rolls on rear wheels with a handle at the top, resembling a traditional upright vacuum in form factor. At 8.6kg and 112cm tall, it is a substantial piece of equipment. This is expected for a carpet extractor — wet cleaning machines carry water tanks and are inherently heavier than dry vacuums — but it is worth being clear about: this is not a lightweight or compact machine, and storage will require a dedicated space. In use, it manoeuvres on carpet without difficulty, and the upright format keeps the weight on the floor rather than in your hands.
The clean and dirty water tanks are separate — standard for a quality carpet extractor and important for hygiene, as the extracted dirty water never contacts the clean supply. Shark does not publish tank capacity for the Australian EX300 model, which is a notable spec gap. For reference, the closely related EX301 sold in other markets has been independently measured with tanks in the range common to upright extractors in this class. Prospective buyers who need to know coverage per fill before purchasing should contact Shark AU directly or check with a retailer, as Shark's Australian product page does not list this figure.
The cord length is 6.7m — shorter than some competitors at this price point and worth planning for in larger rooms. The three operating modes — Carpet Extraction, Spot Cleaning, and Rinse & Go Self Clean — are selected via controls on the machine body. The self-cleaning mode is one of the more genuinely useful convenience features: it cycles water and cleaning solution through the hose and attached tool automatically, flushing residue without manual disassembly.
Cleaning Performance
The CarpetXpert platform has performed strongly in independent testing internationally, with the EX300/EX301 series recording among the highest unsealed suction figures for upright carpet extractors in their class. In Vacuum Wars' testing of the EX301, the 300-series platform ranked second overall in sealed suction behind the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 — and first in unsealed suction, dominating that ranking against the full competitive field including Bissell models. On-floor extraction performance is genuinely strong for this category.
HairPro technology is the specific differentiator for pet homes. Rather than relying solely on bristle design to prevent hair wrap, the system actively routes lifted hair through a dedicated path into a hair cage in the dirty water tank. Shark claims 3x more pet hair pickup compared to the EX200. Hair is then disposed of with zero touch — the hair cage empties separately from the dirty water without the user handling the extracted material. For households with heavy-shedding dogs or cats, this addresses a genuine frustration with standard extractors that clog mid-session and require manual brush cleaning.
The StainStriker system is the other headline claim. The dual-formula approach — keeping the OXY Multiplier and Deep Clean Pet Formula separate until the moment of application — is a legitimate chemical advantage over pre-mixed tank solutions, which begin to lose OXY activation once combined. Independent testing of the EX301 has recorded the best stain removal scores in its category, with Vacuum Wars awarding it top place in their Best Carpet Cleaners 2026 ranking. Dry times are not published by Shark for the EX300 specifically; the closely related EX301 has been noted in testing as producing slightly wetter results than some competitors such as the Bissell Big Green Machine, though within a range that most households would find acceptable.
One important limitation confirmed by Shark's own FAQ: this machine is designed for carpet and area rugs only. It is not suitable for hard floors, tiles, or timber surfaces. This narrows its application to carpet-specific households and means it cannot replace a multi-surface wet cleaner for homes with mixed flooring.
Accessories
Seven items ship in the box, making the EX300 one of the most comprehensively accessorised carpet extractors in the Australian market at this price. Included: Stain Eliminator (all-purpose deep clean tool with hair-gripping fins and anti-tangle bristles), XL Stain Eliminator (same functionality on a larger footprint for bigger surfaces), Mini Stain Eliminator (crevice tool for edges and upholstery nooks), Pet Hair Tool (dry vacuums hair with collection cup and anti-tangle fins, or sprays formula for combined stain work), Pet Mess Tool (designed for collecting solid pet accidents for sanitary disposal), one bottle of Shark Deep Clean Pet Formula, and one 355ml bottle of Shark StainStriker OXY Multiplier Formula.
This is a strong accessory set for the pet use case. The Pet Mess Tool in particular is a category-specific addition that competes well against anything Bissell includes in comparable bundles. Replacement formula is an ongoing cost to factor in — Shark sells both formulas separately via its Australian site, and the StainStriker system requires both chemicals to deliver its claimed performance advantage.
Who It Suits
The Shark CarpetXpert HairPro Pet with StainStriker is the right machine for pet-owning households with significant carpet area who want a dedicated, periodically-used deep cleaner rather than a daily dry vacuum. The HairPro technology, seven-tool accessory set, and StainStriker dual-formula system make it one of the most comprehensively equipped pet carpet cleaners available in Australia at this price. It suits households dealing with recurring pet stains and odours on carpet, area rugs, and upholstered furniture, where the built-in spot eliminator adds genuine value as a standalone tool for between-session accidents.
The EX300 is a harder sell for homes that are predominantly hard floor, or where carpet covers only a small area — the machine's weight, storage footprint, and carpet-only limitation make it poor value as an occasional-use purchase in those contexts. For carpet-heavy households with a tighter budget, the standard Shark CarpetXpert EX200 at $499.99 covers the StainStriker system and core extraction performance without the HairPro technology or expanded pet accessory set — a meaningful saving if hair wrap and dedicated pet tools are not priorities. The Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro is the most direct competing brand at a similar price point in Australia; it offers three distinct cleaning modes and dual brushrolls with strong deep-clean credentials, though it lacks the StainStriker dual-formula chemistry and the HairPro hair routing system.
Within Shark's own carpet cleaner range, the EX300 sits above the EX200 and represents the current flagship configuration for pet-specific households. There is no step-up model above it in the Australian range. Buyers who need larger tank capacity for whole-home cleaning of very large carpeted areas should consider the Bissell Big Green Machine (where available in Australia), which has been independently shown to cover more area per fill and leave carpet drier — at the cost of higher price and a less versatile accessory set.