The 7 best vacuum cleaners for carpet in 2024 – tested by our appliance editors for deep cleaning across all carpet types

When choosing the best vacuum cleaner for carpet, it's important to prioritize suction power. While hard floors can be cleaned by even the weakest vacuums, carpets need a bit more of a rigorous treatment, and will benefit from powerful suction and strong brushrolls.

This is why upright vacuums tend to be the popular choice for cleaning carpet. Cordless sticks offer more convenience and freer cleaning, but uprights are more able to dig deep into the carpet fibers, agitate the debris, and properly clean your floors.

As Homes & Gardens' home tech editor, myself and a team of product testers review the best vacuum cleaners. We've spent 200+ hours testing 51 of the world's best, and from our extensive assessments, these are the seven best vacuums for carpet.

The quick list

Here are the best vacuums for carpet at a glance. Scroll further for the full guide, or click the navigation links to jump to each product.

At the bottom of the page, you'll find more advice on how to choose a vacuum for carpet, how we test them, a glossary for vacuum terms, and FAQs on how to properly vacuum your carpet.

The best vacuum cleaners for carpet in 2024

Explore our run-through of each of the top picks, with details on why they perform so well on carpet. For more info, you'll be able to click through to each vacuum's individual review.

The best vacuum cleaner for carpet

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From all the testing we've done here at H&G, the Shark POWERDETECT has performed the best on carpets. Naturally, an upright vacuum is the optimal choice here, but this latest upright from Shark boasts the brand's best tech yet – and the cleaning power to match it.

The POWERDETECT proved itself when our tester James Holland had an area of carpet that needed a deep clean, thanks to his cat's heavy shedding. 'With one pass, the Shark POWERDETECT had basically picked up every visible piece of hair (as well as litter near the litter box) from the carpet, filling the dust bin with an amount of hair equal to a second cat.'

'The carpet itself was left spotless and smelling ever-so-slightly fresh thanks to the odor neutralizer cartridge,' he added. One of the key signs of a well-performing vacuum is how much it picks up in a single pass, so for the POWERDETECT to clear this much hair, which is perhaps the trickiest thing to vacuum, is impressive.

The POWERDETECT also worked wonders on all other floor types with its unrelenting suction power. James noted: 'It’s able to suck everything up in its path efficiently and proficiently, no matter the debris. And, it’s equally capable regardless of the surface I used it on.'

The 'DETECT' in its name reflects the vacuum's ability to detect dust volume, floor edges and floor type, so that it can automatically adjust the power as needed. This is great news for any homes with varied floor types, as the upright vacuum can pass from rug to tile to carpet while maintaining the optimal suction power.

Read more at our full Shark POWERDETECT review.

The second best upright vacuum for carpet

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The Ball Animal 3 is the most advanced upright vacuum from Dyson, utilizing a spherical design to improve maneuverability. It's a strong, heavy unit that can occasionally be cumbersome to move, but it's just what you need to make sure your carpets are given a proper clean.

'Right away, it was clear to me that the Dyson Ball Animal 3 was designed with carpeting in mind,' Camryn Rabideau wrote after testing. 'It does an unbelievable job pulling dirt and dog hair out of the fibers. I used it on the low-pile rug in my dining room, and even though I thought the surface was pretty clean, the powerful suction of the vacuum pulled out a disturbing amount of hair that was hiding under the surface.'

The floorhead's brushroll has dense nylon bristles that drive deep into the carpet fibers to agitate dust and dirt, with hair removal veins to avoid any hair-wrap.

This suction power is powerful, too, as Camryn found that if you have it on the maximum setting, the vacuum will essentially suction itself to the floor, making it impossible to move.

Whilst it is heavy, Camryn enjoyed how easy it is to swivel using the ball base. It doesn't have floor detection or Powered Lift-Away like the Shark POWERDETECT, but for the sheer cleaning power alone, this is an excellent choice for carpet.

Read more in our full Dyson Ball Animal 3 review.

The best carpet cleaner

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Instead of a vacuum that works well on carpets, it's definitely worth considering one of the best carpet cleaners for pets. Carpet can be a tricky beast to properly clean, and a vacuum cleaner only goes as far as picking up solids that are trapped in the fibers. To really clean it, you'll need a more thorough cleaning solution.

Tester Camryn Rabideau awarded the Shark CarpetXpert a rare five stars thanks to just how incredibly it cleaned her carpets. Not only is it perfect for everyday cleaning, it's able to remove tough, dried-on stains, and it even has a dedicated tool to clean up pet accidents.

Camryn has reviewed over 100 floorcare products over the years, and the CarpetXpert is the best carpet cleaner she's ever tested. 'It’s easy to use, highly effective, and a breeze to clean when you’re done. It had no problem tackling everyday dirt, old upholstery stains, and even gross pet accidents, and it left my rugs (and furniture) looking better than ever and smelling fresh,' she noted.

She was genuinely surprised by how dirty a particular rug was, after completely filling the dirty water tank with murky brown water, leaving the rug spotless (and dry to the touch within the hour). It was also able to completely remove stains from some outdoor furniture and flooring.

The Shark CarpetXpert will wash and deep clean your carpets, but you'll still need to vacuum first to remove dirt and dust from the carpet fibers to prevent clogging the carpet cleaner. If you're on a budget, the Shark Rotator in this guide is a great choice to accompany it. You'll also need a vacuum in the house for any hard floors, as the CarpetXpert works exclusively on carpets and rugs.

Read more in our full Shark CarpetXpert Carpet Cleaner review.

The best cordless vacuum for carpet

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The V15 Detect is not only one of Dyson's top-of-the-line models, it's one of the best vacuums we've ever tested. The suction power is next level, making vacuuming seem like the easiest, most effortless task there is, clearing all debris from every floor type in a single pass.

It comes with two main floorheads, the FluffyOptic and the Motorbar, with the Motorbar being specially designed for carpets. It has sharp, angled bristles that can dig deep into both low-pile and high-pile fibers, spinning at high speeds to pull up all types of dust, debris and hair.

Testing on carpet, our reviewer Jaclyn Turner found that: 'The suction was absolutely terrific. Within minutes, the bin was full, and I only got through my carpeted upstairs hallway. The cleaning was so deep, I wasn't even bothered that I had to make a run to the trash can.'

The Dyson V15 Detect also happens to be our best vacuum for pet hair. It performs exceptionally well on hair and fur, especially using the Motorbar floorhead as it avoids hair wrapping around the brushroll. Jaclyn even found that it was powerful enough to restore her dog bed's original color.

It is a little pricey however, retailing at around $750 at full price (or is frequently on offer for around $550-650). For something more affordable, consider the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, costing around $100 less at full price owed to its smaller size. I use this vacuum in my own home and it works almost as well as the V15 Detect, I just have to empty it more often.

Or, if you want to splash out on the absolute best, the Dyson Gen5detect is unbeaten. All three vacuums are part of the Dyson Detect series and share the same, market-leading features.

Read more in our full Dyson V15 Detect review.

The best canister vacuum for carpet

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Canister vacuums are tried-and-tested performers on carpet. They're not quite as good on carpets as upright vacuums, but they tend to offer more versatility when it comes to different kinds of cleaning.

The Miele Complete C3 Cat and Dog is a premium canister vacuum (costing more than $1,000!), boasting high suction power and a healthy variety of attachments. The attachments vary in the US and UK but both versions come with a dedicated carpet floorhead (in the US you get the Electro Plus; in the UK you get the TurboTeQ).

Miele's canister vacs have a reputation for being some of the best in the world. On test, Alex David found this to mostly be true, especially when using the TurboTeQ floorhead when testing flour and sugar on carpet: 'Swapping out the regular floorhead for the TurboteQ head was a game changer. It was exceptional, rivaling Dyson and Shark for cleaning.'

The only place where it struggled was when tackling large debris. 'Unlike other vacuums with plush brush heads, this vacuum just couldn't conquer cereal,' Alex noted, adding that to really vacuum them up you had to lift the floorhead and place it onto the pieces.

It's also wildly expensive, and considering how much space it takes up, I'd only recommend considering the Miele Complete C3 Cat and Dog if you're in need of a canister's versatility, or you prefer bagged vacuums to keep everything dust- and allergy-free.

Read more in our full Miele Complete C3 Cat and Dog Canister Vacuum review.

The best budget vacuum for carpet

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Considering this upright vacuum costs less than $300 ($279.99 at Shark at the time of writing), the Rotator Pet Lift-Away offers some impressive performance. It doesn't have some of the fancy features you'll find in other vacuums in this guide, like floor detection or particle sensors, but on cleaning performance alone this should be considered as an affordable alternative.

It has a dedicated carpet mode to make sure your floors are cleaned, properly. Tester Camryn Rabideau shared: 'On its carpet mode, the vacuum has powerful suction, and its stiff brushroll pulled lots of dog hair, dirt, and dust out of the rugs in my living and dining rooms.'

'After two passes with the Rotator, my carpeting looked clean, and there was no visible hair remaining (the dustbin was also filled to the brim!)' she added. Even with this powerful suction, she found it easy to push around the medium-pile carpet, and the odor-neutralizer left a fresh scent for a few hours afterward.

It also handles pet hair 'like a pro,' using two brushrolls that perform well on all types of flooring, which is ideal for when you're moving between rooms. It has a HEPA filter to trap fine particles and allergens, as well as three cleaning attachments for different tasks.

At 14 pounds it's lighter than most upright vacuums but still a hefty weight compared to a cordless stick. That being said, it does have Shark's Lift-Away feature where you can remove the pod for more agile cleaning, but it isn't 'powered,' like it is with more expensive Shark vacs. Camryn's only other criticism was the vacuum's controls not being conveniently located, as you have to bend over to reach the toggle switch.

Read more in our full Shark Rotator Pet Lift-Away review.

The best robot vacuum for carpet

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Robot vacuums are famously poor on carpets. They're gentle cleaners, used more for regular, light maintenance on the days when you're not deep cleaning the floors yourself. But the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, surprisingly, boasts some pretty strong performance on carpet, sucking dust, large debris and hair out of the carpet's fibers.

'For its performance on carpet, I'd say it's 98% of the way there,' Alex David shared after testing. 'Not only was it good on carpet, but it was good on an area rug, too. We have a rug that sheds a lot and this does an excellent job of getting rid of all the fluff.'

He did note that, while the performance was mostly excellent, it would usually leave something behind, whether a piece of lint or some cereal. This is to be expected from a robot vacuum, but can contribute to the feeling of your floors being not quite clean.

It does, however, have incredible hair pickup while avoiding tangling around the brushroll. 'The Combo j9+ has two bumpy, silicone rollers that never gum up with hair. It always pulls hair out of the carpet and does a much, much better job than even some of the best vacuums for pet hair.' This is seriously impressive for a robot, and could be the answer to any home with shedding pet that can't keep on top of the fur.

It's worth noting that this robot vacuum also has a mop function, so if your floor is mostly carpet then you might not get full use out of it, considering it costs somewhere between $600-900.

Read more in our full iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ review.

Meet the team

Dan Fauzi

I'm the home tech editor for Homes & Gardens, focusing almost exclusively on the vast world of vacuum cleaners. I have been reviewing products for years now and have spent many dozens of hours testing vacuum cleaners both in our dedicated center, and my home.

Alex David

Alex has tested vacuums ever since he started reviewing products and has clocked up hundreds of hours testing dozens of vacuum cleaners for your home, including the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ in this guide.

Camryn Rabideau

Camryn is a freelance writer and product reviewer who has tested more than 100 vacuum over the years in her homestead in Rhode Island, including the Dyson Ball Animal 3 and the Shark CarpetXpert.

James Holland

James has been testing products for over three years, including a number of vacuums for H&G like the Shark POWERDETECT, the best vacuum for carpet.

Jaclyn Turner

Jaclyn was an eCommerce editor for Homes & Gardens, where she oversaw sleep content including mattresses and bedding. She's tested a number of vacuums for H&G including the Dyson V15 Detect, one of the best we've ever used.

How to choose a vacuum for carpet

Carpet is tricky to vacuum because of the fibers as they trap dirt, dust and hair within them. So, you need a vacuum with strong, powerful suction, that's able to pull these particles away from the fibrous floor. This is why upright vacuums like the Shark POWERDETECT are the obvious choice, their focused and rigorous cleaning power can pull dirt from the bottom of the carpet.

Not only that, but you'll need a brushroll that is able to agitate dirt out of the carpet. This is typically done with sharp bristles that drive into the carpet material, loosening the debris so that the strong suction can take care of the rest.

It can also become more complicated when it comes to high-pile carpets. As learned when testing the Dyson Ball Animal 3, the vacuum can occasionally suction itself to the floor, or get the carpet fibers stuck within the brushroll. Look for floorheads with manual height adjustment and ones where you can adjust the power. Maneuverability is important, too, as you'll need to be able to glide smoothly across the carpet to effectively clean.

Then, consider features that'll make your life easier. A floorhead with a large cleaning width with save time when cleaning, as each pass will cover more ground. The same goes for a large dustbin and long cord length, so you can cover more of the house before having to empty it or remove the plug.

Some features aren't as important when dealing with carpets, like LED lights or soft brushrolls. LED lights tend to illuminate very little on a carpet and are only really used for hard floors. But vacuums with multiple floorheads like the Dyson V15 Detect can be a great choice if you have a mix of carpet and hard floors, as you can use the dedicated tool as you change rooms.

You can find more advice in our guide on how to choose the right vacuum cleaner for your home.

How we test vacuums for carpet

At Homes & Gardens we like to get hands-on experience with all the products we feature. You can learn more how we test products in our dedicated guide, and there's a more specific rundown of our vacuum test process in how we test vacuums.

All of our vacuums are tried and tested in our test center and in our own homes. When in the test center, we assess each vacuum on carpet, linoleum and wood flooring. We test their suction power with flour and sugar, which is a common kitchen spill, but also a good substitute for naturally occurring particles in our homes such as dust and dead skin. We also use cereal on different flooring types to see how well each upright vacuum picks up larger debris such as crumbs and small stones, and most of all, on old hair extensions, which helps demonstrates during testing how well a vacuum can pick up hair, and whether or not hair gets stuck in its rollers. This gives us a good indication of the level of care and upkeep it'll need moving forward.

When determining whether a vacuum is good for carpet, we look for strong brushrolls with sharp bristles to agitate trapped dirt, as well as powerful suction to be able to remove these particles. Not every vacuum is able to handle carpet, especially long-pile carpet, so we use visible tests like flour to know exactly what the vacuum has picked up and left behind.

We test the vacuum cleaners for a number of weeks so that we know our tests aren't a one-off fluke. In some instances, we are also fortunate enough to keep the vacuum cleaners after writing up the review so we can continue to learn about them over months or even years and share our findings with you as the vacuums pick up wear and tear as they age.

Best vacuums for carpet – Glossary

You can delve into our full vacuum jargon buster guide, but in the mean time, here's a rundown of relevant terminology to understand when considering the best vacuum cleaners for carpets:

• Floorhead: The main vacuum cleaner attachment for floor cleaning (i.e. not the crevice tool, dusting brush etc). Some vacuums have separate floorheads for hard floors and carpets.
• Brush roll: Rotating cylinders within the floorhead (and occasionally in smaller, motorized attachments). They can be soft, fluffy rollers for hard floors or bristled to dig deep into carpets. Many vacuums from brands like Shark and Dyson will have two brush rolls in their main floorhead.
• Wand/hose: Long tube connecting the vacuum cleaner to the floorhead or any attachments (see here for what all the vacuum cleaner attachments do, like the crevice tool or dusting brush).
• Filter: Responsible for trapping the debris and particles as air passes through. Vacuums can have pre-motor filters and post-motor filters, to trap debris of different sizes at different points along the airflow.
• HEPA filter: Filter type that's able to capture at least 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns. It's a necessity in a pet hair vacuum as it's able to trap allergenic particles like pet dander (and household allergens like dust and pollen).
• Motor: The core component of a vacuum cleaner (it's also referred to as a suction motor). This is what converts the electrical power into mechanical power to create suction and airflow.
• Bagged/bagless: Some vacuums, typically older ones, use vacuum bags that you dispose of once full. Most vacuums are now bagless and have a dustbin that you conveniently empty when needed, without the need to buy additional bags. Bagged vacuums still have their advantages however, like dust-free emptying, complete odor and particle capture, and less filter maintenance.
• Detection: Some vacuums are able to 'detect' the type of flooring, how dusty/dirty the floor is, whether you're vacuuming edges, or which direction you're vacuuming. They can then automatically adjust suction power, as vacuuming carpet, edges and dust-heavy floors requires extra power, while vacuuming a fairly clean wooden floor doesn't require as much – saving energy or battery life.
• Power/air watts: A vacuum cleaner's power is best measured via air watts, reflecting the airflow and suction power in real terms. It's calculated by multiplying the airflow (in cubic metres per second) by the suction pressure (in pascals), accounting for variables like blockages or different-sized openings (from different vacuum attachments, for example).
• Low-pile carpet: Carpet with shorter fibers, constructed from small, tight loops that create a denser surface.
• High-pile carpet: AKA deep-pile, carpets with long loops creating a bushier and softer appearance. High-pile carpet is much more difficult to vacuum.

FAQs

Below you'll find answers to common questions surrounding the best vacuums for carpets, with insight from all the testing and research we've done here at H&G.

What type of vacuum is best for carpets?

Upright vacuums are the ideal choice for carpets. Being connected to an outlet means they're not restricted by battery power and they often have strong brushrolls with sharp bristles to dig deep into the carpet fibers. The best upright vacuums can also lift up their brushrolls when moving onto different floor types.

Some cordless sticks can clean carpets well, but they tend to cost a lot like the Dyson V15 Detect.

What is the most powerful suction vacuum cleaner?

It's hard to say for certain as vacuum brands will either list vacuum power in watts or air watts. Watts is how much power the vacuum uses, while air watts is an accurate measurement of their suction power.

In our tests, the two vacuums with the highest-performing suction are the Shark POWERDETECT and the Dyson Ball Animal 3 – both in this guide.

Do I need a different vacuum for low pile and high pile carpet?

As long as your vacuum's brushroll has adjustable height settings (like many upright vacuums do), it should be able to tackle different-pile carpets. High pile just means that there's more fibrous material for dust to cling on to, so even without this feature, a vacuum with a boost or turbo suction mode and sharp bristles will be able to clean effectively.

Not found what you're looking for? Consider one of the best Dyson alternatives instead.