The 5 Best Vacuums For Carpet (2023 Review)

At first glance, you likely can’t tell that your carpets are dirty. However, carpet is a prime spot for particles to live. To ensure that you’re not walking on dirt or kicking up allergens, you need a vacuum that has the suction power to get between the carpet fibers. To help you find a suitable model, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the best vacuum cleaners for carpet on Amazon. Here are our top five recommendations.

In This Guide: Top 5 | Buyer’s Guide | FAQs | Why Trust This Old House

Top 5 Vacuums for Carpet

• Best Robotic: Roborock S7 Robot Vacuum and Mop
• Best Upright: Bissell CleanView Vacuum
• Most Versatile: Bissell Featherweight Stick Vacuum
• Best Canister: Kenmore Elite Canister Vacuum
• Best Cordless: NEQUARE Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

Best Robotic: Roborock S7 Robot Vacuum and Mop

Pros and Cons

✔ Has a mopping pad that lifts when it recognizes carpet and lowers on hardwood floors
✔ Uses LiDAR Navigation to create accurate floor maps
✔ Works with the Roborock app and voice assistants

✘ Has a small 470-milliliter dustbin
✘ Cost more than other types of vacuums

What Customers Are Saying

Akin to a Roomba, many customers liked this robot vacuum’s powerful suction, long-lasting battery, and remote control. Some users did struggle to clean its dustbin, though. Others said that its mopping function left streaks on their hard floors.

Best Upright: Bissell CleanView Vacuum

Pros and Cons

✔ Can store the included attachments directly onboard
✔ Features a dustbin that’s both large and easy to empty
✔ Has a wide 13.5-inch cleaning path

✘ Doesn’t include as many accessories as other vacuum cleaners
✘ Has a bulky build that can be difficult to move around corners

What Customers Are Saying

Satisfied customers said that this model was lightweight for an upright vacuum. They also appreciated its ability to clean multiple surfaces with powerful suction. Alternatively, a small percentage of customers were unsatisfied, stating that the vacuum was difficult to maneuver and didn’t clean up their home as expected.

Most Versatile: Bissell Featherweight Stick Vacuum

Pros and Cons

✔ Includes a crevice tool for furniture and a floor nozzle for stairs
✔ Works on countertops, hard floors, rugs, and carpets
✔ Weighs three pounds for easy handling

✘ Doesn’t offer a motorized brush to reach deeply embedded debris
✘ Has a fairly short 15-foot power cord

What Customers Are Saying

Users liked this vacuum’s versatility and easy assembly. They also said that it effectively picked up pet hair. However, a common complaint among unhappy customers was that it didn’t have enough suction power for large pieces of debris. They also didn’t like how difficult it was to find the replacement filters online.

Best Canister: Kenmore Elite Canister Vacuum

Pros and Cons

✔ Uses a nub on the underside of the canister to grip stairs
✔ Has a 26-foot retractable power cord
✔ Features two wheels and a handle

✘ Weighs 22 pounds, which is heavier than other types of vacuums
✘ More expensive than most models of upright or stick vacuums

What Customers Are Saying

Customers who left positive reviews for this vacuum liked that it lifted large amounts of pet hair, had a long, retractable cord, and used a HEPA filter to remove allergens. Select users struggled with the attachments, stating that they routinely fell off of the hose.

Best Cordless: NEQUARE Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

Pros and Cons

✔ Has a large 1.2-liter dustbin capacity for a portable vacuum
✔ Uses a five-stage filtration system to capture 99.99% of fine particles
✔ Swivels 180 degrees side to side and 90 degrees up and down

✘ Not designed for whole-house cleaning
✘ Has a short 40-minute runtime

What Customers Are Saying

Those who were pleased with this cordless stick vacuum said that it was easy to use with its lightweight and maneuverable build. They also thought that it was a reasonable value for the price. Some customers pointed out a few design flaws, including its tendency to clog, its lack of power on its lower setting, and its low overall battery life.

Buyer’s Guide

A lot goes into choosing a vacuum that can clean your carpeted floors. To help you find the carpet cleaning tool, we created this guide to outline some of the most important elements.

Vacuum Type

There are several types of vacuums that can clean carpets and rugs.

Upright

An upright vacuum is likely the machine that comes to mind when you think of a vacuum. It gets its name because it stands straight when you’re not using it. When you’re ready to start cleaning, you can press a button or pull a lever to tilt the handle back while keeping the head flat on the floor.

Canister

Canister vacuums are a step up from upright vacuums. They have a powerful motor and a large dustbin, so they’re ideal for deep cleaning. They do have their downsides though, as they’re bulky and expensive.

Stick

Stick vacuums are usually cordless, though some corded models exist. They have a long, skinny body that connects the handle and dustbin at one end to the head at the other. Because they don’t have a large dustbin or a lot of power, they’re meant for the occasional mess as opposed to a deep cleaning.

Handheld

Handheld vacuums are similar to stick ones in that they typically have a portable, cordless build and a small dustbin. The main difference is that handheld vacuums don’t have the skinny piece of the body separating the handle and dustbin from the head, so they’re slightly more compact and lightweight.

Robotic

Built for convenience, robotic vacuums clean your floors for you. Entry-level models move around your floor when you turn them on, using bumpers to avoid objects. If you want a more intelligent machine, you can purchase a model that offers remote control, scheduling, and mapping.

Power Source

Vacuums either have a corded or cordless design. Cordless vacuums are lightweight and portable, but they only last for an hour or two—or maybe less on a high speed—before they die and need to be recharged. Corded vacuums are more powerful, but you’re limited by the reach of the cord and the bulky build of the machine. If you opt for a corded vacuum, make sure that its cord is at least 15-20 feet long so that you don’t have to pause as frequently to move to another outlet.

Dustbin

Robotic, stick, and handheld vacuums typically hold less than a liter of dirt. Upright and canister machines, on the other hand, have larger dustbins that can hold a few liters of debris. The trade-off, though, is a bulkier build. Additionally, most modern vacuum cleaners are bagless.

Weight

If you will be transporting your vacuum from room to room or up stairs, consider a lighter stick or handheld vacuum. Though bulky and heavy, a canister vacuum is another viable option because it often has wheels and handles. If performance is more of a priority than weight, you’re better off with an upright vacuum that can clean any flooring.

Suction

The stronger your vacuum’s suction is, the more debris it can pick up and the thicker and higher the carpet it can clean. If you have high-pile carpet, you likely need the stronger suction that a canister or upright vacuum offers. For low-pile carpet or fine dirt, the lower suction of a stick, handheld, or robotic vacuum should suffice.

Floor Type

In addition to carpet, many homes have hard floors, such as wood, tile, laminate, and vinyl. To save you money and storage space, choose a vacuum that can clean all of the surfaces in your home.

Attachments

Many vacuums come with attachments in addition to the main head to help you clean different surfaces and debris. For example, you often see pet hair, crevice, and stair tools to expand the functionality of the vacuum cleaner.

Brands

If a certain product has enough positive customer acclaim, it’s likely trustworthy regardless of the brand. However, as a general reference, several well-known vacuum brands include:

• Bissell
• BOSCH
• Dyson
• Eureka
• Maytag
• Roomba
• Shark

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of vacuum cleaner works best on carpet?

Upright vacuums tend to work best on carpet due to the weight of the vacuum being concentrated on its head, penetrating through the carpet’s pile.

How often should I vacuum my carpet?

It depends on a variety of factors, including how much foot traffic it gets, how many pets you own, and how much your pets shed. However, a general rule is once a week. If you have allergies, young kids, or heavy-shedding pets, consider vacuuming a few times per week.

What vacuums offer the best suction?

Upright and canister vacuums are typically the most powerful. The same is true of corded machines over cordless ones.

How can I ensure that my vacuum lasts a long time?

Empty the canister, and wash or replace the filter regularly. Every few months, also check the vacuum’s beater bar, belt, and other components to ensure that they’re not damaged or broken. You can consult your owner’s manual for additional instructions from the manufacturer that pertain to your specific model.

Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team

This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations.

We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.

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