Cleaning carpeted floors is a difficult task for many vacuums. The best vacuums for cleaning carpets have plenty of suction power, a brushroll that digs deep into carpet fibers to lift away debris, and adjustable height settings to give that brushroll better contact with the fibers. They should also be maneuverable enough to navigate around furniture without getting stuck on the carpet fibers.
If you want a more thorough breakdown of what to look out for when picking a vacuum for carpet cleaning, take a look at our buyer's guide down below. We've tested over 110 vacuum cleaners, and below are our recommendations for the best vacuums for carpets. We selected these picks based on their low- and high-pile carpet performance, design, feature sets, and prices. For more recommendations, look at our list of the best vacuums, the best vacuums for high-pile carpet, and the best vacuums for shag-pile carpet.
-
Best Vacuum For Carpets
Carpet Pickup7.8Pet Hair Pickup9.0House7.4Small Apartment8.7Air Quality8.1Vacuum TypeStick/HandheldBaglessYesSee all our test resultsCordlessYesThe Dyson V15 Detect is the best vacuum for carpets we've tested. It's great for carpets, since its powered brushroll is very effective at dealing with everything from sand to pet hair, allowing you to quickly get the job done. The cordless design is convenient for cleaning carpets around your home without having to hunt for an outlet, but unfortunately, its runtime at high power is so short that you'll need to keep an eye on the battery level if you're dealing with a large mess or have many rooms to clean. It's convenient that it can automatically adjust suction power based on dirt level, but it's hard to move on carpet when it suddenly switches to high suction. The V15's HEPA filter does an outstanding job of keeping dust out of the air, but if you're an allergy sufferer, be aware that you'll release a cloud of dust when you empty the dirt compartment.
If you have a particularly large living space and don't want to deal with the V15's short runtime, consider the corded Miele Guard S1 Electro. While the Miele doesn't perform quite as well as the Dyson overall, it's particularly effective for pet hair, making it a smart choice for pet owners. The high-capacity bagged design leads to months between emptyings, something the Dyson can't offer, and disposing of the sealed dirtbag is clean and hygienic. But you will eventually have to replace the bag and filter, so maintenance costs are higher than those of the bagless Dyson.
-
Best Upper Mid-Range Vacuum For Carpets
Carpet Pickup7.0Pet Hair Pickup7.3House7.5Small Apartment8.2Air Quality8.1Vacuum TypeStick/HandheldBaglessYesSee all our test resultsCordlessYesThe Shark Stratos Cordless IZ862H is an upper mid-range cordless vacuum that offers a sturdier build and practical design touches you won't find on the Dyson. Its twin-roll floorhead specializes in removing medium and large debris from all types of carpet, and it does a good job removing pet hair as well. It feels better built than the Dyson V15 Detect, made with thicker, higher-grade plastic. You won't have to crouch to vacuum under tables or furniture like you would with the V15, since the Shark comes with a hinged wand.
When it comes to fine debris or pet hair deeply embedded in carpet, the Shark leaves more material behind than the Dyson since its brushroll doesn't provide as much agitation. The Shark also doesn't offer as high a runtime as the V15, making you even more pressed for time if you have a big mess or a large house to clean. And while the Shark's HEPA filter does a fantastic job of keeping dust out of the air, like all bagless vacuums, emptying it releases a cloud of dust that will negatively impact your air quality.
-
Best Mid-Range Vacuum For Carpets
Carpet Pickup7.0Pet Hair Pickup9.3House8.7Small Apartment8.4Air Quality8.1Vacuum TypeUprightBaglessYesSee all our test resultsCordlessNoThe Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra is a mid-range corded vacuum that trades the convenience of cordless for unlimited runtime and strong pet hair pickup. It's just as effective as the Shark Stratos Cordless IZ862H on all carpet types, picking up most material on the first pass, and it does a much better job removing pet hair. Since it's corded, you won't have to worry about the battery running out, so you can clean at the suction power level you need until the job is done. It has a much larger dirt compartment than the Shark, allowing you to go longer between emptyings. Allergy sufferers will appreciate that this vacuum's HEPA filter seals away dust, keeping it out of the air.
However, its bigger, bulkier floorhead doesn't handle edges as well as the Shark's, so it leaves debris along walls and baseboards. This heavier vacuum is also harder to maneuver around your house. Because it doesn't have a cord auto retractor, you'll also need to manually wind back its long power cord at the end of every cleaning session, which can be a nuisance. Unfortunately, this vacuum's thin plastic components flex and creak, making it feel less sturdy than the Shark. Like other bagless vacuums, you'll want to empty it outside to avoid creating a cloud of dust.
-
Best Budget Vacuum For Carpets
Carpet Pickup8.0Pet Hair Pickup7.9House8.6Small Apartment8.6Air Quality9.3Vacuum TypeUpright/HandheldBaglessNoSee all our test resultsCordlessNoIf you're looking for strong carpet cleaning and allergy-friendly features at a budget-friendly price point, the Kenmore Intuition Bagged is a solid pick. This upright vacuum delivers impressive overall debris-pickup performance on low- and high-pile carpets, though it's not as good as the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra at lifting pet hair. This vacuum is perfect for allergy sufferers: not only does it have a HEPA filter, a rarity at this price, but its bagged design and self-sealing dustbags seal away dust when you empty it, something a bagless vacuum can't offer. To clean hard-to-reach spots, you can lift the canister away from the floorhead and use an attachment on its hose. It also has a brushroll off switch to clean hard surfaces or free it more easily from obstructions like rug tassels.
The canister's lift-away feature is limited by its short hose, making tasks like cleaning stairs difficult. And, like the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra, this upright vacuum is heavy, bulky, and hard to maneuver. It's not the best-built vacuum either, with fragile internal components, though that's not surprising considering its budget price.
-
Best Cheap Vacuum For Carpets
Carpet Pickup6.8Pet Hair Pickup5.4House7.6Small Apartment6.5Air Quality4.9Vacuum TypeCanisterBaglessNoSee all our test resultsCordlessNoIf you're on a tight budget and just need a basic vacuum that can handle carpet, the Eureka Mighty Mite is the cheapest option worth considering. Though it doesn't have a powered floorhead like the Kenmore Intuition Bagged, it's surprisingly powerful for a cheap vacuum, so it does a decent job picking up debris from high-pile carpet, and a fair job on low-pile carpet. It's light and compact, making it easier to maneuver and carry around than the Kenmore. Its bagged design means you can go weeks or months without emptying it, unlike a bagless vacuum.
Since the Eureka doesn't have a powered floorhead, it's much worse than the Kenmore at picking up pet hair. This vacuum also doesn't have a HEPA filter. Dust blows right out of the exhaust, negatively impacting your air quality. It has a short cord, much shorter than the Kenmore's, so you'll have to switch outlets more often. And at this price, don't expect good build quality: it feels cheap, with thin, low-quality plastic.
Notable Mentions
-
SEBO Airbelt D4:
The SEBO Airbelt D4 is an extremely powerful vacuum with a full-featured, highly capable powerhead for cleaning carpets, but that large floorhead makes it much more difficult to maneuver than the Dyson V15 Detect. The floorhead also pushes large debris around rather than picking it up, even when you adjust its height. It's also far more expensive than the Dyson V15 Detect.
See our review -
Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine:
The Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine is the latest high-end cordless stick vacuum from Dyson. It's excellent for dealing with pet hair on carpets, but it falls far behind the older Dyson V15 Detect for carpet cleaning in general, so it isn't worth the price premium.
See our review
Recent Updates
Jun 11, 2026:
We've added a buyer's guide to this article to help you identify the main things to watch out for when shopping for a new vacuum for carpets. We've also ensured all main picks are still available.
Apr 21, 2026:
We verified that all our picks were still available and made some edits to the text.
Feb 09, 2026:
We edited the article for clarity and conciseness. We replaced the SEBO D4 with the Dyson V15 as the 'Best Vacuum For Carpets' and replaced the Miele Classic C1 with the Shark Stratos Cordless IZ862H. Added the Dyson V16 Animal Piston Submarine and SEBO D4 as Notable Mentions compared to the Dyson V15 Detect.
Nov 14, 2025:
We replaced the Eureka FloorRover with the Eureka Mighty Mite due to the current pricing of the product. We also made small text adjustments to further clarify product details.
Mar 27, 2025:
We replaced a mention of the discontinued Miele Complete C3 Alize with the Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog. We checked all recommendations for availability and accuracy and made minor text adjustments.
What To Consider When Choosing A Vacuum For Carpets
Carpet Pickup Performance
This is the first thing you should consider when it comes time to buy a vacuum to deal with pet hair. When looking over the results of the Low-Pile Carpet Pickup and High-Pile Carpet Pickup tests in our own reviews, you can keep the following in mind when looking at scores:
- 7.5-8.0: The vacuum has cleared away the majority of debris within a single back-and-forth pass, though a small amount remains visible, and a second pass is needed to clear away everything
- 8.0-9.0: Barely any visible debris remains after a single back-and-forth sweep.
- 9.0-9.5: Effectively, no debris remains after a single back-and-forth sweep.
Floorhead
If you have carpeted floors, a floorhead with an air-driven or motorized roller brush is a must-have.
- Air-driven (often marketed as 'Turbo' brushes) are generally simpler, lighter, and cheaper, but can also jam on thicker carpets, and are mainly suited for dealing with solid debris or pet hair on low to medium-pile rugs and carpets
- Motorized powerheads are heavier and more complex, but generally provide superior performance on thicker carpets, with less of a chance for thicker rugs to stop the roller's rotation
- Pricier motorized heads also tend to offer a greater array of features, including height adjustment, making it easier to maneuver on surfaces like shag-pile rugs, as well as automatic brushroll cutoff functions, which prevent overheating or damage in the event that carpet fibers or some other obstruction completely jams the roller mechanism.
Straight-suction floorheads can provide some level of surface agitation on very low-pile rugs, but are mainly suited for bare flooring.
- Their simple design makes them fairly easy to clean, and you won't have to worry about pet hair getting stuck inside and jamming a roller brush's rotation
Maneuverability
Carpet can be a challenging surface for many vacuums to clean, with a soft, uneven surface that can also cause some vacuums to get bogged down. As mentioned earlier, it's best to go for a vacuum with a height-adjustable roller brush to avoid this problem. Weight is another concern, as powered floorheads, which are typically vital in allowing for good carpet cleaning performance, tend to be rather heavy. Here's a quick rundown on what sort of weight you can expect with most vacuums equipped with powered heads:
- 10 to 15 lbs is the typical weight for a mid-range upright model or a canister vacuum with an aluminum or high-grade plastic wand, with a lightweight parquet tool or air-driven turbo brush
- 15 to 20 lbs is generally the weight of mid-range models with more premium stainless steel wands, or those that are equipped with motorized tools.
- Over 20 lbs is very heavy, with this weight class typically being occupied by high-end models with sturdy bodies, steel wands, and bulky, height-adjustable floorheads.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are currently the best vacuums for carpets. We don't just base our results on overall performance but also on factors like availability, price, and reader feedback, so it isn't as though there's a single best vacuum cleaner for carpets to suit all needs.
If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of all our vacuum reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no vacuum is perfect for every use, most are good enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.