Cleaning carpeted floors can be a difficult task for many vacuums. Carpeted floors tend to hold on to various types of foreign material, so it's crucial to have a vacuum with plenty of suction power and a brushroll that can dig its way into this type of surface and lift away debris. The best vacuum to clean carpet should also be maneuverable enough to navigate furniture and shelves without getting stuck on shaggy surfaces.
We've tested over 105 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 and design, feature set, and price. 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. Alternatively, if you're looking for a more hands-off experience, you can check out our recommendations for the best robot vacuums for carpet.
Quick Look
We've independently bought and tested over 105 vacuums with no cherry-picked manufacturer samples. We run each vacuum through a gauntlet of tests whose results are validated by multiple teams to ensure you get an accurate picture of how each model will perform and can easily compare them. We keep the products in our lab so we can periodically go back and see how they stack up to the newest competition.
Want to learn more about our testing and review pipeline? Check out our How We Test Vacuums article for insight into our lab and writing processes.
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Best Vacuum For Carpets
Low-Pile Carpet7.7High-Pile Carpet7.4User Maintenance9.5Head Surface Type AdjustmentNoneRecurring Cost6.0Vacuum TypeCanisterAnti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)YesBaglessNoSee all our test resultsCordlessNoThe SEBO Airbelt D4 Premium is the best vacuum for carpets we've tested. This model isn't always available from larger online retailers, but you can find it directly on SEBO's website. Even with a basic straight-suction floorhead, this high-end canister vacuum does a very good job of dealing with pet hair and solid debris on low-pile carpets. However, if you need to clean thicker carpets, the ET-1 powerhead bundled with the top-range D4 Premium model is one of the most effective attachments on the market. It features four levels of height adjustment, an automatic brushroll cutoff switch, and an indicator light to let you know if the brushroll is set too high to touch the ground or if its bristles have been worn down. You can precisely control the vacuum's suction power using the rocker switch on its handle, letting you quickly adapt to different types and lengths of carpeting.
The SEBO also feels remarkably well-built, and its three-stage S-Class filtration system is incredibly effective in keeping allergens sealed away as you clean. Its user maintenance is remarkably simple, and this model incurs low recurring costs for a bagged vacuum thanks to its high-capacity dirtbags and long-lasting filters. Looking for something more maneuverable? Consider the Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog, which is a little smaller and lighter and comes with a powerhead for thicker carpeting. However, it uses smaller dirtbags and less durable filters, resulting in higher ownership costs. You might also consider other C3 models with powerheads, like the C3 Kona or C3 Brilliant.
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Best Upper Mid-Range Vacuum For Carpets
Low-Pile Carpet6.6High-Pile Carpet6.0User Maintenance9.5Head Surface Type AdjustmentManualRecurring Cost5.5Vacuum TypeCanisterAnti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)NoBaglessNoSee all our test resultsCordlessNoCheck out the Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog PowerLine if you're shopping at a slightly lower price point. This canister vacuum isn't as sturdily built as the SEBO Airbelt D4 Premium and has a shorter power cable, so you'll likely need to swap outlets when cleaning larger areas. It also lacks an onboard tool storage compartment, though you can mount its upholstery tool, crevice tool, and dusting brush to an included clip that can be attached to the base of its hose. With all that said, it's notably cheaper than the SEBO, yet its 1200W motor puts it in a similar ballpark to the SEBO regarding real-world performance.
This Cat & Dog variant of the C1 comes bundled with Miele's SEB 228 powerhead, which features five levels of height adjustment, allowing you to quickly adapt to many carpet types, from low-pile to plush carpeting, along with a parquet head for cleaning hard floors and a mini turbo brush for cleaning fabric furniture. We haven't tested the C1 with this powerhead, but we have tested it with the aforementioned Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog, where it does a fair job of dealing with embedded debris. You can adjust the vacuum's suction power using the six-level rotary dial at the back of its body if you're having trouble pushing the head around on thick carpeting.
This vacuum is also smaller and lighter than the SEBO, making it easier to maneuver in cluttered areas. It's easy to maintain, with an easily accessible dirtbag and filters. Unfortunately, it incurs higher ownership costs; it uses 2.5 L dirtbags instead of the SEBO vacuum's high-capacity 4.5 L bags. These smaller bags will fill up much faster and thus need replacing more often. The Miele also uses filters with a much shorter lifespan.
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Best Mid-Range Vacuum For Carpets
Low-Pile Carpet7.6High-Pile Carpet7.7User Maintenance7.5Head Surface Type AdjustmentManualRecurring Cost10Vacuum TypeUprightAnti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)YesBaglessYesSee all our test resultsCordlessNoThe best mid-range vacuum for carpets is the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra. Being a bagless upright, it's a different proposition than the Miele Classic C1, with a substantially less durable plastic chassis that creaks and flexes while in use, but it does just as good a job when cleaning debris on carpets. It's a substantial upgrade over its predecessor, the Dyson Ball Animal 2. It has a redesigned floorhead with built-in plastic combs to trap and prevent hair from getting tangled around the brushroll and three manually adjustable surface settings. This makes it much easier to maneuver on carpets than the older model, which formed a very tight seal with the ground and could even tear up longer carpet fibers. The Ball Animal 3 also has an onboard HEPA filter and an allergen-sealed body, so it does a good job of trapping most fine particles as you clean. That said, shaking out its dustbin can release a cloud of dust, making for a less hygienic means of debris disposal than throwing out the Miele's sealed dirtbags.
This vacuum's ball-shaped wheel mechanism makes it more maneuverable than a traditional upright, but it's still a bulky, heavy appliance. 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.
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Best Lower Mid-Range Vacuum For Carpets
Low-Pile Carpet7.1High-Pile Carpet7.5User Maintenance6.5Head Surface Type AdjustmentManualRecurring Cost6.5Vacuum TypeUprightAnti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)YesBaglessNoSee all our test resultsCordlessNoThe Kenmore Intuition Bagged is a good option if you want to spend less on an upright vacuum for cleaning carpets. This bagged upright vacuum delivers impressive overall debris-pickup performance on low- and high-pile carpets, despite lacking a floorhead height adjustment system. This omission can make it somewhat hard to maneuver on super-thick shag carpeting, but its performance is more than adequate on any other carpet type. It might not feel as well-built as higher-end models like the Miele Classic C1, and its upright form factor makes it a little more unwieldy in tight spots, but its design isn't without niceties. Its motor unit can be detached from the floorhead, making it much easier to clean tight spots. It also has a brushroll off switch to clean hard surfaces or free it more easily from obstructions like rug tassels. It also uses high-capacity dustbags that seal shut when they're removed, making disposal a breeze.
Still, if you'd rather not have to replace a dirtbag every now and then and don't mind the messier debris disposal process that comes with a bagless vacuum, you could also consider the BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser Turbo. While it's also easier to maneuver than the Kenmore on shag-pile carpeting, its debris-pickup performance on shorter-pile carpeting is notably inferior.
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Best Budget Vacuum For Carpets
Low-Pile Carpet7.1High-Pile Carpet7.1User Maintenance9.5Head Surface Type AdjustmentManualRecurring Cost7.0Vacuum TypeCanisterAnti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)NoBaglessNoSee all our test resultsCordlessNoThe best budget carpet vacuum we've tested is the Eureka Mighty Mite. This bagged canister vacuum isn't equipped with a powered floorhead out of the box, so its utility is limited on carpet with a denser pile that requires more surface agitation to lift out stubborn debris. That said, there are compatible turbine heads from third-party manufacturers that can help clean lower-pile carpeting; this makes it a good option if you've got a few rugs in your home and are looking for a basic vacuum. It has a relatively powerful 12-amp motor, resulting in strong airflow overall, and its simple design makes it easy to swap out its filters and dustbag.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given its low price, build quality isn't a strong suit, with a canister body made of somewhat cheap plastic. At a hair under 20 feet in length, its power cord is also a little too short to clean larger spaces that have fewer accessible power outlets.
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Best Cordless Vacuum For Carpets
Low-Pile Carpet7.8High-Pile Carpet8.0User Maintenance7.0Head Surface Type AdjustmentManualRecurring Cost10Vacuum TypeStick/HandheldAnti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)YesBaglessYesSee all our test resultsCordlessYesIf you'd rather not deal with a power cord when vacuuming carpets, the Dyson V15 Detect is a solid option. Compared to a high-end canister vacuum with a powerhead like the SEBO Airbelt D4 Premium, this flagship stick vacuum has a less potent suction motor and a more rudimentary floorhead with no height adjustment and no brushroll cut-off. The absence of these features means that it can get stuck in thick carpeting, forcing you to turn it off to free it. While it's far from the newest model in Dyson's lineup, having been supplanted by the Dyson Gen5Detect and then the Dyson V16 Piston as the brand's flagship, its 230 AW suction motor is still remarkably powerful for a cordless model, and it remains notably cheaper than either one of those newer models while still offering a similar level of performance. The vacuum can suck up debris embedded in low- and medium-pile carpeting within one or two passes. The Dyson's design also has the added benefit of grab-and-go convenience compared to a bulkier corded machine.
If you want a cordless machine with a bit more of a premium feel but fewer parts requiring periodic maintenance, the Miele Triflex HX2 is a solid alternative. It's also a bit more maneuverable and feels lighter in hand, though it does have a bulkier floorhead, which can be an issue for cleaning under low furniture. It also delivers less raw performance than the Dyson and has a significantly smaller dustbin that you'll need to empty on a more regular basis, too.
Notable Mentions
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Shark Stratos Upright AZ3002:
The Shark Stratos Upright AZ3002 is Shark's flagship corded upright vacuum and does a great job of cleaning low- and high-pile carpets. Its floorhead is slightly more rudimentary than the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra, with no height adjustment and no brushroll off switch.
See our review -
Dyson Gen5detect:
The Dyson Gen5detect is the brand's newest flagship, effectively replacing the Dyson V15 Detect. While it brings in a few minor quality-of-life upgrades, they aren't enough to justify the substantial price premium over its predecessor, especially considering the two vacuums deliver very similar performance.
See our review -
Dyson Gen5outsize:
The Dyson Gen5outsize is effectively an enlarged version of the Dyson Gen5detect and delivers similar overall performance. However, it's even pricier than the smaller Gen5detect, let alone the Dyson V15 Detect, and its larger size makes it far more cumbersome to use in tight spots.
See our review -
Shark Stratos Cordless IZ862H:
The Shark Stratos Cordless IZ862H is an upper mid-range cordless stick vacuum that performs well on low- and medium-pile carpets, but it tends to get seriously bogged down on plusher carpeting. It's also heavier than the Dyson V15 Detect and has fewer attachments.
See our review
Recent Updates
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.
Jan 29, 2025:
Slight in-text adjustments to further enhance readability. Ensured all main picks are still available and represent the best fit for user needs.
Nov 26, 2024:
Minor in text adjustments to further clarify product details. Removed less relevant Notable Mentions picks.
Aug 26, 2024: Replaced the BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Plus with the Kenmore Intuition Bagged as the 'Best Lower Mid-Range Vacuum For Carpets' pick due to new performance data from Test Bench 1.3.
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, ranked by their performance on carpets. 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.