Best Vacuum for Carpet in 2020 and How to Make Your Carpets Shine

Let’s be real here for a moment:

Who even likes vacuuming?

It's a tedious chore – but someone's gotta do it, right?

That's why it's vital that you find the best vacuum for carpet to do the job for you – and I'm here to guide you every step of the way!

Ready?

Let’s get straight to it!

Best Vacuum Cleaner for Carpet: Comparison Chart of 2020’s Top Products

Take a look at a side-by-side comparison of the four top picks for the best vacuum for carpet, and see which one grabs your attention right off the bat:

Best Vacuum for Carpet: 2020’s Top Recommendations & Reviews 

1. Bissell CleanView Upright Bagless Vacuum Cleaner – Best Budget-Friendly Pick

The Bissell 1831 CleanView vacuum cleaner beat a lot of top-of-the-line vacuum cleaners currently available on the market – and by a long shot, too – by being the go-to option of homeowners who need some extra help keeping their home clean without burning a hole in their wallet.

The Bissel 1831 employs OnePass Technology, which combines an innovative brush design with powerful suction to minimize your efforts and maximize your cleaning efficiency. Combined with a wide 13.5-inch cleaning path, five adjustable height levels, and pretty impressive suction power, you’ll be able to clean large areas with a minimal number of passes!

What about filtration, though?

The Multi-Cyclonic Suction – lasting suction paired with a multi-level filtration system – takes care of all fine debris and dust particles by trapping them inside, and preventing them from escaping back into the room again.

It comes with several different cleaning head attachments, too, including a mini rotating TurboBrush, a soft-bristle dusting brush, a crevice tool for those hard-to-reach areas, and an extension wand you can use on its own or with one of the other tools attached.

Here’s the not-so-wonderful part:

While the unit is lightweight enough to be maneuvered easily, the short cord and the inflexible hose will be somewhat limiting in that regard.

2. Hoover PowerDash Pet Carpet Cleaner – Best for Pet Owners

Pets bring tons of joy to our lives, but as a pet owner, you know better than anyone that keeping your household in a pristine condition – clean and odor-free – with pets running around can be a tricky endeavor, to say the least.

Does this sound like you?

Enter Hoover PowerDash, a perfect solution for those of you who want a grab-and-go type of vacuum cleaner that will get rid of all sorts of messes – from dirt and dust to pet hair and stubborn stains.

Granted, you don’t get any additional accessories, but the PowerSpin Pet Brush Roll, with its antimicrobial protection, and the HeatForce  – a heated cleaning feature that helps remove stubborn stains and ensures a fast drying time – are more than enough to get the job done.

And this lightweight vacuum cleaner packs a mighty punch, too. The manufacturer's confident enough to label it as a unit that's two times more powerful than the leading lightweight carpet cleaner!

However, here’s a word of caution:

Even with the handy dual tank system, the small capacity means you’ll have to do quite a bit of emptying and refilling, especially when cleaning a large area of your home.

That’s a problem to expect with a model as compact as this, though.

Pick your battles, as they say!

3. Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional NV356E – Editor’s Pick

If you’re looking for an all-around handy tool to clean every single inch of your home, look no further – the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional NV356E might be the perfect option for you!

Here’s the cool part:

At first glance, it looks like the standard upright model, but in reality, it works as a two-in-one vacuum cleaner!

You see, it comes with a handy little twist:

All it takes is a simple press of a button, and the Lift-Away feature detaches the canister, giving you more maneuverability and making it easy to get to those hard-to-reach areas.

The vacuum cleaner comes with several different accessories, too.

Besides the standard brush roll (which can be turned off), you also get a Dust-Away tool complete with two microfiber pads for cleaning hard floors, a crevice tool, and a pet hair turbo-brush!

Most importantly, thanks to the Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology and the HEPA filter, allergens and fine dust particles all get trapped inside the vacuum cleaner, rather than ending up released back into the room.

There’s only one problem:

I wish the hose were a bit longer. The idea of having it detached from the canister is fantastic, but given its length, it’s somewhat hard to reach up when cleaning.

4. Miele Complete C3 Marin Canister Vacuum Cleaner – Best High-End Option

Canister vacuum cleaners tend to be not only the most powerful but the most versatile units, as well – and when it comes to the best canister vacuum cleaner models, what better choice out there than the Miele Complete C3 Marin?

What makes it so unique, you ask?

I have one word for you:

Versatility.

Here’s what I mean:

With six speed settings, automatically adjustable suction, five-level height adjustments, and impressive 4.5-liter capacity, this model will bring home cleaning to the next level.

The Miele comes with three integrated accessories (a dusting brush, a crevice nozzle, and an upholstery tool) on top of the two floor-cleaning heads – the wide-path carpet tool with built-in LED headlights and the rotatable Parquet Twister that works on smooth surfaces.

Also, if you (or anyone in your home) suffer from allergies, asthma or any other respiratory issues that could get agitated by indoor air pollutants, you’ll surely appreciate the fact that it comes with a built-in HEPA AirClean filter, as well.

There’s the obvious issue of the price here, but if you’re willing to spend more to get a premium vacuum cleaner, this is it. The Miele C3 Marin is worth every penny!

How to Pick the Vacuum for Carpet: Buyer’s Guide & Tips

You’ve seen what the 2019’s market has to offer – but the question remains:

How do you pick the best vacuum for carpet?

The fact that there are so many different types of vacuum cleaners on the market doesn’t help, either:

You’re about to learn about the most critical factors you should consider before buying the best vacuum cleaner for carpet.

Keep on reading!

What Kind of Carpet Do You Have?  

Textured, deep shag, low pile, area rugs, or wall-to-wall – each type of carpet has its specific cleaning requirements.

Think I’m exaggerating?

Synthetic fiber carpets and rugs can handle the more aggressive models, be it upright or canister ones. However, natural fiber carpets require a more gentle approach – brushes with flexible bristles and adjustable suction power – and canister models are usually better suited for the job.

Most importantly, if your household has different types of carpets, as well as hardwood or tile floors, be sure to pick a vacuum cleaner that has the proper features and accessories to clean them all effectively.

It’s always best to rely on the manufacturer’s recommendations, often found in the vacuum cleaner’s user manual.

In the meantime, you can consult the table below:  

Overall Performance & Suction Power

Okay, this one may be somewhat tricky to assess, mainly because the first thing most manufacturers will talk about regarding vacuum cleaner’s performance is the motor power ratings.

All those amps and watts won’t tell you much about the unit’s actual performance, though.

So, what does all this mean?

Don’t make the mistake of confusing “power” with “performance” – pick the best vacuum cleaner for carpet based on its airflow and sealed suction (also known as “water lift”), instead:

Capacity

The vacuum cleaner’s capacity is determined by the size of its dust bag or cup. Of course, the bigger it is, the less often you'll have to empty it.

There’s no right or wrong option here, though:

If you're working with higher amounts of dust and dirt (as you usually would in larger homes and high-traffic areas), you'll be better off with a full-sized vacuum cleaner; if not, small-capacity units will do just fine, too.

Filtration

When you’re vacuuming, you’re picking up all sorts of dirt and fine particles, and it’s the filtration system that prevents them from going straight through your vacuum cleaner and being released back into the air and settling as fine dust.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

Pretty much every model on the market will do a somewhat decent job at filtering the air before it leaves the unit – and if you’re a perfectly healthy individual, this isn’t something you should be concerned with, in the first place.

What if you have respiratory issues, though?

If you’re suffering from allergies, asthma, or other health condition that are impacted by the indoor air quality, focus your attention to models with a HEPA filtration system.

What is a HEPA filter, you ask?

It’s a High-Efficiency Particulate Air filtration system that traps 99.97% of all particles that pass through it!

Versatility: Additional Features & Accessories 

Here are some must-have features to consider:

Don’t let all the shiny accessories distract you from the factors mentioned above, and trick you into buying something you don’t need, though.

Additional tools and features are always a nice bonus, but they’re just that – additions.

Final Thoughts & Recommendations

It’s time to wrap things up and take one last look at the overall best vacuum for carpet – the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional NV356E. It strikes the balance between price and value perfectly, and it’s versatile enough to allow you to switch from carpeted areas to bare floors, and even ceilings, easily – more than enough to keep every inch of your home squeaky clean!

Do you have a personal favorite, too? Let me know in the comments below!