The 6 Best Vacuums for Thick Carpet of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

The Shark Rotator Powered Lift-away vacuum hits the top spot of our podium for its efficiency on high pile carpets or carpeted areas, versatility, and durability.

The standout feature is the adjustable and powerful suction combined with an effective brushroll. It’s exactly what you need for an effective cleaning of all types of carpets from low pile, to medium pile and high pile.

Not only does it allow to clean any type of carpeted area, but it comes with a hard floor setting, too. This setting works simply by turning off the brush roller. And the suction is equally strong on both types of surfaces.

We also appreciated the led headlights that can reveal hidden dirt and dust in the carpet yarns. It’s kind of a gadget but for a carpet, this is a must. And it turns out to be really helpful to dislodge pet hair from the thick carpet fibers.

And if you have other carpeted areas such as stairs, upholsteries, or drapes, the attachments, the handheld mode, and the crevice tool are more than necessary.

However, power and smart features often come with extra weight and bulkiness. This Shark Rotator is the heaviest upright model on our list and is more of a heavy-duty carpet cleaning machine than an all-purpose vacuum.

Maneuverability is an important factor to consider for a good carpet vacuum, but we don’t think it should come at the expense of power and efficiency.

The price is on the higher side, too. But for all the features it packs, we believe this Shark is worth the investment.

Plus, for this price, a 5 years warranty is offered. Just make sure you register your item with the Shark company.

For a budget-friendly option, just as effective on thick carpets, we found this Eureka Powerspeed upright vacuum cleaner to be the best recommendation.

Featuring a dynamic motor – meaning it uses a high level of suction without overheating the appliance, the performance is impressive and the suction is incredible.

Nothing can resist this suction monster – not heavy debris nor stubborn dirt that sticks to high-pile carpet fibers.

Add to that the 5 height adjustment settings (high pile rugs, low and medium pile, plush carpets, shag carpets, hardwood floors) and the 3 handy tools, and you can tackle any cleaning tasks for a low price point.

We liked the wide 12.6 nozzle – one of the widest on this list, and the 25 foot long cord. While these features may seem basic, they add convenience and quickness to your cleaning sessions.

We also noticed that the vacuum seems to have been designed with ease of use in mind. You can retract the cord or empty the dustbin with just the push of a button.

And since it weighs less than 10 pounds, it’s one of the lightest and most maneuverable options we could find for cleaning high-pile carpets.

What’s not to love about this Eureka Powerspeed vacuum? Well, with such a low price, you can’t expect to have it all.

It’s certainly less robust and durable than other higher-end models. But it could make you very happy for several years, at least.

Read Full Review: Dyson V11 Vacuum Review

If you’re the happy owner of a pet, you’ll be pleased to find this Hoover WindTunnel Performance vacuum to clean your thick carpet.

Many positive reviews complimented how much pet hair was cleaned up from their thick carpets – compared to when they’d used previous vacuums on the same floors.

Its construction is compact and built to last, too. This may place this vacuum on the heavy side, but it’s counterbalanced by its easy one-hand carry and the extra 40 feet long cord.

And since we usually don’t buy a vacuum just to clean one type of surface, we appreciated that this mighty vacuum comes with an adjustable brush roll.

So whether you have hardwood floors or carpeted areas at home, this won’t be an issue. Simply raise the brush roll when you vacuum delicate wooden floors to prevent debris from scattering. The rest of the time you can leave the carpet setting.

It also comes with attachments that will really excite pet owners: the turbo tool, the pivoting dusting brush (+ the classical crevice tool). You can virtually remove stubborn pet hair from everywhere.

This is a bagless model so at some points, you’ll have to empty the dustbin. This may be a disadvantage if you’re allergy sensitive. Speaking of allergens, we appreciated knowing that the Hoover Windtunnel has a carbon HEPA filtration system.

Not only will the filters trap dust, small particles, and allergens, but it will also retain pets smells and odors.

While this vacuum is well constructed and overall impressive, it has a few limitations. To start, it isn’t exactly quiet. And since you own pets, this might not please them.

Also, the suction is almost industrial, which can make it difficult to push on carpeting. But you can be sure it will leave your carpets clean for a long time.

Looking for something designed specifically for (thick) carpeting and rugs? Your best bet is the Soniclean Soft Carpet Upright Vacuum.

Everything has been built with carpet in mind.

To start, this upright model uses a sonic cleaning technology (patented). In other words, this technology uses high-frequency sound waves to agitate dirt and debris from carpeted areas, making them easier to suction.

Combined with a special ultra soft brush roll, the vacuum gently sucks up the carpets while being extremely effective.

We also appreciated the adjustable vent system and the large front wheels which is especially helpful when gliding the vacuum across soft, thick or plush carpets.

Packed with so many smart features, we expected the Soniclean vacuum to be a hefty upright machine. Well, it’s not. It’s actually one of the lightest options on this list, weighing in at just 10.5 lbs.

Of course, it includes a HEPA filtration system. But it is worth noting that the system is hospital grade — a plus for anyone, but especially those with allergies or sensitivities.

All these remarkable features have earned it gold certification from the Carpet and rug institute (as of the date of publication). To obtain this certification, the vacuum must meet performance criteria of more than 55% of soil removal (amongst others), which is a guarantee of quality.

However, while this vacuum is extremely powerful and efficient on carpets, it doesn’t include any attachments to clean other surfaces. It does have a hard floor setting tough. But that’s pretty much it.

So if you’re looking for a vacuum to clean carpeted areas exclusively, you can purchase this Soniclean. Otherwise, you’ll be frustrated by its limitations, especially given its premium price.

Canister vacuums aren’t necessarily the most suitable vacuums types for thick carpets. Yet this Kenmore Elite Pet friendly will make change your mind.

We didn’t test this canister vacuum, but during our research, we were impressed by its reported high performance on thick carpets.

It’s the only vacuum on our list to use a dual-motor system. The main benefit of this system is to provide more power than single-motor systems. And you won’t be disappointed: the suction power excels and catch the smallest particles that are dug deep into the carpet fibers.

We were pleased with the variable power mode and the added versatility. Depending on the pile height of your specific carpets, the vacuum cleaners simply adapt.

The four attachments are extremely useful and include a dusting brush, the crevice tool, a pet tool, and another floor brush – all of them stored in the canister body and within easy reach.

Plus, we couldn’t ignore the 26-foot-long cord which is retractable, and the telescoping wand that makes cleaning high areas a breeze. The swivel steering is also more than appreciated to navigate around your carpeted areas.

But it’s a bagged canister, so you’ll have to add the replacement bags to the overall premium cost. But the bag’s capacity is quite large so you won’t have to change the bags too frequently.