Best Vacuums for Thick Carpet in 2021

Thick carpets can be difficult to clean well. Dust and debris can get embedded in the fibers of carpeted floors. And some vacuum cleaners can damage your plush, thick pile carpets.

We’re here to help you by showing you the best vacuums for thick carpets. These models won’t damage your high pile carpets. And they’re easy for you to maneuver and come with the right features to give your floors a thorough clean.

You’ll learn about what to look out for in a carpet vacuum, such as the right amount of suction power and adjustable cleaning heads. You can then read our review of the best vacuums on the market to see which product is right for your home.

Do Thick Carpets Need a Special Vacuum?

No, not necessarily. You can use most vacuum cleaners to clean thick carpets. But, this doesn’t mean that they’ll be cleaned well.

The longer fibers on high pile and plush carpets make them harder to clean. Stubborn dirt and debris can get really embedded in them. And standard vacuum models might damage the carpet fibers.

But a vacuum for high pile carpets is designed specifically to give them a thorough clean.

• First, vacuum cleaners for thick carpets should be certified by the CRI (Carpet and Rug Institute) ⁽¹⁾. Their Seal of Approval guarantees quality. You know the vacuum can effectively remove soil and dirt, and retain the luxurious appearance of your thick carpet.
• Second, these vacuums should have different suction settings. If it’s too powerful, the vacuum head can get stuck in high pile carpets. So if you’ve got different types of floor to clean, adjustable settings are key.
• Then, you should look for a vacuum that’s got a HEPA filter. Pollen, dust, and other allergens can easily get caught in the fibers of thick carpets. So to avoid causing allergic reactions, a HEPA filter is needed to remove these allergens.
• Finally, some standard vacuum cleaners aren’t easy to move around on high pile carpets. A model with adjustable height settings makes them easier to maneuver. And if they’re lightweight and have big wheels, vacuuming is even more effortless.

What To Look For In A Vacuum For Thick Carpets

Let’s examine the key features you need to look out for when choosing a vacuum cleaner for thick carpets.

The Best Vacuums for Thick Carpets of 2021

We’ve spent hours and hours researching the best vacuums for thick carpets. We’ve looked at customer feedback, manufacturer specs, and product descriptions. You’ll be able to compare weight, suction power, cost, and extra features to see which model is the best fit for you.

1. Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away Vacuum

Give your deluxe carpets a thorough clean with this powerful upright vacuum from Shark. It’s got strong suction power whether you’re vacuuming your floors or have detached the pod and are cleaning your stairs in the lift-away mode.

There’s a sealed filter system that includes a HEPA filter. So it’s ideal if you have any allergy sufferers in your household. And if you’re a pet owner, the 2-in1 tool makes cleaning up their mess from your plush carpets an easy task.

The dust bin has a large capacity. You’ll save time on not having to empty it so often. Plus, if you have hard floors to clean as well as carpets, it works just as well on all surfaces.

What We Like

Different Settings

Customers liked the 3 settings offered by this vacuum: hard floors, low pile carpet, and high pile carpet. At the flick of a switch, they could change the mode depending on what type of floor they were cleaning.

LED Lights

The bright lights on the vacuum head help you to see where there’s dirt to clean up. But users were also pleasantly surprised with the LED lights on the handle. So even in the lift-away mode, they could see where they needed to clean.

Rotating Head

Lots of reviewers were happy with how well the head rotated. They could easily maneuver it to vacuum in even the most awkward spaces.

What We Don’t Like

Tends to Tip Over

Some users found that this upright vacuum tipped over easily. This was especially true when it was in the handheld mode.

2. Eureka PowerSpeed Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner

Grab yourself a bargain with this upright vacuum cleaner from Eureka. It won’t break the bank but will give your high pile carpets a good clean with its powerful dynamic motor.

You’ll get 3 handy tools with this vacuum cleaner. They can all be stored on the vacuum itself so you don’t need to worry about finding room for them elsewhere. The nozzle is 12.6 inches wide so it’ll clean more of your carpeted floors in less time.

Finally, we think you’ll like the 5 height adjustment settings. This means that you can use this vacuum for cleaning not just high pile rugs. But also low and medium pile ones, your plush carpet, shag carpet, as well as hardwood floors.

What We Like

Large Bin Capacity

Users were really impressed with how much the dust bin could hold before they had to empty it. Eureka promises this is an XL dust cup and feedback suggests that this is exactly what you get.

Lightweight

This is a powerful and sturdy vacuum cleaner. But lots of customers felt that it was really easy to move around their homes due to how light it is compared to similar vacuums from other brands.

Inexpensive

Lots of consumers thought that this was a very reasonably priced vacuum. They said that it performed well but came at a low cost. So it offered them great value for money.

What We Don’t Like

Short Hose

The handle on this vacuum releases so that you can pull out an extension hose to clean stairs or the tops of curtains. But some users thought that this hose was too short for them to reach all of those areas with any ease.

3. Hoover WindTunnel Performance Vacuum

Pet owners will delight in this powerful upright vacuum that’s great for their high pile carpets.
The carbon HEPA filter picks up the tiniest particles of dust and allergens. And it traps unpleasant pet odors.

The accessories will make your vacuuming jobs easier. The pet turbo tool can be used on stairs, on upholstery, and in small spaces. Plus the dusting too is pivoted giving you flexibility in reaching the top of shelves and furniture.

Hoover has designed this bagless vacuum so that it’ll remove pet hair and debris embedded in even high pile carpet. The combination of 13 cyclones and their WindTunnel 3 Technology gives this vacuum cleaner really powerful suction.

What We Like

Easy to Empty

Customers liked how easily they could empty the dust bin. You just need to press a button to lift the dirt cup from the vacuum body, hold it over your trash bin, and then press the release lever.

Read Next: The 7 Best Pet Hair Vacuum

Lifts Pet Hair Well

Reviewer feedback supports this pick as being the best vacuum for those who have thick carpets and pets. Many were surprised at just how much pet hair was cleaned up from their carpets compared to when they’d used previous vacuums on the same floors.

Good Warranty

Hoover offers a 5-year limited warranty on this vacuum. So if you have any problems, you can secure a refund or replacement for quite some time after purchase.

What We Don’t Like

Heavy

Some customers found this vacuum cleaner difficult to move around due to its weight. It was hard to maneuver it upstairs. So if you have more than one floor in your home, it might not be the best option for you.

4. Soniclean Soft Carpet Upright Vacuum Cleaner

This is the only vacuum cleaner to use sonic cleaning technology, making it ideal if you want to give your thick carpets a really deep clean. And it’s been certified gold by the CRI, which means it has the highest performance certification that is awarded!

The sonic bar on the bottom of the vacuum head is activated in the deep cleaning mode. It vibrates 200 times per second. So this vacuum cleaner is primed to dislodge even the most embedded dirt when you’re vacuuming thick carpets.

Plus you’ll benefit from the Seal-Tech HEPA filter bags. These are hospital-grade and you won’t come into contact with any dust when emptying.

What We Like

Large Wheels

Many users said that the big, wide wheels made it easy to push and pull this upright vacuum around their house. And they’re made of rubber if you have hard floors to clean too.

Adjustable Vent System

Customers benefited from the vent system that can be adjusted depending on what type of floor they were vacuuming. When the vents were open they could easily clean high pile and plush carpets; closed vents were great for low pile and harder surfaces.

Soft Brush Roll

Soniclean has designed their brush roll with ultra-soft bristles. Users said that they benefited from this feature. There was no damage to their carpet fibers as sometimes happened with the stiffer bristles used by other brands.

What We Don’t Like

Expensive

For some users, this vacuum cleaner was too expensive. It didn’t offer as good value for money as some of the other picks. So check the price if you’re on a budget.

5. Miele Complete C3 Alize Canister Vacuum

This Miele model is a great canister pick for vacuuming high pile carpets. It has a specific setting for this type of flooring. But you can also have it on automatic setting – it’ll pick the best suction giving you the best cleaning power.

There’s a HEPA filter and an AirClean sealed system. This sucks up the dirt and debris from your floors. But it also cleans the air inside your house too.

The telescopic stainless steel handle has a LED light. You can easily reach those awkward spaces in your home – such as under furniture. And see where the dust has gathered on your high pile carpets, meaning you can focus your cleaning on those areas.

What We Like

Great for Allergy Sufferers

Miele is well-known for making products that are good for allergy sufferers. And this canister vacuum is no exception. With the HEPA filter and AirClean system, users who have allergies said that this vacuum didn’t flare up their symptoms.

Quiet

Many reviewers commented on how quiet this vacuum is. So you can get your cleaning done at any time of the day and not have to worry about disturbing anyone.

Easy to Store

There’s space on the back of the vacuum to store the 3 accessories. And the cord can be automatically retracted too. So users found this compact vacuum cleaner didn’t take up much space in a cupboard when not being used.

What We Don’t Like

Difficult to Maneuver

Some customers found this canister vacuum a little hard to move around. They thought it was on the heavy side and could be tiring to push around.

6. Dyson Cyclone V10 Motorhead Vacuum

“Big machine suction power. But with cord-free versatility” — This is Dyson’s take on their cordless stick vacuum which is lightweight and easy to move around. But also has powerful suction and 3 power modes.

The direct-drive cleaner head digs deep into your thick carpets to suck up dirt that has become embedded. This vacuum also has a runtime of up to 60 minutes. And there’s a washable HEPA filter.

You can also transform this stick vacuum into a handheld. So cleaning carpeted stairs is easy. Plus, the vacuum head is small enough for you to clean around all those tight corners and under tables and couches.

What We Like

Versatile

Customers liked how easy it was to move this vacuum around their house. It worked as well on hard floors as it did on high pile carpets. And they could also use it to clean their car, or even take it to the office.

Practical Storage

This stick vacuum cleaner comes with a wall dock. You can mount this anywhere and store the slim vacuum when not being used.

Good for Pet Hair

Lots of reviewers were pleased with how well this vacuum performed when cleaning pet hair. For a lighter, cordless model, they didn’t expect it to pick up as much pet hair as heavier, upright models they’d owned before had. But it did!

What We Don’t Like

Have to Hold Trigger

Several customers weren’t happy with the trigger for this vacuum which you have to hold down constantly while cleaning. They found it could get uncomfortable and sometimes hurt their hand when vacuuming for longer periods.

FAQs about Thick Carpet Vacuums

Here we answer some regularly asked questions about high pile carpets.

Pick Up Your Dirt With One Of Our Top Picks

We know it’s tricky to select a vacuum cleaner that’s right for your thick carpets. You want one that’s going to clean well, without damaging your plush floors.

A carpet vacuum with the right features and settings will clean your carpets efficiently. It’ll be easy for you to move around your home. And you’ll be able to give your high pile carpets a deep clean.

You need to consider the type of vacuum, whether it’s got powerful suction or not, and what type of filters it has. You should also look at how much it weighs. And what extra brushes and features come with it.

Please give us your feedback below. And share our article with your friends and family too!