Rank | Picture | Name | Rating | Shop |
#1 |  | BEST OVERALL Shark Duoclean Upright Powered Lift-Away | ||
#2 | | BEST FOR PETS Miele Complete C3 Cat and Dog Powerline | ||
#3 | | BEST BUDGET VACUUM Numatic Harry HHR 200-11 |
In a hurry? Best Budget Choice: Numatic Harry Hoover | Best Overall Choice: Shark Duoclean Powered Lift-Away
The variety of carpets available can become a bit confusing at the time of buying one. You need to keep in mind where the carpet will be placed to decide which type is ideal for it. And depending on the type of carpet, the process of cleaning it will vary.
Carpets need to be cleaned with care to prolong their life and keep them looking new. Not all vacuum cleaners are designed for carpet cleaning, and some may even damage them. Today we will help you decide what is the best vacuum cleaner for carpet, an ensure you choose the best one for your needs.
If like me, you have pets at home, then you need to factor in that into your decision as well. Pet hair embeds itself in carpets, especially the deep pile carpets, and prove to be really difficult to remove.
Pets might also leave an unpleasant odour on the carpet, which certain vacuums can deal with. So, you will have to look at the suction power offered by the vacuum, along with the types of brush rolls and other attachments being provided.
Contents
- 1 Best Vacuum Cleaner For Carpets Reviews and Recommendations For 2022
- 2 How To Choose The Best Vacuum Cleaner For Carpets
- 3 Final Thoughts
Best Vacuum Cleaner For Carpets Reviews and Recommendations For 2022
Shark Duoclean Upright Powered Lift-Away – Best Overall On Carpets
The Shark Upright Powered Lift-Away is great on carpets, thanks to Duoclean technology. It is one of the most popular upright vacuums on the market, thanks to its lift-away canister which allows you to clean all areas of your home quickly and easily.
DUOCLEAN TECHNOLOGY
This is a nifty feature provided in the Shark Upright vacuum cleaner. It comprises two brush rolls instead of one, which together deliver a more comprehensive cleaning. The soft brush, which comes directly in contact with the floor is tailor-made for hardwood, marble and tiled floors.
It wipes the floor closely and cleans any dirt stuck to it. The second brush is designed to tackle carpets and rugs. It catches any debris or hair stuck in the carpet like a fine-tooth comb and removes it.
The advantage of this dual brush set up is that you don’t have to change attachments while moving from one room to the other while cleaning.
TRIPLE PARTICLE CLEANING
This feature ensures that the vacuum deals with debris as efficiently as dust and dirt. The approach required for cleaning debris (large or small) is different from dust because the debris needs to be pulled in and the dust can be sucked in.
The Shark Upright does that because it has an open head, which enables the vacuum to pull in the debris closer. Most vacuums have a closed head and hence the debris gets pushed away, making it difficult to clean. The two-brush roll set up then kicks into action and does the rest.
LIFT-AWAY
With this feature, the Shark Upright becomes a handheld vacuum. A detachable pod sits on top of the vacuum head, which is lightweight and can be pulled out and used separately.
So, if you need to clean the stairs or get into nooks and crannies around the house, you can use this handheld section instead of lugging the entire vacuum around with you.
POWERED LIFT-AWAY
This further improves the functionality of the vacuum by delivering power directly to the brush roll.
Most vacuums depend solely on its suction power to clean, but here, in addition to suction power, the brush roll can rotate and clean as well. When you factor in the DuoClean two-brush roll set up, the Shark Upright stands out in terms of its cleaning efficiency.
EASE OF USE
The Shark Upright features swivel steering and the handle is ergonomically designed. This makes it very easy to manoeuvre during the process of cleaning.
If you need to pull the vacuum around with you as you clean a room or lift it up the stairs to clean the floor above, both can be done without much effort. In addition to this, the vacuum features LED lights. So, while cleaning dark corners you can see exactly what and where you’re cleaning.
PET POWER BRUSH
This motorised pet brush is probably the best one currently available for dealing with pet hair. Many vacuum models come with special brushes for pet hair, but none of them are motorised and literally require no effort on your end.
ASSORTMENT OF ATTACHMENTS
A number of attachments are provided with the vacuum, including a 2-in-1 duster, a crevice tool and an upholstery tool. An 8m flex is also provided to offer extended reach. It can be attached in front of the hose to reach ceilings, top of curtains or any other place that you find hard to reach.
Pros
- Detachable Lift-Away canister which converts it into a portable cleaner
- DuoClean cleaning head for a more effective and efficient clean
- Excellent at dealing with embedded pet hair
Cons
- On the expensive side (although it is on deal a lot of the time)
- Smaller dust capacity than a bagged vacuum – may need to empty more often
Miele Complete C3 Cat and Dog Powerline – Best For Pets And Carpets
One of the issues with vacuum cleaners is that sometimes the dust and dirt sucked in escapes or leaks out. This can happen while you’re cleaning, but mostly while you’re emptying the dust bag.
The sealed dust bag in the Miele Complete C3 Powerline ensures that no dust escapes and only the cleaned exhaust air is released.
This is important for people who have dust allergies or asthma because the allergens in the dust are eliminated from the home environment. It also makes sense if you have kids at home because their respiratory system hasn’t fully evolved yet.
TURBOTEQ BRUSH
As the name of the vacuum cleaner suggests, this is specifically designed keeping in mind the requirements of pet owners. The TurboTeQ brush solves one major issue. Pet hair has a tendency of getting embedded in carpets, rugs, sofas and other upholstery around the house.
Regular vacuum cleaners can deal with loose pet hair to a certain extent, but when it comes to the stubborn ones that are tangled in the carpet they fail.
This specially designed brush helps clean these pet hair even in deep pile carpets and rugs. It’s provided with the vacuum as a separate floorhead, which you can attach while cleaning pet hair.
Read More: Best vacuums for pet hair in the UK
ACTIVE AIRCLEAN FILTER
Pet owners often receive complaints of a bad odour in the house from friends, relatives and guests who come visiting but fail to see why they’re creating such a fuss. This is because once you have lived long enough with your pet, the odours become part of your natural environment too.
It’s something that I’ve experienced too. The Active AirClean filter in the Miele Complete C3 is a saviour in this regard. The filter has active charcoal, which absorbs any and all bad odours from your carpets and saves you and your pet friend from embarrassment.
FOUR POWER LEVELS
This vacuum cleaner offers 900W power and provides four power levels. These are located at the top end of the vacuum body and can be controlled with your foot. So, depending on the type of surface you’re cleaning you can adjust the power level.
For example, you would need to be on a high power level while cleaning a carpet and a low power level while cleaning a hardwood floor.
OPERATING RADIUS
The operating radius becomes extremely important in a corded vacuum cleaner. If it’s too short then you are forced to constantly switch from one socket to another in order to clean different parts of the same room.
No such worries with the Miele Complete C3. It has a 12m operating radius, which ensures you can reach under the bed or clean the curtains from top to bottom without switching sockets.
ATTACHMENTS
You get attachments for different cleaning tasks with this vacuum, besides the TurboTeQ brush mentioned earlier.
- Upholstery Nozzle
- Dusting Brush
- Crevice Nozzle
Pros
- Excellent suction power with 6 different settings
- 11-stage filtration system – great for allergies
- Impressive floor head and integrated onboard tools
Cons
- Can take some time to get used to the suction settings
- Bulky design means it can be a struggle to clean stairs
Numatic Harry HHR 200-11 – Best Budget Vacuum For Carpet
Part of the Henry range from Numatic, the Harry Hoover HHR 200-11 is specifically designed for dealing with pet hair on carpets. This vacuum cleaner has a special turbo brush to tackle pet hair called HairoBrush.
Pet hair embedded in carpets or rugs (especially deep pile carpets and rugs) are quite tricky to dislodge and remove. The excellent airflow of the Numatic vacuum powers the HairoBrush, which allows it to suck up obstinate pet hair. You can use it to remove pet hair off of sofas and curtains too.
MICROFRESH FILTER
Getting rid of pet odour can prove to be a challenge, especially if the odour is stuck on the carpet or the sofa. The MicroFresh filter provided in the Numatic vacuum has active charcoal in it, which is effective in removing any lingering pet odour.
SELF-SEAL DUST BAG
The dust bag comes with a self-seal tab, which ensures that none of the dust and dirt sucked in leaks out. In addition, the vacuum has a fairly large volume capacity of 9 litres. So, you don’t have empty it every time you use it.
COMPLIES WITH NEW ENERGY EFFICIENCY RULES
Last year the European Commission set a few new rules for vacuum cleaner manufacturers, including restricting the maximum power level on vacuums to 900W (as compared to 1600W previously) and noise levels to under 80 decibels.
The European Commission said that this would help reduce household power consumption to a certain extent. This Numatic vacuum complies with these new rules. It has a power of 620W and emanates 72 decibels only. This is the reason why the vacuum has an energy efficiency class of A.
Pros
- All the features of Henry with added extras for dealing with pet hair
- HairoBrush attachment is one of the best pet hair cleaning heads on the market
- MicroFresh filter contains activated charcoal for removing pet odours
Cons
- No HEPA filter
- The strong suction and heavy weight can make it awkward to use at first
How To Choose The Best Vacuum Cleaner For Carpets
Carpets (and rugs) need particular attention while cleaning. This means that the vacuum cleaner you use for cleaning carpets should have certain attributes. Now, depending on how much floor area is covered by carpets in your house and the type of carpets you have, the ideal vacuum for you will vary.
What I mean is that if you have one carpet in the living room and maybe a couple of rugs in the bedrooms, then a specialised carpet cleaning vacuum doesn’t make sense.
On the other hand, if most of the floor area in your house is covered with carpets, including the stairs, then you do need to spend a little extra and get a specialised carpet cleaning vacuum.
There are a few things that you need to be aware of before making the final decision.
What Kind of Dirt Does the Carpet Attract?
The dirt and dust on carpets primarily come from shoes and pets. Depending on where the carpet is positioned, the amount of dirt will vary. Areas where there’s a lot of activity, the carpets will get dirty quicker and will need to be cleaned more frequently.
In addition, it’s important to understand the type of dirt that the carpet usually gets.
So, if you have a lawn/garden at home, if you have kids who regularly go to the playground, if you have pets who roam around and bring a lot of dirt along with them, etc., then you should be able to ascertain the type of dirt the carpets are likely to get. This will help you make a better decision.
Type of Carpet
There are various types of carpets and their characteristics determine the ideal vacuum cleaner for them.
Firstly, the type of fibre used to make the carpet needs to be considered.
- Is it a synthetic material like nylon, olefin or polyester? A synthetic material such as these is durable by nature. Hence, even if the vacuum you use has hard bristles on the brush and cleans aggressively, it won’t affect the carpet.
- On the other hand, if it’s a natural material like wool, then the cleaning process needs to be more gentle and careful. Hence, the vacuum should use a power brush and the bristles should be on the softer side so as not to damage the fibres.
- Also, remember to consult the carpet manufacturer’s care instructions. These will provide you with clues regarding the ideal vacuum for it.
Next, the type of the carpet pile.
- Uncut piles are usually seen in carpets used in commercial establishments. These are easy to clean, durable and don’t get stained easily. At home, this could be used on stairs.
- Carpets with textured cut piles can also be used in places where there’s a lot of movement, such as stairs.
- Carpets with cut piles are relatively easy to clean as well. However, these are soft carpets and shoe marks or vacuum tracks (if you drag it over the carpet) are visible.
- Saxony cut piles create the fuzzy and lush carpets that are mostly found inside homes. The lushness is due to the fact that the fibre strands stand upright, which also means that they get crushed when stepped over. In order to maintain the appearance of such carpets, you need to vacuum regularly with mainly suction power and possibly soft bristle brush rolls.
- Now, the carpet could be a deep pile, medium pile, low pile or flatweave. Deep pile carpets are the hardest to keep clean because dirt and debris get embedded in it and the dust settles at the base. It requires high suction power and high-quality brush rolls to clean. The flatweave and low pile carpets are the easiest to clean. Regular vacuuming does the trick and the only time it needs special attention is in case of a stain.
Necessary Features for Carpet Cleaning
- Suction Power: Deep pile carpets and rugs need higher suction power to clean as compared to regular floors. This is so because the fibres in a deep pile carpet are long and tend to block the intake, which essential chokes the vacuum and prevents it from sucking in the dust efficiently. So, you need a vacuum which allows you to adjust the suction power and increase it while cleaning carpets. As mentioned earlier, the European Commission has fixed the upper limit of the power that can be provided in vacuums, so you need to buy one where it’s possible to adjust the power.
- Height Adjustment: You could also opt for a vacuum that allows you to adjust the height of the floorhead. What this does is keeps the floorhead at a safe distance from the carpet fibres and prevents any chance of the suction power being throttled. Ideally, you should have control over both the height of the floorhead and suction power, but you can manage with either one as well.
- Brush Roll: High suction power will deal with the dust and dirt settled at the base of the carpet, but it will not be able to tackle hair (especially pet hair) and other debris tangled in the carpet. For this, you need a brush roll. Ideally, the brush roll should be independently powered, so that it can rotate and capture tangled hair and debris. Some vacuum models provided motorised brushes for pet hair, which work perfectly for carpets.
- Odour Control Filter: This isn’t a necessity, but more of a value addition to the cleaning process. This is especially for pet owners, who also have carpets at home. Any unpleasant odour left in the carpet due to your pet can be dealt with if the vacuum has an odour control filter.
- Manoeuvrability: If you have full-floor carpeting, then the manoeuvrability of the vacuum becomes importance. You need to be able to easily slide the vacuum under sofas and beds or reach and clean corners. Alternatively, you can also manage with a vacuum that has a number of attachments with extensions that allow you to reach under furniture and reach corners. The cord length of the vacuum also decides the reach. So, ideally, you should have a vacuum with at least 10-12 metre cord length.
- Dust Container: In this regard, there are basically two types of vacuums – bagged and bagless. Irrespective of the type of dust container, you should ideally opt for one that offers a dust sealing feature. Carpets attract an assortment of dust, dirt and debris, including very fine dust, allergens and pet hair. You need a dust container that prevents any of the dust to escape or leak back in the room. You also need to keep in mind that some dust might escape at the time of emptying the container, so the vacuum you select should prevent this as well and ensure no allergens are present in the house.
Final Thoughts
The Shark Upright Powered Lift-Away vacuum cleaner is overall the best one for cleaning carpets. It’s packed with a plethora of features to tackle all types of dust and dirt as well as all types of carpets. The dual brush rolls ensure that you can not only clean carpeted surfaces but all other surfaces as well. It can also be used as a handheld vacuum, which makes it even more adaptable.
In regards to carpets, the fact that the vacuum provides power directly to the brush roll and allows it to rotate independently enables it to efficiently clean deep pile carpets and rugs. Plus, you get a motorised pet brush.
So, the nuisance of pet hair embedded in carpets can be dealt with too. That’s not all. It’s a dream to manoeuvre, because of the swivel steering. It will allow you to pull the vacuum along with ease, as you go about cleaning it.
Finally, it features an open floorhead. What this means is that debris, large or small, can be easily pulled in. Most vacuums have a closed floorhead, which pushed debris away.
While the Shark Upright is certainly the vacuum I would go for, I think it’s only fair that I also mention the Miele Complete C3 Cat and Dog Powerline vacuum here.
If you have a number of pets at home and the problem of pet hair is particularly troubling you, then the Miele is probably a better option. It isn’t a bad vacuum for carpets by any stretch of the imagination.
It’s feature packed in its own right. But when it comes to tackling pet hair and pet odour lingering on the carpet, the Miele does an excellent job.
Its TurboTeQ floorhead and Active AirClean filter efficiently deal with pet hair and unpleasant odours, respectively. In addition, if you have carpets made of natural materials like wool or deep pile carpets and require greater suction power, then the Miele offers four suction power levels. It also has quite a long operating radius at 12 metres.
So, there you have it. The Shark Upright is the one that I would go for, but depending on your specific requirements, the Miele Complete C3 might be the one for you.
