The 12 Best Vacuums for Shag Carpets in 2021
Shag carpets are luxurious and can make any room look better and more stylish. But, how do you maintain your shag?
More often than not, you can’t use your regular vacuum, so you might want to consider getting a specially-made vac for shag carpets.
Take a few minutes to discover the best models and some of the most critical factors you should think about when buying one.
| Product Name | Filtration | Weight | Cord Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soniclean Soft Carpet Upright Vacuum Cleaner | HEPA | 10.5 lbs | 35 ft |
| Hoover T-Series WindTunnel UH70120 | HEPA | 16.5 lbs | 25 ft |
| Eureka PowerSpeed Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner | Washable | 10 lbs | 18 ft |
| BISSELL Cleanview Swivel 2252 | Multi-level & Washable | 18.6 lbs | 27 ft |
| Shark Navigator Deluxe (NV42) | Foam & Felt | 15 lbs | 25 ft |
| Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away (NV752) | Foam & Felt | 16.7 lbs | 25 ft |
| Kenmore 22614 Pet-Friendly Lightweight | HEPA | 26 lbs | 24 ft |
| Kenmore 10701 Pet-Friendly Lightweight | HEPA | 18.5 lbs | 16 ft |
| Eureka NES215A Blaze 3-in-1 Swivel Handheld & Stick Vacuum Cleaner | Washable | 3.2 lbs | 18 ft |
| Eureka NEU100 Airspeed | Washable | 7.7 lbs | 18 ft |
| Dibea 2-in-1 Corded Upright Stick & Handheld Vacuum Cleaner SC4588 | Cyclone HEPA | 4.6 lbs | 19.7 ft |
| Shark Rocket DuoClean Ultra-Light Corded | Unknown | 9.9 lbs | 30 ft |
Top 12 Vacuums for Shag Carpet Reviewed
Soniclean Soft Carpet Upright Vacuum Cleaner
This Soniclean Soft Carpet upright is among the best upright vacuums on the market. It has an adjustable vent that allows you to adapt its suction power according to the type of carpet you’re cleaning.
It features a special soft nylon brush roll that’s efficient but also gentle. It won’t damage your shag carpets or hard floor surfaces, so it’s suitable for multiple surfaces.
The vacuum has large front wheels that allow the vacuum to float on shag carpets and other high-pile carpets with similar fibers. Another thing to keep in mind is that it weighs only 10 pounds, so it’s relatively easy to push and pull.
This upright vacuum for shag produces 200 sonic vibrations per second, loosening the dirt and ground-in dust. It’s equipped with HEPA filtration system and a digitally controlled motor.
Pros
- Fingertip controls
- Large wheels
- Advanced jam protection
Cons
- Loud roller brush
Hoover T-Series WindTunnel UH70120
This Hoover upright vacuum cleaner has plenty of suction and easy to use. It’s one of the largest vacuums, weighing nearly 17 pounds. However, you shouldn’t have issues pushing and pulling it across shag carpets.
The vacuum features the brand’s well-known Windtunnel technology, creating enough suction to lift and clean all carpets. It’s a great choice for thick shag carpets with embedded dirt.
Also, this upright vacuum for shag carpet has a HEPA filter that traps up to 99.7% of dust, pollen, and other allergens. For this reason, it’s often recommended to allergy-prone people and pet owners.
Hoover WindTunnel UH70120 upright vacuum for shag carpet features five height adjustment settings. Adjustable height allows it to adapt to different types of carpets so that you can clean a shag carpet but also hardwood.
The package includes a crevice tool, upholstery and dusting brush, powered hand tool, and an extension wand for hard-to-reach areas of your shag carpeting.
Pros
- No-Scuff bumper
- 8′ long extension hose
- System check indicato
Cons
- The brush roller doesn’t turn off
Looking for more from Hoover? See our full review of their best models.
Shark Navigator Deluxe (NV42)
Shark Navigator NV42 vacuum is one of the best vacuums for shag carpet from the brand’s Navigator series. It’s a bagless upright vacuum with a dust cup capacity of 2.6 quarts. It’s easy to empty and wash, but it doesn’t require frequent maintenance.
It’s an easy-to-use upright vacuum cleaner that weighs 15 pounds, which isn’t too much for a vacuum of this type. Regardless of its weight, you probably won’t have any issues pulling and pushing it across shag carpets and other surfaces.
It’s suitable for bare floors as well as thick and long carpet fibers of shag carpeting. This bagless vacuum has premium pet tools, which makes it easy to clean hair from all kinds of carpets.
Its 25-foot power cord isn’t as long as you get with most similar vacuums.
Pros
- 24” crevice tool included
- Two cleaning modes
- Triple filtration
Cons
- Too bulky to clean under furniture
Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away (NV752)
Shark Rotator NV752 Powered Lift-Away is a powerful upright vacuum with a large dirt bin. It looks large and bulky, but it weighs only 15 pounds, which isn’t as heavy when compared to other upright vacuums. Due to its weight and construction, NV752 shag carpet vacuum is easy to move around furniture and other obstacles.
It’s a bagless vacuum with a 2.6-quarts dust bin.
It might be the best vacuum for shag if you’re looking for maximum versatility in a bagless vacuum. Although it’s one of the best vacuums for shag carpet, it’s equally as suitable for cleaning a hard floor. It’s among the best choices if you want a bagless vacuum and if you have more than just shag carpets in your house.
Also, this Lift-Away upright vacuum has a removable canister that makes it much easier to clean areas that might be tricky to reach. It has a crevice tool, pet power brush, and a small brush.
Pros
- Wide cleaning head
- 25′ cord
- Anti-allergy seal
Cons
- Cannot clean under furniture
What are the additional features the Shark TruePet NV752 offers? See our review.
Kenmore 22614 Pet-Friendly Lightweight
Kenmore 22614 is one of the best canister vacuums designed for cleaning shag carpets as well as hardwood, laminate, tile, and vinyl. It’s a bagless vacuum, so it’s more cost-efficient and eco-friendly than most similar vacuums for shag carpets.
This bagless vacuum has Pet Powermate, which is a motorized attachment for hair, dirt, and dander. It’s specifically designed to eliminate tangling around the brush regardless of the carpet type.
Possibly the best thing about this bagless vacuum is its HEPA filter that traps 99.97% of dander, debris, and allergens. It ensures that all the particles are trapped inside the machine, so it’s suitable for allergy-prone people.
It has a telescoping wand that’s adjustable to extend up to 9′ for deep cleaning hard-to-reach areas of your shag carpeting. On top of that, this bagless vacuum has a crevice tool and a dusting brush for tight areas. This canister vacuum for shag features a retractable 24′ long cord and is easy to move around.
Pros
- On-board accessory storage
- Retractable cord
- Large wheels
Cons
- A bit heavy (26 pounds)
Kenmore 10701 Pet-Friendly Lightweight
Kenmore 10701 is a pet-friendly vacuum for shag carpet. It’s a canister vacuum made for shag carpets and other carpet and hard floor types. It’s equipped with cyclonic technology, using centrifugal force to deliver powerful suction.
It features a HEPA filter system that traps up to 99.7% of dander, hair, and different types of debris. For this reason, the vacuum is often recommended to allergy-prone people who have a shag carpet.
This vacuum has a telescopic wand that extends up to 9′, providing an extended reach. On top of that, its handle is detachable, which allows you to clean the carpets under your furniture.
Kenmore 10701 vacuum for shag features a Turbine Brush and a Floor Brush for loosening the embedded dirt from shag carpets and sweeping hard floors. Also, it includes a crevice tool, an extra bare floor tool, and a dusting brush for tight areas.
Pros
- An easy-to-empty canister
- Two-motor system
- Retractable cord
Cons
- Short cord (16′)
Dibea 2-in-1 Corded Upright Stick & Handheld Vacuum Cleaner SC4588
This Dibea 2-in-1 vacuum works as a stick and handheld, cleaning everything from shag rugs to other carpet types, tile, hardwood, and vinyl. It features 18kpa powerful suction, cleaning up hair, cat litter, food crumbs, dirt, and dust from your shag carpet.
It weighs only 4.6 pounds, so it’s easy to carry around and use. On top of that, this vacuum features five height adjustments, making it easy to adapt to various carpets you’re cleaning. It also features swivel steering so it’s easy to move around obstacles such as furniture legs.
Dibea SC4588 vacuum for shag carpets has an advanced cyclone HEPA filtration that spins the dust away from the motor. This helps to maintain its suction power while reducing allergies in your breathing space. It features a 1L dirt bin that’s easy to empty and wash.
Pros
- LED front light
- Swivel steering
- Five height adjustments
Cons
- 19′ long cord
Shark Rocket DuoClean Ultra-Light Corded
Shark Rocket DuoClean is one of the most popular stick vacuums for shag rugs. It’s a lightweight and easy-to-use vacuum with DuoClean technology and LED lights.
Its dual brush roll system makes it suitable for cleaning nearly every shag rug as well as other carpet types. It’s great for cleaning even the most embedded dust.
This vacuum weighs less than ten pounds, so it’s easy to carry around. It has LED lights, making it great for cleaning shag carpets in low-light conditions.
On top of that, the Shark Rocket DuoClean vacuum comes with a pet multi-tool designed to loosen and clean hair and pet dander. It’s a corded vacuum for shag carpet, featuring a 30′ long cable and a 0.91-quarts dust bin.
Pros
- Dual brush system
- LED lights
- An easy-to-empty canister
Cons
- Not for edge-to-edge cleaning
Looking for Shark Rocket HV300? See our detailed analysis.
Choosing the Best Shag Carpet Vacuum
Choosing among the best vacuums for shag carpets isn’t as complicated, but it’s essential to consider a few factors, especially if you need an apartment vacuum. You should first think about whether you have other carpet types or only shag rugs.
Things like weight, suction, warranty, accessories can significantly affect whether a vacuum would fit you. Vital buying factors can help you to get the best vacuum for shag rugs that fits your cleaning needs and preferences.
What to Look For
You need the most suction you can get from a vacuum if you want to extract embedded dirt from shag carpets. Shag carpets are deep and thick, so everything that falls onto them is tricky to clean.
However, you might also want to consider suction control as it makes the vacuum more versatile and suitable for combined flooring.
Check if your vacuum for shag carpets has an upholstery tool. Other accessories like a crevice tool and a brush might also come in handy, especially when vacuuming the staircase.
Your vacuum should also have a rake accessory as it’s great for fluffing up your shag carpets.
Filtration is especially important if you or someone in your family is prone to allergies. In this case, a HEPA filter might be a good choice for shag because it’s reusable and washable. Other filtration options exist as well, coming as sponge and paper filter options.
Think about the particular type of shag carpets you have in terms of diameter and depth of fibers. If you have multiple shag carpets, you should go for a versatile vacuum that’s adjustable to all carpets.
Everything You Need to Know about Shag Carpets
Shag carpets are somewhat unique, but people still confuse them with other high-pile carpet models that have similar fibers . It’s vital that you know how to recognize a shag carpet so that you can take care of it in the right way. This is especially critical if you’re renting and it wasn’t you who bought the deep-pile carpet.
Take a few minutes to read all about shag carpets and the maintenance they require because the information can help you find the best vacuum for the job.
Valuable Info about Shag Carpet
The first thing you should know is that there are many types, shapes, and colors of shag carpets. Still, your high-pile carpet will require some heavy-duty maintenance regardless of the fibers, shape, color, or type you go for.
Shag carpets have long fibers that attract dust, holding on to it very well. For this reason, they’re often not recommended for allergy-prone people.
Due to its construction, a shag carpet is nearly impossible to clean from pet hair regardless of whether it’s a short or long hair. Its long fibers hold onto it very well.
Another thing you should know is that your shag carpet fibers may yellow over time, depending on the material it’s made of. Wool and jute carpet fibers will definitely yellow at some point, even with regular maintenance. And if you thought about an acrylic shag carpet, you should know that it’s highly flammable.
Cleaning Shag Carpets
The first thing you should be careful about is the type of vacuum you choose. You can’t use just about any vacuum to clean shag rugs, especially if it has a beater bar.
Use an upholstery tool to vacuum row by row when cleaning shag carpets. If you didn’t receive one with your vacuum, buy it separately. You should avoid a vacuum that has a beater bar. If you do need it, make sure that there’s an option for you to disable it. A vacuum with a beater bar would most definitely destroy your shag carpet.
The best accessory to go for is the carpet/rug rake. It’s a comb-like vacuum accessory made specifically to clean and fluff shag carpets.
Vacuuming a shag carpet takes a bit more time because you should go over the same row at least two or three times to achieve a thorough clean of all carpet fibers.
You should vacuum shag carpets at least once a week if you have pets.
Shag Carpet Pros & Cons
The most significant benefit of a shag carpet is its luxurious look and feel. It’s a soft carpet that’s comfortable to walk on even with bare feet, and children love it.
Shag carpets are high-pile carpets that come in many different colors, which allows you to fit them in nearly every room. White, beige, and cream are still the most popular options, although the fibers are somewhat tricky to clean.
The style and comfort come at a price because shag carpets are challenging to clean. Another drawback is its tendency to hold allergens. A shag carpet may not be the best choice for allergy-prone people.
Types
There’s more than one option to choose from when buying a shag carpet. However, keep in mind that each type is different, requiring distinctive cleaning.
Knowing the type of shag carpet you have will help you pick the best vacuum for the job.
Shaggy and Noodles are the two main types of wool shag carpets that require specialized vacuum cleaners for wool. They have thick fibers and are incredibly soft and luxurious.
While this type of shag rug looks amazing, it also attracts dust, dirt, hair, and everything else.
Flokati is a handmade 100% wool shag carpet made in Greece. These are typically white and cream, although you might come across different colors.
An acrylic shag carpet is one of the cheapest options. For this reason, this shag carpet doesn’t look as luxurious and is also a danger to your house because it’s highly flammable.
A leather shag carpet is simpler to clean but can be quite pricey, depending on the quality and brand of leather.
A synthetic shag rug isn’t the most high-quality but its fibers are significantly easier to clean than wool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
What is the best location for a shag carpet?
A: Because a shag carpet is as challenging to maintain and clean, you should consider placing it in a low-traffic area of your house. Shag carpets are best for rooms where you don’t eat or drink.
Living room, study, bedroom, and low-traffic hallway are excellent locations for your shag carpet. On the other hand, avoid placing these high-pile carpets in your kitchen, dining room, and entrance areas.
Q:
What is the average cost of shag carpeting?
A: Although the price of shag carpeting ranges depending on the materials and brand, you should also consider how long-lasting the carpet of your choice is. More expensive shag carpets tend to last a lot longer due to higher quality fibers.
You can get a wool carpet for $10 per square foot, while olefin costs at about $1 per square foot.
Q:
Can I maintain a shag carpet all by myself?
A: Shag carpeting is best maintained with the best vacuum for shag carpets. Use the best vacuum accessories and make sure to be careful during the carpet cleaning process. Also, you should clean the carpet at least once a week.
However, consider having your shag carpeting professionally cleaned it from time to time.
Conclusion
At this point, you probably found yourself the best vacuum for shag carpet. Regardless of whether you want a canister vacuum or one of the upright vacuums that can also clean bare floors, you should first think about the beater bar.
If the vacuum of your choice has one, you should always turn it off before cleaning a shag carpet. Go for the vacuum for shag carpets that comes with a rake brush and powerful suction.
Because shag carpeting attracts dirt and is challenging to clean, you should think about where you’ll place it. Figure this out, and you’ll have the most stylish carpet gracing your house.
If you didn’t make up your mind yet, we suggest you go back to the vacuum cleaners on our list. Take a second look at the buyer’s guide as well since the info there can help you choose a vacuum for shag carpet.
However, don’t forget to consider the amount of hairs you’re dealing with as well as the type of carpets you have to find the best vacuum for shag carpet.
Sources and Resources
- Do Carpets Impair Indoor Air Quality and Cause Adverse Health Outcomes: A Review
– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5858259/
- Ten questions concerning the implications of carpet on indoor chemistry and microbiology
– https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132319308017
