Have you got a new high pile carpeting installed in your home?
Or, have you moved to a house with a high pile, soft and plush carpet?
Or, do you get down on your hands and knees to pull the gunk from the carpet? As your current vacuum is ineffective picking up that.
Have you ever wished for a perfect vacuum for deep cleaning those high pile shags and rugs?
Well, now you have it…
I’ll show you 2 best vacuum for high pile carpets – shag or frieze carpets.
These vacuums, are ideal for cleaning carpet – low, mid, high pile, and soft plush carpet. They deep clean the fibers of the carpet giving a new look and feel.
Also, you’ll not get the feeling of mowing a lawn while vacuuming your thick carpets anymore.
So without wasting any more time, let’s go through the list of
2 Best Vacuums for High Pile and Thick Carpets
#1. Miele Compact C2 Electro+
#2. Electrolux UltraFlex Canister – EL4335A
In a moment I’m going to review them in detail with their pros and cons and the reasons they are a great fit for you.
But before I do, I want to show you the important features that make a vacuum ideal for cleaning a high pile carpet.
#1. Adjustable Height
This is an essential feature to consider while choosing the best vacuum for high pile shag carpets. A vacuum’s ability to adjust height makes it friendly for use on thick, plush and soft carpets.
Without an adjustable height setting the vacuum sits too close to the carpet, which makes it difficult to maneuver.
Moreover, it can damage the carpet due to improper airflow. Sitting too close to the carpet can cause backing of the carpet as well.
If the power nozzle sits close to the base for a long time, the excessive suction can disconnect the carpet from its underpad due to the created vacuum. This, in the long run, can lead to carpet buckling.
Besides, running the power brush on a lower height setting can damage its fibers, and cause carpet blooming. This creates a fuzzy, unappealing look and deteriorates the overall quality over time.
So, a vacuum with adjustable height is essential while dealing with high pile carpets
#2. Adjustable Suction
High pile thick carpets are cozy, plush and provide the needed comfort and warmth, but it comes with a price.
Their long, loose fibers are like dust magnets, they trap dust, dirt, debris, and allergens.
Also, they are very difficult or even impossible to clean using regular vacuums.
As a result, you need a vacuum that generates the perfect suction to deep clean the carpet fibers without pulling them from the underpad.
This is when the adjustable suction feature comes in handy. It enables to control the suction power as per the carpeting type.
#3. On/Off Beater Bar or Without Beater Bar
Power brush heads, commonly known as a beater bar, use a rotating brush to agitate carpet fibers to help loosen dirt and debris trapped deep in pile. Although having a beater bar is helpful for low to medium cut piles but can damage long pile carpets.
High pile styles like frieze and shag carpets can be damaged by a rotating brush. The long, loose fibers of the high pile can get tangled in the beater bar.
So, either choose a vacuum without a beater bar or opt of one that allows the beater bar to be turned off. Some high-end vacuums come with a turbo(air-driven) brush head which can be gentle on your carpet.
Upright vs Canister
Although you can vacuum high pile thick and soft plush carpets with an upright, a canister with powered brush head beats the uprights.
This is mainly due to 3 reasons…
First, uprights need large wheels to maneuver through high pile carpet fibers, and most uprights lack this feature. Besides, the weight of the uprights can also make it difficult to push them on high pile carpets.
Second, in a canister, the powered brush head is separate from the vacuum body. It is far easier to push across carpets, regardless of dealing with the whole vacuum body.
Third, unlike the uprights, the electric powerhead is driven by a dedicated motor. This provides an extra level of juice for suction that helps deep cleaning thick fibers in high pile carpets.
Okay, now we’ve got that out of the way let’s look at the best vacuums for high pile carpets.
#1. Miele Compact C2 Electro+
The Miele C2 Electro+ is a compact, lightweight, powerful all-rounder canister vacuum.
It’s a great vacuum for cleaning multiple floor types – bare floors, low to high pile carpets, carpeted stairs, throw rugs, etc.
Owners are very happy with its incredible suction, maneuverability and compact size.
The SEB 228 electric powered head turns the Electro+ into a carpet cleaning beast. It has 5 different height settings which make this canister ideal for cleaning high pile, soft and plush carpets.
Also, the beater bar on this floorhead can be turned off while cleaning long pile shag or frieze carpets. The brushroll on/off switch is placed on the handle rightly under your thumb for added convenience.
For some, the electro+ powerhead may be a bit heavier than their old ones. Well, that’s because it made of stainless steel and house a motor, electrical wires and other electronics which justifies the added weight.
Regardless of its weight, this floor head is very smooth on high pile shags and thick, soft carpets.
It glides on the carpets so don’t have to put extra strain on your shoulders. The floor head has a swivel mechanism which makes it easy to maneuver around tight corners.
Coming to suction, the Miele electro+ offers 6 variable suction settings for cleaning different surface types. The suction is set or adjusted through a rotary dial located on the body which can be inconvenient for folks suffering from back pain.
The variable suction states are clearly labeled on the body itself, so you know the correct suction to step into. Owners find this pretty helpful as they don’t have to do any trial and error to figure out the correct suction for their carpets.
Owners seem to be amazed by the powerful suction this compact size canister generates. The suction is strong enough to the deep clean high pile and soft plush carpets in 1-2 passes.
Owners were surprised to see the amount of dirt, dust and long pet hair it removed from carpets that their previous vacuum had missed. They are very pleased with its cleaning performance and effectiveness in deep cleaning high pile carpets.
Besides, this canister includes a HEPA filter and AirClean sealed system an added benefit for allergy sufferers. Many reviews have reported fresh and clean air in their room/house after vacuuming.
The built quality is very good and the materials are made to last decades. Also, the standard replacement parts are readily available.
The most common complaint among owners is the confusion between power and cord rewind button on top of the canister. Mistakenly they press the cord rewind button when they want to power on/down the device.
For people with small hands, the handle can be uncomfortable, especially when using the wand with dusting attachments. The weight of the metal wand can cause soreness and discomfort in the hand and wrist.
The bags are small and if you have pets, the price of bags can easily add you in the long run.
Nonetheless, if you want to splurge in a vacuum that’s well built, powerful, and give optimum performance on the high pile and thick carpets. The Miele Compact C2 is a great vacuum for a long term investment. It won’t regret you.
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#2. Electrolux UltraFlex Canister – EL4335A
The Electrolux UltraFlex canister is designed primarily for super plush carpets.
It is lightweight (under 12lbs), compact and portable.
The Electrolux UltraFlex is a great choice for houses with a high pile, thick and soft plush carpet as their primary flooring material.
Not just high pile shags, it’s equally effective in cleaning low to mid-pile carpets as well. Thanks to the specialized carpet power nozzle.
The carpet nozzle/attachment is electric driven. It consists of a beater bar, height adjustment pedal, a handle release pedal, 4 height indicator lights, and a brush roll light.
The cool feature about the carpet attachment is that it has 4 height settings(Low, Medium, High, and Extra High). This in conjunction with adjustable suction turns the UltraFlex into a carpet cleaning beast.
The adjustable height feature is great for people with different types and styles of carpets installed in their homes.
Isn’t it?
Moreover, adjusting the height is a breeze with just a foot tap on the height adjustment pedal located on the rear of the power nozzle.
The 4 height indicator light on the top of the power nozzle makes it obvious that you’re in the right height setting. This is a plus for me, as I don’t have to do any guess anymore.
The indicator lights change from LO, MED, HI, and X-HI with each press of the pedal as you adjust bare floor to super plush carpet.
Another cool feature about the power nozzle is that the beater bar can be turned off while cleaning high pile carpets.
So, no need to worry about the long loose fibers getting entangled around the brush roller uprooting them from the base. Thus extending the carpet life.
Another feature that prevents carpet damage is its safety cut-off mechanism which auto shuts the power nozzle and suction if it senses any object or carpet fringe is caught in the nozzle. In this scenario, the brush roll light will become red indicating an interrupted power supply to the nozzle.
Talking about build quality…
The whole vacuum is made of plastic, even the wand, but there’s an aluminum telescopic piece underneath. Supposedly, that’s the reason the vacuum is pretty lightweight.
That said…
Many customers are very happy with its build quality, they don’t think that the vacuum looks and feel cheap. However, few owners have raised concerns that the plastic parts are not durable.
Some repeated problems faced include breakage of wheels, handle and telescopic wand needing a repair or replacement.
For me, the build quality is average to good for the price and is subjective to our usage.
Many owners have also reported that the length of the power cord is too short and expressed inconvenience as they have to switch outlets more often. The power cord is 21 foot which is quite common considering the fact it’s a standard cord length on several Miele vacuums.
The total reach is 33ft enough for cleaning a 1000 sq ft area in one go. Also, the vacuum is lightweight, portable, and easy to carry around, get up and down the stair, and carry from room to room.
Another major problem faced by customers is the unavailability of replacement parts. Owners have reported that some replacement filters and parts are not available in stores and on the Electrolux site.
Overall, if you’re looking for a good vacuum cleaner for high pile carpets but don’t want to put a dent on your pocket the Electrolux ultra flex is a great deal. With half the price of a Miele and 5-year limited warranty, it’s a good vacuum for long term investment.