If your home is full of high-pile carpets, like shag, you need a specialized vacuum—see our upgrade pick below. But for the flat-weave and low- and medium-pile rugs and carpets that most people own, the Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 is our pick. We’ve looked at more than 500 vacuums and tested dozens.
The Shark performs admirably on every type of carpet except high-pile—and excels on hardwood and tile, too. And Shark’s warranty and customer service are excellent. If you have more to spend and need something that can deep-clean high-pile carpets, we recommend the Miele Compact C2 Electro+. It’s the best in its class for suction strength, build, cleaning, and reliability, and its height and suction adjustability make it especially suited to thicker carpets.