Commercial carpeting is popular in many facilities because of its ability to hide dirt and soils. Unfortunately, this same quality makes it hard to clean – unless you have the right commercial vacuum cleaner.
There are hundreds of vacuums available on the market today and each is built to tackle unique surface cleaning challenges.
Carpet pile is deep, and it traps soils and other contaminants in its fibers. We recommend the use of vacuums with a brush roller, typically upright machines, or backpacks and canisters with exceptionally strong air lift and static flow to reach deep into the carpet.
Which commercial vacuum is best for commercial carpets?
To help you identify the best commercial vacuum for the carpeted floors in your facility, we previously put together a list of 7 factors, such as brush type and air lift, that you should evaluate when purchasing a vacuum.
Related: Vacuum Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Vacuum For Carpet
Using those factors, we came up with a list of the 6 best commercial vacuums for commercial carpeting.
Below, we review those 6 vacuums to help you pick the right one for your carpet:
- ProTeam® Gofree Flex Pro II Backpack Vacuum
- ProTeam® Supercoach Pro 6 Backpack Vacuum
- CERTO® Dual Motor Upright
- ProTeam® Battery Upright FreeFlex
- Advance Carpetriever 28
- Nilfisk VP600 Canister Vacuum
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1. ProTeam® Gofree Flex Pro II
What makes the ProTeam® Gofree Flex Pro II one of the best commercial vacuums for commercial carpeting?
Backpack vacuums are extremely productive and provide staff with the ability to move freely.
The ProTeam® Gofree Flex Pro II increases operator freedom and allows them to reach areas beyond the length of the traditional electrical cord.
This specific backpack vacuum is cordless, allowing your staff to vacuum 30% faster than the corded Supercoach Pro 6 backpack model below. 
Unique to this machine, this backpack vacuum can be powered by either a 6 amp hour (Ah) or 12 amp hour (Ah) lithium ion battery.
For longer run times, the GoFree Flex Pro II should be purchased with the 12(Ah) lithium ion battery. With this battery, the backpack vacuum provides a continuous run time of approximately 101 minutes on low and approximately 73 minutes on high.
When equipped with a 6 (Ah) battery, your staff can vacuum for about 50 minutes of continuous run time on low, and provides about 35 minutes on high.
Vacuum Size & Maneuverability
With the GoFree Flex Pro II your staff can move naturally, freely, and quickly. There is no risk of bumping into or damaging furniture like with an upright or canister vacuum because it is carried on the back of the user.
Additionally, there is no chance of tripping on the cord. The user doesn’t have to worry about managing cords or ensuring that occupants don’t trip and fall.
This machine has a cleaning capacity of 6 quarts, which is standard on the backpack vacuums we review and recommend.
Brush Type
The brush type on a vacuum is critical to evaluating whether it will be effective on carpeting. Backpack vacuums do not come equipped with a brush roller, however, they can be paired with special cleaning tools like the ProBlade® to enhance soil removal.
The cleaning path on this machine is 14 inches. With the standard commercial backpack vacuum and 14-inch orifice carpet/hard floor attachment tool, you can experience up to a 230% increase in productivity over a 12-inch upright vacuum or canister model.
The GoFree Flex Pro II is equipped with a brushless motor. Brushless motors do not contain carbon brushes. Traditionally, carbon brushes produce carbon dust, increase maintenance requirements, and decrease motor life.
Static Lift & Air Flow
When dealing with carpet, you’ll need a strong combination of static lift and airflow to pull soils from the bottom of the carpet backing.
This backpack vacuum has two cleaning modes: high and low.
High power is great for vacuuming carpets or for deep cleaning. On high, this vacuum has a lift up to 81 inches and airflow of 58 CFM.
Because you may not always need to deep clean, this machine has a low power mode. Low power is great for routine cleaning. When used on low power it has a max lift of 67 inches and an airflow of 58 CFM. Low power also helps conserve battery power.
Filtration System
Providing enhanced air filtration, this backpack vacuum is equipped with a ProLevel Filtration® technology system.
The ProLevel® Filtration system has 4 levels of filtration, including HEPA media.
The HEPA or high efficiency air particulate air filtration system on this machine removes about 99.63% of all airborne particles larger than .3-.5 microns to help contain soils and particulates, reducing pathogens, allergens, and asthma triggers in the air.
See the full review of this backpack vacuum.
2. ProTeam® Supercoach Pro 6 Backpack Vacuum
What makes the ProTeam® Supercoach Pro 6 Backpack Vac one of the best commercial vacuums for commercial carpeting?
Like the ProTeam backpack above, this machine has exceptional airflow and static lift. Additionally, it is extremely ergonomic. 
Differentiating this machine from the backpack above, this machine is cord-electric. This cord-electric backpack is not limited to battery life.
Vacuum Size & Maneuverability
With this lightweight backpack vacuum, the operator doesn’t have to worry about fatigue.
The ProTeam® Supercoach Pro 6 Backpack Vac will require the operator to manage the cord to mitigate the risk of trips and falls.
Similar to the other backpack vacuums we review, this has a 6 qt cleaning bag.
Brush Type
As mentioned, backpack vacuums don’t have brush rollers.
To tackle commercial carpeting, this machine can be paired with the ProBlade® carpet tool kit.
The standard tool in this kit has a 14 inch cleaning path.
Static Lift & Air Flow
This backpack unit offers the highest airflow on our list at 153 CFM and a static lift of 91 inches.
Greater static lift and airflow help ensure thorough soil removal.
Pro Tip: What is static lift and air flow? Static lift removes the soil from the surface and air flow helps the dirt and debris travel down the vacuum hose to the tank. Higher static lift and airflow will provide increased soil removal. Together, they work to remove soil from the surface.
Filtration System
The ProTeam® Supercoach Pro 6 Backpack Vac has a four level filtration system that effectively captures and contains particles.
It contains a HEPA media filter which removes about 99.63% of contaminants as one of the levels. This filter helps to trap and contain contaminants, even reducing the number of pathogens, so you can provide your occupants with better indoor air quality (IAQ).
See the full review of this backpack vacuum.
3. CERTO® HEPA Dual Motor Upright
What makes the CERTO® HEPA Dual Motor Upright one of the best commercial vacuums for commercial carpeting?
The CERTO® HEPA Dual Motor Upright is economical and extremely durable. This two motor vacuum is powerful, providing extremely high suction. 
Built to last, it has an extra heavy duty extension cord and mounting system.
Vacuum Size & Maneuverability
The vacuum head is L-shaped, protruding slightly to the right. This feature allows your staff to easily reach along walls and into tight corners.
This machine has a bag capacity of 3.25 quarts.
Brush Type
This commercial vacuum has one powerful brush motor to drive the brush, helping to provide unparalleled soil removal.
The vacuum head is self-adjusting to tackle various carpet pile heights without damaging it.
It has a 15 inch cleaning path, and can also be paired with a wand for cleaning small crevices.
Static Lift & Airflow
Designed to tackle heavy duty cleaning situations, the CERTO® HEPA Dual Motor Upright has a static lift of 90 inches.
Filtration System
Just released, this commercial vacuum showcases a HEPA media filter bag that can be changed with the simple press of a button. This machine also has a HEPA media exhaust filter.
4. ProTeam® Battery Upright FreeFlex
What makes the ProTeam® Battery Upright FreeFlex one of the best commercial vacuums for commercial carpeting?
The ProTeam® Battery Upright FreeFlex is the only upright model that can be operated as either a battery powered or cord electric machine.
When operated by battery, this machine offers 72 minutes of continuous cleaning time and allows your staff to work efficiently with no cord management or wall outlet restrictions.
This machine also comes equipped with an electric cord so your staff can continue cleaning procedures beyond the typical battery life.
Vacuum Size & Maneuverability
Perfect for smaller areas, this model has a bag capacity of 3.25 quarts.
It also has a low profile, allowing the vacuum head to fit in spaces as small as 6 inches.
Brush Type
As an upright, this model offers a brush roller. The height of the brush roller is adjusted automatically to the height of various carpet pile heights without damaging it.
It offers a small cleaning path of 11.75 inches.
Static Lift & Airflow
The static lift and airflow on this machine are impacted by the machine’s ability to be operated as either a battery powered or cord electric machine.
The corded version is most powerful, providing an airflow of 68 CFM and 25 inches static lift.
More power will allow your staff to remove more contaminants from your carpeting.
When used with the battery, it has an airflow of 53 CFM and 14 in static lift.
FILTRATION SYSTEM
This vacuum has a ProLevel Filtration System with HEPA Media captures 99.70% @ 0.3-0.5 microns per ASTM F3150.
See the full review of this upright vacuum.
5. Advance® CarpeTriever™ 28
What makes the Advance® CarpeTriever™ 28 one of the best commercial vacuums for commercial carpeting?
Providing a 28 inch cleaning path, this wide-area vacuum offers the largest cleaning path and bag capacity of any of the vacuums which we review. It is ideal for large carpeted facilities.
Helping to improve its efficiency in large areas, this vacuum is paired with a 75 foot power cord, which is 25 feet longer than the standard electrical cord.
Vacuum Size & Maneuverability
For maximum employee productivity, this large machine is equipped with a 36 quart bag capacity. 
The other vacuums on our list have only 6 and 3.25 quart bag capacities. With this large filter bag, the number of times your staff will have to stop and empty the bag is minimal.
Brush Type
In just one single pass this vacuum can clean 28 inches. The brush roller has bristles that are positioned in a chevron pattern that draws dirt to the vacuum intake for effective removal.
This machine comes equipped with a built-in vacuum hose and wand to reach tight spaces.
Static Lift & Airflow
Powerful dual vacuum motors like this create a max airflow of 224 CFM and a static lift of 63 inches.
Given that this machine has a very large cleaning path of 28 inches, it uses the two motors to create powerful, even suction ensuring that the entire length of the cleaning path has even suction to remove contaminants.
FILTRATION SYSTEM
The dual 1-1⁄8 hp vacuum motors are protected by secondary dust filters, which have easy access for cleaning and service. This also lowers the amount of contaminants in the air. There is a Microstat® filtration kit available for purchase which provides 99.94% effective filtration of 0.3 micron particles.
6. Nilfisk VP600 Canister Vacuum
What makes the VP600 Canister Vacuum one of the best commercial vacuums for commercial carpeting?
As the only canister model on our list, we recommend the Nilfisk® VP600 as one of the best vacuums for carpet because it is easily maneuverable and extremely quiet compared to other canister models.
It has a max dBA or noise level of 54, making it great for day-time cleaning. Additionally, it has a unique dual-speed function for optimized power consumption and cleaning performance on both carpeted and hard floors.
Vacuum Size & Maneuverability
For enhanced maneuverability, this canister vacuum has two fully directional caster wheels. 
Unlike other canisters which create a lot of drag, these wheels limit friction and make it easy for your staff to work on a variety of surfaces, including carpet.
Brush Type
The Nilfisk VP600 has a cleaning path of 14 inches. The machine has a passive tool that is effective for both carpet and hard floors.
Static Lift & Air Flow
Aiding in soil removal, this vacuum has a balanced suction with an airflow of 63.5 and lift of 88 inches.
Filtration System
The VP600 has a 3 level filtration system that provides enhanced particulate removal from the carpet.
This canister vacuum also has a certified HEPA filter as a part of its filtration system.
Final Thoughts
With the right vacuum you can help your staff remove dust, pathogens, and dirt particles, helping them to provide your guests with a healthier, safer building.
Choosing a vacuum based on our recommended features will help your staff achieve the best clean.
For maximum dirt and contaminant removal from your carpet we recommend the use of backpack or upright vacuums.
Backpack vacuums are the most productive and offer enhanced airflow and static lift for better soil removal.
Our recommended backpack vacuums include the ProTeam® Gofree Flex Pro II Backpack Vacuum and ProTeam® Supercoach Pro 6 Backpack Vacuum.
The GoFree Flex Pro II is cord-free and will allow your staff to work beyond the length of a power cord. With cord-free maneuverability, your staff can work safely and more quickly in tight areas, ledges or around occupants where the cord would otherwise be a hazard.
If you’re more concerned with achieving long run times the ProTeam® Supercoach Pro 6 is corded and will provide unlimited power as long as it is connected to an outlet.
Upright vacuums typically have a brush roller with bristles to help your staff get deep into carpet fibers.
Equipped with an automatic adjusting brush roller, the CERTO® Dual Motor Upright is a heavy duty machine designed to tackle daily cleaning challenges.
To tackle smaller areas, the ProTeam® Battery Upright FreeFlex has a low profile and smaller cleaning path. It is also the only upright that can be used with an electrical cord or a battery.
The Advance® Carpetriever 28 is better for large open areas or facilities looking to vacuum a lot of space. With its large cleaning path, it is not easily maneuvered into tight spaces so this might not be the best choice for smaller locations.
While we typically recommend backpack and upright models, as listed above, you may be more interested in the traditional canister vacuum. If this is the case, the Nilfisk® VP600 canister is a great option.
EBP and other Imperial Dade locations have a large selection of vacuums for use with your commercial carpeting.
We can help you choose the best equipment for your floor care program, whether you’re located in the United States, Puerto Rico, or the Caribbean.
Our Equipment Specialists are available to help you identify the best vacuum for your needs. Visit our equipment page to learn more about our equipment offering, request pricing info, demo some of our top-rated floor vacuums, and more.
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