Discover Top 5 Best Vacuums for Shag Carpet 2025

Any movie or television show from the 1960s or 1970s had shag carpeting. It was that long, shaggy carpet. This look has been associated with “hippie” culture since the mid-20^th century. Did you know that shag carpet is coming back in style.

Updated shag carpeting can be found in many stylish homes. Modern shag carpets do not need to have the 1960s look. In fact, many are plush and understated. One thing that has remained the same is the cleaning requirements. These types of carpeting and rugs are notoriously hard to clean. Shag carpets can be a good looking and stylish statement piece. You just need to put some consideration into keeping it clean. 

If you are considering shag carpet, read on. We’ll tell you everything you need to know. We also provide a list of the top five best vacuums for shag carpets. We also provide a handy buyer's guide along with our top 5 list.

You are probably wondering about the definition of shag carpeting. Sometimes you will find it under the name frieze. It has long, twisted fibers. Shag carpet looks shaggy. Hence the English version of the name. The term shag comes from the Old English sceacga. It is related to the Old Norse skegg (beard).

The long fibers in shag carpeting make it extremely soft. They are also notoriously hard to clean. It can be made of many different materials. Your choice of material will greatly affect the maintainability of the carpet. Any shag carpet will need to be vacuumed at least once per week. You will also need to deep clean it often.

It is associated with the 1960s in the United States. But, shag carpet has been around for much longer. Yes, there are scholars that study shag carpeting. These scholars shag carpet origins in the Middle East and Central Asia. There is even evidence that long, shaggy carpet was available in Ancient Greece.

No one agrees where shag carpeting first appeared. We do know that shag carpet rose to popularity in the United States in the 1960s.

Shag carpet first became popular in the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s with hippies and beatniks. These people loved the unconventional style of shag rugs. Before the 1960s rugs were smaller. They also had denser packed fibers and dull colors. By preferring long pile and brightly colored carpets, hippies and beatniks were making a statement. Their home décor choices were are unconventional as their lifestyle choices.

In the 1980s shag carpets were beginning to go out of style. These carpets are notoriously hard to clean. They also began to be seen as old-fashioned. American culture shifted from the counter-culture of the 1960s and 1970s. Therefore, American’s choices in carpets also began changing.

Shag carpeting was not gone forever, though. Recently it has seen a resurgence in popularity. Its soft and plush nature makes it a hit with consumers. There are also far more choices in material and color. You can purchase a neutral-toned shag carpet today as well. 

If you have considered putting shag carpeting in your home, read on. In order to keep it from looking disheveled, you need to clean it properly. Buying the most effective vacuum for cleaning shag carpets will help.

Wool

Wool is probably the most common shag carpet material. Wool shag rugs are made in two ways: noodle and shaggy. Noodle rugs have thick fibers. They are cut off at the top. Noodles are tightly woven. They look like long noodles sticking out of your rug. Noodle rugs are also the softer of the two wool shag rug options.

Shaggy wool shag rugs use thin fibers placed closely together. They have less of a soft texture. It does increase the clean-ability of the rug. Shaggy shag rugs are more durable than noodle shag wool rugs.

Flokati

Flokati is a type of wool shag carpet from Ancient Greece. It merits its own subsection because of its influence. It also has some major differences in texture.

Flokati carpets are often called sheepdogs. They are similar in texture to that animal. They are usually white or cream and are 100% wool. Flokati backing is wool as well. The long pile fibers are fluffed to give it its characteristic extra-soft texture.

Synthetic

Synthetic shag rugs are not the same as the plastic acrylic ones. They are safer to put in your home. There are a wide variety of synthetic materials—polyester, nylon, and viscose. Each has their own benefits and disadvantages.

Synthetic rugs are nice because they can look like other, more expensive, materials. Synthetic materials are significantly cheaper and easier to clean. However, you get what you pay for. Synthetic shag carpets will not be as high-quality as their “natural” counterparts.

Shag carpets are extremely hard to keep clean. They tend to catch dirt. Dirt can decrease their attractiveness fairly quickly. Most carpets will get dirty and fade over time. Shag carpets tend to do this much quicker. They can quickly pick up smells. The cotton backing also absorbs all spills and holds onto scents.

Shag carpets also have a number of other cleaning problems. These problems are outside of the material type.  

• It is hard to spot clean a shag carpet. You need to clean it up immediately. Otherwise, it can soak into the backing and be nearly impossible to remove.
• Shag carpets are hard to DIY clean. You can with the correct equipment and experience. Correctly cleaning a shag rug can be challenging even for carpet cleaning professionals. Shag carpets are also heavy to move. Their weight can present a problem to get them fully clean.
• You should vacuum weekly. You should also regularly steam clean shag carpets. Otherwise, the fibers will mat down. It will not look like an attractive room accent, but instead a dirty mess. Regular steam cleaning means every 18-24 months for carpets. Carpets out of high traffic areas can be cleaned around every 30 months.