All I had was a cordless vacuum cleaner with less than optimal suction power.  I bought this Dirt Devil, which has a cord, but it can really clean the carpet!  I have three area rugs, and two of them have a black backround.  I also have a dog which sheds.  There was white hair on the rugs which could not be cleaned with my old cordless vacuum.  It is amazing how well this light Dirt Devil cleaned my rugs.  They are black again.  To say the least, the suction is fantastic.  For the money, you can not go wrong.