High pile carpets mean there is a high density of fibers on your rugs, and they hold a lot of dust and debris in the threads. So, it becomes tough to clean the high pile carpet thoroughly. But the best vacuum for high pile carpet can make your cleaning task easy and convenient.
Seriously, before buying the best vacuum for high pile carpets, you must consider some important factors that you need to know, especially the suction power, dusting brush quality, filtration system, form factor, etc. To clean the shag rugs and high pile carpets thoroughly, your vacuum must have the strongest suction and soft roller brush that will pick up all the dust and debris hidden in the carpet pile without damaging the rug’s fibers.
If you are looking for the best vacuum for your high pile carpets, don’t worry, guys; our buying guide will help you to find out the best one that will be worth your money. We continually experiment with different household tools, find out the best devices, and make recommendations and suggestions for new customers. So, keep reading and buy the best vacuum to remove the dust and debris from your high pile carpets.
So, here is the list of the Best Vacuum for High Pile Carpets
Enjoy!
1. Shark NV752 Rotator Powered Lift-Away TruePet Vacuum
If you are looking for the best overall vacuum for high pile carpet, I recommend the Shark NV752 Rotator Powered Lift-Away TruePet Upright Vacuum cleaner because it comes with a lift-away design, strong suction, anti-allergen complete seal technology with a HEPA filter, and LED headlights.
The vacuum comes with a powerful motor that creates strong suction to pick up the pet hair and hidden dust in the high pile carpet. It is truly designed for pet owners to remove the dust and debris from the carpet pile. Its soft dusting brush eliminates the embedded dust in the carpet and allows your vacuum to lift away all the particles without damaging the carpet’s fibers.
This upright vacuum comes with a detachable pod, upholstery tool, crevice tool to clean the hard-to-reach areas. The pet power brush allows you to clean the pet messes and hair without any tangle. The vacuum cleaner is also equipped with an LED headlights that allow you to find out the hidden dirt in the carpet and clean your room in darkness.
Thanks to its anti-allergen complete seal technology and a HEPA filter that traps 99.9% of dust and allergens and holds in the dust cup. You can easily clean the dust cup after cleaning and reuse it again. However, This vacuum cleaner is the best choice to keep your carpets neat and clean.
Key Features:
- Full-sized Powered Lift-Away Design
- Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology and a HEPA filter
- LED Headlights to find hidden debris
- Fingertip Controls to switch from hard floor to carpet mode
- Upholstery tool, crevice tool, and a detachable pod for versatility
- Pet power brush to tackle the pet hair
- Rotator upright design to maneuver around the obstacles
- 5-year limited warranty
Specifications:
- Brand: Shark
- Form Factor: Upright
- Color: Bordeaux
- Surface Recommendation: Above Floors, Carpet & Hard Floors
- Power Source: Corded Electricity
- Cord Length: 30 feet
- Dust Cup Capacity: .88 Quart
- Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 11.9 x 45 inches
- Item Weight: 15.4 pounds
2. BISSELL 2252 CleanView Swivel Upright Bagless Carpet Cleaner
The BISSELL is one of the most powerful vacuums to clean thick carpet and low pile carpets. This vacuum comes with powerful suction and triple action brush roll with scatter-free technology to pick up the dust and debris from the high pile carpets. It doesn’t leave a single particle, rather offers you a deep cleaning performance.
The vacuum is also equipped with an edge swiping brush that can clean the edge and corner of your house. The swivel steering allows you to guide this device around and under the furniture. The extra combination tools and six-foot-long hose allow you to clean the stairs, upholstery, and tight spaces. You can transform this vacuum into a handheld vacuum cleaner for versatile cleaning performance.
This vacuum is powered by corded electricity that creates multi-cyclonic suction and never loses its power. You need not worry about the cord length because it comes with 25 feet long cord enough for cleaning your house. However, it is a great device to remove pet hair, and you can buy this high pile carpet vacuum cleaner without any hesitation.
Key features:
- Multi-Cyclonic Suction System
- Triple Action Brush Roll to remove embedded dirt and pet hair
- Scatter-Free Technology
- Edge sweeping brush to clean the edge and corner
- Swivel steering to easily maneuver around furniture
- Hair removing tool to clean pet hair
- An easy-empty dirt bin
- 3 year limited warranty
Specifications:
- Brand: Bissell
- Form Factor: Upright
- Surface Recommendation: Carpet
- Power Source: Corded Electricity
- Cord Length: 25 feet
- Cleaning path width: 13.5 inches
- Hose Length: 6 feet
- Dirt cup capacity: 1.0 liter
- Product Dimensions: 13 x 14 x 44.5 inches
- Item Weight: 12.5 pounds
3. Dyson V11 Torque Drive Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
If you are looking for the most powerful carpet cleaning vacuum, I suggest the Dyson V11 Torque Drive Cordless Vacuum Cleaner for you. This cordless vacuum cleaner comes with a powerful suction with three suction settings for thorough cleaning. This vacuum comes with an intelligent sensor that knows the surface condition and boosts the deep cleaning mode when you guide this vacuum from bare floors to high pile rugs.
The LCD screen shows you the selected power mode, remaining run time, current performance, and blockage reports of your filter. It is also equipped with a stubborn dirt brush and soft dusting brush to eliminate embedded dust and debris into the carpet fibers and spots from the bare floors and allows the vacuum to pick up all the fine dust into the vacuum filter. This vacuum comes with a whole machine filtration system that traps 99% of dust and allergens in the dust tank, and you can easily clean the dust cup.
The torque drive vacuum head dives into the thick pile carpet and soft carpet and picks up all the dust into the vacuum. This bagless vacuum comes with a mini motorized tool, crevice tool, and combination tool for versatile cleaning. The wand storage clip allows you to store the wand and the docking station allows you to recharge your vacuum conveniently.
Key Features:
- Intelligently optimizes suction for deep cleaning
- The advanced whole-machine filtration system
- A mini-motorized tool for removing pet hair from tight spaces
- Torque drive head to clean shag carpet
- Stubborn dirt brush and soft dusting brush to lose the embedded dust
- LCD screen to show current performance
- The Dynamic Load Sensor (DLS) system
- Unique battery power system
- Intelligent cleaning modes
- A docking station for convenient stores and charges
- Two years limited warranty
Specifications:
- Brand: Dyson
- Form Factor: Stick, Handheld
- Color: Blue
- Surface Recommendation: Hard Floor, Carpet
- Power Source: 7-cell lithium-ion batteries
- Run Time: Up to 60 minutes
- Product Dimensions: 50.63 x 9.84 x 10.28 inches
- Item Weight: 6.68 pounds
4. iRobot Roomba 980 Robot Vacuum-Wi-Fi Connected Mapping
Suppose you want to buy a vacuum that will automatically clean your floors; a robot vacuums cleaner is the best option for you. You can consider the iRobot Roomba 980 Robot Vacuum Cleaner. This vacuum knows the layout of your house, your living room carpet, tile, and wood floors, and creates a smart mapping and cleaning your house row by row.
This powerful robot vacuum runs over your carpets and bare floors, and its smooth wheels prevent scratches on sensitive floors. This vacuum is ideal for pet owners because its 3 stage cleaning system and tangle-free brush roll clean the dirt and pet hair. The pet turbo brush removes dust and hair from the shag carpet and low pile rugs. The High-Efficiency Filter traps 99 percent of cat and dog allergens and offers the deepest cleaning on the pet bed.
The vSLAM navigation technology guides this vacuum around and under the furniture. You can control this device with the iRobot home app, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant voice control lying on your couch. So, it is a great choice for the elderly and the sick. The Advanced Dirt Detect Technology found out the dirtier areas of your house and carpeted floors and conveniently boosts the suction to remove dust and dirt. The vacuum recharge itself goes to the charging when needed and offers maximum run time.
Key Features:
- 10x Power-Lifting Suction
- 3-Stage Cleaning System
- Patented iAdapt 2.0 navigation with vSLAM technology
- Tangle-free Multi-Surface Brushes
- Advanced Dirt Detect Technology
- Voice-activated control
- Automatic recharge and resume
- An auto-Adjust cleaning head
- High-Efficiency Filter to trap 99% of cat and dog allergens
- Up to 120 minutes run time
- One year limited warranty
Specifications:
- Brand: IRobot
- Form Factor: Robot
- Surface Recommendation: Carpets, Hard Floors
- Controller Type: App Control, Voice Control
- Run Time: Up to 120 minutes
- Package Dimensions: 18.9 x 16.69 x 5.28 inches
- Item Weight: 11.18 pounds
5. Miele Complete C3 Marin Canister Vacuum Cleaner
Miele Complete C3 Marin is the best canister vacuum on our list of the best vacuum for high pile carpets. This vacuum comes with a robust Vortex 1200w motor that creates strong suction power that picks up all the dirt and dust from the shag carpet and low pile rugs, and AirClean sealed system traps 99.9% of dust and allergens from the plush carpets. The beater brush loses the embedded dust and spots from the floors to keep your floors sparkling.
This vacuum comes with a self-adjusting Automatic setting that knows the surface condition of your house and automatically adjusts the power with the floors for the deepest cleaning performance. It is also equipped with a swivel neck and a five-level height adjustment that easily adjusts with the carpet height. The telescopic, stainless steel wand allows you to clean the tight corners and spaces of your house.
This canister vacuum is powered by corded electricity that never loses the suction power and is great for cleaning high pile carpet and plush carpet. It also comes with 24 feet long cord to clean your without worry. This vacuum bag can hold a large amount of dust into the dirt canister. Therefore, this canister vacuum is great for versatile cleaning performance.
Key Features:
- A robust Vortex 1200w motor for powerful suction and precise adjustment
- Unique AirClean filtration system
- 6 Speed Settings
- Telescopic and Stainless Steel Wand with one-touch automatic rewind
- Electro brush with LED lighting
- Self-adjusting Automatic setting
- A floating head and swivel neck for easy maneuverability
- 7 years warranty on motor and body housings
Specifications:
- Brand: Miele
- Form factor: Canister
- Color: Marine Blue
- Surface Recommendation: Carpet
- Power source type: Corded Electric
- Cord Length: 24 feet
- Wattage: 1200 watts
- FilterBag volume: 4.5 litres
- Product Dimensions: 19.52 x 11.18 x 8.94 inches
- Item Weight: 19.4 pounds
6. Shark IZ662H Cordless Lightweight Vacuum Cleaner
The Shark IZ662H Cordless Vacuum comes with maximum cleaning power to clean thick carpets and hard floors. The cordless stick vacuum comes with a swivel steering to guide the vacuum under and around the furniture. The HEPA filtration system traps all the dust and allergens into the large dust cup. This upright vacuum removes the fine dust from the high pile carpet and hardwood floors with ease.
The tangle resistance brush roll can tackle the pet hair but doesn’t damage the carpet fibers. It works well with low pile carpet and high pile carpets. The LED headlights allow you to clean your house in darkness and darker areas of your house, And the combination allows you to clean the tight space and hard-to-reach areas. You can also transform this cordless stick vacuum into a handheld vacuum for versatility.
This upright vacuum cleaner is p[owered by lithium-ion batteries that offer a maximum run time enough to clean your house thoroughly. You need to recharge your vacuum when needed. However, this vacuum is one of the most durable and versatile vacuums that are ready to keep your thick carpets neat and clean.
Key Features:
- Powerful motor for maximum cleaning power
- Self-cleaning brush roll for powerful pet hair pickup
- Hepa Filtration And Anti-allergen Complete Seal
- Multiflex technology to clean hard-to-reach places
- Removable dust cup with CleanTouch Dirt Ejector
- Anti-Allergen Dusting Brush
- Led headlights to clean hidden debris around the home
- 5 year limited warranty
Specifications:
- Brand: Shark
- Form Factor: Stick
- Color: Red
- Surface Recommendation: Above Floor, Carpets & Hard Floor
- Power Source: Lithium-ion batteries
- Run Time: up to 60 minutes
- Product Dimensions: 10.24 x 14.7 x 46.5 inches
- Item Weight: 8.82 pounds
7. Kenmore Intuition BU4022 Bagged Upright Vacuum
This upright vacuum has two powerful motors that create more potent suction and pick up all the fine dust and pet hair in the thick carpets. The soft dusting brush roller eliminates the hidden dust into the rug’s fibers and allows the vacuum to lift away every single dirt from your high pile carpets. The high-efficiency HEPA filter traps all the dust and allergens and offers you an allergy-free environment.
The bagged vacuum means this vacuum comes with a dust bag, and you no need to touch dirty cups or bags that you can throw out after use and insert the new one. Sometimes, the dust bag works as a high-efficiency filter to trap allergens from the air. So, this vacuum is an excellent choice for people who are suffering from asthma or allergy. The swivel steering and lightweight design allow you to guide the vacuum under and around the furniture easily.
This handheld vacuum is equipped with headlights on the nozzle that allow you to clean your house in darkness or clean the darker areas of your house. It also includes a crevice tool, upholstery tool, and combination tool to clean your stairs, furniture, upholstery, and even car. Besides, the lift-away technology is designed for versatile cleaning performance.
Key Features:
- 2-Motor Power Suction for the deepest cleaning
- High-Grade HEPA filtration
- Soft dusting brush roller
- Automatic height adjustments for optimal airflow and cleaning efficiency
- No need to touch a dirty cup or bag
- Lift-Up Technology for versatility
- Bag Fill Indicator
- Swivel Steering for easy maneuvering
- LED headlights on the nozzle
- Five years limited warranty
Specifications:
- Brand: Kenmore
- Form Factor: Upright, Handheld
- Color: Green
- Surface Recommendation: Carpet,Floor
- Power Source: Corded Electricity
- Cord Length: 30 feet
- Replacement Dust Bag Capacity: 3.1L
- Sealed Pressure: 19.5kpa
- Package Dimensions: 33.5 x 12.2 x 11.2 inches
- Item Weight: 14 pounds
8. Dyson Cyclone V10 Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner
We have another powerful carpet vacuum cleaner from Dyson that is designed to clean both bare and carpeted floors. It comes with 14 concentric cyclones that create strong suction and pick up all the large and small dust from the high and low pile rugs. The tangle-resistant brush roll can tackle the pet and long human hair without getting tangled with the brush.
Its torque drive cleaner head drives stiff nylon bristles into carpets to trap deep-down dirt and ground dust. The instant-release trigger allows you to change the power mode instantly when we jump into the deep carpet and pile rugs from the bare floors. The pet power mate tool allows you to clean the pet hair and messes from the pet bed.
You can easily convert this vacuum into a handheld vacuum cleaner for versatile cleaning performance. The cordless stick vacuums mean you need not worry about the cord length while cleaning the tight corners and spaces. However, it is one of the most powerful vacuum cleaners to clean the plush carpet. So, you can buy this device for enjoying fade-free cleaning performance.
Key Features:
- 14 concentric cyclones to capture all the dust
- An advanced whole machine filtration system
- The Soft Roller cleaner head
- Instant-release trigger to change the power mode
- Torque drive cleaner head
- Wall mount, combination tool
- Lightweight and versatile
- A two years limited warranty
Specifications:
- Brand: Dyson
- Form Factor: Stick, Handheld
- Surface Recommendation: Hard Floor
- Power Source: 1 Lithium Polymer batteries
- Run Time: Up to 40 minutes
- Cleaning path width: 9.84 inches
- Product Dimensions: 9.84 x 10.08 x 49.17 inches
- Item Weight: 5.88 pounds
9. Eureka NEU182A PowerSpeed Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner
This vacuum cleaner comes with an active motor and brush roll to pick up stubborn and heavy debris from the thick carpet. It is one of the best upright vacuums to clean carpeted floors. It is genuinely designed to remove the pet hair from the pet bed. It also comes with five height adjustment settings for carpets, shag rug, hard floors, etc. So, it can adjust with the height of the carpets for the deepest cleaning.
The swivel steering allows you to maneuver the vacuum around the obstacles and reach the tight corners. The bagless vacuums mean the vacuum comes with a washable dust cup. You can easily clean the dust cup and reuse it again. This vacuum has an extra-large dust cup that can hold a large amount of dust.
The vacuum is powered by corded electricity that means it is ready to offer you a fade-free cleaning performance. You need not worry about the cord length because it comes with 24 feet long power cord enough to clean your house thoroughly. The lightweight design and extra tools attachments are included for versatile cleaning performance.
Key Features:
- A dynamic motor and a soft dusting brush roll
- Smooth wheels to avoid scratch on the sensitive floors
- A quick-release handle for above-floor cleaning
- 5 Height Adjustment Settings
- Washable high efficient filter
- An extra-large dust cup
- 7-inch-long crevice tool
- 12.6” wide cleaning nozzle
- One year limited warranty
Specifications:
- Brand: EUREKA
- Form Factor: Upright
- Color: Blue
- Surface Recommendation: Hard Floor & Carpets
- Power Source: Corded Electricity
- Cord Length: 24 feet
- Dust cup capacity: 4.1L
- Product Dimensions: 13 x 14 x 44 inches
- Item Weight: 10 pounds
10. Soniclean Soft Carpet Upright Vacuum Cleaner
At last, we have upheld another carpet vacuum for you if you are not satisfied with the previous device. You may know the upright vacuum is the best choice for carpet cleaners because they always stay flat on the carpet and adjust to the height of the carpets. You can also clean the bare floors and hard floors with this versatile vacuum.
The soft roller dusting brush spins over the carpets and picks up all the stubborn dust without damaging the carpets’ fibers. The HEPA filters trap 99.9% of dust and allergens from the air. The vacuum comes with a crevice tool and upholstery tool for versatile cleaning performance. The adjustable vent system adjusts with different carpets, and swivel steering allows you to guide the vacuum across the carpet pile.
The direct electric-powered vacuum means your vacuum will not lose power while cleaning and you need not think of the battery life of your vacuum. So, you can enjoy a worry-free cleaning performance. Above all, this vacuum is ready to serve you for a long time without any technical problem. So, you can buy this vacuum for your carpet cleaning.
Key Features:
- Powerful suction for the deep cleaning
- Ultra-soft bristle brush roll gently on carpet fibers
- Patented EZ-Push adjustable vent system
- HEPA filtration system to capture 99.97% of particles
- Digitally controlled multi-speed motor
- Extremely lightweight design
- Ideal for allergy sufferers
Specifications:
- Brand: Soniclean
- Form Factor: Upright
- Surface Recommendation: Carpet
- Power Source: Corded Electricity
- Cord Length: 35 feet
- Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 14 x 43.5 inches
- Item Weight: 10.5 pounds
Things to Consider Before Buying the Best Vacuum for High Pile Carpet
Before buying the best vacuum for high pile carpet, you should consider the quality of a device. And to judge the quality of a device, you must know about some essential features that increase the potentiality of your vacuum cleaner. So, in this buying guide section, we discuss some critical issues that will help you find the best vacuum for your needs.
Suction Power:
Suction power is one of the most important factors to consider before buying the best vacuum cleaners for high pile carpets. You know high pile carpets consist of high fabric loops, and there is a large amount of dust hidden in the carpet fibers. So, it would be best if you had a vacuum having strong suction to clean these types of carpets. In that case, you can consider a minimum of 2000pa of suction that can pick up both large and small dust from different surfaces.
Form Factor:
There are different types of vacuum available in the market, such as upright, canister, stick, and robot vacuums. The upright vacuum is the best option to clean thick carpets because they stand upright on them and come with strong suction to pick up all the dust and debris quickly.
But the canister vacuums come with a dust canister separated from the cleaning head, and they come with a hose for versatile cleaning performance. You can clean your thick carpets, low pile carpets, hardwood floors, bare floors, and upholstery.
The stick vacuum comes with a handheld design, and you can maneuver the vacuum on multiple surfaces. They are ideal for stairs, floors, carpets, and car cleaning. Actually, stick vacuum cleaners are more versatile than other vacuums.
Suppose you are buying a vacuum for the elderly or sick people. In that case, the best robot vacuum having powerful suction is the best choice for you because it can clean your house automatically with its intelligent robotic technology. You need not guide your vacuum manually; instead, you can control your vacuum with the smart home app, Amazon Alexa voice control, google Assistance, or remote controlling system.
Dusting Brush Quality:
A dusting brush is another essential part of a vacuum cleaner because it allows your vacuum to eliminate the ground dust and spots. There are different dusting brushes, but you should consider a soft dusting brush roller that will not damage your carpets and sensitive floors. If you are a pet lover or someone in your house has long hair, you should choose a tangle-resistant brush that can tackle the pet hair and long human hair without getting tangled with the hair.
An ordinary brush stuck with the pet hair and stopped spinning that hamper in perfect cleaning. In this case, you need to clean your brush again and again. So, you should consider a self-cleaning brush that offers a tangle-free cleaning performance.
Filteration System:
The filtration system determines the size of dust and allergens trapped by the vacuum. So, it is one of the important features to consider before buying the best vacuum cleaner for high pile carpets. It’s really important for asthma and allergy sufferers because the pet dander combined with the dust can produce allergens that may be bitter for the allergy and asthma sufferers.
In this case, you can consider a high-efficiency filter that can trap a minimum of 99% of dust and pet allergens from the air. I personally like to have HEPA filtration systems for my vacuum. However, you should be careful while choosing a vacuum cleaner.
Bagged Vs. Bagless:
A bagged vacuum means your vacuum has a dust bag that holds the dust, and you can’t reuse the dust bag; rather, you can throw the bag after use. You need not touch the dust while cleaning the dust canister; that is an excellent option for asthma and allergy sufferers. Sometimes, the dust bag works as a high-efficiency filter, traps all the dust and allergens from the air, and offers you an allergy-free environment.
Instead, the bagless vacuums refer to the vacuum that comes with a washable dust tank, and you can easily clean the dust cup after cleaning. It would be best if you cleaned your vacuum dirt cup timely to enjoy a mess-free cleaning performance. In this case, you have to consider a large dust canister that can hold a vast amount of dust; otherwise, you need to clean the dust cup again and again.
Corded Vs. Cordless:
A corded vacuum means the corded electricity directly powers your vacuum, and they produce maximum powerlifting suction. The corded vacuum doesn’t lose its suction while cleaning. They are more durable than battery-powered vacuums. But you should consider the cord length of your corded vacuum; otherwise, it may be difficult to reach the hard-to-reach areas and can hamper your cleaning task.
But the cordless vacuum refers to the vacuum that is powered by a rechargeable battery. They are more portable and versatile. You can enjoy a cord-free cleaning experience. You must consider a quality battery that will offer maximum run time and will last for a long time. In this fact, lithium-ion batteries are the best option for you.
Brands:
Before buying the best vacuum cleaner, you should consider a reliable brand because the quality and durability of a vacuum vary from brand to brand. However, Shark, Dyson, BISSELL, iRobot Roomba, Eureka, etc. are the most reliable brands available in the market today.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ) About The Best Vacuum for High Pile Carpet
What is the best vacuum for a thick pile carpet?
The Shark NV752 Rotator Powered Lift-Away TruePet Upright Vacuum Cleaner is the best overall handheld vacuum for a thick pile that features powerful suction, soft dusting brush roller, anti-allergen complete seal technology with a HEPA filter, LED headlights, and a swivel steering to maneuver around the obstacles.
Can I vacuum a high pile rug?
Of course, you can vacuum a high pile rug with a quality vacuum cleaner having some unique features such as strong powerlifting suction, high efficient filter, and a quality dusting brush. But the suction power is a crucial factor for your vacuum to clean high pile carpets.
Can you use a stick vacuum on the shag carpet?
Yes, a handheld stick vacuum does well on the shag carpets, but it must have enough power and features to pick up dust from the shag rugs.
Can you vacuum a rug too much?
Generally, People clean their rug one time in a weak, but you can almost twice in a weak. You may know the shag rugs are very sensitive, and your vacuum may damage the carpet fibers for too much cleaning.
What setting should I need for my rug?
To clean the rug, your vacuum needs strong powerlifting suction. The level power setting of your vacuum depends on the height of your carpet. To clean the bare floors, low power mode is enough, but you must set the highest cleaning mode for cleaning high pile carpets.
Can I adjust the height on my Dyson?
Dyson vacuums come with a Dynamic Load Sensor (DLS) system and torque drive cleaning head that knows the height of your rugs and adjusts the height and power during operation.
Final Words:
I hope this list of the Best Vacuum for High Pile Carpet was helpful. Now you can choose any of the vacuums from our list. I think all the vacuums upheld in our list have some unique features to clean your thick carpets. Especially, Shark NV752 Rotator Powered Lift-Away TruePet Upright Vacuum, and Dyson Cyclone V11 were the most powerful vacuum that you can choose for your high pile carpets.
If you have any questions or a suggestion for a future article, let me know in the comments below. Your feedback is always inspiring and makes us stronger.