A while ago there was a discussion about tuftex trusoft being a nylon alternative to SS, without any of the vacuuming issue inherent to SS.

I can tell you that as a landlord I'm replacing a really good Stainmaster nylon carpet simply due to the amount of stains that won't come out. I'm using smartstrand. If I had it in originally the carpet would still be usable. Vacuuming shouldn't be your primary concern. people with SS do use dysons.

Does your friend have SmartStrand or SmartStrand Silk. I was under the impression the vacuum problem is more with the Silk line.

Does Smartstrand Ultra have the same problem with Dysons?

I think it has more to do with the pile height than the 'type' of Smartstrand.

I don't know which SS she has.

I think I am going with a Stainmaster 66 Trusoft. I brought home a sample board and tried to vacuum it -- difficult to vacuum and 2 ft piece of carpet though so I can't say for certain how the Dyson will perform on it.

The SS were not in my budget for a large family room (almost 300 SF).

When it comes to premium soft carpets like SmartStrand Silk (Not other SmartStrand lines), Dyson models are not well-suited for ANY premium soft carpets.

Riccar vacuums work great with SmartStrand Silk and other premium lines. Any SmartStrand carpet will be superior in repelling stains throughout your home.

If you are making an investment in a premium soft carpet, invest in the vacuum that will work best with it for decades. Mohawk's standard SmartStrand line will give you perfect balance in stain protection, durability, and softness with no vacuum constraints.

Your DC14 has auto adjusting height so you should be fine with the Smartstrand. We have the Sorona Smartstrand (not the Silk) and love it. We also have a Dyson--the original Ball and while it is a little harder to push, it's not that bad (ours does not have auto adjusting height either). Had Stainmaster carpets in our last house and stains would "come out" then reappear a few weeks later--very frustrating. Have not had that problem with the SS--even when DS2 tracked blood from a cut foot all over the barely off-white SS in his bedroom. A little cold tap water and a clean cloth and the stains literally disappeared.

How long do you want the carpet last compared to how long the Stainmaster should hold up? Our carpet guy told us we would be replacing our Smartstrand because we changed our decor long before we had to replace due to wear and tear. Spending a little more on the SS and not having to replace or deal with reappearing stains is definitely worth the upcharge (at least to me). Also, are you pricing the Sorona SS or just the Silk? The regular should be less expensive--definitely check out the big box stores for competitive pricing as many local dealers will work with you to get your business if they know that you know you can get it somewhere else for less. Something to think about...

We had the same problem with our cat too. We switched to Evolve Maintenance Formula dry food and Natural Life canned food. It has made all the difference for her & us and it doesn't break the bank!

Hope this helps!

How has your Smartstrand carpet held up mydreamhome? We are looking at getting new carpet and I’m worried about Smartstrand matting after a few years?