Three years of Flexbox and margin auto here too, but kai779's point about hidden min-width bugs made me rethink the whole fewer lines thing.

Switched to a shorter handle last year after swearing by the long ones for a decade, and now I'd never go back. The long handle was making me lean in too far and I was pushing the carpet instead of driving it, which is why you feel all that creep come back at you. For stairs the shorter handle is even more of a must because you're working in a tight spot and need your body over the tool, not stretched out past it. The top step still sucks no matter what you run, but what helped me was choking up and taking two smaller stretches instead of trying to muscle one big one. Get yourself a kicker with a bigger head and shorter shaft and you'll wonder why you waited so long. Your back and knees will thank you.