- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Updates
- Comparison
- Best Vacuums
- Lineup
- Conclusion
- Discussions
Miele is a German manufacturer specializing in high-end household appliances, including everything from refrigerators to washing machines, not to mention cooktop ranges and coffee machines. Their lineup of vacuum cleaners is well-renowned for their premium build quality, strong performance on a wide variety of surfaces, and general ease of maintenance.
Updates
- 12/22/2020 Miele Triflex HX1 reviewed
- 09/11/2020 Miele Complete C3 Alize PowerLine reviewed
- 09/09/2020 Miele Dynamic U1 PowerLine reviewed
- 07/24/2020 Miele Classic C1 reviewed
Best Miele Vacuums
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Best Corded Miele Vacuum
Bare Floor8.6Low-Pile Carpet8.2High-Pile Carpet8.2Pets8.1Stairs8.2Cars8.0Workshop6.9Vacuum TypeCanisterBaglessNoCordlessNoAnti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)YesWet CompatibleNoThe best Miele vacuum with a corded design that we've tested is the Miele Complete C3 Alize PowerLine. This high-end bagged vacuum delivers exceptional performance on bare floors and does a great job clearing away debris on low and high-pile carpet. It's also quite effective when dealing with debris in cracks and crevices. Still, this is a somewhat basic variant of the C3, and if you have a lot of dense carpeting in your home, you might want to go for a pricier model with a motorized brushroll, like the C3 Soft Carpet or C3 Kona. Build quality is excellent, with a dense plastic body and smoothly-rolling rubber wheels that enable it to climb over a wide variety of hazards. It also isn't especially hard to maintain, as you can easily cut away any tangled hair that gets stuck in the bristles near the front of its floorhead. It also isn't especially noisy and has a three-stage filtration system that's advertised to trap 99.9% of dust and dirt, so it's a great option if you suffer from serious allergies.
Unfortunately, its dirtbags aren't quite as large as some other high-end canister vacuums, like the SEBO Airbelt D4, and you'll need to replace its filters regularly, so recurring costs are high. Some users might also find it a little heavy to carry up and down long flights of stairs, and its power cord isn't especially long.
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Best Cordless Miele Vacuum
Bare Floor8.3Low-Pile Carpet8.0High-Pile Carpet7.7Pets7.4Stairs8.5Cars7.7Workshop7.0Vacuum TypeStick/HandheldBaglessYesCordlessYesAnti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)NoWet CompatibleNoThe best Miele vacuum cleaner with a cordless design that we've tested is the Miele Triflex HX1. This cordless vacuum delivers remarkable performance on flat, even surfaces like hardwood and does a great job dealing with pet hair and most kinds of solid debris on low and high-pile carpet. Using it in its '2' or 'max' suction power modes activate its surface detection feature, which allows it to automatically select the optimal brush power for a given floor type or even stop the brushroll if something gets caught in the floorhead. The vacuum's three-in-one design is highly configurable, as you can use it as an upright, stick, or handheld vacuum by removing or rearranging the position of the main body and wand. Its lack of a dirtbag and washable, reusable fine dust filter keep recurring costs to a minimum, while its high-grade plastic construction feels sturdier than many other cordless stick vacuums.
Unfortunately, this vacuum's maximum battery life of roughly half an hour isn't very long, so you need to work quickly when cleaning larger rooms. Its dirt compartment is rather small, so it needs regular emptying. This basic variant only comes with a dusting brush, crevice tool, and upholstery tool; you need to upgrade to the more expensive 'Cat & Dog' variant if you want a turbo brush bundled in the box as well as a filter with a HEPA designation, though the standard filter is advertised as still being able to trap 99.98% of fine particulate matter.
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Best Budget Miele Vacuum
Bare Floor8.5Low-Pile Carpet8.0High-Pile Carpet8.0Pets8.0Stairs8.0Cars8.0Workshop6.7Vacuum TypeCanisterBaglessNoCordlessNoAnti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)NoWet CompatibleNoThe best Miele vacuum at a budget-friendly price that we've tested is the Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction PowerLine. This vacuum is more expensive than many other canister vacuums from mainstream manufacturers, but it's considerably cheaper than most other products in Miele's lineup. Despite this comparatively lower price, it delivers strong performance, especially on bare floors, with minimal loss of suction performance as its dirtbag fills up. While this variant doesn't have a floorhead with an electrobrush or even a turbo brush for better surface agitation on carpets, it still clears a very good amount of debris on low and high-pile rugs, though you might need to make another pass to clean very fine material. It has a six-level suction power adjustment feature that lets you adapt to everything from curtains to carpets. There's also built-in storage for its dusting brush, crevice tool, and upholstery tool attachments, and its power cord retracts with the press of a button. In addition, like most of the Miele vacuums, it feels very well-built and is remarkably easy to maintain.
However, this vacuum's power cord and hose are somewhat short, so you might need to swap outlets when cleaning larger rooms. In addition, unlike the significantly pricier 'Home Care' variant of the C1, this basic model doesn't come with a HEPA filter as standard. If you don't need a filter with a HEPA designation, the 'Cat & Dog' variant comes with an Active AirClean filter, which doesn't filter out as many fine particles as Miele's HEPA filter but incorporates an activated charcoal filter to cut down on odor, though it's substantially more expensive than the C1 Pure Suction PowerLine.
Compared to other brands
- Excellent build quality. Most Miele vacuums are made of high-end materials that make them feel far more durable than many of their peers.
- Good overall performance. Miele vacuums offer strong and consistent cleaning performance on a wide variety of surface types, including hardwood floors as well as low and high-pile carpet.
- Easy to maintain. Miele vacuums tend to have fewer parts that require regular maintenance than many other alternatives, which are also easy to access or replace.
- Thoughtful quality of life features. Even basic Miele vacuums have features that help simplify vacuuming, like multi-level suction power adjustment, automatic power cord retraction, and onboard storage for tools and accessories.
- Small number of attachments on some models. While you can purchase a wide variety of extra attachments and floorheads from the manufacturer, many Miele vacuums come with very few attachments in the box.
- Expensive. As befitting their premium status, Miele vacuums tend to be fairly pricey.
- High recurring costs for some models. Many Miele vacuums use bagged designs. They have dirtbags and filters that need regular replacing, usually at a higher cost than other bagged vacuums.
Miele offers a wide range of vacuum cleaners, though their canister lineup is the broadest. The best Miele vacuum cleaners are usually easier to maintain and have far more quality-of-life features than most Shark or BISSELL vacuums. They also deliver similarly strong performance on a variety of surfaces compared to alternatives from other high-end brands like Dyson and feel much better-built, but their selection of included attachments tends to be a lot smaller.
Lineup
Miele has a diverse lineup of vacuums, and their naming convention can sometimes be a little confusing.
Canister Models
- Miele Classic C1 lineup: Entry to mid-level bagged canister vacuums.
- Miele Compact C1 Lineup: Smaller entry to mid-level bagged canister vacuums.
- Miele Blizzard CX1 Lineup: Mid to high-end bagless canister vacuums
- Miele Complete C3 Lineup: High-end bagged canister vacuums.
Cordless Stick Models
- Triflex HX1 lineup: Cordless vacuums that you can configure as a handheld, upright, or stick vacuum.
Robot Models
- Scout RX2: Premium robot vacuum cleaner.
Common Trim/Equipment levels
- Pure Suction: Vacuums with floorheads that use straight suction to suck up debris, rather than air or motor-driven brushrolls, mainly for use on bare floors.
- Turbo Team: Vacuums with air-driven brushroll floorheads for use on carpets.
- HomeCare: Mid-level vacuum variants, usually bundled with both a straight suction floorhead and a floorhead with an air-driven brushroll. They usually come with an electrobrush socket that allows for a motorized floorhead if you purchase one and a couple of additional handheld brushes.
- Cat & Dog: Mid-level vacuum variants usually bundled with a handheld turbo brush for dealing with pet hair and an 'Active Air' filter.
Some of these trims are only available on some models or have slightly differing accessories bundled in the box, while others have specific designations that aren't noted here.
Recent Updates
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Apr 29, 2022: Ensured that all main picks are still in line with user needs and expectations.
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Jan 31, 2022: Ensured that all main picks are still available and represent the best option for their given category.
Conclusion
Miele specializes in manufacturing a wide range of high-end household appliances. Their range of vacuum cleaners is mainly focused on canister models of both the bagged and bagless variety, but they've recently branched out into building cordless stick and robot vacuums. As a general rule, Miele vacuums are pricier than alternatives but offer a wide range of thoughtful quality-of-life features, strong cleaning performance, and premium build quality.