The Miele Classic C1 is the entry-level model in the manufacturer's line of bagged canister vacuums. While it doesn't have the pricier Miele Complete C3 Alize's onboard tool compartment and feels a little less robust, it still comes with the same 1200 W motor and offers strong suction and airflow performance, though the included pure suction floorhead is ill-suited to cleaning carpets or large and medium-sized debris.
Our Verdict
The Miele Classic C1 is good for bare floors. While it's more than powerful enough to lift away finer material, the included STB 285-3 floorhead sits too low to easily fit over large or medium-sized material like cereal or rice, causing it to push around bigger debris. Build quality is thankfully pretty sturdy, and its small canister body makes it easy to maneuver. Unfortunately, the power cable is on the short end of the scale, so you'll need to swap outlets when vacuuming larger areas.
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Several power adjustments available.
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Great maneuverability.
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Good build quality.
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Easy to maintain.
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Relatively short range.
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Standard STB 285-3 floorhead pushes around larger debris.
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You can't use it for liquid spills.
The Miele Classic C1 is a reasonable option for low-pile carpet. It has enough power to draw out fine debris embedded within carpet fibers, but its included straight-suction head sits too low to the ground to pass over larger debris like rice or cereal. It also uses dirtbags that aren't especially big, so you'll have to swap in a new one somewhat often, though this will depend on your usage habits.
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Several power adjustments available.
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Great maneuverability.
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Good build quality.
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Easy to maintain.
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Relatively short range.
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Standard STB 285-3 floorhead pushes around larger debris.
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You can't use it for liquid spills.
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Not all model variants are compatible with powered floorheads.
The Miele Classic C1 is a passable choice for high-pile carpet. Right off the bat, it's important to get a C1 variant with an electrosocket that would allow it to accept a powered floorhead, as the standard straight-suction STB 285-3 head has a hard time clearing away messes on this surface. Regardless of the model you choose, it feels well-built and is easy to maintain. However, its power cable isn't that long.
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Several power adjustments available.
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Great maneuverability.
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Good build quality.
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Easy to maintain.
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Relatively short range.
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Standard STB 285-3 floorhead pushes around larger debris.
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You can't use it for liquid spills.
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Not all model variants are compatible with powered floorheads.
The Miele Classic C1 is alright for cleaning pet hair. It can pick up pet hair on hard surfaces, but the straight-suction STB 285-3 head provides insufficient agitation to clear away hair on carpets. While this variant doesn't have a HEPA filter, it's still very effective in trapping fine allergens like pet dander, and you can still purchase a HEPA filter from the manufacturer if you have very serious allergies. While it has a few recurring costs in the form of its dirtbag and filters, this vacuum is pretty easy to maintain as you can easily disassemble it. It's also pretty quiet, which is great if you have a pet that's sensitive to loud noises.
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Strong air filtration performance.
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Good build quality.
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Easy to maintain.
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You need to buy the HEPA filter separately.
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Standard STB 285-3 floorhead struggles with pet hair on carpets.
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You can't use it for liquid spills.
The Miele Classic C1 is good for cleaning stairs. It's pretty compact, and you can easily position it upright on stair steps. It's also well-suited for cleaning all surface types. However, it doesn't have the longest power cord, which may be a problem if you're vacuuming a particularly tall staircase.
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Comes with crevice and upholstery tools.
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Great maneuverability.
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Good build quality.
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Easy to maintain.
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Relatively short range.
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You can't use it for liquid spills.
The Miele Classic C1 is very good for cleaning cars. This vacuum is compact and reasonably lightweight, but its power cord isn't long, so you'll probably need an extension cable. Luckily, it has a few tools to help you clean your car. The vacuum itself is easy to maintain and well-built, too.
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Comes with crevice and upholstery tools.
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Great maneuverability.
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Good build quality.
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Easy to maintain.
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Relatively short range.
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You can't use it for liquid spills.
The Miele Classic C1 is okay for light workshop cleaning, but that isn't its intended use. It delivers exceptional performance on bare surfaces and is very effective on low-pile rugs, but don't try to suck up heavier debris like metal or wood shavings, which can puncture its dirtbag. It also isn't suitable for sucking up liquids.
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Good build quality.
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Easy to maintain.
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You can't use it for liquid spills.
- 7.6 Bare Floor
- 6.6 Low-Pile Carpet
- 6.0 High-Pile Carpet
- 6.8 Pets
- 7.5 Stairs
- 7.9 Cars
- 5.3 Workshop
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Updated Dec 02, 2024:
We've added a link to the Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog in the High-Pile Carpet Pick-Up section of the review to provide an alternative that performs better on high-pile carpeting.
- Updated Aug 26, 2024: We've updated the scores in the Hard Floor Pick-Up, High-Pile Carpet Pick-Up, Low-Pile Carpet Pick-Up, and Pet-Hair Pick-Up tests to align with a broader data set. For more information about the reasoning for this update, you can look at our forum post.
- Updated Apr 09, 2024: We've added text to this review for the new tests added in Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Apr 09, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.3. We've overhauled our floor performance tests and added new 'Hard Floor Pick-Up,' 'High-Pile Carpet Pick-Up,' 'Low-Pile Carpet Pick-Up,' and 'Pet-Hair Pick-Up' tests. You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Oct 20, 2023: We've added text to this review for the new tests added in Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Oct 20, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.2. This update builds on our previous 'Suction' test with a new 'Airflow' test that more accurately measures a vacuum's ability to generate air movement. If you'd like to see an in-depth look at the reasoning and methodology behind this change, you can see our full changelog here..
- Updated Dec 09, 2022: We've changed the full product name to 'Miele Classic C1' in order for the review to encompass all model variants.
- Updated Aug 09, 2022: This vacuum's suction force has been retested with a more accurate manometer. The test results for the 'Maximum Suction' and 'Normal Suction' fields have been updated. All relevant scores and text have been updated.
- Updated Jul 28, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated Jul 22, 2022: We've updated this review to Test Bench 1.0, which includes a broad range of new testing procedures to measure stain and water-clearing performance, suction power, crevice-cleaning performance, noise levels, and air filtration performance. We've also updated our debris and pet hair-pickup performance tests, as well as our method of scoring user maintenance requirements and recurring costs.
- Updated Jul 13, 2022: We've updated the name of the product from 'Miele Classic C1' to 'Miele Classic C1 PowerLine Pure Suction' to better reflect its given specifications.
- Updated Mar 31, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Mar 21, 2022: The 'Build Quality' test score has been lowered.
- Updated Jul 24, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Jul 21, 2020: Early access published.
- Updated Jul 16, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Jul 16, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Miele Classic C1 is available in a couple of different variants. We tested the Classic C1 Pure Suction PowerLine - SBAN0 model, which also happens to be the base model in the lineup.
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Model Name |
Vacuum Head | Parts Included | Canister Color | Filter Type | Notes |
| Classic C1 Pure Suction PowerLine - SBAN0 |
AllTeQ Combination Floorhead 365-3 |
Upholstery tool, crevice tool, dusting brush | Graphite grey | AirClean filter |
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| Classic C1 Turbo Team PowerLine - SBAN0 | Small Parquet Floorhead SBB Parquet-3, Turbo Brush Floorhead STB 305-3 |
Upholstery tool, crevice tool, dusting brush | Tech blue | AirClean filter | |
| Classic C1 Pure Suction HomeCare PowerLine - SBCN0 |
AllTeQ Combination Floorhead 365-3 |
Upholstery tool, crevice tool, dusting brush | Mango red | HEPA AirClean filter | Only available at some vacuum dealers |
| Classic C1 Cat & Dog PowerLine - SBBN0 |
Small Parquet Floorhead SBB Parquet-3, |
Upholstery tool, crevice tool, dusting brush, Handheld Mini Turbo Brush STB 101, Comfort Handle | Lotus white | Active AirClean filter | |
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Classic C1 Home Care PowerLine - SBCN0 |
Small Parquet Floorhead SBB Parquet-3, Electro Plus Floorhead SEB 228 |
Upholstery tool, crevice tool, dusting brush, Handheld Mini Turbo Brush STB 101, Adjustable Universal Brush SUB 20, Comfort Handle | Mango red | Only available at some vacuum dealers |
Let us know in the discussions if you encounter another variant of this vacuum.
Compared To Other Vacuums
The Miele Classic C1 is a great canister vacuum. It offers comparable overall performance to the NaceCare HVR 200 Henry, though with a smaller body that's slightly easier to store. However, it does use smaller capacity dirtbags that need more frequent replacing. Compared to the pricier Miele Complete C3 Alize, it's a little less robust and a little noisier, but it's still a great option if you're looking for something more affordable.
Look at our recommendations of the best canister vacuums, the best bagged vacuums, and the best vacuums if you're looking for an alternative.
The Miele Complete C3 Alize is a better overall canister vacuum than the Miele Classic C1. The Complete C3 performs better on all surface types, is more maneuverable, and comes with a HEPA filter. It also feels better built and slightly quieter. However, it's a bit heavier than the Classic C1.
The Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog is a more well-rounded vacuum than the Miele Classic C1. The C3 feels better built, has a longer overall range, and features an integrated tool storage compartment. Beyond that, it's worth mentioning that the C3 Cat & Dog can use a powered floorhead, which is crucial for cleaning thicker carpeting. In comparison, only higher-end C1 models have the necessary power outlet to use these attachments.
The SEBO Airbelt D4 Premium is better than the Miele Classic C1 for most uses. The SEBO is better built, incurs lower recurring costs, uses much larger dirtbags, and has a significantly longer operating range. Its power rocker switch also gives you a more precise level of control in adjusting suction power compared to the Miele vacuum's power level presets. Unlike the Miele, the SEBO also features a three-stage filtration system that includes a HEPA filter. Conversely, the Miele is smaller, lighter, and more maneuverable.
The Miele Classic C1 is a better canister vacuum overall than the NaceCare HVR 200 Henry. While both vacuums are easy to maintain, the Miele is lighter and stores away a bit better. It also delivers marginally better performance on all surfaces and has an easier time with pet hair. However, the NaceCare feels a little more robust, has a longer range, and incurs lower recurring costs due to its larger dirtbags.
The Miele Classic C1 is a more versatile canister vacuum than the Eureka Mighty Mite. The Miele feels better built, is easier to maintain, and has a wide variety of convenience features like a self-winding power cord and a tool clip that sits at the base of its wand. It also has a more powerful motor and is more maneuverable despite its heavier weight. However, the Eureka is still a good choice if you're looking for an inexpensive alternative that weighs less and takes up less room when not in use.
The Miele Classic C1 is a bit better of a canister vacuum than the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal. The Miele has a better build quality, is slightly easier to maintain, and has a larger dirt compartment. It's also lighter, and you can configure it so it's easier to clean surfaces like upholstery or tables. It has better overall performance on all surface types as well. However, the Dyson comes with more tools and brushes, has no recurring costs, and has slightly better maneuverability.
The Miele Classic C1 is a better overall canister vacuum than the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe. The Miele is better built, is easier to maintain, and has a larger dirt compartment. It's also more portable, has better maneuverability, and comes with an extension wand and a soft-bristle brush. Its performance on bare floors is significantly better than the Shark, too. However, the Shark slightly outperforms on low- and high-pile carpets. It also incurs lower recurring costs as a result of its bagless design.
The Miele Classic C1 and the Dyson Ball Animal 2 Total Clean/Origin are corded vacuums that are designed for different uses. The Miele is a bagged canister vacuum, yielding superior air filtration performance and a cleaner means of debris disposal, though this variant of the C1 doesn't have a HEPA-rated filter. The Miele is also better built, easier to maintain, and more maneuverable in cluttered rooms. It delivers slightly better performance on bare floors, too. Meanwhile, the Dyson is a bagless upright that incurs virtually no recurring costs. It clears more debris on carpeted surfaces, comes with more attachments, including a dedicated pet grooming tool, and has a power cord that's nearly twice as long as that of the Miele.
The Miele Classic C1 and the Eureka Whirlwind Bagless Canister are similar canister vacuums, but the Miele is better overall. The Miele is much more powerful and more maneuverable; it comes with a couple more tools and brushes, and its dirt compartment is larger. It's also significantly better built and much easier to maintain and store. In contrast, the Eureka has virtually no recurring costs, is bagless, and is more portable.
The Miele Classic C1 and the Airsign HEPA Vacuum are somewhat evenly matched bagged canister vacuums, though the Miele is a slightly better option for most use cases. The Miele feels better built, has a longer overall range, weighs a little less, gives you a wider array of suction power modes, makes less noise, and performs better on carpeted floors. It also comes with an upholstery tool that's more effective in dealing with pet hair on fabric furniture than the Airsign vacuum's hard-bristle brush. However, the Airsign comes bundled with a HEPA filter, making it a better option if you suffer from allergies.
The Miele Classic C1 is a much better vacuum overall than the BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister. The bagged Miele is much better built, is easier to maintain, maneuvers more effectively in tight areas, and delivers significantly better performance on all surface types. Meanwhile, the BISSELL is much cheaper, has a lighter design, and has slightly fewer recurring costs.
The Miele Classic C1 is a more versatile canister vacuum than the BISSELL Zing Bagged Canister. The Miele performs considerably better on all surface types, is more maneuverable, and is more sturdily built. It also has lower recurring costs and is easier to maintain. However, the BISSELL is a little more portable.
Test Results
The Miele Classic C1 feels well-built. Although it's mostly plastic, it feels sturdy and solid, though not quite to the same extent as the Miele Complete C3 Alize. The telescopic wand is made from stainless steel, while the bottom of the vacuum head is aluminum. The wheels are made of a rubber-like material that helps it glide smoothly on most surfaces. Unfortunately, this variant doesn't have a handle for its wand.
The Miele Classic C1 is outstandingly easy to maintain, which shows in its design.
- Dirtbag: You can access the dirtbag compartment by pressing the top cover lid. There are arrows to let you know how to take out the bag. You need to dispose of it when full.
- Pre-motor filter: It's located under the dirtbag, and you can unclip it if you want to replace it.
- Post-motor filter: The post-motor filter is located on the top back of the dirt compartment.
As the vacuum head doesn't have a brushroll, you don't have to worry about detangling hair from the vacuum, though hair can still get stuck in its bristles.
The Miele Classic C1 incurs moderately high recurring costs.
- GN Airclean 3D bag: You should replace the dirtbag once it's filled.
- Pre-motor filter: The pre-motor filter should last throughout four dirtbag replacements.
- Post-motor filter: The post-motor filter should last throughout four dirtbag replacements. This vacuum is fully compatible with Miele SF-HA 30 HEPA filters too, though they're pricier than the standard-fit SF SAC 20/30 filter.
Dirtbags are sold in packs of four and also include one replacement pre-motor filter and one post-motor filter, as seen here. A multi-pack replenishment kit is also available.
The Miele Classic C1 isn't too difficult to store. It's pretty compact and comes with a VarioClip attachment that lets you store the tools and brushes directly on top of the hose connection point. However, unlike the SEBO Airbelt D4 Premium, it doesn't have a built-in storage compartment for its tools. The vacuum head can also clip onto the vacuum, which can help you save more space. There's a button for automatically retracting the cable, too.
The Miele Classic C1 uses reasonably spacious dirtbags. While Miele advertises this compartment to hold 4.5L, we measured quite a bit less. That said, it still holds quite a bit of debris. There's also a physical indicator on the vacuum's body to know when the dirt compartment is full. If you want a canister vacuum with a much bigger dirt compartment, check out the NaceCare HVR 200 Henry.
- Telescopic wand
- Short plastic wand
- Hose
- 1x Bag
- 1x Filter
- 1x Pre-motor filter
- Main head
- Crevice tool
- Upholstery tool
- Soft brush
- On-board tool adapter
- Vacuum canister
- User guide
The Miele Classic C1 has a disappointing range. Its cord length isn't especially long, so you'll probably need to change plugs to clean large rooms. If that's a significant issue and you don't mind using an upright vacuum, look at the Miele Dynamic U1 PowerLine, which has a power cord more than twice as long as the C1.
The Miele Classic C1 is pretty portable. It's lighter than other canister vacuums like the NaceCare HVR 200 Henry or the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball, even with all its brushes and tools attached to the VarioClip. Its body has a carrying handle, so you can easily carry it up and down stairs.
The Miele Classic C1 has a couple of quality-of-life features. It offers six levels of power adjustment for different surfaces, which can be selected using the dial at the back of the vacuum's body. They can be confusing to understand, though, as these modes are only represented by symbols. You can also retract or extend the vacuum head's bristles, depending on whether or not you want greater surface contact on carpets or want to avoid scratching your bare floors. There's even a suction power control on the wand's handle that you can slide between a closed and open position to better glide on carpet.
Unlike the Eureka Mighty Mite, the Miele Classic C1 PowerLine Pure Suction has a soft brush for cleaning delicate surfaces. It also comes with crevice and upholstery tools that you can attach to the VarioClip attachment on the hose when not in use.
You can use the Miele Classic C1 in a semi-handheld configuration by removing its wand and floorhead.
This vacuum's single-pass performance on hard floors is poor. This vacuum is plenty powerful and easily clears away fine material like sand. However, the bristles on its SBD 285-3 floorhead are too closely spaced and too short to allow it to pass over large and medium-sized material like cereal or rice, causing it to simply push around this type of material. When dealing with this kind of debris, you'll need to lift the vacuum head so that the vacuum can suck everything up. Alternatively, consider purchasing Miele's Parquet Twister head, which has less closely packed bristles.
When used with its straight-suction SBD 285-3 floorhead, this vacuum struggles on high-pile carpet. While its powerful suction motor enables it to easily clear away finer, lightweight debris like sand, its floorhead simply isn't high enough to pass over medium and large debris like rice or sand. If you want to deal with this kind of debris on this surface type, you'll need to buy another C1 variant that can accept a powerhead or another Miele model, like the C1 Cat & Dog or Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog, both of which come with a height-adjustable SEB 228 powerhead.
This vacuum isn't well-suited to low-pile carpet when used with the SBD 285-3 floorhead. It's more than powerful enough to suck up fine debris like sand worked into carpet fibers, but the straight-suction head simply pushes around larger debris like rice or cereal instead of allowing the vacuum to pass over it; you'll need to lift the vacuum head to clear away this kind of debris.
This vacuum struggles with pet hair on low-pile carpeting. The straight-suction SBD 285-3 floorhead simply doesn't provide a sufficient level of surface agitation to deal with pet hair worked into carpet fibers. If you're a pet owner with a lot of low-pile carpeting, consider purchasing a C1 variant that comes bundled with either an air-driven turbo head, like the C1 Turbo Team, or a motorized powerhead, like the C1 Cat & Dog.
The Miele Classic C1 has great suction force at its floorhead. Its 1200 W motor is the same as the one found in the pricier Miele Complete C3 Alize. It's quite powerful, especially at its highest power setting, enabling it to suck up debris in cracks and crevices and material embedded in carpet fibers.
The Miele Classic C1 delivers outstanding airflow performance. Its powerful 1200W motor, combined with an efficient filtration and bag system, enables it to easily lift all kinds of heavy household debris.
The Miele Classic C1 is pretty quiet. It makes less noise than many other cheaper vacuums, including upright models from more mainstream manufacturers like the Kenmore Intuition Bagged. Still, motor noise isn't quite as well-insulated as the Miele Complete C3 Alize.
The Miele Classic C1 has great overall maneuverability. Its wheel moves very smoothly, which helps you to get around the room. However, the power cable is short, meaning you may need to change plug-ins to reach different places in a large room. You can easily clean furniture with the tools located on the vacuum hose. It can also vacuum around electrical cords, but it catches on rug tassels even on low settings. You can clean under couches and low tables with the extendable wand, but the vacuum head can fall onto the storage clip found on the wand and cause it to not lay completely flat on the floor.
The Miele Classic C1 does a fantastic job of dealing with pet hair on upholstered furniture when used with its upholstery tool. It's very easy to maneuver on this surface, though you might need to open the suction gate slightly if you're having trouble moving it around.
The Miele Classic C1 is very effective at sealing in fine allergens, thanks to its three-stage filtration system. That said, the entry-level Pure Suction variant doesn't come with a HEPA-rated post-motor filter, so you're better off buying one separately or springing for a variant of the C1, which comes bundled with this kind of filter if you suffer from extremely serious allergies.
The Miele Classic C1 is remarkably effective at cleaning debris from cracks. It easily cleans debris in shallow, medium, and full-depth cracks when using its floorhead, with only a very small amount left behind in very deep crevices. Still, use its crevice tool if you want to completely clear all debris in deeper cracks.
