The Miele Guard S1 Electro is a bagged canister vacuum, the entry-level model in the Guard series. It comes with a straight-suction floorhead for bare floors and an electric powerhead for carpets, along with an upholstery tool, a crevice tool, and a soft-bristle brush. You can choose between four suction levels using a dial on the canister body.
Our Verdict
We will be updating this review to our latest test bench shortly. We wanted to make our test results public as soon as possible. Check back for updated verdicts soon.
We will be updating this review to our latest test bench shortly. We wanted to make our test results public as soon as possible. Check back for updated verdicts soon.
We will be updating this review to our latest test bench shortly. We wanted to make our test results public as soon as possible. Check back for updated verdicts soon.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Mar 11, 2026:
We mentioned the newly reviewed SEBO AIRBELT K3 Premium in the Hard Floor Pickup box for users seeking better performance.
- Updated Feb 13, 2026: We've updated this review to the latest test bench, adding Runtime, Mobility, Air Quality, and Mopping Capabilities sections, as well as a Swappable Battery test. See the Vacuum Test Bench 1.4 changelog.
- Updated Feb 03, 2026: Review published.
- Updated Nov 26, 2025: Early access published.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Miele Guard S1 Electro comes in several variants depending on region, with varying accessories and colors.
| Model Name | Accessories | Colors | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guard S1 Junior | SBD 355-3 universal straight-suction floorhead, upholstery nozzle, crevice nozzle, soft-bristle dusting brush | Terra Red | Europe, Australia |
| Guard S1 | SBD 355-3 universal straight-suction floorhead, upholstery nozzle, crevice nozzle, soft-bristle dusting brush | Nordic Blue, Sunset Yellow | Canada, US, UK, Europe, Asia, Australia |
| Guard S1 Performance | SBD 680 universal straight-suction floorhead, SBD 355-3 universal straight-suction floorhead, upholstery nozzle, crevice nozzle, SFD 20 extra long flexible crevice nozzle | Brilliant White | Europe |
| Guard S1 Parquet Flex | SBB 300-3 Parquet Twister straight-suction floorhead, SBD 355-3 universal straight-suction floorhead, upholstery nozzle, SFD 20 extra long flexible crevice nozzle, soft-bristle dusting brush | Brilliant White | Canada, US, Europe |
| Guard S1 Parquet XL | SBB 400-3 Parquet brush Twister XL, SBD 355-3 universal straight-suction floorhead, upholstery nozzle, crevice nozzle, soft-bristle dusting brush | Brilliant White | Canada, UK |
| Guard S1 Electro | SBB 300-3 Parquet Twister straight-suction floorhead, SEB 217-3 Electrobrush powerhead, upholstery nozzle, crevice nozzle, soft-bristle dusting brush | Casa Grey | Canada, US |
We bought and tested the Guard S1 Electro. Here's a photo of the label.
If you find another variant, please let us know in the comments.
Popular Vacuum Comparisons
The Miele Guard S1 Electro is the entry-level model in Miele's Guard series. With its electric powerbrush, it's closest to the Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog. It's a worthy replacement to the C3: its Electrobrush is lighter and smaller, and it delivers slightly better performance on high-pile carpet and in picking up pet hair. Unfortunately, its straight-suction floorhead for bare floors remains unchanged from the C3, and still has clearance difficulty with large debris. That said, the S1 is far more powerful and capable than the older entry-level Miele Classic C1, with better performance on every floor surface. You'll find it a great performance upgrade to the C1 and a slight improvement over the C3, though you should consider the SEBO Airbelt D4 if you want better performance on hard floors.
If you're looking for more choices, take a look at our recommendations for the best vacuums, the best vacuums for carpets, and the best vacuums for hardwood floors.
The SEBO Airbelt D4 is a better vacuum than the Miele Guard S1 Electro if you have bare floors. The SEBO's floorhead performs much better on hard floors than the Miele's, though the SEBO's powerhead doesn't work as well as the Miele's on carpet. The SEBO also has a much longer power cord and much larger dirtbags, so you can go longer between bag changes.
The Miele Guard S1 Electro is a better vacuum than the Miele Guard M1 Cat & Dog on carpets, since the S1 uses an electrically powered brushroll versus the air-driven turbo brush on the M1. The turbo brush can't provide the same level of performance on carpets and in picking up pet hair as a powered brushroll can. On bare floors, both vacuums perform the same, with the same clearance issues with large debris. Performance on carpets aside, the M1 is an upgrade to the S1, with extra niceties like a longer power cord and a foot-activated power level selection button rather than a dial you have to bend down to access.
The Miele Guard S1 Electro is a much better vacuum for carpet than the Miele Complete C3 Alize it replaces, thanks to its powered brushroll, which is more effective than the Alize's straight-suction floorhead. These vacuums both perform about the same on bare floors, with each having issues with large debris. Aside from that, the Guard S1 has a shorter power cord and four suction power levels versus the C3's six, so it may be a little less convenient to use.
The Miele Guard S1 Electro is an improvement over its predecessor, the Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog. The Guard's powered floorhead performs slightly better than the C3's on high-pile carpet, yet the Electrobrush head is lighter and smaller. The Guard does an even better job of picking up pet hair as well. Miele downgraded the design from the C3 to the Guard S1 in a few places, with a shorter power cord and only four suction power levels versus the C3's six, but the Guard S1 still performs a little better overall.
Test Results
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