Buying guide for best Miele vacuums
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While it’s rare for anyone to look forward to vacuuming, choosing an effective vacuum that's easy to use can make the chore more enjoyable. If you're looking for the best Miele vacuum, it's important to do your research. These German-engineered vacuum cleaners are known for their power and durability, but some are better suited to particular tasks or floor types than others.
Anyone looking for the best Miele canister vacuum has plenty of options. Miele specializes in canisters, but they all have different features. For instance, some are only good for hard floors and low-pile carpets, while others also excel at cleaning medium-pile and deep-pile carpeting. Of course, there are also Miele stick vacuums for those who prefer them, as well as a small number of Miele robotic vacuums — however, this isn't where the brand really shines.
After considering more than 15 Miele vacuums during our research, we found the Miele Classic C1 Turbo Canister Vacuum to be our top choice overall. It's suitable for hard floors, low-pile carpets and medium-pile carpets, which makes it just right for most homes. Plus, it features six suction power settings and a three-tiered filtration system to keep the air in the room clean.
Expert Tip
Knowing the type of floors that you’ll be cleaning is important when choosing a Miele vacuum.
BestReviews Cleaning Expert
Which Miele vacuum is best?
Best of the Best
Type: Canister | Capacity: 4.5 qt | Weight: 17 lb | Cordless: No | Filtration: AirClean filter
The Miele Classic C1 Turbo Canister Vacuum is one of Miele’s most powerful vacuums, making it ideally suited for messes on all surfaces, including hard flooring, low-pile carpeting and medium-pile carpeting. Its six suction settings make it easy to customize the power based on the surface you’re cleaning, while the tightly sealed motor ensures that airflow and suction are always maintained while you vacuum.
Though it's a bagged model, the Classic C1 Turbo Team can hold up to 4.5 quarts of dirt and debris, so you don’t have to change its bag too often. Allergy sufferers will also appreciate that its bags have built-in filters and automatically seal when installed to ensure all the dirt, debris and allergens are contained.
However, the bag is only part of the vacuum’s three-tiered filtration system, and paired with the motor protection filter and AirClean exhaust filter, it can actually leave your home’s air cleaner after vacuuming than before.
With its easy-gliding caster wheels and three-point maneuverability, it moves smoothly around and beneath furniture for thorough cleaning. It also includes accessories like the crevice tool, the upholstery tool and the dusting brush to make cleaning above-floor surfaces in your home even easier. Its cord is 18 feet long, too, so you won’t have to change outlets very often.
Best Value
Type: Canister | Capacity: 2.5 L | Weight: 13 lb | Cordless: No | Filtration: HEPA filter
If you want the power and performance of a Miele vacuum without breaking the bank, you can’t beat the value of the Miele Classic C1. BestReviews cleaning expert Ketia Daniels said, “I have never owned a vacuum with this much horsepower. It’s a great product for the price.”
It offers six suction power levels, so you can choose the right setting based on the surface you're cleaning. However, while we were impressed with how well it cleaned hard floors and low-pile carpeting, we found it could benefit from a spinning roll to pull dirt and debris out of high-pile carpets.
As a bagged vacuum, we were also pleased with how much dirt it can hold. We cleaned a 1,524-square-foot area with a toddler and 10-year-old who generate quite a few crumbs, and the vacuum’s bag still wasn’t completely full.
Its filter is highly effective for everyday use, too, capturing and retaining up to 99.9% of dust so your home’s air is as clean as possible.
Additionally, the Classic C1 is one of Miele’s more versatile models. It comes with an upholstery tool that effectively cleaned a couch and curtains during testing. The crevice tool was also extremely effective for cleaning along baseboards. The dusting brush was a little harder to control, though — its suction was so powerful that it left a dent in a lampshade we tried to clean.
Expert-approved Miele Vacuum
Type: Canister | Capacity: 3.5 qt | Weight: 14.8 lb | Cordless: No | Filtration: AirClean Plus filter
For smaller homes, condos and apartments, the Miele Compact C1 Pure Canister Vacuum is ideal for keeping your floors clean without taking up too much room. At under 15 pounds, it's lighter than most of the other Miele canister vacuums on our list, making it highly maneuverable. It also has a more compact design than other models, so it’s easy to find a spot in your closet to store it when not in use.
The Compact C1 Pure offers six suction settings, so you always have enough power based on the flooring type. It has a universal floorhead that works just as well on hardwood as it does on low-pile carpeting without having to change heads in the middle of vacuuming.
It comes with three attachments: a nozzle for upholstery, a nozzle to reach into crevices and other tight spaces, and a dusting brush, which makes it possible to clean above-floor surfaces.
But it's its top-notch filtering system, which prevents fine particles from escaping as you clean, that earned the Compact C1 Pure the stamp of approval from our cleaning expert, Ketia Daniel. The AirClean Plus filter can capture up to 99.9% of dust and other fine particles, but since it's only one part of the vacuum’s three-tiered filtration system, you get even more protection against dust and allergens.
Best Mid-range Miele
Type: Canister | Capacity: 3.5 L | Weight: 19.5 lb | Cordless: No | Filtration: GN AirClean filter
Despite its mid-range price, the Miele Complete C2 Hardfloor Canister Vacuum performs just as well on hard flooring and low-pile carpets as some of Miele’s more expensive models.
It's a powerful canister vacuum with six suction settings for all types of flooring, though it excels for hard floors. That’s because it comes with both the Al lTeQ Universal floorhead and the Parquet Twister XL floorhead, which is gentle enough to clean hardwood and other hard surfaces without damage.
The Complete C2 Hardfloor has a 33-foot operating radius, allowing it to cover a significant area without requiring you to change outlets. Thanks to its stainless steel telescopic tube, it also has an adjustable working height, so you can easily clean all the surfaces in your home. It includes an upholstery nozzle, a crevice nozzle and a dusting brush for increased versatility, too.
Like other Miele canister vacuums, the Complete C2 Hardfloor has a three-tiered filter system that can capture up to 99.9% of dust and other fine particles. Its vacuum bag holds up to 3.5 liters, so you don’t have to worry about changing it constantly, either.
Customer Favorite
Type: Canister | Capacity: 2.1 qt | Weight: 19 lb | Cordless: No | Filtration: HEPA filter
The Miele Blizzard CX1 Turbo Team Bagless Vacuum is a terrific Miele vacuum, balancing performance with relative affordability compared to the most powerful Mieles.
It uses Vortex Technology to capture both fine and coarse dirt from carpets and hard floors, plus it has a HEPA filter to keep allergens locked away and out of your environment. The filter even has a self-cleaning function.
You can switch between four suction power settings for different surface types. It comes with a range of attachments — the Parquet Twister Floorhead is great for hard floors, while the TurboTeQ Turbo Brush Floorhead helps tackle pet hair.
There’s also a dusting brush, upholstery nozzle and crevice nozzle. And it has a bagless design with a hygienic emptying function on the dust container.
This vacuum is an outstanding option for most homes. We love that it works equally well on hard floors and carpets — although it struggles with high-pile carpet, so it's not the best option for homes with lots of deep carpeting.
The HEPA filter is a nice touch for people with allergies, and it's a great choice for homes with pets, too.
Most Versatile
Type: Canister | Capacity: 1 L | Weight: 20.1 lb | Cordless: No | Filtration: AirClean filter
If you live in a home with a combination of flooring surfaces, the Miele Boost CX1 PowerLine Bagless Canister Vacuum is versatile enough to handle any type. It has a universal floorhead that allows you to transition from hard floors to low-pile carpet without missing a beat, but it also includes Miele’s standard accessories, including an upholstery nozzle, a crevice nozzle and a dusting brush, for cleaning above-floor surfaces.
The Boost CX1 is also one of Miele’s most powerful models, using the brand’s Vortex Technology to capture coarse debris and fine dust with ease. It has four suction settings to pick up any mess, which are controlled by a user-friendly rotary dial for more efficient cleaning.
We also love how smoothly the Boost CX1 moves. Its wheels are located on the side and help keep it stable, so you can maneuver around furniture without damaging it. The vacuum also features Track Drive, which enables it to follow directly behind you.
Its Hygiene AirClean Filter helps it hang onto the finest particles, so your home’s air is as clean as possible. Additionally, the bagless design means you don’t have to worry about replacing vacuum bags and dealing with regular maintenance costs.
Best Robotic Option
Type: Robotic | Capacity: 0.4 L | Weight: 8 lb | Cordless: Yes | Filtration: AIrClean Filter
If you like the idea of a more hands-off approach to vacuuming, the Miele Scout RX3 Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner may be the model for you. It uses a four-stage cleaning system with powerful suction to pick up debris from both hard floors and carpeting. It also has swing-out brushes that pop out to ensure that every corner is thoroughly cleaned.
The Scout RX3 relies on 3D Smart Navigation to learn a room’s layout and avoid furniture. It has front cameras and infrared sensors that allow it to accurately measure the distances between objects, so it can skillfully move around obstacles for more efficient vacuuming.
It can also sense stairs and furniture to avoid falls and collisions. The Scout RX3 is ideal for larger homes, too, because its battery can clean for up to 85 minutes on a single charge.
For added convenience, you can control this robot vacuum in a variety of ways. The Miele Scout app lets you schedule vacuuming sessions and choose certain areas for the Scout RX3 to target and other spots you want to avoid. It also has a remote that allows you to control the robot manually, so you can guide it to the specific areas you want to clean.
Different types of Miele vacuum cleaners
Miele makes three types of vacuum cleaners: canister, stick and robotic vacuums. Each type of vacuum cleaner is right for certain situations and purposes.
Canister vacuum cleaners
Canister vacuum cleaners are Miele's specialty. Most of its offerings are canisters, including the Classic C1 Turbo, the Classic C1 and the Blizzard CX1 Turbo, and theirs are known for being particularly powerful and durable. Canisters tend to work best on bare floors, low- and medium-pile carpets, stairs, drapes, under furniture and on upholstery.
If you're used to the noise level of upright vacuums, canisters are usually quieter, with Mieles putting out between 56 and 78 decibels. The design can make them seem lighter, too, since you can easily lift and carry them around.
Stick vacuum cleaners
Stick vacuum cleaners are the lightweight cousins of the upright vac. They have a similar look but without the extra heft. They’re easy to maneuver and store. Miele's cordless stick vacuums are battery-powered, which saves the hassle of unfurling a cord, switching outlets and gathering it back up again when you're done. Stick vacuums are best for small spills and light cleaning.
Robotic vacuum cleaners
Robotic vacuum cleaners like the Scout RX3 run remotely and are the ultimate hands-off option. This type of vacuum can be set to clean any time of day, even when you’re away from home. While they don’t have the deep-cleaning power of upright or canister vacs, they’re suitable for light-duty work in between regular cleanings.
Expert Tip
If you need to clean a large area, reading up on the length of the cords and hose of the vacuum you plan on purchasing is important.
BestReviews Cleaning Expert
Finding the best Miele vacuum for your flooring
Some vacuum cleaners, including uprights, perform better on carpeting. Other vacuum cleaners, including canisters, are best suited for bare floors. Which type should you select if you have both floor types in your home?
Ideally, you would find a vacuum cleaner with features and controls that allow you to clean both types of floors. For example, you may wish to invest in a Miele with a brush designed to clean carpeting and bare floors. A roller brush has bristles that help pick up dirt and dust out of carpets. This is an excellent feature, but notably, the bristles of some roller brushes could scratch hardwood flooring. Miele formulates some of their brushes to be safe on both rugs and hard flooring, such as the combination floorhead found on the Miele Classic C1 and the Miele Blizzard CX1.
If you have mainly hardwood flooring or other delicate surfaces, some Miele vacuums have a specialty head to gently clean hard floors. The Miele Classic C1 Turbo has a Parquet Floorhead that features natural bristles that won't scratch or damage your wood floors.
Suction control
A vacuum cleaner with “suction control” lets you reduce the amount of suction when cleaning delicate fabrics, such as upholstery or curtains. This flexibility protects the fabric from damage and helps prevent it from getting sucked into the hose.
Some Mieles offer different speeds that inherently change the suction power. For instance, the Miele Classic C1 Turbo and the Miele Classic C1 offer six suction levels for different surfaces you can manually switch between.
Filter
Vacuum filtration continues to grow more sophisticated, especially as air quality and allergies have become a growing concern for some people. Filters prevent particles of fine dust and dander from escaping through the vacuum exhaust. HEPA filtration is suggested for those who suffer from allergies or asthma.
Some Miele vacuum cleaners have HEPA filters, including the Miele Blizzard CX1 Turbo. However, there are also Miele models that don’t have HEPA filters but are still effective at removing harmful particles from the air. For instance, the Miele Classic C1 has an effective three-tiered "AirClean" filtration system.
Cord control
Vacuum cords typically range in length from 15 to 30 feet. Most Miele cords range from 18 to 21 feet, including the Classic C1 Turbo, the Classic C1, the Blizzard CX1 Turbo and the Boost CX1 PowerLine.
Winding longer cords can get tedious, though, so some Miele canister vacuums, like the Blizzard CX1, use a cord-control system that winds the cord for you with a one-button push system to activate automatic winding. Miele upright vacuums use a quick-release clip that releases the entire cord at once rather than an internal system.
Attachments
Miele includes a dusting brush, upholstery tool and crevice tool with each of its canister vacuums. All Miele canister vacuums feature a convenient location for attachment storage.
- Dusting brush: With soft horsehair bristles and a wide circular opening, the dusting brush is the best attachment for removing dust and debris from delicate objects and furnishings, such as bookcases, picture frames, lampshades and ceiling fans.
- Upholstery tool: Miele’s upholstery tool has a rectangular opening with two built-in lint-removal strips that loosen dirt from furniture fabrics. The upholstery tool makes it easy to clean your furniture without damaging the fabric.
- Crevice tool: The crevice tool is a thin, elongated attachment made of heavy-duty plastic, ideal for vacuuming tight spaces. If you’re trying to pick up food crumbs from the opening between your refrigerator and oven, the crevice tool is your best bet.
Expert Tip
Cleaning the brush and hose keeps your Miele running at its best.
BestReviews Cleaning Expert
How much do Miele vacuums cost?
Miele stick vacuum cleaners
Miele stick vacuums cost in the ballpark of $200. They have excellent suction and incredible power for a stick vacuum. Corded Miele sticks have a long cord that creates an extended operating radius.
Miele canister vacuum cleaners
A canister model, such as the Classic C1 Turbo, the Classic C1 and the Blizzard CX1 Turbo, ranges from $300 to $1,500. As the price goes up, extra features are added, such as an ergonomic handle, silence system and floor setting that automatically adjusts brush height.
Miele upright vacuum cleaners
Uprights start at $400 and go up to $600 or more. HEPA filters, LED headlights and odor/pet filters are added as the price increases.
Miele robotic vacuums
Expect to pay $600 or more for a Miele robotic vacuum cleaner like the Scout RX3. Top features may include a triple cleaning system that can brush, vacuum and sweep. Fully automated, a Miele robotic vacuum cleaner can be programmed to run when you’re asleep or away from home.
How we analyzed
Lauren Corona has been reviewing household products for BestReviews since 2017 and has reported on a large number of vacuum cleaners. She considered more than 15 Miele vacuums before settling on our top choices. She looked at factors that are important to consumers, including capacity, weight and battery life (in the case of cordless models)..
Tips
- Regularly check and replace your Miele vacuum bag. Watch for signs of a full bag, such as lack of suction or extra debris left on the floor after cleaning.
- Empty bagless models often. It’s best not to let the dirt and debris settle in the vacuum.
- Clean your roller brush regularly, as it can become tangled with hair and string. Roller bristles with tangles are unable to spin as they should.
- Check and clean the filter regularly. Full filters don’t keep the air clean. To clean a Miele vacuum filter, remove the filter, shake it outside and, if you can, clean it with another vacuum. Alternatively, you could replace the filter.
- Learn the best attachments for the task at hand. Many of us have a bag full of vacuum attachments but only ever use one. However, if you check the manual and learn what they're all for, you'll probably find them more useful than you imagined.
- Consider your specific cleaning needs. Do you have pets? Or a busy household with a lot of foot traffic? Look for Miele models with extra power or with pet settings and attachments that fit your lifestyle and household.
FAQ
Q. I have a two-story house and want a stair vacuum that isn’t too heavy. What type should I get?
A. A canister vacuum works best on stairs and is easier to transport between floors. If you want an upright vacuum cleaner for deep carpet cleaning, you may wish to consider an upright for the downstairs and a stick vacuum for the second floor. You’ll still need to perform a deep clean on the second floor occasionally.
Q. My limited shoulder mobility makes vacuuming difficult. What options are available to me?
A. Consider investing in a robotic vacuum, which could run at night and pick up most surface dirt. Robotic vacuum cleaners are programmable, and some of the newer designs do a good job of getting into corners.
Another option is a stick vacuum. Lightweight and portable, a stick vacuum cleaner is easier to use and control than a full-size upright vacuum cleaner.
If you need something for deep cleaning, consider a Miele canister vacuum cleaner. Canister vacs weigh less than uprights and don’t require as much shoulder strength.
Q. I have indoor pets. What kind of vacuum cleaner filtration should I look for?
A. HEPA filtration is the best at keeping allergens, including pet dander, under control. There are vacuum cleaner models specifically designed to capture cat and dog hair and minimize odor. They perform well and really do make a difference in keeping pet hair at bay.
Q. Can you replace the bags of a Miele vacuum?
A. Yes, but that will also depend on the model that you have. Upright vacuum cleaners tend to not have a dust bag but rather a container that it goes into. Canister cleaners, on the other hand, sometimes do have filtration bags and dust collectors that need to be cleaned out.
Q. Does Miele make robotic vacuum cleaners?
A. Yes, and they are incredibly useful. Miele only makes one model (the RX2), and it can work autonomously for two hours.
Q. How Long do Miele vacuums last?
A. Miele vacuums are built to last around 20 years. So, although they're fairly pricey, you can expect them to last a good long time. They come with a free five-year warranty, which far exceeds the average one-year warranty that most vacuum manufacturers offer.
Q. How does Miele compare to Shark?
A. Miele and Shark are two very different vacuum options. While Miele offers some stick vacuums, its focus is on powerful canisters. Conversely, Shark makes a handful of canisters but primarily sells lightweight uprights and stick vacuums. Shark vacuums are generally cheaper than Miele vacuums, and they're frequently not as powerful or durable as Miele models.
