Miele Classic C1 Vacuum Review

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. If you don't want to drag a canister around while cleaning, you might prefer an upright vacuum; the SEBO FELIX is a good option if you're searching for something with similar amenities but in an upright form.

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.

The Miele Classic C1 does a terrible job of removing stains. It doesn't have a brushroll to provide some level of surface agitation or any mopping capability.

This vacuum isn't designed to deal with liquid spills.