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Why We Chose the Miele Classic C1 Vacuum
Our home can be a tough place for vacuums. We currently have two dogs and at times we have had up to five in our home, including foster dogs from a local shelter. All that dog hair needs to be vacuumed up at some point, which is why we had high hopes for some of the previous contenders, including Bissell, Eureka, Dyson, and Shark. All models were advertised as being for homes with pets, yet at some point, each either failed mechanically or had other issues (noise, lack of suction, size), which led us to seek out something better.
Discovering the Miele Brand of Vacuums
Neither my wife nor I had ever heard of the Miele brand until she took on the job of manager at a seaside resort hotel in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Canada, where she noticed that all the vacuums used by the housecleaning staff were of that brand.
During the pandemic, my wife had to fill in for her staff on a couple of occasions, and she quickly discovered how superior the hotel’s Miele vacuums were to ours at home. When our Bissell pet vacuum finally stopped working due to a failed motor, we opted to purchase the Classic C1 model by Miele. It should be noted that this model is not advertised as being “for pets” like the Miele Boost CX1; however, we’ve found it works very well for picking up hair from hardwood floors, tile, and upholstery.
Best Used for Hard Floors
The Miele C1 Classic vacuum works best when used on hard surfaces, including tile, laminate, and wood floors. Because it lacks a rotating carpet cleaning brush, it may not work as well for homes with carpets, especially deep pile ones.
Measuring Noise
The first thing you notice right after turning on the Miele C1 Classic vacuum is how quiet it is. Some of the dogs we foster have come from traumatic backgrounds, so this unexpected quietness was a welcome feature for them as well as us.
Using an app called Sound Meter on our phone, we measured the noise generated by the Miele C1 Classic (set on maximum suction). We recorded the Miele’s noise at a respectable 74 decibels (dB) at a distance of three feet away. This was 5 dB quieter than our old vacuum, a Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Turbo. On the low setting, we measured the Miele’s noise at only 66 dB from the same distance away.
A special “quiet setting”, can be found on the suction control dial (as seen in the photo above), which doesn’t seem to affect suction very much, yet lowers the sound down to around 70 dB.
Using the Miele C1 Classic Vacuum
Perhaps one of the best features of the Miele C1 Classic vacuum is how lightweight it is. Weighing in at barely more than 13 pounds, you’ll find this compact vacuum easy to move from room to room.
This vacuum’s power retracting cord is another winner in terms of design features. With a simple press of a button, you can retract the full length of the power cord back into the vacuum. We’ve probably extended and retracted the power cord more than a hundred times so far and have had no issues.
A Nice Variety of Tools
In addition to the adjustable, multi-surface floor head, the Miele comes with a dusting brush, crevice tool, and upholstery tool. Although none of these attachments features a powered rotating brush, we’ve found that when combined with the powerful suction of the vacuum, most pet hair was easily removed from rugs and upholstery. The crevice tool also comes in very handy for those difficult-to-vacuum areas, such as under the front of the refrigerator.
Too Much Power?
At times the suction power of the C1 Classic may be too much, causing the floor head to stick fast on some surfaces. In this case, you can either turn down the suction control knob or release some of the vacuum pressure using a handy thumb switch located on the crook of the handle.
Care and Feeding
Maintenance of our Miele C1 Classic vacuum has been very easy so far, with only one bag and two filters needing to be replaced periodically. The Miele C1 uses a Miele GN-style bag which offers 99.9% air filtration. A special locking cap on the bag prevents any dust from escaping when changing out bags.
When to Change Filters and Bags
A small window on the top of the vacuum allows you to see the status of the bag. If you notice the white color of the bag filling the window when the vacuum is turned off, it’s time to change the bag and filters. The Motor Protection Filter and AirClean Exhaust filters are sold together with the GN bags and should be changed out after every second full vacuum bag is replaced.
The Bottom Line
The Miele C1 Classic vacuum is more expensive than most so-called “pet” vacuums, yet is at the lower price point for Miele vacuums. A version of this same vacuum—advertised for homes with pets—sells for more than twice that amount. Miele vacuums are relatively expensive, which is about the only downside we could find with them.
Also, if you have multiple pets, you may find that a bagged vacuum may not be the best choice. The Miele C1’s bag is not huge and will need to be replaced quite often if you have several dogs in the home.
Miele GN bags cost about $5 each, so if operating expense is an issue, you may want to consider a bagless pet vacuum.
For our home, which has very little carpet, we’ve found the Miele C1 Classic works extremely well and we have no regrets about purchasing one.
