Miele S7280 Jazz Upright Vacuum Cleaner

Avg. consumer rating = 85/100 

Designed for 20 years of residential use, the Miele Jazz (recently renamed the Miele Dynamic U1 Jazz) gets very solid ratings from consumers. Like most machines from this German manufacturer the Jazz is expensive, but it does deliver. Powered by a 1200 watt ultra quiet motor, it has very strong suction and does an excellent job cleaning carpet and bare floors. It also includes 3 levels of filtration and the HEPA filter with activated charcoal ensures fresh smelling air free of most allergens. Some consumers find the machine a bit heavy however and consumables like bags and filters are not cheap.

Today most vacuums are manufactured in China.  This has its pros and cons – generally speaking it results in lower prices but sometimes quality can suffer.  The Miele S7’s are made in Germany.  Miele make high quality domestic appliances and commercial machinery and they’ve been around since the late 1800’s.  In the world of vacuum cleaners they are a well respected brand and are most famous for their canister models but they also make uprights and even a few stick vacuums. 

Their current line of upright vacuums is known as the S7 series. The S7 series is (for the most part) divided into comfort class models (S7280) and premium class models (S7580).  The Jazz lies in the comfort class group and these do not have the same number of bells and whistles as the premium models.  The least expensive S7 is the Twist but if you want a headlight and HEPA filtration then the next step up is the Miele Jazz.  All S7’s are designed for low, medium and deep pile carpet as well as area rugs and bare floor surfaces.

The Miele Jazz gets good ratings from consumers –- see the table below.  The average score found across several well known websites and retailers is 85 out of 100, or 4.25 stars out of 5.  This is quite good for an upright, but frankly speaking it is on par with the kind of figures we usually see for a Miele vacuum cleaner.  We have reviewed many Miele machines and while not all get stellar ratings from owners (like some of their older stick vacs), many do. 

 

If you wish you can view Jazz customer reviews and ratings on Amazon here.

A review of owner comments yields the following Jazz likes and dislikes:

PROS
- Fairly quiet
- Powerful suction
- Large capacity bags
- Great on carpet and also good on bare floors
- Maneuverable (swivelneck feature)
- Able to recline almost horizontally
- Adjustable suction
- Effective non-tipping feature
- Long cleaning reach
- Low profile nozzle makes it easy to get under furniture

CONS
- Expensive
- A bit heavy
- Bags and HEPA filter are not cheap (although they last a long time)
- Cord attachment is above hose and can get in the way

The Jazz is powered by a 1200 watt motor (also made in Germany) and it has lifetime lubricated ball bearings as well as several additional features that allow Miele to warranty the motor for a full 7 years.  The motor is quiet and has a life expectancy of about 1200 hours.

The Miele Jazz actually has two motors – the main suction motor (described above) and another motor for the brushbar in the vacuum nozzle.  This is a smaller 4800 RPM electric motor.  It can also be turned on and off via a switch on the vacuum handle.  This is a very handy feature when transitioning between hard floors and carpet.  One often wants the brushbar OFF for bare floor cleaning and ON for carpet cleaning - although it is not advisable to run the brushbar on hand knotted or very long pile carpet as it can pull the strands out.

The brushbar in the nozzle is spring loaded so that it moves up and down with the contour of the floor.  This ensures an optimal cleaning distance and pressure between the floor and the brushbar.  There are also soft wheels at the back of the nozzle that retract as the vacuum handle is angled down  – these help the front of the nozzle ride a little bit higher and help it move easier over the carpet.  Miele refer to these features as automatic height adjustment.  The nozzle itself also has a row of long-lasting LED lights on the front which help when vacuuming in dimly lit areas.  The headlights illuminate automatically when the vacuum is turned on.

The brushbar itself is 12 ¼” wide and is driven by a non-slip belt.  This belt has cogs which ensure positive power transfer between the brushbar motor and brushbar itself.  The belt is also reinforced so it does not stretch over time.

The Jazz has 4 suction settings - Curtains, Deep Pile, Low Pile, and Smooth. These provide 300, 600, 900 and 1200 watts of power. Settings are via a rotary dial located on the top front of the vacuum. The comfort class models (Twist, Cat & Dog, Jazz and Salsa) have these 4 suction settings (the premium class models have 6 settings). This control interface is shown in the drawing opposite – you can also see the two indicator lights on this model. A power light (indicates that the power is on) and a carpet light (glows yellow when the brushbar is on and red when there is a blockage).

Like all S7’s the Jazz sports a 39 foot power cord.  This is very long for a residential vacuum and this length is comparable to some of the commercial machines on the market today.  Combined with the unit’s 12 foot stretch hose and 3 foot aluminum telescopic wand, the Jazz has a cleaning reach of 54 feet – much more than we’ve seen with most other residential machines.  We would like to point out however that the cord exits the machine above the hose and a number of owners have complained this configuration sometimes causes the cord to interfere with the hose when using tools/attachments.

Another minor issue with the Jazz is the weight.  This is not a light vacuum and it weighs in at a rather hefty 21.5 lbs.  When comparing this to some of the popular uprights in the Dyson stable we see that the DC40 weighs 14.5 lbs, the DC41 weighs 17.4 lbs, and the DC28 weighs 20.6 lbs.  Even though the Jazz is heavy consumers still report that it is very maneuverable.  This is in part due to the 360 degree caster wheels (on the underside of the nozzle) and the swivelneck feature.  The swivelneck feature allows the vacuumer to direct the nozzle by twisting the wrist.  Most owners report that this approach works very well.  There are also a number of comments indicating the brushroll has the ability to “pull the vacuum along” lending to the ease in which the machine moves on carpet.  Having said that, it is still a bit of a chore to lug the Jazz up stairs for example.  To help a carry handle has been added on the back of the machine.

Miele vacuums are known for their excellent air filtration and the Jazz comes standard with HEPA level filtration.  Air entering the Jazz actually passes through 3 levels of filtration – the layered vacuum bags, an electrostatic filter (pre-motor filter) and finally the HEPA filter.  The additional filtration prior to the HEPA filter helps keep the HEPA filter cleaner longer.  The HEPA filter provided with the Jazz includes activated charcoal which is used to absorb odors and ensure that fresh smelling air is exhausted from the vacuum.  This is an especially useful feature for households with pets.  However one should know that this filter (Active HEPA filter) usually costs $49.95USD and that it needs to be changed after 50 hours of use, or about once a year.  One can use a less expensive filter in the Jazz – the Active AirClean filter.  This filter still has odor absorption and a high level of particulate filtration but it is not HEPA level.  It generally costs $36.95USD.  The electrostatic filter also needs to be replaced occasionally – generally after every box of vacuum bags.

The vacuum bags (or dustbags or filterbags as they are sometimes referred to) used by the Jazz are the Miele Type U Airclean Dustbags.  These are unique in that the bags use 9-ply construction resulting in excellent filtration as well as bag toughness. They do not tear or pierce easily even when pitted against nails or glass.  These bags are also easy to install and remove (a fact supported by a number of consumer comments) and they have a very large capacity of 5.45 quarts so replacement is not too frequent. In addition, they have a spring-loaded self-locking collar which ensures that no dust escapes once the bag is removed from the vacuum.

The Jazz has a full bag indicator, but we should highlight here that this is actually an airflow indicator.  Sometimes even when the bag is clearly not full, fine particles may clog the bag material resulting in poor airflow through the bag – this will cause the full bag indicator to “trip”.  In these cases you must still change the bag.  Also, it is important to know that the use of dustbags that are not manufactured by Miele may actually void the warranty.  This is highlighted in the manual.  Finally, if the bag is inserted improperly or if there is no bag inserted at all, the dust compartment lid will not close.  This is a safety feature to ensure the vacuum cannot be run with no bag (check carefully and do not force the lid closed).

There are some owner comments indicating that bags are a bit pricey and a search on Amazon indicates that Miele brand Type U dustbags for S7 uprights are about 5 dollars apiece, maybe slightly less.  A pack of 4 costs in the neighbourhood of $19 to $20 and it often includes a new pre-motor filter.

Another way in which the Jazz ensures properly filtered air is via its sealed system.  A sealed system ensures that all the air entering the vacuum is passed through each level of filtration before it is exhausted.  No air leaks out from cracks or poor seals in the vacuum body, and no air passes around the filters.  Also, a side benefit of a properly sealed vacuum is that suction is improved.  All of the suction is focused at the nozzle (or the attachments when in use) and not at improperly sealed joints.

Three attachments are included with the Jazz:
- dusting brush with soft, natural bristles
- upholstery tool
- crevice tool (12 inches)

These are stored on-board the vacuum (recessed area behind the body) and are therefore easily accessed while vacuuming.  They also “click” into place at the end of the hose or wand.  Some vacuums have “friction fit” attachments but these can be hard to take on and off and can also easily fall off.  The wand on this unit is telescopic and made from aluminum so it is very lightweight (6.6 oz).

A temperature limiter built into the Jazz will shut the machine down – ensuring no motor damage – should it start to overheat.  This may occur due to a brushbar blockage, suction tube blockage, overfilled bag, or a clogged filter.  The Miele Jazz carries a 1-year manufacturer’s limited warranty on the vacuum cleaner and accessories, and a 7-year warranty on the vacuum casing and motor.  Miele claim that the vacuum is designed to last for about 1000 hours of use, and at about 50 hours per year that works out to a 20 year lifespan.

Vacuum Cleaner Manual
You can view the Miele S7 series vacuum cleaner manual here if you wish.

 

	Nigel Russco has been writing for Vacuum Cleaner Advisor for years and has a background in business and engineering, as well as a keen interest in anything related to vacuum cleaners. Connect with Nigel on Google+