Miele Twist Upright Vacuum (model S7210)

Avg. consumer rating = 79/100 

Miele have been manufacturing floor care products for 80 years and they are famous for making quality vacuum cleaners.  We've reviewed several of their canister vacuums and stick vacuums in the past and in most cases have found them to be solid products.  The S7210 Twist (now renamed the Miele Dynamic U1 Twist) is the first full-size Miele upright we have looked at, but it does not rate as highly as their canister machines.  It uses a powerful Miele-made vortex motor, has automatic height adjustment, a very long 39 foot power cord and also comes with variable suction control.

This is the entry level unit for the luxury S7 series of Miele upright vacuum cleaners.  It has all of the power and maneuverability of the more expensive S7’s but it doesn’t come with some of the bells and whistles (like HEPA filtration, an LED headlight, filter change indicator, and others).  These sacrifices, however, provide the consumer with a more affordable machine.

A review of consumer comments from several sites yields the following common Miele Twist likes and dislikes:

PROS
- Swivel feature works very well
- Solidly built machine
- Fairly quiet
- Being able to adjust suction is great
- Small footprint and easy to store
- Effective on pet hair
- Hose extends easily
- Very powerful

CONS
- Filters can be expensive
- Vacuum is a bit heavy
- Bags are expensive (but high quality)

Update 2016 - This machine used to rate about 90/100 back in 2010/2011 but over time ratings have dropped and we are now seeing a score of 79/100 which is fairly average.  This is largely the result of very average to below-average ratings on Amazon as opposed to other retailers.  You can check out owner comments on Amazon here if you want. 

Also, there are higher scoring Miele upright vacuums and you can quickly find them in our Miele vacuum ratings table.

The consumer ratings for the Twist can be found in the table below:

 

The Twist is a bagged upright and is powered by Miele’s 1200 watt vortex motor.  It has balanced parts, enhanced suspension and housing lining, and comes with lifetime lubricated ball bearings. The motor has a life expectancy of 1200 hours and as such Miele warranty it for a full 7 years.

The S7210 comes with a sealed system.  This system is air-tight and ensures that all the air entering the vacuum is passed through the filters before it exits the unit.  Air does not leak around filters or out of cracks in the vacuum housing.  This is an important consideration for those suffering from asthma or allergies.  This vacuum does not come standard with HEPA level filtration however, although a HEPA filter can be purchased and will fit the machine. 

The Miele Twist comes with a “Super Clean Air” filter.  These filters remove 94% of all particles with a diameter of 0.3 microns or larger (in contrast a HEPA filter will generally remove over 99% of the same diameter particles).  The Super Clean Air filters last about as long as 5 vacuum bags before replacement is necessary.   The vacuum bags for the Miele Twist are quite large at 5.45 quarts and they self seal so that dust does not escape during changes.  They are Type U HyClean bags.

Quite a number of consumers have commented on the excellent maneuverability of the Twist which is accomplished by a combination of the patented Swivel Neck and 360 degree front casters.  The swivel neck is so versatile the vacuum handle can actually be laid flat on the floor for getting under low furniture – you can see this in the video at the bottom of the article.  The unit can also be parked and rear wheels extend down when in the parked position (controlled by a foot switch).  These allow one to easily move the vacuum from place to place when it is not turned on and the wheels retract when the machine is in use. 

Fully automatic height adjustment moves the vacuum head up or down and ensures it is the right height above the floor surface for cleaning while a spring loaded brushbar provides optimal height and pressure against different floor surfaces.  The brushbar is powered by its own 4,800 rpm motor.  There is also a fingertip control for turning the brushbar on or off.  This is an important feature as it is common to run the brushbar on carpet and turn it off for hard surfaces.

Like many of the Miele canister vacuums, the Twist upright has suction control via a rotary dial.  There are 4 stages of suction control on the Twist and the suggested settings include “curtains”, “deep pile”, “low pile” and “smooth surfaces”.  A 12 foot hose is provided with the vacuum, and combined with the unit’s 39 foot long power cord and telescopic wand the Twist is advertised as having a rather remarkable 54 foot cleaning radius. 

Vacuum cleaner tools and attachments are carried conveniently on the machine and include:
- Stainless steel telescopic wand
- Upholstery nozzle
- 12 inch crevice tool
- Dusting brush with natural bristles

The weight of the Miele S7210 Twist is about 22 lbs.  This is a fairly hefty vacuum and the weight is probably the number one area of frustration for some consumers.  The weight is ok for some but others feel that the vacuum can be difficult to move around.  The cleaning path of the vacuum is 12 inches - perhaps just slightly less wide than average.  The Twist carries a 1-year parts and labor warranty on the entire appliance and a 7-year warranty on the Vortex motor.