Miele Classic C1 Limited Edition

 

 

We found over 350 owner ratings for the C1 Limited Edition (see table below) and when we averaged these we got an overall vacuum score of 90/100 – or 4.5 stars out of 5.  This is a very good score and you can compare it to other Miele vacuum scores here.  You can also check the scores of all the vacuums we have reviewed in our Vacuum Cleaner Finder application.

 

Source	Consumer Rating	# Ratings
Amazon	4.5 stars out of 5	277
Bed, Bath & Beyond	4.5 stars out of 5	77

 

A thorough review of owner comments has provided the following vacuum likes and dislikes:

 

PROS
- Powerful suction
- Feels solidly built
- Quiet operation
- Canister moves/tracks easily
- Made in Germany
- Reasonably priced
- Variable suction is very handy

 

CONS
- Power cord is a little short
- Doesn’t clean well on carpet
- Tools storage solution isn’t great

 

The bulk of owner comments report that the C1 Limited edition is a fairly lightweight yet powerful vacuum cleaner, and most folks are very pleased with their purchase.   They also like how easily the canister moves and highlight that it tracks well behind you as you vacuum.

 

People with mostly bare floors such as linoleum, hardwood, tile, etc feel that the vacuum is a great fit for their home and report that pickup is excellent.  But those with carpet indicate that this is perhaps not the best unit for their cleaning needs.

 

One of the floorheads provided is designed for both bare flooring and low pile carpet (combo floorhead).  Some folks have highlighted that this floorhead does an acceptable job on carpet while others report that it does not.  There are also reports that the combo floorhead can be hard to move on carpet.

 

An overview of comments tends to suggest that owners consider this a well-made, “limited frills”, bagged canister vacuum with great suction.  It is a great fit for homes with mostly bare floors and rugs (and possibly a small amount of low pile carpet).  However, if you have a fair bit of carpet to clean – especially deeper pile carpet – then this is not the right vacuum for you.

 

Some people report buying a turbo floorhead separately to add carpet cleaning ability to the unit.  This does work but it will substantially add to your overall cost as these floorheads are generally over $100.

 

Finally, there are a host of comments highlighting that the C1 Limited Edition is made in Germany.  Folks feel that this is indicative of quality and they do report that the vacuum is well-made and solid.

 

 

What’s in the Box?
- Miele Classic C1 Limited Edition vacuum
- Hose, handle and wand
- AllTeQ combo floorhead
- Parquet floorhead
- Crevice tool
- Upholstery tool
- Dusting brush
- 1 Miele AirClean Type G/N dust bag
- 1 Pre-motor filter
- 1 Miele AirClean filter
- Manual

 

Variable Suction
A rotary dial on top of the canister body provides the ability to manually set the suction.  There are six settings for the following kinds of cleaning:

 

- smooth floors
- carpet
- area rugs
- drapes
- upholstery
- energy saving / silence mode

 

 

Floorheads
The vacuum comes with 2 floorheads:

 

1) SBB Parquet-3 hard floor floorhead
Soft bristles help this floorhead clean on all types of hard flooring. It also has rubber wheels which allow it to move easily and ensure no scratching or marring of the floor surface.

 

 

2) SBD 285-3 (AllTeQ) combo floorhead

This floorhead is for bare floors, rugs, and even low pile carpet.  A rocket foot switch on top allows you to switch from hard floor to carpet (extracts or extends bristles).  This floorhead has no brushroll so it is not good for deep cleaning any carpet.  Rubber wheels ensure no marring or scratching.

 

 

You can upgrade to a floorhead with a brushroll if you want to increase carpet cleaning capabilities.  However you can only use a “turbo” floorhead with this vacuum.  A turbo floorhead has a brushroll that is spun by the vacuum suction – not by a motor.  These floorheads can still do a good job but they are not as powerful and won’t do the same level of deep cleaning (especially on deep pile carpet) that you get with a motorized floorhead.  The reason you cannot use a motorized floorhead is that the hose/handle/wand are non-electric (they will not transmit power to a floorhead).

 

Filtration
The C1 Ltd Edition has what Miele calls an AirClean filter system.  This consists of the dustbag, the pre-motor filter, and the post motor filter. 

The dustbags on this unit are 4.76 quart type G/N Airclean dustbags and they are 9 layers thick and constructed of electrostatically charged material which helps to retain dust particles.  They also have a self sealing collar that ensures no dust or debris escapes when swapping out the bag.  The C1 Ltd Edition has a bag change indicator that will tell you when a bag change is necessary.

 

A pre-motor filter (sometimes called a motor protection filter or dust compartment filter) is installed when you get the vacuum and Miele suggests changing it every time you get a new package of dustbags (box contains 4 dustbags, 1 pre-motor filter, 1 post motor filter).  The post motor filter should also be changed every time you get a new package of dustbags.

 

Note that this vacuum does not come with a post motor HEPA filter.  However you can purchase one separately and put it in if you like.

 

Tools
Three tools are provided with the vacuum

 

- dusting brush
- upholstery tool
- crevice tool

 

These are attached to the vacuum hose (typically near the canister body) using something Miele calls a VarioClip.  It is not a great solution for carrying tools compared to some other Miele vacuums that have a built-in storage compartment. 

 

 

These are fairly average tools but they do the job.  However, they are attached to the end of the handle or wand via compression fit and it would have been nice if they locked securely into place with a “click-fit” system but they do not. Having said that, we have not read any complaints about the tools falling off or being difficult to remove.  Other attachments such as the hose, handle, wand, and floorheads do “click-fit” securely together. 

 

Power Cord
The power cord on this unit is about 21 feet in length which is a little bit on the short side in our opinion.  Some owners have also lamented the somewhat short power cord.  However this is a canister vacuum so overall cleaning reach is extended by the hose and stainless steel, telescopic wand.  Miele states that the vacuum has a 29.5 foot cleaning radius. 

 

The power cord does have an auto rewind feature which pretty much everybody loves.  A foot switch on top of the canister can be depressed and the cord winds itself in.

 

Overheating Protection
A thermal switch will turn the vacuum off if it starts to overheat.  This is designed to ensure no damage to the vacuum cleaner.  This may occur if there is an airflow obstruction like a blockage in the suction tubes, a vacuum bag with blocked pores, or a heavily soiled filter.

 

Other Features
The vacuum weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 lbs and moves easily on three 360 degree castor wheels that have steel axles.  The unit can be turned on and off via a vacuum power footswitch on top of the vacuum body (beside the auto power cord rewind footswitch).  Also, an air inlet sliding valve on the vacuum handle can be opened to quickly reduce suction at the end of the hose/wand.

 

 

Warranty
The Miele Classic C1 Limited Edition carries a 7-year limited warranty which actually means 7-years on the motor and casing and 1-year on parts and labor.

 

Vacuum Cleaner Manual
The manual is written in English, French and Spanish and contains enough information to familiarize you with the machine and get you setup and started.  It also covers operation, maintenance, and care of the vacuum.  In addition, warranty details are provided.  However, it would have been nice to see a more detailed manual as this one is really quite basic.  See the manual here: Miele Classic C1 Limited Edition Manual

 You can also view the highest scoring Miele vacuums on our Miele Vacuum Reviews page.