Miele Compact C1 Pure Suction Review
- Details
Avg. consumer rating = 87/100
The Miele Compact C1 Pure Suction is an entry level Miele canister vacuum and is at the more affordable end of the Miele vacuum spectrum. Consumer ratings to date are quite good and most owners are pleased with their purchase. There are some folks that are not happy however. The key with this machine is to know what you are buying. The Miele Compact C1 Pure Suction is a compact vacuum so don’t buy it if you have a large area to clean - it is best for smaller homes or apartments. Also, it is not designed for medium or deep pile carpet. It works well on bare floors and is also capable on low pile carpet but if you have deeper pile carpet you will be disappointed.
| Quick Specs | |
| Type | Canister |
| Bagged/Bagless | Bagged |
| Best for... | Hard Floors & Low Carpet |
| Pet Hair Features | No |
| Approx. Weight | 14-15 lbs (with all accessories) |
| HEPA Level Filtration | No (but upgradable) |
| Power Cord Length | 21 feet |
| Motor Driven Brushbar | No |
| Warranty | 1 Year P&L, 7 Years motor/housing |
Consumer Ratings
The Pure Suction is a fairly new vacuum (at the time of this writing) and as a result the number of owner ratings is still somewhat limited. We have, however, managed to find 39 ratings and when averaged they generate an overall score of 87.4 out of 100. This is an above average score when compared to the scores for other canister vacuums on our site (avg. score is in the low 80’s), although it is not as high as some of the other Miele vacuums we have reviewed. To compare with other canisters you can see our table of Canister Vacuum Ratings or view all vacuum ratings in our Vacuum Cleaner Finder tool.
| Source | Consumer Rating | #Ratings |
| Amazon | 4.3 stars out of 5 | 28 |
| Bed Bath & Beyond | 5 stars out of 5 | 6 |
| Wayfair | 4 stars out of 5 | 5 |
What are Owners Saying?
A detailed review of owner comments has provided the following list of pros and cons:
PROS
- Performs very well on bare floors
- Extension wand and nozzle head are light and easy to move
- Overall lightweight vacuum
- Compact and easy to store
- Good suction for its size
- Canister moves well
- Has automatic power cord rewind
- Includes suction controls
- Fairly quiet
CONS
- Not designed for medium or deep pile carpet
- Not great on area rugs
- No brushroll in cleaner head
- Smallish vacuum so not a good fit for large area cleaning.
As the pros and cons show, the vacuum has lots of great features however some folks have been disappointed with the unit’s performance on carpet. It is key to know that the cleaner head provided with this vacuum has no brushroll and is therefore not particularly good on carpet. It can do an adequate job on low pile carpet but for anything deeper it will struggle. The Pure Suction is best on hard surfaces such as tile, hardwood, linoleum, etc.
Most owners like that the vacuum is lightweight and compact. Also, almost everyone is pleased with the level of suction the unit is capable of, especially given its size. The hose/wand/nozzle assembly is maneuverable and the canister body pulls along behind easily and turns on a dime. In addition, the ability to control the suction is a popular feature.
There are several comments that the automatic power cord rewind is handy (a feature we find almost everyone likes on a vacuum), and that changing bags and filters is very easy. Also, most folks report that the vacuum is reasonably quiet. Finally, we have seen a few people gushing about the vacuum design and styling, indicating that it is a good looking machine.
Probably the biggest issue owners have with the vacuum is its performance on carpet. Some folks have bought the vacuum and tried it on medium or deep pile carpet only to be frustrated and disappointed. Most people are fine with the modest size of the vacuum given that they seem to understand this before buying.
You can see more C1 Pure Suction owner reviews on Amazon.
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Made in China? There is some debate online about which Miele vacuums are manufactured in whole or in part in China. Facts are not easy to find and clarify, and we have asked Miele customer service questions on several occasions and have yet to receive any answers. |
Details & Specifications
When you buy your Miele Compact C1 Pure Suction Canister Vacuum you will get the following in the box:
• Pure Suction Canister Vacuum
• AllTeQ Combination Floor Tool
• Flexible Hose
• Telescopic Stainless Steel Wand
• Upholstery Tool
• Crevice Tool
• Dusting Brush
• On-Board Clip for Tools
• AirClean Filter
• 3D AirClean Dustbag
• Owner's Manual
Variable Suction
The C1 Pure Suction has 6 suction settings controlled by a rotary dial on the canister body. Settings are designed for the following types of cleaning:
1) Curtains and lightweight fabrics
2) Upholstery and cushions
3) Thick pile carpets, rugs and runners
4) Energy-saving, low noise level
5) Low pile carpets
6) Hard flooring and intensive cleaning of carpets
Floor Tool
The vacuum comes with the AllTeQ Combination Floor Tool (model STB 285-3). Miele describes this as ideal for low pile carpet, rugs and smooth flooring. A foot switch (rocker switch) on top of the nozzle allows you to switch between smooth floors and carpeted surfaces quickly. The switch lowers and retracts a brush at the front of the nozzle. The tool is also quite maneuverable as it has a double-jointed connector.
Miele STB205-3 Turbo Comfort Brush
Want to Upgrade Carpet Cleaning Ability? 
Miele STB285-3 AllTeQ Combination Floor Tool
You will note that the Turbo Comfort Brush is not recommended for deeper pile carpet and this is in part due to the fact that the brushroll is not driven by its own motor but rather by vacuum suction. A brushroll driven by suction can get bogged down in heavier carpet more easily and doesn’t have the power of a motor driven brushroll. The C1 Pure Suction does not have an electric hose so it cannot use a power floor tool. Also, if you want both the AllTeQ Combination Floor Tool and the Turbo Comfort Brush you could consider stepping up to the Miele Complete C2 Limited Edition canister vacuum. It is getting fantastic reviews. |
Cleaning Reach
The AllTeq Combination Floor Tool is attached to the end of the stainless steel telescopic wand which in turn is attached to the handle at the end of the vacuum hose. The floor tool, wand and handle all click-fit together so they will not come apart unless a button is pressed. This is better than some vacuums where friction fit (sometimes referred to as compression fit) is used. Also, the wand has 18 height settings allowing it to adjust to a comfortable length and height for most owners.
The cleaning reach of the vacuum is measured from the end of the power cord to the cleaner head. The crush proof hose is 5.5 feet in length and the power cord is 21 feet. All-in-all the full cleaning reach of the vacuum is 29.5 feet. In our opinion this is on the short side but we have not heard complaints. Some uprights have cleaning reaches of 40 to 50 feet and even more. The cord rewind button is on the canister body and it can easily be tapped by your toe.
Tools
Three tools are provided with the vacuum and these include:
- A Dusting Brush
- An Upholstery Tool
- A Crevice Nozzle
These can be stored on-board the vacuum by attaching them to the hose via the included tool clip (referred to as the VarioClip). This is not the most elegant solution and some of the more expensive Miele canisters have the ability to store the tools inside the canister itself.
Filtration
The Pure Suction vacuum has multiple layers of filtration:
- AirClean dustbag
- Motor protection filter
- Exhaust filter
The dustbag used by the C1 Pure Suction is the AirClean 3D Efficiency FJM. These dustbags have a volume of 3.5 litres and also act as a filter. They are electrostatically charged and trap a very high percentage of dust particles. They also ingeniously seal when they are removed from the vacuum so you can dispose of them without being exposed to leaking dust or debris. Exposure to dust and debris when emptying the dust canister is one of the most common complaints about a bagless vacuum.
The motor protection filter does pretty much what the name states and it ensures no dust, dirt or debris gets into the motor to cause problems and reduce efficiency. The exhaust filter on the Pure Suction is an AirClean Filter which has 3-layers and is capable of removing 99.95% of all particles with a diameter or 0.5 microns or larger. While the AirClean filter is standard with the vacuum you can also upgrade your exhaust filter to a HEPA filter or an Active AirClean filter (has activated carbon to reduce unpleasant odors).
Additional Features & Warranty
The vacuum has a dustbag change indicator built into the canister body – this will light up when it is time to change the dustbag. Also, the canister body moves behind you on 3 wheels which can each turn a full 360° making the canister very easy to maneuver and very stable (the canister body itself weighs 10.3 lbs). Additional vacuum features include a noise optimized fan for quiet vacuuming and a temperature limiter which will shut the vacuum off if it starts to overheat (designed to protect the motor). The Miele Compact C1 Pure Suction carries a 1-year limited warranty but also has a 7-year motor and casing warranty.
Vacuum Cleaner Manual
The manual for the C1 Pure Suction is in both English and French and you can see it here: Miele Compact C1 manual
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