Miele Complete C2 Hard Floor Vacuum

 

Consumer Ratings
We found C2 Hard Floor owner ratings from a few popular online retail outlets - see table below.  These were used to calculate an average owner rating of 92.6 out of 100.  This is referred to as the vacuum score and 92.6 is very good.  You can compare it to the score of other Miele vacuums here: Miele Vacuum Ratings or you can view all vacuum scores in our Vacuum Cleaner Finder application.

 

Source	Consumer Rating	# Ratings
Amazon	4.6 stars out of 5	155
Overstock	4.9 stars out of 5	18

 

A careful review of all owner comments has provided the following vacuum pros and cons.

 

Pros
- Strong suction
- Variable suction
- Canister glides well on smooth surfaces
- Rubber wheels do not scratch flooring
- Includes two floorheads
- Parquet floorhead works very well on bare floors
- Retractable power cord
- Quality air filtering system
- Quiet operation
- Long hose
- Bags are easy to change

 

Cons
- Not good on carpet
- Fairly expensive vacuum
- No power ON/OFF control on handle
- Power cord is a bit short

 

What Are Owners Saying?
The most frequent comment about this vacuum is that it generates very powerful suction.  Almost every owner agrees that the C2 Hard Floor will pull up almost whatever debris you throw at it.  Also, folks like the ability to dial down that suction when necessary using the variable suction dial on the canister body.

 

Owners also like that the tools ALL store on-board the vacuum.  A number of other Miele canister vacuums require you to clip your tools onto the hose using something called a vario clip.  The vario clip is awkward and it sometimes results in tools falling off.

 

Folks who buy this are typically fans of bagged vacuums so it’s no surprise that they are pleased that there is no mess when disposing of the dust/debris.  Bagless units are infamous for the puff of dust when emptying.  Miele also has self-sealing bags which are very hygienic.

 

With respect to hard floor cleaning, owners are very, very pleased with the performance of the C2 Hard Floor.  They love the hard floor parquet floorhead and feel that the vacuum moves easily on bare surfaces as well.

 

We’ve seen many positive comments about this particular vacuum including statements such as – “best vacuum ever”, “very happy customer”, “absolutely love it”, “great vacuum cleaner”, “highly recommended”, etc.

 

Other things folks like include the long wand, the non-marring wheels, the quality air filtration, how quiet the vacuum is, how easy it is to change the filter and/or bags, and the long hose.  Some people also report that the unit is very good at dealing with pet hair.

Having highlighted all of these positives it is important to also note that there are several things that owners find problematic.  The most common complaint about the Complete C2 Hard Floor is that it is just not that good at cleaning carpet.  Some say it can handle low pile carpet ok while others warn you to avoid this vacuum for any kind of carpet cleaning (perhaps with the exception of some area rugs).  The vacuum does come with a cleaner head designed for very low pile carpet but you should consider that this floorhead does not have a brushroll.

 

The power cord is also a bit short and this results in having to hunt for power outlets more often than some people would like.

 

Other concerns include that there is no ON/OFF control on the vacuum handle for easy access (it is on the canister body), the wheels are on the small side and they have difficulty moving over the power cord, the vacuum is assembled in China (although some parts are still made in Germany), and that dust/hair can get caught in the bristles or felt along the edge of the tools/floorheads and may have to removed manually.

 
You can read more C2 Hard Floor owner comments on Amazon.

 

Telescopic Wand
The Miele Complete C2 Hard Floor canister vacuum cleaner has a stainless steel telescopic wand with adjustable height.  This makes it easy to do high ceiling cleaning, it provides a long reach, and it is helpful for creating a comfortable vacuuming position depending on our stature.

 

Cleaning Reach
The vacuum has what Miele describes as a 33 foot cleaning radius.  This can be a little annoying as most vacuums give you information on the length of the power cord.  Miele doesn’t do this and prefers to provide an “overall reach” figure.  I suppose it sounds better given the figure is larger.  It appears that the Complete C2 Hard Floor has a power cord that is approximately 20-21 feet, and this has some owners complaining that it is too short.  The 33 foot cleaning radius presumably includes the power cord, hose and wand.

 

The hose itself is fairly long and is also crush proof which is a nice feature.

 

 

The power cord is retractable.  This is a very popular feature as many folks really don’t like wrapping up a power cord.  The C2 Hard Floor allows you to tap a pedal/button on top of the canister body with your foot (or hand if you want) and the hose will automatically retract into the canister.

 

 

Variable Suction
Some vacuum cleaners claim to have variable suction but they simply have a slider on the handle that you can open to bleed off suction (sometimes called an air inlet valve).  While this works it is not as precise or as energy efficient as the variable suction system provided by Miele (we should note here that the C2 Hard Floor also has an air inlet valve on the handle for quick access).  The C2 Hard Floor has a rotary dial on the canister body that allows you to choose between 6 suction settings.  Each of the 6 suction settings actually changes the speed of the vacuum motor and thereby adjusts overall suction. 

 

 

Suction settings include:

 

- Curtains, drapery and fabric
- Upholstery and cushions
- Deep pile carpet and rugs
- Energy saving mode (also very quiet)
- Low pile carpet and rugs
- Bare floors and heavily soiled carpet/rugs

 

The settings only have symbols beside them on the vacuum but what we’ve described above is the best use for each setting.

 

Two Floorheads
The unit comes with two floorheads:
- Parquet Twister XL Floorhead (model SBB 400-3)
- AllTeQ Combination Floorhead (model SBD 285-3)

 

The parquet twister is designed for all hard flooring.  It has soft bristles, can rotate a full 180 degrees, and this model is fairly large (larger head than the SBB 300-3). The twister neck, a 2-way swivel, also makes it very easy to steer – the head turns as the wand is twisted from side to side. The bristles surround the head and openings along the front edge of the floorhead allow larger debris to enter.

 

 

The AllTeQ floorhead is an all-in-one tool and can be used for both hard flooring and low pile carpet.  A rocker foot switch on top of the floorhead allows you to switch between floor types (two settings: hard floor, low pile carpet).  In the hard floor setting soft bristles are projected around the perimeter of the tool (like the parquet twister there are gaps between the bristles along the front edge of the tool).  In carpet mode the bristles are retracted and velvet strips and the steel sole plate make movement on low pile carpet or area rugs easier.

 

 

 

NOTE:  The AllTeQ floorhead is perhaps ok for smaller areas of low pile carpet, but if you have large amounts of carpet you will want a tool with a brushroll.  If you want to get a tool with a brushroll, only a turbo tool will work with the C2 Hard Floor canister vacuum. A turbo tool is one in which the brushroll is spun by vacuum suction – not by a separate motor.  The C2 Hard Floor hose and wand are not electric (will not provide electricity to the floorhead), therefore only a non-electric floorhead can be used.

 

Tools
The vacuum includes three tools (this is the case with many Miele canister vacuums), but unlike some models the tools all store inside a storage compartment built into the vacuum.  This is handy as you have the tools with you at all times and you won’t find yourself heading back to the closet to find the right tool for the job.  The tools include:

 

- Dusting brush
- Upholstery tool
- Crevice tool

 

 

Locking Fit
The floorheads, tools, and wand all lock together (click into place).  When attached these are “locked” and will not fall off or apart.  To detach them you simply press a button.  Some vacuums (often less expensive machines) use something called “compression fit”.  With compression fit you push sections and tools together and then pull them apart.  They do not click and lock together.  Compression fit does work but it can also be annoying as tools/sections can come apart while you are vacuuming, and it can also be difficult to separate tools/sections (sometimes you may have pushed them together too hard).

 

 

Air Filtration
The C2 Hard Floor has a pre-motor filter, a post motor filter, and sealed system construction (SSC).  The post motor filter is called an AirClean filter and needs to be replaced about once per year (no washing and reusing filters here).  Miele states that filtration combined with the sealed system will remove 99.9% of all fine particles.   A sealed system simply means that all air entering the vacuum is forced through the filter(s) before being exhausted from the machine.  The system is “sealed”.  Some vacuums (often less expensive machines) do not have a sealed system and air can bypass the filter or sometimes leak out from poor seals or cracks even before reaching the filter.  

 

As mentioned the C2 Hard Floor comes with the AirClean filter however you can replace this with a different post motor filter if you wish. Miele offers three other post motor filters and all will fit this vacuum. 

 

- AirClean Plus 50 filter (higher level of filtration than just “AirClean”)
- Active AirClean 50 filter (has an active charcoal layer to absorb odors - good for households with pets)
- HEPA AirClean 50 filter (will filter out very fine particles and even allergens).
 
The pre-motor filter is sometimes referred to as the motor protection filter.  It should be changed every time you start a new pack of filterbags (typically 4 bags in a pack).

 

Dustbags
The Miele C2 Hard Floor uses AirClean 3D Efficiency GN dustbags.  These have a fairly large 4.5 liter capacity as well as a self sealing opening which activates when you remove the bag.  Large bags are nice as they don’t have to be replaced too frequently.  The self sealing feature ensures no dust is released when changing a bag out.  This is an advantage over many other bagged units and a significant advantage over most, if not all, bagless machines. The Miele bags are also very tough and are made of a 9-ply material.  The vacuum also includes a bag change indicator which will tell you when a bag change is needed.

 

One dustbag is preinstalled in the vacuum when you get your C2 Hard Floor.

 

Origins
Many people ask if this vacuum cleaner is made in Germany or made in China.  It appears that the Complete C2 Hard Floor is, in a way, both.  It is assembled by Miele in China from some components made in Germany and other components made in China.

 

Weight & Movement
The Hard Floor is fairly lightweight with the canister itself only weighing in at 8.8 lbs.  In addition, should you need to move the vacuum from room to room or even up and down a set of stairs, it does come with a built-in carry handle.

 

The canister glides on three castor wheels and is very maneuverable.  Each wheel rotates a full 360 degrees and has a steel axle.

 

Also, if you need a break from vacuuming you do not need to lay the handle/hose/wand/floorhead on the floor. Miele have built a place into the side of the canister that allows you to insert the floorhead thereby keeping the handle/hose/wand upright and easily accessible.  You therefore do not need to bend over to pick it up off the floor (when you resume vacuuming) and others will also not trip over it.  Miele often refers to this as a “parking system”.
 
Other Features
The canister has a rubber strip around the perimeter to ensure that there is no scuffing or scraping of walls or furniture.  In addition, the unit has a thermal switch which activates and shuts off the vacuum motor should it start to overheat.  This may happen if, for example, a blockage in the airflow occurs.  The thermal switch is designed to ensure the motor is not damaged.

 

The 1200 watt vortex motor has a noise optimized fan and the vacuum has special silencing insulation which works to keep the vacuum very quiet.

 

Warranty
The Miele Complete C2 Hard Floor carries a 1-year manufacturer’s parts and labor warranty plus a 7-year warranty on the motor and casing.

 

Vacuum Cleaner Manual
This is a 29 page manual (English only) that covers such things as finding the right filterbags and filters, when and how to change the filterbags and filters, how to upgrade the exhaust filter, vacuum cleaning and care, FAQ, contact information, optional accessories, and warranty information.  Also a diagram of the vacuum is provided with a description of all relevant parts and features.  In addition, you will see details about attaching the suction hose, adjusting the telescopic wand, adjusting the AllTeQ floorhead, using the accessories, using the power cord, opening the air inlet valve, regulating the variable suction, etc.  You can see a copy of the manual here: Miele Complete C2 Hard Floor Manual