Miele Compact C1 Turbo Review

The Miele Compact C1 Turbo stood out by being an overall exceptional vacuum and our top canister model. It handled our test messes with ease, delivering noteworthy performances at collecting pet hair and cleaning carpet. This model is also decently light and easy to move, being particularly adept at cleaning cluttered areas.

Performance Comparison

Carpet Cleaning

This metric accounts for 35% of the final score for each vacuum. To evaluate the performance of each product at cleaning carpets, we used four different debris types on both low and medium-pile carpet, comparing the amount of material collected. The Miele did very well and tied for the runner-up position.

The Miele did very well at collecting rice on flat carpet, only taking two passes to collect all of the whole and partial grains, with an additional third pass to get the remaining dust and small pieces. Performance dropped slightly in the fluffier carpet test, taking about eight passes and still leaving plenty of rice behind.

This vacuum did an exceptional job in our next test: flour collection. The Miele was among our better contenders for this kind of debris, on both low-pile and fluffy carpets.

The oatmeal collection test was next and again we saw a relatively solid performance. This vacuum collected all of the debris laid out but took five passes to do it, much more than some other models. The Miele did best on fluffy, medium-pile carpet.

Moving on to our cereal test, this model seemed to struggle more than the upright models. It did alright on flat carpet but occasionally would crush the cereal instead of collecting it, exacerbating the mess. On fluffy carpet, the Miele plowed the cereal around a bit and missed some even after multiple passes.

Ease of Use

This metric — accounting for 25% of the overall score for each vacuum — consisted of evaluating the ease at swapping between different types of flooring, how well each model could clean close to edges and under furniture, as well as assessing the maximum reach of each model and its noise level.

The Miele requires a little bit of work to switch between hard and soft flooring types, as you have to manually switch out the brush heads. The hard floor head does not have a spinning brush, while the carpet one does. Overall, this vacuum did about average in our edging test, leaving a little bit of rice behind, but not much.

The Miele did a fantastic job at cleaning under furniture, cleaning the entire area underneath our simulated sofa. Its maximum reach from an outlet is about 30', a respectable length in line with some of our top-performing models.

The Miele spanned a range in regards to its measured noise. With regular use, it was one of the quietest models of the group, both in the opinions of our rating panel and the levels that we recorded with an SPL meter. It measured just 70 dBA with normal use, but hit up to 81 dBa with the suction reducer fully open.

Handling

This metric made up 20% of the final score for each vacuum, encompassing a series of tests that included the required effort to push and pull, overall maneuverability, and how easy it was to clean a flight of stairs.

This vacuum handles really well and is fantastic at getting into tight spaces. However, we found that several other models were a little more agile and less prone to becoming entangled. At 15.2 pounds, the Miele lands right about in the middle of the pack — decently light, but nowhere near the lightest of our tested models.

The Miele also has a decent reach for cleaning stairs, able to effectively clean almost eight steps before having to be relocated.

Hard Surface Cleaning

Accounting for 10% of the final score, this metric is one where the Miele did quite well. Four tests were given in this metric: flour, oatmeal, rice, and cereal collection from a hardwood floor.

The Miele started off with a solid performance in our rice collection test. It collected almost all of the rice with two passes, only plowing a small amount into a tiny pile. However, it was in the flour collection test where the Miele truly shined. This vacuum collected all of the flour, even cleaning deep in the cracks of our wood floor if the brush head was used with sufficient pressure.

Performance dropped slightly when it came to collecting Cheerios, though the Miele did outperform others. The sides of the brush head are high enough to suck things like Cheerios in, rather than simply plowing them around. In regards to oatmeal, this vacuum's performance was about par for the course. It collected most of the debris, though a fair amount simply got pushed around.

Pet Hair

The Miele finished out our tests with an excellent performance in our Pet Hair metric. This metric — responsible for the residual 10% of the score — only consisted of a single test: collecting 5 grams of pet hair that had been spread out and pressed in a section of medium-pile carpet. The Miele collected 92% of the hair and showed no signs of difficulty or struggle.

Value

Unfortunately, this vacuum is not a great value, offering a second-tier performance at a top-tier price. We still think it's a trustworthy canister model to consider though, particularly if you can find it on sale.

Conclusion