The Miele Compact C1 Turbo Team PowerLine is an older model now, but still quite a good one. It was not quite as adept at removing some of our test messes as the best of the best, but it did a fine job overall and was blissfully quiet. That can be a really big deal if you live in an apartment or if you need to clean while someone is napping or watching television in your home. You can tidy up without disrupting the whole household. It doesn't quite make our list of the best vacuum cleaners for home.
This was also one of the easier ones to maneuver. It is not the lightest but it was easy to swing it around and get it to follow us as we tested on different surfaces. When we had to pick it up to move it far, it was comfortable and easy because it is so compact.
This was one of the better performers on hardwood flooring. It even comes with a specific brush that won’t scratch wood. If you have lots of hardwood, this could be a real contender. It struggled a fair amount on some test messes on carpeting, though. The number of passes it took to clear kitty litter was abnormally high compared to others. It was not great at picking up flour either in our testing.
One great thing about this unit is the way it contains messes, which means it’s a great machine for allergy sufferers. Once the test messes were in the bag – which took too much effort in some cases – they stayed there. Some competitors would produce a few puffs of dust, during vacuuming and especially when emptying. The Miele was better for keeping things contained. You will have to buy bags, though, and that can get expensive. For a low-maintenance dust cup design, check out the Bissell C4 Cyclonic.
This is not the most straightforward unit for upkeep. We struggled a bit at first to remove the filters and bag for servicing. That will only happen the first time, though. Then you will remember.
There were some vacuum cleaners with stronger suction than this one, but it is good in a lot of ways. It tied for the least amount of noise in our testing and it is designed to be very friendly to allergy sufferers – once the mess is collected it stays inside the vacuum cleaner. This unit was also pretty easy to maneuver to different parts of the lab, even though it wasn't the lightest. This small canister vacuum is compact and convenient.
