The Miele Swing H1 QuickStep has a wide vacuum head, and performs well on carpet, but struggles on hardwood floors and with pet hair. It also lacks cord-free operation, a nice feature for a vacuum clearner for home that's mainly used for spot cleaning. Consider the Hoover REACT for a cordless option.
On our carpet test, the Swing H1 was comparable to the best stick vacuums, requiring only five passes to clean up the entire area. On hardwood, though, we had to continually run over the test area. The wheels hover above the ground, which made it difficult for the vacuum to pick up everything. In total, it took eight passes before the zone was completely clean. Another concern is how difficult it is to move around. The head doesn’t swivel, so changing directions requires moving the vacuum off its front wheels. Also, it's top-heavy and prone to crashing to the floor if not positioned just right.
For the pet-hair test, this stick vac had trouble. It couldn’t pick up hairs stuck in the carpet, leaving some of the area covered with pet hair. We had to clean the rest by hand. There isn't a detachable hand vac – a feature many stick vacuums offer.
We liked that the vacuum came with several attachments that other stick vacuums lack. In this way, it could replace a full upright. The Swing H1 has both a crevice tool and a dusting brush, so you can clean harder-to-reach areas, like in between your couch cushions. This vacuum needs to be plugged in, cutting down on the Swing H1's versatility.
One positive is that this vacuum comes with a HEPA filter, meaning the vacuum disposes of up to 99.9 percent of irritating allergens. The filter is removable and easy to clean, and the dust bin doesn’t require a bag. When you need to empty the dust bin, you can click it off of the main unit and empty it directly into your trash. Also, this is one of the quietest vacuum of those we tested, a definite advantage. It runs at a volume of 81 decibels.
The Miele Swing H1 QuickStep is a decent on carpeting, but it doesn’t have the features you’re likely looking for in a stick vacuum. It has doesn’t maneuver very well. Most importantly, it requires several passes to clean hardwood and is terrible with pet hair which adds a lot of extra time if you’re vacuuming an entire room.
