Are Miele Vacuums Worth the Price?

Are you wondering what are Miele vacuums and are they good? Then you are in the right place. I currently own a cordless Dyson and a canister Miele and I know they are both big purchases, so I’m here to give you some info that can help you with your vacuum cleaner buying process. I already did a review on the Dyson v8 vs v10, so if you want specific info on that, make sure to check that out, which I will link RIGHT HERE. The review you are on right now will go into the details on the Miele canister and my honest answer to the question “Are Miele vacuums worth the price?”. I did a video review if you want to see the Miele in action. It is a pricey brand, so keep reading (or watching!) to see the verdict.

If you’re new here, welcome. I’m Maria and my blog is all about being creative. I mostly share creative inspiration like DIY’s, recipe videos and fashion look books. Even though I focus on creative topics, every once in awhile I like to share large purchases I have made with my honest opinions on them, because I know I always do a lot of research before making a big purchase, so I want to put this helpful resource out there to help you out.

Ok, let’s get right into this honest vacuum cleaner review of the Miele Cat and Dog vacuum cleaner.

First of all the vacuum I have owned for about 4 or 5 years is the Miele Classic Delphi C1. From what I have read, this is no longer part of their regular line. Of the current line, the most similar is the Miele C1 Cat and Dog classic vacuum. It actually looks almost identical to the Delphi. It just looked like the slapped the name “Cat and Dog” on there. It is offered at the same price I paid for mine several years ago at $699 and actually comes with some extras that mine didn’t.

The reason I chose this model is because after all my research of the different Miele models, it is the best Miele you can get for the money, in my opinion. I have 2 cats, so I needed something that was powerful, didn’t lose suction and had attachments that would help out with the pet hair. I have carpet and tile and wood in the house, so needed something that would accommodate all those things. And I wanted to spend the least amount of money I could to get the best vacuum that satisfied all those needs. After testing and returning sooo many vacuums (thank you Amazon Prime), this is what I ended up with. And I have been really happy with my Miele vacuum, let me explain why.


// cordless vs corded

The Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog is designed for pet owners. It is lightweight, has a charcoal filter to help with pet odors, and comes with all the tools you need for cleaning up after pets no matter what kind of flooring you have. Now it does have a cord. But if you have a big house, even the best, most expensive cordless vacuums might not make it through a whole house cleaning. So, if you have a lot of square footage and are serious about your house cleaning, then you may want a corded vacuum, at least as a backup. I have the cordless Dyson v8 too, but will probably be upgrading to the Dyson v10 at some point in the near future. If you want to hear more on that, check out my Dyson review RIGHT HERE. But I keep the cordless Dyson by the litter box for quick pickups and use it mostly for downstairs because that is about as far as the battery will take me. I keep my Miele upstairs because it has stronger suction for the carpets.


// The motor

German made appliances are some of the best I have found. They are built to last and this vacuum feels super sturdy and I think it may last at least 10 years, if not more. It comes with a 1,200 watt vortex motor, but even with all that power it is pretty quiet. I have two tough boy cats, Bentley and Bugatti.

cute cats

Ok, maybe they aren’t really tough, they do run when the doorbell rings. Yeah, they kind scare easily with loud noises. So, my gauge on how loud or annoying the sound on a vacuum is, is to watch how the cats react when I start the thing up in the same room they are lounging in. Even on high speed, they barely react to this vacuum. There are 6 speeds, but for most tasks I would say the highest speed is the way to go. It is really nice to have to lower speeds for cleaning things like small lightweight rugs or curtains. You can change the speeds while you are using it by a quick turn of the dial. 

miele vacuum speed

// the performance

The performance has a lot to do with that powerful motor, which gives always reliable suction, but it also has a lot to do with the brush heads. The 2 main brush heads fit on the extendable wand which is made of stainless steel and is very sturdy. I am 5’7” and don’t extend it all the way, so I think this would be comfortable to use probably up to if you were around 6 feet in height. You can also drop the height pretty low, which I do when I am vacuuming the stairs, it just makes it easier. 

miele vacuum wand

With the Miele Cat and Dog canister, you will get the electro plus floor head, which allows you to adjust the height depending on the floor type. 

electro plus floor head

Also, you get a parquet twister floor head which is really agile and twists 180 degrees all the way to the floor, so it is super easy to get under couches, you know, that difficult to get area where all those little hairballs tend to migrate.

You will also get the handheld mini TurboBrush, which I do not have but have considered buying separately. It is a motorized hand tool that looks especially helpful for couches. 

And then you also get all the accessories, which you can easily carry around on the canister because they fit nicely onto the VarioClip. You will get a dusting brush, upholstery tool and a crevice nozzle. I use the upholstery tool for my couches, and it has worked fine, but I am sure that TurboBrush would be far superior for the job.

miele varioclip

With access to all these brush heads, pretty much any pickup job on any surface can be handled by this vacuum. I have not had any clogs in the hose or brush heads, they just do their job and they do it well.


// the details

The Miele Cat and Dog vacuum is 16 pounds which kind of sounds like a lot but it barely feels like anything as you drag it around while you’re vacuuming. The canister follows you around like a little puppy and carrying it up and downstairs is easy because of the handle on one end of the canister. The only thing that’s awkward when going up and down stairs is the wand. I just put it into the lowest height and that makes it a little more manageable.

Another thing I really like is the 18 foot retractable cord. I ended up keeping an extension cord on mine though. So, the extension always hangs out past where the retractable part is, but if you don’t need the extension, the retractable cord really makes for a tidy appearance to your vacuum.

Changing the filter and bags are really easy. I find the bags last way longer than I expected them to even though they look small at first glance. I buy the bags in bulk from Amazon and the package lasts me at least a year and comes with filters which you only need to replace every few bags or so.

So, by now I am sure you can guess my answer to the question “Are Miele vacuums worth the price?”. I HAVE been really happy with my Miele. It has kept going strong all these years and when I need a dependable, don’t have to worry about the battery being charged vacuum, I have this one ready to go. I have never had to take it to be serviced and I definitely see myself buying another Miele in 5, 10 or maybe even 20(!) years, when mine finally dies. I covered everything I could think of on the Miele Cat and Dog vacuum, but if you have any specific questions, leave them in the comments section below and I will do my best to answer them. If you enjoyed this and found it helpful, please give it a thumbs up and share. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a happy day!

FTC Disclaimer: All opinions are always 100% honest and my own. Some links may be affiliate. It doesn’t cost you anything extra and you are free to use the link or not as you choose. If you do use my links, I appreciate your support.