Miele Compact C2 Electro+ PowerLine Canister Vacuum Cleaner is strong and durable canister vacuum cleaner with excellent suction and air filtration, suitable for practically all surfaces commonly found at homes.
Miele Compact C2 Electro+ PowerLine is canister vacuum cleaner with filter dirt bag. Since the dirt bag is part of the filtration system, it is vital to use OEM’s ‘AirClean 3D Efficiency FJM’ vacuum bags.
Suction is provided via 1200 W Vortex motor, often found in Miele vacuums. Motor is strong and designed to last.
Suction power can be changed using selector on the canister with 6 different positions, optimized for different surfaces.
Suction selector is on the canister of the vacuum, requiring some bending, when one has to change the suction. Next to the selector is power off/on switch and automatic cord rewind system switch – both can be activated with the foot.
Since this is corded unit with the rather long power cord, automatic cord rewind system is a must have feature, especially in this vacuum’s price range. Maximum reach of the Miele Compact C2 Electro+ model is 33 feet (~10 m) – power cord, flexible hose and telescopic wand combined.
Telescopic stainless wand is ‘electrified’ – main cleaning head is Miele SEB 228 Electro, which uses electric motor to power rotating brush.
There are two very similar models of Miele SEB 228 cleaning heads:
– SEB 228 Electro Plus – this electrically driven brush is particularly suitable for intensive and often vacuuming of carpets which are subject to hard wear.
– SEB 228 Electro SC SoftCarpet – this is also electrically driven brush, and is designed for cleaning particularly soft carpeting. According to the official Miele USA web site, Miele Compact C2 is delivered with SEB 228 Electro SC SoftCarpet cleaning head.
Personally, both cleaning heads do excellent job on low to high pile carpets and even plush carpeting, thanks to 5 possible brush heights, well designed brush and good suction. Before purchasing, just to be sure, check which ‘SEB 228 Electro’ cleaning head is delivered with your model, and if possible, ask for the one you really want.
For cleaning bare surfaces, Miele Compact C2 comes with Parquet Brush SBB Parquet-3 cleaning tool. Parquet-3 brush has soft, natural bristles and can be used on various smooth floors, including very delicate, scratch-sensitive floors.
For cleaning other surfaces, Miele Compact C2 comes with standard set of three cleaning tools:
– upholstery tool – optimized for cleaning upholstery, cushions, seats, stairs and similar elevated surfaces. It does job well. Some people use main electro-brush for cleaning upholstery, and in theory, it can be done, just be aware that rotating brush of the main cleaning head can be somewhat aggressive toward delicate surfaces.
– crevice tool – designed for cleaning dirt and debris from narrow and tight places.
– dusting brush – it has soft bristles that help agitate dirt and dust (hence the name), which is than removed by strong air flow into the vacuum cleaner.
All in all, thanks to the SEB 228 Electro brush, SBB Parquet-3 brush, upholstery tool, crevice tool and dusting brush, Miele Compact C2 Electro+ is capable of cleaning most surfaces found at home, including bare floors, low-, medium-, high-pile carpets, plush carpeting, stairs, upholstery, edges and corners etc.
Miele Compact C2 Electro+ PowerLine Air Filtration
Miele Compact C2 Electro+ uses disposable ‘AirClean 3D Efficiency FJM’ bags. Bag volume is 3.5 liters and that is plenty of dirt. As said before, bags are very important for proper air filtration, thus, OEM filter bags are highly recommended.
Miele Compact C2 Electro+ comes with automatic filter bag positioning and filter bag sensor. This way, bags are utilized to the maximum and the user is notified when it is time to change the filter bag.
‘AirClean 3D Efficiency FJM’ bags are aided with two mechanical filters – pre-motor filter and post-motor filter.
Both mechanical filters should be changed periodically – dust bag compartment filter (pre-motor filter) should be changed every time one starts a new box of filter bags, while exhaust filter should be changed after roughly 50 hours of operation (equivalent to one year of use).
Default exhaust filter is HEPA AirClean SF HA 50 filter, with ‘timestrip’.
HEPA AirClean SF HA 50 filter captures at least 99.95% of dirt particles and according to the European EN 1822/2011 standard, it is in HEPA class 13 (H13).
Before the first use, filter must be ‘activated’, so that monitoring of the filter operation can start.
Just to be sure, and to get acquainted with the unit, it is highly recommended to read the manuals that came with the unit.
Another high quality exhaust air filter is Active AirClean SF AA 50 filter. It contains a layer of active charcoal for additional filtration of unpleasant odors and smells, which can be very important for households with pets and smokers.
AirClean SF AA 50 filter also has timestrip for monitoring filter performances and use.
For more about US and European HEPA standards and HEPA vacuums in general, click Exhaust Filtration – HEPA Vacuum Cleaners article (link opens in the new window).
Miele Compact C2 Electro+ PowerLine vs. Miele Compact C1 Powerline
Miele Compact C2 Electro+ PowerLine is very similar in appearance with the Miele Compact C1 Powerline group of canister vacuums.
Miele Compact C1 Powerline group consists of three models:
– Miele Compact C1 Pure Suction PowerLine,
– Miele Compact C1 Turbo Team PowerLine (photo on the right),
– Miele Compact C1 HomeCare PowerLine.
Similarities – These vacuums are all bagged, canister vacuums. They all use 1200 W motors for providing suction, AirClean 3D Efficiency FJM filter bags, they all have 6 position electronic suction power control, they all come with three basic cleaning tools (Uphosltery Tool, Crevice Tool, Dusting Brush), etc.
But, it’s differences that are important: Miele Compact C1 PowerLine vacuums use AirClean Filter (by default), which is not as good as HEPA AirClean Filter found in Miele Compact C2 Electro+ vacuum.
Also, Miele Compact C2 Electro+ comes with electrically driven SEB 228 main cleaning head, which is good for low-, medium- and high-pile carpets, while Miele Compact C1 PowerLine vacuums come with main cleaning heads which are mostly good for low-pile carpets.
Note: Turbobrush STB 205-3 found in Miele Compact C1 Turbo Team and Miele Compact C1 HomeCare, can be used on medium-pile carpets, too, but with better results showing on low-pile carpets.
Thus, Miele Compact C2 Electro+ PowerLine is more versatile than any Miele Compact C1 Powerline vacuum and has better air filtration.
Long story short – for people preferring bagged, canister vacuums, there is hardly better manufacturer than Miele. Miele Compact C2 Electro+ is excellent vacuum cleaner and it gets its job done. It has great cleaning tools and it will keep home clean from the floor to the ceiling. But, such features and performances come with the price, but with Miele, what you pay is what you get.
For more reviews and recommendations, check Miele Compact C2 Electro+ Canister Vacuum Amazon link (link opens in the new window).
With a degree in engineering, Kathryn Hansen loves to write about how things work. Having her own dilemmas on how to pick the best vacuum cleaner for her large family (with a handful of furry four-legged members as well), Kathryn decided to help others in the same situation. After all, vacuum cleaners are critical to a healthy lifestyle and people have a hard time choosing the best one for their needs.