While the C3 line of Miele canisters undoubtedly includes some of the best vacuums on the planet–e.g., the Marin and Brilliant–not every family is willing or able to spend $1,000-$1,500 on a vacuum, no matter how much quality it offers. Fortunately, the compact C2 line exists, and in some cases, offers just as much cleaning power as some of the more famous canisters in the Miele inventory. The Miele Compact C2 Electro+ is one of the best examples of a vacuum that costs far less than it could, and it represents one of the best deals in the Miele line under $600. Let’s take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions about using and maintaining the Electro+. We’ll also review how it compares to the cheapest members of the C3 line–the Alize and Calima–and the pros and cons of choosing the Electro+ over them.
Does the Electro+ come with any bags or filters, or do you need to buy them separately? Which are the replacements?
The Electro+, like every Miele canister, ships with a pre-installed dust bag and motor filter. It also includes a pre-installed HEPA filter, making it ready to use once fully unwrapped out of the box. You’ll need to purchase all additional bags and filters separately; fortunately, they’re all cheap and last a decent amount of time.
The dust bags and motor filters are included in the Miele FJM Airclean 3D Efficiency Dust Bag; each box contains four bags and two filters (one for the motor, and a non-HEPA air filter). You’ll replace the bags as you fill them up and the motor filters on every fourth bag change. A typical home will use between 2 and 4 boxes each year, depending on your vacuuming schedule and who or what you’re cleaning up after (if you have cats, collies, toddlers, or teenagers, expect to use many more bags). It’s important to note that you can’t use “GN” bags with the Compact C2 line; they only fit in the full-sized C3/C2/C1 models.
For HEPA bags, you’ll want the Miele HEPA AirClean SF-HA 50. It only needs replacement every 50 hours of vacuuming or after 12 months of typical use, and if those aren’t enough guides, there’s also a built-in color indicator on the filter to indicate when it’s ready to be chucked (it turns white). We’d recommend buying extra dust bags and filters; it’s not fun finding out you just used your last bag right when you finally have time to do some deep cleaning.
Why should I get the C2 Electro+ compared to the C3 Alize or Calima? Aren’t they more advanced?
Even though the C2 is only part of Miele’s “midrange” compared to the “high end” C3s, there’s one little part of the Electro+ that makes it an absolute bargain compared to most of the C3s: it includes an electric power brush (the SEB 217-3) instead of just a turbo brush. On top of this, it also includes the Parquet twister. The electric power brush head is a powerful brush head that makes the Electro+ equally at home on low-, medium-, and even some high-pile carpeting. The Parquet twister allows it to effectively clean any hardwood, tile, or concrete flooring–and both are included out of the box with the Electro+. The Alize, while privy to features only present in the Marin and Brilliant, only includes a combination air brush head that’s only useful with hardwood floors, and still not as effective as the Parquet head. Out of the box, this means you’ll struggle with even low-pile carpeting with the Alize, and medium- and high-pile carpeting will be a challenging experience.
The Calima is a much better all-around machine out of the box, including both a Parquet head and a Turbo brush, but the Turbo brush isn’t as powerful as the Electro+’s electric head, and won’t be able to tackle carpeting higher than medium-pile. That said, both the Alize and Calima are larger and come with larger operating radii than the Electro+, allowing you to spend more time vacuuming and less time unplugging and replugging. However, if you’re okay with a slightly smaller vacuum and want the ability to tackle any kind of carpeting and bare flooring out of the box, the Electro+ is a steal compared to any C3 canister until the Cat & Dog, the Kona, or the Soft Carpet, all of which come with more advanced electric brush heads and Parquet twisters, but cost hundreds of dollars more. To put it mildly, unless you want the best vacuum for pet-friendly housing (the Cat & Dog) or high-pile carpets (the Soft Carpet), the Electro+ is perhaps the best all-around Miele you can buy on a budget.
Do you need to switch brush heads from the electro brush to the Parquet when moving from carpet to wood to avoid damaging hardwood floors?
No; although the Parquet head is particularly well suited to use on hardwood flooring, you’re not going to damage your bare floors of any kind by using the electric brush head on them. In fact, it’s just fine to use the electric brush head full time with the Electro+, and there are many users who do so to for convenience. You can set the height of the head through any of several positions, meaning you’re going to find a setting that works for pretty much any environment. You can also turn off the brush and just use air suction or adjust the power up and down with the press of a button. The whole setup is wonderfully convenient. That said, you’ll naturally have an easier time chasing and scooping up pet hair, dust, or pretty much any fine sediment (e.g., spilled grains or food particles) on bare flooring with the Parquet head, as it won’t have a tendency of pushing dirt around the way the electric heads sometimes do.
You can buy the Miele Compact C2 Electro+ here on Amazon. If you’d like to upgrade to the best values in the C3 line, you can buy the Calima here or buy the Alize here. None of these vacuums will disappoint you.
Canadians can buy the Electro+ here, the Calima here, or the Alize here.
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