Every now and then, Miele looks through their inventory, realizes they left a number of canisters unsold after discontinuing a particular model, and decides to re-release them as a limited run. This has been happening more and more lately, such as with the C1 Limited Edition, which we reviewed as a $200 buy-it-for life vacuum, the Complete C2 Hard Floor, which was a $400 bargain for homes without carpets, and last year, the Complete C2 Limited, which was the best family vacuum for $400 in our books. Well, the Germans have done it again; either they need to stop discontinuing vacuums so often or this is becoming a marketing strategy. In either case, it’s offering a lot of value to families who have trouble justifying a $900 vacuum like the Complete C3 Cat & Dog, no matter how good of a job it does.

Today we’re going to review the Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog and compare it to one of our favorite canisters, the aforementioned Complete C3 Cat & Dog, which we’ve reviewed or compared here, here, here, and here. To sum up our thoughts, the Classic C1 Cat & Dog is a re-released Classic C1 canister with an electric brush head, Parquet brush, and a mini turbo brush for upholstery. It’s a good fit for families and individuals with or without pets and it can handle bare floors, rugs, and low-, medium-, and high-pile carpets. There isn’t a better vacuum on the market below $600.

If you want a buy-it-for-life vacuum without spending a grand or close to it, this is the one. You can buy it here, and we’d do so before Miele runs through their stock.

Pros, Cons, and Key Features of the Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog

The Classic C1 Cat & Dog is yet another combination of old and new, blending Miele’s discontinued Classic C1 line with brand new technology and, of course, warranty coverage. As a refresher, some of Miele’s best canisters of recent years come from the C1 line, including the Titan, Delphi, Capri, Olympus, and recently released C1 Limited. It’s also one of four currently sold limited editions, including the aforementioned C1 Limited, Complete C2 Limited, and Complete C2 Hard Floor. Like the limited models, the Classic C1 Cat & Dog won’t be sold forever, but it’s a deal not to be missed while it’s still around.

Compared to all the Miele’s we’ve reviewed so far, in the C1 line, it’s most like the Titan except it also adds a mini turbo brush. In the C2 line, it’s like the Electro+ but again with an extra mini turbo brush. In the C3 line, its closest equivalents are the Cat & Dog (the irony is not lost on us) and the Kona. The fact that it has so few peers–the only Mieles better equipped than it in all respects are the C3 Cat & Dog, Kona, Marin, and Brilliant–says a lot.

Now that we’ve broadly compared it to other Miele canisters, let’s review its design and construction. Like other Classic C1 canisters, it features a 1,200 watt Vortex motor and offers a 29.5-foot operating radius. Keep in mind the radius is more than the power cord; it also includes the telescoping wand and crush-proof hose. You get your standard six power settings controlled by a rotary dial on the canister; one of these is the silent setting that lets you vacuum in nurseries without waking toddlers who finally passed out from refusing naps.

In the box, you’ll find the standard Miele canister accessories–a dusting brush, crevice nozzle, and upholstery tool–and in Classic C1 style, they’ll all connect to the hose where it grows out of the canister. Miele touts a 20-year life expectancy with their canisters, and we have every reason to believe this (although you won’t get nearly as long from their uprights). This is the last vacuum you might ever need to buy, and it’s quite possible it’ll last long enough to hand down to your kids.

Unlike in the previously mentioned Limited Edition canisters, which are also limited rather bluntly by their cleaning heads, Miele loosened the purse strings with the Classic C1 Cat & Dog. It ships with the SEB 228 Electro Plus Floorhead, which gives you the ability to clean nearly everything. Hardwood floors? Check. Low-pile carpets? Check. Medium- and high-pile carpets? Check. Along with the Titan and Electro+, this is the cheapest Miele canister with an electric brush head. And it works. Very, very well.

Beyond the electric head, you also get the SBB 300-3 Parquet Twister Floorhead, which simply allows you to do a faster job on hardwood and other bare floors than the electric brush head. It’s flexible enough to work well around baseboards and squeeze behind or beneath furniture as needed, which is a significant time saver compared to pushing things out of your way over and over again due to the much larger (and heavier) powered brush head.

Finally, you also get a miniature turbo brush for upholstery, the STB 20 Handheld Mini Turbobrush. It’s designed to make it easier to remove hair and fur from stairs, car seats, and furniture, and we’ve got to say that it works almost as well as the larger mini turbobrush (yes, we realize that’s a bit of an oxymoron) that comes with the Complete C3 Cat & Dog. It’s not nearly as portable as a mini powered brush on a handheld vacuum like a Dyson V7 Car+Boat, but it definitely gets the job done.

How does the Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog differ from the Complete C3 Cat & Dog?

Ultimately, for many of the people considering the Classic C1 Cat & Dog, the most important question will be whether it comes close enough to the Complete C3 Cat & Dog to make it an acceptable (and significantly cheaper) compromise. Our verdict is a pretty solid yes for most families, and we’re about to share why.

Practically speaking, there aren’t that many significant differences between both vacuums. Cleaning-wise, they’re equals in our books thanks to being almost exactly matched in cleaning heads. They come with exactly the same electric powered brush head and Parquet twister brush, which means they’re going to give the same levels of performance on all surfaces. The vacuums themselves have exactly the same levels of power, as both are driven by the same 1,200 watt motor.

We did prefer the STB 10 mini turbo brush in the C3 to the STB 20 mini brush in the C1, as it was wider and required fewer sweeps to clean a given area. However, both were matched in cleaning power. We have three golden retrievers and several (some would say far too many) cats, and when we vacuum with either the C1 or C3, you can’t tell we live with pets by looking at our carpets, floors, or furniture. The half-chewed shoes are another story.

How do the C1 and C3 Cat & Dog compare in ease of use and allergy management?

We found bigger differences in ergonomics. The Classic C3, being larger, could fit all of its accessories inside it, while we had to hang them awkwardly on the hose in the C1. The C3 also had a significantly larger working radius at 36 feet, which made a notable difference in how much less often we had to search for an outlet compared to when we used the C1 with its sub-30 foot radius.

Similarly, while both vacuums featured a retractable cord, we only needed to press a button once to have the cord smoothly snake back in the C3; we had to keep our foot on it the entire time in the C1. The C3 also seemed better balanced and less likely to tip over when cleaning at the edge of the operating radius, while the C1 was more prone to toppling; this might have had to do with it weighing slightly less.

Additionally, from a health perspective, the C3, being a sealed system, was less likely to release dust back into the air while vacuuming. We’re not saying the C1 was a smokestack, but the difference was noticeable. We felt the C3 did an excellent job in reducing allergies, and while it wasn’t peak allergy season when we made this review, we’d expect poorer performance from the C1 due to the lack of a sealed system.

It’s worth noting that neither vacuum comes out of the box with a HEPA filter, but you can add one to both (specifically, the Miele HEPA AirClean SF-HA 50) instead of the AirClean charcoal filters they include out of the box.

Why Buy the Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog?

Overall, despite the fact that it doesn’t have all the finesse of the Complete C3 Cat & Dog, the Classic C1 Cat & Dog comes disturbingly close, and does so for hundreds of dollars less. In our books, this is officially the best Miele canister you can buy for $600 or less, as well as the best full-sized vacuum on the market for $600 or less. It’s built in Germany, just like the C3 Mieles and C1s of yore, comes with a 7 year warranty on the casing and motor, and is probably going to last for the next 20 years or more. This is a deal, and you don’t want to miss it. We’d only recommend upgrading to the C3 if you want the upgrades in ergonomics and sealing for allergen reduction. Both are among the best vacuums money can buy today.

You can buy the Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog here on Amazon; for the full slew of C3 advantages, upgrade to the Complete C3 Cat & Dog here.

Canadians can buy the Classic C1 Cat & Dog here or upgrade to the Complete C3 Cat & Dog here.

If you find our research on PMC helpful, you can follow our efforts to keep maniacally reviewing home cleaning tools by shopping through our links above. We promise to keep fighting the good fight against every horror children, animals, and grown, yet messy humans can inflict upon a clean home.