Miele - Guard L1 Electro (12704580)

Congratulations and look forward to your follow up review after a whole house cleaning. Miele did a poor job assessing the US market for the Guard series. We get the same handle and hose as the previous models; not the new handle with controls released in Europe. They discontinued the SEB 236 power nozzle (LED light, lower profile), and only two models with a power nozzle. None of the Cat and Dog models have a power nozzle! The new Fiber TeQ All Floor attachment looks promising though and will probably be added to my C3's arsenal of tools.

Miele rolled out their new Guard series canister vacs and all of the existing C3s are on clearance now. Find your local dealer and go visit the store. You need a powered model (entry level units are cheaper because they don't have the powerhead or electrical hose). Also look at the Sebo Felix. Awesome upright machine that handles carpet and hardwood floors, with excellent filtration.

Mieles are organized in 4 tiers: C1 Compact (entry level, smaller, for apartments & small homes), Guard M (replaces the previous C3, none of these have a power nozzle in the US Market), C3 (outgoing workhorse, find one this Black Friday, they are solid machines, the Kona, Cat & Dog, Marin, HomeCare E+ all have power nozzles), and the Guard L series. The black L models are suction only, the blue and titanium have power nozzles. The new Guard models that are labeled Cat & Dog do not have a power nozzle, instead they use an air driven turbo floor nozzle.

Ideally, you have a vacuum retailer near you so you can test drive these and get a good deal; Miele C3, these are being closed out and remaining stock is marked down. The Kona, Cat & Dog, Marin, and Homecare E+ are the C3s to look for. A Miele C1 Cat and Dog is also a solid choice. There are 2 brand new L1 Guard vacuums from Miele; the L1 (blue) and L1 Electro (titanium). All of these models but the Marin use the same SEB 228 power nozzle. The Marin gets a lower profile SEB 236 with an LED light. Only dealers can sell the Homecare and Electro models, these have 5 year warranty’s vs standard 3 year. Discounts for Black Friday are @20% for remaining C3s, at least 15% everything else. For Sebo, the E3 and K3 are excellent vacuums to also consider. German made like Miele, 10 year warranty’s if purchased from a dealer, and very reliable.

Miele and sebo are both great and pretty similar, with differences in the power nozzles. Miele is not as user serviceable whereas the sebos et-1 brush is removable. The electric hoses can be a point of failure and the sebo if i remember right has replaceable components on the outside where as Mieles i believe have to replace the whole hose. As for bagged vs bagless, bagless machines are a little more work for the user as you need to maintain the filters and occasionally clean out the canister but are sometimes more convenient. Bagged machines are better if you have bad dust allergies and are generally lighter, because dust is bagged, filtration tends to be better and the canister is kept clean. You still have filters to change, but miele includes the basic ones with their bags which in my opinion are good for the average user. I personally got a miele at a really good price and have really enjoyed it so far. Since you have a lot of hardwood and low pile rugs, you could go for most miele models, theres the guard series, L1, etc. A model with the parquet XL head (16 in) will give a pretty big cleaning path for hard floors!

There's not a lot that differs between models. Since you have a lot of carpet the main feature you want is an electric power nozzle. Wheather its a c1, c3, or guard model that's the main feature. When comparing models, filter by the models that come with Seb 228 or seb 236 as they are best for carpets and are height adjustable. The c1 and c3 have cat and dog powerline models, several c3 models, and the new guard L1 electro and some s1 models. All will have a 1200 watt motor. I think most of the cat and dog ones and the new guard ones come with a HEPA filter and all will also come with a suction only head that works well on bare floors and low rugs. Edit, I think the classic c1 cat and dog would meet the requirements. You can buy them online, but if theres a local vacuum store you'd probably get better warranty or more options and accessories!

They all have the same motor, the difference is mainly in the heads/attachments. If you have wall to wall carpets that are medium to high pile seb 228 and seb 236 will do really well. If you have mostly hard floors then pure suction machines can work. There newest pure suction, guard L1 all floor has a new head that can work on low pile carpets from what ive seen, but in my opinion itll be harder to push on the max setting when on carpet. If you can find a good deal on a c1/c3 you can save a little since the new generation is m1/s1/L1.

I'd take the opportunity to get a Miele c3 Marin or Brilliant/homecare+ at a good price. It seems like they're dropping their (very nice imo) seb236 floor head. Or you'll need the new guard l1 electro. You'll need an electro head for your needs. (So c3 cat& dog to answer your title question, but my recommendation is for the Homecare+ (or the Marin for a better value). Visit a dealer and get them for a good price (900 for the Kona, 1100 for the Marin, and under 1500 for the homecare+/brilliant). Get the homecare models from a dealer if you can. The better warranty and added tools are great.

The generic bags were.... respectfully... trash. Sure the bags automatically unclicking for the newer style gn / fjm weren't a great feature, but the unit ran much cleaner overall, and they hold more dirt. I've seen aftermarket bags burst as well, and have fitment issues, even when installed properly. You also void the warranty when you use aftermarket bags... As far as the pre filters go, those don't need to be changed every 4 bags. When the bags are installed properly, those filters typically stay nearly immaculate. And if a bit of stuff does go on it, you can brush it off pretty easily. Yes, removing it does save costs, not denying that, but is it a big deal... no. I believe the newer canisters do have slightly less dirt capacity, so yes that is a negative. They do look nicer though IMO. The LCD model is for people who want a cool vacuum. If you wanna crap on it, fine, but it's a cool thing that more people than you think will like. In Canada, the prices actually dropped for the canisters. The new equivalent to the C2 Cat and Dog is $50 less, and the new equivalent to the C3 Cat and Dog is $100 less. The bag costs as of now are the same, and have been for 10+ years. If you wanna dump it for a new sebo... totally fine. I own a Sebo D4 personally. But the bag system on the Miele's are better than every Sebo canister, except the D4 model. Even Miele's new smaller bags are still better as they fill more efficiently. Both Sebo and Miele are great vacuums though. Just make sure to get the right attachments.

Find a C2 or C3 model with the SBB 300-3 floor brush. Nothing will clean floors better than that. The newer version of the C2 is the Guard S1. The newer version of the C3 is the Guard M1. The Guard L1 is an entirely new vacuum, and is meant to be a lighter version of the C3 / M1, but the L1 has a smaller bag. Edit: they all filter really really well and are sealed systems, and if you add on the HA50 hepa filter (make sure it’s the genuine one from Miele as it’s H13 hepa) it’s top notch. Edit 2: the compact C1 is a also good choice, just NOT the Classic C1 (also known as S2 which is the older version).

The D4 moves really well, but yes is a larger vacuum. I have a 525 squr foot apartment and own a D4 cause YOLO. The Miele vacs like the C2, C3, Guard S1, M1, L1 will overall be lighter and easier to use. The D4 is essentially a powerhouse vacuum. The mentioned miele's will have the same airflow but in a smaller package. Miele's new equivalent to the D4 is the L1 or M1 / C3 Series. Edit: My recommendation would be the Miele if you're worried about the weight of the canister. The D4 is by no means bad that way, and I would 100% argue it's easier to use than some other brands like kenmore, etc, but the Miele's will be easier to use as far as the canister goes and may be more encouraging that way. Just make sure to get the RIGHT ATTACHMENTS!

What kinda cost are you hoping to stay under? Obviously nobody wants to spend more than they have to, but helps when giving recommendations. The 4 Best vacuums in my opinion are Sebo E3 or D4 Premium, or Miele Guard L1 Electro or C3 PowerPlus (the model name in the US might be Brilliant) - these aren't cheap though, and they're not cheap for good reason - they clean and filter ridiculously well + are really well built. Edit: Corded cleans better than cordless, and corded will generally last longer, sometimes much longer.

For Miele, it’s would be a C3 series, or Guard L1 with an electric powerhead and good floor brush. Add the HA50 H13 Hepa filter if you want the best filtering vacuum in the world. For Sebo, the K3 is under $1000, but the more powerful models are E3 or D4 premium with the ET-1 powerhead (best powerhead in the world). This time of year being that sales are more likely to start popping up, a Sebo dealer will happily give a deal on each model to get within or closer to your budget. If you want uprights, Sebo X4 or Felix, or a top model riccar (riccar will have a bit more power, but I’d personally chose the X4 or Felix).

Unfortunately, it's misleading with the L1 Cat and Dog. It only comes with a turbohead. If you want to go with the Guard L1, compare it with the L1 Electro instead. That vacuum comes with the SEB228, the same head that comes with the C3 Cat and Dog.

I've been waiting for a review on this, thank you!! Yeah this machine is too cheap to pay for repairs if something goes wrong. If you absolutely have to have a budget/mid-range canister, this will do, but I think it's worth spending more for a SEBO or Miele that will last longer and perform better

There are real complaints with this model, the biggest one in my opinion being that there is nothing but disadvantage from an the LCD screen. It does nothing but make the user experience worse. The app doesn't even integrate with the machine, despite the whole setup encouraging the user to use the app with their vacuum

The assertion that they "got rid of the pre motor filter" is just...wrong though? The S1 and M1 use the same fabric type pre motor filter that has been used in the C series. The L1 has admittedly got rid of that in favour of a mesh, but it's wrong to say they've all lost the pre motor filter. Also it's only the L1 that has the display. If you don't like/want/need it, the M1 and S1 are available. The new bags fix the issue that was there with the C series of people not seating the bag properly when closing the bag compartment. And really why would anyone want to be using generic third party bags anyway when you've invested in a premium vacuum? I bought some once for my C2 compact and they were crap compared to the official Miele bags. Not saying that Miele are beyond criticism at all, but I think it's fair to actually be reasonable with ones criticism. This having been said when my C2 dies I'll be getting a Sebo because I would like a powered head.

I have a bagged Miele cylinder as my main vacuum and a cordless bagless stick as a daily run around/quick pick up machine. There's no way the bagless stick could ever serve as my main vacuum. The Miele serves as a regular vacuum, DIY clean up machine, duster etc...has served me well for 9 years now and just keeps going and going. I cannot imagine the cordless stick I have lasting anything like as long - it's already feeling rickety and creaky after less than a year and I take good care of it. If you can afford it - Bagged corded vacuum for your main vacuum, cordless stick for a secondary run around.

I just bought the L1, having had Miele‘s all my life. I am no vacuum nerd, I just needed a new one. I went with the habit. It was on sale a week ago. I only now discovered that the new „TU“ bags are patented and they want me to pay $22 for four bags. These bags are tiny. The first one lasted a week until full. WTF, this thing is pure greed.

Ganz ehrlich. Ich war vor ein paar Tagen in der selben Situation. Aus Frust habe ich mir nach eine, Akkusauger nun den Miele Guard L1 gekauft. 😂

I use both Miele and Sebo and have used the new L1. I think your both correct though. The L1 is a good machine but feels a bit flimsy compared to a Miele of 20 years ago. It’s definitely not a D4 but the tech is cool and I the filtration is great along with the aesthetics. The sub does lean toward Sebo but I think they are both wayyyyyyy better than a crappy shark or Dyson and that’s the most important thing for everyone to know. Also Sebo still has not released the cordless unit in the US so the only good one available is the Miele.