Miele Triflex HX1 Cat & Dog Cordless Vacuum Review
Miele Triflex HX1 cordless vacuum cleaner for cats and dogs
"The Miele Triflex HX1 Cat & Dog is versatile, powerful and a great cordless option."
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Lots of tools and configurations
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Bin empties no dust cloud when emptying
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Extremely strong
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Compact
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Expensive
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Short battery life
Bagless vacuum cleaners are notorious for blowing dust back into the air when emptying. In 2016, Miele promised its bagless vacuums would not do this. Four years later I finally got one to test out, the Triflex HX1 Cat & Dog.
This cordless vacuum cleaner is modular and can be assembled in several ways, including a handheld device. Miele said it was made for pets so I put it on my scratching post.
Attach
For my current vacuum, I have a reusable shopping bag with accessories. Miele offers a wall bracket for the HX1 that can also accommodate several attachments. I suspect there is just no neat way to store the bulky hand brush attachment so it has to lie on the floor next to the vacuum.
In addition to the hand brush and the standard vacuum head, the Miele comes with a splitting tool, upholstery accessories and a dust brush. The hand brush, the upholstery accessories and the dust brush were needed to clean my scratching post. This is not the fault of the vacuum. My scratching post is a mix of carpet platforms, squishy pillows and a Papasan chair shell to relax in. Great for cats, terrible for cleaning.
Jenny McGrath / Digital Trends
The reason the vacuum is called the Triflex is because it can be configured to be strictly hand-held (to quote the Beastie Boys) or to work in two different floor styles with the container closer to the floor or in near the handle. Replacing the various nozzles and brush heads is mostly easy, but removing the rod that extends the vacuum handle can sometimes require a tug of war.
With the dust bin, motor, and battery, the vacuum weighs about three pounds, with no accessories that don't add too much weight. It's definitely handy, but it can get tiring for people who are used to using only one hose with an attachment. There is no getting around having to hold all of the vacuum when using it like a dustbuster.
maximum power
With the handle of the HX1 you can choose between three power settings. Let's face it, the only time you're probably not using maximum power is on delicate carpets. The maximum setting lives up to its name and has soaked everything up in sight. The hand brush worked great on the scratching post platforms which are usually a little tricky to clean. The dust brush and upholstery tool were better on the softer surfaces, like the pillows, which had plenty of cat fur. It still took time and patience to go over the furrier areas several times, but the tree was far less furry after vacuuming.
In addition to the scratching post, I also tested the Miele on carpeted and hardwood floors with a variety of substances, including rice and cereal. With some vacuum cleaners, I've found that vacuuming small pieces of debris can get over wooden floors. Not so with the HX1. It held everything in, even if it struggled with – admittedly bulky – completely intact gold graham squares. However, it picked up almost everything else and did an impressively thorough job.
The maximum attitude lives up to its name and has absorbed everything on site.
The vacuum cleaner's standard brush head has a low profile that fits very nicely under my bookshelves and console table, which are sometimes too low for larger vacuum heads. It also comes with a spotlight if you slide it into those dark corners.
Jenny McGrath / Digital Trends
It took about 12 minutes to completely clean the scratching post. The HX1's battery lasted at max. This is a little short compared to some of the competition and there is no backup battery for larger jobs. The battery lasts about an hour in energy-saving mode. The lifespan is a little shorter than that of another direct competitor, the Dyson V11 Outsize, which extends to a slightly longer 120 minutes in eco mode. It takes four hours to charge the battery, which is standard on cordless vacuum cleaners.
Undustables
With my own bagless vacuum cleaner, I usually take it outside before emptying it in the trash. It gives off a cloud of dust that redistributes exactly the kitten scales that I wanted to banish first. The HX1 certainly had large particles in the bin by the time I finished vacuuming, but when I opened it to empty it, that pile of dust was missing. The filters that you clean by removing them every month and banging them against the walls of your trash can really seem to hold it all in.
Jenny McGrath / Digital Trends
Everything about the HX1 is pretty small, including the dust bin. It holds about half a liter of dirt and other trash. The capacity is good enough for apartments or studios, but requires frequent emptying for larger houses. The Dyson V11 Outsize, for example, has a much larger 1.8 liter garbage can. The container is opened with a twist of the container at the top, a little different from most other vacuum cleaners. You probably have to read the manual for the first time to find out, but it's pretty easy after that.
Our opinion
At $ 699, the Miele Triflex HX1 Cat & Dog vacuum cleaner is comparable to some high quality Dyson vacuum cleaners. The battery life is short and it can be very difficult in handheld mode. However, it is a very powerful, user-friendly vacuum. And the lack of a cloud of dust? * Chef kiss. *
Is there a better alternative?
As great as the HX1 is, Miele's price tag is just too high for many people. There are certainly cheaper vacuums like the Dyson V7 ($ 288) or the Tineco Pure One S12 ($ 530).
How long it will take?
Consumer Reports found that cordless vacuums had questionable reliability due to their reduced battery life. The HX1 is otherwise well constructed and comes with a one year warranty.
Should you buy it?
If you have a relatively small house that you can vacuum in about 15 minutes and want to spend hundreds of dollars on a cordless device, the HX1 is a great choice. It's powerful, versatile, and doesn't take up too much space.
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