The Pros and Cons of Cordless Vacuums
Although they’re more convenient than traditional canister vacuums, cordless models often come under scrutiny from users over concerns like poor battery life and performance.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Lightweight | Runs out of battery quickly |
| Convenient | Not efficient for all surfaces |
| Can quickly and easily move between spaces | Can generate dust and allergens |
| Agile | Does not reach under furniture |
Many big names in the vacuum industry such as Shark, Dyson and Bissell have already spent years in the cordless vacuum market. However, many of their models still face a few of the issues listed above. Luckily, Miele stepped in to release the family of Triflex HX1 vacuums in order to solve many of the problems other brands have struggled with. When testing the Triflex against other popular cordless vacuums, it really became evident that Miele’s newest model is miles above the competition.
If the PowerUnit is at the top of the wand it’s great for high places reaching up with a brush, or in hard to reach places such as right under the sofa, for example. If the Power Unit is at the bottom, it moves the weight down closer to floor level so it behaves much more like a conventional upright cleaner.
Battery life
- 14-minute clean time at top power
- 60-minute clean time at low power
- 240-minute recharge time
One of the key attractions of the Triflex HX1 Pro is that it comes with two batteries in the box – although it’s a lot more expensive as a result. This means it can talk of 120-minutes of cleaning, but that’s really two 60-minute blocks provided by those two batteries. What’s also cunning is that there are also two chargers, so you can plug in the cleaner and have another battery sitting on the charger.
The removes any sort of anxiety you might have about going wire-free, because you can always have a fully charged battery to switch to – although a second battery costs £109 if you want to buy one separately instead, and choose a cheaper model of Triflex. The basic model is £479 anyway, so there’s quite a price difference.
There’s a charge indicator on the PowerUnit so you can see how close to fully charged it is, using a system of flashing lights. It’s not as fancy as the Dyson V11’s display, but it does the job.
But let’s talk about that 60-minute claim. That only applies if you’re using the PowerUnit at the lowest power setting without all the other accessories. Once you add on the Electrobrush, which draws more power, and switch up the power, your cleaning time is down to about 14 minutes.
That’s 14 minutes of intensive cleaning at full power. Of course, the battery duration will depend on how you use the Triflex HX1. Have it ready to grab in the kitchen when you’ve dropped flour on the floor or the dog has walked grass cuttings into the house and you’ll be done in no time – and in this situation you might be able to go weeks between charges. It really depends on how you plan to use it.
If you have a big and busy house then there’s no avoiding that a wired cleaner will make more sense for longer cleaning jobs.
The Miele HX1 is a highly configurable cordless vacuum. It offers versatile cleaning performance and a design that can be quickly adapted to suit different cleaning tasks. It also has few recurring costs and is simple to maintain, though its small dirt compartment needs to be emptied frequently. If you’re looking for other options, take a look at our list of recommendations of the best cordless stick vacuums, the best lightweight vacuums, and the best cordless vacuums.
The Miele HX1 is a highly configurable cordless vacuum. It offers versatile cleaning performance and a design that can be quickly adapted to suit different cleaning tasks. It also has few recurring costs and is simple to maintain, though its small dirt compartment needs to be emptied frequently. If you’re looking for other options, take a look at our list of recommendations of the best cordless stick vacuums, the best lightweight vacuums, and the best cordless vacuums.
The Miele Triflex HX1 is superior to the Dyson V11 Animal. The Miele feels better-made, is easier to maintain and performs better on bare floors and low-pile carpet. It also feels lighter in your hand and is more maneuverable. Conversely, the Dyson has a longer maximum battery life, more tools and brushes, a bigger dirt compartment, and slightly better performance on high-pile carpet.
The Miele Triflex HX1 and Dyson V15 Detect each have their advantages, so one may suit you better than the other depending on your needs. The Miele is better-built, easier to maintain, feels lighter, and is more maneuverable. It also has an automatic surface type adjustment feature that stops the brushroll from spinning if it detects that something has gotten tangled in it. Meanwhile, the Dyson delivers superior performance on low and high-pile carpet, comes with more tools and accessories, has a larger dirt compartment, and lasts longer on a charge when run in its most energy-efficient power setting.
The Miele Triflex HX1 is a better vacuum than the Samsung Jet 90 Complete for most uses. The Miele has a much better build quality, fewer recurring costs, and is easier to maintain. Its performance on bare floors is somewhat better and it has an automatic surface type adjustment feature. On the other hand, the Samsung delivers a significantly better performance on high-pile carpets, where it’s more effective at picking up fine debris like baking soda.
The Dyson V8 Animal and Miele Triflex HX1 each have their own advantages, so one may suit you better than the other depending on your needs. The Dyson incurs virtually no recurring costs, has a bigger dustbin, comes with more tools and brushes, and is a little more effective on low-pile carpet. Conversely, the Miele has a more configurable three-in-one design that allows you to use it as a handheld, stick, or upright vacuum. It also feels better-built, is easier to maintain, can be maneuvered with less difficulty, and has an automatic surface type adjustment feature that allows it to speed up, slow down, or even stop the brushroll if it detects that something is tangled in it.
The Miele Triflex HX1 is a more versatile cordless vacuum than the LG CordZero A9 Ultimate. The Miele is better-made, easier to maintain, has lower recurring costs, and performs better on low and high-pile carpet. It also has a surface detection feature that automatically stops the brushroll to prevent it from tangling with obstructions. Meanwhile, the LG is lighter and has a longer maximum battery life, though it takes much longer to recharge.
The Miele Triflex HX1 and Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute are fairly evenly matched, and you may prefer one over the other depending on your needs. The Miele is better-built, easier to maintain, more maneuverable, and performs significantly better on bare floors. Meanwhile, the Dyson has a larger dirt compartment, a slightly longer maximum battery life, and far more tools and accessories.
The Miele Triflex HX1 and LG CordZero A9 A916BM each have advantages, meaning one might be a better fit for you, depending on your own needs. The Miele is better-built, easier to maintain, incurs lower recurring costs, and performs slightly better on bare floors and low-pile carpet. It also has an automatic surface-type adjustment feature. Conversely, the LG has a larger dustbin, a second battery that gives it a longer maximum runtime, and better performance on high-pile carpet.
The Miele Triflex HX1 is a better vacuum than the Dyson Outsize Absolute+. The Miele is better-built, less demanding in terms of maintenance, offers superior performance on bare floors and low-pile carpet, and is easier to maneuver. It also has a unique three-in-one design that makes it a little more versatile. Meanwhile, the Dyson has a larger dirt compartment that doesn’t need to be emptied as often and comes with more tools and brushes, not to mention a second battery, which gives it a significantly longer total runtime.
The Shark Rocket Pet Pro with MultiFlex IZ163H and Miele Triflex HX1 have different strengths, and which you prefer may come down to your personal needs and preferences. The Miele is better-built, has an automatic surface type adjustment feature, and a slightly more configurable design. Both perform very well in terms of suction performance, with the Miele clearing more fine debris on carpeted floors and the Shark dealing with coarse sand-like material more easily. The Shark also has a larger dirt compartment, a longer maximum battery life, and charges faster.
The Miele Triflex HX1 is a more versatile vacuum than the Shark Vertex Lightweight Cordless. The Miele is better-built, easier to maintain, and performs better on all surface types. It also has fewer recurring costs. Meanwhile, the Shark has a bigger dirt compartment, a longer battery life, and charges faster.
The Miele Triflex HX1 and Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe NV360 are differently-designed vacuums with completely different use cases. The Miele is a better-built cordless vacuum with a unique three-in-one design that enables you to use it as a handheld, stick, or upright vacuum. It’s substantially more maneuverable and portable, and it also performs better on bare floors. Meanwhile, the Shark is a bagged upright that has a much larger dustbin, and its corded design makes it a better option for longer cleaning sessions.
The Miele Triflex HX1 is better than the Simplicity S65S for most use cases. The Miele is better-built, incurs lower recurring costs, is easier to maneuver, and delivers superior cleaning performance on bare floors and low-pile carpet. Its unique three-in-one design also allows you to configure it as a handheld, upright, and stick vacuum. Meanwhile, the Simplicity cleans more debris from high-pile carpet, has a larger dirt compartment, and takes less time to charge.
However, the TriFlex does have some excellent features. If you haven’t used a cleaner with an inbuilt light before, it makes a huge difference to how well you clean a room. It’s surprising what can be hidden in shadow and you’ll do a much better job of vacuuming when you can target bits of fluff rather than aimlessly mowing back and forth.
Verdict
In one sense, the TriFlex’s strength is also its weakness. It’s a solidly made cleaner and that’s how it feels: solid. While its parts and attachments seem much less flimsy than their Dyson counterparts, at 4kg (with the motorised head attached), the TriFlex is considerably heavier than its two key competitors: the Dyson V11 (2.97kg) and the Powerstick Jet (only 2.8kg).
In its Comfort mode, this makes no difference as the cleaner essentially carries its own weight, but in the handheld and reach modes, the extra weight did become noticeable. This may be a problem for some users.
In terms of cleaning power and battery life, it’s among the best on the market. And the black TriFlex is perhaps the most attractive vacuum cleaner I’ve used. (I have to admit, though, that the bright red model looks like a strimmer.)
Although that’s not the most serious concern, since cordless cleaners need to be near a plug point to recharge, you may well spend as much time looking at your vacuum cleaner as anything else in your home.
To see which vacuum cleaners we recommend and how the TriFlex measures up, have a look at our round-up of the best vacuum cleaners we’ve tested.
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Its cleaning performance is consistently good — it makes quick work of dog hair (mine is medium length, coarse and prone to massive shedding), dirt and the other unnamed bits of stuff that wind up in its path.