- Miele has launched Guard L1 Comfort XL cylinder vacuum
- Features a companion app, LDC screen, and automatic floor detection
- Available now in UK and Ireland, RRP £499
Miele has launched a new cylinder vacuum that boasts a range of cutting-edge features for a more efficient and low-effort cleaning routine. The Guard L1 Comfort XL vacuum features Wi-Fi integration, a companion app, and automatic floor detection – all features that appear on today's best cordless stick vacuums, but (until now), nowhere else.
The LCD screen – like you'd find on one of the best Dyson vacuums on the market – provides a useful way to convey information at a glance. It'll tell you what percentage full the dust bag is, so you don't have to worry about overfilling it and can make sure you're prepped with spares before you need them. It'll also tell you when the exhaust filter needs replacing, and provide warning notifications – for example, if there's a blockage that needs attention.
You can also access this information via a companion app. I'm not sure if you must have the companion app downloaded to use this machine effectively, but I hope not.
Another useful feature ported in (rather late) from cordless stick vacuums is automatic suction adjustment. The Miele Guard L1 can tell what kind of floor it's on, and change the suction level in response. So it'll ramp up to pull dust from deep in your carpet fibers, but drop to a lower-power mode for hard floors, where the dust is just on the surface.
Even though you don't have to worry about preserving battery (as you might on a cordless vacuum) it's a win when it comes to not wasting power, and also ensuring an efficient clean with minimal effort. If you want to manually change suction, you can do so via a switch on the handle rather than having to return to the canister.
Each data point that the app and LCD screen show focus on highlighting common issues that cause a loss in suction power, both immediately and that can cause longer-term performance issues over the course of the vacuum's life.
Dan Young, Floorcare Manager at Miele GB
"The Miele Guard L1 vacuum cleaner is designed to make your cleaning routine smarter and more efficient," Dan Young, Floorcare Manager at Miele GB, told TechRadar. "Each data point that the app and LCD screen show focus on highlighting common issues that cause a loss in suction power, both immediately and that can cause longer-term performance issues over the course of the vacuum's life."
The Miele Guard L1 Comfort XL cylinder vacuum is available now in UK and Ireland, at an RRP of £499. It's one of several new 'Guard L1' vacuums, but unfortunately, it looks like it's only the range-topping Comfort XL that comes with the screen, app connectivity, and automatic suction adjustment. Miele has a presence in both the US and Australia, but no news yet as to whether the new model will make it over there.
Why the wait?
Cordless, bagless stick vacuums remain the floor cleaner du jour, and I can see why. It's certainly convenient not to have to dodge cables and plug and re-plug into power outlets as you go about your cleaning routine. But there are downsides to this style of vacuum. Upright vacuums or cylinder vacuums almost always have more suction power, and last far longer overall.
Bags are a minor hassle but have their benefits too. One of my regular vacuum cleaner testers swears by bagged vacuums, and there are benefits for allergy sufferers because there's less chance for dust and other particles to escape back into the air once they've been sucked up.
In short, these alternative vacuum types aren't a dusty (pun intended) relic of a bygone era, and there's no reason why stick vacuums should be getting all the attention. Miele is known as a more traditional premium brand, and I'm pleased to see it has finally stepped up to the plate to deliver a cylinder vacuum for the modern era.
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