Miele Boost CX1 review: a compact canister vacuum suited to small homes

Miele Boost CX1 vacuum: two-minute review

The Miele Boost CX1 – also known as the Miele Boost CX1 Powerline in the UK and Australia – is the entry-level vacuum in Miele's Boost CX1 range of canister vacuums. It's the cheapest of three Boost CX1 models, and the only one that comes with just the standard floorhead.

Miele is a high-end appliance brand that has been making vacuums for close to 100 years. Miele vacuums are known to be reliable, high performance models. And while this model is clearly an entry-level vacuum, it still comes with the Miele pedigree.

The Miele CX1 is bagless but corded, and while it's less maneuverable than a cordless stick vac, it's compact and streamlined for a canister vacuum. For that reason, it's best suited to smaller homes. It comes with three handheld tools, which are stored on the vacuum itself, for easy access while cleaning. I tried one out, to see how it compares to the rest of today's best vacuum cleaners, and was fairly impressed.

On test, I found that the CX1 was great at tackling hard floors as well as light cleaning of carpets and rugs. However, it's not quite up to deep cleaning carpets and can struggle with hair, making it less of a good choice for pet-owners (the models at the top of the range come with a turbo brush designed for these tasks). That said, this model is easy to use, easy to maintain, and will excel in smaller homes with light traffic.

That's the short version; read on for my full Miele Boost CX1 review.

Miele Boost CX1 vacuum review: price & availability

• List price: $479 / £299 / AU$499
• Availability: US / UK / AUS
• Launched: 2022

The Miele Boost CX1 is widely available across the world and in most countries it's available to buy directly from Miele's website as well as through other large electrical retailers, depending on where you live. Prices will vary across the retailers so it's worth shopping around.

In some countries such as the UK and Australia, it's called the Miele Boost CX1 Powerline. In all countries though, this is the cheapest model in the Boost CX1 range of bagless plug-in canister vacuums.

Despite being the cheapest in the range, it's still not a budget vacuum – it sits in TechRadar's mid-range price bracket for vacuums). This is underscored by the fact that Miele is a high-end brand. In comparison, the top-of-the-range Miele Boost CX1 Cat & Dog, also called the Miele Boost CX1 Cat & Dog Powerline, will set you back US$679 / GBP £399 / AU$649.

Miele has a (well-earned) reputation for quality, which should be taken into account, but in the wider market this isn't necessarily the best value cylinder vacuum around. When you take into account the features, accessories, and the performance, and compare these attributes to what's on offer from the likes of Shark, it doesn't really stack up to the competition.

• Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

Miele Boost CX1 specs

Miele Boost CX1 vacuum review: design

• Streamlined and compact for a canister vacuum
• Short power cord and small dust canister
• Pared-back selection of tools

The Miele Boost CX1 comes in three colors; white, gray, and black and has a pleasingly curvy yet compact design that makes it well suited to smaller homes. It doesn't take up too much storage space and it doesn't come with an overwhelming number of accessories that'll take up valuable space either.

It comes with three small hand tools: a crevice tool, upholstery tool, and a dusting brush. These can all be stored on the holder that attaches to the handle, so they're always easy to grab right when you need them.

Image 1 of 2

The main floorhead is a pretty basic universal brush that includes a foot-operated switch on top to adjust the brushes depending on whether you're vacuuming carpet or hard floors. Above the floorhead, the telescopic tube means you can easily adjust the height of the handle or lengthen the reach of the vacuum.

All the controls are on the main vacuum; there are none on the handle. There are four suction levels to choose from and these are selected via a dial on the vacuum, meaning you'll have to bend down to adjust the suction. The power button and the cord rewind button can be pressed with your foot though.

As a corded canister vacuum, it's understandably less maneuverable than one of today's best cordless vacuums. However, at 18lbs / 7.8kg it's not too heavy for most people to lift. Its small size does translate into a small one-liter dust canister, which won't be sufficient for very large, busy homes. That said, it's plenty big enough for smaller homes and apartments. It is also worth noting that it does have a particularly short 21 ft / 6.5 meter power cord, which again, will become frustrating in larger homes.

The dust canister is removed simply by grabbing its handle and lifting it up and out of the vacuum. Then the dirt empties out of the bottom when you press the release catch. Once you're done, it slots straight back onto the vacuum. The design means the emptying process is very user-friendly.

There are three main filters and all are easily accessed for cleaning, diagrams in the instruction manual clearly demonstrate how to access them.

The first is the pre-filter, which is located at the end of the vacuum just above where the hose attaches. This is the Hygiene AirClean filter and it needs replacing yearly. The fine dust filter can be found in the back of the dust canister, this is washable and needs cleaning monthly. Lastly, the pre-filter is inside the dust canister and can be cleaned using the small brush tool that's housed on the canister. All of this maintenance is straightforward enough.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Miele Boost CX1 vacuum review: performance

• Quiet in use, with straightforward controls
• Best on hard floors, not so good at carpet or hair
• Easy to move about for a canister vacuum

When using the Boost CX1 vacuum on hard floors, it did what it needed to do, thoroughly sucking up all the dust and debris. Regardless of whether I used it on wood floors, tile, or LVT it had no problem leaving the floors looking clean and dust free.

When I sprinkled flour onto my wood floors, it sucked it up in one sweep. It didn't do what some vacuums do and push the flour along in front of the floorhead, nor did it leave flour in the grooves between the boards.

My only complaint is that I noticed some parts of the floor were still slightly white. On closer inspection I found that where the wood grain is quite open, it did leave a tiny amount of flour in the grain. And I had to go over it a couple more times to ensure this was fully removed. This wasn't an issue on other types of hard floor.

I also sprinkled flour along baseboards at the edge of the room to check how good the suction is at the sides of the floorhead. It was pretty faultless, sucking debris from the edges, no matter whether I went along it with the right or the left side of the vacuum.

While it left my carpets looking free of visible debris, I could just tell that they weren't getting a deeper clean. This was evident from the debris in the canister: there was a lot less than I'm used to seeing when I vacuum my carpets with my high powered vacuum.

Suction and pick up does depend on the type of carpet and the thickness of the pile. On a newer synthetic carpet in my spare bedroom, I had to turn the power down, as the suction felt too strong on this carpet, making the floorhead difficult to move.

On an older wool carpet, the suction on max still didn't feel strong enough. Similarly, on a deep-pile area rug it didn't seem to be effectively removing all the deeper, ground-in debris that I know collects on that particular rug.

While the CX1 did an okay job of picking up my long hairs from hard floor, I noticed that on carpet the hair was pushed around until it clumped up enough to get sucked up. And on that basis, this isn't the ideal vacuum if you have pets. (Note, there is a Pet-specific model in the Boost CX1 range, which might be a better choice if you're looking for the best vacuum for pet hair).

The canister is compact enough to balance on stairs, which makes vacuuming up a full flight of stairs easy and straightforward. I found removing the telescopic wand and instead attaching the floorhead directly to the handle was the easiest and most convenient way to tackle stairs. This also meant I could quickly switch to the crevice tool if any detailed cleaning was needed in the corners.

Alternatively, because the vacuum has a good long reach and the floorhead swivels round, I found I could easily vacuum the first seven steps while standing at the bottom of the stairs.

The handle on the top of the vacuum is easy to grab should you need to lift it to move it around, but I did find that during the first few uses I sometimes grabbed the dust canister handle instead. When you grab this handle it ejects the dust canister, which is no big deal if the vacuum is switched off, but pretty annoying if it's in use. I soon learnt my lesson though and over time, naturally reached for the correct handle.

The power cord is short and unless you live in a very small home it doesn't really reach easily from one room to another. So I found it was simply easier to make sure I plugged it into an outlet in the room I was vacuuming, rather than hoping it would reach.

Speaking of reach, like all canister vacuums, what the CX1 does really well is reach under furniture, thanks to the long slim wand and hose. Plus you can extend the telescopic wand to its maximum length should you need extra reach, like when vacuuming under a bed.

Overall maneuverability is good, the canister seemed to follow when I pulled it and I didn't have too many incidents of bashing it into furniture. Though admittedly, the small size helps with this particular problem.

During day-to-day use I really liked having the three tools attached to the handle. It meant if I was vacuuming floors but spotted some debris on a shelf or ledge, it was super quick and easy to switch to a small tool and clean that up as I went.

I was initially concerned that the small tools would get in the way, but they actually didn't. The upholstery tool was ideal for cleaning sofas, chairs, and even a headboard. But again, it's a pretty basic design and it wont give the same kind of deep clean or pick up pet hair as effectively as a small mini motorized tool would.

In the car I used all three small tools. The upholstery tool was effective on the seats but also on the mats. Meanwhile the crevice tool managed to reach into some of the narrow gaps, but it was simply too short to reach everywhere that I needed to get to. The dusting brush was fine for removing dust from the dash. (If you have space for a separate appliance, one of the best car vacuums would probably be more straightforward for in-car cleaning.)

Emptying dirt is as straightforward as I'd hoped it would be, simple and mess-free. The noise level is comfortable, no high pitch squeals or annoyingly loud hums. When on the highest suction level on carpet, the Miele Boost CX1 registered 75dB on my noise meter, and on hard floors it was 78dB. Plus, if you need it to be quieter, the noise level will drop as you decrease the suction power.

• Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

Should I buy the Miele Boost CX1 vacuum?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Miele CX1 vacuum

I used the Miele Boost CX1 in my own home for a week. I used it in place of my usual vacuum to clean wood floors, tiled floors, carpets, and stairs. I used the tools to clean upholstery, shelves and overhead. I even took it outside to see how it fared cleaning my car.

As well as looking at the suction and the tools, I recorded the noise level on the different settings and also noted how easy it is to use and maintain. I paid attention to how convenient it is to empty the canister and maintain filters.

I've been reviewing vacuums for over a decade and during that time I've tried more models than I'd care to remember. Along the way I've learnt that there are certain desirable features to look out for, as well as annoying quirks that I don't want to see. So I use all this expertise to bring you a thorough evaluation of the vacuum.

• First reviewed: July 2022
• Replaced with new review and updated tests: October 2024