Miele S5211

After 2 years the miele is still going strong.Robustly built,and with 6 settings,the machine has all you need.On the strongest setting the miele brings your carpets back to life,like no other.I read all the reviews before buying and can confirm this machine is excellent. Maybe slightly heavy for an older person.Not cheap,but this will outlive 3 or 4 cheap ones.I have noted changing the bags can be a bit time consuming,the return spring on the electric cable has become a bit tired.There is a heat cut out switch which takes 20 to 30 mins for your machine to cool down should you forget to empty your full bag,but apart from that nothing else comes to mind.All in all a quality product.

This vacuum is certainly not cheap. But in my opinion its worth the money. Firstly, The vacuum is very quiet, even on full power. This is quite impressive, especially since the motor power on this machine is a whopping 2200w! It has 6 power settings, each clearly labelled for their uses (and more detailed in the manual) so you have the right amount of suction for every job. However, with such power, there is always a drawback. Sometimes its noise (owners of electrolux vacuums will sympathize here!) and sometimes its a powerful jet of air, and sometimes you get a lot of VERY hot air. This miele suffers from a large jet of hot air. It will hit you full in the face whenever you bend over the vacuum while its on. The pick up on carpet and hard floor is excellent, however those with pets will want the S5 cat and dog model, with its air powered turbohead. The S5211 will still pick it up, but it takes a lot of strokes over the same spot to get it. It picks up everything else very well, even fine particles like sand and flour. This vacuum will NOT lose its suction, even if the bag is jammed full. The mechanical bag indicator is very accurate and will only show red if the bag is totally full. The bags are 9-layer microfiber, not paper like the ones used by sebo, so will not tear. This is why such powerful suction can be created by this vacuum. The bags are very expensive though, and cost £12.99 for a box of 4. However, this box will include the motor filter and bog-standard filter found in this product. This is why the Miele is so expensive to run, and I have not listed it as 5* value for money. You need to change the filters every time you finish a box of bags,and these filters are not washable, but the bags will generally last 10-12 months per box.

The floor head is just the right weight to be comfortable, and the telescopic tubes are perfect for people of every height. The hose is very sturdy and reasonably long, and will get you up about 8 stairs. The handle can be detached for blockage removal should you ever need to, unlike on cheaper brands of vacuum. The 3 tools provided are the standard 3 you will get with any vacuum, but they are strong plastic and do their job very well. They are also stored on-board the machine, unlike with the cheaper S2 and S4 series Cylinder vacuums Miele also manufactures. The body of the machine is very sturdy, and will withstand quite a bash (fell down the stairs a few times) but as it is glossy black it will attract a significant amount of scratches and fingerprints very quickly. The hose will swivel where it is attached to the machine, so allows for superior maneuverability. It has 3 rubber coated 360 degree castors on the bottom, so it will move in any direction easily and quickly. It also will not fall over if you jump over something - like the power cord. The machine also stands vertically to sit on stairs.

The cord on this machine is fairly short, at 6.5m, but the hose length should mean you can cover a reasonable area from one socket. The carry handle on the front of the machine is very comfortable, and made it much easier to carry the product. Something like the Sebo D2 had no handle, so it is very awkward to carry.

In conclusion, I think that if you need a basic vacuum, but need quality and ergonomic use, pick the Miele S5211. If you need something cheaper, Try Numatic Henry. It is not as easy to use, but it is much cheaper.

Remember that Miele makes upright vacuums too, so you have a choice of both!

I am delighted at how brilliant my new Miele S5211 vacuum cleaner is. My carpets havent looked so fresh and clean since they were fitted and all the other flooring in the house is so spotless you could eat your dinner off it! The suction is amazing. It is so powerful that I have to put it on a lower setting -otherwise it will try to gobble the furniture up! My house is now so much cleaner,and the job is done in a much shorter time. The build quality is of a very high standard, it is very sturdy and is far superior to every other vacuum cleaner I have ever had in 35 years. Because it has been designed so well, it is easy and a pleasure to use. I only wish that I had come across it sooner! For the first time ever, vacuuming is not a chore. I am so pleased with the outstanding performance of my vacuum cleaner that in future, I will also give serious consideration to all Miele's other appliances. The only score that my amazing vacuum cleaner deserves is 11 out of 10!

If you're looking for a solid vacuum cleaner that will do the job, then you really don't need to look any further. I bought this after our Dyson stopped working and my only regret is that it should have been done sooner. Miele are so thoughtful in their design and engineering. The box has a cut out so you can carry it by the handle, which is such a minor detail, but something everyone else overlooks. The cleaner is easy to put together and feels high quality as soon as you take it out the box. It looks superb and feels substantial, unlike a Dyson. Suction power is amazing, even on low it manages to pull every bit of dust. Be careful not to leave anything important around as anything within an inch will be sucked up and never to be seen again! Put it on high and it literally pulls up the carpet. The cleaner makes hardly any noise whatsoever, even when turned up full. Mr Dyson would have us to believe that bagless are best, but it simply isnt true. When mine was getting full, the suction was still there, and with it being bagged, there's no puff of dust when you empty it, which is really good for allergy sufferers, James! The filtration is also good, air comes out feeling cleaner than when it went in, and the tools that come with it means that you can reach everywhere to get rid of dust. You can also buy tools from Miele that are specialised like hard floor tools, and car kits, it's obvious that Miele have used vacuum cleaners before!

The overall experience is not a chore any more, it reduces cleaning time and makes it pleasant, what more could you really ask for?

Great vacuum. Had it just over a year and it's still going strong.

Why does anyone but cheaper, cr@p hoovers and replace them every year? Doesn't make sense to me....

The Miele S5211 cleaner gets top revues everywhere you look.After a year, not a week, like some reviews,I will give you my honest opinion of this machine,or at least the one that I own. It is a load of plastic junk!Yes, its suction is very powerful, but that in itself causes problems with accident prone hoovering.But my main complaint is the build quality - it started falling to bits within days of purchase.The tool cover sprang off, and continues to do so. The aluminium trim does the same. The main cover that houses the dust bag came off once. This happens because the tolerances between the cover location pins and their housing is too lax.Springs that have jumped out have to be located and fitted back in again,which might be a fairly complex job for some people.A month ago the cable return stopped working and 10 minutes of hard hoovering on the top suction setting now brings a overheating shut down!

Perhaps I was just unlucky with this particular machine...

I can't praise the Miele S5211 vacuum cleaner enough. I have just vacuumed my house which is predominantly wooden flooring except for 2 landing, 2 stairs and a rug in the living room. The suction is so strong that I am out of breath. There are various settings but why use a lower one when you can use the strongest. It picks up everything from the carpets leaving them looking like new. The various attachments are great too especially the cone for use on stairs. It really lifts the pile. I've had other brands over the last 15 years but this really wipes the floor with anything from the other big makers