Verdict

Pros

• Powerful, variable suction
• Outstanding carpet cleaning
• Excellent tools on-board
• LED headlights
• Exceptional filtration
• Very good cleaning reach

Cons

• Heavy to move and use
• Only average edge cleaning
• F-rated energy efficiency

What is the Miele Dynamic U1 Allergy?

Miele’s Dynamic U1 series is a range of full-sized upright cleaners packing the sort of power and tools that will make dirty carpets tremble. A top specification and packed with features, the Allergy vacuum tested here is the super-high filtration model, ideal for those who are sensitive to dust and pollen in the air.

With a 1,500W motor that borders on the EU power limit, large electronically powered rotating brush in a floor-head with LED headlights, and Miele’s huge 6-litre HyClean dust bags, the Dynamic U1 Allergy certainly means business. So can its cleaning performance make a mockery of its F rating for energy efficiency? Let’s find out.

Miele Dynamic U1 Allergy – Design and Features

There are no two ways to put this, Miele’s Dynamic U1 is a beast of a cleaner. It’s big, bold and tipped our TrustedReviews scales at over 10kg.

It has a fabulously long cable wound up on the body, which, at just over 10.5m, is among the longest vacuum cleaner cables we’ve yet seen – although the Vax U85-AS-Ce Air Stretch takes the crown with its 15m long cable. The length of the cable gives the U1 Allergy a truly vast cleaning radius.

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Once wrestled out of the box, the only setup required involves clipping the handle firmly into place – permanently, we discovered, after trying to detach it on repacking and returning the review sample.

Build quality and feel of the U1 is first-class throughout, from the solid handle and metal telescopic tubes, to the way the wand neatly clips into a cut-out in the rear. The on-board tools are equally robust and well designed. These include a superbly long and suitably pointy crevice tool, a good-sized soft-bristled dusting brush, and an equally chunky-looking upholstery tool.

The curved handle of the wand is much like those found on Miele’s cylinder machines, and is easy to hold and manoeuvre – even with the tubes extended. The hose isn’t exceptionally long, but it extends two to three times its compacted length and looks sturdy.

The vacuum’s main handle has a subtle curve that fits nicely in the hand, and offers a built-in quick-release cable hook. Your thumb falls neatly onto the two electronic switches on the handle: one is the main power switch; and the other disengages the electronic rotating brush for use on more delicate hard floors. A second handle positioned mid-back of the body if for carrying the cleaner around, should you be feeling strong.

Power is controlled in six stages, with little light-up icons for suitable floor types at each power. We’d have preferred a good old-fashioned rotary knob for power control, but Miele’s up/down buttons are close to the top and easy enough to get the hang of.

There’s also a full automatic mode, which adjusts the vacuuming power according to the floor covering over which the head is passing. It’s a little disconcerting at first – the cleaner rises or lowers the power as you change floor type – but it’s a superb feature, one that we defaulted to following a couple of weeks of use.

Miele’s HyClean U bags are supplied in packs of four, complete with two replacement pre-motor filters. A handy light on the front of the cleaner will display when the bag is full. T

he main HEPA AirClean (white) filter is located on the rear of the floor-head. An exhaust filter indicator, otherwise known as Miele’s Timestrip, slowly turns red, indicating a new filter is required when full. As a guesstimate, Miele suggests this will be required following approximately 50 hours of use.

Miele Dynamic U1 Allergy – Cleaning

After a quick warm-up, including light stretching, some squats and star-jumps, we felt ready to push the Dynamic U1 Allergy into action.

A few test sweeps without the power turned on allow you to become familiar with the weight in your hand, and the clever pivoting floor-head that Miele calls the Comfort Twister – two words that rarely end up in the same sentence for anyone who remembers the game.

It steers well, is smooth running on its wheels, and the main body drops right down to floor level to get under low-hanging obstacles.

However, there’s no escaping the laws of physics. The Miele Dynamic U1 Allergy is heavy, and pushing it back and forth requires a good deal of user effort. Powered up and running, the issue is exacerbated by the phenomenal suction of the vacuum. This adds further resistance to movement as it sucks down to the floor.

Before

After

How much this is going to be a problem will differ from person to person. I’m a fit and healthy guy – with a lightly used gym membership – and I really didn’t have a problem moving this cleaner around.

Jackie, on the other hand, is considerably lighter than myself and has some ailments that limit her power, particularly in the hands. For her this Miele proved a real chore to use.

So, putting user abilities aside, how does it clean? Exceptionally well. The main floor-head and turbo-brush combine with superb motor power to deep-clean carpets in a single pass – often pulling up dust that several previous test machines had left behind.

Out in the room, the carpet cleaning results simply can’t be faulted. Yet, like the Dynamic U1 Cat & Dog we tested last year, edge cleaning wasn’t the best we’ve seen. A fine line of test dust – a mix of carpet freshening powder and baking powder – remained visible after a single pass, even with the floor-head tight to the skirting board.

Before

After

On hard floors, with the electronic turbo-brush switched off, the U1 Allergy’s 1,500W motor left no dirt unturned – including stones. All debris in its path was cleared efficiently, and it cleaned deep into tile grooves with ease.

No pushing or flicking away of larger material – porridge oats in our test – was evident, and edge cleaning here benefited from the potent suction simply by dragging in debris from the side of the floor-head.

Other than the weight, the actual ergonomics of this Miele are first-class. The floor-head houses a useful row of LED lights – handy for tracking down dog hair tumbleweed in darkened recesses of the room – and the automatic carpet height adjustment works well as you bump up and down rugs.

The soft start motor builds up smoothly, rather than kicking in abruptly. Plus, for such a potent machine – drawing some 1,800W peak in our tests – it’s remarkably quiet at just 80dB on carpet with the turbo-brush running.