Our Verdict: The Miele C3 Cat & Dog is one of our top recommendations for a vacuum cleaner. It’s powerful, easy to use, and great for cleaning almost any surface. The addition of the TurboTeq floorhead also makes it more effective for removing pet hair and fluff than the standard C3. If you need a strong vacuum that doesn’t cost a fortune, we highly recommend this model.
Miele Complete C3 Cat and Dog
Pros:
- Outstanding pickup on both carpet and hard floors
- Strong suction power and multiple strength settings
- Excels at sucking up pet hair from carpets
- TurboTeq floorhead improves performance on carpets and upholstery
- Easy to use and built to last
Cons:
- Expensive for a cylinder
- Bag replacement indicator isn’t always accurate
- No mini pet tool
As the name suggests, the Miele C3 Cat & Dog is designed to be effective at vacuuming pet hair. It has the same strong suction power as the C3 Complete, but with the addition of a turbo brush for getting hair out of upholstery and carpets. It also has an Active AirClean filter to reduce odours.
We’re big fans of the Miele C3 Complete Cat and Dog. It provides excellent cleaning performance on both carpets and hard floors, including cleaning pet hair. We also think features like automatic cable rewind, multiple power settings, and on-board tool storage make it a convenient vacuum to use around the home.
But does the TurboTeq floorhead really suck up even the toughest pet hair? Or are you better off buying the cheaper C3 Complete? We’ll answer these questions and many more in our Miele C3 Cat and Dog review!
Overview of this Model
- Two floorheads, including a TurboTeq floorhead for carpets and upholstery
- Active AirClean filter removes pet odours from exhaust air
- Multiple power settings for different floor types
- Self-closing bag system prevents dust and allergens from leaking into the air
- Power settings can be adjusted by foot for extra convenience
- Several tools including a crevice nozzle, upholstery nozzle and dusting brush
- On-board storage for tools
In-Depth Miele C3 Cat and Dog Feature Review
Appearance, Features and Design
As we’ve come to expect from Miele, the C3 Cat and Dog is well-designed and convenient to use.
The first thing to note is that this is a bagged cylinder vacuum, so you’ll need to spend a bit of money on replacement bags. Fortunately, the bags are simple to fit and remove, although we recommend buying genuine Miele bags as they provide extra filtration (more on that in the filtration section).
Due to the turbo tool and different filter, the Miele C3 Cat & Dog weighs a bit more than the standard C3 PowerLine at around 7.4kg. It’s certainly not suitable for our lightweight vacuum category (you can see our recommended lightweight models by clicking here), but we don’t think the easy-to-manoeuvre design is too tiring to use around the home.
As you would expect from a Miele vacuum, this is a sturdy model with a relatively large 4.5 litre dust capacity. It also has a comfortable handle for carrying up and down stairs, and the tube/hose reach is long enough to clean at least halfway up a staircase. This means you can clean the entire staircase without needing to put the vacuum on a step.
The body is supported by wheels, making it easy to move around the home. It’s also easy to use and much more mobile than the average upright – and many cylinder vacuums we’ve reviewed.
Additionally, Miele has a reputation for producing high-quality and reliable machines. If you need a vacuum that’s likely to last a long time, then we always think Miele is a great choice.
Suction Power and Performance
As we mentioned in the introduction, Miele C3 Cat and Dog can generate excellent suction power. This suction power, combined with the TurboTeq floorhead, provides strong cleaning performance around the home.
We think the Miele does a great job on both low-pile and deep-pile carpets. The TurboTeq floorhead is capable of removing the majority of dust that’s deep in carpet fibres, which is often a struggle for cylinder vacuums that don’t have a brush bar.
For stubborn pet hair, we think the TurboTeq is a big upgrade on the floorhead included with the regular C3. It does a great job of removing hair that’s caught in the carpet, even if you have a big Labrador or heavy-shedding cat.
A downside is that you’ll probably need to reduce the suction power when on thick carpets. It can be difficult to push when on its maximum setting, although it’s useful to have this power available when necessary.
For laminate and other hard floors, the basic floorhead (SBD 290-3) does a great job. It’s also powerful enough to pick up dirt, dust, and hair from between floorboards, while cleaning closer to the edge of skirting boards. In fact, it’s one of our favourite vacuums for hardwood floors.
The only area where we think the C3 Cat and Dog struggles is when cleaning larger debris on hard floors. The basic floorhead often pushes the debris around rather than picking it up, so you’ll need to lift up the floorhead to get it all.
For extra manoeuvrability, the floorhead is lightweight and comes with a pivoting design. You can also lower the brushes for better cleaning on hard floors.
Additionally, the model comes with electronic controls for variable suction power. This is a useful feature for reducing suction on certain surfaces such as carpets and vinyl flooring.
Ease of Use
We think the Miele C3 Cat and Dog is easy to use around the home. It’s not lightweight, but it’s mobile and has plenty of useful features. These include:
- The cable can be automatically rewound with a single press of the footswitch, saving you time and stress. This is an often-overlooked feature that makes using a vacuum more convenient, so we’re glad Miele included it with the C3 Cat and Dog.
- When you need to change the bag, the vacuum automatically closes the bag to prevent allergens leaking into the surrounding air. This makes the vacuum a solid choice for people who suffer from mild allergies, although for dust allergies we still recommend a vacuum with a HEPA filter.
- The cleaning radius is 12 metres with a cable that’s 8.5 metres long, so you won’t need to change plug sockets too often.
- A bonus of the C3 floorheads is the vacuum cleans right to the edge of carpets.
The Miele C3 Cat & Dog is also a relatively quiet vacuum, particularly when using the standard floor tool. The powered TurboTeq increases the volume noticeably though. The noise output also varies depending on which suction setting you use.
Filtration
While the vacuum doesn’t come with a HEPA filter (this is included with the more expensive C3 Total Solution Allergy model) the 11-stage filtration system, which includes an Active AirClean filter and sealed design, is a step up from regular filters – especially for pet owners.
The AirClean filter includes an extra layer of charcoal. This helps remove pet odours from the air to prevent your home suffering from that “doggy” smell after cleaning. The Active AirClean filter also has a useful indicator when it needs to be replaced (the filter should last between 1-2 years depending on how much you use the vacuum).
In addition to the filter itself, the bag fleece is designed to filter air multiple times. This process removes more small dust particles and other allergens.
Price
The Miele C3 Cat & Dog certainly isn’t the cheapest model on the market, with an RRP of around £300 (around £50 more than the C3 Complete.) We think that the combination of excellent suction power on both carpets and hard floors, odour-reducing filter, and self-closing bags makes the model more than worth the money if you have pets.
However, if you don’t have pets or lots of carpets in your home, then the standard C3 Complete is probably all you need.
Tools and Accessories
Several on-board tools are included with the Miele C3 Cat and Dog. These are a crevice tool, upholstery brush and dusting tool, in addition to the Turbobrush and standard floorheads.
While you shouldn’t expect the crevice tool to be as effective at picking up pet hair as the Turbobrush, it still does a decent job of cleaning those hard-to-reach areas. As you would expect from Miele, we think all of the tools feel well-built and durable.
However, there’s no mini pet tool included with the Miele C3 Cat and Dog. This is a shame, as a mini tool would have been useful for cleaning stairs, car seats, and upholstery. You can still use the TurboTeq floorhead for these tasks, but it’s less convenient than a smaller tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I Buy the C3 Powerline or the C3 Cat and Dog Powerline?
We reviewed the excellent C3 Powerline here, and while it’s cheaper than the Cat and Dog it’s inferior if you have pets. The filter doesn’t include the Active charcoal system and you only get a single standard floorhead (there’s no turbo brush). If you don’t have pets, however, then the C3 Powerline is still a great option.
Should I Buy the C3 Powerline or the C3 Cat and Dog Powerline?
We reviewed the excellent C3 Powerline here, and while it’s cheaper than the Cat and Dog it’s inferior if you have pets. The filter doesn’t include the Active charcoal system and you only get a single standard floorhead (there’s no turbo brush). If you don’t have pets, however, then the C3 Powerline is still a great option.
How Often Do the Bags Need To Be Changed?
The two vacuums are very similar, but there are some minor differences. For example, the C3 has a wider cleaning radius and foot switches for suction control. For more information, click here to read our in-depth comparison of the C2 and C3.
Miele Complete C3 Cat and Dog Specification Table
| Ninja Column 1 | Ninja Column 2 |
|---|---|
| Type | Cylinder |
| Bag | Bagged |
| Filter | Active AirClean |
| Price Range | £££ |
| Weight (kg) | 7.3 |
| Capacity (Litres) | 4.5 |
| Mini Motorised Tool | No |
| Hose | Yes |
Verdict
If you need a powerful vacuum for getting rid of pet hair while removing that unpleasant doggy smell, the Miele C3 Cat and Dog is one of the best options on the market.
It has strong suction power, durable design, and a relatively large capacity, while the two floorheads make short work of both carpet and hard-floor cleaning. There are cheaper options available, but we think the C3 Cat and Dog more than justifies its price for pet owners.
I have had many cats over the years and their hairs are imbedded into the carpets . In view if the expensive price of this vacuum is it worth it or could I get an equivalent at a lower price.
Mine is great. But you can’t take the turbo brush apart to get to the brushes easy. It’s a nightmare have to use scissors not ideal
Hands down the best vacuum I have ever bought and that includes Dyson. I have dogs and 3 vacuum cleaners, which gave me a false sense of cleanliness. What can I say, but the first bag was full after two rooms…I am absolutely shocked. This vacuum is a beast!!