Miele vs Shark

Which brand to buy

Long-lived budget machines exist on both sides, which surprises people who assume only the German brand lasts. Owners of the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe NV360 at $150 report units running 6, 12, even 15 years with nothing but filter rinses; owners of the Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction at $309 report 9-year machines running like new and talk of 20-year lives. The difference is the format. Shark has no canister, and Miele has no upright, so the real choice is a bagless upright you push against a bagged canister you pull.

For carpet and pet hair the Shark uprights are hard to beat at the price: Shark Stratos Upright owners at $498 say its DuoClean PowerFins head pulls fur their older Navigator left behind, though at its weight owners call it cumbersome. Miele's Classic C1 models have no electric powerhead, and owners say they suit hard floors and low pile; the Miele Guard L1 Electro at $1067 is the Miele for wall-to-wall carpet. For allergies, Miele owners praise sealed bags with no dust at emptying, while NV360 owners vouch for its sealed HEPA system. For noise, Miele wins easily. In cordless sticks, the Miele Triflex HX2 at $619 trades suction for build quality and a self-standing body, while Shark offers self-emptying sticks such as the Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty at $549 and a 5-year warranty on its sticks against Miele's 2.

Buy Shark for carpet, pet hair and self-emptying convenience on a budget, and accept bulk and some tip-over complaints. Miele makes more sense if you have mostly hard floors, want a quiet sealed canister, or need a stick you expect to outlast the warranty.

Miele vs Shark: common questions