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Let’s address the obvious point first. Whichever way you look at it, the best part of 750 sheets is a heck of a lot to pay for a vacuum cleaner, even one made by Miele – a German brand with a proven track record of turning out well-designed, high-end domestic appliances. So, what do you get for your money, and is it worth it?
Included in the box is the central power unit, a handle, a long suction tube, the main brush head, a dusting brush attachment, an upholstery nozzle, a crevice nozzle, a roller for delicate carpets, a roller for hard floors, two batteries, a standalone battery charger and a wall mount.
It’s clear from the offset that the Triflex HX2 Pro is a quality product. All of the pieces are sturdy and well-made and look like they were built to last. Also, despite its compact size, Miele claim that it is the most powerful vacuum cleaner they have ever produced. A promising start.
Design
The second most striking thing about the Triflex HX2 Pro after its hefty price tag is its design. It looks like a service droid you might see on cleaning duty on the flight deck of Darth Vader’s Star Destroyer – not for everyone but I happen to like its clean, futuristic lines.
Thanks to the smart 3-in-1 design, the separate pieces can be configured in several different ways giving users the option of using the Triflex HX2 Pro as a small handheld cleaner, a stick cleaner or a more traditional upright cleaner. Changing the configuration is a breeze and the parts snap together with a reassuringly solid ‘click’.
Performance
The cleaner is lightweight, it clocked in at just under 4kg on my bathroom scales, and easy to handle in all modes. It has good manoeuvrability and feels comfortable and robust in the hand. One downside is that it will only stand up by itself in upright mode. If you want to store it in stick mode you’ll need to use the supplied wall mount.
Also, when placed down on a flat surface in handheld mode it rolls around like a Weeble that’s just downed three pints of ale. A minor quibble, but annoying nonetheless in a product that is otherwise so well designed.
There are three power settings on the Triflex HX2 Pro – min, eco and max. It is relatively quiet in all modes meaning you won’t wake up the neighbours should you fancy doing a bit of midnight vacuuming, if that’s your thing.
The suction power is excellent, even on the eco setting. The vacuum had few issues snarfling up anything I threw at it save for feathers from cushions that embed themselves into the fabric of my sofa. This is probably more of a statement about my boujee taste in interior design than a flaw in the Triflex HX2 Pro. The pesky little blighters have defeated every other vacuum cleaner I’ve owned, and I usually have to resort to teasing them out with tweezers.
Perhaps due to the impressive suction power, the dust container gets filled up very quickly. This isn’t helped by the fact that it is very small, around 500ml. Upon emptying it, I was surprised to see how little dust/fluff it took to fill it up – about the same amount you’d find in the average hamster’s little plastic house.
This isn’t such a problem if you only use the Triflex HX2 Pro to say, vacuum out your car or for quick tasks around the home, but emptying it mid-clean can get a little tedious if you are using it as your main cleaning device.
Battery life
Another mark against the TriFlex HX2 Pro is the relatively short battery life. Miele say that it should last up to 60 minutes on a single charge, but I was getting a little less than this - perhaps due to my slightly overenthusiastic switching of the power modes.
The inclusion of an extra battery gets around this problem somewhat as it means, if you are organised enough, you can always have a fully charged spare to swap in should the one you’re using conk out. But it’s not the most convenient or elegant solution, especially when you consider a flat battery takes four hours to fully charge.
Verdict
There’s no denying that the Triflex HX2 is a quality bit of kit. It’s stylish, quiet in operation, feels comfortable in the hand and has genuinely impressive suction power. Of course, this all comes with a hefty price tag attached. But then, if you really do want what is essentially the Rolls Royce of cordless vacuum cleaners you have to expect to pay top dollar for it.
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Alternatives
Miele Triflex HX2
If you are craving the Miele experience but don't want to splash out on the Triflex HX2 Pro, the regular model Triflex HX2 could be yours for nearly £200 less.
It has the same nifty 3-in-1 design as its big brother and comes with the same suite of accessories. You only get one battery though so you really have to stay on top of your charging game.
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Bosch Unlimited 7
Another possible option for those with shallower pockets is the Bosch Unlimited 7. Like the Triflex HX2 Pro, the cleaner can be used in handheld or stick mode and has a separate charging dock for the battery. It comes with a reassuring 10-year guarantee and Bosch claim that the battery will keep it running for a respectable 40 minutes.
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Shark Samba
An even cheaper option is the Shark Samba. This small handheld cleaner has its own charging dock so that it can be put tidily out of the way when the battery needs topping up. It's not really suitable for use as a main device though as its small size and short battery life, less than ten minutes, limit it to taking on anything more than quick clean ups.
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