Miele Guard M1 Parquet XL Bagged Canister Vacuum for Hard Floors

Smoothly. The wide Parquet Twister XL head glides over hardwood, laminate and vinyl plank, and the canister follows along on its swivel wheels without much tugging. Four suction levels, picked with a foot button, let you go gentle on delicate floors.

Not for a full-size machine. The Guard M1 weighs 14.8 lb, and carrying it by the handle between rooms, or even between buildings, is easy. The Parking System holds the wand on the canister when you pause, so there's no hunting for somewhere to lean it.

Quiet. Low running noise comes up again and again with the Guard M1, and Miele also describes it as low noise. Miele doesn't publish a decibel figure for this model, so there's no number to check, but it's an easy machine to run while others are home.

Area rugs, yes, once suction is turned down. There's no beater bar, so deep-pile carpet isn't what it's for, and the Guard M1 doesn't work with Miele's electric floorheads. The AllTeQ head has a footswitch for thin carpet, which covers most rugs and low pile.

It's mixed. Miele quotes a 36 ft operating radius for the Guard M1, and the cord rewinds with one touch. In one home it still meant replugging more often than expected, so larger rooms may need a mid-clean outlet change.

Yes. It takes Miele HyClean Air CO bags, which Miele says use recycled material and close up for dust-free disposal. You'll need to keep a supply of them, since bags are the ongoing cost.

Two floor heads (the Parquet Twister XL brush and the AllTeQ universal head) plus a built-in crevice nozzle, dusting brush and upholstery nozzle. The telescopic EasySlide wand adjusts for height.