Miele Olympus S2120 Review – As Good As It Gets

The simple fact of the matter is that, as far as canister vacuum cleaners are concerned, there is no better than the Miele Olympus S2120.

What do you get for your $299?

• Extremely powerful suction that has 6 different output settings. Choose from anywhere between 200 watts and 1200 watts.
• Despite the great power, the vacuum cleaner still retains very low noise output. It is near impossible to get the two features in the one unit if buying cheaply!
• Perhaps the best canister vacuum cleaner for hardwood floors too. This so-called expertise on hard surfaces may come at the expense of the performance on carpet somewhat (more on that later). If all you have is low-pile then you may be able to get away with it.
• High quality Miele vacuum bags which go the distance.
• Generous 7-year warranty on the suction casing and motor, and a 1-year warranty on everything else.
• Collapse-proof vacuum hose. Man, if I had a dollar for every time I had to attend to the collapsed hose on my old cheapie canister vacuum cleaner. I might be able to afford two of these!
• What about accessories? A dusting brush, crevice tool and upholstery nozzle are included, and all share the same quality hallmarks that the main unit does.
• Retractable cord.

Miele Olympus review

As mentioned in the introduction, about the only major thing that might let you down about the Miele S2120 is that it is not all that adept on anything thicker than low pile carpet. If you have hard floors, medium pile carpets and an obsession for Miele products, then you have two options.

1) Buy the Miele STB205-3 Turbobrush separately, which will be awesome for your deep carpets.

2) Buy the Miele Neptune which comes standard with the same Turbobrush anyway.

Of course, the first option is around $70 cheaper than the second option, and the differences between the Neptune and Olympus apart from the obvious (color) are cosmetic at best.

On the other hand..

If you don’t have any extra thick carpet in the house, the Miele Olympus is terrific and doing everything else.

The head of this vacuum is particularly adept at changing orientation to suit all of those tight areas in the home where you might not think you can get a vacuum head.

The whole unit is very light and the wheels move in any direction, which means that it is maneuverable and agile and it won’t scratch your delicate surfaces either.

What people love about this canister vacuum cleaner most is that it is so quiet considering the amount of power that it spits out! I don’t know if there is some heavy duty insulation in there or if the motor is just good at keeping the noise down, but the German made Miele Olympus has really outdone itself here.

It is so quiet that one guy was able to vacuum the house after he put his young daughter down for an afternoon sleep. I am sure some of us can relate to the advantage of that!

Any negatives?

Yes, there a few, but they are very minor and will not affect performance whatsoever. One of the things that I think could have been easily improved is the length of the vacuum cord. At a paltry 21 feet, I have seen $100 vacuums with longer cords than the S2120 but luckily it is not a game breaker.

Some also noted that the hose was a bit short, but I think this is because the design is trying to preserve some sort of ergonomic functionality.

If the hose were too long it would seriously compromise the ability of the person vacuuming to be able to drag it around the house without it getting caught on something or taking a chip out of the wall.

There are also the customary complaints that the vacuum bags are expensive, but one would have to expect that they would not be cheap given the more premium price of the Olympus vacuum itself.

On the other hand, the bags have spring loaded collars that self lock when the vacuum is in operation. They are highly effective at keeping the dirt where it should be, and that is inside the bag at all times. Although a cliche, there is a lot of truth in the you really do get what you pay for saying.

What are other people saying about the Miele Olympus S2120?

Average rating: Rating:

They love it of course! Aside from the minor flaws, they loved the quiet performance and extreme suction the best.

The castor wheels which can rotate through 360 degrees and are made of non-damaging rubber are also obviously sought after by people with delicate hard surfaces.

The weight and maneuverability were also huge. Fully loaded with attachments this canister vacuum is a more than manageable 13 pounds but without it is a supremely agile 10 pounds.

Consumers also loved the automatic shut off facility if for some reason, an obstruction became lodged in the inner mechanics which could cause the motor in a lesser vacuum to overheat and die.

Others noted that while the Olympus did not have a dedicated HEPA filter, it still left the air in the room cleaner than it found it and it was still better than some of the HEPA filters in some cheap vacuum cleaners.

“Publius” from New York, NY had this to say:

This is the entry-level Miele, but it’s 100% Miele. In other words, it’s powerful, durable and beautifully made. Decent stainless steel wand (though I prefer the longer 3-piece telescoping wand they offer on higher models), nice crush-proof hose, familiar Miele attachments, useful “dial” to regulate strength of suction, and the same Vortex motor used in the pricey S4 and S5 Mieles.

..the S2120 is definitely for people with more hard wood flooring and some area rugs. If you’re looking for a Miele, do not hesitate to purchase this high-quality entry-level machine.

Conclusion

The Miele Olympus S2120 has to be the best canister vacuum out for hardwood floors. There is just nothing worth seriously faulting with this machine.

The high quality craftsmanship of the vacuum and the more than useful tools and accessories are backed up by a tremendous warranty but I’m willing to bet it is rarely needed.

Even still, it is nice to know that it’s there anyway.

The Olympus is the cheapest Miele vacuum cleaner you can buy but it defies logic because there is no sacrifice in quality or performance despite it being the most affordable.

The only reason that other Miele canister vacuums are most expensive is because they have extra attachments made from more natural or hard-wearing materials, or in some cases have specialized HEPA filters and 100% closed air filtration systems.

This is a terrific vacuum at a value for money price and it will really open your eyes to the world of quality vacuums, especially if you have been used to department store offerings.

Filed under: Hardwood floor vacuum cleaners

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