With one click, I turned Miele’s new cordless vacuum cleaner into a mop for my filthy floors – but is this 3-in-1 appliance worth the hefty price tag?

The Miele Triflex HX3 Aqua promises to combine the brand's powerful cordless vacuuming technology with a separate AquaTwister mop attachment, giving you the option to vacuum carpets and hard floors before refreshing surfaces with a wet clean.

I put it to the test in my busy family home to see if it could compete with the best vacuum cleaners and the best vacuum mops on the market. While there's a lot to be impressed with, it isn't without its compromises. Here's everything worth knowing.

In a nutshell

I've tested my fair share of vacuums and vacuum mops, but the Miele Triflex HX3 Aqua is one of the most versatile models I've used. As a mum of three, I rely heavily on both mopping and vacuuming my floors daily, so convenience is key - and Miele has put a lot of thought into the design. It has a clever three-in-one configuration, with a generous selection of attachments, and a wall bracket to store everything.

Performance is where the Triflex HX3 Aqua really shines. I was really impressed by its suction on carpets, which left them looking and feeling noticeably cleaner than my usual vacuum, and the AquaTwister attachment left my hard floors looking fresh and streak-free. It isn't the lightest model, and it did feel heavier to push on carpets, but the results made up for the extra effort.

The separate AquaTwister mop attachment means you get a proper cordless vacuum that can also mop hard floors, rather than a hard floor cleaner trying to do everything - a real advantage if you have a mix of carpets and hard floors, or limited storage space. I did personally find swapping between the two floor heads a bit of a hassle, and it did interrupt my cleaning routine more than I'd have liked.

Throughout testing, I was always conscious of the £789 price tag. It's undeniably expensive, and whether it's worth the investment does really depend on how much you'll use the mop function, as there are many more affordable hard floor cleaners out there. But while I didn't find it flawless, its excellent cleaning performance and thoughtful design do still make it an easy vacuum to recommend.

How I tested

Rebecca Lawton

I'm Rebecca, and I write freelance content for Ideal Home, where I test a variety of cleaning appliances. With three children, my home is a constant testing ground for any cleaning tool, and I'm always on the lookout for upgrades that make everyday life a little easier.

I tested the Miele Triflex HX3 Aqua in my busy family home every day for two weeks, on both carpets and hard floors.

Specifications

• Weight: 3.6 kg
• Dimensions: 1297 x 260 x 280 mm (H x W x D)
• Max run time: Up to 70 minutes
• Modes: 3
• Water capacity: 300ml
• Bin volume: 0.5L 
• Charge time: 4 hours
• In the box: cordless vacuum, wall mount, power supply unit, removable battery, multi floor XXL electrobrush, 2 x mop pads, cleaning solution, Aqua Twister, crevice nozzle, dusting brush, XXL SPD 20 upholstery nozzle, accessory storage
• RRP: £789

Unboxing, setting up and first impressions

The Miele Triflex HX3 Aqua arrived in a sturdy cardboard box. Although it wasn't particularly light, it was still manageable to carry inside myself. Inside, I found another box, this time branded with the product images.

It opened sideways, and straight away I could see everything was neatly packed. Many of the components were wrapped individually in paper bags, rather than plastic, which left me with a good first impression.

After removing the top layer of moulded cardboard, however, I was greeted with the full collection of parts and accessories. I'll admit, I felt a little overwhelmed at first as there are a lot of different pieces to get your head around.

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Alongside the vacuum itself, the box included the Aqua Twister attachment, wall mount, power supply unit, removable battery, multi-floor XXL electrobrush, two mop pads, cleaning solution, crevice nozzle, dusting brush, upholstery nozzle, accessory storage, quick-start guide and user manual.

From a sustainability point of view, the packaging scored well. Most of the protective wrapping was paper-based and easy to recycle, although there were a couple of foam and plastic bags which weren't clearly labelled with disposable instructions. Overall though, it did feel like Miele had made an effort to reduce plastic packaging.

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One of the standout features of the Miele Triflex HX3 Aqua is its three-in-one design. The PowerUnit can be placed at the bottom of the suction tube to reduce wrist strain when cleaning larger areas, or positioned at the top to help clean under low furniture. It can also be removed altogether and used as a handheld device for stairs, upholstery and smaller cleaning jobs.

To get started, I placed the unit in the bottom position by attaching it to the floor head. It clicked together easily and intuitively, including the removable battery, which simply slides into place underneath the PowerUnit. Within a couple of minutes, the vacuum was fully assembled and ready to use, and more straightforward than I was expecting considering all the different components in the box.

Before I could use it, I needed to charge the battery, which took around 4 hours to reach full charge - fairly typical for a cordless vacuum. The digital display shows the percentage charge while it's plugged in, so it's easy to track how long a full charge takes.

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Using the Miele Triflex HX3 Aqua

As a vacuum

There's a small digital display that sits on the top of the handle of the Miele Triflex HX3 Aqua, with a power button and two controls underneath. The button on the right lets you switch between three suction settings (Eco, Low and High), while the one on the left activates the Boost function, delivering 10 seconds of extra suction power when you need it.

By default, the vacuum starts in Eco mode, which is a medium power level designed for normal, everyday soiling. While it uses FloorDetect technology to adjust the suction power and brush speed depending on the floor surface, it doesn't detect heavier dirt or debris, so you need to switch to High mode or the 10 second Boost function to tackle tougher messes. You can also manually switch between the three power settings, but doing so drains the battery much quicker when using the highest setting.

To familiarise myself with the vacuum, I started by taking it for a spin around the downstairs of my home, which has a mixture of both carpet and laminate flooring.

The vacuum activates in the same way most modern cordless models do - by placing your foot on the floor head and pulling the handle backwards. It glided smoothly over hard floors; it felt lightweight in hand, and the flexible swivel head made it easier to manoeuvre around corners and furniture.

One thing I did notice was that in Eco mode, while the suction power was enough to pick up everyday crumbs, it wasn't quite as powerful when there was larger debris, so I found myself switching to High mode, which made a noticeable difference in cleaning performance and tackled the bigger mess with ease.

The first time I used the Miele Triflex HX3 Aqua on carpets, I was surprised at how different it felt to manoeuvre. It didn't feel as lightweight or glide as effortlessly as it did on floors, and I found myself applying more manual effort. I've got to say, though, that the results were much more impressive. The suction power was immediately noticeable, and it lifted a lot of dust and debris from my carpets. Compared with my regular vacuum, they looked and felt cleaner after just one clean.

I also put the Miele Triflex HX3 Aqua through its paces with a number of controlled tests, which is part of how we test vacuums at Ideal Home. The 'debris test' involves throwing various sizes of debris on the floor and seeing how quickly and effectively the vacuum picks it up.

I scattered some flour, crushed Cheerios and Weetabix across my kitchen floor, and then, keeping the vacuum in Eco mode, I passed it over the debris. While the vacuum had no trouble picking up the flour, it struggled with the bigger mess and pushed the Cheerios further along the floor. I switched to ‘High’ suction mode, and this did make a difference, although it still took a few further passes before it completely picked up everything on the floor.

One thing I did notice was that the estimated remaining battery life dropped much more quickly when I used the higher suction setting.

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I then repeated the same test on carpet, and the results were more impressive here. Within the first pass, the vacuum lifted most of the mess and left my floors looking noticeably cleaner.

Overall, although I did need to apply more effort, I did find the vacuum's performance stronger on carpets than on hard floors, particularly when there was larger debris to tackle.

Using the attachments

The Miele Triflex HX3 Aqua also comes with a selection of smaller attachments designed to tackle areas beyond floors. While I think these are useful additions that add to the vacuum's versatility, how much you use them will come down to your own cleaning habits.

I started by testing the upholstery nozzle on my stairs, using the vacuum in handheld mode. It was comfortable to use, and I didn't feel any strain while cleaning the steps, but I was a little disappointed with the nozzle's performance.

It doesn't have any bristles, just a rubber edging, which I didn't find as effective at picking up embedded debris. My stairs were left looking cleaner afterwards, though, and it was convenient to be able to switch to handheld mode rather than reaching for a separate vacuum.

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The dusting brush was another useful addition, and I used it to clean my sideboard and other surfaces. It did make a difference to the amount of dust collected, although I personally couldn't see myself replacing my usual dusting method with it for a full clean.

The crevice nozzle was probably the attachment I found the most useful. My breakfast bar stools are a magnet for collected crumbs and trapped dust, so it came in really handy here - its suction power was impressive, and it was satisfying to see how clean the chairs looked after.

As a mop

While the Miele Triflex HX3 Aqua is first and foremost a vacuum, it also comes with a separate AquaTwister mop attachment for mopping hard floors. Setting it up was really simple - there are two round cleaning cloths which attach onto the bottom of the mop easily (they stick on like Velcro).

The AquaTwister mop has a removable plastic water container which sits on the top of the floorhead. To remove it, there's a yellow release button on the inside that you press to remove the container.

I then turned it upside down on a flat surface, removed the rubber stopper and filled the tank with the recommended amount of cleaning solution and water, following the ratio instructions in the manual. Once filled, I popped it back in place and swapped the standard vacuum floorhead for the AquaTwister attachment, ready to start mopping.

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One feature I particularly liked about the Miele Triflex HX3 Aqua is that it cleverly detects the change in attachments from the vacuum floorhead to the AquaTwister, so you don't need to change any settings as it adjusts automatically.

As soon as I switched it on, the twin rotating pads started spinning, and the LED lights illuminated the floor ahead to help spot any hidden dirt.

Straight away, I could tell I wouldn't need to do much work; the mop feels like it has a self-propelling motion and it glided effortlessly across my floors. In use, it reminded me of the Shark Steam & Scrub Automatic, which also uses rotating pads. The main difference is that the Shark is a steam mop and arguably feels more powerful, whereas the Miele is designed as an attachment rather than as a dedicated steam mop.

My floors were left with a light layer of moisture and felt noticeably cleaner, and they were dry enough to walk on within a couple of minutes.

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I also had an ideal opportunity to test its performance on bigger spills after accidentally spilling some coffee on my kitchen floor. Considering the spill was fairly large, it removed most of it within the first pass and lifted most of it after a couple more passes. It left the floor looking much cleaner with very little effort on my part.

Afterwards, I could just throw the mop pads in the wash, which made the clean-up process feel quick and hassle-free.

Cleaning, storage and maintenance

Cleaning the Miele Triflex HX3 is relatively straightforward, but like most floor cleaners, it requires basic upkeep. There is a 'Max' mark on the dust container, but the manual recommends emptying it before it reaches that level. To remove it, first detach the PowerUnit from the main vacuum, press the release button on the side of the dustbin, and lift it away from the main unit. The lid can then be opened over a bin, using the release catch on the bottom.

For deeper cleaning, the vacuum has a two-stage filtration system made up of a pre-filter and a fine-dust filter. Miele advises cleaning the fine dust and pre-filter at least once every three months, but when I removed it after a couple of weeks, it was already covered in dust and dirt, so it really depends on how often you're going to be using the vacuum.

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The roller brush can also be removed using the arrow on the flap on the side of the floor head. When I did this, I was shocked at how much hair (I won't lie, I'm definitely the culprit) was wrapped around the brush. Luckily, it was easy to remove and cut away with scissors.

I appreciated the fact that the mop pads were coloured, as I've previously tested white ones, and even though they're washable, it can be hard to keep them looking their best. These mop pads are machine washable, and as they remove easily, maintenance feels very straightforward. Miele also supplies an extra couple of pads, which is a small touch but genuinely useful.

Although the Miele Triflex HX3 comes with several different attachments, it also includes an accessories holder and a wall bracket, so everything can be stored compactly together when not in use.

How does it compare to its predecessors and similar models?

The Miele Triflex HX3 Aqua builds on its popular lineup of cordless vacuums, particularly the original Triflex HX1. Like its predecessor, it features Miele's 3-in-1 design, allowing the unit to be positioned in different ways depending on the task.

The main addition with the HX3 Aqua is the AquaTwister, so you can use it to mop floors, too. Rather than replace the traditional vacuum design, Miele has introduced mopping as an additional feature, so it doesn't scrimp on performance. The most noticeable difference is the price point, as the HX3 is significantly more expensive, but it's a huge step up in terms of versatility.

In terms of other brands, it's worth comparing to the Bosch Unlimited 7 Aqua, which is also a cordless vacuum with a mopping function. Our reviewer also scored it 4 stars. The main differences are that it does have a lower price tag and the attachments are arguably more effective, but the battery life isn't as long, and the dustbin is smaller, so it will need emptying more regularly.

How does it rate online?

At the time of testing, the Miele Triflex HX3 Aqua was still relatively new, but I did find a handful of reviews across different online retailers.

On Miele's website, the cordless vacuum has seven reviews and an impressive 4.7-star rating. Users praise it for being practical and versatile, with one reviewer describing it as a significant improvement on the HX1. The only notable criticism was that emptying and cleaning felt more complicated than expected.

There are a further six reviews on Currys, with customers awarding it a 4.2-star rating. Opinions were slightly more mixed, although customers still praised its strong cleaning performance. The main criticisms centred on the separate vacuum and mop attachments, with one reviewer feeling the machine was overpriced for what it offers.

It's also stocked on John Lewis, and has a 4-star rating. Feedback told a similar story: some users were really impressed with the vacuum suction and mopping function, but the separate mopping and vacuuming attachments and ease of use made it less convenient to use.

Verdict: Should you buy the Miele Triflex HX3 Aqua?

I do think the Miele Triflex HX3 is a great choice if you're looking for a premium cordless vacuum that can do more than just pick up everyday dirt. Its impressive suction, flexible design and added AquaTwister attachment make it a versatile option for homes with a mix of hard floors and carpets. It's particularly ideal if you want to avoid having multiple cleaning appliances taking up valuable storage space.

At £789, it won't be the right choice for everyone. If you mainly need a hard floor cleaner, there are more affordable options available, and if you prefer a vacuum that can mop and vacuum at the same time, switching between the attachments may feel like an inconvenience.

Overall, if you want a high-quality vacuum with the flexibility to tackle everything from carpets, stairs and upholstery to refreshing hard floors, the Miele Triflex HX3 is a strong contender.