IFA 2026: Miele adds mopping and balance to its HX3 vacuum

Miele showed its new Triflex HX3 cordless vacuum lineup at IFA 2026, running September 4–8 at Messe Berlin, with a revised chassis, longer claimed runtime and the company’s first dedicated mopping attachment. The range starts at $849 in the US and tops out at $1,249 for a two-battery model with the Aqua Twister head.

The HX3 is not a ground-up redesign of the Triflex platform. Its main change is how the machine carries its weight. Miele has shifted more mass toward the lower part of the vacuum to reduce the load at the user’s hand and wrist during floor cleaning. The motor and dustbin can also be repositioned depending on how the nozzles are configured, letting owners choose a lower center of gravity for floors or a more top-heavy arrangement for ceiling corners and other elevated surfaces.

The modular design still supports several operating modes. The HX3 can be converted into a self-standing vacuum, a conventional stick vacuum or a handheld cleaner, and Miele says the transition back to the freestanding configuration is easier than before. Push-button controls replace a more fiddly interaction. Other usability changes include simpler dustbin emptying, finer particle capture, automatic detection of floor type and the ability to stand upright without leaning against furniture or a wall.

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Miele rates the HX3 for up to 70 minutes of runtime and says that is enough to clean 1,700 square feet on one charge. Some versions include a second Varta lithium-ion battery, but the claimed runtime does not establish how long the vacuum lasts in its higher-power modes or with the mopping head attached.

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HX3 performance and the Aqua attachment

Miele also says the HX3 improves pickup on both carpet and hard floors. The demonstrations at the event used simulated sand and pet hair rather than a controlled laboratory protocol; the vacuum reportedly removed most or all of the test pet hair in a single back-and-forth pass, while the simulated sand was picked up from hardwood without difficulty.

The demonstrations indicate the machine’s intended behavior, but they are not an independent benchmark. The previous Miele HX2 had a full price of $1,100 and performed poorly in sand tests on low- and mid-pile carpet during earlier lab testing. Its design was also considered less convenient than lighter cordless models from Dyson and Shark. The HX3's lower starting price addresses part of that problem, although the $849 model does not include every attachment in the range.

The HX3 also adds a temporary Boost mode that delivers more suction than the standard highest setting. The trade-off is explicit: Boost runs for only 10 seconds because it consumes battery power rapidly. On the mopping version, attaching the Aqua head changes Boost behavior so that it dispenses more water for 30 seconds.

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The HX3 Plus Aqua models use Miele’s Aqua Twister Pro Floorhead, a mopping attachment with two counter-rotating washable pads, a 300-milliliter water tank and a 360-degree light. Water delivery is adjustable, allowing the user to increase flow for larger spills or reduce it for lighter cleaning. The head includes two washable pads, a drip mat and a 17-fluid-ounce bottle of FloorClean in the configurations that bundle the attachment.

Miele’s design leaves the base vacuum hardware and core capabilities consistent across the range. That means an entry-level buyer can add compatible heads later rather than having to choose every feature at purchase. The limitation is that the initial package determines which tools and batteries are included, so the $849 sticker price is not equivalent to the fully equipped $1,249 configuration.

US pricing and included hardware

The six configurations announced for the lineup are:

The HX3 Hardfloor configuration is listed as an Amazon exclusive. The other packages differ mainly in the included floor head, pet-cleaning tool, mopping hardware and battery count rather than in the vacuum’s basic motor or platform capabilities.

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The pricing makes the upgrade path less straightforward than the model names suggest. The entry-level HX3 costs $251 less than the Aqua Plus, but adding the mopping system and a second battery requires moving to the $1,249 package. The HX3 Plus, at $1,099, includes two batteries and a hard-floor roller but no Aqua Twister. Buyers choosing between those models are paying for a specific cleaning workflow rather than a different base vacuum.

The new range also arrives as robot vacuums face additional uncertainty in the US. The FCC has placed restrictions on future robot vacuums, raising questions around security, supply, price and availability, while Miele’s HX3 remains a manually operated cordless product. The HX3's main changes are mechanical—balance, modular placement, suction and water delivery—rather than connected-home features.

Miele’s earlier HX2 price and carpet results give the HX3 a basis for comparison, but the IFA demonstrations do not yet prove that it fixes the HX2's weakest lab result. Independent testing will need to establish carpet pickup, actual runtime across power modes, dust filtration and whether the 10-second Boost limit is enough for difficult debris. The specification sheet supplies the price and attachments; it does not supply those measurements.