Batteries are taking over from corded electric appliances. In recent years, battery-powered or cordless stick vacuums have become the item of choice for many homeowners. With improved battery technology and advanced, energy saving motors, stick vacuums are able to compete outright with large, bulky corded machines.
Dyson Stick Vacuums Reviewed
A few years back, Dyson upgraded their range of stick vacuums - giving you more power, versatility and longer working times. The Dyson range of stick vacuums continue to be the number one choice for many people. There are many reasons for this. Even the junior model, the Dyson V6 offers a great range of features and all the power that you need to keep your home spotless. In this article, we'll be reviewing their 5 most popular stick vacuum cleaners the Dyson V6; Dyson V7; Dyson V8; Dyson V10 and the range topping Dyson V11 Absolute.
It's easy to choose the perfect Dyson stick model for your needs and now we're going to help you decide, by taking a comprehensive look at the top Dyson cordless vacuums and what they have to offer.
1. Dyson V11
For many years, people around the world have come to expect Dyson to manufacture superb stick vacuums. Now, they’ve set the bar even higher by introducing a new model, the Dyson V11. There’s some really advanced technology that has gone into this machine and there are three options: V11 Absolute, V11 Animal, and V11 Torque drive.
All three Dyson V11 models share the essentials. This being an improved 14-cyclone suction system which is an upgraded version of the Dyson concentric cyclones that we’ve come to love and respect. They use the same digital motor with computerized management and touch controls.
The nickel-cobalt-aluminum battery has to be one the best used for a cordless stick vacuum and can provide up to 60-minutes runtime. You can choose whether to use maximum power, or conserve battery power, with one of three settings – ECO mode, Auto, or Power Boost. The unit weighs only 6.68-pounds and has a pretty impressive 0.2-gallon dust cup with one touch hygienic emptying.
All the Dyson V11 stick vacuums have a convenient docking station and a battery charger. This is also one of the quietest vacuums ever made.
The difference between the three options for the Dyson V11 stick vacuums is all about the accessories that you get as standard. There are also options for the finish and look of the vacuum. The Torque drive cleaning head is common to all the V11 stick vacuums and is one of the best for both carpets and hard floors. By using of a combination of nylon bristles and carbon fiber filaments, it reaches deep into carpet fibers and lifts fine dust from hard floors. The Dyson V11 Absolute also includes a second soft roller brush, which is the best for sensitive hardwood floors.
The V11 Animal, Torque Drive, and Absolute come with a mini motorized tool, which is great for cleaning upholstery. They also include the regular stuff that you’ll get with most Dyson stick vacuums – a crevice tool, combination tool, soft cleaning brush, and a stubborn dirt brush. The Dyson V11 Absolute also includes a handy wand storage clip.
This new Dyson stick vacuum is a leap forward in convenient home cleaning. Regardless of which variation, it’s incredibly powerful, with remarkable working times. Choosing between the three, might be just about which one looks the coolest. The range topping Dyson V11 Absolute has additional tools that could come in handy.
2. Dyson V10
The Dyson V10 Absolute is the top of the line cordless stick vacuum in the Dyson lineup. It is the most expensive and comes with the full array of accessories available for the V10 range.
Like all Dyson V10 vacuums, it uses their latest digital electric motor. This along with 14-tier cyclonic suction system, provide improved suction and increased battery working time of up to 1-hour. Managing the battery consumption is made easy with 3 power settings and a trigger switch which stops the motor when released.
The design of the Dyson V10 Absolute is sleek, ergonomic and practical. It has a length of 48.9-inches, a depth of 9.8-inches and a width of 10.2-inches. It weighs 5.05-pounds and has an oversized dust cup with a capacity of 0.77L (0.2-gallons). When designing the Dyson V10, the dust cup was improved to allow for quick, dust-free emptying directly over the trash can.
The direct drive cleaning head uses a powerful bristle brush, designed to reach deep into the carpet fibers and is ideally suited for both high and low pile carpets. The Dyson V10 Absolute includes a soft “fluffy” roller brush which makes it the best for hard floors, collecting large debris from hard floors better than any of the other V10 models and polishing the floor to a shine as it cleans. It has the same washable, HEPA filters that used for all Dyson V10 vacuums. These remove 99.97% of the particles in the air and captures dirt as small as 0.3-microns.
The Dyson V10 Absolute comes with a wall-mounted docking station. It converts, very easily into a lightweight cordless vacuum and has all the accessories as standard: combination tool, crevice tool, mini soft dusting brush, and the mini motorized tool for removing pet hair from upholstery.
3. Dyson V8
For the best cleaning power and features from a stick vacuum, you can’t beat the Dyson V8. It has even better battery life than the V7, an incredible 40 minutes. The direct drive cleaning head has also been improved on this model and the brush bar power is 150% more effective than that of the Dyson V6 (twice as effective as the V7).
The Dyson V8 has an impressive array of accessories that make it the ultimate cleaning machine, ideal for pet owners and people with allergies. You get all the same tools as you would with the cheaper models and quite a few more.
A mini-motorized tool allows you to remove pet hair and stubborn dirt from your upholstery and other areas where pets leave fur and debris. For gentle dusting of sensitive furniture, you get a soft brush attachment. It also has a soft roller cleaner head for cleaning up large debris. HEPA filtration means that it cleans the air of virtually all allergens up to 99.9% of particles removed from the air.
The weight of this model goes up marginally to 5.8 LBS. I doubt anyone would even notice this difference and the Dyson V8 is still a very easy machine to use in any situation. With all these extra features and hardly any extra weight, I can see why many people would be prepared to pay extra for the Dyson V8 stick vacuum. It has taken cordless vacuum cleaning convenience to a new level.
4. Dyson V7
If you're looking for a stick vacuum that is more suited for a larger home, the Dyson V7 will be a much better option than the V6. The larger models (V7 and upwards) have a larger dust bin (0.4 gallons) and have a better battery that will give you a longer working time - up to 30 minutes for the Dyson V7.
Apart from the extended working capabilities of this machine, the Dyson V7 has some other advantages over the smaller model.
In addition to the standard combination tool, you also get a crevice tool that's better at cleaning tight spaces. The Dyson V7 has a direct drive cleaner head that provides 75% more brushing power than the V6.
A higher level of technology, extended battery life, and a larger bin make the Dyson V7 stick vacuum a better option for people with larger homes and those who expect improved cleaning capabilities from a cordless vacuum cleaner. This vacuum has a slight weight disadvantage compared to the smaller model, weighing 5.3 LBS. While it's certainly not a heavy machine, this is a slight compromise to make for the extra power and bin.
5. Dyson V6
Being the cheapest in the range means that the Dyson V6 stick vacuum is more limited than the others. This is not to say that it's not worth the money that you're paying for it. Quite the opposite, in fact, the Dyson V6 is a well-priced stick vacuum with exceptional power and is perfectly suited for smaller homes.
The Dyson V6 stick vacuum has a motorized head with stiff nylon bristles that are highly effective at removing dirt from all types of flooring.
To improve its performance on hard floors, the cleaner head also has carbon fiber filaments that remove fine dust that clings to your tiles and wooden floors. It also has a combination tool to clean crevices and surfaces.
It weighs a mere 4.5 LBS, so it's the perfect machine for cleaning anywhere. It's fantastic for cleaning stairs and hard to reach areas effortlessly. Where the Dyson V6 doesn't match up so well to its more expensive stable mates is in its battery time and bin size. The battery in this model has a rated working time of up to 20 minutes and the dustbin holds 0.11 gallons. This shouldn't be a hassle for smaller homes, but cleaning a large area will probably mean that you'll have to recharge the battery before done (battery charge time is 3.5 hours) and you'll need to empty the bin quite often. So, for a small house or apartment (2 bedrooms), the Dyson V6 stick vacuum is ideal and very affordable.
Comparison of the Dyson Cordless Vacuums
Let's look at what all the Dyson stick vacuums have in common.
These Dyson models have an elegant modern design and are as beautiful as they are hard-working. If you look beyond the modern fashionable styling and stunning metallic colors, these machines are designed to incorporate the best that modern technology has to offer. The Dyson digital motor offers you the best suction using the least amount of battery power. So you get exceptional working time. Furthermore, the motor is ultralight and positioned to give you a perfect center of gravity. This means that even when you're cleaning up against the ceiling with a fully extended wand, you won't feel any strain. The powerful Dyson digital motor sucks in 15 liters (3.96 gallons) of air every second.
Dyson has patented a two tier cyclone system that efficiently removes micro particles from the air as it cleans. Even before the air can reach the filters, a powerful centrifugal motion spins the dust into the bin. This provides cleaner, allergen-free air, prolongs the life of the filters and also reduces the need to clean the filters as often. There is no bag and the washable filters never need replacing, so you won't have any running costs for the life of the machine. The dust collection bin is designed to be hygienic and easy to empty.
Motorized and direct drive cleaner heads, as well as a soft roller cleaner head, give you the versatility to clean any surface perfectly. On top of all this power, Dyson stick vacuums offer excellent convenience like the docking station that's designed to serve as a wall mounted storage hanger. Your Dyson cordless vac can be stored with the least amount of hassle whilst charging at the same time and it takes up virtually no storage space. With the wand removed, it's perfectly compact and easy to use in tight spaces - this makes the lightweight Dyson stick models one of the best for cleaning the interior of your car. Being a cordless stick vacuum, you can use it anywhere and never need to worry about long extension cords getting tangled up.
The trigger switch is another innovation that makes Dyson vacuums so great. By moving away from a traditional on/off switch, it saves power and prolongs your working time. Every time you release the trigger, the motor switches off immediately. This saves the usual delay time between when you stop working with vacuum and reach over to switch it off. This may only be a few seconds but can happen many times during the course of a cleaning operation. All these valuable seconds add up to minutes and, when using a battery, this time makes a big difference. You also have a Max power boost switch that will increase the power for up to 6-minutes, this gives you the extra power when you need it whilst also reducing the amount of charge that you drain from the battery.
All Dyson cordless stick vacuum cleaners come with a 2-year limited warranty for domestic use. The limitations are pretty standard. So as long as you use the product properly, you'll be covered for parts and labor should any defects become apparent during this period.