Choosing the Best Dyson Vacuum: An In-Depth Buying Guide

Dyson V11 is one of those products that, as long as you have some money around to splash out on, it will give a significant boost in terms of features and performance. It's a user-friendly stick vacuum with superior torque that is designed to suck and trap all kinds of debris in your house.

This top-rated Dyson vacuum has a low-profile design to allow you to get into tight spaces, making it an ideal choice for stairs, under furniture, or along your baseboards.

The (Dynamic Load Sensor) DLS system of this stick vacuum can go across all floor types effectively while automatically adjusting suction speed accordingly. This enables the cleaning head to detect which floor it's running on and change to the level of power optimal to the task.

This automatic suction adjustment ability makes the whole experience more efficient and easier for most customers. The runtime is also improved and is much better than previous models. On top of that, despite its powerful motor, the Dyson V11 is a surprisingly quiet machine, thanks to an acoustic engineering effort that can soak up vibration noises.

But smart features are the unique point that sets this high-end vacuum apart from other competing products and wins the top place in this Dyson vacuum machine comparison.

I believe the LCD screen is one of the most exciting features on this vacuum. Not only does it show real-time reports, but it is also able to tell you about the status of the filter and battery, so you can make proper adjustments.

Apart from its exorbitant price tag, the only major issue comes from its size, which is bulkier than older versions and may make it harder for you to maneuver.

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Even though Dyson V7 is a pretty old model from 2017 and the market has seen many of its successors with many added features and functionality, it's still a great machine that can serve you well for many years to come. And compared to newer versions, the price of the V7 has gone down a lot, making it a perfect choice for those who want to make the most of their money.

The cleaning head was a talking point when the V7 was introduced and scored for it a high Dyson vacuum rating. After many years, it's still one of the best you can have right now.

It includes both tough and soft bristles. While the softer ones work great for tile floors, the tough bristles are ideal for carpets. Thanks to this dual design, you won't need to search for any other tool no matter what type of floor you have at home.

As a (former) high-end vacuum, the Dyson V7 proves its value with solid performance. Among the tests I have done, this unit gave almost perfectly cleaning results, except rice and cereal on hardwood floors. As long as they are not the kind of mess you face regularly, this should not be a big issue.

You can even transform this vacuum into a handheld unit for more convenience and versatility. On top of that, it comes with a wall-mounting dock that also acts as a charging station. This compact setup allows you to store it anywhere and not necessarily on your precious floor space.

However, when I compared it to newer machines, the Dyson V7 couldn't beat them in terms of run time. While the V10 and V11 gave me almost one hour of cleaning, this number of the V7 was just barely 30 minutes. You also must remember that this vacuum doesn't feature a HEPA filter, which is perhaps its biggest drawback.

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The Dyson V10 Absolute is a marvelous product of engineering that can justify its price tag. It comes with everything a customer could ever need from a high-quality cordless vacuum.

This machine from Dyson has a unique and versatile design with many high-tech features. Its cyclone motor - a signature part of Dyson vacuums - has 14 concentric array cyclones, generating a powerful force to pull debris and dirt into the dirt bin. You are free to choose from three cleaning modes, which are started with a soft-touch trigger.

The filtration system is able to trap bacteria inside so that the exhaust air doesn't contain any dirty particles from what you have sucked up. The V10 Absolute is also fairly quiet during operation as it has been engineered to soak up vibrations and bring down sound levels.

When it comes to real cleaning performance, those features are not just awesome on paper but also able to translate into great results. People will immediately think of a corded vacuum when they need a consistent, powerful deep cleaning. But the V10 can address this issue as well.

Battery issues are probably the most common problem of this V10 Absolute. Many customers have said that they got random, inconsistent run times between charges. In addition to that, whenever you need to repair or replace any part, it may take you some time to receive the necessary part.

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Like other Dyson vacuum cleaners, Dyson V8 Absolute is an impressive machine if you can afford it. But this time around, this model is designed specifically for those looking for a convenient stick vacuum that can provide both great versatility and power at the same time.

The V8 Absolute has a sleek modern look, a clear indication that Dyson has put serious effort into the design. The weight is distributed evenly so you can push it around and dust off your floors and furniture easily. You can even convert it into a handheld unit by removing the neck.

Furthermore, thanks to the bagless design, you won't need to take the V8 apart to empty collected debris. Just pull the lever and dump the dirt into your dirt bin.

This machine also gives you a choice to choose between the regular and the maximum power mode so you can have an extra boost in suction while dealing with tougher messes. But you must remember that this Max cleaning mode draws more power from the battery, and in turn, reduces the run time tremendously.

No matter which modes you intend to use, the digital motor of the V8 will give you a consistent, powerful suction to pick up dust, pet hair, dirt, and other kinds of debris on your floors. It's so effective that you may need only one pass most of the time, especially carpets and hardwood floors.

However, with that being said, this great stick vacuum still has some issues, from the most basic thing like the on-off switch. The V8 Absolute doesn't have a standard switch but features a trigger-style button instead, which requires it to hold it down continuously the whole time. This may become a huge hassle over time when you need to cover a large area.

On top of that, the V8 Absolute can't really stand up by itself, so every time you need to pause vacuuming a bit, you need to put it against something.

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As a manufacturer of high-end vacuum cleaners, it's obvious that Dyson didn’t forget to build a model for pet hair - a common source of headaches for pet owners. As a result, Dyson Ball Animal 2, with a powerful performance and various tools included in the box, is the best answer for this issue.

The suction of the Ball Animal 2 is so strong that many customers even see it as a drawback when they struggle to handle it during operation, especially on high-pile carpets. Apart from that, it's an easy-to-use vacuum that you can even clean all your 10 stairs at a time thanks to the long reach.

Even though it's officially a pet hair cleaner, the Ball Animal 2 still retains one of the strongest selling points of Dyson vacuums: versatility. This model comes with a huge variety of attachments to make sure you can deal with pet hair effectively in all situations.

And of course, you can find a HEPA filter equipped in this vacuum to make sure that all bacteria and allergens are captured and trapped before you get rid of them.

As I've said above, the most common complaint people have for this pet hair vacuum is its powerful suction, making it a less ideal choice for thick carpets, where the Ball Animal 2 sucks so hard that you may find it harder to maneuver around.

On top of that, this pet hair version seems to be cheaply made and doesn't have the same durability of other Dyson vacuums even though that it still eats a big chunk of your budget.

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Sometimes the best machine for a situation is not a full-sized, full-featured vacuum cleaner but instead a smaller and more portable handheld unit like the Dyson V7 Trigger. It is a cool-looking machine that is lightweight yet capable of handling most debris you may face at home.

The most significant upgrade of this new Dyson machine over the previous version, the V6, is the dirt bin design, which features a releasing mechanism that actively pushes down the dirt you've collected instead of relying solely on gravity. This makes emptying million times easier with less mess, even though many large pieces of debris may still get stuck on the filter.

Like its bigger brothers, the V7 Trigger also features two cleaning modes: standard and max. While the V6 uses a simple button to let customers switch between them, which you may accidentally touch, the V7 Trigger has a slide switch that works as intended.

The V7 Trigger is made primarily only for spot cleaning. That's why it doesn't come with any extension wand, meaning you can't take advantage of this powerful vacuum to clean your floors. But as long as you put it where it's supposed to be, this machine can deliver an impressive performance.

To make sure that users don't need to clean its filters often, Dyson has equipped this portable machine with 15 cyclones to prevent debris and dust from clogging up the filtration system.

However, there is no HEPA filter in this vacuum, which you can only find on its higher-end and more-expensive version, the Trigger Pro. Additionally, the batteries don't seem to be able to deliver a long run time, especially when you turn on the Max mode.

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The Ball Multi Floor 2 has so many differences compared to other Dyson vacuums that you can immediately spot when you unpackage it. It has a big volleyball-like ball right above the cleaning head, a transparent yellow body with many strange parts under the hood. There is a good reason Dyson has adopted this design: all those unique features make the Ball Multi Floor 2 one of the most versatile and maneuverable upright vacuums on the market.

This machine is a stripped-down version of the Ball series in order to provide more maneuverability instead of industrial-grade suction or a huge variety of attachments. Dyson doesn't even give you many buttons to push or settings to choose while vacuuming.

The cleaning head is self-adjustable according to the floor you're vacuuming, which it detects automatically using pressure sensors.

For example, when you put it in the upright position, the Ball Multi Floor 2 will automatically switch the suction from the cleaning head to the hose. It's really a handy feature in contrast to other manual machines that you need to turn a knob or handle. Furthermore, the noticeable ball helps the vacuum steer swiftly with just a turn of the wrist, so you should have no trouble maneuvering it under your furniture or switch between floors.

With those signature features, the Ball Multi Floor 2 will please you with its cleaning results. It picks up almost all debris with just one pass, except when it comes to high-pile carpets. The cleaning head has difficulty lifting itself high enough to accommodate big debris on the surface.

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What Is The Best Dyson Vacuum?

They have a lot of similarities

It's not surprising that Dyson vacuums often share a similar set of designs and features. Most of the best Dyson vacuum cleaners are HEPA-equipped bagless machines that you can maintain the filtration system by washing the filters monthly. There are also Cyclone and Ball technologies that are usually featured in Dyson models.

The Ball technology is a common feature on Dyson vacuums. Via: Amazon

However, there are still stark differences in purpose and capabilities between them, especially when it comes to body style.

At the end of the day, there is a reason Dyson has put out so many vacuums on the market. As a result, to know which Dyson is the best, you must figure out which features set each model apart from the other and make it the right choice for you.

Body Design

You can notice this difference immediately when you put a lot of Dyson together, including canisters, uprights, and stick vacuums.

Upright models are a general-purpose design that can deal with almost every kind of debris you have at home, especially for pet owners or areas with heavy traffic. Their dustbins are typically larger, so when there is a lot of debris around, you can extend the vacuum session before needing to dump the collected dirt.

On the other hand, stick vacuums are more versatile and portable, with some of them being able to be converted to a handheld unit after a few clicks. However, the capacity of their dustbins tends to be smaller, meaning you must empty them more often to keep proper suction.

A canister vacuum from Dyson Via: Amazon

When you need a vacuum with heavy-duty capabilities and a large dustbin of an upright in the form of a compact and maneuverable machine like a stick vacuum, have a look at canister models. Even though you have to drag a big canister along behind you, once everything is in position, you can enjoy a highly maneuverable experience.

Weight

The weight of Dyson vacuums varies between different series. While stick vacuums are more lightweight at around 7 pounds, the weights of canisters and uprights tend to be two or times as much. This sometimes makes them a big challenge to handle, especially when you need to clean between furniture or different floors.

As a rule of thumb, if what you're seeking is a machine for quick daily cleaning, always consider a stick vacuum first.

Attachments

Usually, each Dyson vacuum comes with a name indicating its particular version, such as Torque Drive, Outsize, Absolute, Animal, etc. This also shows how many extra tools Dyson gives you in the box. The expensive Absolute models generally include the most attachments while the more basic Motorhead vacuums have the fewest.

Attachments for Dyson handheld vacuums Via: Amazon

Power Source

Corded or cordless, the choice is totally up to you as there is no definite answer to this. Battery-powered vacuums will allow you to enjoy a hassle-free cleaning experience when you don't need to care about cleaning reach or power outlets. But keep in mind that the run time will depend heavily on the capacity of the batteries and the power mode you're running.

On the other hand, Dyson corded machines are more powerful since they draw power directly from an AC outlet, allowing for more coverage in a single vacuuming session. But their long power cords might be a tedious issue to deal with at times.

Wrapping Up

You're going to spend a lot of money if you opt for the best Dyson vacuum anyway, so you need just as well make the most out of them by having an idea of what you plan to do with a Dyson vacuum first.

As long as everything is figured out, comparing Dyson vacuums and picking out a good one among those expensive machines will be a lot easier.

If you want to learn more about them...

If there is one Dyson vacuum that has caught your eye, check out these detailed Dyson vacuum cleaner reviews.