Dyson is a popular brand synonymous with expensive vacuum cleaners. Here at Reviewed, we get a lot of questions from consumers about whether or not these floor cleaners are worth their premium price tags. In answer, we’ve put all the current Dyson vacuums to the test in our labs to see which ones perform and if any don’t. For the majority of people, the Dyson V11 Torque Drive (available at Dyson for $699.99) will cover all your bases.
Over the years, we’ve tested dozens of vacuum cleaners, from cordless vacuums and handhelds to uprights and robot vacuums. We like to think we know our stuff, and we back up our assessments with scientific data.
Our test results show that Dyson vacuums always live up to the brand’s claims—but, whether or not this is a value equal to or greater than their cost is a little more complicated to break down.
Here are the best Dyson vacuum cleaners we tested, ranked, in order.
Dyson Cordless:
Dyson Uprights and Canisters:
Dyson V11 Torque Drive
Dyson Ball Animal 2
How We Tested
What You Should Know About Dyson Vacuums
Other Dyson Cordless Vacuums We Tested
Other Dyson Upright and Canister Vacuums We Tested
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Powerful suction
Excellent UI
Expensive
Powerful suction
Cleaning performance
Heavy
Expensive
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is the most powerful vacuum we've ever tested.
Hi, I’m Jon Chan, the senior lab technician at Reviewed. If you clean with a product then it’s likely I oversee its testing in our labs. This includes everything from laundry detergents to full-sized vacuums. When it comes to cordless vacuums, I like models that provide excellent battery life and value.
When it comes to cordless vacuums, vs. uprights and canisters, our performance expectations are different, so we use different testing methods for each category. Since Dyson makes each kind, we decided to break this list into separate contests. We don't, after all, want to compare apples with oranges.
We used sand that was around 450 microns wide to conduct our dirt pickup test.
Cordless vacuums: When we test battery-powered vacuums, we’re looking for longevity, ease of use, and powerful suction.
To test battery life, we charge each model for 24 hours. Once charged, each vacuum is run at its highest settings and timed until it stops working. If the vacuum doesn’t meet its manufacturer’s advertised claim about its total runtime, we take note and adjust our expectations to see if, under laboratory conditions, the vacuum can still adequately do its job.
Cleaning shouldn’t be complicated, so we take note of how intuitive the design of the vacuum is: Can we figure out how to use it without opening its manual? We also consider the little things, like how easy it is to use and how quickly we can change a vacuum’s attachments, plug in the charger, store the vacuum, or empty its dirt bin.
To test their cleaning power, we placed 20 grams of sand on a testing platform covered in medium-pile carpet. Before use, this sand is sifted through a specialized mesh to ensure a consistent size of grains between 420 and 595 microns. After evenly spreading the sand across our test platform, we run each vacuum over the carpeted platform once, on max settings. We also check to see if each vacuum can pick up large debris like uncooked rice and macaroni. This test is conducted twice: once with the vacuum’s motorized head and once with its crevice tool.
Upright and canister vacuums: We hold uprights and canisters to much the same standards. Each vacuum is subjected to a battery of tests on surfaces ranging from deep-pile carpet to bare kitchen floors. The carpet tests revolve around the ability of each vacuum to pick up embedded dirt and pet hair. On bare floors, we’re more focused on seeing if a vacuum can pick up large debris like uncooked rice and macaroni.
Aside from cleaning, we also test how easy each vacuum is to use. We check to see how easy it is to lug up a set of stairs, the length of its power cord, and the number of attachments it comes with.
Whenever you see a Dyson V8 Absolute or a Dyson V8 Motorhead, you’ll know the difference between them is the attachments included. Typically Trigger and Motorhead models come with the fewest attachments, while the Absolute models come with the most.
On older models, Animals have more attachments than All Floors.
Dyson makes uprights, cordless models, and canisters.
Overall, when consumers think about Dyson vacuums, they’re primarily considering cordless options. For the most part, cordless vacuums should be viewed as supplementary cleaning tools to be used in between heavier cleaning sessions where you would use an upright or canister vacuum, which typically offer a more powerful performance. You’d also want a cordless vacuum in situations where a full-sized vacuum is too cumbersome.
This said, if you’re willing to pay a higher price for the privilege, it’s possible for a cordless vacuum to stand toe-to-toe with a full-sized vacuum—with a few caveats. The top-rated Dyson V11 Torque Drive has a suction force similar to that of an upright vacuum, but you'll only be able to use it for this level of cleaning for about 9 minutes before it runs out of power and needs to be recharged.
In many cases, the only difference between a cordless vacuum and hand vacuum is the cordless vacuum’s long extension, which allows the brush head to reach the floor.
Although rare, some two-in-one–models come with a handheld vacuum that can be removed and used to clean without the floor extension—a real bonus when you’re cleaning furniture or a flight of stairs. The best example of this is probably the Miele TriFlex, which can transform into three different modes to tackle just about any situation.
LCD screen
Removable battery
Unwieldy
Expensive
Powerful suction
High dirty capacity—.77 liters
Expensive
Can be awkward to hold when cleaning furniture
Powerful suction
Large number of available attachments
Only seven minutes of battery life on high
Powerful suction
Compact design
Expensive for a hand vacuum
Self-righting design
Superior reach
Weak suction
Lightweight for an upright
Weak suction for a Dyson
Self-righting body
Brush head designed to tackle hardwood can capret
Weak suction for how much it costs
Expensive
Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.
We use standardized and scientific testing methods to scrutinize every product and provide you with objectively accurate results. If you’ve found different results in your own research, email us and we’ll compare notes. If it looks substantial, we’ll gladly re-test a product to try and reproduce these results. After all, peer reviews are a critical part of any scientific process.
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