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  • Design and Usability

  • Related content

  • Attachments

  • Performance

  • Should You Buy this?

  • Related content

  • Design and Usability
  • Related content
  • Attachments
  • Performance
  • Should You Buy this?
  • Related content

Pros

  • Powerful suction

  • Excellent UI

Cons

  • Expensive

The V11 is smarter and more efficient than its predecessors. The suction power automatically adjusts based on floor type—more power for carpets and less for smooth surfaces—and the remaining battery life is displayed on an LCD screen that faces the user. No more nasty surprises when the battery dies halfway through your living room.

Design and Usability

When you're paying top dollar, you expect attention to detail. And as usual, Dyson sweats the small details.

The V10 (in front) and V11 are near the same size, but the V11 is a pound heavier and has automatically adjusting suction.
Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan

The V10 (in front) and V11 are near the same size, but the V11 is a pound heavier and has automatically adjusting suction.

The V11 Torque Drive is roughly the same dimensions as the previous model, the V10 Absolute, but weighs in at 6.68 pounds, about one pound heavier. That added weight comes with an improved interface. You're probably not used to the idea of a vacuum having an LCD screen, but it's totally a plus. The screen tells you, down to the second, how much cleaning time you have left. When the V11 is fully charged, that turns out to be a decent amount of time.

The Dyson V11 has a whole-body filter system.
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

The Dyson V11 has a whole-body filter system.

On its lowest settings, the Dyson V11's battery can run for about an hour, which is sufficient for maintaining your light cleaning. For the big jobs, like embedded dirt, the V11 shifts to "Boost" mode that ramps up the suction power but takes a huge toll on the battery life: just 9 minutes and 30 seconds (approx.).

The LCD screen gives you down to the second, how much cleaning time you have left.
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

The LCD screen gives you down to the second, how much cleaning time you have left.

Your mileage may vary because the Torque Drive features dynamic load shifting—a fancy way of saying that the suction adjusts automatically based on the surface. The cleaning time updates if you switch from carpet to hardwood. It's a neat trick but the important part is that suction goes up and down based on the surface the vacuum is cleaning. You don't want too the brushes to spin too hard on wood floors, lest they scratch everything up.

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Attachments

The V11 comes with a brush head, a mini motorized tool, a crevice tool, a hard dusting brush, a combination tool, a soft dusting brush, and a clip-on tool carrier.
Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan

The V11 comes with a brush head, a mini motorized tool, a crevice tool, a hard dusting brush, a combination tool, a soft dusting brush, and a clip-on tool carrier.

The main brush head is the titular Torque Drive with a beltless motor for greater durability. However, even with the Dynamic Load Shift, it's sometimes too wide for cleaning cars and upholstery. For that, you should use the mini motorized tool. Those two are the standouts but our favorite attachment actually doesn't clean. It's an attachment clip that fits onto the wand. The clip lets you carry up to two tools securely. In the past, Dyson has tried various methods to help you manage all your attachments, including a $30 tote bag. This clip is the one method that actually seems sane to us.

Performance

A quick shot of the Dyson V11's powerful suction in action.
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

A quick shot of the Dyson V11's powerful suction in action.

Normally, when we test a cordless vacuum, we do so in a very regulated method. We place 20 grams of dirt that has an average grain size between 300 and 425 microns on a medium-pile carpet. The V11 aced this test, picking up 95 percent of the dirt we laid out for it. The next test we do involves picking up uncooked rice and macaroni. The engineers at Dyson clearly had concerns about their vacuum turning into a snowplow while in operation. The main brush head has crenellation-like gaps so debris does not pile up in front of it but rather sucked in.

The V11 picked up 95 percent of the dirt we laid out for it. The highest of any cordless vacuum we've tested thus far.
Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan

The V11 picked up 95 percent of the dirt we laid out for it. The highest of any cordless vacuum we've tested thus far.

Aside from our standard procedures, we wanted to turn the testing up a notch see what a pricey vacuum like this could handle. It just so happened that deep in the bowels of our headquarter's basement, we were setting off smoke grenades while running some unrelated tests. The result was a room full of fine, red dust that would challenge any vacuum.

We set the expensive Dyson V11 Torque Drive for a heavy cleanup job.
Credit: Reviewed / Kyle Hamilton

We set off a smoke bomb in a room (testing products is fun!) and used the Dyson V11 to clean it up.

In the end, the Dyson handled itself well. The automatically shifting suction was not as quick as we'd like but this is the most powerful cordless vacuum we've ever tested.

Should You Buy this?

The Dyson V11 Torque Drive is a good buy for those who demand excellence.
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

The Dyson V11 Torque Drive is a good buy for those who demand excellence.

If you're in the market for the best cordless vacuum, this is the one to check out. For the money, you're getting features and performance that no other manufacturer can provide. The LCD screen with real-time battery monitoring is a big upgrade, particularly if you've ever had a cordless vac die on you in the middle of a task. Also, the automatically adjusting suction ensures you're getting the proper clean on any surface. If you're the type of person that wants an immaculate home and car, this is the V11 is the best.

The downside for many of you will, of course, be the price. The V11 is about three times more expensive than our Best Value pick among best cordless vacuums, though it's not three times more powerful or convenient. If you just love the Dyson name (and hey, we get it!) there are older models, like the Dyson V8, with similar performance at a lower cost. You won't go wrong if you choose the V11, but it always pays to know your options.

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Meet the tester

Jonathan Chan

Jonathan Chan

Senior Manager of Lab Operations

@Jonfromthelab1

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.

See all of Jonathan Chan's reviews

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