If you’re looking to buy a Dyson, it’s not as simple a proposition as it used to be. As well as a range of price points (none of them exactly budget-friendly, it should be said), there are now cordless vacuums for hard flooring only, for larger homes and for smaller apartments.
Until recently, Dyson’s cordless vacuum cleaner launches followed a pretty straightforward pattern, with updated models introduced most years. But more recently, the brand expanded its offering to include a number of specialist cleaners such as the Omni-glide, the V11 Outsize and the Micro, as well as bringing in new technology to its V-series of cleaners, including the green laser and piezo sensor.
That’s not even mentioning Dyson’s robot vacuum cleaner, the Dyson 360 Heurist.
Below, we round up the best Dyson cordless cleaners we’ve tested and describe their strengths and weaknesses, so you can choose the best Dyson for you.
Where to buy a Dyson
The most obvious places to check are the Dyson UK and Dyson US sites. However, that’s not necessarily where the best deals are. In the US? Check out Target and Walmart. If you’re in the UK, have a look at Currys, John Lewis, Argos, AO.com and Very.
V15 Detect
- Outstanding cleaning
- Swappable battery
- Laser lights up dust
Cons
- Short battery life for carpets
- Full charge takes 4.5 hours
The V15 Detect is crammed with all of Dyson’s latest technology. The green laser illuminates dust you might otherwise miss. Meanwhile the piezo sensor works in conjunction with the LCD screen to analyse and display the number of particles of dust you’re vacuuming up in real time. The screen also displays troubleshooting info and the remaining cleaning time.
The suction has improved from the V11: the V15 is a powerful vacuum that’s good on both carpet and hard flooring. But bear in mind that vacuuming on carpet will eat up its battery life – you’ll only get 20 minutes with the high-torque brush in Auto mode. Still, the battery is swappable and if you invest in a second one, you can double the potential cleaning time to two hours.
The V15 Detect comes with some redesigned accessories, including the clever Hair Screw tool which winds hair away and into the bin, saving you from having to remove it by hand.
Read our full Dyson V15 Detect review
Omni-glide
- Manoeuvrable
- Easy to use
- Light
- Slim
Cons
- Short battery life
- Small bin
- No grip on the handle
The Omni-glide is one of Dyson’s specialist cordless cleaners. It’s designed for hard floors only. Although it’s not quite as light as the Micro (1.9kg/4.18lbs vs 1.5kg/3.3lbs), it feels virtually weightless in operation, thanks to the four casters on its base, which also allow it to move in every direction. It genuinely does glide.
It has a maximum battery life of 20 minutes and charges in 3.5 hours. But there’s no way to tell when the battery is running low (until it goes dead), so you’ll want to keep it charged.
We gave the Omni-glide our Appliance of the Year award in 2021 for its brilliant design. But that doesn’t mean it’s flawless. It’s no good on carpets, it has a tiny bin and its handheld mode is the opposite of compact.
Buy it if: You live in an apartment with hard flooring and clean regularly. It’ll make vacuuming a breeze.
Read our full Dyson Omni-glide review
Dyson V12 Detect Slim
- Green laser and piezo sensor
- Cheaper and lighter than V15 Detect
- No need to depress a trigger to vacuum
Cons
- Less powerful than the V15
- Smaller bin that can easily clog
The latest release from Dyson crams all of the V15’s flagship features into a lighter, slimmed-down model, weighing just 2.2kg/ 5.2lbs. It has a maximum runtime of 60 minutes (on Eco mode – you’ll get just 8 minutes in high-powered Boost mode) and it charges in four hours. It has a swappable battery as well.
Best of all are its flagship features: the green laser diode that’ll make dirt, dust and hair impossible to miss, and the piezo sensor that works with an LCD screen to show you the number and size of dust particles it’s vacuuming up. Even more usefully, the screen will show you how many minutes of vacuuming time you have left. It comes with the handy Hair Screw tool as well.
But there are compromises to be made: it’s only as powerful as the 2018 Dyson V10, and the bin is small (0.35 litres/ 0.1 gallons) and clogs easily.
Buy it if: You want the latest Dyson tech in a lighter, easy-to-use model.
Read our full Dyson V12 Detect Slim review
Cyclone V10
- Powerful
- Good balance of power, weight and battery life
Cons
- You'll be missing out on the newest tech
The Cyclone V10 was Dyson’s first cordless vacuum that could really provide a compelling alternative to a corded cleaner. Now, it’s a well-priced way to get a powerful Dyson with good suction – as long as you don’t mind missing out on LCD screens and lasers.
We say well-priced – but this is still a Dyson and it’s not cheap. Still, you should be able to buy the Animal model for around £350 in the UK, and we reckon this is the best value edition. Unfortunately, it’s not quite as budget-friendly in the US, where it’ll still cost $499-$550, depending on the model.
The V10 is great on carpet and hard flooring, weighs a reasonable 2.68kg/5.9lbs, comes with a good array of accessories (but what you get depends on the model you choose and where you buy).
Buy it if: It’s long been superseded in power and features but if you want a good multi-purpose Dyson, this is your best value option – in the UK at least.
Read our full Dyson Cyclone V10 review
V11 Absolute
- LCD display
- Auto mode
Cons
- Price
- 4.5 hour charge time
The V11 Absolute is a powerful cordless cleaner. It has excellent suction and some great features. Its LCD screen shows how long you can vacuum on your current settings with the battery life left and displays troubleshooting graphics in the event that something goes wrong.
The V11 has a maximum of 60 minutes’ battery life, which the screen should help you maximise. The battery takes 4.5 hours to charge but newer V11 models have the option of a swappable battery, which will allow you to double your cleaning time.
Opt for the Absolute over the Animal and you’ll also get the Torque head, which automatically detects the surface it’s cleaning and adjusts the suction accordingly.
In fact, the only issue with the V11 is its price, which has remained remarkably steady since its launch. It still costs around £600/$600 which is not significantly less than the much newer, tech-crammed V15 Detect.
Buy it if: You want an all-round great cordless cleaner and you’ve spotted an excellent deal on it.
Read our full Dyson V11 Absolute review
V11 Outsize
- Powerful suction
- Swappable battery
- Plenty of accessories
- LCD screen
Cons
- It's heavy
- The trigger adds work
- It doesn't come with a second battery
Its specs are top-notch, its features are brilliant and it comes with a treasure trove of accessories. But this is a heavy vacuum cleaner that’s a pain in the arm to use.
Dyson’s Outsize is a supersized version of the V11, made especially for people with supersized abodes. If you have lots of vacuuming to do but prefer the convenience of a cordless, it’s made for you. Its extra-large dustbin (1.7 litres) is one of its handiest features as you won’t have to keep pausing to empty it.
Don’t buy it for your granny, though. This is a heavy vacuum cleaner that makes vacuuming hard work as much as it makes the job faster.
Buy it if: The Dyson V11 Outsize is the one to go for if you have a large home with acres of carpet.
Read our full Dyson V11 Outsize review
Micro
- Light
- Great handheld mode
- Easy to use
Cons
- No use on carpets
- Very short battery life
- Clogs easily
The Micro is a handy grab-and-go cleaner. It’s the lightest cordless cleaner that Dyson has built: at 1.5kg (3.3lbs) it’s narrower and lighter even than the Omni-glide. This makes it an excellent handheld vacuum.
But although it is designed like a mini version of the V series of cordless cleaners, it has its limits. It’s no good on carpets or rugs and, thanks to its bin, which is tiny (0.2 litre) and in-line, it can quickly become clogged with hair and fluff that you’ll be pulling out by hand.
There’s also the matter of battery life. It has a maximum runtime of 20 minutes, but unlike many other Dyson models, you will need to use the MAX power mode sometimes, which will limit you to 5 minutes of cleaning. Then it’ll need to charge for 3.5 hours.
Buy it if: You already have a main vacuum cleaner, but you’re looking for a handheld for light dusting.
Read our full Dyson Micro review
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