Reviews | Best Dyson Vacuum | Complete Guide to Dyson Vacuum Cleaners

What’s the best Dyson vacuum? That’s a tricky question to answer but we’ve put together this comprehensive buying guide on Dyson vacuums to help you decide which one is right for you. The key to choosing the best Dyson vacuum is by first deciding what primary task do you want your Dyson vacuum for. And by that I mean, do you want a vacuum for pet hair? Carpet? Hardwood floors? or do you want a Dyson vacuum to be equally as good on all surface types?

It’s really important to be honest with yourself as to what you need to keep your home clean.

Thankfully, Dyson makes exceptional vacuums for a wide range of applications and yes, they even make vacuums that are fantastic at cleaning everything. But truthfully, most vacuums excel in one thing. If you have a dog or a cat then obviously you’ll need a vacuum that’s designed for sucking hair and fur from your carpets and sofa, etc. And yes, they have a vacuum specifically for pets.

We review and discuss a wide range of models and I’m confident that you’ll find all the information you need to help you confidently choose the best Dyson vacuum for your home.

Best Dyson Vacuum for Pet Hair | Cinetic Big Ball Animal + Allergy

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A Brief History of Dyson

It all started back in the late 1970’s, with one highly motivated British man who realized the vacuum cleaners of that era were simply not good enough and he would show all the established companies how to do it the right way. This man is James Dyson, a design engineer and innovator. His dream back then, was to create a bagless electric vacuum, which did not lose suction power and was easier to maintain. However, in order to achieve success, he would have to fail repeatedly.

How many times did he miss?

Well, it took exactly 5127 prototypes before James finally managed to come up with a product that performed exactly as he wanted it to. He was on the edge of bankruptcy, and spent countless hours slogging away in a shed behind the house, burying himself deeper in loans hoping that one day it would all work out.

Today, Dyson is one of the largest technology companies in the world, and Sir James Dyson (knighted in 2007) has a net worth of £7.8 billion (that is 10.27 billion dollars!) as estimated by the Sunday Times Rich List of 2017. Dyson is not just a company that manufactures vacuum cleaners, they make all sorts of household appliances such as hair dryers, bladeless fans, bladeless air heaters, hand dryers, and recently they have started experimenting with the idea of robotic room cleaners.

We’ll discuss more about Dyson and their numerous patented technologies later in this article, but our primary focus will be to provide you with the information needed to purchase the best Dyson vacuum cleaner based on your unique requirements.

Along the way, we shall talk a bit about the different types of vacuum cleaners that Dyson makes, with an emphasis on what separates one model different from the other ones. Each generation of Dyson products is better than the previous one, and unlike rival companies, they do not diversify their product lineup just to sell more vacuums. Every single Dyson vacuum cleaner is specialized to take on a unique set of challenges, which is why it’s important that you understand the design intent of each model.

Some Dyson vacuums are better at dealing with hard floors, while others are designed for soft surfaces. There are Dyson vacuum cleaners for pet hair, furniture, upholstery, etc. Sure, they all come with a set of attachments, which allow them to clean a wide range of materials and surfaces. But at the core, each model is tweaked or modified to perform one specific task better than the rest.

In a surprising move, Dyson recently announced that they have ceased to invest in the research and development of corded vacuum cleaners. Why did they make such a decision, when clearly the majority of households still own corded cleaners? That is something we will explain shortly afterwards. For now, let us take a look at the best vacuum cleaners that Dyson offers in each category (corded as well as cordless).

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Reviews — Best Dyson Vacuum

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Dyson Cyclone V10 Series

Stick vacuums have always been designed with the purpose of providing their users with a lightweight and compact cleaning machine, but at the cost of power. Unlike upright, or canister models, stick vacuums consist of a thin, long broomstick style structure with the motor located within the pole. Sticks are best used for cleaning bare floors or light carpets. They are also good for reaching into tight spots and crevices because of their slim nature. Think of a stick vacuum as a handheld with an extension pole attached to the suction head. It would be the ideal vacuum design, but since it lacks power, you cannot really use it for anything more than cleaning up breadcrumbs or cereal from a hardwood floor or rug.

Dyson Cyclone V10 Technology : Models Absolute, Animal & Motorhead

Dyson however, thinks that the future lies in compact and lightweight models, which can deliver performance similar to what you expect from a full-sized vacuum. Until now, manufacturers were unable to put that kind of power into a compact stick platform because of the limitations of traditional induction motors. Even the best brushless DC motors used in existing stick vacuums are too big and heavy to realize Dyson’s ambitious vision. But this is Dyson we are talking about, if the technology does not exist, they will go ahead and create it themselves.

So, what do you think they did?

Of course, they went ahead and came up with an electric motor that is exponentially lighter, more efficient, and powerful compared to any other motor you will find in a household appliance. In fact, it takes inspiration from technologies found only in aerospace industries. The first time this brand new type of motor was introduced, it was called the DDM V1 (Dyson Digital Motor version 1). It weighed just 150 grams, and could spin at an astronomically high speed of 104,100 rpm.

VIDEO | What Makes the Dyson Cyclone V10 Digital Motor so Special?

https://youtu.be/Mt_t7XX3QOY

The DDM V1 was rated for 85 AW (Air Watts). Air watts are a measure of how effective the suction of a vacuum cleaner is, with a given motor wattage. In the real world, knowing only the wattage (W) of a vacuum cleaner motor will tell you nothing about its actual performance. A model with a 100-watt motor can outperform another with a 200-watt motor if it has a better air watts (AW) rating. All you need to know is that Hoover (world-renowned vacuum cleaner maker) recommends 100AW for an upright model, and 220AW for a canister/ cylinder model.

Now pay close attention to those numbers — 100 and 220 for upright and canister vacuums respectively. As we all know, stick vacuums are supposed to be one notch below upright vacuums in terms of power. However, the motor used in the latest and greatest Dyson, the V10, is rated for a maximum of 290AW! That is much higher than the recommended figure for full-size canister models, and gives you an idea of exactly what Dyson meant when they promised to build a handheld platform that would rival canister vacuums in terms of suction power. But they did not achieve this level of perfection overnight — it took 25 engineers and over 5 years of constant development, prototyping, testing, etc. to achieve the goal.

Speeds as high as 125,000 rpm | Dyson Cyclone V10 Vacuum Cleaners

The very first Dyson Digital Motor released back in 2009 weighed 150 grams and had an output of 85AW. The very latest version of the DDM used in the Dyson V10 series of stick vacuums weighs even less (125g), and is rated for 290AW, meaning that it is 16.6 percent lighter and 2.4 times as powerful. Of course, that is just the maximum rating of the motor and it will suffer from various losses while operating inside the vacuum cleaner.

Under actual usage, the V10 Absolute puts out 151 air watts of suction in maximum power mode, which is 25.8 percent more suction compared to the V8 (120 Air Watts). With 151AW, this is simply the most powerful cordless stick vacuum on the market (and, one of the lightest too).

VIDEO | Watch this Commercial for the Dyson Cyclone V10

What does all of this mean to the average consumer? Surely, you are not going to purchase a vacuum cleaner just so you can gawk at the numerical statistics printed on the box. Honestly, it is hard to explain how amazing the Dyson V10 is through an article. You would have to experience it yourself, in person to understand that the ridiculous claims made by Dyson are not just marketing tactics — they have the performance and science to back it up.

The Dyson Cyclone V10 stick vacuums are capable of cleaning anywhere, and on any surface. You can use it on tile, carpets, rugs, tile, hardwood floors, upholstery, ceilings, crevices, window blinds, etc. There are three variants of the Cyclone V10 — Absolute, Animal, and Motorhead. Now, let’s have a look at what makes each one of these Dyson vacuums so special, starting with the top of the line version, the Dyson Cyclone V10 “Absolute”.

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Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute

Best Dyson Vacuum to deep clean everywhere, including Hard Floors with its dedicated Soft roller cleaner head, which is unique to this model.

This is how Dyson describes the soft roller cleaner head: “Engineered with soft woven nylon and anti-static carbon fiber, for hard floors. Provides up to 40 minutes of fade-free run-time (in Suction mode I).”

Features:

• Quickly transforms to a handheld
• ‘point and shoot’ mechanism hygienically ejects dust and debris deep into your bin, in one action – so there’s no need to touch the dirt.
• Drop-in docking : The Dyson Cyclone V10 vacuum drops into the wall-mounted dock, to recharge it and tidily store tools. So it’s ready to grab and go.
• Soft touch trigger : Maximize cleaning time by only using battery power when you need it.
• Up to 60 minutes of fade-free power (using a non-motorized tool)
• Up to 20 minutes with Torque drive cleaner head (in Suction mode II) and up to 40 minutes with Soft roller cleaner head (Suction mode I).
• Three power modes : For any task on any floor type.
• Designed to deep clean homes with pets.

Technology Overview:

• 14 cyclones : Generate forces of more than 79,000g to fling microscopic particles – such as pollen and bacteria – into the bin.
• Powered by the Dyson digital motor V10 : Smallest, lightest, yet strongest motor Dyson has ever produced. Ceramic shaft instead of steel, it spins at up to 125,000rpm. Generates the suction power of a full-size vacuum.
• Fade-free power : 7-cell, nickel-cobalt-aluminum battery has the fade-free power.
• Whole-machine filtration : Fully-sealed filtration system traps 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns – expelling cleaner air.
• Designed to absorb vibrations and dampen sound, to keep sound levels down.
• In-line configuration : The motor, bin and cyclone are aligned, so air is drawn into the cyclones in a straight line – creating 20% more suction power than the Dyson V8 vacuum cleaner.

Includes : Torque Drive Cleaner Head, Charger, Mini Soft Dusting Brush, Soft Roller Cleaner Head, Quick Release, Mini Motorized Tool, Docking Station, Crevice tool, Combination tool

Overview (Cyclone V10 Absolute )

This is the top of the line stick vacuum model from Dyson, and it features the absolute best (get it?) that they have to offer in terms of technology and quality. Compared to the animal and the Motorhead, this version is slightly more expensive and comes with the Soft Roller cleaner head. It is easy to tell if a V10 is an Absolute version by looking at the color of the wand and cyclone system. Absolutes are available in two color schemes- copper wand with grey cyclones, and blue wand with grey cyclones. It also comes with the Torque-Drive cleaner head, which Dyson claims to be their most powerful motorized cleaner head of all time.

The bucket has a capacity of 0.2 gallons, which is 42% more than the V8 Absolute as well as the V10 Motorhead. Emptying the bin is very easy, all you have to do is remove the wand and hold the vacuum vertically above a dustbin. Then, you push on the little red-colored latch until the trap door at the bottom snaps open and the bucket slides down its guide rail automatically, dumping all the accumulated garbage in one swift motion. Snap the lid back in, and you are good to go for another round. The added garbage holding capacity on the Absolute version is very beneficial if you have larger spaces to clean since you can spend more time cleaning and less time emptying.

Talking of spending more time with your vacuum, the V10 Absolute is equipped with a 7-cell 525-watt lithium ion battery that lasts for up to 60 minutes and recharges from zero to full in just 3.5 hours. Compare this to the V8 Absolute model, which has a 6-cell lithium ion battery and needs 5 hours to charge from zero to full. The V8 also suffers from a shorter runtime at just 40 minutes, compared to the V10. However, there are some caveats, for example- the V10 Absolute generates 15.8 air watts of suction in low power mode, compared to the 28 air watts of the V8 Absolute.

The V10 Absolute is also slightly heavier at 5.9 pounds compared to the 5.8 pounds of the V8 Absolute. In addition, the 60-minute runtime claimed by Dyson is under certain circumstances only- you must be operating the V10 in low power mode, and it has to be using a non-powered tool (no torque head or soft roller head since those contain motors).

If you have to clean a hard floor, then the soft roller head of the V10 Absolute works wonders. Its brush bar contains a direct drive electric motor, which means that you will get full width coverage while sweeping the floor with your V10 Absolute. Certain vacuum cleaner models come with belt-operated motorized cleaner heads. Which means that the motor is located towards the back of the head, and connected to the brush bar with a belt or pulley system, so every time you decide to clean up the head, you will have to go through the painstaking process of scraping dirt and debris embedded deep within the belt drive.

Another problem with belt driven heads is that they do not clean the full width of the head, since there are two “dead zones” on either end of the brush bar where the belts are attached, so you clean less space with each sweep.

The cool thing about this soft roller head is that it combines a soft velvety textured material with miniature carbon fiber brushes to generate an extremely thorough cleaning effect on hard floors. Carbon fiber is conductive, so it will remove the static energy from electrically charged dust particles that are stuck to your hard floor, and the air flowing into the vacuum can now easily suck in these loose particles.

Specs :

• Weight : 5.9 lbs
• Charge time : 3.5 hrs
• Bin volume : 0.2 gallon
• Run time (Suction mode 1) : 60 mins
• Cleaner head : Torque drive cleaner head
• Cyclone technology : 14 concentric array cyclones
• Filtration : Advanced whole machine filtration

If you need a stick vacuum then this truly is the best Dyson vacuum for you; with a wide range of tools for deep cleaning in every nook and cranny of your home.

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Dyson Cyclone V10 Animal

Best Dyson vacuum for Pet hair and deep cleaning carpets.

Features

• Exactly the same features as the previous review (Dyson V10 Absolute). The only difference is you DO NOT get the Soft Roller Cleaner Head designed for hard floors.

Includes : Torque Drive Cleaner Head, Charger, Mini Soft Dusting Brush, Quick Release, Mini Motorized Tool, Docking Station, Crevice tool, Combination tool

Overview (Cyclone V10 Animal) :

The Animal is an Absolute without the Soft Roller attachment. Targeted specifically towards pet owners, it comes with the Torque Drive cleaner head that combines Nylon bristles with an extremely powerful electric motor located inside the brush bar to take out deeply embedded dust and hair from carpets, rugs, and upholstery. Hair is especially hard to get out of rugs and carpets, because it is sticks to surfaces made from fur, wool, or synthetic fibers. However, with the uniquely designed brushes on the Torque Drive cleaner head, you do not have to worry about that because the powerful rotational motion combined with the specialized brush digs deep to find every single strand of hair.

The Torque Drive head has a motor embedded inside the brush bar, meaning that no rotational energy is lost because of a belt or pulley system. Less transmission losses and a lower center of mass help the brush dig deeper into rugs and carpets, digging up more dust and dirt compared to traditional cleaner heads. All of this cool technology means that you will remove pet hair more efficiently, so total number of passes required to clean a space is reduced. You save energy, and get more time to do what you love, like playing with your pets.

Just like its more expensive cousin, the Animal comes with four attachments. There is a smaller motorized cleaner head for collecting pet hair from couches, car seats, and hard to reach places. A crevice tool lets you reach behind and underneath all sorts of objects with ease, while the soft-dusting brush is perfect for taking care of delicate fabrics and computer peripherals. Our personal favorite is the combination tool, which fits onto the wand or the handheld part of the vacuum cleaner. It lets you switch between different types of surface on the fly, by sliding a telescopic head.

As with all V10 versions, you can remove the wand and operate the Animal like a handheld vacuum cleaner. It uses the same bin as the Absolute, and shares the exact same dimensions- 9.5 x 49.2 x 10.1 inches.

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Dyson Cyclone V10 Motorhead

Best Dyson Vacuum if you’re on a budget. The V10 motorhead is the cheapest of the V10 models available, which means it has the fewest accessories, and it DOES NOT have the more powerful torque drive cleaner head, and instead has the less powerful direct drive cleaner head. Ultimately, the model you choose depends on your budget balanced with your needs. Personally, I’d pay a little extra money for either the V10 Animal or the V10 Absolute.

Features :

• All V10 models share the same core technology. The only difference between the models is what you get in terms of cleaning tools. Refer back to the Dyson V10 Absolute if you want a reminder of all the great features.

Includes : Combination tool, Direct Drive Cleaner Head, Crevice tool, Docking Station, Charger

Overview

Think of the Motorhead as a stripped-down version of the V10 with only the basic attachments and a slightly smaller garbage bin. It weighs 5.5 pounds, and uses a 0.14-gallon bin. There are two tools included along with the Motorhead —  a combination tool and a crevice tool. Therefore, it does not come with the soft-brush tool and the miniature-motorized head, used for cleaning pet hair and dust from car seats or couches. However, the Dyson V10 Cyclone Motorhead is equipped with its own unique cleaner head.

This motorized head is different from the Torque or Soft heads — even though it shares the same platform as them with a drive motor located in the middle of the brush bar. The brush roll is an all-purpose type, equipped with nylon bristles, arranged in a helical pattern around the bar. One of the main weaknesses of the Direct-Drive head compared to the Torque-Drive, is the lack of a slider that lets you control the size of the suction opening. On the Torque-Drive head, you can select if you want to suck in large debris such as cereal and shattered glass, or fine debris such as baking soda or sugar.

A smaller opening will reduce the size of the particles that you can suck in, but it also increases suction power by amplifying the speed of air going into the vacuum. This feature is absent from the Direct-Drive head that comes with the V10 Motorhead.

If you are looking for a lighter, cheaper alternative to the Dyson V10 Absolute or V10 Animal, then the Motorhead is a fine choice. It will do everything from dust to pet hair, but is worse than the Absolute at cleaning hard floors and lacks the Animals ability to clear hair from upholstery and furniture. That combined with the limited number of attachments and the smaller garbage bin means that the Motorhead is a slightly less specialized vacuum cleaner, best used for occasional housekeeping. It is the jack-of-all-trades, but master of none.

If you’re on a budget then this is the best Dyson vacuum cleaner from the cyclone V10 series — but, personally I think the Dyson V10 Animal or the V10 Absolute are worth spending the extra money on. They are more more powerful with the torque drive cleaning head and the added attachment tools give you more versatility when it comes to cleaning your home. Ultimately, only you can decide what makes sense for your particular situation and I understand that these are expensive vacuum cleaners that many people simply can’t afford.

The best dyson vacuum, or any vacuum for that matter, depends on what you can truy lafford without breaking the bank.

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Dyson Ball Multi Floor 2

Best Dyson upright vacuum that works equally as good across all floor types — carpets, wood floors, vinyl and tiles. The ball design allows it to turn on a dime making it easy to maneuver around your furniture.

Features

• Rides on a ball. Turns on a dime : Streamlined profile for even easier steering around the home.
• Radial Root Cyclone technology : Captures more microscopic dust than any other’s cyclone.
• Self-adjusting cleaner head : Active base plate automatically raises and lowers to seal in suction across all floors. Combined with a powerful motorized brush bar, it deep cleans dirt throughout the home.
• Instant release high-reach wand : The hose and wand release in one quick, smooth action.
• One-click dirt emptying : Just push the button to release the dirt.
• Washable lifetime filter : No extra costs – just wash and re-use.
• Stair tool : Designed for simple, effective cleaning on stairs.
• Combination tool : Flexible cleaning, for hard-to-reach areas.
• Certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Whole-machine HEPA filtration ensures that allergens are trapped inside the machine, not expelled back into the home.

Includes : Dyson Ball Multi Floor 2 vacuum, Combination tool, Stair tool

Overview

If you want a Dyson vacuum cleaner that strikes the perfect balance between accessibility and performance, then this is the one for you. It is cheaper than the Cinetic Big Ball or Ball Animal 2, while providing suction power that is extremely high for its weight class. The whole unit weighs just 15.6 pounds, making it the second lightest upright vacuum in Dyson’s lineup, the only upright Dyson lighter than this one is the Dyson Small Ball model.

While it is lighter than both the Cinetic Big Ball and the Ball Animal 2, the Multi Floor 2 provides an impressive 245 AW (air watts) of suction power. For comparison, the Ball Animal 2, which is Dyson’s most powerful model, produces 290 AW of suction. Most of the canister vacuums from Dyson are rated at 250AW, while being significantly more expensive than the Multi Floor 2.

Not only are you striking an amazing bargain in terms of cleaning performance with the ball multifloor 2, but you are also getting a machine that is loaded with some amazing features that significantly enhance usability across a wide range of surfaces. For instance, it comes with a motorized brush bar enclosed within a self-adjusting cleaner head. The self-adjusting head is designed to automatically adapt depending on the surface that you are sweeping with your vacuum.

There is a spring-loaded base plate underneath the cleaner head, which is pivoted to the front edge and rests against the rest of the cleaner head with the help of a rubber seal that helps retain suction whenever you move the vacuum over an uneven surface. This base plate will swing up and down as you transition between bare floor and carpets, providing a seamless connection between the surfaces you are trying to clean, and the head of the vacuum.

Another interesting feature of this vacuum is the ball technology, exclusive to Dyson vacuum cleaners. Instead of using wheels or casters like most other upright vacuums, Dyson machines are equipped with “balls”. These spherical structures are attached to the base of the vacuum and act as replacement for wheels. The body of the vacuum can move back and forth as well as sideways, all you need to do is move your wrist to control a wide range of motion on the vacuum cleaner.

You don’t have to pull, push and walk around objects, it is like having a single giant omni-directional caster attached underneath your vacuum. There are stabilizers on the back, which automatically retract as soon as you pull the vacuum back from its stationary position. The most amazing thing about the ball design is that it doesn’t just act as a means of transportation for the vacuum. In fact, Dyson have taken a whole bunch of functional components that you would normally find on the main body of the vacuum, and crammed all that into the ball.

These components include the vacuum motor, the post-filters, and an assortment of electronic circuits. This means that space is freed up on the rest of the body for other stuff. Stuff like the retractable hose and wand assembly that neatly slides into the “stalk” or handle of the vacuum. Whenever you need to clean a hard to reach place such as a ceiling, crevice, doorway, etc. just pull out the wand, attach the appropriate tool, and get to work. Talking of tools, the Ball multi floor 2 comes with 2 of them, including the stair tool and the combination crevice tool.

To summarize the multi-floor 2, it is a brilliant bagless vacuum cleaner for the price, and significantly outperforms upright models from competing manufacturers. The 245AW suction power is impressive, as is the 15.6 pound weight. It is extremely maneuverable thanks to the Dyson Ball technology, and the self-adjusting cleaner head lets you effortlessly transition between carpets, thin and thick rugs, bare floors, etc. without having to stop and readjust the cleaner head every time you hit new terrain.

The major thing that separates this model from the Animal 2, Cinetic Big Ball, and Small Ball models, is its lack of “Whole Body HEPA Filtration”. While it does have a HEPA post motor filter like the other Ball models, it is not certified for full HEPA filtration. Full HEPA filtration means that the vacuum does not leak any air between the point at which air enters through the suction head, and the point at which it meets the HEPA post filtration system. Any vacuum that is not Whole Body HEPA certified might have gaps or leaks in the seals and joints that cause the air going into the vacuum to leak out or mix with outside air before it reaches the HEPA filters.

Who would need a vacuum with whole body HEPA filtration? If you are allergic, or any of the members in your house suffer from respiratory tract diseases, this is a very important feature to have. It ensures that the air coming out of your vacuum is completely free of certain microscopic pathogens and suspended particulate matter.

VIDEO | Learn How Dyson Cinetic Technology Works

https://youtu.be/DD1Ke07oGls

Tech Specs:

• Weight : 15.6 lbs
• Cleaner head : Self-adjusting cleaner head
• Cyclone technology : Radial Root cyclone
• Filtration : Washable lifetime filter
• Suction power : 250 AW
• Cord length : 31 ft
• Maximum Reach : 40 ft

If you’re looking for a lightweight and powerful vacuum that works equally as well on carpets and hard floors then this is one of the best Dyson vacuums for the money. Much improved over the original Ball Multi Floor upright vacuum.

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Dyson Ball Animal 2 : Total Clean

Strongest Upright Vacuum Cleaners on the market (Suction tested to ASTM F558 at the cleaner head, dust-loaded against upright market) — & best vacuum for pet hair.

There are two models to consider, which can be confusing. Both have Radial Root Cyclone technology, which has 14 compact cyclones creating a powerful centrifugal force. Again, the difference is in the tool attachments you get.

• Dyson Ball Animal 2 : Total Clean (6 additional attachments, plus one motorized brush)
  • Tools Included : Reach under tool, Carbon fiber soft dusting brush, Tool bag, Combination tool, Stair tool, Mattress tool, Tangle-free turbine tool, Multi-Angle Brush
• Dyson Ball Animal 2 :
  • Tools Included : Combination tool, Stair tool, Tangle-free turbine tool

Overview

Two things make this upright model extremely good for homes with pets and asthmatic people- the Tangle-free turbine tool, and whole body HEPA filtration. It is also equipped with an insanely powerful motor, giving it 306 air watts of suction power at the head- more than any other upright vacuum cleaner on the market, and it is actually more powerful than several canister/ cylinder type models from rival companies. Combining the superb suction power with a specially engineered hair removal tool, we get the best upright vacuum cleaner in the market for homes with lots of dirt and pet hair.

Dyson advertises this as their “heavy-duty” model, which is why it is loaded with a 0.55-gallon bin.  This bin is almost 31 percent larger than the bin found in the Ball Multi Floor 2.

Before we talk about the several goodies that come standard with the Animal 2, let us discuss about the unique Tangle-free turbine tool. This turbine attachment is your main weapon when it comes to cleaning pet hair and dust out of upholstery and carpets. One of the most annoying issues with conventional cleaner heads is that they jam while sweeping through large amounts of hair, particularly if the hair happens to be long. Therefore, if you have any ladies in the house (or even long-haired gentlemen), you will notice that a conventional vacuum cleaner head isn’t very good at getting rid of hair from carpets and rugs.

Its brush bar will get entangled in long rolls of hair, and could eventually slow down or jam. Very similar to the way a chainsaw’s saw chain is stopped by the synthetic fibers inside a chainsaw chap. In order to solve this issue, Dyson has manufactured a very unique type of turbine head, which consists of two counter-rotating disks spinning on a slightly angled vertical axis; straight brushes attached to these disks bring the hair in for suction with a sweeping motion. The action is designed to never jam, no matter how long the hair. In fact, hair isn’t the only thing that the Tangle-free turbine head can collect.

The Tangle-free turbine head is provided as standard issue equipment with Dyson “Animal” series vacuums such as the Ball Animal 2 and Cinetic Big Ball Animal models. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America certifies all “Animal” series Dyson vacuums, thanks to the Whole Body HEPA Filtration, which guarantees that harmful allergens are trapped within the machine. If you have kids, pets, or asthma patients in the home, the Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a brilliant option.

Its more powerful than the Cinetic Big Ball Animal (+allergy), and weighs 0.01 pounds less (not that the weight difference is perceivable, but you are getting 22.4 percent more suction performance for a similar weight). Of course, there are legitimate reasons why you would want to purchase the Big Ball Animal over this one despite it costing more and being less powerful, so read our review on that model before you finalize your purchase.

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Dyson V6 Top Dog (HEPA)

Best Dyson handheld vacuum for pet hair (with HEPA Filtration).

Features:

• Powered by the Dyson digital motor V6 : Fast, small and light, the motor spins at up to 110,000rpm to create powerful suction.
• 2 Tier Radial cyclones : 15 small cyclones create strong centrifugal forces, to capture dirt and debris.
• Up to 20 minutes of fade-free power. The motor will not slow down as the battery drains. Once it reaches a specific threshold the vacuum cleaner stops. Consistent power wherever you need clean.
• Mini motorized tool : Motorized brush bar tackles hair and ground-in dirt, in tight spaces.
• Crevice tool : Designed for precise cleaning around edges and narrow gaps.
• Two power modes : MAX mode for up to 6 minutes of extra power, and Powerful mode for extended, daily cleaning.
• One-click bin emptying : Push the button to release the dirt.

Overview

Want to get rid of pet hair from your couch and car seats, but don’t to wield a bulky 20-pounder? Well then, the V6 Top Dog (it’s all in the name) is exactly what you need. At just 3.6 pounds, it is the lightest vacuum cleaner that Dyson currently offers, as well as one of the lightest handheld models in the entire market. At maximum power, the V6 Top Dog generates 100 AW of suction, which is proof that size doesn’t always matter. Granted, it is not the most powerful handheld model on the market, but 100 air watts of suction is more than enough to deal with stray pet hair and dust stuck inside crevices.

It runs for a respectable 20 minutes in maximum power mode, and the lithium ion battery needs only 3.5h to go from zero to full.

This handheld vacuum is powered by an earlier version of the Dyson Digital Motor (DDM) found in the latest V10 cordless model. The DDM V6 in this model weighs under 150g, and spins up to 110,000 rpm. It also uses the 2 Tier Radial Cyclone technology found in bigger Dyson vacuums for more efficient separation of dirt and dust from the air being sucked into the cleaner. According to several review sites and certified customers, emptying the bin feels slightly more natural on the older V6 models such as this one, when compared to the newer V10 models.

The reason for that is the vertical alignment of the garbage bin, which lets you release the accumulated debris without having to detach the tool or wand from the vacuum. Opening the trap door underneath the bin is also easier compared to the V10 models, since the release button is located right in the middle of the trigger guard, allowing for single-handed operation. But the bin is harder to empty compared to the V8 and V10 models, since hair and debris are stuck between the bin and the motor assembly at the center of the bin.

V10 models make it such that the bin actually slides down in a sudden, sort of slamming motion when you release the trapdoor catch. This means that any debris that is stuck will be forced to come out because of the sudden motion, and the motor assembly actually moves separately from the clear bin in the V10 models. Such is not the case with the V6 lineup.

Another minor issue with the Top Dog is its lack of support for wands, you can purchase extensions for the V6 Top Dog, but those are collapsible tubes instead of solid wands. There is no wall-mount attachment either, so you have to stow it away somewhere safe after you are done vacuuming. Battery life is restricted to just six minutes if you switch into MAX power mode by pressing the “MAX” button at the back. Despite these few negatives, the V6 is a very capable handheld model that acts as a nice spot cleaner and pet vacuum. In addition, it has a washable lifetime HEPA post-motor filter that can be easily removed for cleaning. For attachments, you get a mini motorized brush tool, along with a crevice tool for cleaning up hair from nooks and crannies.

Tech Specs :

• Weight : 3.6 lbs
• Charge time : 3.5 hrs
• Run time (Powerful mode) : 20 mins
• Cyclone technology : 2 Tier Radial cyclone
• Filtration : Washable lifetime filter
• Suction power (MAX mode) : 100 AW

If you have a dog or cat (or both) and you want a handheld vacuum for those quick pickups around the home or in your car then the V6 Top Dog is a great option for you.

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Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal  (214895-01)

No filter to clean or replace  —35 ultra-efficient cyclones capture microscopic dust without clogging the cyclinder vacuum. Self-righting technology. Best Canister Vacuum for Pet Owners.

Features:

• Dyson Cinetic science : Ultra-efficient cyclones capture dust without clogging, so there’s no loss of suction.
• Filter free : The only vacuum with no filter maintenance, so it never loses suction.
• Picks itself up, as well as the dirt. : With the center of gravity inside the ball, it’s easy to maneuver around your home without snagging. And if it falls over, it picks itself up again.
• No need to touch the dirt. : Drives out dust and debris in one action, so you don’t have to touch it.
• Ball technology for easy steering  : The Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal vacuum rides on a ball, to steer easily around corners and into difficult places.
• Large bin : So you can clean for longer without having to stop.
• Quick-release tools : One-click attachments make it easy to change tools between tasks.
• Long-reach wand : The wand releases instantly and stretches to 50 inches, to access high places.
• 360° articulation : The wand articulates 360° to give you greater control. So you can clean here, there and everywhere.
• Certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Whole-machine HEPA filtration ensures that allergens are trapped inside the machine, not expelled back into the home.

Includes : Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal vacuum, Tangle-free turbine tool, Stubborn dirt brush, Stair tool, Turbine head, Combination tool

Overview

Earlier, we reviewed the Dyson ball animal 2 and concluded that it is a brilliant pet vacuum. In fact, it is the most powerful upright vacuum on the market, with 306AW of suction power measured at the head. And, it is cheaper than the Cinetic Big Ball Animal. So why would anyone pay more for a vacuum cleaner that is less powerful (250AW vs 306AW), and 0.1 pounds heavier (17.6 vs 17.5 pounds)? Nice question, and the answer to that is actually very simple- it is a matter of requirements.

VIDEO | Beautifully engineered to make cleaning easy.

You see, even though the Big Ball Animal is heavier and less powerful at the suction head, it offers certain things that the upright model does not- a larger capacity bin, and Dyson Cinetic Cyclone Tips. Thanks to the larger bin, you can now vacuum longer before you have to empty the garbage. And since this is a Dyson Cinetic model, there are no filter replacements or cleaning to do. Yes, it still contains a post-motor HEPA filter, but that one is non-removable, non-washable, and lasts for the entire lifetime of the vacuum.

Unlike all other Dyson models we have reviewed in this article, the Cinetic Big Ball Animal does not include a pre-motor filter because the Cyclones remove most of the fine dirt and debris by themselves, and anything that is too small to be removed by the cyclones is caught up in the post-motor HEPA filter.

How Cinetic technology works is discussed in a later section of the article, but for now all you need to know is that it employs much smaller cyclone cones than normal. Which means that it is capable of separating even the particles that are a few microns in size from the air, and this includes various dangerous pathogens and suspended particulate matter found in most homes.

If you or anyone in your family suffers from allergies and/ or asthma, this Cinetic vacuum cleaner is a must-have. Not only is the lack of a filter a huge deal in terms of maintenance reduction, but think about what happens every time you remove a dirty filter from your vacuum cleaner- the dust and soot fills up your respiratory tract and you spend the next 10 minutes wheezing and coughing. With the Cinetic Big Ball Animal, you don’t have to worry about cleaning out filters ever again.

Cinetic technology provides great benefits in terms of suction performance, even in a bagless vacuum cleaner such as the Dyson that normally doesn’t lose suction power over time. You see, even Dyson vacuums have filtration systems installed in them to trap extremely small particles that make it out of the cyclones. These filters do tend to get clogged over time, although it takes much longer than it would in a conventional vacuum cleaner that uses bags instead of cyclones. So when the filter gets really dirty, even your Dyson vacuum cleaner will being to show signs of reduced suction power.

With a Dyson Cinetic, you finally have a truly lossless system that will never lose suction power over the entire period of its lifetime. This is a huge deal in homes with lots of dust and hair, since you can vacuum away for hours each day and never have to worry about cleaning the filters. Just empty the bin periodically and you are good to go. Like the Ball animal 2, this vacuum cleaner comes with Whole Body HEPA Filtration, so it is certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

Tech Specs (Dyson Cinetic Big Ball):

• Cleaner head : Self-adjusting cleaner head
• Cyclone technology : Dyson Cinetic science
• Filtration : No pre-filter, non-washable lifetime post-motor filter
• Suction power : 250 AW
• Weight : 17.6 lbs
• Cord length : 21 ft
• Maximum Reach : 35 ft

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Dyson V7 Trigger

Best Handheld Dyson Vacuum — Battery-powered.

Features:

• Powered by the Dyson digital motor V7 : Fast, small and light, it spins at up to 110,000 rpm to create powerful suction.
• 2 Tier Radial cyclones : 15 cyclones create strong centrifugal forces, to capture dirt and debris.
• Up to 30 minutes of fade-free suction : Long-lasting performance for versatile cleaning in your car and around your home.
• Hygienic bin emptying : Drives out trapped dust and debris in one action – so you don’t need to touch it.
• Combination tool : Two tools in one, for simple switching between surfaces.
• Crevice tool : Designed for precise cleaning around edges and in narrow gaps.
• Mini motorized tool : The Dyson V7 Trigger handheld vacuum has a motorized brush bar that removes hair and ground-in dirt in tight spaces.
• Two power modes : MAX mode for up to 6 minutes of extra power, and Powerful mode for longer cleaning.
• 2 year Warranty. Dyson Free 2 year Warranty covers parts and labor

Includes 3 attachments: Combination tool, Mini motorhead, Crevice tool

Overview

One of the most well reviewed handhelds out there; it comes as an upgrade over the V6 while retaining a similar price. We really like two things about the V7 Trigger vacuum cleaner it has a unique hygienic bin emptying system, and the runtime is significantly longer than that of the V6 Top Dog. The longer runtime doesn’t mean that you have to charge it longer, the time required to take the V7s battery from full to zero is about 3.5 hours — similar to the V10 and V6 series of vacuums.

The hygienic bin emptying system is a massive quality of life change, on the older model you would pull the red release latch, and even though the bottom trap door would swing open, all the hair and debris stuck between the inner cylinder and bin would not come out unless you put your fingers inside and pulled it out manually.  Of course, nobody wants to put their hands inside a container filled with cat hair and dust. And because Dyson had been monitoring peoples complaints, they redesigned it, which led to their Hygienic bin emptying mechanism.

It places the bin and tornado mechanism on a rail, separating it from the motor assembly, and allowing the whole front end to slide freely. But the bin is locked into position and stays attached to the handle unless you manually remove it for wiping the inside clean. When you pull the release latch on the top, it pops out the inner cylinder from the bin and since there is a rubber seal between this cylinder and the bin, all of the hair and debris falls out of the bin. This is similar to the way fluid is squirted out of a syringe when you press on the piston. You don’t have to put your hands inside and clean the filth manually. The ejection system is incredibly efficient on this model, and all of Dyson’s current vacuum models.

Another thing we love is the extra battery life over the V6- 30 minutes on powerful mode, generating 28 AW of suction, which is plenty for sucking in pet hair and dust from your upholstery and stair carpets. The older V6 models would last for only 20 minutes on the powerful mode, which means we got an extra 50 percent of run-time with just a 4.7 percent increase in weight (V7 weighs 3.77 pounds vs 3.6 pounds of the V6).

The Dyson V7 Trigger comes with a mini-motorized attachment that contains a brush bar with hard nylon bristles that sweeps deep into your rugs and mattresses for pet hair; it is small enough to fit on your stairs and couches too. It comes with a combination tool that lets you switch between leather upholstery and carpets with the flick of a switch. The combination of good battery life and superior design makes this the best Dyson handheld vacuum you can currently buy.

VIDEO | Never touch your filthy dust & debris.

In addition, the pricing acts as the cherry on top of the cake — it is similar to the cost of a V6, and much cheaper than a V10. Here is a fun fact — in powerful mode (the one that gives you a full 30 minutes of battery life); the Dyson V7 Trigger develops 28AW of suction, which is a little bit less than the 30AW that the V10 models generate in medium power mode. In addition, the V10s advertised 60m run-time is only on low power mode, during which they develop just 15.8AW of suction. Since you are getting such performance at less than half the price of a V10 Motorhead, it really is a sweet deal.

Tech Specs:

• Weight : 3.77 lbs
• Cleaner head : Mini-Motorized Tool
• Cyclone technology : 2 Tier Radial™ cyclone
• Filtration : Washable lifetime filter
• Suction power (Powerful mode) : 28 AW
• Suction power (MAX mode) : 100 AW
• Charge time : 3.5 hrs
• Run time (Powerful mode) : 30 mins

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Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ Allergy

Highly bersatile with Full HEPA Filtration for people with allergies. Best Dyson vacuum if you have allergies and/or pets.

Features:

• Dyson Cinetic science : Ultra-efficient cyclones capture dust without clogging, so there’s no loss of suction.
• Filter-free : The only vacuum with no filter maintenance, so it never loses suction.
• Tangle-free turbine tool specifically designed to clean pet hair. Counter-rotating brush heads remove hair from carpets and upholstery, with no brush bar for it to wrap around.
• Powerful brush bar : Motorized brush bar, engineered to remove stubborn dirt.
• Ball technology : Navigate furniture and obstacles with a simple turn of the wrist, for precise cleaning.
• Whole-machine HEPA filtration : Ensures that allergens are trapped inside the machine, not expelled back into the home. Certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
• One-click dirt emptying : No need to touch the dirt – just push the button to release it.
• Combination tool : Two tools in one, for simple switching between surfaces.
• Stair tool : Designed for simple, effective cleaning on stairs.
• Mattress tool : Designed to remove dust and allergens from mattresses, cushions and upholstery.
• Reach under tool : Extends, bends and twists to remove dust and allergens from awkward spaces.
• Multi angle brush : Twists and locks at different angles for effective cleaning in high-up areas of your home.
• Carbon fiber soft dusting brush : Densely-packed carbon fiber filaments prevent static, and help to pick up fine dust.
• Tool bag : Stow your vacuum tools when not in use – so they’re always close to hand when you need them.

Overview

Okay, so we have reviewed two different “Animal” series ball vacuums prior to this one — the ball animal 2 (massive suction), and the Cinetic big ball animal (no filter maintenance needed). Now, we have yet another Animal in the house, this is the Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ Allergy model. We realized that all of this is getting slightly confusing, so here is a little chart that displays the major differences between the 3 Dyson upright Animal vacuum cleaners.

As is clear from the table, these three Animals differ quite a bit from each other based on the tools that they come with and the cyclonic technology that they use. The Cinetic models are equipped with specially designed cyclones, which are smaller and circulate air faster, so they are capable of separating tiny dust particles and pathogens from the air that would normally require a pre-motor filter. In fact, the Cinetic cyclone technology is so good at separating suspended particulate matter from the air, that the vacuum doesn’t even need a removable HEPA filter.

It has a non-washable non-removable HEPA filter after the motor in each Cinetic vacuum, but you don’t have to worry about cleaning that, since it is designed to last for a lifetime and will probably never get dirty. The model with the most suction power is also the cheapest, but it requires filter maintenance and comes with only 3 accessories. Since all these are Dyson ‘Animal’ models, they are certified by the Asthma and Allergy Association of America.

Once air enters these Animal vacuums, it will not leak out of any crevice or joint until it reaches the post-motor HEPA filter and is exhausted back into the room. Dyson claims their Whole Body HEPA Filtration is so effective that the air being sucked into the vacuum is often dirtier than the air that comes out of it. Therefore, if you have a house with pets and/ or asthmatic people, any one of these three would be perfectly fine.

Nevertheless, we must focus on the fact that only two of these are completely maintenance-free, the Ball Animal 2 will suffer from suction loss if you don’t clean its removable filter from time to time. Additionally, it is very annoying for an asthmatic person to clean a dusty filter. Which is why, the filter-free models sound so much more lucrative. Not only are they 100% guaranteed to never lose suction, but they save asthmatics and people with sensitive noses from the trouble of cleaning a dirty filter.

Personally, we believe that the Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ Allergy provides really good value for money. Not only does it come with the Tangle-free turbine tool for removing hair, but it also features a multi-angle brush and reach-under tool. The multi-angle tool is brilliant for cleaning areas that are too high, such as doorways, tops of closets, etc. Then you have the reach-under tool, which can bend or extend to get underneath awkward spots, which are normally too low for you to access with a straight tool.

If there are spots in your home packed with extremely fine dust, use the carbon fiber soft dusting attachment that only comes with the Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ Allergy model. Now you know why they call it the Animal+ Allergy, it can pick up super small debris from all sorts of surface, particles so small that your naked eyes can’t see them. This is because of the carbon fiber soft brush that discharges any static electricity accumulated on a surface, helping the suction clean up fine particles with relative ease. Another tool that is standard on the Animal+ but does not come with the other two is the mattress cleaner. The mattress cleaner can gently remove dust and allergens from upholstery without damaging the surface.

Even though it has the least suction power of all three models, 180AW is still a lot of muscle for an upright vacuum cleaner. Combine that with the exclusive attachments, and you will find out that it is actually better at cleaning your home compared to the more powerful models, because the specialized attachments allow it to apply its suction much more effectively. Moreover, let us not forget the extremely useful tool bag that comes free with the Animal+ Allergy vacuum, it is a very useful piece of kit to stow away all of those seven tools whenever you are not using your machine.

Even though the Animal+ Allergy is almost perfect, there is one thing which Dyson could have done better- give this model a Hygienic bin removal system so that we don’t have to put our hands inside the bin to remove bits of hair and debris stuck between the inner cylinder and the bin. This, and the lack of a stubborn dirt brush attachment (it is only available on the Cinetic Big Ball Animal, although you can buy one separately for the Animal+ Allergy).

Tech Specs:

• Weight : 19.2 lbs
• Cleaner head : Self-adjusting cleaner head
• Cyclone technology : Dyson Cinetic science
• Filtration : No pre-filter, non-washable lifetime post-motor filter
• Suction power : 180 AW
• Cord length : 35 ft
• Maximum Reach : 50 ft

Once again, one of the best Dyson vacuum if you have pets, and/or you want an upright vacuum capable of deep cleaning on carpet and hard floors, like tile and hardwood.

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Dyson 360 Eye Robotic Cleaner

At the time of this writing, Dyson no longer has the 360 Eye on its website. Let’s be honest, this was their first robotic cleaner and was a major disappointment. I’m certain they will release a much better robotic vacuum in the near future since it’s a lucrative segment of the vacuum cleaner market and growing fast.

We’re not recommending you purchase this specific model but we thought it would be interesting to discuss what went wrong with the 360 Eye.

What went wrong with the Dyson 360 Eye robot cleaner?

Dyson is a company that has always associated itself with innovation and creativity. They like to take upon new challenges all the time, and are not afraid to venture into unknown territory. One such example is the infamous Dyson Contrarotator washing machine that was being sold in the UK between 2000 and 2005. This unique washing machine employed two counter-rotating tubs to emulate the motion of hand washing, but didn’t sell very well because of the steep pricing and over-engineered design that added unnecessary complication.

James Dyson himself admitted that they were not making much of a profit from these washing machines, and at one point, they were selling them at a loss. The production of the CR 01 and CR 02 washing machines was stopped, and plans of selling it internationally were eventually scrapped.

More recently, Dyson has decided to experiment with AI and robotics. Their manufacturing facility in Malaysia employs a huge amount of robotics to put together the brand new DDMs (Dyson Digital Motors), and the new additions to Dyson’s engineering team have been studying AI development for a few years by now. Back in the middle of 2016, Dyson released the 360 “Eye”, a robotic vacuum cleaner that would compete against likes of iRobot Roomba 980 and the Neato Botvac.

It was not a roaring success as expected, and users pointed out several flaws in its design that held it back from being a serious contender in the automated vacuum cleaner market. One of the biggest problems with the 360 was its unpredictable navigation system. Unlike the Roomba, the Dyson 360 does not have a side-brush, so it misses some spots in corners.

VIDEO | Have a look at the Dyson 360 Eye

https://youtu.be/OadhuICDAjk

While no robotic cleaner is perfect, the 360 Eye certainly isn’t as good as some of the other models in the market that offer similar or better performance for a lower price (Xiaomi MI Robot, Neato Botvac, etc.). The fisheye lens camera provides this robot vacuum with a 360° view of what is around it, but the navigation pattern is not very effective as it often misses entire areas and paths that are blocked from its direct line of vision.

Another major complaint users have is the small garbage collection bin- it is only 0.33 liters, which means that you can’t really use it in spaces with a lot of pet hair or large debris. The Roomba 980 has a 0.6 liter garbage bin, while the Neato has a 0.7 liter bin. Dyson’s robot rides on tank tracks which means that it has to stop before every turn, unlike the Roomba or Botvac which use wheels and can glide along much more smoothly.

While it does climb over 1” thick carpets and rugs, it struggles quite a bit compared to the Roomba 980 while climbing over rugs. Another issue with this robot is its tendency to get stuck on the legs of chairs and coat racks, any curved incline will cause the 360 to try and climb into it until the tracks lift off the floor and it cannot back out.

Nighttime navigation is significantly worse compared to the Xiaomi MI robot and Roomba 980, and the brush bar does not last very long. Unlike the Roomba, which uses a dual brush bar mechanism with rubber padding, the Dyson 360 uses a standard nylon-based bristle brush that is found on their regular vacuum cleaners. This means that the Dyson 360 isn’t very good at sucking up larger debris, even though it employs a Cyclonic dust separation mechanism like all other Dyson vacuums.

Finally, the Dyson Link app is absolutely atrocious. It has gone through several updates since the release of the 360 Eye, but if you were an Eye owner back in 2016, you would spend over an hour just trying to get the robot linked up with your phone. There are several bugs in the program causing scheduling to malfunction, and you often get a “Connection Lost” message when you try to control the 360 remotely through the app. It sometimes returns to the dock, other times you will find it stuck on a rug with zero battery left. Talking of batteries, the runtime on one of these is a respectable 35 minutes, although we must mention that iRobot and Neato advertise 2 hour runtimes on their respective robotic vacuums (in economy mode of course).

To sum it up, the 360 Eye is simply too overpriced and unreliable for what it offers. The Neato Botvac, Xiaomi MI robot vacuum, and iRobot Roomba all offer superior performance at a lower price. When the Dyson robot works, it works like a charm. And when it doesn’t, it fails spectacularly. You will need to have the patience of a Buddhist monk to use this robot through the app, sifting through the 10 billion “Fault” and “Connection Lost” notifications that you get on a daily basis. Even though it is less wide than the competition, it is taller and will have difficultly navigating underneath chairs and couches. On the other side though, it can hit spots that the Roomba and Botvac fail to access because of their width. The battery life needs to be improved, and the bin is smaller than expected.

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What Makes Dyson Different?

Unless you’ve been living underneath a rock for the last 2 decades, you must have heard of bagless vacuum cleaners that use cyclonic separation to clean out dust and debris from the air being sucked in. However, do you know who pioneered the use of cyclonic separation methods in vacuum cleaners? That is right, it was none other than Sir James Dyson himself.

As the story goes, one day Dyson was cleaning his home with a Hoover Junior vacuum when he noticed that his machine is beginning to lose suction power. He was really frustrated because this was supposed to be one of the most premium models on the market at the time, and it failed to maintain maximum power over a period of just 10 minutes. Upon opening up the vacuum, James could see the root of the problem — bags.

https://youtu.be/i-mxl_LnpIE

Back then, all vacuum cleaners worked the exact same way, they would suck air in from the intake hose through an inflatable bag made from filtration paper or synthetic fibers. The job of this bag was to capture all the dirt and debris flying through the air as it entered the vacuum. Then clean air would exit from the other side, and carry away the heat from the electric motor as it exited from the back of the vacuum.

All of this looks fine on paper, but there is one big issue — as more and more dust begins to collect on the filter (bag), the resistance to airflow keeps on increasing. No matter how hard the motor works to spin the impeller that is drawing air in, it simply cannot overcome the blockade being set up by the garbage inside the bag. And before you know it, your brand new vacuum would go from a roaring start down to a squeaking halt. In order to regain suction power, you must empty the bags, exposing yourself to a bombardment of dust, hair, and foul odors that will leave you sneezing and coughing for the next hour.

Being the innovative thinker that he was, young James decided that something had to be done. He knew that the only way to do it was to create a vacuum cleaner that was bagless. But how? One day, he was working on a new ballbarrow model at a company, which he had co-founded with one of his friends from college, but didn’t own anymore. There, a large industrial vacuum system was being used to preserve the fusion bonded epoxy coating that was to be sprayed on the steel arms of the ballbarrow to prevent them for corroding.

A few of the equipment manufacturers told him that using cyclonic separators is a much more efficient way of preserving the FBE coating and separating it from dust particles. Cyclonic or Centrifugal separators are used to remove unwanted materials from fluids and gasses in industrial settings. Even though their principle of operation is quite simple, nobody had ever tried to implement them in a smaller scale product such as a house vacuum. Dyson knew that the local sawmill used such a Cyclonic separator, so he visited the sawmill and took note of the cyclone design as well as its measurements.

Back at home, he constructed a replica of the sawmill cyclone from some cardboard and scotch tape, then he connected this cyclone to his Hoover Junior after removing the dust bag. It was immediately apparent that this system works, now Dyson had to optimize the technology and filter out some kinks in its operation. He didn’t have the money to put something like this into production, so he approached Electrolux, Hoover, and some other big companies hoping that they would see the genius in his design. None of them took his work seriously, since the established brands were more interested in making money instead of bringing innovation to the public. Besides, they didn’t want to miss out on the 100 million dollars that they made per year from vacuum bag sales.

Undeterred, Dyson continued to perfect his design over the next 4 to 5 years, slogging away in a shed behind his house. Burying himself in bank loans, he would create prototype after prototype. A whole 5127 prototypes later, he finally arrived at a point where the machine performed exactly as intended. Sine nobody in the UK wanted to produce it, he shared the license to his technology with a Japanese company called Apex. Apex sold the Dyson vacuum cleaner under the name of “G-Force” and even though it was a rather expensive niche commodity at nearly $2000 USD, people were buying it all over Japan. It didn’t shift units in mass volume, but since each one was so expensive, Dyson made enough money from his Japanese venture to set up the company “Dyson Appliances” back at home in UK.

This was in 1991, the first vacuum cleaner to bear the Dyson name was the DA 001, produced in Wrexham, Wales by an American corporation called Phillips Plastics. Soon Dyson severed the contract with Phillips Plastics due to quality concerns, and started his own manufacturing facility in Chippenham, Wiltshire. The first vacuum rolled out from this new facility on July 1^st, 1993 and was called the “DC01”. Soon the DC01 became a top seller in UK, and in 2001, Dyson entered the US market.

James Dyson didn’t just pioneer the inclusion of cyclonic separation technology in home vacuums; he also introduced the world to clear bins. Back in the days, vacuum cleaners were these big boxy appliances which were not made with the purpose of looking good or showing their insides to the owners. But Dyson believed that good technology can be treated as a form of art, which is why he made his vacuums with transparent garbage collection bins. You could see the cyclonic motion inside the bin as the vacuum cleaner worked, and customers loved it. By removing the bag, Dyson also made his vacuums sleeker and lighter than the competition. It is almost as if he wanted vacuuming to be a task that people enjoy, not loathe.

Cyclonic separation technology in home vacuums has advanced a lot since the 90s, and today you will find various manufacturers such as Shark, Hoover, etc. who use some form of cyclonic separation in their own bagless vacuums. After all, you can’t keep your competitors away from a new idea forever. Dyson market their cyclone technology as being the best in the industry, and tests prove that to be true, not to mention the countless stream of happy Dyson customers who absolutely love the brand.

When it comes to bagless vacuums, nobody does it better than Dyson. Today, Dyson makes several kinds of Cyclones such as the Root cyclone, 2 Tier Radial cyclone, Cinetic cyclone, etc. The 2 Tier Radial cyclone system allows Dyson to cram more cyclonic separators into a smaller area, by positioning them in the form of an angled stack. Cinetic cyclones use much smaller cones to generate extremely high air velocities, and consequently — much higher G-forces within the cyclone. The tips are also smaller on Cinetic cyclones, only a few thousands of a millimeter in diameter.

The extra small tips are capable of filtering out microscopic particles, the likes of which you would normally catch with a HEPA filter. To prevent the tiny cyclone nozzles from clogging, Dyson fits flexible parts on the lower end which oscillate several thousand times each second to prevent dust from blocking airflow. The result is a cyclonic separation system that consists of several tiny cyclones, arranged in a stacked pattern, capable of filtering out everything from bacteria to fungal spores.

No pathogens or dust accumulates on the filter, and that means you don’t have to worry about asthmatic people in the house being affected by the exhaust from a Dyson Cinetic vacuum. It is as the say, the only vacuum in the world that doesn’t lose suction power over time. Even Dysons own bagless models can lose some suction over time as the HEPA filters get dirty, but not their Cinetic models.

Every Dyson Product is designed with the common ideology- if something can be done better, find out how and do it. Their motors are extremely advanced compared to the competition, Dyson uses SRM (switched reluctance motors) in their V6, V7, V8, and V10 handheld/ stick vacuums. These motors are extremely light and compact, yet they spin extremely fast. When Dyson realized that their products are hard to maneuver, they decided to reinvent the wheel.

Ditching the traditional casters, they came up with the Dyson Ball. Not only is the Ball a platform that replaces the wheel, but it also acts as a housing for all the key components of the vacuum such as the motor, air filtration system, electronics, etc. Not only does the Ball make Dyson vacuums much easier to turn and push/ pull around your house, but the centralized location of all components within a single sphere means that the overall footprint is lowered, weight is reduced, and center of mass is very low. It frees up space above for stuff like an extendable quick-reach wand, spare attachments, etc. There is a reason Dyson Ball vacuums are the lightest and easiest to maneuver in their class.

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Dyson Technology

While they did start out as a vacuum cleaner maker, Dyson has come a long way since then. Now they manufacture taps, fans, heaters, hair dryers, lights, and several other unique appliances for modern homes. One example of their latest technological innovations is the “bladeless fan,” which comes in a variety of models, including tower fans and tabletop models. How it works is that It sucks air in from inlets located at the base of the housing, passes this air through a mixed flow impeller to increase pressure, then it pumps this air over a uniquely shaped surface that mimics an aircraft wing.

VIDEO | The Future of Dyson

The way it works is, an aircraft wing has a flat bottom with a curved top, the air flowing at the bottom is slower than the air flowing at the top, which creates an area of negative pressure above the wing and causes “lift”. Dyson’s bladeless fan uses this same principle in their bladeless fan to multiply air velocity, and they also use ducting (expanding cone shape that further multiplies air intensity) and viscous shearing to further multiply the amount of air that is being expelled from the business end of the bladeless fan. The result is a 15x increase in airflow compared to what the impeller originally sucked in through the base of the fan.

This massive multiplication in airflow is great, but even more amazing is the way it is delivered. Instead of a rough, intermittent slapping of air that you get from a normal bladed fan, the Dyson bladeless fan delivers an extremely smooth, non-turbulent cylindrical stream of air, almost like a gentle breeze. The Dyson bladeless fan is more of a technological showpiece than an actual commodity for the public, since it costs 10 times as much as a normal table fan. Nevertheless, it looks and functions as if it is something from the future, and the technology used inside is truly inspiring. We can see people with smart homes installing these in their bedrooms and living rooms, and simulating artificial breezes within their home from a phone. However, for now, it is definitely not something the average consumer can afford.

Dyson have also invented a brand new type of hair dryer, one that uses the same bladeless fan technology that we just discussed. Unlike conventional hair dryers, where most of the weight is focused inside the head section, a Dyson Supersonic hairdryer removes all the heavy parts from the top and moves them into the handle. They invented a brand new type of motor specifically for this hair dryer, a motor that would later evolve into the one that is used in the V-series of handheld and stick vacuums. Not only is the motor in the Supersonic hair dryer incredibly light, but it also spins at over 100000 rpm.

Dyson hair dryers have a hollow head, and shoot a non-turbulent cylindrical stream of hot air similar to their bladeless air heaters. There are advanced sensors in the head that measure the temperature of exiting hot air up to 30 times a second, to ensure that you achieve the perfect shine and texture with zero damage to the hair. Technology isn’t cheap, and neither is the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer. You can buy about 10 standard hair dryers for the price of a single Supersonic, but then the experience that you get from a Supersonic is nothing like you have ever experienced. It is much easier to maneuver because of the light construction and superior weight balance, the performance far exceeds that of a standard hair dryer. It is also incredibly quiet, which means you can have a conversation with someone is the same room while styling/ drying hair.

Dyson also makes a series of silent air heaters that use the same air multiplying technology found in their bladeless fans. These heaters are incredibly compact and can switch between even whole-room heating or personal space heating within seconds. They also act as coolers, since you can operate them in fan-only mode by turning off the heat. There is no exposed heating elements, and the heater will instantly turn off if it is tipped over. Their flagship model is the Dyson Hot + Cool Jet Focus AM09 fan heater, it is extremely silent and consumes far less electricity than a conventional fan based room heater. It is also much smaller and lighter than a standard room heater (measures 24.9 x 6 x 8.7 inches and weighs 8.6lbs).

As with any other Dyson product, it is quite expensive at the moment but prices will drop as time goes by. Dyson consistently creates products that are leaps and bounds beyond what currently exists and they prove what’s possible with technology. Is it affordable technology? Not for the majority. Does technology have to be affordable to be considered good? These innovations from Dyson will pave the way for much more affordable versions in the future, that’s for sure. There are plenty of Chinese rip-offs in the market which copy Dyson’s design and offer them in cheaper products with inferior performance and poor build quality. But the satisfaction of owning a Dyson product is something different — their customer support, their product design team, everything about them operates on a whole another level of dedication compared to most companies.

Dyson takes pride in manufacturing their products. Could they just stick with the trends and make cheap, affordable products by forgetting about innovation? Sure, that way more people could use Dyson products. But that is not what this company is about, and James Dyson is an innovator at heart. He manufactured a washing machine for 5 years even though they were selling it at a loss, just because he believed in the technology.

Dyson vacuums are more expensive than the competition, yet Dyson is one of the largest vacuum makers in the world, both in terms of market volume as well as value. James Dyson concerns himself with designing a product that works well, one that is revolutionary, something that has never been done before. He trusts that the customers will buy something if it is good, even if the price is slightly higher.

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The Future of Dyson

They have made bladeless fans, hollow hair dryers, innovative lighting systems, bagless vacuum cleaners, and taps that can both wash as well as dry your hands. Some of these products were commercial successes, the others were merely test beds to showcase new technology and see how it can be improved by releasing it into the market. Their first robotic vacuum cleaner was not a big success, but we are sure they will come back with an improved version soon.

VIDEO | Past and Present — Dyson

https://youtu.be/2pwIU-wGF9I

In 2018 Dyson announced they will stop developing corded vacuums entirely, even though manufacturing will still go on for their upright and canister models. They believe that the future is cordless, and since they have such a compact yet powerful motor in the form of the DDM, it is completely possible to develop a handheld model that weighs under 6 pounds and puts out performance figures reminiscent of full-sized vacuums. They have done it with the V10, creating the ultimate handheld cordless vacuum.

The next model in their cordless series is sure to take this idea one step further. James Dyson has been working on a brand new car, and there are plenty of rumors on the internet about the so-called “vacuum cleaner car”. Will it be a hybrid? Or will it be an electric vehicle? Dyson has confirmed that he wants to replace the internal combustion engine with something that is far more efficient and environment friendly. It could also be an autonomous car, similar to what Google and NVIDIA are working on. Will Dyson be Tesla’s next rival in the electric car industry? Only time will tell.