Confused about how to use Dyson vacuum attachments? Or are you not sure which extra attachments you should buy? Here’s a complete guide to Dyson attachments, including for both cordless and corded vacuum cleaners.
Dyson Cordless Stick Vacuum Attachments
Dyson produces a huge number of attachments for their cordless vacuum series. These range from basic accessories, such as a crevice tool, up to unique attachments like the Laser Slim Fluffy head.
We’ve separated these attachments into categories and listed them below, along with tips for using each tool.
Cleaner Heads
- Direct-Drive Cleaner Head. This is the most common floorhead provided with Dyson cordless vacuums. It has a strong motor driving the rotating brush bar, which agitates carpet fibres to pick up more dust and dirt. The direct-drive cleaner head also does a great job on hard floors, although we don’t recommend using it on delicate floors.
- Torque-Drive Cleaner Head. The Torque-Drive head is more powerful than the direct-drive head. It also has anti-tangle technology and works with the latest Dyson vacuum’s adaptive suction system.
- Soft Roller Cleaner Head. The Soft Roller was first found on the Dyson V6 Fluffy and has been a popular cleaner head ever since. Unlike a regular brush roll, the Soft Roller has a softer and larger brush that’s specifically designed for hard floors. It’s great for picking up both larger debris and smaller particles too.
- Omnidirectional Fluffy Cleaner Head. This tool is only found on the Dyson Omni-glide at the moment, but this may change in the future. It has the Soft Roller design for hard floors, but can move in all directions for more convenient cleaning.
- Laser Slim Fluffy Cleaner Head. The Laser Slim Fluffy is the newer version of the Soft Roller. Unlike the basic cleaner head, it has a “laser” to illuminate dust that’s often difficult to see.
Non-Motorised Attachments
- Mini Soft Dusting Brush. The soft dusting brush is used to clean dust from delicate materials and surfaces, such as windowsills, blinds, and skirting boards. It’s a standard tool that’s included with most Dyson cordless vacuums.
- Combination Tool. The combination tool combines a basic brush with a hard wide nozzle tool. It’s a useful extra tool, especially for cleaning car interiors.
- Crevice Tool. Use the crevice tool for cleaning in tight locations, such as under furniture or down the sides a fridge. The crevice tool is also useful for cleaning right up to the edge of skirting boards.
- Light Pipe Crevice Tool. This is similar to the regular crevice tool, but adds LEDs to make it easier to see where you’re cleaning.
- Stubborn Dirt Brush. The stubborn dirt brush has stiffer bristles than the soft dusting brush, making it useful for dry dirt or other stubborn debris.
- Mattress Tool. This is a wide non-motorised tool that’s designed to clean mattresses without sticking to the fabric. It can also be used on upholstery.
- Low Reach Adaptor. This attachment effectively adds a joint to the wand, which allows you to adjust the angle up to 90 degrees. We don’t think most people will use it often, but it’s a handy accessory if you need to clean under low furniture.
- Up Top Adaptor. Unlike the Low Reach Adaptor, which adds a joint before the wand, the Up Top Adaptor adds a bend just before the final accessory or tool. This makes it useful for cleaning high locations, such as above a freestanding wardrobe.
- Extension Hose. Dyson cordless vacuums don’t come with an extension hose, but you can buy one separately. The quick-release extension hose extends to 1.2 metres, making it useful for cleaning awkward locations that a rigid wand can’t access.
- Worktop Tool. The Worktop tool is specifically designed for cleaning kitchen tables and worktops.
Note: The mini soft dusting brush, combination tool, and crevice tool are included with nearly all Dyson cordless stick vacuums. The other included tools and attachments vary depending on which version you buy.
Motorised Attachments
- Mini Motorhead. The mini Motorhead tool has a powered brush bar, like the direct-drive cleaner head, but a thinner design. It’s great for cleaning upholstery, stairs, and car interiors, as the brush bar makes it more effective than non-motorised tools. The mini Motorhead tool is also essential for pet owners, as it’s great for removing hair.
Other Attachments and Accessories
- Docking station. All Dyson cordless stick vacuums come with a docking station. This is used for both storage (including tools) and recharging the vacuum.
- Floor Dok (V11 or V15 only). Unlike the regular docking station, the Floor Dok has a freestanding design. You can also get a similar docking station for the Cyclone V10.
- Click-in Battery. Some Dyson cordless vacuums have a click-in battery, which means you can buy an additional battery to extend the run-time. Other Dyson cordless vacs have a screw in battery, however, so make sure you check your model before buying an extra battery.
Dyson Corded Vacuum Attachments
There aren’t as many tools and accessories available for Dyson’s corded vacuums, as the combination of primary floorhead and hose should handle most cleaning tasks. Here are some of the most common though:
- Combination Tool. The corded Dyson vacuum combination tool has both a wide nozzle and a non-motorised brush. It’s useful for a variety of cleaning tasks around the home.
- Stair Tool. As the name suggests, this tool is designed specifically for cleaning stairs. It has velour strips which remove dirt and hair from your carpets.
- Soft Dusting Brush. This tool is used for cleaning delicate surfaces, such as blinds, keyboards, and windowsills.
- Tangle-Free Turbine Tool. The turbine tool has a unique design, with two rotating brush heads rather than a single brush roll. The heads move in opposite directions to pull up hair without getting tangled. Use this tool for cleaning pet hair from stairs, furniture, and car interiors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does “Quick Release” Mean?
Quick-release Dyson tools have a catch that clicks into place. You can then release the tool by pressing down the button, making the tool easy to fit and remove.
Some older Dyson tools don’t have a quick-release catch. If you want to use these with your newer vacuum, then Dyson sells a Quick Release Adaptor.
Are Dyson Cordless Vacuum Cleaner Heads Cross-Compatible?
All cleaner heads from the Dyson V7 to Dyson V11 have the same connector. This means that you can attach any cleaner head to any of the vacuums.
This isn’t necessarily a good idea though. While newer cleaner heads will fit older vacuums, the vacuum itself may not have the necessary power to operate it effectively. Older Dyson vacuums also won’t be able to make use of newer features, such as adaptive suction.
For this reason, we only recommend using the cleaner heads that come with your vacuum, or that Dyson specifies as compatible with your model.
Summary
We hope this Dyson vacuum attachments guide has shown you how to use your accessories and which tools you might want to add to your collection. If you have any questions about Dyson attachments, please let us know in the comments section below.