Are Dyson vacuums really worth the money? Or are other brands a better choice? Keep reading for our thoughts on this iconic brand.
Dyson vacuums are amongst the most popular in the world. Despite high prices, they are many people’s first pick for a new vacuum cleaner, which says a lot about the company’s reputation.
Are Dyson vacuum cleaners worth buying when there are so many other options on the market though? Here’s our thoughts on the good and bad about Dyson.
Are Dyson Vacuums Worth The Money?
The short answer is that yes, we think that Dyson vacuums are worth the money. The company’s vacuums provide strong suction power, advanced features, and a great design. With that said, they aren’t the only vacuum brand that are worth buying, as there are some excellent alternatives.
Reasons We Love Dyson
Dyson Vacuums Generate Excellent Suction Power
Let’s start with the basics. Dyson vacuums provide strong cleaning performance due to their excellent suction power. Most models also have powered brush bars, which helps to agitate carpet fibres and remove more dirt.
Plenty of other brands produce vacuums with strong suction and brush rolls, so this isn’t unique to Dyson. But you can be sure that all Dyson vacuum cleaners have decent cleaning performance – even if some models are better than others.
We also think Dyson vacuums are easy and convenient to use. This is an important consideration, as even the best vacuums can’t do any good if they are never used!
Dyson Corded Vacuums Have Excellent Mobility
Most corded vacuum cleaners have wheels, which can make them difficult to turn (particularly if they are upright vacuums.)
In contrast, many of Dyson’s corded vacuums use a “Ball” design. This makes them more mobile and easier to push around the home. We’re big fans of this design, as the Ball system helps to bridge the gap between the manoeuvrability of a cordless vacuum and power of a corded vacuum.
Dyson produce both upright and cylinder vacuum cleaners. While their upright models are more popular, due to the lack of a long hose and ability to clean floors quickly, don’t overlook Dyson cylinder vacuums cleaners. Cylinder models are less tiring to use and are better for cleaning stairs.
Dyson Cordless Vacuums Are Hard to Beat
When it comes to cordless vacuum cleaners, there’s little doubt that Dyson are the best around at the moment.
Dyson popularised the idea of a cordless stick vacuum with a detachable handheld mode. Most of their cordless vacuums include a turbo floorhead, along with various tools, bagless design, and multiple power settings. The V11 and V15 series also include advanced features, such as an LCD display and automated suction adjustment.
The Dyson V11, in particular, has changed the game when it comes to cordless vacuums. It’s pricey, but this model matches the cleaning performance of many corded vacuums – something that many people thought was impossible a few years ago. It also has a range of interesting features that you won’t find on corded models.
For those on a tighter budget, the Dyson V7 and Dyson V8 provide strong performance for the price. They can’t replace a full-size vacuum cleaner, but are perfect for daily cleaning.
Tip: If you need a bigger dust capacity and wider floorhead, then Dyson also produces the Dyson V11 Outsize.
What About Other Cordless Vacuum Brands?
While Dyson were the first to make popular cordless stick vacs, brands like Samsung, Miele, Shark, and Tineco have since released similar vacuums with unique features and great performance.
Some of these models rival even the best Dyson cordless vacuums, so they are worth considering. We still think Dyson are the “top dog” in the cordless vac market though. Read our guide to cordless vacuum cleaners to learn more.
Reasons To Consider Other Brands
Dyson Vacuums Are Expensive
There’s no doubt about it: Dyson vacuums are expensive.
While all Dyson models are at the higher end of the vacuum price range, it’s cordless Dyson vacuums that have the eye-watering price tags.
For a time, every new Dyson cordless seemed to push the price higher. While the first popular models (like the Dyson V6 series) cost £200-£350 pounds, some of Dyson’s newer cordless vacuums cost double this.
With that said, the last few Dyson cordless vacs have launched at a price of £599, which suggests this may be the maximum price point in the future. Older models tend to drop in price as the newer versions are released, making them an attractive option.
So, while cordless Dyson vacuums are certainly expensive, you don’t need to get the newest versions. Older models still provide great cleaning performance – although we think that only the V11 onwards can really be considered a true corded replacement.
Corded Dyson vacuums are much more reasonably priced, with models typically falling into the £200-£300 range depending on the features and whether you want a pet tool. If you want to save money, opting for a model without a mini pet turbo tool can be more economical.
Maintaining Your Dyson Vacuum Cleaner
Dyson vacuum cleaners don’t require much maintenance, but there are some important cleaning tasks to keep them running at maximum efficiency. Here are some of our guides for maintaining Dyson vacuum cleaners:
Bagless Vacuums Aren’t Always the Right Choice
As you probably know, all Dyson vacuum cleaners have a bagless design. This makes them more convenient, as they are easy to empty and don’t need replacement bags. But there are also downsides to a bagless vacuum design.
- Bagless vacuums are messier to empty. Unlike bagged vacuums, which often have self-sealing bags to prevent dust escaping, emptying a Dyson vacuum will allow a cloud of dust particles to escape. For this reason, we recommend emptying bagless vacuums outdoors.
- Dust and dirt often gets stuck in bagless vacuum cleaners and needs to be pulled out by hand. Some Dyson vacuums have internal collars to force out dirt, which helps prevent this.
- Bagless vacuums are generally less suitable for allergy sufferers, as the bag acts as a first filter against dust and pet dander from escaping.
- Bagless vacs, including Dyson models, have smaller dust capacities than bagged alternatives.
So, if you suffer from allergies, or don’t want to empty the vacuum into an outdoor bin, a bagged vacuum might be a better choice.
Other Brands are (Possibly) More Reliable
While reliability can be difficult to judge without having access to hundreds of vacuums, some brands seem to be more prone to faults than others. This is an important factor to consider when buying a vacuum cleaner, as an unreliable vacuum is more likely to need to be replaced.
Dyson is far from the worst when it comes to reliability. In fact, their vacuum cleaners are probably more reliable than many other brands, including Hoover, Kirby, and Samsung*. But they aren’t the most reliable either.
In our experience, Miele, SEBO, and Numatic produce some of the longest-lasting vacuum cleaners. While Dyson vacuums are well-designed, they probably can’t match these brands for durability.
* Based on a vacuum customer survey by Which.co.uk
Summary
We’re big fans of Dyson at Spotless Vacuum. They aren’t the only vacuum brand to consider when buying a new vac, but they are certainly amongst the best companies.
In particular, their cordless vacuum range is excellent. The Dyson V11 has arguably changed the industry with its corded-like performance, while the V15 has improved on this further.
We hope this article has helped you decide whether a Dyson vacuum cleaner is worth it for your home. If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments section below. You may also want to read our guide to the best Dyson vacuum cleaners (all types.)