Our Verdict: We think the Dyson V7 Trigger is one of the best handheld vacuums on the market. It performed well during all of our tests, including removing pet hair from carpets, and is convenient to use around the home. It also has a long 30-minute battery run-time on its “Normal” suction mode. Our only complaints are that it’s expensive for a handheld and doesn’t come with a HEPA filter for better dust retention. Other than that, we think it’s an outstanding vacuum cleaner.
Dyson V7 Trigger
Pros:
- Excellent suction power for a handheld and it performed well during all of our testing
- Relatively long 30-minute battery life (on standard setting)
- Mini motorised tool is a brilliant attachment for pet hair and carpets
- Wide selection of tools makes it a versatile handheld
- Relatively lightweight and feels balanced to hold
Cons:
- Only a 6 minute run-time in MAX mode
- Shape can be awkward when cleaning car interiors
- Not everyone enjoys the trigger system – although it does improve the effective battery life
The Dyson V7 Trigger is a handheld-only version of the popular V7 series. Read our full review to find out whether it’s a match for your vacuum cleaner requirements.
The Dyson V7 Trigger is a premium handheld vacuum. It’s a pricey model, but offers the same design and cleaning power as the excellent Dyson V7 cordless vacuum. The Trigger also comes with a motorised tool, several accessories, and a 0.54 litre dust canister.
During our testing, the V7 Trigger provided excellent cleaning performance. The motorised tool was great for getting fluff and hair out of carpets, while the strong suction meant it handled both small particles and larger debris on hard floors. We also found it to be lightweight and easy to use around the home.
How does the V7 Trigger compare to other handheld vacuums though? And is it worth the hefty price tag? Read our Dyson V7 Trigger review to find out.
Overview of the Dyson V7 Trigger Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
- A premium handheld vacuum that’s a variation of Dyson’s V7 cordless stick vac
- Strong suction power and a 30-minute maximum run-time
- Boost mode for when you need extra power (although this greatly reduces battery life)
- Mini motorised tool with stiff bristles
- Crevice tool and 2-in-1 dusting brush
- 0.54 litre capacity
Appearance, Features & Design
The V7 Trigger is really just the V7 Animal but without the wand and docking station (along with a cheaper price). This isn’t a bad thing, as we found the V7 Animal to be an excellent cordless vacuum cleaner – even though it’s less powerful than the pricier V8 series.
Like all Dyson vacuums, the V7 Trigger is a bagless model that’s built with two tiers of radial cyclones to capture microscopic dust and other particles. The cyclonic design also prevents loss of suction as the vacuum fills up, which is a common problem for cheaper handheld vacs.
Who should consider buying the V7 Trigger instead of a full-size cordless though? In short, we found that the Trigger is a versatile handheld that’s great for quick clean-ups around the home. It’s not designed to clean an entire house, but generates plenty of suction power for handling most cleaning tasks.
Manoeuvrability and Ease of Use
The V7 Trigger weighs just 1.38kg, so it’s considerably lighter than corded vacuums. It’s also lighter than most cordless vacuums, largely because it doesn’t have a wand or full-size floorhead. If you need a lightweight vacuum cleaner for convenient cleaning, then the Trigger is a great choice.
Weight isn’t everything when it comes to ease of use though. We’ve tested several handheld vacuums that are technically lightweight but feel bulky or heavy to hold, often due to poor design choices. Fortunately, we didn’t feel this was the case when testing the V7 Trigger, as it always feels balanced and easy to manoeuvre around the home.
It’s bigger and wider than some of the more compact handheld vacuums on the market though. It’s certainly not a vacuum you’d want to keep on display, which is the case for slimline and stylish handheld vacuums like the Shark WV200UK.
All Dyson cordless vacuums are built with a trigger system – and the V7 Trigger is no exception. This means you need to hold down the trigger when vacuuming with the V7, which can become tiring if you want to use up its 30-minute battery life – particularly for people with arthritis. The advantage of this system is that the battery lasts longer, as the motor is only running when the vacuum is actually being used.
As the Trigger is based on the full-size V7 vacuum, we found it to be bulkier than most handheld vacuums. This can make it awkward to use in the tightest locations, although it’s still a great choice for car seats and stairs.
The upside to the larger design is that it has a 0.54 litre dust capacity, which is bigger than many handhelds. For comparison, the Gtech Multi Mk2 has a 0.4 litre capacity, while the Shark WV200UK has a tiny 0.25 litre capacity. We still had to empty the Trigger regularly though, as it picks up lots of dust in a short time.
Filtration
The V7 Trigger includes a washable filter, which you’ll need to keep clean to maintain the vacuum’s suction power. There is no HEPA filter included with the vacuum, which is a shame considering we think many people will be using this vacuum for cleaning pet dander and other allergens.
While the Trigger’s filter does a decent job of removing allergens, there are better options that filter smaller particles if you suffer from allergies.
On the upside, we like how easy it is to access the V7’s Trigger. There’s no need to dismantle the vacuum to wash it, as the filter pulls out from the top of the main cylinder.
Emptying & Cleaning
Unlike older Dyson cordless vacuums, the V7 Trigger has the company’s new hygienic emptying system. To empty the vac, you pull up the cylinder to allow dust and debris to fall into a bin. The great thing about this system is that you (usually) don’t need to touch the dirt, as it’s pushed out of the canister by a silicone collar.
In practice, we found that this works most of the time, but clumps of hair and dirt can still get caught. When this happened, the only option was to pull it out be hand. We still think it’s more hygienic than most handheld vacuums we’ve reviewed though.
Like all bagless vacuums, emptying the V7 Trigger can let allergens escape, so we recommend doing it outside if you suffer from allergies.
Battery Life
The V7 Trigger comes with a 21.6V battery that can provide a maximum of 30-minutes suction power. This is much longer than many handheld vacs (some models last less than 10 minutes), making the Trigger a great choice for longer cleaning sessions.
Keep in mind that the battery life is greatly reduced when you switch the vacuum to “MAX” power mode. On this setting, we found that the vacuum tends to run out of charge in around 5-6 minutes, which isn’t much time at all. It also takes approximately 3.5 hours to fully recharge, which is around average for a cordless vacuum.
A bonus is that the Dyson V7 Trigger’s battery can be replaced. It’s not swappable to increase the vacuum’s run-time though, as changing the battery involves several screws.
Note: There are two suction power modes on this model. Dyson has confusingly named the regular mode as “Powerful” and the boost mode as “MAX.” Don’t be fooled – the “Powerful” mode is just the standard suction setting.
Tools & Accessories
Mini Motorised Tool
One of the things we love about the V7 Trigger is the mini motorised tool, which is a small attachment consisting of a powered brush bar and stiff bristles. During our tests, using this tool made the vacuum much more effective at removing stubborn dirt, as the vacuum can agitate debris rather than relying on suction power alone.
The motorised tool is also great for pulling pet hair out of carpet fibres. A downside is that it requires power, which reduces the run-time of the battery – although we found that the increased performance is nearly always worth this trade-off.
Tip: Looking for other handheld vacuums with a pet turbo tool? Take a look at the Gtech Multi Mk2 or the Shark CH950UKT.
Other Tools and Accessories
The mini motorised tool is great for cleaning most surfaces, but it’s too bulky for awkward locations. It may also be too abrasive for delicate surfaces. For this reason, Dyson has included the following tools:
- Crevice tool for cleaning in narrow spaces, corners, and around edges.
- Combination tool with a dusting brush for delicate surfaces.
We found that collection of tools, including a pet turbo tool, dusting brush, smaller nozzle, and crevice tool made the V7 Trigger much more versatile than many of its competitors. In particular, we think it’s great that the Dyson V7 Trigger includes a proper crevice tool, as this is often missing from modern handheld vacuums.
All of the attachments are easy to clip onto the vacuum and remove using the quick-release buttons, so you won’t need to struggle with stiff release buttons. There’s no onboard storage, however, so you’ll need to store them separately.
Sadly, the V7 Trigger doesn’t include a docking station for recharging and tool storage. It only comes with a basic charger. You can purchase the docking station separately, although this obviously adds to the total cost.
Suction Power & Cleaning Performance
The V7 Trigger provides powerful suction for a handheld vacuum cleaner. It can’t match the V8, V10, and V11 when it comes to raw power, but we found that it does a brilliant job of most cleaning tasks for a lower price. Let’s take a closer look at how the Trigger performs when faced with common handheld vacuum tasks.
Around the Home
The Dyson V7 Trigger did a great job at general home cleaning during our tests. Whether you want to clean crumbs from the dining room table, hair stuck in carpets, or dust along skirting boards, we think it has both the power and tools to handle almost any job.
For basic tasks, the standard suction mode provides enough power to remove loose dirt and debris. But we did need to switch to “Max” mode for stubborn dirt or hair, which reduces battery run-time to around 6-minutes. This is still enough for spot cleaning, but not much more than that.
When cleaning hard floors, the vacuum proved it can pick up everything from small dust particles to larger debris. It’s almost as effective on carpets, as the motorised tool can dig into fibres to remove more dirt and dust, and does a great job on upholstery.
Of course, the lack of a floorhead and wand means that vacuuming large areas of carpet and hard floor is impractical with the Trigger. We found that it excels at spot cleaning and quick tasks though.
Car Interiors
We found the Dyson V7 Trigger to be a useful tool for cleaning cars, due to the cordless design and 30-minute battery life. During our tests, the mini motorised tool was also effective at removing crumbs, hair and other loose debris from car seats and footwells.
It sometimes struggles with tougher dirt when using the crevice tool though, which is worth keeping in mind for cleaning between seats and other awkward locations that the motorised tool can’t access. The relatively large design can also be unwieldy in small cars – and don’t expect it to generate enough power to remove heavy soiling on floor mats.
Despite these drawbacks, we still think it’s one of the best vacuum for cleaning car interiors quickly and easily. It won’t necessarily provide the deepest clean, but for general car cleaning it’s a great vacuum.
Stairs
Like most handheld vacuums, the V7 Trigger is a convenient choice for cleaning stairs. It’s lightweight, portable, and the lack of a cord means you don’t need to worry about using a nearby plug socket.
We found that using the mini motorised tools for carpeted steps, then following up with the crevice tool for edges and corners, left our stairs looking spotless. It’s just as effective at cleaning hard floor stairs too.
Pet Hair
When using the mini motorised tool, the V7 Trigger is one of the best handheld vacuums for removing pet hair. It’s capable of removing hair that’s been ground into rugs or carpet fibres, which is a task most handhelds we test struggle with.
However, we found cleaning pet hair to be a task where the MAX mode is essential, particularly if the hair is caught in carpets or sofas. This greatly reduces run-time, although the standard suction mode still does a decent job for loose hairs.
Price & Value for Money
The Dyson V7 Trigger is one of the most expensive handheld vacuums on the market. We think it still provides value for money, however, as it generates much stronger suction than the vast majority of handheld vacs. It’s also a versatile model that’s convenient to use.
It’s important to keep in mind that all Dyson cordless vacuums can be used as a handheld vacuum though – you just need to remove the stick. While the V7 Trigger is cheaper than Dyson stick vacs, you might want to consider spending a bit more to get a vacuum with both handheld and stick functions (especially if this is going to be the only vacuum in your home.)
Also, if you’re looking for a cheaper option with similar features, then the Shark CH950UKT can provide similar performance for less than half the price (albeit with a smaller capacity, shorter run-time, and fewer tools).
Specification Table
| Ninja Column 1 | Ninja Column 2 |
|---|---|
| Price Range | ££ |
| Battery | 21.6V |
| Maximum Run-Time | 30 minutes |
| Weight | 1.38 kg |
| Capacity | 0.54 litres |
| Type | Bagless |
| Motorised Tool | Yes |
| Hose | No |
| Filter | Washable |
Comparison With Other Handheld Vacuums
Dyson V7 Trigger Vs Shark CH950UKT
As you can see from the scores in the table below, both of these vacuums performed similarly when cleaning around the home, stairs, and pet hair. The V7 Trigger is the better option for car interiors though, due to the longer crevice tool for getting into tight locations.
So, which should you buy? The V7 Trigger has superior tools, a larger capacity, much longer maximum battery life (although not in boost mode), and is more convenient for cleaning cars. However, the CH950UKT is considerably cheaper, so the decision depends on whether you value a lower price over the V7 Trigger’s extra features.
| Ninja Column 1 | Vacuum 1 | Vacuum 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Shark CH950UKT | Dyson V7 Trigger | |
| Bag | Bagless | Bagless |
| Filter | Washable | Washable |
| Price Range | £ | ££ |
| Maximum Run-Time | 10 | 30 |
| Weight (kg) | 1.39 | 1.38 |
| Capacity (Litres) | 0.45 | 0.54 |
| Motorised Tool | Yes | Yes |
| Hose | No | No |
| Around The Home Cleaning Score | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Car Interiors Cleaning Score | 3/5 | 4/5 |
| Pet Hair Cleaning Score | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Stairs Cleaning Score | 5/5 | 5/5 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Leave the Dyson V7 Trigger On Charge?
Yes, you can leave the V7 Trigger on charge between cleaning sessions. You don’t need to disconnect it when it’s fully charged.
Does the Dyson V7 Trigger Come With a Docking Station?
No. Unlike the Dyson V7 Animal and Absolute, the Trigger doesn’t include a docking station. Only a regular charging cable is included.
Verdict
We think the Dyson V7 Trigger is an excellent handheld vacuum. The 30-minute run-time is long enough for almost any small cleaning job, plus we found it provides great cleaning performance on almost any surface.
Whether you should buy it depends on your requirements and budget though. If you’re looking for a full-size vacuum replacement, then you might be disappointed. The V7 Trigger is powerful for a handheld vacuum, but can’t match newer cordless models – and the lack of a wand makes it less versatile. It’s also not cheap!
Additionally, there are some drawbacks to the V7 Trigger’s design. The battery life in “MAX” power mode very short, so you can only use this for the quickest jobs. We also found its shape can be awkward when cleaning in small cars.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a versatile handheld that’s reasonably priced and perfect for smaller clean ups, then the V7 Trigger is an excellent choice.
It generates strong suction, is a versatile vac, and outperforms pretty much every other handheld model on the market – particularly when it comes to pet hair and stubborn dirt. The V7 Trigger is also great for cleaning stairs, cars, upholstery, and other quick jobs.