Based on 7,882 analyzed reviews
Table of contents
NerdWallet Shopping’s scoring of the best Dyson vacuums are based on our analysis of the opinions of experts and shoppers like you.
Picking a vacuum isn’t easy. We researched some of the most popular Dyson models on the market to make your decision less confusing. To narrow down the field, we looked at expert opinions from review sites such as The Sweethome, CNET and Good Housekeeping. Next, we analyzed user reviews to see what shoppers were saying about the various attributes of each vacuum.
We recognize that consumers look for different qualities in vacuums, so we scored users’ observations on multiple features of Dyson’s top models, including their performance on carpet and hard surfaces.
Our analysis
Our scores range from a low of 1 to a high of 10. Here’s how we devised them:
Overall score: The overall score reflects reviewers’ satisfaction with each vacuum in 10 categories, including how well it cleans across various surfaces, ease of use, durability and noise.
How well it cleans: This score reflects reviewers’ satisfaction with the vacuum’s performance on carpet and hard floors, including hardwood, bare, tile and vinyl. It also considers their satisfaction with the Dyson’s ability to clean up pet hair and debris.
Ease of use: This score reflects reviewers’ satisfaction with the vacuum’s ability to maneuver, including its weight and cord length; the process of emptying or cleaning it out; and whether it was considered easy to operate.
Here are our top choices, in no particular order.
The vacuums
Dyson V6 Motorhead
Ranked as our top-rated stick vacuum, the powerful Dyson V6 Motorhead gives you the option of using it as a stick, with up to 20 minutes of powerful suction and a direct-drive cleaner head, or converting it into a hand vac, able to clean efficiently in small spaces.
| Overall score | How well it cleans hardwood | Ease of use |
| 9.3 | 10 | 9 |
Buyers Like
- Cleans carpeting and hard floors equally well
- Fantastic on stairs
- Gets rid of pet hair
Buyers Dislike
- Short battery life
- Cleanup can be messy
Dyson DC65 Animal
The powerful, bagless upright Dyson DC65 Animal comes with a variety of attachments, including a stair tool, a tangle-free turbine and several different brushes to clean carpeting, stairs and hard floors easily and effectively.
| Overall score | How well it cleans hardwood | Ease of use |
| 9.2 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
Buyers Like
- Great for hardwoods, tile and carpeted flooring
- Excellent on pet hair
Buyers Dislike
- Heavy and cumbersome
- Not very durable
- Turbine tool is noisy
Dyson V6
The Dyson V6 is a powerful, 5-pound stick vac that comes with two motorized heads — a soft roller head that buyers applauded for its hard-floor cleaning, and a direct-drive cleaner head acclaimed for its performance on rugs and carpets.
| Overall score | How well it cleans hardwood | Ease of use |
| 9 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
Buyers Like
- Great on hard flooring and carpeting
- Picks up pet hair efficiently
- Fantastic on stairs
Buyers Dislike
- Relatively short charge
- A little noisy
Dyson Ball Multi Floor
The upright Dyson Ball Multi Floor (formerly the Dyson DC65 Multi Floor) is easily maneuvered through the home, boasting powerful suction, a self-adjusting cleaner head, and an instant-release wand for cleaning hard-to-reach nooks and crannies.
| Overall score | How well it cleans hardwood | Ease of use |
| 9 | 8.4 | 8.9 |
Buyers Like
- Fantastic on stairs
- Excellent on hard flooring
Buyers Dislike
- Not great on plush carpeting
- Lacking Dyson’s tangle-free turbine tool for efficient pet hair removal
Dyson DC40 Origin
The bagless upright Dyson DC40 Origin has a self-adjusting cleaner head, which makes moving between different surfaces easy, while the ball technology Dyson is known for makes it easy to steer into tight spaces.
| Overall score | How well it cleans hardwood | Ease of use |
| 8.5 | 7.6 | 8.3 |
Buyers Like
- Lightweight and easy to maneuver
- About equally effective on carpets and hard flooring
- Dust canister is easy to clean
Buyers Dislike
- Bad on stairs
- Ineffective on pet hair
Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal + Allergy
The final vacuum on the list, the upright Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal + Allergy, has a powerful brush bar, an easily detachable hose and wand for those awkward jobs, and filterless technology so it never loses suction.
| Overall score | How well it cleans hardwood | Ease of use |
| 8.5 | 9 | 5.8 |
Buyers Like
- Strong suction works great on hard flooring and carpeting
- Eliminates pet hair with ease
- Quiet and durable
Buyers Dislike
- Short hose makes stairs difficult
- Small, difficult-to-empty dust container
- Bulky and hard to maneuver
Dyson vacuum buying guide
Whether your home is covered in plush carpeting or wide wooden planks from the turn of the last century, picking the most effective Dyson vacuum for your particular needs can be a tricky proposition. Here are some categories you should consider as you shop:
Surface
Our analysis showed that the Dyson V6 Motorhead received perfect scores, regardless of whether it was cleaning carpet or hard floors, but most vacuums do better on one or the other. So if you need a machine with more than a 20-minute charge, you might want to factor in which surfaces you’ll be cleaning the most.
Special uses
Homeowners with lots of ornate moldings might want to prioritize a model with a detachable wand, like the Dyson Ball Multi Floor, which can easily get into small spaces, whereas pet owners are going to want one that does a good job on fur.
Weight
You can buy the best vacuum ever made, but if you can’t lift it comfortably, it’s not going to do you much good. Uprights, like the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball A+A, tend to be heavier, so if you’re going to be carrying it up and down the stairs, you may want to opt for a stick vac, like the Dyson V6. But if you go with a cordless, the battery-life is usually short, so it’s important to weigh your options as you weigh the vacuum.
Noise
Babies, neighbors and skittish pets may all be valid reasons to factor the sound of the vacuum into your list of priorities. Dysons are generally fairly quiet, though not all users were enthused by the Dyson V6’s noise level.
Corded or cordless
The benefit of a corded vacuum is you don’t have to worry about the battery life. The downside is your cleaning area is limited by the length of the cord, which can vary a great deal. If you live in a small home, a cordless might make sense for you because you may be able to clean your entire place with one charge. Likewise, if you live in a large house and prefer to keep cleaning supplies on every floor, a cordless stick vacuum is great for quick pickups. But if you prefer to get all your cleaning done in one fell swoop, a corded upright or canister is probably the best choice.
Cleaning
All of the Dysons listed here are bagless and rate fairly high on the easy-to-clean rankings, though users did complain about messiness when they empted the Dyson V6 Motorhead’s dust cup.
Compare other popular vacuums here:
For more vacuum buying advice, check out:
- The best canister vacuums
- The best robot vacuums
- The best upright vacuums
- The best stick vacuums
- The best vacuums for pet hair
- The best vacuums for hardwood floors
- The best Shark vacuums
- How to get the best deal on a vacuum
- 5 things you should know before buying a vacuum
- 3 best vacuums for pet owners
Top image via iStock.
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