It’s no secret that Dyson has reinvented the cordless cleaner, achieving a mature market segment that has inspired so many other brands to create what feels like a coalition force to replace the corded variety. With Dyson committed to the end of their corded development, the V11 boldly represents a new generation of cordless cleaners, exhibiting technology to improve the end user experience via inclusions like an LCD display, Auto-mode and a 1hr runtime. We’ve been using it intensively for almost three months to see how the future cleans up. Buy on Amazon

A design like no other

Dyson reinvented the cordless vacuum cleaner when they released their first in 2006. We have witnessed the incremental evolution of the series that has now brought us to the V11: a cleaner that has an attractive lucid view of considered functionality. In this latest model the bin is now rotated horizontally so to have a larger capacity at a respectable 0.75l. Emptying Dyson cordless models has always been relatively easy going, as there’s no filter within the bin design, but now the mechanism that opens the bottom assists by pushing the bin forward acting in a way that scrapes the bin walls of debris. Incidentally, the filter location is now on the rear of the cleaner, within a purple case surrounding the LCD display. Ironically this is something that’s very easy to access on the V11 but will be a rare sight as we’ve still not been requested to clean it after almost 3 months. This is a significant contrast to the Vax Blade 2 Max, featuring a filter design that’s more hidden and needs to be tampered with every 4-6 uses.

The accompanying tools follow suit with the enlargement trend and the entire bundle that came with our V11 Absolute variant are as follows: crevice, brush, mini-brush, Torque-Drive Motorhead, Fluffy roller cleaner head and the mini motorised tool. There is a new attachment mechanism click release which is now a part of each tool, meaning it has been removed from being on the cleaner itself. This does improve the ease of interchanging tools with no fuss, although the Dyson tool ecosystem has always been genuinely very good. Everything snaps into place with no second guessing required, which is something that cannot be said for the Vax, Bissell and Hotpoint cordless models.

One of our favourite, and possibly most significant, alterations to the Dyson recipe, is the LCD display. It appears as a possible gimmick upon first impression and yet in use has fundamentally changed the way we approach cleaning. From our dozens upon dozens of hours usage we’ve only grown more impressed with the sheer competent accuracy of the count down in seconds showing the battery time remaining, and this makes selecting the current cleaning mode easier. Maintenance alerts are helpful too, letting you know when it’s time to clean the filter or to confirm there’s a blockage - and usefully show where it is. After interrogating the design to find fault we were left with only the tiniest of niggles, which is that when the V11 is resting on carpeted floors it often falls forward to lay on its tool - not exactly a major problem.

Battery & Modes

It’s no secret that cleaner brands slightly exaggerate battery runtime figures via data extracted from specific conditions that don’t quite mirror the real world usage patterns. We can say with confidence, after almost three months of usage, Dyson are underselling theirs. Dyson say 60 minutes runtime can be expected from Eco mode: we get 65 minutes. Boost mode might stretch to 12 minutes the brand states: we get 14! These results are duly impressive, but our usual go to setting for floors is Auto mode. It’s obviously dependent on certain factors, but we generally obtain a good 45 minutes during our cleaning habits, with 70-80% floor cleaning in Auto and the rest handheld. Those embarking on daily cleaning routines will find that eco mode is sufficient and it comes with its hour plus runtime - with an average sized home, you’ll get tired before the V11 does.

An upscaled dock is supplied to accompany the V11 and the 7-cell lithium-ion battery takes 4.5hrs to reach 100%. Compared to all the other cordless cleaner wall charger designs we’ve seen, the Dyson flavour is still a firm favourite. It’s always easy to get the cleaner on and off - even under the stairs!

Performance & Ease of Use

Floors: With only the slender dimensions of a pole and cleaner head, you might not be too surprised to hear that the V11 easily dashes underneath low to ground furniture; but there’s still no light for greater visibility which would make it possible to see under the bed! It’s a nimble combination that is one of the best cordless cleaners in terms of manipulation, with an instantaneous tight turning angle that athletically glides around chair legs, against skirtings and from surface to surface. It’s particularly easy to push in a straight line, despite the speed of travel on carpets, something not all cordless cleaners of this style can accomplish without the cleaner head buckling. 

We’re now in the realm of post corded cleaner performance. On floors, suction can only get you so far and if the cleaner head design isn’t great, then the device's ability to be able to clean effectively will not be either. Thankfully we can say Dyson have engineered a brush bar that sports the guise of simplicity with their High Torque cleaner head. In action, along with its vigorous suction, this clever cleaner head is the key ingredient allowing the Dyson V11 to outperform every cordless cleaner that we’ve ever tested on our floors.

But it's the Auto mode that changes the game. We always like to visually illustrate a cleaner's performance with a flour test to see how many passes it takes to clean. It was not too much of a surprise that on both carpet and hard floor the V11 just gobbled this up in a single pass in Auto, not even needing the Boost mode. So we steered the Dyson High Torque cleaner head onto a medium pile carpet saturated with shredded paper, globules of varying sized dried up glue and fabric fibres. The Dyson V11 learnt as it went, using the dynamic load sensor (DLS) which monitors brush bar resistance 360 times a second. The adaptation is fascinating to observe, with constant changing of brush bar motor speed and suction from the digital V11 motor. It was a zone that we normally wouldn’t steer any cleaner into without going over with a handheld tool beforehand, as blockages and jams seemed certain from the volume. However, the V11 couldn’t be tricked and resisted capturing too much at once, resulting in it cleaning the carpet with no fuss. Likewise, a shaggy rug, that has become somewhat of a quarantined zone at the studio as cleaners get congested with the high piles, was cleaned to our amazement as Auto mode adapted to this maze of textures - and to this day it has never choked on them. The sheer amount of embedded dirt the Dyson captured was a tad worrying as we had only been able to clean it previously with a wand tool!

When testing other cordless cleaners after using the Dyson Auto mode, they do seem strangely restrictive and often make the transition from hard floors to carpets something you need to consider. The V11 removes the worry and makes floor cleaning a pleasurable stress free experience. That being said, wooden hard floors are the subject of much debate as to whether you should use a brush bar or not. The problem has always been that if the brush bar is turned off or removed, you’re not disturbing static dust, pet hair, etc., so the surface won’t be cleaned thoroughly, but if it’s on, the wood could get damaged. Whether on engineered wood or tiles we have no issue using the Dyson High Torque cleaner head which slows down the rate the brush bar spins upon harder surfaces and also uses intelligent adaptiveness when going from these surfaces back onto rugs and carpets, which is very convenient. We tested the Dyson Fluffy cleaner head on our most delicate wooden floor prone to scratching: The Fluffy is included within our Absolute bundle of the V11, featuring rows of antistatic carbon fibre bristles within a fluffy roller intended to be a softer cleaning approach. It’s certainly an efficient tool, clearing pet hair from within the grooves and fine static dust is entirely lifted as well, but on carpets the Fluffy is obviously ineffective, and as we haven’t found the High Torque cleaner head to be a culprit of damage we use that most of the time. Nevertheless, if you want the reassurance, the Fluffy cleaner head is a well designed option.

Handheld: Whilst the V11 looks like an object from science fiction and one that could be front heavy from appearance, it's unquestionably ergonomic and actually a bit of a balanced seesaw when in hand: and we mean this positively. When the cleaner is above your head height to reach up at beams or dust the tops of picture frames, it is weighted so evenly that the grip subtly changes with the angles, so wrist pain, etc., is not a problem, and if you desire you can use two hands. At lower levels, whilst vacuuming upholstery or table tops, the Dyson V11 counterpoises and doesn’t leave any sense of downward drag either. It’s well designed in this regard, and whilst heavier than previous Dyson cordless models we’ve not found that to be restrictive.

From the regularity of spot cleaning every loose morning cornflake to Autumn leaves blowing in through the door as you get home, once you go cordless and have something that’s so easy to pick up and use as the V11, it becomes inbuilt second nature to spot clean everything! This, married to a set of first rate attachments, and suction that is uncompromising, means this Dyson meets all our daily and deep cleaning requirements. This one really does give higher end corded cleaners, and even those sporting the Dyson badge that are tethered to a wall, a run for their money - especially in boost mode! 

Verdict

The Dyson V11 intelligently puts the user experience at the forefront to make cleaning a greater pleasure. Additions like an LCD display readout, automatic self adaptive floor cleaning, the masterly High Torque cleaner head and 1hr plus battery life mean you’ll tire before the V11 does. This feature-rich list, combined with the athletic power on hard-floors and carpets, confirms the Dyson V11 as the definitive cleaner of the post-corded era.

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