3 Dyson stick vacuum alternatives that cost way less
Last week I went over almost all of the Dyson stick vacuums that are available. I love my Dyson, but with MSRPs going all the way up to $749, a Dyson stick alternative can be a better option for those who don’t want to spend a fortune.
Are the alternatives any good?
Yes and no. Since Dysons are so popular, there are a ton of dupes of their products. Everything from their vacuums, hair dryer, and Airwrap have countless dupes. If you spend any time on the shopping side of TikTok you’ll see people ranting and raving about these types of products, without a single negative thing to say ever! I love TikTok, and get cool buying ideas from it all the time, but I would say the reviewers are not always the most honest about their incentives when promoting products.
Luckily there are some good options out there. These can range from close to $100 up to $300. Paying a few hundred dollars may sound like a lot for a non-Dyson, but that is still less money than the Dyson V8 which came out in 2016!
Here are a few that I think are worth looking at:
Crazy cheap with some suspect reviews
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BeLife V11 Cordless Vacuum: $129.99
This is an interesting item, as it looks a bit too much like a Dyson. It even has the same name as a Dyson! Frequently on sale, it currently is going for $129.99
After seeing articles that were promoting this vacuum that seemed a little too positive, I decided to analyze the reviews a bit. Using the Fakespot plugin you can get an audit of reviews to make sure they are authentic. The Amazon page with over 2,000 reviews has a “C” review grade, meaning that the reviews are not entirely reliable. The adjusted score for this vacuum is 3 out of 5, vs 4.3 out of 5 on Amazon.
So what issues are reviewers actually having? There were reports of reliability issues, such as units being dead on arrival that they had to have replaced by the manufacturer. Some people said that it had issues with heavy dog fur in carpets and that it wasn’t quite as good as a Dyson.
With the negatives out of the way, there are plenty of people who love it. Some say it’s as good as their old Dyson, and perhaps it does compare well to an older model such as the V6. The motor is actually a bit larger than the V6s 350W motor, so that would make sense.
Pros
- Much cheaper
- Quiet
- 380W motor
- 3 suction modes
Cons
- Less powerful than Dyson
- Fur gets stuck in the head
- Doesn’t do as well with rugs
Verdict
This vacuum sounds like it would be a great bargain for people without thicker pile carpets or pets who don’t have extreme cleaning needs.
A lightweight and easy-to-use vacuum that stands on its own
Tineco Pure One S11: $297.99
While taking some cues from Dyson, the Tineco doesn’t need to look exactly like a Dyson to excel. It is so good in fact, that it won the Wirecutter Top Pick for cordless stick vacuums.
Why is it so well received? It is much lighter than a Dyson, and also has an actual power switch instead of a trigger that you have to hold constantly. This means you can just switch it on like a normal device instead of holding for long periods. I don’t mind the Dyson trigger, but many find it uncomfortable.
While it’s priced at $349, that is still less than a Dyson V8. This also means you don’t have to spend weeks or months waiting on a potential Dyson deal that may or may not come. If buying directly through Tineco make sure to use the Honey browser extension to try and get a discount.
Overall this seems comparable to a Dyson V8 that does some things better, just not getting deep dirt in carpets.
Pros
- Cheaper than Dyson, especially the newer Dysons
- 130W suction power
- Self-Adjusting Suction Power with the iLoop™ Smart Dust Sensor
- All-In-One LED Display
- Replaceable battery pack that is a bit cheaper than Dyson for OEM
- Quiet
- Headlights for better visibility
- Hepa filter
Cons
- Steering similar to Dyson but can’t go quite as flat
- Not quite as good on rugs as Dyson
Verdict
The best non-Dyson to get if you want a lightweight and easy-to-use vacuum.
A heavier and cheaper alternative to the Dyson V11
Shark Vertex Cordless Vacuum: $349.99
I am more familiar with Shark’s corded options, which are very cheap compared to other high-quality stick vacuums. The Vertex cordless is the premium cousin of those options, that straddles a line between a stick vacuum and a lightweight upright vacuum.
At 9lbs., this beast is a little more than two pounds heavier than a Dyson V11. That might not sound like much, but it can make a big difference when vacuuming vertical surfaces or lifting up to a window sill. It still can be used like a handheld though, just like all the other options.
Reviewers and other sites say that it is very close to a Dyson V11 in performance. Because of that, this is the model to get if you don’t want to sacrifice any performance and will take the tradeoff of it being a little heavier than a Dyson or Tineco.
The added heft allows one neat extra feature: it has an “elbow” in the middle of it allowing you to bend the vacuum in order to get under hard-to-reach areas.
Pros
- Great performance overall
- Cheaper than Dyson, especially the newer Dysons
- High powered suction
- Headlights for better visibility
- “Flex” capability to bend it under surfaces and store it in a smaller footprint
- Hepa filter
Cons
- Heavier than other options
- No docking station
Verdict
The best Dyson alternative to get if you don’t want to sacrifice performance and can handle the extra weight.
Wrap-up
With the popularity of Dyson stick vacuums, there are tons of alternatives available for less money. The old adage, “if it seems too good to be true it probably is” is especially relevant here. If you see something for a hundred dollars, don’t expect it to be as good as a Dyson! But if you spend a few hundred dollars, you can actually get something comparable to a Dyson in performance and still save a lot of money.
