Dyson V7/V8/V10/V11/V15 stick vacuum comparison 2022
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Owning a Dyson battery-powered stick vacuum was a game changer for cleaning my house. There are a lot of different Dyson stick vacuums available, and for whatever reason Dyson never really retires any of their older models. Instead, they keep them all available but across a wide price range. This comparison will get to the bottom of what’s available and what’s a good value in 2022.
Why get a Dyson stick vacuum?
My vacuum situation is a little silly in that I have a stand-up vacuum, a robot vacuum, and a stick vacuum. You may want to consider if you can get away with only 1 or 2 of these but I honestly use all of them! Currently, my Dyson V10 gets the most use, my old Dyson ball is for the more hardcore cleaning, and the Eufy robot vacuum is more for cleaning under beds and under sofas and places I can’t get to. Back to stick vacuums:
Having a lightweight vacuum I can grab off the wall dock and clean in the time it would take to get my old stand-up vac out of the closet, unraveled, and plugged into the wall, has made me clean much more often than I did before. I love how you can get it super flat to get under things that my regular vacuum can’t, and though the battery life is short it’s enough to vacuum my whole apartment.
I’ve been a Dyson guy since I bought my Dyson Ball standup vacuum in 2012 (refurbished!) and it’s still going strong. That said, it might be ridiculous to expect 10+ years from a battery device, but buying replacement batteries is easy.
If you’re looking to buy one, my suggestion is to try and get a Dyson V series on sale, preferably new. My magic number is around $400 which sometimes happens with sales, but also means you definitely can’t get a V15 or V11. I just can’t swallow spending $700-850 on a vacuum with a battery that won’t last forever. I would try and get the highest number series you can reasonably afford since the battery tech differs and has gotten better over time, with the exception of the V10 which supposedly has some issues according to Amazon reviews. The mAh gives you an idea of the battery capacity, and the Air Watts gives you a reference on the suction power.
Dyson Key Parameters
The prices on these change very frequently. As I write this I see some of the prices have already changed from what’s in my table as Dyson and other retailers frequently run sales. There is also a V12 but I didn’t include it since it’s a little different from the others with its much smaller canister. Finally, the V6 is too old to reliably buy anymore but I kept it in the table for comparison sake.
Here’s what you can get:
Dyson V7: $399
This one isn’t officially sold by Dyson anymore, but can still be found with other retailers. It’s still a decent vacuum, but the suction power is lacking compared to models such as the V10 and up. Definitely don’t get this one if it’s the same price as a V8!
Verdict: Too old
Dyson V8: $399
A modest improvement over the V7, increasing the suction power from 100 to 115 air watts and the battery life from 30 to 40 minutes.
This can be a great one to get when on sale as it’s still supported, and frequently much cheaper than the newer models.
Verdict: Recommended if marked down
Dyson V10: $549
The V10 makes some pretty big gains, going up to 150 air watts and over 50 minutes of battery life. The V10 is in a happy medium of specs for the price but unfortunately has the most reliability issues. However, this is the one that I’ve had for over a year with no problems at all. So it might be worth it, or worth getting with a warranty.
Verdict: A great vacuum but with some issues
Dyson V11: $629
The V11 takes it up another level, with an hour-long battery life and a crazy suction of 185 air watts! The price gives me pause and that’s why I didn’t get it, but now that it’s a year later I expect there to be more deals on it soon. Definitely one to keep an eye out on!
Verdict: Excellent all around vacuum
Dyson V15: $749
The V15 takes it even further, with a suction power of 230 air watts and the new laser feature. I’ve only tried it once, but the way it highlights dust with the light is actually pretty amazing. Reviewers say that it’s a real game changer, and can’t imagine going back to a a vacuum that doesn’t have this feature. But not $749, it wasn’t quite worth it for for me.
The V15 is very similar to the V12, except the V12 has a tiny canister to hold dust and dirt. So small that I didn’t think it was good enough to have on this list.
Verdict: The very best and most expensive
What about dupes?
Dyson’s are pretty great, but for many people the price will give pause. For those who don’t want to spend that kind of money or wait months for a sale, there are non-Dyson alternatives that cost less than a Dyson V8 and are very well regarded. I’ll follow up with those in another post!
Wrap-up
While I think that Dyson stick vacuums are great, I also think that they are worth waiting to buy until on sale. I scoured woot.com (where I got mine), black Friday deals, and also cyber Monday. If you have the patience you can usually save a couple hundred dollars or more!
I think the V11 is the one to get currently, with the V10 being a little risky. If you’re really trying to save money the V8 is still viable, but I wouldn’t go any lower than that.
