The best Dyson vacuums (cordless and upright options)

If you’re familiar with Dyson, then you know that it makes everything from hair dryers to bladeless fans, and it uses that same tech to make high-end vacuums. To that end, Dyson vacuums have become some of the most sought-after vacuums, although being so packed with features does mean that they cost a pretty penny. So, before spending a bunch of money buying a Dyson vacuum, check out our guide and top picks for various categories below, whether you want a high-end Dyson vacuum or something that’s just light and slim.

The best Dyson vacuums

• Best overall Dyson vacuum:
• Best upright Dyson vacuum:
• Best Dyson vacuum for pet hair:
• Best Dyson Vacuum for hardwood floors:
• Best lightweight Dyson Vacuum:
• Best budget Dyson vacuum:

How to choose a Dyson vacuum

Suction power and run time

One of the first things you’ll have to consider is what sort of things you’re going to be vacuuming and how much power you’ll need. If you’re vacuuming up light dust that’s built up over time, then you don’t really need something hefty and powerful. On the other hand, if you have a big family and messes often need cleaning up, then having a more powerful vacuum will make your life a lot easier.

With the same token, it’s important to note that a more powerful battery means that it’s going to have a shorter runtime, especially if you’re going to be running it at its most powerful setting. Most Dyson vacuums come with two or three modes, including a light Eco mode and a powerful Boost mode, so you do have a bit of leeway there. Even so, if you have a large home, then aiming for a vacuum that has up to 60 minutes of runtime is probably the way to go.

Maneuverability and weight

Another thing to consider is if you have a lot of furniture or hard-to-reach spots, then you’re going to grab one of the Dyson vacuums that are easier to maneuver around. For example, the corded Dyson Ball Animal 3 is very maneuverable, so it’s perfect if you need to get around tight spots. it has a long runtime. On the other hand, it’s also very heavy, weighing 17.33 pounds, so it’s not going to be easy to lift up and down if you have multiple floors, and cleaning the ceiling is probably completely out of the question.

As such, keep in mind the sort of needs and weights you can carry. There are some good lightweight options that are still packed with features, like the V12, but it does have some downsides, so, ultimately, it’s about what comprimises you can accept.

Features and storage space

Dyson vacuums are generally already quite packed with features, but that also means that you’re going to have to pay a premium for them. Luckily, there are a lot of models you can pick from, so you can sort of pick and choose what you’re most interested in. For example, the most prominent feature that you’ll want to consider is whether your vacuum can handle pet hair or not since that can be a significant issue to tackle with vacuums that don’t take that into account. Another thing to consider is how much you care about things like LCD screens or the green laser headlight that is on some models; they’re nice things to have, but they often increase the price quite a bit.

Finally, while it might be tempting to just get the latest and greatest, it’s important to consider where you will be storing your Dyson vacuum. Again, there are a lot of options when it comes to size, so be sure to pick something that can be stored easily, especially if it needs a charging dock, which also takes up a bit of space.

How we chose these Dyson vacuums

Dyson has a wide and complex set of vacuums, with each version having several different options, so not only do we explore all the various options available, we draw on our own experience and expertise to pick the best options. That means taking into account both features and price tag so that when we suggest a Dyson vacuum for a specific category, you’re getting the best bang for your buck. While we may not have tested every single vacuum, we do have many years of experience writing about, reviewing, and recommending vacuums, so we have a good grasp of what makes a good Dyson vacuum and what we think is worth buying.

Dyson V15 Detect

Best overall Dyson vacuum

The Dyson V15 detect is a vacuum cleaner on a whole other level, with some really interesting features that might surprise you. For example, the Fluffy Optic Cleaner, which is what Dyson calls its normal cleaning head, has a green light that projects forward to help you see dirt a lot better. While this might not be the only vacuum with headlights, these ones are surprisingly effective, mostly because they are very low to the ground and illuminate debris better. Another interesting and related feature is that the LCD panel on the top of the machine shows you how much debris you’ve vacuumed up, which isn’t necessarily helpful in cleaning, but it is a nice little bit of information to have.

Something else the LCD panel shows is how much time you have left on your vacuum and what sort of mode you’re in. While the Dyson V15 can run for up to 60 minutes, that’s really only in the Eco mode, with other modes, especially the Boost mode, running for only a percentage of that. Luckily, the Dyson V15 also does a bit of auto-adjusting of the vacuum power, increasing and decreasing it based on the amount of dirt and debris it detects, which should help extend the lifetime a little bit.

The Dyson V15 also does pretty well on various surfaces, including hardwood and carpet, making it very versatile and great for pretty much any home. That said, it is quite expensive, as you’d expect from the best of the best, and the dirt bin can be a bit finicky sometimes, which we shouldn’t be seeing with a high-end vacuum. Even so, it’s still worth grabbing if you want the best Dyson has to offer, as all the other features far outweigh a couple of downsides.

Dyson Ball Animal 3

Best upright Dyson vacuum

You don’t often see a great big ball on an upright vacuum, but it’s actually a pretty smart addition since it makes it a lot more maneuverable and flexible than a traditional upright vacuum. That makes it great for getting around or under furniture, as well as dealing with corners and various other hard-to-reach places. That said, it does make it much heavier to pick up, so if you need to vacuum multiple floors and stairs, it might be difficult to handle if you have issues with carrying heavier stuff.

Even so, the extra weight adds a lot of features beyond just the maneuverability of the ball, such as having a much stronger vacuum and runtime compared to cordless vacuums. As such, it’s great for larger homes, especially since the cord is 35 feet long. The bin capacity is also larger at just over half a gallon, so you can do a lot more vacuuming before emptying it. That said, the nicest upgrade is probably the hair detangling, which is excellent for dealing with long pet hair.

The Dyson Ball Animal 3 also works great for various surfaces, and you can adjust the motorbar so it can handle larger debris. There are also three different vacuum modes you can pick from, so you can set the vacuum strength right where you need it.

Dyson Cyclone V10 Animal

Best Dyson vacuum for pet hair

Pet hair can be a pain to deal with, and most vacuums will likely hit a snag when dealing with it. Luckily, the Dyson Cyclone V10 Animal is a well-priced cordless vacuum that’s perfect for pet hair, and that’s mostly due to the hair screw tool. That said, it’s not completely immune to blockages, although, at the very least, those blockages won’t be related to pet hair.

Vacuuming strength on the Dyson Cyclone V10 Animal is very powerful, although not as powerful as some of the later Dyson models, like the V11. Even so, what you lose out in power, you gain in cost, and if you’re looking for something that’s specifically good with pet hair, it’s worth the investment, even if you have another, more heavy-duty vacuum for the tougher debris. We doubt you’ll have to go that far, as the three vacuum levels you get are still relatively powerful.

Besides, it has some other positives, such as being light enough to use it to vacuum ceilings or carry up and down stairs. It also has whole-machine filtration that captures particles as small as 0.3 microns, so it is perfect for those who have allergies. It also has an impressive 60-minute runtime for its price, although, again, that’s mostly on eco mode, with other modes running for far less.

Dyson Omni-Glide

Best Dyson Vacuum for hardwood floors

While most vacuums on this list have been versatile when it comes to the floors they work on, the Dyson Omni-glide is unique in that it’s a vacuum only made for hardwood floors and doesn’t work on carpet. It’s a lot smaller in size, and the cleaning head has two small rollers, rather than the larger and bigger one you might see on other Dyson vacuums. Even so, it does its job excellently on hardwood floors and avoids any issues with scratching while still being powerful enough to grab up pretty much any dirt and debris.

That said, while you could use it on a carpet, the two rolling heads don’t do as good of a job, and it will barely function and the smaller size also means you can clean up less at a time. There’s also the fact that it has a smaller dust bin, so you’ll need to clean it out more often. On the other hand, those aspects really work to its advantage since it’s much smaller to store and weighs much less than any other vacuum on this list, so it’s fast and easy to use. As such, a lot of it is figuring out what sort of compromise you’re willing to settle for.

Another compromise to consider is the runtime, which is about 20 minutes long, although because it only has two suction modes, you’re more likely to hit that 20-minute runtime than other vacuums with longer ones on Eco mode. On the bright side, you can convert this to a handheld vacuum as well, and it weighs half as much, making it a good option for both vacuuming hardwood and as a handheld vacuum. Ultimately, you’ll most likely need a second, heavier-duty vacuum than the Dyson Omni-glide if you have a large home or need something that also works for carpets.

Dyson V12 Detect Slim

Best lightweight Dyson Vacuum

The Dyson V12 Detect Slim has a lot of the same features as the higher-end models, like the V15, but is much lighter, making it a perfect alternative if you need something powerful yet can fit in a small space and is easy to pack. For example, the V12 has the same green light that can be used to see debris better and help with more thorough cleaning. There’s also the LCD panel at the top of the vacuum that gives you all the same relevant information, such as battery charge, how much time you have left, and how much debris you’ve vacuumed up.

It manages to do all this while only being 5.2 pounds, which is 1.6 pounds lighter than the V15. While that may not seem like much at the beginning, that lower weight actually makes a big difference when it comes to having a more agile and maneuverable vacuum. Luckily, it still has powerful suction with three vacuum modes, as well as the up to 60-minute run-time. Although, again, that will vary greatly depending on which mode you have it on and how much debris there is.

That said, it does have some downsides, like having only half the bin capacity of the V15, as well as just generally not being as powerful as the beefier V15 since it doesn’t have as new a motor. All these things aren’t necessarily a dealbreaker, though, it’s just things to consider when comparing the two very similar models, with this one mostly winning out on size and weight.

Dyson V8

Best budget Dyson vacuum

For a company that’s well-known for its pricey products, trying to find a budget-oriented Dyson vacuum can be a tall ask. As such, the only real way to get something cheaper is to go for an older model that doesn’t have all the newer and fancier upgrades. For that, you’ll need the Dyson V8, which is one of Dyson’s older products, before they add things like the laser headlights or the LCD panel, so you’ll have to do without those if you go for one of these. Even so, that doesn’t mean that the V8 is bad, far from it; it just means there are some compromises.

For example, the V8 has an older bin design that is a bit more finicky, meaning that cleaning it out can be a pain sometimes as dirt and debris can get stuck inside it. That said, it is good for a lot of other things, such as with pet hair, since it has a detangling motor and a removable brush head to cut away any stuck hairs. It also comes with a turbo brush attachment that’s good for vacuuming up sofas and any pet hair that might be on it. It also does pretty well with carpets, so it’s relatively versatile.

As for runtime, you’re going to get up to 40 minutes out of it, which isn’t as much as the new models, but it still isn’t bad. Even so, we’d probably save up an extra bit of money and go for the Dyson V10 or, potentially, the V12.

This article is managed and created separately from the Digital Trends Editorial team.