We have reviewed many Dyson vacuum cleaner models over the years – from uprights and canisters to handhelds and stick vacs. But which machines are the best? In order to determine this we have broken down our analysis into 3 steps. First we analysed our existing Dyson reviews and came up with a list of the top vacuums. We then took a fresh and exhaustive look at consumer ratings for each one of the units on this list. Finally, we removed models that were no longer strongly favoured by consumers.
STEP 1 – Review of all Dyson vacuums we have investigated It should be noted that many aspects of these machines are similar and thus difficult to compare - 5 year warranty, HEPA filtration, washable filters, cyclonic suction, etc. - and while there are unique features as well as price differences, probably the best determination of a top performing machine is strong consumer ratings.
Among the vacuums we reviewed some have received very good consumer ratings and others have not. An overview of the Dyson vacuums and their average ratings (out of 100) is shown in the table below. Highly rated machines from each style of vacuum have been chosen for further analysis. These are highlighted in green.
Model
Style
Rating
DC07 All-Floors
Upright
84
DC14 All-Floors
Upright
81
DC15 Animal
Upright
90
DC17 Animal
Upright
85
DC18 Slim All-Floors
Upright
88
DC24 Ball All-Floors
Upright
82
DC25 All-Floors (Multi floor)
Upright
92
DC25 Animal
Upright
90
DC28 Animal
Upright
87
DC33 Multi floor
Upright
81
DC23 Motorhead
Canister
92
DC23 Turbinehead
Canister
84
DC26 Multi floor
Canister
87
DC16 Root 6
Handheld
65
DC31 Handheld
Handheld
84
DC35 Digital Slim
Stick
75
Please note that the Dyson DC15 and the Dyson DC18 are no longer widely available but refurbished units can sometimes be found. And the Dyson DC23 Motorhead is now quite hard to find but as of August 2011 stores like QVC and Lowes still carry it.
STEP 2 – Bring scores up-to-date for the vacuums highlighted in Step 1 Some of our reviews go back a few years so we have recalculated average consumer ratings for the Dyson vacuums of interest above by visiting the following sources and averaging ALL the consumer ratings.
Sources: Walmart, Viewpoints, Epinions, Abt Electronics, Ciao!, Macy’s, Best Buy, Target, Lowe’s, QVC, JC Penney, Home Depot.
The two vacuums highlighted in red below have slipped in terms of consumer ratings.
Model
Style
Updated Rating
#Ratings
DC15 Animal
Upright
89.9
457
DC18 Slim All-Floors
Upright
87.0
304
DC25 All-Floors (Multi floor)
Upright
88.9
1192
DC25 Animal
Upright
89.2
1023
DC28 Animal
Upright
86.9
504
DC23 Motorhead
Canister
79.5
42
DC23 Turbinehead
Canister
82.7
199
DC26 Multi floor
Canister
87.0
26
DC31 Handheld
Handheld
80.9
68
STEP 3 – Drop units who’s scores have faltered & create final list. The up-to-date calculations above allow us to drop a few vacuums from the list. Namely the DC23 Motorhead and the DC31 Handheld. We are now left with the following machines and the final list:
FINAL - BEST DYSON VACUUM LIST
Model
Style
Updated Ratings
Approx. Cost
DC15 Animal
Upright
89.9
N/A
DC18 Slim All-Floors
Upright
87.0
N/A
DC25 All-Floors (Multi floor)
Upright
88.9
$499
DC25 Animal
Upright
89.2
$539
DC28 Animal
Upright
86.9
$599
DC23 Turbinehead
Canister
82.7
$399
DC26 Multi floor
Canister
87.0
$399
Upright Vacuum Cleaners - overview of the winners With respect to upright vacuums the DC18 and DC15 are generally no longer available and those that can be found are used or refurbished (for example see the DC15 Animal on Amazon). The DC25’s get slightly better ratings than the DC28 and they are also less expensive - so the two DC25's are our top pick for Dyson uprights, followed by the DC28.
The two DC25 models are almost identical except the DC25 Animal comes with a special turbine tool for vacuuming up pet hair. The DC28 differs from the DC25 models in a number of ways – the DC28 has a longer power cord, a much larger dirt canister, stronger suction and more tools and accessories. It is also a fixed wheel unit unlike the DC25’s that use Dyson Ball Technology. The DC28 weighs about 4.5 lbs more than the DC25’s and costs more (as seen in the table above).
A list of pros and cons for each model is provided below:
DC25 Multi floor
PROS - Very good suction - Does a great cleaning job - Lightweight and very easy to turn (folks like the ball technology a lot) - Very easy to assemble - Lifetime washable filters save money - Worth every penny (as it is costly) - Extendable hose is a great tool - Fairly quiet - Good warranty
CONS - A wider stair attachment tool would be helpful - Sometimes some dirt stays attached to inner walls of bin when emptying - Some indications that it is hard to move back and forth on carpet - A few comments that people would like a longer power cord - Some folks would like a larger dirt container - Extendable hose can be a bit stiff
Read the Dyson DC25 Multi floor review (Dyson recently changed the name of the “DC25 All-Floors” to the “DC25 Multi floor”)
DC25 Animal
The DC25 Animal pros and cons are similar to those shown above for the Multi floor with a few extra comments about the vacuum’s pet hair capabilities and the mini turbine head tool:
PROS - Most owners agree that the vacuum is very effective at picking up pet hair - The mini turbine tool is good for removing pet hair from upholstery and other furniture CONS - Dirt canister requires frequent emptying especially if you have lots of pet hair to vacuum - No place to attach mini turbine tool to vacuum - Some folks feel the mini turbine tool is a bit weak as suction is used to spin the turbine
PROS - Very powerful suction - Four push-button height settings - Good at vacuuming up pet hair - Washable HEPA filter (easy to wash and re-insert) - Dirt canister is easy to empty - Good on both carpet and bare floors - Long 35 foot power cord
CONS - Heavy - Expensive - Can be hard to maneuver for some - Only room for 2 tools in on board tool storage
Canister Vacuum Cleaners - overview of the winners The clear winner here is the Dyson DC26, however it is really best for small area cleaning and is thus popular with apartment dwellers. For larger area cleaning a unit like the Dyson DC23 Turbinehead may be the best choice – but even though it is more powerful than the DC26 it does not enjoy the quite the same consumer popularity. These models cost about the same.
A list of pros and cons for each model is provided below:
Dyson DC26
PROS - Strong suction for such a small machine - Tools and attachments couple and uncouple smoothly - Very lightweight and easy to carry - Good for small apartment dwellers - Able to vacuum in narrow areas - Dirt canister is easy to empty - Great looking machine - Not too noisy - A number of owners find it useful for cleaning their vehicles
CONS - Expensive - Dirt canister has to be emptied frequently - Short power cord - Not as powerful as a full size Dyson - Hose and attachments make storage not as easy as expected for so small a vacuum - Several owners indicate it is not as good on carpet as it is on hard floors
Stick Vacs and Handhelds The highest rated handheld vacuum (that we have looked at to date) is the Dyson DC31 but it still did not make our cut. If you are a die-hard Dyson fan you may wish to consider this unit as it does have some great features and some owners do really like it. But it is expensive and only has about 10 minutes of power on a single charge. You may wish to read the Dyson DC31 review.
The only stick vac Dyson manufacture at this time is the Dyson DC35 and, like the handheld units, it too did not make the cut due to consumer ratings. For those with small areas to clean and who don’t mind 6 to 13 minutes of cleaning time between battery recharges, the DC35 may be a good choice. It also doubles as a handheld and has strong suction but a number of folks cite the cost, the short battery life, and the fact that the trigger must be squeezed continuously for the vacuum to work as issues. Read the Dyson DC35 review.
