Dyson V8 vs V10

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Details: Sunday, 12 August 2018

With the release of the Dyson Cyclone V10 cordless stick vacuum many consumers are pondering whether or not to buy its predecessor the V8 or to try the new kid on the block, the V10. In this article we analyze, discuss and test both vacuums in order to answer that question.

Popular V8 Models

There are 2 popular V8 models - the V8 Animal and the V8 Absolute. Wand colors help identify the two units.

V8 Animal: Silver/Titanium Wand
V8 Absolute: Orange/Gold Wand

The V8 Animal includes:
- Direct drive cleaner head
- Docking station
- Crevice tool
- Combo tool
- Mini soft dusting brush
- Mini motorhead tool
Notably absent is the soft roller cleaner head.

The V8 Absolute includes:
- Direct drive cleaner head
- Soft roller cleaner head (great for bare floors)
- Docking station
- Crevice tool
- Combo tool
- Mini soft dusting brush
- Mini motorhead tool

Popular V10 Models

There are 3 popular V10 models - the Motorhead, the Animal and the Absolute.

V10 Motorhead: Red Wand
V10 Animal: Purple Wand
V10 Absolute: Copper-Colored Wand

The V10 Motorhead is the bare bones V10. It includes the following:
- Direct drive cleaner head
- Docking station
- Crevice tool
- Combo tool
Notably absent are the soft roller cleaner head, the mini motorized tool, and the soft dusting brush.

The V10 Animal includes the following:
- Torque drive cleaner head
- Docking station
- Crevice tool
- Combo tool
- Mini soft dusting brush
- Mini motorhead tool
Notably absent is the soft roller cleaner head.

The V10 Absolute is the top-end V10. It includes the following:
- Torque drive cleaner head
- Soft roller cleaner head (great for bare floors)
- Docking station
- Crevice tool
- Combo tool
- Mini soft dusting brush
- Mini motorhead tool

Battery Differences

The V8 battery pack has the following specifications:

- 6-cell Lithium Ion Battery Pack
- 21.6 V
- 18.5 A
- 2800 mAh
- 65 Wh

The V10 battery pack has the following specifications:
- 7-cell Lithium Ion Battery Pack
- 25.2 V
- 20.8 A
- 2600 mAh
- 66 Wh

These batteries are similar in overall size even though the V8 is a little wider and the V10 is a little longer. Batteries on the V6 and V7 are smaller and lighter.

Recharge time for the V10 is only 3.5 hours while for the V8 it is 5 hours, 43% longer.

Both the V8 and the V10 have 3 charging lights which is a nice feature as you can tell how far along the battery charging is, and also how much charge is left while you are vacuuming (the V6 and V7 only have 1 light).

Suction Power

The V8 has 2 power modes, Low and Max, while the V10 has 3 power modes, Low, Medium and Max. Both vacuums have sliders on top of the handheld components which allow the user to choose the power setting.

The following table shows the published (or "official") suction power figures for the V8 and the V10 in the different power modes.

SUCTION POWER

	Dyson V8	Dyson V10
Suction on Low Power	28 Air Watts	15.8 Air Watts
Suction on Medium Power	N/A	33.8 Air Watts
Suction on Maximum Power	115 Air Watts	151 Air Watts

Battery Life - Official Numbers

The following table shows the published (or “official”) figures for Dyson V8 and V10 battery life when using the direct/torque drive cleaner head.

OFFICIAL BATTERY LIFE

	Dyson V8	Dyson V10
Low Power with Direct/Torque Head	25 minutes	35 minutes
Medium Power Direct/Torque Head	N/A	20 minutes
Maxium Power Direct/Torque Head	7 minutes	6 minutes

Battery Life - Tested

We have both the Dyson V8 Absolute and the Dyson V10 Absolute so we were able to run the vacuums in each power mode, and using a stopwatch we recorded the time it took before the vacuums stopped. Before starting each run we ensured the battery was fully charged, the dust canister was empty, and the filters were clean. We ran the vacuums with the direct/torque drive cleaner heads. We found the following:

TESTED BATTERY LIFE

	Dyson V8	Dyson V10
Low Power with Direct/Torque Head	27 min 28 sec	40 min 17 sec
Medium Power with Direct/Torque Head	N/A	20 min 23 sec
Maximum Power Direct/Torque Head	7 min 45 sec	7 min 14 sec

When looking at the battery life test figures a few numbers stood out - the battery life of the V10 in Low Power mode and the battery life of the V10 in Maximum Power mode. They were both substantially longer than the official figures.

We were also impressed that the battery life test figures for each and every scenario exceeded the official figures. It's nice to see a company not overestimating their vacuum's battery life. That being said, we were not able to test the suction during the battery life tests to ensure it was as high as published or if it was maintained over the entire timeframe. Suction figures are difficult to test and to compare.

Filtration

Both the V8 and the V10 have HEPA level filtration with a Sealed System. The sealed system ensures that air does not leak out around poor seals or cracks in the vacuum prior to passing through the filters and being exhausted. In short, it makes sure the air entering the vacuum is properly filtered before being released back into the room. The filters are also good for the lifetime of the vacuum cleaner and are rinsable.

Dust Canisters

The dust canisters of the V8 Animal and V8 Absolute have a capacity of 0.14 gallons. The V10 models are a little different. The V10 Animal and V10 Absolute have a capacity of 0.20 gallons while the V10 Motorhead has a capacity of 0.14 gallons.

Both V8 and V10 vacuums have what Dyson refers to as a “Hygienic Dirt Ejector”, however there are still significant differences in the way in which the dust canisters are emptied. We show the differences in the following video:

Noise Level - Tested

We used a noise level meter that measures peak decibels and tested both the V8 and V10 in the different power modes. We measured the noise at a distance of 3 feet from the front of the cleaner head with the vacuum in the upright position.

	Dyson V8	Dyson V10
Low Power	62.2 decibels	63.2 decibels
Medium Power	N/A	71.4 decibels
Maximum Power	71.7 decibels	72.5 decibels

We were a little surprised that the V10 was louder than the V8 under all circumstances, especially in Low Power mode where it is producing less suction than the V8. However other tests we have done show that in Low Power mode the V10 is, at least, quieter than both the V6 and V7.

Carpet Cleaning Ability - Tested

For these tests we created debris that ranges from fine to fairly large (not extremely large). We used a carefully measured mixture of ground cheerios (fine), chili flakes (lightweight, small), flax seeds (heavier, small) and split green peas (heavier and larger).

We measured out the following amounts.

- 7.5g Ground Cheerios
- 5.3g Chili Flakes
- 17.8g Flax Seeds
- 24.0g Split Green Peas

This debris was placed on a white, low-pile carpet in a line 5 1/2 ft long. The vacuums were run over this line in a 10 second pass (approximately).

We found the following:

	% Pickup
V8 Low Power Mode	98.17
V10 Low Power Mode	94.90
V10 Medium Power Mode	98.48
V8 Max Power Mode	99.27
V10 Max Power Mode	99.22

The data above tells us that the V8 outperforms the V10 in Low Power Mode. This is not surprising given that the V8 has 28 Air Watts of suction in Low Power Mode while the V10 only has 15.8 (the V8 is pumping out 77% more power in Low Power Mode). However when we switch the V10 to Medium Power Mode its performance jumps up. In Medium Power Mode the tests showed the V10 just edged out the V8 in terms of pickup. In Medium Power Mode the V10 is producing 33.8 Air Watts of suction (21% more than the V8 in Low Power Mode - remember the V8 does not have a Medium Power Mode). We did not do tests in Max Mode as this mode is very short lived and probably not used as frequently as the other power modes.

Bare Floor Cleaning Ability - Tested

Bare floor testing was done on tile and used the same kind of debris as the carpet test above. The big difference was that we switched over to the soft roller cleaner head as it is much more effective on smooth flooring. The debris set down was the following:

- 10.6g Ground Cheerios
- 3.7g Chili Flakes
- 14.7g Flax Seeds
- 27.7g Split Green Peas

On a tile surface we set down the debris in a line 5 1/2 ft in length. Each vacuum was run over this line of debris in a 10 second pass.

V10 test on bare floor

We found the following:

	% Pickup
V8 Low Power Mode	99.88
V10 Low Power Mode	99.72

The data above tells us that both vacuums perform very well on bare floors and that there is virtually no difference between the two units. We did not feel the need to test other power modes as performance on the lowest power mode was already exemplary.

Weight

The V10's weighs more than the V8's with the exception of the V10 Motorhead which is actually the lightest of all the units.

	Weight (lbs)
V8 Animal	5.75
V8 Absolute	5.75
V10 Motorhead	5.50
V10 Animal	5.90
V10 Absolute	5.90

Warranties

Both vacuum series (V8 and V10) have a 2-year parts and labor warranty.

Costs

Costs are always difficult to nail down as they vary from retail outlet to retail outlet and they also tend to drop over time. Nevertheless we have attempted to create a table of approximate costs at this time.

	Approximate Cost (US$)
V8 Animal	$449
V8 Absolute	$499
V10 Motorhead	$499
V10 Animal	$599
V10 Absolute	$699

Conclusions/Buying Tips

IF YOU HAVE ONLY CARPET

Consider the V8 Animal or the V10 Motorhead. Cleaning on carpet it similar (when V8 on Low Power and V10 on Medium Power). However, unlike the V10 Motorhead, the V8 Animal will include the mini motorized tool which is good for removing pet hair and ground-in dirt from upholstery, car seats and tight/cramped spaces. Also, in Low Power mode the V8 should last for 25+ minutes while the V10 in Medium Power mode only lasts about 20 minutes. In addition, you should be able to find the V8 Animal for less than the V10 Motorhead. You can see Dyson V8 Prices on Amazon.

IF YOU HAVE CARPET & BARE FLOORS OR ENTIRELY BARE FLOORS

If you have bare surfaces to clean you will want an “Absolute” model so you get the soft roller cleaner head. So your choices here are the V8 Absolute or the V10 Absolute. The V8 Absolute cleans pretty much as well as the V10 Absolute on bare floors and costs less. However, on bare flooring the V10 in Low Power mode will give you 35+ minutes of run time which is longer than the V8 in Low Power mode which is 25+ minutes. Also, the V10 will recharge faster than the V8 (3.5 hrs vs 5.0 hrs). You have to look at these trade-offs carefully and your decision will depend on your cleaning needs and budget. You can see Dyson V8 Prices on Amazon or you may wish to see V10 Prices on Amazon,

IF YOU WILL USE THE HANDHELD UNIT A LOT

If you intend to do lots of work with the handheld component of the vacuum, we found that the handheld units of the V10 Absolute and V10 Animal were a bit large and bulky when compare to the V8’s. We like the V8 for handheld work. You can see Dyson V8 Prices on Amazon.

IF YOU REALLY NEED AS MUCH POWER AS POSSIBLE

If you must have the most power possible then the V10 is your vacuum. In Max mode it "mops the floor" with the other Dyson stick vacuums (31% more power than the V8 and 51% more power than the V6 & V7). However suction at this level is very short lived (6+ minutes). You can see V10 Prices on Amazon.

You may also wish to read our article on the Dyson V7 vs V8 or our very detailed Dyson stick vacuum reviews:

You can also check out our detailed video in which we highlight the differences between the Dyson V8 and the Dyson V10.