I think it’s fair to say that most people recognise Dyson as a leading manufacturer of the highest quality vacuum cleaners but I also have to admit that I think of them as a bit of an investment. For me I want a vacuum that will last for several years, performing at the same level as when it was purchased. This is why I was quite (sadly excited) to be given the opportunity to review one of the new Dyson stick vacuums (and I even get to keep it!).
For this review I was gifted a Dyson V6. I was a bit reluctant when I heard it was a stick vacuum; unsure if it could perform under my circumstances (and therefore, would it be a good review?).
The Challenge
We are in the middle of a renovation, (2 long years into one), and I already own a Dyson (6 or 7 years old), but it’s a big traditional cyclonic vacuum which seems like worlds apart from a stick model. We have 2 dogs, a cat and 3 crazy kids and have a variety of floor surfaces including carpet, tiles and concrete. I need a vacuum cleaner that can deal with it all (especially the hair from the pets and the dust of the renovation).
I like to give my outcome of in-depth reviews before I go into too much detail, just in case you don’t have time to read it all. So this is how the story ends.
The Test Results
What I liked immediately was that the Dyson V6 made an absolute difference to the look of the blue rug in our playroom. Despite the intense sucking, it didn’t pull up the rug like the other Dyson (which must be due to the way the head for hard floors is constructed). What it did do was suck up SO much dog hair that I was shocked and a little grossed out. This is despite it being fairly clean to begin with (or so I thought).
This is what came up (don’t judge me) –
Because the Dyson V6 is so light and easy to use, I have found that I have vacuumed more than ever before (especially incidental vacuuming). I absolutely prefer it to my other Dyson purely on the basis that it is easier to use and produces the same if not better results. If you are looking for a new vacuum add this one to your list to test and don’t be afraid of the 20 minute battery limit. I find the portability outweighs any issue with time limits because I haven’t yet been left with a whole house un-vacuumed. It’s strange but my home is cleaner and while I know it is all vacuumed, it doesn’t feel like I have done the same amount of work had I used my old Dyson in a whole house clean.
So, what is the V6 Absolute Cordless Vacuum? The In-Depth Review
The Dyson V6 Absolute Cordless Vacuum is a very light, cordless, bagless, cyclonic vacuum cleaner. As with much of the Dyson range, this model has different versions for different needs. There’s the Motorhead for carpet cleaning, the Animal for people with pets and the Fluffy for hard floors. Then there’s the Absolute, which is like a winning combination of all of those.
The V6 Absolute is the model I was gifted, and it works on all floor surfaces; from carpets to tiles and wooden floors. It has two Dyson-engineered cleaning heads — a soft-roller cleaner head for hard floors and a Direct Drive cleaner head that’s great on carpets, mats and other soft surfaces. Also, being the owner of some pretty hairy pooches, I’m really happy that it also came with a mini-motorised tool which is great for removing pet hair and ground-in dirt. Plus it has other attachments for different functions and getting into hard to reach places. It also has the following features:
- Dyson digital motor V6
- HEPA filtration
- Crevice tool
- Combination accessory tool
- Docking station
- Max power mode
Dyson V6 Absolute — the best bits
The best thing about the V6 Absolute is that it’s like the cleaning gadget I always needed but didn’t know I needed it! I was using baby wipes to clean up the crumbs under the kids dining chairs, lugging my normal vacuum cleaner out to clean the car, using a mop to try and reach cobwebs on the ceiling. I didn’t really think anything of that, but now that I’ve been using the V6 Absolute for a while, I use it for all those things and more, plus it’s so much easier! The head rotates so simply to get underneath any surface (like a bed) and doesn’t make any difference at all on the output.
Practical
The V6 Absolute is a handstick cleaner, which is great for doing full rooms but also converts really quickly into a small handheld unit. I found the handheld version especially good for quick clean-ups of kids’ mess or spot cleaning random spills or patches of dirt where I would usually use a dustpan and brush. It’s also great in small areas, especially the car (which in the past required many extension cords and so much effort it rarely got done).
Light, portable and convenient
The V6 only weighs about 2kg, so it’s super light. I even tried it to the dust the blinds the other day which I have never done before.
Suction
Dyson is famous for its suction, and the digital motor engine in this model makes it the most powerful cordless stick vacuum. I got a small handheld rechargeable vacuum when I first had kids because I thought it would be really useful, but it pretty much just died down after a few minutes of use and lost all suction. I’d be hovering over the same crumbs, willing them to be sucked up as the machine slowly faded to nothing. Most of the time it would have been faster to just sweep the mess in the first place!
With the V6, the suction is great and you get up to 20 minutes of run time on the standard setting, which is pretty much unheard of for cordless vacuum cleaners. There’s also a max power mode for difficult areas and that uses up the power faster, but I found you still had enough time to clean the area you needed to do.
Health and hygiene
Another thing that’s great about this vacuum cleaner is the huge HEPA filter on the back. With so many kids nowadays with allergies and asthma and other irritants, it’s so great to have the peace of mind knowing that when you use the V6, dust or allergens aren’t being spread back into the air. In fact, I read that the air it expels is even cleaner than the air you breathe!
This vacuum also has an easy push-button to release the dirt for hygienic emptying into a bin.
Kids and Cleaning
As you can see by the photo above, my 6 year is old is able to vacuum his room easily including under the bed. I love that I have been able to add a chore to their list of home responsibilities, making them more a part of the team that keeps the home ticking along.
Docking
The Dyson V6 Absolute comes with a docking station to conveniently store the cleaner. It also powers up while being stored, so it’s always ready when you need it. This extra consideration is definitely practical and convenient.
Dyson V6 Absolute — the drawback
I guess the main thing to recognise is that this is a handheld, cordless cleaner. While it has better suction and the power lasts longer than other models on the market, it obviously won’t last forever. So if you need to thoroughly clean an entire family home, you probably won’t be able to do this in one go. However, like me, you’ll probably find that it picks up more dirt in less time than other cleaners, so the cleaning won’t take as long, and it’s so small and convenient that you can just keep on top of dirt as you go, rather than having to do say one big clean once a week. I am not a WHOLE house cleaning type of person so this works well for me.
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