The 6 best Dyson vacuums in 2024 – tested and reviewed by our editors
The definitive list of the best Dyson vacuums – to suit every home, floor and budget
Recent updates
30 November 2024. I've checked 16 online retailers for the best Dyson vacuum deals in the Black Friday sales. Four of the vacuums in this guide (the four best cordless models) are currently at their lowest prices ever; I've included them at the top of this guide.
We all know Dyson is at the forefront of vacuum cleaner tech, so it's no surprise to find out that, on test, their vacuums really do come out on top. They utilize their signature, patented cyclone engineering to create unique airflow that grants them this unrivaled suction power.
But among Dyson's lineup is a great deal of choice. From the V8 to the V12 Detect Slim to the Ball Animal 3, knowing which one is right for you isn't too straightforward.
Luckily, myself and our team of product testers have sampled the majority of Dyson's offerings, alongside 47 of the world's best vacuums. So, we know what to look for: strong cleaning performance on different floor types, pet hair pickup, tight filtration, easy maneuverability, useful attachments, and smart features that actually help.
Here's our definitive list of the best Dyson vacuums, with hands-on insight from experienced appliance editors.
Black Friday deals on Dyson vacuums
Dyson's best vacuum cleaners are currently discounted in the Black Friday sales. I've checked 16 online retailers and the best prices are direct from Dyson, where some of them are even at their lowest prices ever.
All the deals I've selected below are vacuums we've tested and loved. Keep scrolling for the full guide to find out what makes them so great.
Dyson Gen5outsize | was $1,049.99, now $749.99 at Dyson (save $300)
As you'll see below, the best Dyson vacuum (and the best vacuum we've ever tested) is the Dyson Gen5detect. The Gen5outsize is the same vacuum – with market-leading suction power across all surfaces and a green laser that reveals invisible dust – but with a larger dustbin and an extra battery to deal with bigger homes.
The Gen5outsize is also on offer for this price at other retailers like Amazon and Best Buy but the best deal is direct from Dyson – as it comes with the most attachments and in an exclusive Prussian Blue/Rich Copper color scheme.
Dyson Gen5detect | was $949.99, now $699.99 at Dyson (save $250)
You can also buy the Dyson Gen5detect with a $250 discount at Dyson, but I'd personally recommend spending the extra $50 for the Gen5outsize. Having a spare battery and more time between emptying does make a difference when cleaning.
Dyson V15 Detect | was $749.99, now $549.99 at Dyson (save $200)
Until the Gen5detect was released, the V15 Detect was our best-on-test vacuum cleaner. It shares the same smart features and excels across all floor types, and can make light work of all dust, debris and hair. Act fast, $549.99 is the lowest price we've seen for the V15 Detect.
Dyson V12 Detect Slim | was $649.99, now $399.99 at Dyson (save $250)
The final and lowest entry into Dyson's flagship range is the V12 Detect Slim. It's lighter and smaller than the Gen5detect and V15 Detect, with a smaller dustbin that makes it more affordable. If you're ok with emptying it more often and with a slightly lower suction power (but still one of the best, ever), I'd recommend saving some money and choosing this model. It's the one vacuum I use in my own home after all the testing I've done for H&G.
Dyson V8 | was $519.99, now $299.99 at Dyson (save $220)
The Dyson V8 is already our best-value pick of all the Dyson vacuums, but now it's reduced by a further $220 putting it below $300. At this price point, you likely won't get a more powerful cordless vacuum than this. But if you're looking for Dyson's smart features, like automatic suction or the green laser, I'd suggest paying the extra $100 for the V12 Detect Slim above.
The quick list
Here's the list of the best Dyson vacuums at a glance. For more info, scroll further or click the navigation links to take you to each product.
At the bottom of the page, you'll also find a guide on how to choose a Dyson, how we test them, a Dyson vacuum glossary, and a list of FAQs.
Best Dyson
The best Dyson vacuum in the world
Our reviewer has tested more than 100 vacuums and the Dyson Gen5detect is better than all of them, thanks to its best-in-class (and responsive) suction power, an impressive 70-minute runtime, and the green laser that reveals invisible dust.
Best for pet hair
The best cordless Dyson vacuum
The Dyson V15 Detect excels on all floor types, and uses a laser sensor to dig up dirt invisible to the naked eye. It effortlessly vacuumed every visible strand of hair on test while even reviving a dog bed to its original color.
Best value
The best value Dyson vacuum
It's surprising to see a Dyson vacuum selling for less than $400 but that's around the average price for a Dyson V8. It doesn't have the smart features of the more expensive vacuums in this guide, but it still has the incredible suction power you'd expect from a Dyson.
Best for carpet
The best upright Dyson vacuum for carpet
This upright vacuum is bigger and bulkier than a cordless stick, but that's what you need in a home full of carpets. Offering more serious cleaning power and a wide floorhead, the Ball Animal 3 is perfect for busy, messy households with kids and/or pets.
Best for hard floors
The best Dyson vacuum for hard floors
With the same core features as the Gen5detect and V15 Detect, just in a smaller design, the V12 Detect Slim is the ideal cleaning companion for a home full of hard floors. The FluffyOptic floorhead is designed for hard floors, picking up every bit of debris and dust while revealing hidden particles.
Best for small spaces
The best Dyson vacuum for small spaces and quick cleans
The Dyson Omni-Glide is a gentler cleaner, using two brushrolls that protect even the most delicate floors, with a battery life of around 30 minutes for small, quick cleans when needed. If you live in a small home or apartment, this is a great way to get your hands on some Dyson tech for an affordable price.
The best Dyson vacuum cleaners in 2024
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The best Dyson vacuum cleaner
1. Dyson Gen5detect
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
One of our expert reviewers, Helen McCue, has sampled well over 100 vacuums in her time as a product tester, and this latest model from Dyson is better than all of them.
The Dyson Gen5detect works tirelessly to dig up deep dirt from carpet, wood, and linoleum floors. With an extended runtime of 70 minutes, this is one of the only cordless vacuums that you could use to clean the whole house in a single session.
This vacuum incorporates all the latest Dyson technology: the dust-revealing green laser, the Piezo particle sensor, the anti-tangle hair screw, and the floor-responsive suction. It comes with two main floorheads, the FluffyOptic and the Motorbar, designed for hard floors and carpets respectively.
Inside the vacuum you'll find a HEPA filtration system to protect yourself from allergies and prevent particles from recirculating back into your home. It also has some serious suction power at 262 air watts (compared to the V15 Detect's 230 air watts and the V12 Detect Slim's 150 air watts). It's the most accurate measurement for a vacuum's suction power there is, and it's higher than we've ever seen in a cordless vacuum.
This excellent performance comes at a cost, and the Dyson Gen5detect is one of the most expensive vacuums on the market. Outside of sales seasons, it retails for almost $1,000. That's a significant amount of money to spend on an appliance, but if you have the money, it's a fair price to pay for the next best thing in floorcare.
Read more in our full Dyson Gen5detect review.
The best Dyson vacuum for pet hair
2. Dyson V15 Detect
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Not only is the Dyson V15 Detect one of the most powerful vacuums we've ever tested, it's also our best vacuum for pet hair. Whether you're vacuuming pet hair, dust, dirt or large debris, the cordless vacuum cleans it all with minimal effort, pretty much always in a single pass.
As well as effortlessly vacuuming pet hair, the V15 Detect comes with an anti-tangle hair screw tool to remove fur from furniture, upholstery, mattresses and other non-floor surfaces. When our tester Jaclyn Turner tested it on her dog's bed, she noted: 'It is one of the only vacuum tools I've tried that not only revived the faux-sherpa bottom that is an absolute magnet for dirt but brightened the fleece top from a dusty blue back to its original turquoise.'
To add to this cleaning performance, the V15 Detect is part of the same lineup as the Gen5detect and V12 Detect Slim. This is Dyson's flagship series, with a green laser to illuminate hidden dust, a Piezo sensor that counts particle sizes, and automatically responsive suction power when the floors are extra dirty or when you're vacuuming rugs and carpet.
These features are genuinely useful, and it's almost unsettling how much the green laser reveals that the naked eye can't normally see. It's the perfect smart appliance for any clean freaks out there as you'll know exactly how clean your floors are with all of this info.
The V15 Detect is the mid-range option out of Dyson's Detect vacuums retailing for around $650 at full price, which is pretty steep, even if it is often discounted. It's $100s cheaper than the Gen5detect, and around $100 more expensive than the smaller V12 Detect Slim.
If you'd rather save a bit of money, the V12 Detect Slim does everything the V15 Detect can, it just has a smaller dustbin so can't tackle a whole home in one go. But if you're happy to empty mid-clean, that's an easy way to save money on this market-leading cleaning tech.
Read more in our full Dyson V15 Detect review.
The best value Dyson vacuum
3. Dyson V8
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Retailing for around $400, the V8 Animal isn't cheap for a cordless cleaner, but it's one of the most affordable Dyson vacuums on the market. It's also a little bit older, and is often discounted to around $299.
The Dyson V8 doesn't have the fancy features found in the Detect vacuums (like the green laser or responsive suction). While these do make a big difference to your cleaning, they're luxuries rather than essentials, and the Dyson V8 is the perfect back-to-basics model that still offers Dyson's famous cleaning performance without the extras.
Like Dyson's best, it still has a Fluffy floorhead for hard floors and a Motorbar floorhead for carpets and rugs, as well as tight HEPA filtration inside the machine and the various cleaning tools/attachments.
You get around 30 minutes of cleaning time with the Dyson V8: more when you use attachments, such as the crevice tool, and less when you use the floorheads on MAX mode. You might struggle to clean the whole house in one go, but you could easily suck up dust and dirt between deep cleans.
The Dyson V8 isn't as quick as the V15 Detect, nor as capacious as the Ball Animal 3. But if all you want is a competent cleaning companion that won't break the bank, it will serve you well.
Read more in our full Dyson V8 review.