Best Dyson vacuums 2024: the industry's best, tested and reviewed

Smart and stylish, the best Dyson vacuums are status symbols as well as competent cleaners. While any old vacuum can sweep the floors, only a Dyson can dig up microscopic dirt from carpet, linoleum, and hardwood floors and look good doing it. 

There's more than one kind of Dyson vacuum. There's the Dyson Outsize+, which is equipped with a capacious dustbin and a powerful motor to cover larger surface areas, as well as the Dyson Gen5detect for quick, cordless cleaning, not to mention the Dyson V15 Detect, which is the best vacuum ever made. In fact, there are so many Dyson models on the market that it's easy to feel spoiled for choice. 

As product testers, we've sampled some of the world's best vacuums, and we know what to look for in a machine: quick, quiet cleaners that excel across all floor types. We've tested vacuums from some of the biggest brands in floor care, including Shark and Bissel, and Dyson comes out on top every time. 

This article should tell you everything you need to know about the best Dyson vacuums, from how they work to who they'd suit. In the interests of a fair fight, I've scored each Dyson vacuum on the same criteria: power, performance, capacity, and the all-important price. 

The quick list

If you already have a specific Dyson in mind, you can skip straight to that section using the jump menu. If you'd rather take stock of your options, you can browse the best Dyson vacuums below.

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Best Dyson vacuums 2024

The best Dyson vacuum overall

One of our expert testers, Helen, just wrote up her review for the Dyson Gen5detect. She's sampled well over 100 vacuums in her time as a product tester, and this latest model from Dyson comes out on top. 

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 classic Dyson technology, from the Piezo particle sensor to the anti-tangle hair screw, to ensure a deep clean. There's also a digital motor bar cleaner head, designed to sense the surface it's cleaning and adapt its suction accordingly. Inside the vacuum, you'll find a HEPA filtration system, which works to clear the air while you clean the floors. 

The Dyson Gen5detect is one of the most expensive vacuums on the market: outside of sales season, it retails for almost $1,000. That's a significant amount of money to spend on an appliance, especially something as dull as a vacuum cleaner, but it seems like a fair price to pay for the next best thing in floorcare.

You can find more detail in our Dyson Gen5detect review. 

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The best value Dyson vacuum

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. 

The Dyson V8 Animal incorporates all the best bits of Dyson technology and cuts the superfluous stuff. That's why you'll find a HEPA filtration system inside the machine, as well as a crevice tool to dig up dirt from tight corners, and none of those lasers or LCD screens, which are, frankly, surplus to requirement.

You get around 30 minutes of cleaning time with the Dyson V8 Animal: more when you use attachments, such as the crevice tool, and less when you use the floorhead 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 Animal isn't as quick as the V15 Detect, nor as capacious as the Outsize+. But if all you want is a competent cleaning companion that won't break the bank, it will serve you well. 

You can find more detail in our Dyson V8 Animal cordless vacuum review. 

The best cordless Dyson vacuum

Any old vacuum can suck up dirt and debris. It takes a special kind of cleaner to detect the dust you cannot see and dig it up for a deep clean. 

That's exactly what the Dyson V15 Detect is designed to do. Equipped with a green laser to illuminate the dirt, a Piezo sensor to measure the size of the particles, and an LCD screen to document the cleaning process, this vacuum is made for germaphobes and smart tech enthusiasts alike. 

The Dyson V15 Detect is a smart cleaner, able to sense and adjust to different surfaces. The vacuum will increase its suction power on hard wood floors, for example, and ease off on carpets and area rugs. 

Pet owners, rejoice: the V15 Detect is the best vacuum for pet hair, too. It comes with an anti-tangle hair screw to save you picking out the pet hairs by hand. 

The only thing I don't like about this vacuum is the price. While a lot cheaper than the Gen5detect, the The V15 Detect is one of the more expensive Dyson vacuums, retailing for around $700 outside of sales seasons. That's a lot of money to spend at once, especially on something as dull as a vacuum. 

You can find more detail in our Dyson V15 Detect cordless vacuum review. 

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The best Dyson vacuum for large homes

If you live in a large house with multiple levels and various floor types, you need a vacuum cleaner that's smart enough to adjust to different surfaces, and capacious enough to hold all the dust and dirt for hours at a time. Enter, the Dyson Outsize+.

Equipped with a half-gallon dust bin, an extra-wide floor head, and an extended run time of two hours, the Dyson Outsize+ is designed for long, deep cleaning sessions. 

It boasts incredible suction power across three cleaning modes −  Eco, Auto, and Boost – and digs up deep dirt from hard floors. If anything, the Dyson Outsize+ might be too powerful to clean carpets and area rugs: 

Full disclosure: we haven't officially tested the Dyson Outsize+. Instead, we've sampled the Dyson Outsize, which is almost identical to its successor, though the Outsize+ features a slim fluffy cleaner head to tackle cobwebs and Piezo sensor technology to detect and dispose of particles and pathogens. 

The Dyson Outsize+ is weighty for a cordless vacuum, and a little awkward to maneuver. I'm not sure I could be bothered to drag it out for quick pick-ups, and I doubt I'm strong enough to lift it over my head and dust the ceiling. However, I'd happily carry it from room to room to clean the whole house once or twice a week.

Read more at our full Dyson Outsize review.

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The best Dyson vacuum for carpet

Of all the types of flooring, carpet is one of the hardest to clean. Dirt is easily embedded down deep between the fibers and won't come up without a fight. If your home features a lot of carpeted floors or area rugs, you need a smart vacuum with powerful, variable suction, such as the Dyson Ball Animal 3. 

This vacuum comes with a capacious dustbin and a 50-feet cord for whole-home cleaning sessions. It rests on a ball, which makes it easier to maneuver around obstacles and into tight corners. There's a still, dense nylon brush to dig up dirt from carpets and hard floors, with angled bristles to navigate nooks and crannies.

Now, the Dyson Ball Animal 3 isn't perfect. Like a lot of corded vacuums, it's heavy, and it might prove burdensome to lift and carry from space to space. It's better suited to deep cleans than quick pick-ups. If you're only looking to mop up small stains and spills, you might be better off with one of the best handheld vacuums.

The Dyson Ball Animal 3 isn't the latest or greatest Dyson, but it ticks all my biggest boxes, working hard and fast to clean the whole home in a single session.

You can find more detail in our Dyson Ball Animal 3 review. 

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The best Dyson vacuum for hard floors

If you live in an apartment with a lot of hard wood floors, you might not need (or want) a great big corded vacuum crowding your cleaning closet. You could get away with something smaller, such as the Dyson Omni-Glide, to clean up smaller spills and stains.

The Dyson Omni-Glide is seriously small. The vacuum arrived in a compact carboard case, more akin to a shoebox, and disassembles for easy storage. Weighing a little less than 5lbs, the Dyson Omni-Glide is easy to lift and carry from room to room or stretch into tight corners. 

This is Dyson's first (and only) vacuum designed for exclusive use on hard floors, which could mean anything from wood to linoleum to bathroom tiles. It's better equipped to clear up smaller particles of dust and dirt than bigger chunks of debris, which quickly clog the dustbin, or long hairs, which wrap around the rollers. 

If you're looking for a capacious vacuum to take on a large house, you need the Dyson Outsize+. If all you want is a cute and compact cleaner for light maintenance, you'll find a lot to like with the Dyson Omni-Glide. 

You can find more detail in our Dyson Omni-Glide review.

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How we tested these vacuums

We put a lot of thought into how we test vacuums. We've got it down to a fine art. We test each vacuum on strips of carpet, hard wood, and linoleum floors. The best vacuum will excel in all areas, while other cleaners might shine on certain floor types. Carpet is hard to clean, as the long fibers cling to dirt. Linoleum, or vinyl flooring, is much easier, but it shows all sorts of stains and smudges. Wood would be easy to clean, if it weren't for the cracks between the floor boards where dirt and debris get stuck.

We test vacuums by scattering a scoop of flour and sugar across the floor. These little granules make a good substitute for dust and dead skin: plus, flour and sugar are common kitchen spills. Next, we scatter a handful of cereal chunks to see how the vacuum handles bigger bits of debris. A premium vacuum will suck it straight up, instead of pushing the cereal around the floor or crushing it beneath the wheels. In our last and strangest test, we scatter some hair extensions as a substitute for dropped human and pet hairs. Some of the best vacuums feature anti-tangle brush rolls to save you from picking out the hairs with your fingers. 

Meet the team

Dan Fauzi

Dan is our home tech editor, covering everything from vacuums and floor care to sound and air purifiers. They've been testing and reviewing home products for years now, and can offer expert insight into what makes a product great.

Jaclyn Turner

Jaclyn is one of our former eCommerce editors. She has hands-on experience with all sorts of small and large appliances, from smart vacuums to budget cleaners. Jaclyn tested many of the best Dyson vacuums for comparison in this buying guide. 

Best Dyson vacuum FAQs

Is a Dyson vacuum worth it?

I think so, yes. Here at H&G, we've tested hundreds of the world's best vacuums. Not only does Dyson come out on top with their exceptional V15 Detect, but Dyson features no fewer than three times in our best vacuum buying guide: more than any other manufacturer. 

Yes, Dyson vacuums are expensive, but you really do get what you pay for: HEPA filtration, smart technology, sleek design and incredible suction. Dyson vacuums are among the best for pet parents and people with sensitive skin, since their advanced filtration system routs out irritating particles and pathogens. Dyson vacuums are powerful enough to dig up deep dirt, capacious enough to dispose of it, and easy to maneuver around the house. 

Granted, there are a few minor design flaws. I don't like the trigger operation, which gets a bit old during extended cleaning sessions, and makes it harder for those of us with arthritis, Parkinson's, or similar conditions to clean our homes. Even the best Dyson vacuums struggle with larger chunks of debris, which the best Shark vacuum can suck straight up. When you buy a Dyson vacuum, you're partly paying for the brand name and reputation: there might be other vacuums that are better suited to your needs.

What are the differences between Dyson models?

When you look at Dyson listings online, you'll find all sorts of names and numbers attributed to the same sort of vacuums. This might feel confusing at first, but it's easy to understand once you know what you're looking at. 

The name tends to identify the focal feature of that Dyson vacuum: the V15 Detect features a green laser to detect microscopic dust, for example, while the V8 Animal is designed to pick up pet hair. The numbers are a quick indicator of the age of that particular Dyson. The V15, or 'version 15', of a vacuum is more recent than the V11, for example, and might feature smarter technology.

• Absolute: Top of the line and usually include the whole suite of accessories, plus a Fluffy roller head in addition to the standard direct drive floorhead
• Animal: Middle-tier option that emphasizes the inclusion of the Mini-Motorized tool, which is engineered specifically for pet hair
• Motorhead or Origin: Typically the base model and includes only the essential accessories, a combination tool, and a crevice tool. They're usually only found on third party sites in the US

If you've made it all the way to the end of this article, and you still can't get on board with Dyson, then you should consider one of the best Dyson alternatives, instead. Many of these vacuums incorporate smart technology and premium design, just like a Dyson, but they sell for a fraction of the price.