I tested the Dyson V11 in a busy pet shelter and was amazed by its performance on animal hair, dirt, dust – and just about any mess I threw at it

We've tested almost every Dyson vacuum at Homes & Gardens, and they tend to top most of our vacuum guides thanks to market-leading suction and useful features.

The Dyson V11 was one of the final models for us to test, so I put it through its paces in our test center and a local pet shelter to see if it lives up to the brand's reputation.

I own two Dysons and have spent more than 250+ hours testing vacuums, and overall, I'm seriously impressed. Read on to find out why this is one of the best Dyson vacuums you can buy, with videos from my rigorous testing.

The one-minute review

The Dyson V11 boasts stronger cleaning performance than most cordless vacuums at this price range. I used it to banish everything from small powders to large debris on all floor types, and I tested it in a pet shelter where it had no issues whatsoever plucking hair from thick carpets.

As it's a Dyson – it also has a straightforward and ergonomic design. It doesn't take much to figure out how to use this vacuum and its three suction modes to the fullest, and those with limited mobility will enjoy that it can clean almost flawlessly while being lightweight enough to easily carry up and down stairs.

Dyson V11: Specifications

Dyson V11: Design and features

The V11 has all the hallmarks of a Dyson vacuum: high suction power, a lightweight and straightforward design, and a floorhead that avoids hair tangling.

In fact, the V11 has the third highest suction of any of Dyson's best cordless vacuums with 185 air watts. Only the Dyson V15 Detect and Dyson Gen5detect boast higher (250 and 261 air watts respectively) – and these are the two best vacuums we've tested (but they cost $100s more).

This translates to a consistently strong performance when vacuuming both carpets and smooth floors, and its whole-machine HEPA filtration allows it capture common household allergens with ease.

I tested the V11's airflow using an anemometer and it reaches a whopping 19.6mph in boost mode, 11.1mph in medium and 9.8mph in eco. For reference, other cordless sticks tend to have lower stats, such as the Levoit LVAC-300 reaching 12.3mph at maximum speed.

It also has one of our favorite-ever vacuum floorheads, the Motorbar, that is a key feature of cordless Dysons, picking up all manner of dirt and hair without anything getting tangled in the brushes.

Its runtime is stated as 60 minutes but, on test, it can run up to 67 minutes on eco mode without the motorized floorhead attached. On medium mode it averaged around 37 minutes, and boost mode only has a maximum runtime of 15 minutes – but it can't run for that long without overheating first.

You can choose suction mode from the LCD screen, that also displays remaining runtime and any faults you should be aware of (clean your filter or dislodge a blockage, for example).

What is the Dyson V11 like to use?

The Dyson V11 is remarkably easy to use. Dyson has evidently dedicated time to making this vacuum as ergonomic as possible, minimizing how often we need to do anything other than vacuum.

Almost every time, it picks up everything in one pass. It's one of the best multi-surface vacuums in this regard, as it competently handles mess from carpets and floors while rarely leaving anything behind. I tested it in a local pet shelter, too, and its performance seriously impressed me (more on that below).

It can maneuver easily, getting between chair legs or passing from soft to hard flooring with little fuss. Less expensive cordless vacuums can struggle here by losing grip and skipping over parts of the floor, so it's great to see the V11 have no issues.

I love that you can change suction mode using the same hand that's holding the vacuum, allowing you to clear cables and objects out of the way while cleaning.

I tested the noise levels using the DecibelX app and it got as loud as 80.2 decibels at the highest setting, and as quiet as 65 decibels on eco mode with no motorized floorhead attached. That's fairly standard for most cordless vacuums.

I would prefer if there was a light on the floorhead, as many cheaper cordless vacuums now have this feature to better illuminate what's on your floors. It also doesn't have a floorhead with a soft roller, an essential feature of the best vacuums for hardwood floors and one you'll find in the Dyson V12 Detect Slim – which only costs $50 more.

Dyson V11: Flour and sugar test

I tested the Dyson V11 using a half cup of flour and sugar in our test center. This test shows how a vacuum cleaner can handle fine powders like dust and dander, and it's a great visual test as I can see what's been left behind on the floor or in the vacuum's parts.

On hardwood and linoleum, the Dyson V11 performed exactly as I'd hoped – which is, to say, excellently. The strong suction and fast-spinning brushroll had no issues vacuuming almost everything in one pass, only leaving the tiniest residue to be vacuumed on the pull back. I tested it on medium mode and didn't need to up it to boost mode, even though this mess is greater than what you'd usually find at home.

On carpet, it impressed once again when using all three suction modes. Medium picked up almost everything in one pass, and getting the rest on the pull back. Boost mode easily handled everything.

And surprisingly, it could pick up everything in eco mode. Some flour and sugar was flung upwards showing the loss in suction power, but it still cleared everything after 2-3 passes.

Dyson V11: Pantry test

I tested the Dyson V11 using one cup of cereal and lentils, to assess its performance when handling large debris. These high-volume messes aren't typical for an average household, but it helps us see exactly what the vacuum can handle, and whether it's able to crush down debris (such as pet kibble and food), fling it across the floor, or get stuck internally.

On hardwood and linoleum, I found that eco mode wasn't powerful enough for this volume of mess. Medium mode was strong enough to capture everything but the brushroll did fling pieces around. It didn’t take long to clear the remaining pieces however as it easily sucked in both large and small debris.

On carpet, the V11 was fantastic in all three suction modes:

• Medium: Almost everything was vacuumed in one pass, and the backwards pass then captured the few bits left behind
• Boost (seen in the above video): Relentless, could feel the vacuum suction itself to the carpet. All large cereal pieces were instantly destroyed and sucked up.
• Eco: Surprisingly capable, almost similar performance to medium except for a few extra lentils left behind, which took a few seconds to then vacuum afterwards.

I can happily recommend the Dyson V11 as one of the best vacuums for carpet.

Dyson V11: Pet hair test

I tested the Dyson V11 in a local cat and dog shelter, Bristol ARC, to see how well it can pet hair on different surfaces, along with the high volumes of mess from a busy environment.

Spending the day in the pet shelter with the Dyson V11 proved what I'd learned during standardized testing: This vacuum has outstanding performance. It cleaned pet hair from thick rugs and carpets, and I ended up using it to vacuum any mess that the other vacuums I was testing had left behind.

The entrance mat (in the above video) is the most difficult cleaning challenge at Bristol ARC, as the rough, high-friction surface traps all manner of dirt and hair. The V11 performed better than even some of the best corded vacuums here, pulling both short and long fur from the ridges.

More generally, there was nothing that the V11 couldn't reasonably clean. On hard floors, it cleared hair, dirt, dust, stones and everything else in one pass, every time. On low-pile carpet, I never needed to use boost mode to clear everything in one or two passes.

At no point did hair wrap around the brushroll, which is easily one of the main reasons why pet hair is so hard to vacuum. By the end of the day, there was maybe 5x as much hair in the dustbin compared to the cordless vacuums from Dreame and Ultenic that I was testing at the same time.

Dyson V11: Attachments test

I'm more than familiar with what all the vacuum attachments do in Dyson's vacuums. They're some of the best vacuum attachments for pet hair that we've tested, and are super lightweight and easy to swap out.

With the V11, it's no different. My model came with a crevice tool and combination tool, and both of them proved effective when vacuuming the baseboards at the pet shelter, cleaning between sofa cushions, and most importantly: Pulling fur from thick, padded chairs.

The combination tool has a rugged, rubber strip that helps to agitate dirt and hair in fabrics, making it easy to vacuum pet hair from fabric, like pet beds.

Dyson V11: Setup and maintenance

It's recommended to wait until the vacuum is fully charged before using it for the first time. For me, the V11 arrived with 35% battery and took just over two hours to reach 100%, and Dyson states that charging it from 0% to 100% takes four and a half hours.

Otherwise, setting it up involves attaching the wand to the vacuum cleaner, then attaching the floorhead to the wand. It takes about a minute and then you're ready to clean your house.

In terms of maintenance, the Dyson V11 is a great choice as it has a washable, lifetime HEPA filter. Other vacuums require you to replace these over time, so being able to clean the Dyson vacuum filter fully by giving it a rinse and air drying it is much cheaper.

Most of the parts can be taken apart to be cleaned, except for the built-in dustbin. While other vacuum brands allow you to remove it for a complete clean, unfortunately the Dyson must be wiped from the inside.

Emptying the dustbin to avoid overfilling the vacuum is a breeze. Simply press the button and dust descends into the trash, with minimal blow back.

How does the Dyson V11 compare?

The Dyson V11 is priced at around $449.99 to $599.99, depending on model and any promotions. It's cheaper than Dyson's flagship models, but still more expensive than most cordless vacuums on the market.

The Dyson V12 Detect Slim costs around $50 more, and has all of Dyson's leading smart tech including a green laser that reveals dust that you can't normally see, and a sensor to automatically detect which suction mode is optimal. However, its suction is 35AW lower than the V11, and on test, I found the V11 was a better cleaner. Our full Dyson V12 Detect Slim review reveals more.

The Dyson V15 Detect is the perfect balance of function and smart tech. It has the same game-changing features as the V12 Detect Slim, while also having 250AW of suction power that is so immensely high that it rivals some of the best upright vacuums. My full Dyson V15 Detect review explains why it's the best vacuum we've tested.

Or for something a little cheaper, the Shark Cordless PowerDetect does things differently. It has a dual-brushroll floorhead, with both a soft roller and bristed brushroll to capture different-sized debris. It isn't as powerful as the V11, but it still did a fantastic job of vacuuming a cat hair-ridden carpet. Read more in our full Shark Cordless PowerDetect review.

Should you buy the Dyson V11?

It's hard to find faults with the Dyson V11. Its suction is powerful, providing the thorough clean you'd hope from this level of investment. It's easy to use, easy to empty, and its attachments are effective for different cleaning tasks around the house.

However, it's still a big investment, and when you compare it among the Dyson lineup you don't have to spend much more for a big increase in suction. I would also love to see a light on the floorhead for more visibility, and a soft roller to better capture fine dust on hard floors.

Next, browse our tested guide of the best Dyson alternatives, for quality cleaning at a lower cost.