Dyson V11 Absolute Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, 760 milliliters, Blue

Product Information

A new, higher-capacity lithium-ion battery means the runtime of up to 60 minutes matches the V10 models, despite the V11’s extra power, and the trigger switch means no wasted battery caused by the motor running when you’re not actually cleaning. These include a more efficient diffuser design that straightens airflow thus reducing turbulence, and a new impeller design. Packaged using paper and cardboard with nary a plastic bag in sight, it's quick to get everything out of the box for assembly, including the vacuum cleaner's two heads and its four additional tools.

Dyson V11 Absolute Review | Trusted Reviews Dyson V11 Absolute Review | Trusted Reviews

The tools help you to throughly clean the stairs – use the torque head or mini motorised head for the main stair area, then the crevice tool for the edges. With more power at the vacuum’s head and in the motor, you might think battery life would take a serious hit. Push it the other way, towards the “-” setting, and those air inlets are opened up, releasing the suction and making it easier to manoeuvre and lift the vacuum from the floor. But it's really, really effective and, quite simply, performed better than all other vacuum cleaners on test. This time around, I’m very pleased to say that Dyson has finally bundled a clip that fits around the extension pole and takes both the crevice tool and one of the brushes (the 2-in-1 wide nozzle tool/stiff brush or soft brushing dust_.Otherwise, you’re missing out on one of its key new features – the pressure-sensing automatic suction mode enabled by the High Torque head. If last year’s model signalled the death of corded models, the V11 gives them that final push over the edge.

Dyson V11 Absolute review: Peerless cordless cleaning power | Expert Dyson V11 Absolute review: Peerless cordless cleaning power

For most uses on the lower power modes, you can actually hear other people over the V11’s powerful motor – and it isn’t a distracting noise. The vacuum is really manoeuvrable overall with a vacuum head that swivels to get into corners and under furniture, although there are unfortunately no lights to see those darker spots. Starting life on the consumer PC press back in 1998, David has been at the forefront of technology for the past 20 years.

The only drawback with the V11’s new design is that the unit is considerably heavier than its predecessor. It adds a substantial 45AirWatts extra oomph on its highest power setting (now a class leading 185AW) and extends run-time to over 60 minutes on its lowest. The reason is that Dyson has optimised battery usage and suction for motorised heads, which agitate dirt and require less suction. On the negative side, both cleaners ended up with a few Cheerios jammed in the central tube of the dust container; the blockages were to clear but you do have to slide open the bin to get in there and sort it out. On Auto mode with the High Torque head in place, a single sweep made short work of the mess, with a clean sweep through the middle of the spill.

|Dyson V11 Absolute Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, 760 milliliters, Blue Dyson V11 Absolute Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, 760 milliliters, Blue

Surprisingly, with the High Torque head attached, you get the longest battery life in Boost mode thanks to those clever pressure-sensitive sensors. The LCD screen displays a warning if there’s a blockage, and even shows you how to clear it, which is especially handy. That said, unless noise is a particular issue for you, the advantages of this vacuum cleaner more than outweigh its volume levels.

One of the first things you'll notice when you unbox the Dyson V11 Absolute was a handy ‘What you need to know’ guide, stuck to the bin so as not to be missed – it's great for those who want to get right straight down to cleaning, as it quickly goes over the three different cleaning modes and how to empty the bin. And to give you a better indication of how much cleaning time you have left, Dyson has included a small LCD on the back of the V11’s handle. The Dyson V11 Absolute is a stylish-looking vacuum, with the electric blue wand nicely complementing the nickel (dark gray) of the accessories and main body, while the LCD screen is bright and easy to read.