The best cordless vacuum available?
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Dyson is the top-selling floor care brand in the UK, and in many of the 65 other countries where it operates. The company’s flagship V series has seen a dramatic increase in power, run-times and usability over the past decade. We are confident that the Dyson V11 Absolute will be the best yet.
The V11 Absolute continues the V10 design with new headline features. It provides 45 AirWatts more power at the highest setting (now a class-leading 185AW) as well as a longer run-time at its lowest setting of 185AW.
The High-Torque floorhead promises to be your only tool. A new color LCD display adds class and sophistication with detailed information and useful graphic guides.
The battery has been upgraded to be slightly heavier than the predecessor. It now weighs in at just over 3kg. Is the additional cleaning power worth the extra weight? Is the package worth the extra cost? To find out, we took the Dyson V11 Absolute on a spin.
Prices and availability
The V11 Absolute, Dyson’s flagship machine, is not cheap. It’s the most expensive cordless cleaner on the market at PS599 / $699.99 / AU$1,199
You have other options if that seems a bit too rich for you. The V11 Animal (Torque Drive) in Australia has a different mainhead and one less tool and is priced at PS499.99 / $5999.99 / AU$1,099 or one of the V10 models which start at PS 399.99 / $4999.99 / AU$799.
The V11 Absolute is the most expensive cordless vacuum available. There aren’t many other brands offering similar prices. Shark’s most expensive cordless stick cleaner, IZ251UKT (PS 479.99 in the UK), is one of its closest competitors. German appliance manufacturer Miele just introduced a new range of cordless vacuums with the Triflex HX1 Pro as its top-of-the-line model. This makes the V11 Absolute seem like a steal, despite its ridiculously high price of PS679
Vax, another major name in floorcare, has just released the Vax Blade 4. It costs only PS 219.99, which is about a third the price of V11.
Design and key features
The Dyson V11 Absolute vacuum is stylish and elegant. Its electric blue wand complements the nickel (dark gray) accessories, and the LCD screen is bright, easy to read.
The V11 Absolute’s design is completely symmetrical. This means that it is equally easy to use for either left- or right-handed users. A handy clip for storing wands makes it easy to bring along a few extra tools.
You can choose from three power settings via one mode button: Eco (or the standard setting), Auto/Medium (or the Boost) and Eco. The V11 can automatically adjust the power to the type of floor by pairing the Auto/Medium mode and the High Torque cleaner head. The soft roller cleaner head and mini motorized tool are also available. You can also purchase a charger and docking station.
The new higher-capacity lithium battery gives you a runtime that matches V10 models. Additionally, the trigger switch prevents the motor from running while you aren’t actually cleaning. You can easily remove the filter and floor heads for cleaning.
The Dyson V11 features an LCD screen that displays information about how long you have left in each cleaning mode, tells you when the filter needs to be cleaned, and alerts you to any blockages.
The first thing you’ll notice about the Dyson V11 Absolute is the handy ‘What You Need to Know’ guide. It’s fast and easy to follow, covering the three cleaning modes as well as how to empty the bin.
Performance
The Dyson V11 Absolute weighs in at 3.3kg, including the soft roller cleaner and wand. It feels light to use and feels very lightweight. The V11 is easy to maneuver on hard and carpet floors.
The oats test was started using the soft roller cleaner heads, which are designed for hard floors. It has soft bristles with a velvet-like covering and is set on the Auto/Medium power setting. The V11 was able to pick up 100% with just one slow pass. We used the High Torque cleaner on the Auto/Medium setting. One slow forward and back pass removed all the carpet freshener, talc, and other chemicals.
The next test was pet hair. Again, the V11 Absolute performed admirably in cleaning the hair from the rug. You can also see the amount of hair that was collected in the bin which highlights its utility as a cordless cleaner.
We switched out the High Torque head for the mini motorized device and tackled the sofas. While this arrangement looks ungainly due to the tool being connected directly to the cylindrical, it is light and balanced at just over 2kg. It also picked up pet hairs easily. The smarts of this timer were also evident when we changed the heads. The remaining runtime changes to reflect the power requirements.
The V11 Absolute makes light work of cleaning stairs. It has a mini motorized tool that powers up our test flight and cleans right into corners.
The runtime for the Med setting was just 41 minutes with the soft-roller cleaner head, and 60 minutes for the Eco setting. This gives us plenty of time to do the cleaning. The LCD screen shows you how to clear a blockage and gives you a warning.
It is easy to empty a bin. All the dirt and debris will be gone without you having to dig around.
Verdict
The Dyson V11 Absolute has a number of useful features such as an easy-empty bin or informative LCD screen. It also delivers outstanding cleaning results. The V11 Absolute is easy to use, has powerful suction, even in the lowest power mode. And the long runtime allows you to get a lot done before it needs to be charged. You can easily switch between power settings. In Auto/Medium mode, the V11 Absolute adjusts suction to different floor types to ensure optimal performance. The LCD screen allows you to check how long it has left.
Although it is one of the priciest cordless vacuums on the market, it is a great value for money.
