Best Dyson vacuum cleaner 2025: cordless, corded, handheld and robot models for all budgets

The best Dyson vacuum cleaners have undeniably revolutionised home cleaning. With their powerful suction, innovative technology and futuristic design, Dyson vacuums have always been ahead of their time – and they still are. However, with so many options, which Dyson vacuum should you buy?

Dyson is renowned for its excellent range of upright, handheld, cordless, corded and cylinder vacuums, though these days, cordless models take centre stage. Some are designed to be the best cordless vacuum cleaner you can possibly buy, whilst others target more specific needs, from cleaning your car to offering budget-friendly performance.

In this guide, we’ll help you find the perfect Dyson vacuum cleaner for your space and budget. Our top pick, the Dyson V15 Detect, has completely won us over as the best overall model – but that doesn’t mean it’s the only contender. Whether you need a wet-dry vacuum, a compact handheld, or something for niche cleaning jobs, you’ll find plenty of great options below.

The top three

WRITTEN BY

WRITTEN BY

Lizzie Wilmot

Lizzie is T3's Home Living Staff Writer, with extensive expertise in the world of vacuum cleaners. Whilst she’s a fan of Shark and Gtech, she’s also tested numerous Dyson models and particularly appreciates them for their premium design and advanced features.

Best Dyson vacuum cleaners 2025 ranked

The best Dyson vacuum overall

With the V15 Detect, Dyson has made substantial advancements in both power and features compared to previous models. Whilst most other cordless vacs have long had mere headlights to illuminate dark areas and reveal just how much dust lies there, Dyson uses a laser to do the same task – and the results are borderline horrifying. Still, that's good motivation to keep using this vac.

A set of excellent cleaning heads is headed up by the laser head, which is primarily for hard floors. The 'High Torque' head – no laser in this one, alas – is more of an all-rounder, adjusting its suction power based on the surface it's on and, supposedly, how dirty it is. There's also a powered upholstery tool with a clever corkscrew design that means long pet and human hairs don't get tangled in it. It's also scarily proficient at sucking up charging cables, so watch out for that.

Dyson really has thought of everything with this vacuum cleaner. It's the complete package, the best cordless vacuum cleaner in town, and now a T3 Award winner as well.

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The best affordable Dyson vacuum

We’re big fans of the Dyson V8 Absolute, even though it’s one of the older models on this list. That said, it’s still available on Dyson's website and through various third-party retailers, so we couldn’t leave it out!

With more power than its predecessors, the V8 Absolute remains one of the best options for handheld use – whether you’re dusting, cleaning up spills, or even tackling your car, yacht or private jet. It’s compact and better balanced than its more powerful siblings, making it incredibly versatile.

Like all Dyson cordless vacuums, the V8 Absolute excels at cleaning multiple areas of your home. It works well across various floor types, from carpet to hardwood, though it’s particularly suited to hard floors and lighter carpets due to its slightly reduced suction power.

One thing to note is that the V8 has a smaller bin compared to some other models, so you may need to empty it more often. However, it's especially great for cleaning vehicles, thanks to its compact size, light weight and range of attachments. Plus, it has the power to clean quickly – far surpassing cheaper car vacuums.

Whilst the V8 may not have all the bells and whistles of Dyson’s newer models, it remains an outstanding cleaner overall.

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The best premium Dyson vacuum

A new release in 2023, the Dyson Gen5detect is a powerful cordless stick vacuum which has absolutely no triggers to speak of. This incredibly strong and professional vac is an absolute beast and outperforms many of its Dyson siblings and its competitors. It's got a flash design and has replaced the trigger with an on/off button which many people will be excited about.

The only negatives is that it's very expensive and a little heavy to hold and maneuver. However, in spite of those snags, it's a pretty impressive vacuum that does the job and does it exceptionally well.

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The best slimline Dyson vacuum

The Dyson V12 Detect Slim may have been overshadowed by its more expensive, headline-grabbing sibling, the V15 Detect, but it’s hard to overlook this more affordable alternative. Whilst the V12 offers slightly less suction power than the V15, our tests show that it can still hold its own in performance.

Everything else about the V12 Detect Slim is on par with the V15. The digital display is the same size, providing a graphical readout of everything the vacuum is picking up, thanks to a piezo sensor that 'listens' to the dirt – yes, really. The V12 also features the same removable battery pack and the same versatile heads as the V15.

Once small gripe is that the dust canister is notably smaller. At just 0.35L, it’s the smallest bin on any Dyson cordless to date, which of course, explains why it's so lightweight and slim. However, if you don't like the idea of regularly emptying it, it’s worth considering that you could get a larger bin for the same price with the V11 range.

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The best Dyson vacuum for any surface

The cordless Dyson V11 Absolute is still one of the best multi-surface Dyson vacuum cleaners you can buy today. With extremely powerful suction, you’ll get a deeper clean, especially on thick carpet, thanks to the stiff nylon bristles and motorised head. It works just as well on hard floors too, with carbon fibre filaments that keep your floors looking clean without damaging them.

The battery life on the V11 Absolute is also impressive, giving you a good 60-minute run whilst on eco mode, so you can get the whole house done without worrying about running out of battery mid-clean. The handy LCD display gives you all the information you need, including time remaining, filter maintenance reminders and reports on any blockages. This model also comes with a torque floor head, a mini pet tool, a soft dusting brush, combo tool and an extra soft roller brush floor head for use on hard floors.

This outstanding cordless Dyson vacuum does, of course, come at a price. If you can do without the torque head, take a look at the Dyson V11 Animal – it's £100 cheaper. However, we'd say the torque head is what makes this cordless Dyson vacuum, so if you’ve got the cash, splash it on the V11 Absolute.

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The best Dyson wet floor cleaner

Whilst Dyson is renowned for its top-tier vacuum cleaners, the recently launched Dyson WashG1 marks the brand’s first foray into the wet floor cleaning market. Unlike the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine, which is a wet and dry vacuum, the Dyson WashG1 is designed solely for mopping.

The Dyson WashG1 features a cleaning head with two highly absorbent microfibre filament rollers that counter-rotate to effectively tackle spills and stains. These rollers, equipped with 26 hydration points across their width, work in tandem with a pulse-modulated pump that evenly distributes water across the floor for a thorough clean.

Where traditional mops and buckets get grimy as you clean, the Dyson WashG1 utilises advanced separation technology, incorporating two 1-litre tanks on the main body. The top tank holds clean water, whilst the bottom one collects dirty water. Beneath the rollers, there’s a debris tray that captures any leftover dirt or crumbs, keeping the water tanks separate and simplifying the cleanup process.

True to Dyson’s signature style, the WashG1 boasts a vibrant blue design and a comfortable handle. It’s trigger-free, like many of Dyson’s newer models, and features an LCD display at the top of the handle that shows your current cleaning settings. The screen is controlled by buttons on the handle, allowing you to adjust the on/off function, boost mode, and choose from three hydration levels.

Whilst it's on the heavier size and its battery may drain faster when using the highest hydration level, the Dyson WashG1’s quick charging time, powerful cleaning performance and self-cleaning mode make it a worthwhile investment for anyone looking for a high-quality wet floor cleaner.

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The best handheld Dyson vacuum

As Dyson’s newest vacuum cleaner, it’s refreshing to see the brand focus on a handheld model rather than another cordless one. The Dyson Car+Boat handheld vacuum is undeniably compact, but it’s been designed with impressive performance in mind – truly the best of both worlds!

What stands out about the Dyson Car+Boat handheld vacuum is its design and weight. Despite having the battery on board, it weighs just 1.9kg and feels beautifully balanced, making it easy to handle, even when manoeuvring into tight or awkward spaces.

The bin is small, holding just 0.54 litres, but it's perfectly suited for the task at hand. In terms of dimensions, it measures 206mm high, 331mm long and 131mm wide, arriving in a box that’s roughly the size of a large shoe box. It’s ideal for storage in places like a boat cabin, caravan or camper.

What really adds to its practicality are the two cleaning attachments, making it versatile enough to tackle all sorts of surfaces. We found the brush head especially useful for cleaning around the dashboard and door panels, where dust and crumbs often hide. With more than enough suction power, this model is also nicely balanced, so it’s easy to use – even when you're poking around in the back of the car or reaching into the hidden corners of your boat or camper.

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The best corded Dyson vacuum

With a similar amount of suction power to the Dyson Light Ball multi-floor model above, the Dyson Big Ball Animal 2 is smaller and easier to use. It’s corded, so it’s not as convenient as the cordless Dyson alternatives – but thanks to its unique ball-shaped design, this model is able to self-right itself if it topples over. Anyone who's spent years being frustrated by drunkenly tottering cylinder vacs will love this feature.

As the name suggests, this Dyson vacuum is designed for pet owners. It comes with a tangle-free turbine tool that will remove any pet hair that may have found its way into the fabric of your carpet or upholstery. The counter-rotating brush heads also make it easier to clean.

It works across a range of flooring, and is of course more than capable of picking up larger debris as well as fine hairs. It also benefits from Dyson’s signature pneumatic head. This adjusts suction automatically depending on the floor type, which is handy if you’re moving from room to room or from carpet to hard floor.

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The best wet-dry Dyson vacuum

In late 2023, Dyson launched its Dyson V15s Detect Submarine, a vacuum-mop hybrid that hoovers up dust and dirt and mops up messes in the same model. If you have a house with multiple types of flooring, the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine can clean up any jobs and messes in the one single device, including pet hair, spills and stains.

Like most Dyson products (and as the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is still relatively new), the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine has a pretty high price tag. That said, the amount you get with your money is impressive. To move between vacuum and mopping, and to help with trickier jobs, the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine comes with cleaning heads that work admirably to clean up anything you need.

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The best robot Dyson vacuum

The Dyson 360 Vis Nav isn't the first robot vacuum cleaner from Dyson, but it's certainly a better advancement of its predecessor. In classic Dyson colours and styling, the Dyson 360 Vis Nav has a clever 'D' shaped design so the bulky robot can get into difficult-to-reach areas easily, to pick up dirt and dust flush against walls and hidden away.

Its suction power is extremely impressive, although its mapping leaves a bit to be desired. The MyDyson app is brilliant to use alongside the Dyson 360 Vis Nav for customisable cleaning, and if you have more Dyson products, they can all sit happily in the same place for easier controls.

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How to choose the best Dyson vacuum

One of the reasons it can be difficult to know which is the right Dyson vacuum for you is the sheer volume of different and overlapping models in each range – particularly when names like 'Absolute', 'Animal' and 'Total Clean' start coming into play. To help you decide what you need, let's focus on battery life…

Battery life is a common concern with cordless Dyson vacuums – and most cordless vacs, for that matter. Dyson’s battery claims are based on using the vacuum at its lowest power setting with unpowered tools, like the crevice tool or dusting brush. In reality, battery life drops quickly when using higher power settings and motorised tools, and is further affected by floor type and dirt levels.

That said, in typical household use, we rarely find Dysons running out of charge. Most people don’t vacuum for more than 20 minutes at a time, and Dysons are designed to be used in short bursts before going back on charge.

Newer models, like the V15, offer better battery life thanks to larger batteries and improved efficiency. On Eco mode, you can get around the claimed 60 minutes – even with powered heads. Auto mode gives about 30-40 minutes, whilst Boost drains the battery in just 6-10 minutes.

Older models, like the V8, need to stay on their top setting for floor cleaning, so expect 6-8 minutes per session – plenty for quick cleans if you follow the 'little and often' approach.

How we test Dyson vacuum cleaners

As with all other vacs, we test Dyson's cordless wonders – and the few remaining corded models it makes – in a home, 'real world' environment rather than in a lab. We do some specific tests around sucking up flour and rice crispies but the vast majority of the rigorous testing takes place doing day-to-day cleaning.

Want to know more? Discover how we test at T3.

Best Dyson vacuum cleaner FAQs

How often should you replace your vacuum cleaner?

There’s no hard and fast rule for how often you should replace your Dyson vacuum cleaner, as it really depends on how well you maintain it, how often you use it and the type of cleaning you do. However, on average, a well-cared-for Dyson vacuum can last seven to ten years – sometimes even longer if you’re diligent about cleaning filters, clearing blockages, and replacing worn parts like brush bars or batteries.

Why does Dyson make the best vacuum cleaners?

Dyson has earned its reputation for making some of the best vacuum cleaners on the market, thanks to a combination of innovative technology and powerful performance. Dyson vacuums also come with a range of attachments designed to handle every surface, from hardwood floors to deep-pile carpets. Plus, many models easily convert into handheld vacuums, making them incredibly versatile for everything from floors to furniture, stairs, cars and more.

Of course, Dyson vacuums aren’t perfect for everyone. They tend to be more expensive than the competition, and some users find the trigger-style power button on older models inconvenient for longer cleaning sessions. However, if you’re after cutting-edge cleaning technology and powerful suction, Dyson consistently stands out as one of the best in the business.

Reviewer Panel

Derek Adams

Derek specialises in home and outdoor products, covering everything from coffee machines to just about every type of vacuum cleaner you can imagine. Whilst he has a soft spot for smart home tech (especially robots), Dyson vacuums will always hold a special place in his heart.

Bethan Girdler-Maslen

Bethan has covered home appliances on T3 for several years, and has quickly become one of the magazine's resident vacuum cleaner experts. She has tested many models in this guide and outside of it, including the new WashG1.

Rob Clymo

Rob has been a tech journalist for more years than he can count, and is recently specialising in all things appliances. He was the one to put the Dyson Car+Boat through its paces, adding yet another Dyson to his extensive list of reviews.

Duncan Bell

Duncan is the former lifestyle editor of T3 and has been writing about tech for almost 15 years. He has covered everything from smartphones to many a Dyson vac.

Sharmishta Sarkar

Sharmishta is TechRadar's Managing Editor for APAC, and contributes to T3 on occasion, particularly if any local Aussie product testing is needed.