Years ago my cheap-as-chips vacuum cleaner gave up on me and I had to resort to borrowing my mother-in-law’s vacuum. She had a stand-up Dyson which she loved for it’s cleaning ability. One trip around the house with it and I never wanted to see it again! It was huge and heavy. It made me sweat (and swear!) lugging it around and it took a fair amount of skin from my shins with it!

So when I was given the opportunity to review the new Dyson Cyclone V10 cordfree stick vacuum, it was going to have an uphill battle to convince me to give up my existing vacuum cleaner. What can I say? I concede!

The Dyson Cyclone V10 is not just a new vacuum, I believe it’s a revolution in cleaning! Here’s why.

Cordfree

I didn’t think moving a cord out of my way whilst vacuuming was that big of a deal – until I didn’t have one! Not only do I not have to avoid running over the cord, I also don’t have to plug, unplug, replug, work out how far I can vacuum from each plug! For instance, vacuuming the corner of my bedroom used to require me to plug the vacuum into the hallway power plug (the only free plug nearby), then put the vacuum on the bed because the cord wouldn’t reach around the bed, then stand on one leg whilst trying to manoeuvre the vacuum head into the tight space between the bed and the wall … argh! With the Dyson Cyclone V10 I just walk in and go for it! I can get into the really tight spaces with the small attachments. The lack of cord also means I can clean out the car, the garage, anywhere, without the need for a separate car vacuum.

It really sucks!

It’s a Dyson, so you know it’s going to perform with the utmost efficiency and the Dyson Cyclone V10 doesn’t disappoint. I was however disappointed in my old vacuum which had apparently missed so much of the dirt in my carpet that showed up after using the Dyson!

The Dyson Cyclone V10 also has three different levels of power so you can reduce the ‘suckability’ for mats, furnishings, etc.

Attachments

Attachments galore

The attachments that come with the Dyson Cyclone V10 are brilliant. The Soft Roller Cleaner Head that buffs the laminate floor as it vacuums is my new best friend! Shiny floors with minimum effort. The Mini Motorised Tool lets you really get into the couch, cushions and other small places. The bendy Extension Hose attachment lets you get into all sorts of places and the Mini Soft Dusting Brush is perfect for removing crumbs from the PC keyboard (so many crumbs!).

Everything just clicks into and out of place without the need to have the grip strength of a rock-climber!

Soft Roller Cleaner Head

Ditching the dirt

Being asthmatic I shy away from emptying my old vacuum cleaner cos my lungs are not appreciative of the dust flying everywhere. The Dyson Cyclone V10 is so simple to empty that I have found I don’t need to call on other members of the household before I can carry on cleaning. It takes a bit of getting used to but once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s a simple push and pull action and the dirt is dumped straight into the bin. The filter is also a doddle to clean – just remove it, rinse in water and leave to dry. Simple.

The unit is quite small so you will probably need to empty it several times if you’re doing a big clean, but it’s just a few seconds to empty it and you’re off again.

Another plus for those of us with sensitive lungs is that due to its fully-sealed filtration system, it’s expelling cleaner air than my old musty, dusty vacuum!

Baby you can drive my … vacuum!

My favourite thing about the Dyson Cyclone V10 is the manoeuvrability. The way that the cleaning head turns with an easy turn of the wrist makes cleaning so much easier. As an RSI sufferer I really appreciate not having to lift and turn with effort and the Dyson is easy on the hands. I was a little apprehensive thinking that my hand wouldn’t be able to hold it for long. But the Dyson is light and reasonably comfortable to hold even for extended periods.

Battery life

The Dyson Cyclone V10 just keeps on sucking (sorry, bad pun!) thanks to its ‘fade-free power’. On a full charge I can get round my entire house before it needs recharging (which only takes a couple of hours). Not that you will feel the need to do the whole house in one go. It’s so easy to just whip out and use then pop back on charge (with it’s handy wall docking station), that I can’t see the need to clean the whole house in one go and breaking down the cleaning into sections is much more practical. It will change the way that you vacuum, without the thought of having to drag out a big vacuum cleaner, plugging in, etc, quick jobs are so much easier.

Lights on the unit will let you know if you’re getting low on battery. There are also lights to indicate when there’s a blockage or if the filter needs cleaning.

The ‘why did no one think of that before’

I have long hair. And it falls out A LOT. My partner mutters, “how are you not bald?” every time he has to attack the old vacuum cleaner head with scissors and screwdrivers to clear yet another stranglehold caused by my hair. We also have cats so the combination means that vacuum heads are constantly being clogged. Not so with the Dyson Cyclone V10. With a clear head it’s easy to see any build-up of hair strands. There is also a simple, ‘knob’ on the end of the head that can be turned to release the entire brush bar, making removing hair strands that get stuck absolutely easy. Brilliant!

The cat’s favourite cushion … before and after!

Noise levels

I never realised how loud and obtrusive the old vacuum was until I started using the Dyson Cyclone V10. Not only is it quieter than my current beast, the fact that it is only “on” when you pull the trigger means that the cats are less likely to make a break for it when I move around the house and if – who am I kidding – WHEN the kids need to talk to me mid-vacuum I don’t have to go switch off, just release the trigger. You stop, it stops … clever that!

How good is it?

It’s not good, it’s great. Dyson have thought of everything with this cordfree stick vacuum. In fact, the only thing I don’t like about the Dyson Cyclone V10 is that I have to give it back now that my review is done. Cue the Leanne Rimes song … “How do I live without you …”

Click here for more information on the Dyson Cyclone V10 cordless stick vacuum.

This review was written by Julie Scanlon, Editor for Kidspot NZ. Julie was provided with a Dyson Cyclone V10 cordless stick vacuum for the purposes of the review. However, the opinions contained in this review are those of the author.