Dyson V11 Absolute 268700-01, Blue, Nickel, 38.6 W, 0.76 liters, 84 Decibeles

Product Information

Cornflakes, rice and leaves were gone in a single sweep, as were sand, toast crumbs and washing powder, leaving Alison's floors look spotlessly clean. In comparison, the Bissell Icon 25V left large bits of debris behind. How does the Dyson V11 Absolute cope with pet hair? Just like the other V11 models before it, the Outsize is a dream to use. Despite the extra power afforded by the V11 Outsize's supercharged Hyperdymium motor (which is able to spin at up to 125,000 revolutions per minute) the vacuum itself feels totally under control at all times, with a pleasing hum that only really gets loud on the highest Boost setting. The mini motorized tool is particularly useful for vacuuming furniture, such as chairs and sofas, and is ideal for use on stairs where full-sized cleaning heads might be too big and unwieldy. Removing the tube and attaching the mini motorized tool directly to the V11's cylinder makes it perfectly suited to the vacuuming of car interiors, too.

Nevertheless, the V11 Absolute is easy to empty and to clean. To empty, you simply push the bin lever to sweep everything out – and we mean everything. Dyson calls this ‘point and shoot’ emptying and that describes it exactly.This is a powerful vacuum and, as a result, one of the noisier machines we tested. In eco mode it comes in at 71 decibels, on standard mode it's 74.6 decibels, and on boost mode it reaches 84.6. The Dyson V11 looks very similar to its predecessor the V10, with a sleek futuristic design that isn't an eyesore if you forget to stow it away in the cupboard.

With around an hour of run-time, you should have enough power to whizz round an entire house. After all, with the trigger action, you’re only using battery power while physically vacuuming. Those with larger houses may find that the run-time isn’t quite enough. With 4.5 hours for charging, some people may need to change their cleaning schedule a little to get a full clean. However, if you have hard floors or want proof that your vacuuming sessions really are thorough, then the laser cleaning head along with the acoustic piezo sensor on the V15 Detect is going to be a real draw. Turn on the V11 Absolute and you’ll find that it isn’t as loud as you might have thought. From head height, measured with the motorised brush in Eco mode, the vacuum comes in at 71dB. On standard mode it’s 74.6dB, and on Boost it’s a whopping 84.6dB. The display also rids another problem: battery anxiety. While the old V10 had only a basic display on the battery to show a rough level of charge, the V11’s screen shows a countdown timer, so you know exactly how long is left. As for noise, the V11 is a tad louder than its predecessor, the V10. Using the same High Torque on both machines on the highest suction mode, the V11 reached 47dB on hard flooring and 48dB on short-pile carpet. The V10 measures 44dB and 41dB, respectively.Our tester couldn’t fault the Dyson’s performance on carpets. The main head allowed her to reach the very edges of each room, and there were plenty of tools to make this even easier. One of the least messy bagless vacuum cleaners Alison has ever used, alongside the similarly tidy Gtech AirRam Mk2 K9, the V11 Absolute is also ideal if you suffer from allergies. It has a six-layer filtration system that Dyson claims traps 99.7% of particles. As with carpets, the Dyson gets right up to the edges and pulls in loose dirt and debris on all types of hard floor. The Dyson V11 has excellent battery life, with even its lowest setting delivering excellent results, while its High Torque head balances battery life and performance automatically. You should not buy it if… Dyson's V11 Absolute takes a whopping four-and-a-half hours to fully charge for up to 60 minutes of runtime. You’ll need to fully charge the vacuum cleaner before first use, which means you won't be able to get going straight away.

UK customers will also be able to choose from two versions of the V11. Here both come with the LCD screen, but only the more expensive model has the Torque Drive cleaner head. As mentioned earlier, the Outsize also comes with a number of additional tools for crevices, dusting, brushing and the removal of stubborn dirt.

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When it comes to runtime, Alison found that there was plenty of time to vacuum the whole house, which included three double bedrooms, an upstairs bathroom, a hallway, living room, study, dining room, kitchen and utility room. One charge lasted for a thorough clean throughout, which we were really impressed by. If last year’s model signalled the death of corded models, the V11 gives them that final push over the edge. In addition, the cordless vacuum cleaner is also available as the cheaper V11 Animal. The UK and Australia also have the choice of a model with the moniker V11 Absolute, although in Australia it’s called the V11 Absolute Extra because, presumably, Dyson wants to make our lives impossibly hard when explaining this to you. The Dyson V15 Detect and the Dyson V11 range are very similar when it comes to looks; with the motor and the cyclones, which generate centrifugal force to keep dust and dirt in the canister, encased in plastic.