I swapped my Dyson V8 Absolute for the Dyson V11 Advanced – it’s the upgrade my carpets desperately needed
I was already a part of the Dyson fan club, but now I'm obsessed
A powerful cordless vacuum that doesn't lose suction and has a lengthy 60-minute battery life, the Dyson V11 Advance made short work of cleaning my carpeted home. It's not the newest or flashiest Dyson around, but it's a mid-range model that still packs a punch and offers an impressive clean. Like all Dysons, the bin-emptying system could be smoother (and less messy), but that's a small price to pay for a sleek and efficient floorcare appliance.
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Super powerful suction
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Long 60-minute run time
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Three power modes, including boost
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Two useful attachments
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Sleek Dyson design
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Wall-mounted docking station included
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Attaching the stick is awkward
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A little weighty and cumbersome to use as a handheld vacuum
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One-handed bin emptying isn't quite one-handed
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Like most of us, I'm no stranger to vacuuming, and over the past four months, I've been keeping my home tidy with the Dyson V11 Advanced to find out how it compares with the best cordless vacuums on the market, and to see if it can give the best Dyson vacuum cleaners a run for their money.
For background, I've owned the Dyson V8 Absolute for four years, and I *loved* it. In comparison, the cordless Dyson V11 Advanced promised more power, better suction, and a lot more bells and whistles. So, I was eager to see how it would perform during real-life testing on my carpeted and tiled floors, and if it would convince me to finally retire my trusty V8 Absolute.
In a nutshell
The first time I vacuumed my carpets with the Dyson V11 Advanced, I was honestly blown away by this cordless vacuum's suction power. I *thought* I had clean floors, but this powerful machine lifted dust and dirt from deep in the carpet pile that I hadn't even realised was there. Grim, for sure, but also extremely impressive.
I also love the 60-minute battery life and the fact that this cordless vacuum doesn't seem to lose suction on any type of flooring. Plus, its handy LED display is super useful for seeing how much time you have left to hoover before it needs its next charge.
What I don't love quite so much is how heavy and unwieldy the main motor unit feels. It feels light enough and glides easily when supported by the stick on the floor, but if you're planning on using this as a handheld multifunctional cleaning tool, I found lifting it up at shoulder height or above my head required some strength.
I also found attaching the stick far more awkward than it needs to be, and, being Dyson, this cordless vacuum certainly isn't cheap. At its full price of £429, it's definitely an investment, although I've recently seen it on sale for around £299, which is much more welcome.
However, this is my second Dyson vacuum, and I genuinely wouldn't choose any other brand now that I've gotten used to Dyson's robust build quality and premium design.
I used to say I hated vacuuming, but the V11 Advanced's easy-to-use controls, convenient cordless design, and SUPER powerful suction honestly make vacuuming such a breeze.
Overall, the Dyson V11 Advanced has some minor niggles that make it not quite perfect, but I can still genuinely say I look forward to getting this vacuum out of my utility cupboard to clean up, and I don't think you can give a vacuum a much higher accolade than that.
Specifications
- Weight: 3kg
- Max. run time: 60 minutes
- Bin volume: 0.76L
- Charge time: 4.5 hours
- Modes: Eco, Medium, Boost
- In the box: Main unit, stick hose, motorhead, crevice tool, combination tool, wall mount
How I tested
I'm Amy, Ideal Home's Content Editor, and over the past four years, I've put all manner of products through their paces for Ideal Home, from the best air purifiers to the best mattresses. Plus, I have over twenty years of experience in vacuuming my own house! For this review, I spent four months putting the Dyson V11 Advanced through Ideal Home's vacuum cleaner testing process.
Unboxing, setting up and first impressions
The Dyson V11 Advanced arrived on my doorstep in a slimline cardboard box, and like every Dyson appliance I've ever unboxed, its packaging is almost as ingenious as the product itself.
In this case, the Dyson vacuum itself, plus the 'Wall Dok' (Dyson's wall-mountable charging unit), the charger, and a crevice and combination tool were carefully encased in Dyson's Jenga-like cardboard packaging.
This meant I was able to recycle every last piece of the packaging – a real rarity when you unbox as many new products as I do for my job, and an achievement far more manufacturers should aspire to.
On unboxing, it quickly became clear that the V11 is a premium product made to Dyson's usual high standards.
All the components feel super robust and well-made, with first-rate attention to detail; from the striking matt purple stick to the red and purple accents that call attention to the areas where you interact with the vacuum, such as its trigger and the bin emptying lever.
Although, as I unboxed it, I was surprised by how much heavier the V11 motor felt compared to my old Dyson V8 Absolute. I knew this vacuum would be more powerful, but I guess I hadn't considered that more power would mean a much larger motor and more weight.
The V11's longer body also felt more cumbersome and unwieldy. The body of the V8 felt nicely balanced in my hand when I held it by its handle. In comparison, the V11 tipped forward, so I had to use more wrist strength to hold it level.
Should I have opted to replace my trusty V8 instead? I popped the V11 on charge, ready to get vacuuming and see how it performed.
Using the Dyson V11 Advanced
The minute I attached the stick and motorhead onto the V11, ready to get vacuuming, I realised I needn't have worried quite so much about its weight.
Once the motor is attached to the stick and the head is on the floor, its 'off-balance' weight makes much more sense as it creates the perfect angle for vacuuming. The stick also does a great job of supporting the motor's weight, so it no longer felt like I was doing all the heavy lifting.
And once I pressed the trigger and started vacuuming, I only had one word – wow.
Now, when I bought the V8 Absolute, I had hardwood floors. However, I moved house a few years ago and inherited wool carpets that I've discovered require a lot more suction to keep clean. When I began vacuuming with the V11, I realised I was sucking up dust particles from deep in the carpet pile that the V8 hadn't managed to touch. Gross, yes, but a real indication of the V11's power.
After getting carried away and immediately deep cleaning my whole house, I then set about my first ‘official’ test – throwing a mixture of coffee grounds, cous cous, flour and sugar onto my carefully vacuumed carpet to see how the V11 faired with a trickier challenge. The results were extremely impressive; a few quick sweeps over the mess, and nothing remained.
That power is no doubt that's thanks to the Dyson V11 Advanced's 'Hyperdymium™' digital motor, which Dyson says spins at up to 125,000rpm, delivering '200 Air Watts of fade-free suction'.
The brand also says the V11 Advanced has a 'Root Cyclone™ separation system' designed with '14 cyclones that capture and separate dust and debris, so there’s no loss of suction.' These combined 'capture 99.99% microscopic particles, including dust, particles and allergens to 0.3 microns'.
That's a bit too much technical spiel for me, but what I do know is that the Dyson V11 Advanced vacuumed my carpets better than they'd been vacuumed since I moved into the house two years ago. Needless to say, it made *extremely* short work of my hard floors too. Crumbs in the kitchen vanished with one quick sweep.
And that was on 'Medium' power. The V11 Advanced also has a 'Boost' function that I could see lifting the carpet as I vacuumed it; it was that powerful. And should you prefer a slightly tamer approach to delicate rugs, or simply want to save on power, there's also an 'Eco' mode that I would say offered similar suction power to my V8 Absolute.
Even better, whilst my V8 Absolute's battery could manage about two cleans of my small three-bed semi-detached house before it needed recharging, the V11 Advanced has a 60-minute battery life. I've found I can vacuum my entire, fully carpeted house at least three times, if not four times, before this cordless vacuum needs charging.
And what I really like about the V11 Advance (that the V8 Absolute doesn't have) is its clear LED display on the face of the motor that allows me to easily see which operation mode I'm in, and how much battery life I have left.
It's a little thing, but it really helps me keep on top of charging, unlike other cordless models I've tested that will suddenly die with little warning mid-clean-up.
Using the attachments
The Dyson V11 Advanced comes with the standard motorhead cleaning tool, plus a crevice tool and a combination tool as standard.
If you already have a cordless Dyson vacuum, I also found the attachments I already had for the V8 could be used on the V11, which is nice to know if you have a favourite tool you don't want to abandon.
I find both really useful. The crevice tool is good for getting into nooks and crannies like the gap between my flooring and the skirting boards, and I love the brush attachment (AKA the combination tool) for vacuuming my windowsills and furniture upholstery.
However, what I have found is that the V11's weight and its larger motor do become more cumbersome when attempting to use this vacuum as a handheld cleaning device. Lifting it to vacuum cobwebs from the ceiling is a lot more challenging than with the lighter and better-balanced V8.
So whilst I love this vacuum for vacuuming my floors, I've found it less versatile as a multifunctional vacuum.
Compared to the V8 Absolute, I also HATE the change to the stick attachment on the V11 Advanced. Whereas the V8 has a longer section on the body that makes it very easy to locate the stick onto the motor, the V11 has a much shorter slot to slide the stick into, and it's awkwardly blocked by the bin canister.
I curse every time I have to remove or reconnect the stick, and considering I'm usually so impressed by Dyson's ergonomic design solutions, I'm surprised the brand made this connection point so awkward to use. Still, overall it's a small niggle, and I definitely still choose the V11 over my V8 when it comes to carpet cleaning.
Cleaning and maintenance
Dyson says that the V11 Advanced has 'hygienic bin emptying'. According to the brand, that means that its 'point-and-shoot bin emptying drives dust deep into your bin – in one action. So you don’t touch the dirt.'
Now the V8 Absolute promised this too, and similar to the V8, the V11 *almost* achieves what it claims, but I haven't yet managed to empty the V11 Advanced without getting at least one hand dirty.
For sure, it's a lot less messy than debagging a vacuum that uses a vacuum bag, and the point-and-shoot function kind of works for the loosest dirt you've collected, but I have long hair, and this still gets wrapped around the canister of the V11, meaning I need to reach my hand in and pull it out.
It's a common problem with most vacuums, and I guess the answer is not to have long hair! But still, the V11 is a lot easier to empty than most vacuums, and I do really like being able to see what's in the vacuum canister and how full it is, thanks to the clear perspex sides.
The V11 Advance also promises that the 'Motorbar™ cleaner head with Polycarbonate hair removal vane can lift and spiral hair straight into the bin', and I've found this definitely works. After four months of use, the cleaner head is still hair-free, which is pretty remarkable, as that's generally the first thing my hair gets caught around.
How does it rate online?
The Dyson V11 Advanced seems to get rave reviews wherever I’ve looked. It scores 4.4 out of 5 stars on Dyson’s own website, 4.8 out of 5 stars with Curry’s customers, and an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars with the jaw-dropping 34706 owners who’ve left a review for the Dyson V11 Advanced on the John Lewis website.
Like me, multiple owners rave about the V11 Advanced’s suction power, with one John Lewis reviewer echoing the thoughts of many reviewers in saying that the ‘effectiveness of the machine in picking up dirt and ease of use is fantastic’.
However, I think a 5-star reviewer on Curry’s sums it up the best. This reviewer says, ‘This is the best hoover I ever bought. It's so quiet, and the suction is incredible! I honestly can't believe how much different my carpets look. I always vacuum daily, sometimes twice with having dogs, and this Dyson is amazing. It's so easy to use and empty. It lights up on top to show how much time you have left. There are 3 modes Eco, Medium and Boost. It has 60 minutes running time on Eco. I always use Medium and I can do the whole house and still have plenty of time of left. I can't recommend this hoover enough you won't be disappointed!’
How does it compare to similar models?
As I’ve said, for me, the Dyson V11 Advanced is an upgrade from my old Dyson V8 Absolute, and I’ve been blown away by the improvement in suction power compared to Dyson’s entry-level model.
I also find the V11 Advanced a lot quieter to use than the V8 Absolute, and its charge lasts a *lot* longer.
In fact, the only reason I miss my V8 is because it’s lighter than the V11 Advanced and I find its smaller body much easier to use for ‘non-traditional’ cleaning purposes, such as sucking cobwebs down from the ceiling or vacuuming out the car.
However, the Dyson V11 Advanced is absolutely my first choice when it comes to any kind of actual vacuuming. It’s ability to suck up dust and crumbs out of my carpet pile is unrivalled as far as I’m concerned.
Should you buy the Dyson V11 Advanced?
If you want a cordless vacuum that has enough suction power to rival any upright vacuum, then yes, I think you should definitely buy the Dyson V11 Advanced. Especially if, like me, you have carpeted floors, which the V11 Advanced makes incredibly fast work of cleaning.
And whilst it seems a hefty investment at full price, this is no longer one of Dyson’s newest models, and that means there are often some equally hefty discounts during sale periods.
This year, I’ve seen the V11 Advanced reduced from its normal retail price of £429 to around £299 on several occasions, which to my mind makes it well worth splashing out on.
My only caveat would be if you’re someone who might struggle to support its weight. As I’ve mentioned, it’s fine when you’re vacuuming the floor, as the stick takes a lot of the weight out of your wrist, but if you’re hoping to use it with the attachments as a cleaning tool, I did find it on the weightier side.
In an ideal world, mine would be a two-vacuum household, with the Dyson V11 Advanced as my everyday vacuum and the Dyson V8 Absolute on standby for dusting tasks and getting into any awkward nooks and crannies.
Still, the incredible suction power of the Dyson V11 Advanced makes me forgive it most of its minor faults, and this is one vacuum cleaner I’m extremely happy to give space to in my home.