Dyson V11 Torque Drive Cordless Vacuum Cleaner Review – Should You Upgrade?

I’ve never been disappointed with Dyson products throughout the years as they always make their products better in each generation. Their handheld vacuum cleaners are my favorites and they are probably the most frequently-used items in my house.

In the past year, I’ve always wondered how Dyson could take the brilliant Dyson V10 to the next level and the Dyson V11 Torque-Drive Vacuum is the answer. However, are their offerings good enough to make the upgrade? Let’s find out in the review.

Video Review

Design & Features

In terms of packaging and box contents, there is nearly no difference between the new Dyson V11 and the V10. We have the main vacuum unit, an extension wand, a high-torque cleaner head, a mini motorized tool, a combination tool, a crevice tool, a mini soft dusting brush, a stubborn dust brush, a wand storage clip, a docking station, and a charger.

There are a lot of attachments but we actually use just about 3 of them. I use the high-torque cleaner head to clean floors and carpets, the mini motorized tool for my sofa and mattress, and the combination tool for ceilings and bookshelves. Notably, there is only one floor-cleaning head now as compared to two heads on the Dyson V10.

Now, let’s check out all the new features of the Dyson V11.

The first new feature that all of us can see is the LCD screen which displays a lot of useful information. Most of the time, the screen will show you the cleaning modes, the current enabled mode, and remaining battery. Specifically, the 3 cleaning modes are Eco, Auto, and Boost. As soon as you press the trigger to start vacuuming, it will also show the remaining run time. Besides, when there is a problem with filter or a maintenance is required, it will display an alert with animation to help you fix the problem easier.

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The Auto mode is also a new feature as it will adjust the suction power of the machine to optimize battery life. The remaining runtime will change when you move the vacuum between different floor types. For instance, it will reduce the power and spinning speed of the cleaner head on hard floors, so the battery could last longer; However, it will power up as soon as I move to carpets.

As compared to the Dyson V10, the V11 is slightly larger since it houses a bigger battery. Therefore, it won’t fit the docking station of the V10. An advantage is that the run time is slightly improved. Now I can use the vacuum in the highest mode for around 12 minutes which is about 30% longer than the V10.

Apart from those features, the Dyson V11 has the same design, the same point-and-shoot dust bin emptying mechanism, and fully-sealed filtration system. It also requires little maintenance as we just need to wash the filter once every 1-2 months. The filter can trap 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, so the air coming out of this vacuum is pretty clean as well.

Performance

Dyson V11 is the newest addition to the handheld vacuum lineup and it is the most advanced device not only from Dyson but also in the whole market. However, you might need to consider carefully if you want to upgrade from the Dyson V10. The V11 still features the same motor running at 125,000 rpm and they just make some changes like slimmer and longer rotating blades and a triple diffuser system to reduce vibrations. Dyson claimed that the suction power is 20% higher but the difference is insignificant in my test.

The V11 motor is just slightly more powerful and when it is combined with the high-torque cleaner head which can spin the brush bar up to 60 times a second, the vacuum can suck in more dirt and dust along the way.

Since this is a powerful machine, it can be louder than other handheld vacuums during operation. The loudness ranges from 70 dB to 80 dB depending on the cleaning mode and floor type.

Conclusion

Pros

• New LCD display
• Longer-lasting battery
• Efficient Auto mode

Cons

• Expensive
• Suction power improvement is insignificant

The Dyson V11 Torque-Drive is absolutely the best cordless vacuum cleaner on the market, however, it is very difficult to justify its premium price tag. The Dyson V10 is still too good and it is around $200 cheaper while the Dyson V11 Animal version with no LCD display is $100 cheaper. It is not necessary to make the upgrade from Dyson V10 except that you are a Dyson fanboy who always want to own their newest products.

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