Dyson V8 cordless vacuum review: This entry-level Dyson delivers on its promise of performance and value

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Dyson vacuums are synonymous pinch quality. They are besides known for their precocious value points. Dyson primitively released nan V8 successful 2016,  and it's nan earliest exemplary of cordless vacuum Dyson still sells, showcasing its enduring capacity and value. Previously, nan Dyson V8 had been disposable successful variations, which person now been condensed into a azygous V8 model. I've tested newer models of Dysons, immoderate of which person much rated powerfulness and bells and whistles for illustration lasers and auto-adjusting suction powerfulness and longer artillery life but nan Dyson V8 holds its ain astatine a importantly little value than newer models. 

The Dyson V8 still gets nan occupation done very good for astir households, making it a awesome prime among the champion cordless vacuums, if you want nan best Dyson astatine a little value point. The Dyson V15 Detect, for instance, holds a spot connected our best vacuum cleaner guideline but runs astir $300 much than nan V8. I find it difficult to warrant paying much erstwhile nan Dyson V8 remains an fantabulous choice, wherever I'll talk my acquisition utilizing this celebrated cordless instrumentality vacuum successful my forthcoming review.

Setup

The V8 comes successful a agelong box, but it's light, and I was capable to prime it up pinch 1 arm. All of nan pieces were secured and cushioned very well, truthful thing was damaged during shipping. 

It's easy to combine nan vacuum. There are 3 main parts to nan vacuum: a apical portion containing nan canister and a bottommost portion resembling a agelong stick. These 2 pieces threat together easily. Finally, you request to threat nan cleanerhead into place. After that, plug nan V8 successful and fto it charge. The vacuum arrives partially charged, truthful I was capable to effort it retired correct away, but nether regular conditions, it takes astir 5 hours to complaint fully.  

As an optional step, you tin connect an included docking position to nan wall. This is simply a awesome retention solution. When nan V8 is placed successful nan docking station, it charges automatically, truthful you don't request to interest astir plugging it successful to charge. I didn't instal nan docking position for nan V8, but I did instal a docking position for different Dyson I tested. Installation is very easy, and it's convenient to person nan vacuum stored disconnected nan ground. The docking position besides includes abstraction to connect 2 accessories. However, installing nan wall equine does require drilling holes successful nan wall for screws, truthful it's not wholly renter-friendly. 

The V8 comes pinch various accessories that alteration nan vacuum to beryllium utilized successful different ways. For example, you tin threat disconnected nan brushwood and insert nan crevice instrumentality to usage nan vacuum to get into touch-to-reach corners aliases betwixt sofa cushions. Or, unsnap nan agelong instrumentality and insert nan operation brushwood to usage nan V8 arsenic a handheld vacuum to cleanable your car.

Our reappraisal of nan Dyson V8 vacuum

The Dyson V8 is very ray and easy to maneuver. I tested a mates of newer models of Dyson instrumentality vacuums and didn't announcement important differences successful maneuverability. One of my favourite features of nan V8 is its swivel head. It's very easy to get into constrictive spaces, specified arsenic nan mini abstraction betwixt my chamber dresser and nan wall, without utilizing an attachment. The V8 besides does a awesome occupation of reaching different hard-to-reach spots. My larger, plug-in upright vacuum doesn't travel adjacent to cleaning nan spot wherever my room cabinets meet nan floor. Crumbs thin to cod there, and nan V8 cleans that area very good pinch nan modular floorhead. It's bully not to person to crook down and region a crevice instrumentality aliases different cleaning supplies to get a cleanable floor.  

Overall Ease of Use

I really admit that nan V8 is truthful light, weighing astir 5.5 pounds. The V8 lacks immoderate of nan bells and whistles of newer models, but nan trade-off is simply a lighter vacuum. I find myself reaching for nan V8 often because it's truthful ray and easy to maneuver. Since I person a engaged (and messy) family of six, I admit thing that makes vacuuming a small spot easier, and a ray vacuum is much convenient for maine than much features. Even though I person besides tested nan Dyson V11 Torque Drive (now sold arsenic nan Dyson V11), I find myself reaching for nan V8 much often because it is lighter and easier to use. I worth this much than nan V11's 3 powerfulness modes.

I've utilized nan V8 regular for respective weeks. I emotion having specified a ray and versatile vacuum astir nan house. It's very easy to cleanable up messes large and mini and move betwixt levels. I besides utilized nan handheld attachment to cleanable my car. Although nan handheld caput doesn't swivel, nan vacuum was still businesslike successful cleaning up nan messiness near by my kids aft a roadworthy trip. I utilized nan crevice attachment to vacuum astir nan edges of nan car. 

The V8 has 2 powerfulness settings: modular suction and boost mode. A elemental move connected nan beforehand of nan vacuum allows you to move to boost aliases max power.

Cleaning Performance

I laid retired java grounds, flour, sugar, rice, crushed cereal, and a wad of quality hairsbreadth connected a rug and hardwood floors to spot really nan V8 performed. I utilized nan regular mounting for my testing because nan artillery life for boost mounting is truthful low. 

On nan rug, nan V8 performed exceptionally well. It picked up almost everything I put successful its measurement connected nan first pass. The V8 had nan hardest clip pinch flour and near a small down aft nan first pass. However, it sewage each of nan flour connected nan 2nd pass.

The V8 did not execute arsenic good connected hardwood floors. It picked up each nan sweetener and java grounds and struggled a small much pinch flour, conscionable arsenic connected nan rug. However, nan V8 picked up nan remaining flour connected nan 2nd pass. The V8 easy picked up nan hair, but conscionable arsenic nan hairsbreadth I placed connected nan rug, immoderate sewage caught astir nan floorhead and had to beryllium removed manually.

When it came to larger debris for illustration atom and crushed cereal, nan V8 did not execute astir arsenic well. On hardwood, nan V8 could only get astir half of each connected nan first pass. On nan 2nd pass, nan vacuum picked up nan remaining rice. The V8 had nan hardest clip pinch nan cereal. It took respective much passes to get each of it, and moreover then, nan V8 struggled. The vacuum pushed immoderate of nan cereal guardant alternatively than picking it up, truthful I had to assistance nan vacuum and put it down again to get it all. This was much activity than conscionable moving nan vacuum backmost and forth. Then, erstwhile I picked up nan vacuum to put it away, immoderate cereal fell retired of nan brush, and I needed to vacuum it a 2nd time. Other particulate and debris went consecutive to nan dustbin arsenic intended.

Because nan V8 did not execute good picking up larger debris connected hardwood floors utilizing nan regular mode, I tried vacuuming crushed cereal connected boost mode. The V8 did not execute immoderate better. It only picked up astir half of nan cereal and pushed nan different half forward. Using boost mode I besides knowledgeable nan aforesaid rumor pinch pieces of debris falling retired of nan brushwood caput erstwhile I lifted nan vacuum from nan floor.

Battery Life

In my tests, nan vacuum ran for conscionable nether 7 minutes utilizing boost power. At regular powerfulness pinch nan cleaner caput attached, it ran for conscionable nether 29 minutes.

Dust Bin

The dustbin connected nan V8 is highly easy to use. I for illustration that nan dustbin is clear truthful I tin spot erstwhile it's adjacent to being full, and I cognize nan vacuum is doing its occupation erstwhile I spot it filling up pinch dust, crumbs, and debris. Moreover, emptying nan dustbin is easy and, much importantly, very hygienic. There is simply a lever connected nan extracurricular of nan dustbin that you simply propulsion guardant to quiet nan bin straight into nan trash can. I besides admit that I ne'er request to interest astir moving retired of bags. 

Filtration

 The V8 utilizes a whole-machine filtration strategy that traps 99.99% of microscopic particles arsenic mini arsenic 0.3 microns, specified arsenic particulate mites and allergens.​ Versions, for illustration nan Absolute, characteristic a HEPA filtration strategy that captures 99.99% of microscopic particles down to 0.1 microns. 

The select is easy to cleanable by brushing disconnected immoderate loose ungraded and past moving nan select nether water. It's very bully that nan select is reusable, but it takes astir 24 hours to dry. The first clip this happened to maine I was irritated that I couldn't usage nan vacuum erstwhile I wanted to and past needed to hold a afloat time until nan vacuum was operational again. However, this problem tin easy beryllium remedied by washing nan select aft a fewer uses and letting it barren erstwhile you cognize you won't request it. 

The V8 requires small attraction different than periodically cleaning nan select and pulling retired hairsbreadth that mightiness get caught successful nan brush.

Cons to consider

If your sole logic for buying nan V8 is boost mode, look elsewhere. Although boost mode packs a batch of power, it doesn't past agelong capable to beryllium very useful successful astir situations. It useful good for a mini messiness successful a confined area, but since nan artillery lasts nether 7 minutes astatine afloat power, it can't beryllium utilized for full location cleaning aliases moreover to cleanable a mini apartment. The artillery takes 5 hours to afloat charge, truthful erstwhile nan complaint is gone, it's gone for a while. Fortunately, nan regular mode was satisfactory for astir cleaning needs. 

The vacuum besides struggles pinch larger debris connected hardwood. The V8 did execute good connected my different tests, truthful depending connected your needs, that whitethorn not beryllium a deal-breaker. If you usually vacuum particulate and crumbs, that mightiness not beryllium a large deal. However, if you request to vacuum larger debris for illustration kibble often, this astir apt isn't nan vacuum for you. 

The brushwood that comes pinch nan V8 is connected nan smaller side. If you person a ample house, this mightiness beryllium frustrating. You will astir apt request to make respective much passes pinch nan V8 than you would pinch a accepted vacuum aliases instrumentality vacuum pinch a larger brush. However, that's not a dealbreaker for maine because nan little value constituent for nan V8 still remains a bully worth for specified a powerful and easy-to-use machine. Additionally, pinch another, little powerful vacuum I find myself making further passes complete nan aforesaid parts of my floor.

What are your alternatives?

Dyson has discontinued nan different vacuum successful nan V8 line, nan V8 Animal, which spec-wise is identical, and has repurposed nan Dyson V8 Absolute into a Dyson exclusive pinch HEPA filtration and an further soft cleaner caput built for difficult floors. When it's connected sale, nan upgrades are a no-brainer to prime up, but you tin besides find newer exertion and longer artillery life for illustration the Dyson Outsize, Dyson V15 Detect, or the Dyson V12 Detect Slim for a small spot much than nan Dyson V8 Absolute.

At a akin value point, 1 of Shark's astir premium cordless vacuum cleaners, nan Shark Stratos, has a unit value of $499, pinch auto-adjusting suction, up to an hr of artillery life, HEPA filtration, and a unsocial bending creation to cleanable nether debased surfaces easier.

The bottommost line

The V8 holds its ain among Dyson's much caller models. Even though newer Dyson models person much bells and whistles, nan V8 is simply a powerful instrumentality vacuum pinch capable artillery life, bully power, functional accessories, convenient handheld abilities, and a bully retention option. The artillery connected regular mode lasts agelong capable to cleanable a medium-sized house. Plus, nan expertise to usage nan V8 arsenic a handheld is simply a awesome characteristic that I person utilized to vacuum my car and sofa for other versatility beyond cleaning conscionable my floors.