The best Dyson vacuums: A guide to the latest versions of stick, ball, and handheld cleaners

Read our full review of the Dyson V12 Detect Slim.

The lite (like diet but also like lightweight) version of Dyson's laser-equipped vacuums isn't Dyson's cheapest or highest-end offering. Rather, the V12 Detect Slim incorporates Dyson's best features — the game-changing laser that highlights dust and hair that your eyes would never pick up on, digital display and automatic boost, and powerful, precise attachments — for over $100 less than the V15 Detect (even more if you find it on sale).

The V12 Detect Slim offers all of this while shaving over a pound off the V15 Detect, making it the most lightweight and compact Dyson available. The result is a smaller dust bin and battery, which are better suited for apartments and one-floor homes. But the dust bin on this Dyson vacuum is still the point-and-shoot kind that makes emptying into the trash easy.

The familiar design of the Dyson Outsize Absolute actually features a half-gallon dustbin that holds more than double the grime of the other 0.2 gallon bins. The illuminating laser first introduced on the V15 Detect is also present. Its Digital Motorbar XL is 25% wider than the V15 Detect's and uses polycarbonate de-tangling hair removal vanes to clear long hair from the brush.

Dyson's heaviest stick vacuum also provides a heavy-duty clean. The Outsize vacuum cleaner is armed with an intuitive Hyperdymium motor that hits up to 220 Air Watts in Boost Mode, giving Dyson's upright and canister vacuums a run for their money. Despite expending so much oomph, the battery's good for 120 minutes.

A transparent dustbin showcases just how dirty your floors used to be. The V15 Detect wowed us when it dropped in 2021 as the first Dyson vacuum cleaner to sport a laser. It's no longer the only Dyson stick vacuum with laser tech, but the laser in tandem with its beastly motor still make this one of Dyson's best values.

On hard floors like wood, tile, or laminate, the green light illuminates specks laying ahead to offer some direction past the visible debris that your naked eye can see. On carpet, the V15 unleashes 230 Air Watts of cyclonic suction (more than even Dyson's Outsize) to dig into fibers and pull out stubborn pet hair and debris. Note that the bin will fill quickly in large homes with lots of pets.

There have actually been several variations of this entry-level Dyson vacuum over the years, like the V8 Motorhead, Animal, and Fluffy. The V8 Absolute is the cheapest official option on Dyson's website as of May 2022. It shares much of the muscle that makes its more expensive siblings so great. Tradeoffs like a little less oomph and a smaller dust bin also make this vacuum cleaner lighter — and easier to lift to the ceiling.

15 cyclones in the V8 create strong-enough centrifugal force to conquer debris in smaller, one-pet (or no-pet) homes. The Direct Drive cleaner head shoves bristles deeper into the carpet for better extraction on things like pet hair. Though it might require charging after every use, 40 minutes of battery should still be enough to get a full job done using this Dyson vacuum.

The tea is that the cheapest stick vacuum on Dyson's website isn't the cheapest one out there. Walmart has consistently had the Dyson V8 Fluffy in stock and on sale for as low as $299.99 since Black Friday 2021 (compared to the $499.99 V8 Motorhead). Given its suction power and ability to go handheld, there's little reason to opt for the handheld Humdinger.

The namesake refers to a Fluffy cleaner head composed of nylon fibers and anti-static bristles for a scratch-free glide. Holding less than a quarter of a pound of debris, the Fluffy is best-suited for small homes or apartments with limited messes. The puny bin does keep it lightweight, making for comfy one-hand maneuvering.

Yup, Dyson omitted a vacuum titled the V9 from its lineup. The mid-priced V10 tops the V8 in a few ways: Its hour-long battery life offers an extra 20 minutes of cleaning and enhanced motor creates 20% more suction. According to Dyson, the new Torque Drive cleaner head shoves bristles deeper into carpet to pull out embedded dirt.

You may notice that the dust bin is situated parallel to the stick attachment rather than perpendicular like the older models. This design change shifts the vacuum cleaner's center of gravity and apparently provides better air flow for better suction — and makes for a more hygienic dirt ejection process.

The strongest upright vacuum on the market (according to Dyson) is the heavy hitter to take on your heavy shedders. It's not cordless or compact, but is easy to whip around.

The latest rendition of Dyson's iconic Ball technology was engineered specifically with pet owners in mind. The cleaning head self-adjusts its height to seal in suction depending on floor type, efficiently drilling into your carpet's stubborn layer of pet hair. All of the gunk that you didn't know existed is stored in a spacious half-gallon dust bin.