The Dyson Micro 1.5kg is a lightweight stick/handheld vacuum. It's very easy to maneuver, and it's a simple process to switch out different brushes or reconfigure into a handheld vacuum for spot cleaning. It feels adequately well-built and has a few parts that need regular cleaning, but thankfully, there are virtually no recurring costs as long as its parts are well-maintained. Unfortunately, it's not meant for use on carpets, and its dirt compartment is very small, requiring frequent emptying.
Our Verdict
The Dyson Micro is amazing for bare floors. It clears pet hair and other debris without issue. It's also remarkably lightweight and easy to maneuver. It has a few parts that need regular cleaning, but it has virtually no recurring costs. Unfortunately, its dirt compartment is very small, and its battery life is just okay.
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No recurring costs.
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Incredibly lightweight and easy to maneuver.
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Exceptional bare floor performance.
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Tiny dirt compartment.
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Battery life is just okay.
The Dyson Micro isn't suitable for low-pile carpet. According to Dyson, it isn't meant to be used on carpeted surfaces, so we haven't tested its low-pile carpet performance.
The Dyson Micro isn't suitable for high-pile carpet. According to Dyson, it isn't meant for use on carpeted surfaces, so we haven't tested its high-pile carpet performance.
The Dyson Micro is a poor choice for cleaning up after pets. Its soft brushroll isn't suitable for carpeted surfaces, so it can't clean pet hair from low-pile or high-pile carpets. That said, it does a fantastic job of picking up pet hair from bare floors. It also comes with a turbo brush attachment, which is great for cleaning pet hair off of couches or other fabric-covered surfaces. However, its dirt compartment has a very limited capacity.
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Incredibly lightweight and easy to maneuver.
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Comes with a variety of tools and brushes.
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Tiny dirt compartment.
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Battery life is just okay.
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Not suitable for carpets.
The Dyson Micro is excellent for cleaning stairs. It's remarkably lightweight, and its cordless design makes it easy to carry up and down stairs. You can also easily reconfigure it into handheld mode for tight corners. On bare floors, it picks up all types of debris with ease. However, it's only suitable for bare floors, and you shouldn't use it on carpeted staircases. It also has a very small dirt compartment.
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No recurring costs.
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Incredibly lightweight and easy to maneuver.
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Comes with a variety of tools and brushes.
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Exceptional bare floor performance.
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Tiny dirt compartment.
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Battery life is just okay.
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Not suitable for carpets.
The Dyson Micro is good for cleaning cars. It's highly maneuverable and easily reconfigures into a handheld vacuum for tight spots. While its soft brushroll isn't meant for use on carpeted surfaces, it comes with a few extra tools useful for cleaning cars, including a turbo brush for upholstery and a crevice tool with a built-in LED light to illuminate dark corners.
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No recurring costs.
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Incredibly lightweight and easy to maneuver.
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Comes with a variety of tools and brushes.
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LED crevice tool is good for illuminating dark corners.
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Tiny dirt compartment.
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Battery life is just okay.
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Not suitable for carpets.
- 8.2 Bare Floor
- 5.7 Low-Pile Carpet
- 4.7 High-Pile Carpet
- 7.7 Pets
- 8.4 Stairs
- 7.6 Cars
- 4.5 Workshop
- Updated Jan 25, 2023: We've added a link to the Xiaomi Mi Vacuum Cleaner Light in the 'Low-PIle Carpet Performance' section of this review to provide an example that can be used on carpeting.
- Updated Aug 22, 2022: This vacuum's suction force has been retested with a more accurate manometer. The test results for the 'Maximum Suction' and 'Normal Suction' fields have been updated. All relevant scores and text have been updated.
- Updated Jul 28, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated May 09, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Sep 07, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Sep 01, 2021: Early access published.
- Updated Aug 20, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Aug 18, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Aug 10, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Dyson Micro 1.5kg comes in one color variant: 'Gold'. You can see our unit's label here.
Let us know if you come across another variant, and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Vacuums
The Dyson Micro 1.5kg vacuum is a stick/handheld vacuum with an exceptionally lightweight design. It's portable and easy to maneuver, but its dirt compartment is smaller than most stick vacuums, and it's not suitable for use on carpets, making it less versatile. Still, it's a good option for spot cleaning bare floors.
For other options, see our recommendations for the best cordless stick vacuums, the best vacuums for hardwood floors, and the best vacuums.
The Dyson V15 Detect is better than the Dyson Micro 1.5kg, mostly because the Micro isn't suitable for carpets. The Micro is more portable and a tad easier to maneuver. The V15 is more versatile, has more tools and brushes, and has a significantly larger dirt compartment and longer max battery life. Unless you need something exceptionally small and lightweight, the V15 is the better option for most uses.
The Dyson V11 is better overall than the Dyson Micro 1.5kg. The Micro is lighter and more portable, but it's not suited for carpets, so it's less versatile. Meanwhile, the V11 has a larger dirt compartment and longer maximum battery life, and though it's not quite as effective as the Micro on bare floors, it still does an excellent job on this surface type.
The Dyson V8 is better overall than the Dyson Micro 1.5kg. While the Micro is lighter and more portable, it's not meant for use on carpets, making the V8 considerably more versatile. The V8 also has a larger dirt compartment, requiring less frequent emptying.
While they each have a similarly lightweight design, the Dyson Micro 1.5kg is better overall than the Dyson Omni-glide. Neither is suitable for use on carpets, but the Micro performs significantly better on bare floors, particularly when picking up bulkier debris like cereal. It also comes with more tools and accessories.
The Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ and the Dyson Micro 1.5kg are different vacuum types, though both offer remarkable bare floor performance. The Dyson is a hybrid stick/handheld vacuum, so it's a bit more suited to cleaning larger spaces, while the Shark is a handheld-only vacuum that's ideal for spot cleaning. However, the Dyson isn't suitable for cleaning carpets, and it has a very small dirt compartment that requires frequent emptying, although it does have fewer recurring costs.
The Shark Rocket Pet Pro is better than the Dyson Micro 1.5kg for most uses. While it's notably larger and heavier, it performs just as well on bare floors, and it's suitable for carpets, unlike the Dyson. It also has a much larger dirt compartment that requires less frequent emptying. Despite being bigger, it's also amazingly maneuverable. That said, it may incur more recurring costs than the Dyson.
Test Results
The Dyson Micro 1.5kg vacuum feels fairly well-built. It's made entirely of plastic, and all of its parts clip together easily. The body's made of decent-quality plastic, but the dirt compartment feels as if it could crack if dropped.
This vacuum has a few parts that need regular cleaning, according to the manufacturer, though they're easy to maintain.
- Dirt compartment: The dirt compartment should be emptied once full. You need to remove the wand to empty it, after which you can pull the red valve to release its contents into a dustbin. You can also separate it from the vacuum's body for more thorough cleaning.
- Lint screen: Simply clear away any debris on the lint screen, as needed. It's easier to do so when you remove the dirt compartment.
- Soft brushroll: You can remove the soft brushroll by unlocking the side of the vacuum head and then pulling it off of the end cap. You should only wash the brushroll itself and set it upright to dry, with the closed end facing up.
- HEPA filter: The HEPA filter is near the vacuum's exhaust, and you simply twist it to unlock and remove it. You can gently tap it against the side of a dustbin to remove light buildup, but you should also wash it with cold water about once a month.
All parts washed with water should be left to dry completely for at least 24 hours before putting them back in the vacuum.
The Dyson Micro 1.5kg vacuum has virtually no recurring costs as long as its parts are well-maintained. If you need a replacement filter, you can buy one from Dyson through its website.
The Dyson Micro is fairly easy to store. You can store one of its tools on the wand, and it comes with a wall-mountable rack station that can store its other tools. When mounted on the rack station, the vacuum's total dimensions are:
- Height: 120 cm
- Width: 21 cm
- Depth: 22 cm
The Dyson Micro has a very small dirt compartment that requires frequent emptying. Thankfully, it's made of clear plastic with a max fill line, so you know when to empty it.
- Dyson Micro 1.5kg vacuum body
- Vacuum head and soft brushroll
- Dirt compartment
- HEPA filter
- Extension wand
- Crevice tool with removable soft bristle brush
- Crevice tool with LED light strip
- Upholstery tool
- Turbo brush
- Docking station with A/C cable and mounting screws
- User guide
This is a cordless vacuum, and its range is only limited by its remaining battery life and the room left in its dirt compartment.
The Dyson Micro has amazing portability. It's remarkably lightweight, just a little bit over the advertised 1.5 kg when you have its wand and vacuum head attached, along with an extra tool onboard. It's also easy to carry from room to room or upstairs using its handle.
The Dyson Micro has adequate battery performance. With its wand and soft brushroll attached on 'MAX' suction mode, it lasts approximately nine minutes on a full charge, just under its advertised 10-minute runtime. On its default mode without any tools, it lasts about 28 minutes. That said, battery life can vary depending on real-world conditions and usage habits. It also takes roughly two and a half hours to charge, which is quicker than advertised.
The Dyson Micro 1.5kg has a few quality-of-life features, including a rotating head for easier maneuverability, an easy On/Off switch on top of the handle, and a 'MAX' suction power mode. While there are no headlights on its main vacuum head, it comes with an LED-illuminated crevice tool.
The Dyson Micro comes with a few extra tools and accessories. Its main vacuum head includes only a soft brushroll, but it comes with a mini turbo brush for fabric-lined surfaces or furniture and an upholstery tool. On top of that, it comes with two crevice tools, one regular with a removable soft-bristle brush attachment and another purple crevice tool with an LED light to illuminate dark corners.
You can slightly extend this vacuum's reach by reconfiguring it with one of its two crevice tools.
The Dyson Micro performs exceptionally well on bare floors. It picks up pet hair, bulky debris like cereal, and smaller debris like rice without issues.
This vacuum isn't intended for use on carpets, according to the manufacturer. We didn't test its performance on low-pile carpets. Consider the Xiaomi Mi Vacuum Cleaner Light if you want a similarly lightweight cordless stick vacuum that you can use on carpeted floors.
This vacuum isn't intended for use on carpets, according to the manufacturer. We didn't test its performance on high-pile carpets.
The Dyson Micro has great maneuverability. It's lightweight and easy to move around, and its head rotates smoothly. It's easy to switch out accessories or reconfigure the vacuum into a handheld on the fly, so you can quickly go from cleaning floors to furniture. It has good reach when cleaning underneath couches or tables, though you have to stoop down quite low. The LED crevice tool also comes in handy when cleaning underneath furniture or in dark spots. You can see the difference it makes having the light on versus off. Unfortunately, this vacuum's brushroll isn't designed for use on carpets, as it can get stuck on or even damage carpeting.
