Dyson V8  Vacuum Review

This vacuum feels fairly well-built. It looks premium, but besides its lightweight metal wand, it's entirely made of plastic and doesn't feel especially sturdy. The dirt compartment is made of see-through plastic and feels particularly fragile. Check out the Shark Cordless Pet Plus if you want something sturdier. On the plus side, it's really easy to assemble and take apart since its parts clip together. If you want a cordless vacuum with better build quality, consider the Miele Duoflex HX1.

This vacuum is somewhat easy to maintain. Several parts need regular maintenance, but they're easy to access.

• Dirt compartment: You can open the dirt compartment by pressing the red release valve at the top of the vacuum's body. It's fairly small and needs frequent emptying. Unfortunately, while it's very easy to dismount from the body or to open up and empty, debris can spread while you're shaking it over a trash bin.
• Pre-filter: You can pull out the pre-filter from the top of the vacuum. It needs to be washed once a month with cold water.
• Post filter (HEPA): You can twist the HEPA filter off the back of the vacuum. It also needs to be washed once a month with cold water.
• Lint screen: Depending on your usage, you need to brush off any debris on the lint screen inside the dirt compartment, as necessary.
• Motorized floorhead: You can unlock the brushroll from the floorhead by twisting the brushroll cover with a flat object, like a coin, and then pulling it free. When necessary, you should clear away any stuck-on debris or tangled hair. Removing hair by hand is somewhat difficult, so you might find it easier to use a pair of scissors instead. It's worth mentioning that newer versions of the V8 are bundled with the same Motorbar floorhead as the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, which has built-in plastic vanes that do a great job of trapping pet hair, making it easier to maintain compared to the older model.
• Turbo brush: You can remove the brushroll in the miniature turbo brush just like the brushroll in the floorhead. You should remove debris and tangled hair from the turbo brush when necessary. Newer versions of the V8 come with a conical turbo brush attachment that doesn't get tangled as easily.

You should allow any part you wash with water to dry thoroughly for at least 24 hours before being reinstalled in the vacuum.

This vacuum incurs virtually no recurring costs. Like other Dyson vacuums like the Dyson V11 and Dyson V7, it uses a bagless design, so you don't need to worry about buying dirtbags. You won't have to replace the filters as long as they're properly maintained. However, if needed, you can find a replacement pre-filter here and a replacement HEPA filter here.

This vacuum isn't too hard to store. It has a wall rack station that holds it upright when it's not in use. However, the rack station only has onboard storage for two tools.

This vacuum has a reasonably sized dirt compartment. It's on the smaller side for a cordless stick vacuum, with alternatives like the Samsung Jet 70 having larger dustbins that are mounted horizontally, in line with the vacuum's wand. The Dyson vacuum's dustbin is made of clear plastic and has a clearly visible max fill indicator, so you can easily see when it needs emptying. If you don't mind the bulkier form factor of an upright and could use a cordless vacuum with an even larger dustbin, consider the Hoover ONEPWR Evolve Pet. Alternatively, if you'd prefer sticking with a lightweight cordless stick vacuum that comes with an automatic self-empty dock, the Shark Detect Pro is a good choice.

• Dyson V8 Animal vacuum
  • Dirt compartment
  • Lint/dust screen
  • Cyclone
  • Direct Drive vacuum head (Not included with V8 Origin, V8 Animal (Updated), or V8 Absolute (Updated) variants)
  • Wand
  • Pre-motor filter
  • Post-motor (HEPA) filter
  • Vacuum User Guide
• Various tools and brushes
  • Brushroll
  • Soft dusting brush (Not included with V8 Origin, V8 Animal (Updated), or V8 Absolute (Updated) variants)
  • Upholstery and hard bristle brush tool
  • Turbo brush (Not included with V8 Origin, V8 Animal (Updated), or V8 Absolute (Updated) variants)
  • Crevice tool (Not included with V8 Origin variant)
  • Tool holder
  • 180 degree pivot extender tool (Not included with V8 Origin, V8 Animal (Updated), or V8 Absolute (Updated) variants)
• Docking station
  • Installation manual
  • Screws
  • Charger

The following attachment is exclusive to the V8 Absolute and V8 Absolute (Updated) variants

• Fluffy Cleaner head

The following attachments are exclusive to the V8 Origin, V8 Absolute (Updated) and V8 Animal (Updated) models

• Motorbar vacuum head
• Hair Screw Tool

Since this is a cordless vacuum, its range is limited only by battery life and the room left in its dirt compartment. If you don't want to worry about keeping a battery charged, consider a comparable corded stick/handheld vacuum like the Shark Vertex UltraLight Corded.

The Dyson V8 is very portable. This vacuum is lighter than more powerful Dyson models like the Dyson V11 and doesn't feel very heavy in your hand. Its handle makes it easy to carry from room to room or upstairs.

The Dyson V8's battery performance is alright. The battery depletes in less than 10 minutes if you set the vacuum to its 'MAX' suction setting. Using the standard suction power setting provides just over 40 minutes of continuous use, which will be enough to get you through a few rooms, depending on your usage habits. Still, its maximum runtime falls short of that of most newer Dyson vacuums, and it also takes a lot longer to recharge than alternatives that offer a similar runtime, like the Shark Pet/Rocket Pro Cordless.

The Dyson V8 doesn't have too many extra quality-of-life features. It has a rotating head, which helps it maneuver around obstacles. You can manually choose between two suction power settings: the default 'Powerful Suction' mode and the high-power 'MAX' mode for cleaning stubborn debris. Consider the Tineco PURE ONE S11 if you're looking for a cordless stick vacuum with more bells and whistles, as it can automatically increase its suction power in an area with a large concentration of debris. Or, if you want a Dyson model with a nicer user interface with an LCD, consider the Dyson Digital Slim.

The Animal variant of the Dyson V8 comes with a few tools and brushes. There's a combination tool with a retractable soft-bristle brush and a wide nozzle for use on upholstery. Unlike alternatives like the Shark Rocket Pet Pro, it also comes with a unique 180-degree extension tool to help clean hard-to-reach places. You can clip all the tools to the wand or the vacuum body itself when using it in its handheld configuration. The updated versions of the V8 Animal and V8 Absolute come with a similar attachment set, albeit with no separate soft-bristle brush, and a newer iteration of Dyson's turbo brush, which has a cone-shaped brushroll that better resists hair wraps.

You can reconfigure the Dyson V8 as a handheld vacuum by removing its wand and floorhead.

This vacuum does a passable job of dealing with debris on hard floors. It's quite effective at clearing away small debris like sand on this surface type, but its floorhead tends to push around larger debris like rice and cereal pieces instead of allowing the vacuum to suck it up.

On hard floors, we expect that the fluffy cleaner head included with the V8 Absolute variant will do a better job in this task than the bristled brushroll in the motorbar. For example, the Dyson Cyclone V10 uses a fluffy cleaner head and performs much better on hard floors.

This vacuum does a good job of cleaning high-pile carpeting. Its floorhead's brushroll provides a good level of surface agitation, allowing the vacuum to lift away smaller debris like sand, along with the majority of medium and bulky debris like rice or cereal. That said, you'll need to make a second pass to clear away everything

This vacuum's performance is alright on low-pile carpeting. It's pretty effective in dealing with finer debris like sand, but its floorhead tends to push around larger debris like rice or cereal.

This vacuum does an excellent job of dealing with pet hair on low-pile carpeting. The bristles on its multi-surface floorhead are stiff enough to provide sufficient surface agitation to lift away hair that's been worked into carpet fibers. Check out the RYOBI PCL720K if you want a cordless stick vacuum that does an even better job of dealing with pet hair on carpeting.

This vacuum delivers okay suction power. The manufacturer advertises its suction motor as producing 115 AW of power, which falls some way short of the current entry-level Dyson stick model, the Dyson V12 Detect Slim. As such, it doesn't do as well when drawing away debris embedded deep within carpet fibers or cracks and crevices. That difference in performance is also borne out when observing suction measured from its hose.

The Dyson V8's airflow performance is satisfactory. It isn't quite as effective as newer, pricier, and more powerful models for generating air movement, but it still does well enough to clear away most kinds of solid debris.

This vacuum is pretty quiet. When running, it makes a somewhat high-pitched noise that's sufficient to mask the sound of nearby conversation, but using it in an enclosed room does help block out most of the noise. Regardless, if you're looking for a quieter cordless stick vacuum, the Tineco S10 is a solid alternative.

The Dyson V8 has good maneuverability. Its slim size, lightweight plastic construction, and rotating head make maneuvering in tight areas and around obstacles easy. It comes with tools and brushes that help clean furniture, stairs, or other tight spots but lacks onboard storage, which is a little inconvenient. Also, you may need to crouch down to properly clean under low furniture like couches and coffee tables. The vacuum also tends to get stuck on rug tassels. Fortunately, it can push electric cords out of the way without much trouble.

This vacuum does a good job of handling pet hair on upholstered surfaces with its turbo brush attachment. It clears long strands of hair without difficulty but leaves behind some shorter strands on its first pass. The Hair Screw tool bundled with newer versions of the V8 does a better job of clearing away pet hair on this surface type.

Thanks to its whole machine filtration system, this vacuum does a good job of sealing in fine airborne particles.

The Dyson V8 does a decent job cleaning debris in cracks and crevices. It doesn't have too much trouble cleaning debris from shallower cracks. However, it uses a less powerful suction motor than the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, so it isn't quite as effective in lifting away debris sunken into deeper crevices. If you're set on the V8 but want slightly better crack-cleaning performance on bare floors, you could consider the Absolute variant, which comes bundled with a fluffy cleaner head that will slightly improve its ability to pick up debris in areas like grout lines on a tile floor.

This vacuum does a terrible job of scrubbing away stains when used with its default floorhead, though that isn't overly surprising given that it lacks any mopping capability.

You can't use this vacuum to clear away liquids.