If you’re looking to buy a cordless Dyson vacuum but you’re overwhelmed with the choices, you’ve come to the right spot. Today, we will talk more in-depth about the features of two popular lines by the brand and determine a winner in the Dyson V8 Vs. V11 battle.
Everyone who needs an easy, lightweight, fast cleaning solution for their home should look into the Dyson V8 and V11 vacuum cleaners. These two are trending lines among customers because of their price, ease of use, lightweight nature, fantastic features, and aesthetically pleasing design.
Both Dyson V8 and Dyson V11 vacuum cleaners belong to the brand’s V line. Our goal is to figure out if one cleaner is better than the other, and if so, explain why. Keep reading to find out more about features such as size, runtime, suction power, and more.
Dyson V11 Vs. V8
Dyson is one of the most popular and reputable home product manufacturers with a range that includes vacuums, hand dryers, hairdryers, purifiers, and more.
The company’s primary goal is to deliver products that do an excellent job and have an elevated appearance. Most home vacuums aren’t really aesthetically pleasing. Thankfully, that’s not the case with Dyson’s cordless designs.
Dyson is a go-to brand for many people when they need the perfect cordless vacuum and high-grade, advanced technology. Although they have a wide range of designs, there are two lines that really stand out.
If you’re looking to figure out who the winner is in the Dyson V11 Vs. Dyson V8 battle, keep on reading. You can get familiar with the pros and cons of each design below and see which of their most notable features influence your decision.
Also, don’t forget to read our review on the six best Dyson vacuums and see how this brand compares to Shark.
Dyson V11 Pros & Cons
Review: Dyson V11 Torque Drive Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Pros:
- Dyson V11 vacuums have a non-stop running time of 60 minutes per charge
- Larger dustbin volume than the V8, meaning that it can fit more debris
- Although it’s heavier than the V8, it’s still easy to move around the house
- Comes with an LCD or a LED built-in display
- Three working modes
- You can use it as a handheld device with a single click
- Cleans carpets and floors successfully without leaving anything
- Double the suction power compared to most cordless designs
- An advanced filter system that captures 99.9% of dirt, dust, debris
Cons:
- Heavier than the Dyson V8
- It’s more expensive than the V8 vacuums
- Slightly louder than the V8, especially when in BOOST mode
- Not enough storage for all the accessories
- You can’t swap batteries while charging because they are screw-in
Dyson V11 Torque Drive Vs. Dyson V11 Animal
Review: Dyson V11 Animal Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
V11 Torque vs. V11 Animal:
- The Dyson V11 line was released at the beginning of 2019 and offers two different designs: Dyson V11 Torque Drive and Dyson V11 Animal. Both vacuums weigh the same, have the same motor, dustbin capacity, and running time.
- The Dyson V11 Torque Drive has an LCD digital display, while Animal has a LED display. The Torque Drive vacuum comes with a runtime countdown feature and a mini dusting brush. Also, it’s a more expensive alternative than the Absolute design.
Dyson V8 Pros & Cons
Review: Dyson V8 Absolute Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner
Pros:
- Non-stop running time of 40 minutes per charge
- Lightweight design that is easy to move around the house
- You can use it as a handheld vacuum
- Pretty quiet while you’re vacuuming
- More affordable than the V11
- Captures dirt and dust from corners very well
- Can get particles as small as 0.3 microns
Cons:
- Lower suction power than the Dyson V11
- Slightly harder to empty than the Dyson V11
- Doesn’t have a built-in display
- Two working modes
- Not enough storage for all the accessories
- It takes a while to charge the battery because it’s screw-in
Dyson V8 Absolute Vs. Dyson V8 Animal
Review: Dyson V8 Animal Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner
V8 Absolute vs. V8 Animal:
- The Dyson V8 series has two different designs: Dyson V8 Absolute and Dyson V8 Animal. These two vacuum cleaners are extremely similar, but there are still a few differences that can be meaningful to some potential customers.
- Both designs have the same motor, suction power, runtime, dustbin capacity, and power modes. The significant difference is that the Dyson V8 Absolute comes with a fluffy cleaning head and a mini dusting brush. The Dyson V8 Animal is slightly lighter, but the difference is only 0.12 lbs.
- The Dyson V8 Animal has a slightly lower price than the Dyson V8 Absolute. If you prefer to have a fluffy cleaning head and a mini dusting brush for your cordless vacuum, we recommend getting the pricier version.
Features
Dustbin Size
The size of the dustbin is a significant feature for most households. The bigger it is, the more it will fit. In other words, when you purchase a vacuum with a bigger dustbin capacity, you’ll have to empty it less often, and the entire cleaning experience will be more straightforward.
Let’s start with the appearance of the dustbins. Both the V8 and V11 designs have transparent dustbins so that you can see if they’re full or not. This is a great feature considering that most people forget to open a dustbin and check whether it’s full if it doesn’t come in a transparent color.
The volume of Dyson’s V8 vacuums is 0.54 L. The V11 line has a bigger dustbin, and it can gather up to 0.74 L of dust, dirt, and debris.
Now, most of you will probably wonder why this feature is so important. As we mentioned before, a bigger dustbin capacity means you’ll be less likely to have to stop vacuuming to empty it. But it all depends on your needs.
For example, if you live in a tiny apartment or if you’ll be using the Dyson vacuum for a single room, you’ll probably be fine with a smaller dustbin volume. However, if you want to vacuum several rooms and your house is big, you should opt for a large dustbin capacity.
Another reason this can be a determining factor is that many people don’t like coming into contact with dust, dirt, and debris. If you’re grossed out each time you empty a dustbin, you should find a vacuum that you’ll empty less often.
If you’re sensitive or allergic to dust, you should be careful when emptying your vacuum. The more times you need to throw the garbage away, the higher the chances are for some of it to get on your clothes, hands, and face. That’s why it’s a wiser choice to go for a large dustbin.
Suction Power
Suction power is the next feature that we test because it improves the cleaning experience. It’s no secret that a more powerful vacuum will clean your floors and carpets faster and will suck up most of the dirt and debris.
The maximum suction power of the Dyson V8 vacuums is 115 AW, while the more advanced Dyson V11 vacuums have a maximum suction power of 185 AW. As you can see, when comparing the Dyson V8 Animal vs. V11, or the more expensive versions Dyson V8 Absolute vs. Dyson V11 Torque, the V11 line is more powerful and has a higher suction power.
Unfortunately, many customers forget to check the suction power and stick to reading reviews from other customers. Any time you’re interested in a product, check its suction power and compare it to the vacuum that you already own.
Digital Screen
As technology advances, so do vacuum designs. When we first started reviewing cordless vacuums, we didn’t even consider the digital screen a critical feature. However, we’ve changed our views since then because we found it to be a valuable addition.
The Dyson V8 line, unfortunately, doesn’t come with a built-in digital screen. In other words, you won’t be able to track how much runtime you have left, what cleaning mode you’re using, and more details.
The Dyson V11, on the other hand, has a built-in digital screen that is located right behind the motor. When you look at the screen, you can see the battery life, cleaning mode, errors, and more. It’s definitely a helpful feature to have because you won’t have to guess when you need to charge the battery or if your vacuum will stop working in the middle of your living room.
Maintenance
When you buy a vacuum cleaner, you want it to be easy to maintain. One of the biggest hassles is spending an hour cleaning the machine after you’re done cleaning your home.
The Dyson V8 and V11 are both easy to clean. There aren’t many parts that need regular maintenance, and when they do, you can find them and take them out in a matter of minutes.
The great thing about the Dyson V11 is that it has a light on the handle that will let you know if a filter needs cleaning or if any parts are not installed correctly.
Price
If you have a limited budget for a cordless two-in-one vacuum cleaner, you need to take a close look at all the features that a vacuum offers and decide which ones are your priority. The Dyson V8 vacuums are slightly more affordable than the V11 models.
When comparing prices between the V8 Absolute and Animal, the Animal is the more affordable choice. Also, the Dyson V11 Animal is cheaper than the V11 Torque Drive.
If you want the cheapest Dyson vacuum included in this review, opt for the Dyson V8 Animal. But if your goal is to find an excellent product that you won’t have to empty frequently and one that will gather debris with high suction power, you should opt for the Dyson V11 line.
Recharge Time
The recharge time is something to take into consideration if you’ll be using the vacuum frequently. This is the time that it takes the device to be fully charged again.
When testing both vacuum types, we discovered that it takes around 210 minutes to fully charge the V8 models and about 480 minutes to fully charge the V11 models. The Dyson V11 takes a longer time to charge because it uses a 30.45 lithium-ion battery, while the V8 model uses a 21.6 lithium-ion battery.
Since the runtime of the V11 design is 60 minutes, it needs a larger battery, and it takes more time to charge it.
Size
If you choose a vacuum cleaner that is bigger and heavier, you’ll find it harder to store and use it. Thankfully, both the V8 and V11 are lightweight and easy to store.
When comparing the two in size, the V8 is slightly smaller and lighter. The difference is barely notable, so it’s not a feature that will influence your decision significantly. The V11 weighs 6.68 lbs, while the V8 weighs 5.75 lbs. You can feel the difference when using them, but they’re both still lightweight.
Cleaning Head
These two models of cordless vacuums are different in the cleaning heads they use. This is an important feature to mention because the Dyson V11’s unique cleaning head has higher suction power.
Let’s start with the Dyson V8’s cleaning head named Direct Drive. This head design can be used on all types of surfaces, including floors, walls, carpets, sofas, and more.
The Dyson V11 uses a cleaning head named Torque Drive. The great thing about this head type is that it has 20% more suction power than the Direct Drive head.
Although the two heads use spiral brush rolls to clean, the Torque Drive design has higher torque, therefore giving it a higher suction power.
You can purchase a fluffy cleaning head for the V8 Absolute vacuum to use on hardwood floors, but this accessory is unavailable for the V11 models.
Rating Criteria
When choosing between the two Dyson models, we inspected numerous features but used four main rating criteria.
- Suction Power
- Runtime
- Dustbin Size
- Emptying
Our Winner
We spent several months cleaning with the Dyson V8 and Dyson V11 vacuums. Our team tested all four designs, including every vacuum separately: Dyson V8 Animal vs. V11 Animal and Dyson V8 Absolute vs. Dyson V11 Torque Drive. We looked at the vacuums from every point of view and even explored their parts.
Now, the time has come to select a winner. After careful consideration of all features and overall performance, we can conclude that the Dyson V11 is a superior choice.
This vacuum has a higher suction capacity, has a larger dustbin, is more efficient at cleaning various types of floors and carpets, is easier to empty, and comes with a wide range of added accessories.
If you want a vacuum that will tackle your floors, carpets, furniture, and even walls with ease, you have to check out the Dyson V11.
Buying Guide & Reviews
Suction Power
The suction power determines how successfully a vacuum will grab onto particles from surfaces and how well it will clean your home.
Dyson V8 Suction Power
The suction power of the Dyson V8 vacuum can reach 115 AW and collect particles from floors, carpets, furniture, and walls. This model uses a V8 digital motor that can reach 108.000 rpm.
Dyson V11 Suction Power
The Dyson V11 can reach a maximum suction power of 185 AW and has a V11 Hyperdymium motor that can reach up to 125.000 rpm. This vacuum cleaner is one of the most powerful models on the market. The in-line design of the body allows a bigger airflow so that the vacuum can get even the smallest particles.
According to Dyson, the V11 designs can trap particles as small as 0.03 micron. Let’s not forget that this cordless vacuum cleans the air while vacuuming.
Another thing worth mentioning is that the Dyson V11 has an intelligent suction feature. This means that you don’t have to adjust the suction according to your cleaning surface. The machine does that for you.
Winner
When choosing between the two, the Dyson V11 is our favorite because of the higher suction power and ability to clean more efficiently.
Runtime
The runtime of these two vacuum models is different. This feature determines how long you can use a vacuum before you need to charge it. If you need to clean smaller rooms, you don’t have to opt for the vacuum with a longer runtime. But if you want to tackle the entire house and need to clean large spaces, you will need a longer runtime.
Dyson V8 Runtime
The runtime of this Dyson design is 40 minutes. In other words, you can use it continuously for 40 minutes before you need to charge it.
Dyson V11 Runtime
The Dyson V11 can clean your house for 60 minutes before it needs a recharge. By paying more, you get 20 more minutes of active work.
Winner
The winner in this category is the Dyson V11 because it has a longer runtime than the V8 by 20 minutes.
Dustbin Size
Although we already discussed why the dustbin size is essential, let’s repeat. If you opt for a vacuum with a larger dustbin volume, you’ll need to empty the bin less frequently. Both of these designs are cordless vacuums, so it’s a given that they come with smaller bin sizes.
If you’re looking to use a vacuum that you won’t empty for a while, you should opt for one of the other Dyson designs, such as the Dyson Ball 2 Upright Vacuum.
Dyson V8 Dustbin Size
The dustbin size of this Dyson vacuum design is 0.54 L. It’s not the biggest canister size; however, it’s a decent one for a cordless and lightweight design.
Dyson V11 Dustbin Size
The dustbin size of the Dyson V11 design is 0.75 L. It’s bigger and more improved than the Dyson 8 series, so you won’t have to empty it as frequently. Since the dustbin is bigger, the vacuum is also heavier.
Winner
When choosing winners for this criteria in the battle of Dyson Animal V8 vs. V11 and Dyson Absolute V8 vs. Torque Drive V11, the V11 line is superior. Both the V11 Animal and V11 Torque drive have larger dustbins that can fit more dust and dirt.
Emptying
The way you empty a dustbin matters because it either makes or breaks the entire cleaning experience. No one likes gathering dirt from the floor because they just weren’t careful enough when opening the bin.
Dyson V8 Dustbin Emptying
To empty the bin of this vacuum, you need to remove the wand and floor tool. Get the dustbin, take it to your garbage bin, and point the bottom part of the canister towards the garbage bin. Next, pull the red lever and wait for the bin to open automatically.
Dyson V11 Dustbin Emptying
When it comes to emptying the dustbin, the Dyson V11 vacuum is superior. It comes with an intelligent emptying feature that uses a ‘point-and-shoot’ technique that works like magic.
The whole point of this technique is to avoid getting dirt, dust, and debris from the dustbin on your floors, around the garbage bin, or on your clothes. So you just take out the dustbin, aim it at your garbage, and open the canister from the front using a red tab located on the side. When you press the tab, the canister will automatically open and release the garbage into the bin.
Winner
The winner in this category is the Dyson V11 vacuum. Since both the Animal and Torque Drive designs feature the same intelligent technology, both are emptied the same way.
FAQ
Many Dyson users who have used the V8 or V10 as well as the V11 have labeled the V11 as the clear top performer. There are several reasons for this, some of which include the following:
– Higher suction power at 125,000 rpm because of the Torque Drive cleaning head
– Bigger dustbin volume at 0.75L
– More hygienic dustbin emptying with a “point-and-shoot” technique
– Longer runtime by at least 20 minutes
– Stronger 30.45 lithium-ion battery
– Easy to maintain
– Built-in digital screen
Is Dyson V11 better than V8?
The V11 is considerably better for several reasons. For starters, the dirt compartment is bigger, meaning it can suck up a lot more dirt and debris before needing to be emptied. Its maximum battery life also runs for longer than the V8’s. With a stronger motor and higher suction power, it performs much better on high-pile carpets. A nifty LCD screen on the top of the V11 handle indicates the different vacuuming modes. All of this means that the V11 can give your carpet a superior deep clean.
How loud is the Dyson V11?
The Dyson V11 is one of the quieter models on the market. When the unit is switched on Eco mode, you can expect a noise level of 71dB. Standard mode increases the noise level to 74.6dB. The boost function is somewhat louder at 84.6dB. If your Dyson V11 is louder than usual, it might be an indication that the bin needs to be emptied. You might also have to check and ensure there aren’t any blockages in the pipes.
What is the average lifespan of a Dyson vacuum cleaner?
The average lifespan of a Dyson V11 averages anywhere between seven and ten years, but the lifespan of your Dyson depends largely on the way it’s used and cared for. Sufficient maintenance is the primary key for getting your vacuum cleaner to last. Regularly wash the filter to ensure optimal performance. Don’t overfill the unit. Empty as soon as the debris reaches the MAXIMUM mark. On average, the unit needs to be cleaned once a month, but more frequent cleanings might be necessary if you use the unit more often.
Can Dyson V11 vacuum water?
The Dyson V11 shouldn’t be used to vacuum up water or other liquids. Since the Dyson V11 wasn’t designed to suction water, doing so could potentially damage the electric components and increase the risk of electrocution. Any type of liquid might also clog the tubes and the filter. If you have spilled liquid on the floor, it’s best to mop the spill using a clean cloth or mop. Allow the area to air-dry.
Final Thoughts
Choosing a winner between the Dyson V8 and Dyson V11 vacuum cleaners was not a hard task considering that the V11 series is more advanced and comes with a wide range of features and more accessories. Our absolute winner is the Dyson V11 because of the higher suction power, bigger dustbin volume, longer runtime, more hygienic dustbin emptying, more powerful brush, and gorgeous design.
Now that you know that the Dyson V11 is the superior vacuum, are you ready to shop?
If you have any comments or first-hand experiences with the Dyson V8 or V11 vacuums, please post them below or share your pictures via our social media.
Back to Top