Dyson V6 Absolute – Floor Cleaning

Like the other V6 models we have tested, Dyson’s core V6 motor and cyclone technology easily delivers the strongest suction power of any cordless cleaner we have tested. The standard power mode is on par with most other top-spec cordless cleaners on full-power and is suitable for light clean-ups and daily cleaning duties.

Dyson’s ‘max’ button is the cleaner equivalent of the nitrous-turbo button and ramps up motor speed and suction power to levels some mains-powered cleaners fail to achieve. For point and shoot handheld cleaning, nothing comes close to the V6’s abilities.

On carpets, both turbobrush heads are motorised, giving consistent brush-bar rotation irrespective of the surface pile – some turbobrushes use air power, which can lead to problems on some surfaces.

The larger direct drive head drove across short and medium pile carpets with ease and the stiff bristles did an excellent job of ‘flicking’ dirt out of the pile, which the carbon bristles seemed to attract and capture before the debris is sucked into the cleaner.

The result is cleaning that many mains powered cleaners would be pleased with, though it isn’t the quietest. With a peak of 83dB on max power mode, the V6 Absolute is up there with louder mains powered vacuums.

This drops significantly to fairly typical levels on normal mode, though. Moreover, the sound output was also a little less (2dB) than the V6 Fluffy model we tested thanks to the additional filtration taking out some of the noise as well as smaller dust particles.

Before

After

Edge cleaning results with the larger direct drive floorhead were very good, easily besting the standard Dyson motorised floorhead supplied with other V6 models.

That said, it’s is still not quite up to the edge cleaning standard of mains powered upright cleaners (including Dyson’s own) and three passes left a fine trace of test powder near the skirting.

The cordless convenience and compact tools meant that a follow up pass at the edge with the crevice tool was not exactly an onerous task, though, and this is still the best result we’ve seen from a cordless vacuum.

On many types of hard floor the V6 Absolute is great and scoops top marks for surfaces such as laminates, tiles and floorboards. The bladed head is easy to control, doesn’t stick down too much unless you put the head and cleaner on the max settings, and it is excellent at pulling dust and dirt from deep cracks in the surface.

The only trouble is that, for smooth surfaces like vinyl or well-sealed parquet, the inspired Fluffy head on the V6 Fluffy model is even better. The Fluffy head picks up dust ingrained into smooth surface through a polishing action and left our parquet immaculately buffed, outperforming the Absolute’s hard floor head in this respect with ease.

This makes choosing between the two quite tricky. At standard pricing, the V6 Fluffy is £50 cheaper than the V6 Absolute tested here, though you can often find them both for the same price at time of writing.

The bottom line is the Fluffy is better for hard floors and Absolute is better for carpets, so choose the right one for you based on what type of floors you have most – provided you’re not fussed by the better filtration on the Absolute.

Like all compact cordless cleaners, the dustbin is rather limited in capacity at just 0.4 litres. Yet, at just over a kilo and a half without tools, taking the V6 absolute to the bin for emptying is a breeze and can be accomplished in seconds after every clean up.

Dyson V6 Absolute – Stair Cleaning

Lightweight, powerful, easy to handle and supplied with a number of compact tools, Dyson’s V6 models are our number one recommendation for stair cleaning. No cable to trip over, no balancing cleaners on stairs and a max power mode to get the stairs cleaned quickly makes them ideal for multi-level homes and lighthouses. Yes, lighthouses.

Ironically, the V6 Absolute wins back points against the V6 Fluffy when it comes to stair cleaning, particularly if you have hardwood steps or smooth floor coverings. The Absolute’s more compact hard floor head is easier to use than the Fluffy on stairs, particularly tight or turning steps, and gets better into the corners.

For older houses with a Victorian style strip carpet and exposed boards at the side of the stapes, the hard floor head is also perfect for lifting dirt out of the board gaps too.

On carpeted steps, the smaller turbobrush attached directly to the main unit is ideal. It cleans well, is compact enough to get into most corners, and the power brush lifts dirt from the pile like a mains powered cleaner. A tool clip on the cleaner for the smaller tools would be nice, but otherwise we wouldn’t change a thing about the V6 Absolute for stair cleaning duties.

Dyson V6 Absolute – Pet Hair Cleaning

With two powered-turbobrush heads and an excellent max power mode, the V6 Absolute is about as pet friendly as cordless cleaners get.

Sure enough, the main head proved exceptional at digging out dog hair engrained into our nylon-mix test carpet and the smaller turbohead was no less effective. Its stiff bristles really seem to grab and lift pet hairs, although they do seem to get tangles around the brush on the smaller unit more frequently.

As removing the brush to clean takes seconds (OK, when you have found a coin to open the clip) that is neither a major issue nor one pet owners will be unfamiliar with.

Using the main head, we cleaned our 30cm patch of mixed collie and Labrador hair in just three passes – the same as most pet-specific mains powered cleaners. In fact, we found that beater-bar design is much more important than pure suction for lifting pet hair from carpet and the V6 Absolute head is truly exceptional in this respect.

On hard floors, the dedicated hard floor head performs admirably on its standard setting pulling in loose hair balls in its path. Switch to max mode on this head, though, and the front blades tend to catch hairs, require the odd lift-up to let the hairs get sucked in. Once again though, Dyson’s own V6 Fluffy was even better at gathering pet detritus.

Should I buy the Dyson V6 Absolute?

This is another class-leading cordless cleaner from Dyson, offering superb suction power, outstanding flexibility and a brilliant direct drive floor head. For cordless cleaning in carpeted homes it simply can’t be beaten.

Yet for those with predominately hard floors the V6 Absolute drops a point to Dyson’s own V6 Fluffy model, which is the same price or cheaper at most retailers.

In return, the better filtration on the Absolute makes it a better choice for allergy sufferers, but you really can’t go wrong with either model. They’ve both among the best cordless vacuums available.

Verdict

Dyson continues to set the bar for cordless vacuum cleaners very high.

Trusted Score