I used to write about tech and design, and spent a lot of time in between 2012 to 2017 fielding ludicrous product pitch meetings. And then there were the Dyson meetings, where Sir James himself would come and give a genteel and detailed presentation on whatever was happening with the latest tech. The big story at the time was the company’s move to digital motors: I remember seeing the V2 first, and now they’re up to a V10, which colleague Lori Keong tested at home. The one on sale today is a V8, and it has 40 minutes of promised run compared to the V10’s 60 minutes. Which, to me, is fine — who wants to clean for a full hour?
For shoppers, the tl;dr on these motors is that they are incredibly high-powered — like they had to create new software to make these motors spin faster than a Formula One car engine — meaning the vacuums and the bristles work like a small tornado designed to very quickly suck up every bit of dust, dirt, and hair that covers your floor and furniture. My pet-owning friends who own the cordless V7 or V8 get fanatical when talking about how you can detach the nozzle and use its angled end to get in nooks and under couch cushions, saying it’s the only thing that keeps them sane. One of those friends is even generously insisting on buying one for another dog-owning friend, for her wedding, even though that friend didn’t register for a Dyson.
Which brings me to the caveat that always comes up when people talk about Dysons: They are remarkably expensive. To own one is to own a Status Vacuum. After meeting with the company so many times, I can see why — they’re pulling off some truly wild engineering. But when I once got to borrow an early model to take home, I hated giving it back, knowing how dirty my floors would feel in comparison to the Dyson-cleaned ones, but how wounded my bank account would be if I were to buy my own. But as a recent owner of not one, but two rugs, I’m reconsidering my stance — especially at this price.
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