For me perfect cordless cleaner, runtime is 20 minutes on normal power on maximum power about 6 minutes, normal mode is ok for me, I clean the filter every month - my best buy this year

Dyson's known to be a leader in the world of vacuum cleaners and using the Dyson V6 Absolute it quickly becomes obvious why. For honesty's sake, I have to say I did win this in a competition so I didn't pay for it (And I do find it quite expensive), but after spending some time with this vacuum I can clearly see the good and the bad and the good does outweigh the bad by quite a bit.

I didn't think a cordless vacuum would change my life quite as much as it did, but there's something so simple and easy about picking it up and running it quickly over the house. Vacuuming becomes a quick job instead of a chore. I didn't realise the wire and clunkiness of my old model was making it a big task for me until I had the V6.

This is a great vacuum for those with energy problems or physical limitations. It's really lightweight and while I do become tired while using it, the Dyson rolls so smoothly it's a dream. (While using the hardwood attachment, I do not have carpets.)

It comes with several attachments and five different heads; A tool for crevices and edges, one for shelving, one for upholstery and a mattress tool (which I can attest works great). The main heads can be switched between a carpet/rug attachment and the hardwood roller. It also comes with a flexi hose for getting in tight spaces like the car!

It even comes with a wall mount (sans screws) which helps keep everything neat and tidy, though I was disappointed to find the wall mount only has room for two attachment, forcing me to store the others away.

Lets talk about some of my favourite features. I love how you can empty it by opening it directly above the bin, Dyson learned their lesson from earlier models and realised there was dirt spillage left behind when emptying the canister and rectified it with this model.

I love that you can hold it up to clean vents and lights. I also really like the trigger like function for turning it on, though it has it's ups and downs. Your finger can get sore when holding the trigger (So if you have arthritis in your hands this would not be ideal), but it also means you can quickly stop the machine when you accidentally suck up wires (a lifesaver for me).

The filters are also washable, meaning no more purchasing replacement filters.

On the negative side, as others have mentioned it has two power modes, Max and normal. I didn't have any problem with the normal mode, but Max is noticeably more powerful and the battery life isn't great. Battery technology in general just isn't there yet, so if you're looking at a handheld cordless vacuum you're always going to have this issue. I can still vacuum my whole apartment and not have it run out, but if your house is big, you might have to stick to smaller jobs for this one. It's really easy to charge after every job, thanks to the docking station.

The other problem I noticed is that a lot of air shoots out of the Dyson V6 when activating it, at the filter end, which is located at your face if you're holding it horizontally. A bit uncomfortable.

I should mention, though, that this was a dream to setup. You literally just unwrap all the pieces and they click together easily, smoothly and with clear instructions. Easily the easiest assembly I've ever done for a vacuum cleaner.

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Round up
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Pros:
- Works well, top of the line cordless vacuum.
- Lightweight.
- Includes many attachments for any situation.
- Well put together and sturdy with clean lines.
- Can be emptied directly over the trash can to avoid spillage.
- Trigger function allows fast stopping in case of accident.
- Comes with a docking station which makes it easy to grab and use in everyday life.
- Easy to set up.
- Cordless (A game changer for portability and cleaning cars and other tight or plugless spaces)
- Washable filters (No costly replacements)
- Does a great job at getting pet hair and litter grains (I own three cats)
- Filters are easy to remove.

Cons:
- Blows air out at the face when held horizontally.
- Trigger function can be difficult to hold down long term.
- Max function is very powerful, but hard on battery.
- Battery technology hasn't caught up enough to allow large cleaning jobs without battery failure.
- High price.

If you're looking for a cordless vacuum and you really need one in your life, Dyson is hands down the winner, but it is pricey, so consider whether or not it's really a 'must-have' in your life. I love it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a lightweight easy vacuuming option.

I bought this cordless Dyson approx 1 month ago. I use this DAILY!
Our house is a mixed floor house with hardwood (real) on the main and carpeted stairs and bedrooms on the upper floors. I detested using our central vacuum because of the hose that I have to drag around that ends up marking up the bannister.

Cost: Was it worth it? I'll have to tell you in a few years to say for sure, but I can say that I've put it to the test and have enjoyed using it quite a bit so for me, the huge cost has had some great benefits.

Did I get what it said I would get for power? Claims are 20 minutes of cleaning or 6 minutes if you are using the high-power setting (using the direct drive head cleaner that has a moving head). I did get what was claimed. It is unfortunate that it takes 3 hours to charge, but I often clean several times daily for the main floor (just sucking up hair and dirt from the floor and cereal from the kids). The main carpeted area I have quite a few stairs and a lot of carpet. I can get through my stairs and part of the carpet before having to charge. **It is NOT meant to be the main vacuum of the house so I was NOT disappointed by this. Just know you can't go on a 1 hour vacuuming spree. My stairs are cleaner because I don't have to drag out this huge central vac anymore. I can just quickly vacuum the stairs and enjoy that part of it.

I used the attachments to thoroughly clean our SUV. It worked wonders and the attachments I felt were very well designed and worked well for the application. I liked that you can take that same smaller attachment then add it to the long bar in a second and then use it right away for doing something else. Every attachment is meant to switch out quickly in this way. I found that feature very very nice.

There is a separate head just for cleaning hardwood (the "bristles" are like a superfine microfibre). I was worried that the moving parts would damage my floor but it didn't. I still prefer to "spot clean" and wouldn't use this very much, but it is nice in the event I spilled a whole lot of flour on the floor I can just use that separate head.

I also like that I can hold it easily in my hand. It is a bit silly to mention this, but I don't have great hand strength (I never have, even as a kid and as a teen). I find this easy to hold, easy to empty the garbage bin from it. I like that I am not dragging around a separate piece or canister or anything else. I can just vacuum away!

Like all things Dyson, the con is the price, but I was able to save up points at a retail store which help to subsidize it greatly.

Why did I buy the Absolute vs other Dyson products?
The absolute came with the extra motorized head for cleaning hardwood plus the HEPA filter. I felt that if I was going to buy a Dyson, I wanted all the pieces so I could use it for a long time.

What was it about the other brands I didn't like? Most of the other styles (non-Dyson) had features that were either already trying to copy Dyson or were not as well made (and designed well - because like I said, I need everything to fit well in my hand). The allergy to dust I have was a factor in making sure I can get something with a good filter in it. Dyson's seemed to be able to clean just that much better than anything else I was able to look at (as I didn't look at EVERY vacuum out there in existence, I can only give you an opinion on the experience I encountered).