Dyson V7 Review (Hands-on Tests)

About the Dyson V7 Range

We purchased the Dyson V7 Total for this review. This model comes with both the V7 Motorhead, as well as the mini motorised tool – ideal for stairs and furniture. This model cost £319, but you can purchase the Dyson V7 Animal and the Dyson V7 Motorhead for less

Below, you will find more information about the main difference between the Dyson V7 Total Clean, the Dyson V7 Animal, and the Dyson V7 Motorhead.

Quick View of the Dyson V7 Specifications

Dyson V7 – Animal Vs. Motorhead Vs. Total Clean – Key Differences Explained

It’s good to know what the difference between the Dyson V7 Animal and the V7 Motorhead is. After all, you need to make sure you are selecting the right model for the job. There isn’t a massive amount that separates them, but it’s enough to make it noteworthy.

Firstly, the Dyson V7 Total Clean comes with the Fluffy floorhead, a soft roller cleaner head that has been designed to collect fine dust from hard floors.

It is the kind of tool that does a thorough job without risking any damage to the surface. It makes for more versatile cleaning, and you can find out more about it later on in this guide.

Secondly, The Total Clean and Dyson V7 Animal comes with a mini motorised head that can be used to clean areas like the stairs and furniture with great ease.

It’s one of Dyson’s most useful tools, and unfortunately, it is not something that can be found with the V7 Motorhead. The Total Clean also comes with a soft dusting brush, and has the most accessories out of the three.

Finally, you have the colour of the wand. In classic Dyson style, each model has a different colour wand to help you differentiate them when you go to choose.

The Dyson V7 Total Clean is red and nickel, while the Dyson V7 Animal is the usual purple and nickel, and the Dyson V7 Motorhead sports a rather nice magenta and nickel that certainly separates it from the other Dyson cordless vacuum cleaners.

Dyson V7 Features & Benefits

Our Run Time Charge Period Test Results

How we test run time

For this step, it was time to get the stopwatch ready and prepare for some serious run time testing. We ensured that it was fully charged, and then held the trigger down until it ran out on the least powerful setting.

We then repeated the run time on the second power setting (boost). The figures that you see in the table below are the result of using the main motorised floorhead. You will find the battery life lasts a little longer when using the non-motorised attachments, but it is unlikely you would use these to clean the whole house.

The charge time is certainly a lot better than the V8, bringing it back down to a comfortable 3.5 hours before it is fully charged and ready to go. Of course, you can take it off earlier if you need to go for a quick once around before guests arrive.

One of the bonuses of the Dyson V7 is that you have the ability to swap the battery out. This means that when it runs out of charge, you can put the battery on to recharge while you swap it for a fresh battery in order to finish cleaning the house or go through some tough areas.

This is also a handy feature for when the battery life inevitably starts to wear down with age. It happens to most standard rechargeable batteries that they start to lose their charge after a few years, and being able to swap them out when needed means you don’t need to replace the machine.

Read Here : Dyson V7 vs V10 Comparison

Dyson V7 Cleaning Power

There’s a lot to look at with the Dyson V7, especially as it is an interesting model – one that comes after the V8 but was designed to sit between the V6 and V8. Here’s what makes it a cordless vacuum cleaner worth considering. 

It definitely improved upon the V6 in terms of suction, offering an impressive 75% more suction power. Dyson can definitely keep this claim as our tests showed that it was certainly a lot better than the V6 in terms of cleaning power. 

There’s no doubt that this cordless vacuum cleaner is a massive improvement on the first range within the V series, but does it hold its own despite the release of newer cordless Dysons? It absolutely does.

Our Airflow Test Results

Airflow is important because it is part of what determines the level of suction you are going to get. Therefore, we put the Dyson V7 through our own set of tests, with the wand and floorhead attached since this is the most likely way you’re going to use it.

In the table below, you will find that the results were measured in CFM (Cubic Feet Per Minute), also known as Airflow.

The Dyson V7 does use cyclonic technology, a key feature of pretty much every Dyson stick vacuum cleaner. Using 15 cyclones, dirt and debris find their way straight to the dust canister; creating tidy cleaning as opposed to letting it spray all over the interior of the machine.

You will find that the Dyson V7 includes fade-free suction, which means that even as the bin begins to fill (or reaches the MAX line) you will still get the same level of suction power as you would when it is empty. This allows you to get as much as possible out of the battery life.

What about the floorhead? Well, the Dyson V7 uses the usual Direct Drive – a tried and tested head that is used in every V range, even the newest V11 Animal.

It uses a combination of soft and hard brushes that can be used on both carpets and hard floors very effectively. This is because the Direct Drive head has found the perfect balance, allowing a gentle touch on your more delicate hard floors while also getting deep into your carpet fibres.

But how does the Dyson V7 cope when cleaning the home? Let’s take a closer look.

Dyson V7 Design

The Dyson V7 follows the same design as the V6 and V8, with a neat and compact build that makes it easy to use and comfortable to handle. This slim design also means that it is really simple to navigate small spaces, like the interior of a car.

Of course, the battery is in with the main body so it may feel a little off at first, but the weight is distributed surprisingly well.

When you look at the Dyson V7, it is only about 170g heavier than the V6 and over 1kg lighter than the V8. This is another great example of the Dyson V7 being the perfect middle-ground cordless vacuum cleaner.

Our Weight Test Results

How we test for weight

We decided to perform our own weight test, just to make sure you get the most accurate information. This included weighing it as a complete unit, but also solely as a handheld machine. After all, you are likely to use it in both forms throughout your cleaning routine.

The wand is made from lightweight aluminium, something we have always liked about Dyson. It remains easy to use for above-floor cleaning without looking tacky or feeling cheap in your hands. It’s something that other stick vacuums on the market fail to accomplish.

Additionally, the colour of the wand differs according to the model you choose,

Of course, the Dyson V7 is not exempt from plastic use. Like pretty much every cordless vacuum cleaner out there it uses a lot of it in its construction. However, you can tell that the quality is excellent, and the fact that they use thick plastic really helps to reinforce the sturdy and durable nature of its design.

It’s really compact, and the fact that you can use it as both a full stick vacuum and a handheld model makes it exceptionally versatile. The handheld form is great for all those low-down and difficult areas in the home, especially the stairs where it really shines.

The Dyson V7 is the same length as the V8 when fully constructed, coming in at 124.5cm. This is a little longer than the V6, but it is still just as compact. As for the width, it remains unchanged when compared to these two models at 25cm.

Dyson V7 Accessories

#1 Direct Drive Cleaning Head

This is the classic Dyson floorhead for the V series, and it features two rows of brushes (hard and soft) that can work across both carpets and hard floors.

It is so effective because of the fact it has these two brush rows, as this allows for delicacy on hard floors but thorough cleaning on carpets.

#2 Fluffy Cleaning Head

This particular soft roller cleaner head is exclusive to the Total Clean, and it tends to be found in at least one model in each of the V series ranges.

It has been specially designed to clean hard floors, with a gentle touch that is also very effective at collecting fine dust as well as larger debris. Available as an addon for around £60

#3 Mini Motorised Tool

Found exclusively with the Dyson V7 Total Clean and Animal, this is basically like a tiny version of the main floorhead. It’s certainly my favourite Dyson combination tool, and its small size makes it overwhelmingly useful.

#4 Combination Tool

This tool has both a dusting brush and a wide nozzle, allowing you to take advantage of precision cleaning while also clearing stubborn dirt with the help of the brush. It can be used on all surfaces, and the brush is surprisingly good on carpets.

#5 Soft Dusting Brush

Soft bristles make this the ideal brush for delicate surfaces that need a little TLC. I quite like using it on my kitchen floor, but some other popular uses are things like bannisters, counters, and coffee tables that may get scratched easily with a firmer brush.

This tool is exclusive to the Dyson V7 Total Clean, and while it is not the be-all and end-all, it’s one that I would not want to be without.

#6 Crevice Tool

This is how you reach into every nook, cranny, and corner of your home effortlessly. It is a nice length, with a narrow nozzle that will fit just about anywhere. This makes it useful for above-floor cleaning (goodbye cobwebs) but also giving the car a good hoovering in handheld mode.

#7 Docking Station

This comes with every cordless vacuum cleaner, but it is an important accessory. It can be mounted on the wall for out of the way storage and charging of your Dyson V7, and it can even be put up without you needing to drill into the wall.

There is also space for some of your most commonly used attachments to be placed for easy access when you need them.

#8 Charger

Standard 3-Pin charger that will charge the vacuum with or without the supplied docking station.

Dyson V7 Ease of Use and Setup

Building the Vacuum

There is nothing difficult about building the Dyson V7; good news for those who don’t want something that will end up taking them hours. All you need to do is attach the wand to the main body, and then your chosen accessory to the wand.

That’s it. Of course, you can also forget the wand and just click the attachment into the main body for handheld use.

If you do find yourself stuck or just want to make sure you are doing it right, every Dyson machine comes with a fantastic and detailed instruction booklet for every aspect of your new vacuum; including construction.

Building the Vacuum

This is really quick and simple with minimal mess. You don’t even need to take the wand off the vacuum cleaner, just hold the canister over the bin and pull the lever to open the bin. This way, you don’t need to touch anything, and the dirt will just fall out for you.

Once it is done, just click the canister closed again and you are good to go.

This is a canister design that has remained strong across the V6, V7, and V8 ranges.

construction.

Maintenance

The Dyson V7 doesn’t require a lot of maintenance, which is good news if you aren’t really into a lot of care (I know I’m not). The bin usually just needs an internal wipedown, and this might include the shroud if you have had a particularly messy vacuuming session.

You don’t really need to do this more than once a week either, perhaps even less depending on your vacuuming style.

The filter can be found at the back of the main body and can just be popped out when you are ready to clean it. Dyson suggests you do this monthly for longevity, but you should check it regularly to see how mucky it is; you can use your own assessment to decide how often it needs to be washed.

Warranty

The Dyson V7 comes with the usually one-year warranty that is valid from the date of purchase. This will cover faults and breakdowns that are the result of a manufacturing error and not something you caused.

However, Dyson also has a great service where you can buy the vacuum cleaner and return it within 35 days for a full refund if you are unhappy with your model. So, you can buy with the peace of mind that if it’s not right for you, it’s not the end of the world.

Should I Buy The Dyson V7?

The Dyson V7 is the ideal range if you are on a budget but still want to experience the excellent suction power that comes with a Dyson cordless. It’s probably the most affordable out of all of them, and this makes it quite appealing.

Despite the low price, you don’t have to compromise on cleaning capabilities as it still offers a lot more suction power than the V6 and almost the same as the Dyson V8 range.

It’s ideal for homes with pets, and comes with great accessories, but if you do have pets I would certainly go with the Total Clean, particularly if you have a home with a lot of hard floor areas.

There are some features that make it a bit of a downgrade from the V8, one of these being that not every model comes with a HEPA filter and it is missing some of the little tech features.

If you are an allergy sufferer or are sensitive to dust etc, then go with the Dyson V7 Animal which comes with the Hepa filter and if you need the fluffy head for hard floors then order it separately for around £60.

If you have stairs and/or clean the car out a fair bit, then don’t go with the Dyson V7 Motorhead as you wont have that versatile mini motorised tool.

Check out our best dyson vacuum cleaners guide to get the best deals for the Dyson V7 range?