The Best Dyson Vacuums (2026) to Buy—and Some to Avoid

LoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyFeatured in this articleThe Best Dyson VacuumDyson Gen5DetectRead more$1,050 Amazon

The Best Affordable DysonDyson V10 KonicalRead more$500 $400 (20% off) Amazon

Most Powerful (and Most Accessories)Dyson V16 Piston AnimalRead more$980 $800 (18% off) Amazon

An Older, Still-Great VacDyson V15 DetectRead more$810 Amazon

Shopping for the best Dyson vacuum can feel like you’ve been sucked into one. With the dizzying array of models you can find on sale, it feels exhausting to keep up with which model is worth the price tag. But as someone who tests vacuums for a living, I can tell you getting a Dyson is well worth the splurge for several homes and use cases.

I've tested all the latest Dyson models side-by-side to find out which ones are worth investing in. After all the new models arrived earlier this year, the best vacuum turns out to be the Dyson Gen5Detect ($1,050) followed by the Dyson V16 Piston Animal ($850). If you're looking for the best bang for your buck, the Dyson V10 Konical ($400) has less power but scored above other models with similar or more power in my tests.

Read on to find out how each Dyson vacuum did in tests against sand on my rug, piles of litter on my hard floors, and overall results of vacuuming the three stories of my home. Don't miss my other vacuum guides if you don't find the best one for you here: I also cover cordless vacuums, robot vacuums, car vacuums, and the best overall vacuums.

Updated September 2026: I've added details on Dyson's new vacuums announced at the IFA 2026 tech conference.

Comparing Our Favorite Dyson VacuumsMeet Dyson's Newest VacsMore Good Dyson VacsWhat Does Dyson’s Terminology Mean?What Are the Dyson Accessory Bundles?What About Replacement Parts?How Do You Clean a Dyson Vacuum?How Do You Set Up a Dyson Mount?The Best Dyson VacuumPhotograph: Nena FarrellPhotograph: Nena FarrellCourtesy of Best BuyChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistDyson

Dyson's most powerful stick vacuum is the Dyson Gen5Detect. It's been our top pick for pet hair since it does a fantastic job deep cleaning and has a HEPA filter that Dyson says traps 99.99 percent of particles down to 0.1 microns. After side-by-side testing against Dyson's new vacuums and our longtime favorite, the V15 Detect, the Gen5Detect came out with the best score.

The Gen5Detect scored the highest out of all five Dyson vacuums I tested it with (the V16 Piston Animal, V15 Detect, V10 Konical, and V8 Cyclone) in vacuuming up Cheerios on carpet, cat litter on hard floors, and general vacuuming in both vacuum mode and handheld mode. It didn't do as well vacuuming sand on a thin rug, but when I moved to a thicker rug, it got all of the sand in a single sweep. You can really feel the suction in action on this vacuum—it packs 262 air watts (AW) and has a motor that reaches 35,000 revolutions per minute (rpm).

It comes with the Digital Motorbar cleaner head for carpets, and you can use it on hard floors too, but Gen5Detect also comes with the Fluffy Optic cleaner head that has fluffy roller bars made to pick up dust and debris off wood and similar flooring. The Fluffy Optic head has a bright laser, too, making it easy to spot debris you need to vacuum over. Gen5's laser is twice as bright, so it's easier to spot dust and debris. Overall, it's a fantastic, powerful vacuum and worth investing in if you've got pets or want to get the overall best experience when shopping for a new Dyson vacuum.

The only thing it doesn't have that Dyson's newer models will is compatibility with the new docking station, nor compatibility with a Submarine wet roller head, which newer models will have.

WIREDHas a faster motor and brighter laser than other Dyson models to spot dust and debrisFantastic for pet hairHas a HEPA filterTIREDLouder than the V15 DetectThe Best Affordable DysonPhotograph: Nena FarrellPhotograph: Nena FarrellPhotograph: Nena FarrellPhotograph: Nena FarrellChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistDyson

If you want to spend less but still get a great Dyson vacuum, the V10 Konical did much better than I expected. It has 150 air watts of power, three cleaning modes, a HEPA filter, and a new cleaner head called the All Floor Cones head. It's similar to the new head you'll find on the V16 Piston Animal, though without the sensing technology. Still, it's designed for both hard floors and soft carpet, and uses dual rotating conical brush bars to keep hair from getting tangled in it as it vacuums. There's a built-in light, which is nice for vacuuming hard floors to spot dust you might miss, though the green laser on the Fluffy Optic head is better for that.

The V10 Konical did a good job in my overall testing of Dyson vacuums. It did slightly better than the more powerful V15 Detect when vacuuming sand on a rug, and it did a good job picking up Cheerios. It felt similar on rugs and carpets to the V15 Detect, though it has a lower power level and cheaper price point. It didn't impress me as much on hard floors, but since it doesn't have the Fluffy Optic head option, this vacuum is at a disadvantage. The V10 can still get it clean, it just needs a couple passes to clean up particularly dirty areas (e.g., areas where I have intentionally dumped a handful of cat litter).

Overall, if you're set on a Dyson but don't want to spend close to a grand, this is a great option. It's on sale for the same price as the cheaper V8 Cyclone, but it did better in all my side-by-side tests than the V8. It also works with the new Auto-empty Dok, a self-emptying docking station that doubles as a charger and accessory storage. The V10 is available with the Dok for $650.

WIREDAll Floor Cones cleaner head does a good job on hard and soft flooring alikeHad better overall performance than the more expensive Dyson V15Can add on a self-emptying docking stationTIREDNo dedicated cleaner head for hard floorsNot as powerful as other Dyson vacuumsNo LCD screen to know the battery life or debris levelsMost Powerful (and Most Accessories)Photograph: Nena FarrellPhotograph: Nena FarrellChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistDyson

The V16 Piston Animal is Dyson's new top-of-the-line vacuum, with 315 air watts of suction, 70 minutes of run time, a new cleaner head (plus the Fluffy Optic head for hard floors), and some quality-of-life design upgrades. There are two built-in crevice tools (one on the motor, one on the end of the long wand) so you can do targeted cleans without needing to grab an accessory, and there's a release on the top of the wand you can pull to switch out the vacuum cleaner head without bending over. A compressor in the dust bin helps get the dust and hair out, though I usually still need to manually remove some stragglers.

The suction on the V16 works fantastically on carpet and rugs alike, and it did well in all of my tests except for vacuuming on a thin rug. The V16 Piston Animal scored right behind the Gen5Detect after vacuuming sand, Cheerios, cat litter, and general vacuuming and handheld mode around my three-story townhouse. The suction is excellent at getting cat hair and debris out of my carpets, and the HEPA filtration will keep pet dander from circulating back into the air.

But the biggest gain is this vacuum's compatibility with not just two great vacuum heads, but a third. The V16 has a Submarine variant ($1,100) to let you use it as a wet floor cleaner and is eventually slated to get its own self-emptying docking station like the V10 has. But you'll have to spend a pretty penny to get that third vacuum head, and the docking station price is a mystery (as is its arrival timing). Still, if your home is full of hard floors, it might be worth it for you.

Photograph: Nena FarrellPhotograph: Nena FarrellCourtesy of DysonChevronChev