Dyson V7 Review

We take a deep dive into the Dyson V7 review looking at features, performance, value, suction, and more. Is the V7 the best choice for you?

Pros

• 30 minute run time
• Good cleaning performance – removed 96% of debris by volume
• 2-in-1 design for stick and handheld use

Cons

• Relative to other high-end cordless vacuums it’s starting to look pretty dated. Newer V10 and V11 are significantly better.
• Struggles with larger debris on hardwood floor. If cleaning hardwoods is essential for you, see our best vacuums for hardwood floors analysis.

Prefer to watch rather than read? We’ve got our Dyson V7 review video here:

Cleaning Tests

The following vacuum cleaner tests are designed to show how the Dyson V7 performs on different surfaces, picking up a variety of debris types.

We test on three different floor types, including:

• Hardwood floors
• Low pile carpet
• High pile carpet

Cleaning Score

For each floor type we test the vacuum cleaner against:

• Rice – 3 ounces
• Dry Cereal – 1 ounce
• Kitty Litter – 3 ounces
• Sugar – 3 ounces

Each of the aforementioned debris types was spread across our testing lane. The base surface of our testing lane is an engineered hardwood floor. For our carpet tests, we slide in a low pile and high pile carpet insert on top of the hardwood floor.

Our vacuum cleaning process strives to be as consistent, fair, and true to real world use as possible. Our tests utilize the following procedure:

1. Measure the weight of the testing debris and the weight of the empty vacuum debris container.
2. Spread the respective debris type evenly across the central portion of the testing lane.
3. Run the vacuum cleaner over the testing lane.
4. Measure the weight of the now filled container and take notes on the cleaning performance.

Hardwood Floor Cleaning

The hardwood floor tests came as a bit of a surprise when using the Dyson V7. Although sugar and kitty litter were not an issue whatsoever, cereal and rice were.

When trying to vacuum up the rice on our testing lane, the motorized brushroll flung the rice away from the vacuum, resulting in less being sucked up.

On the other hand, cereal was pushed forward and not one piece was able to make it under the head of the V7.

The motorized brushroll was simply too close to the ground, which made it difficult for any of the cereal to get into the suction path.

BEST – Need a good vacuum for hardwood floors? Check out our Best Vacuum for Hardwood Floors page.

Some Dyson models include the Dyson Fluffy cleaning head (see V7 Fluffy here). This is a soft roller style with an open front facing, making it more ideal for hard surface flooring and larger debris.

Our Dyson V10 review included the Fluffy and it scored 100% on hardwood floors.

Low Pile Carpet Cleaning

The Dyson V7 took a complete 180° turn when it came to the low pile carpet tests. The vacuum was virtually flawless, cleaning up 100% of the rice, kitty litter, and sugar, as well as 99% of the cereal.

The friction between the carpet and the debris allowed the vacuum to roll over each debris type with ease and suck it up.

High Pile Carpet Cleaning

High pile carpet was another great run for the V7. Once again, three out of the four tests hit the 100% cleaned up mark.

Sugar was the only one that did not reach 100%, but 99% of it was still cleaned up.

Run Time Tests

We also ran a test to see real-life run time on the Dyson V7. Here were our results.

• Max Mode: 7:10 minutes
• Normal Mode: 27:45 minutes

**Run-time tests were completed with a full battery and using the V7 Direct Drive cleaning head.

Design

The Dyson V7 offers a modern design and a styling unique to Dyson. The V7 shares some similarities to Dyson’s V6, but there are many upgrades also.

To begin with, the Dyson V7 contains a new dust bin release tab, a new power mode button, a new battery indicator, and a brand new quick release system.

The dust bin release tab on the V7 sits on top of the main unit, allowing users to pull up on the tab which will lift up the interior of the dust bin and force open the flap on the bottom.

Dyson implemented this new design in order to provide a more sanitary method of emptying the dust bin.

The Modes

Next up, the power mode switch is located on top of this Dyson vacuum’s handle. Two options, low and max, are offered and the user simply has to push the button to the desired power mode and begin cleaning.

The battery life indicator remains at the bottom of the main unit.

The light is still a single bar indicator that fades away as the battery life drops.

This is compared to the Dyson V8, which uses a three-bar light indicator.

The Dust Bin

One of the most interesting features is the new quick-release system used to attach / detach tools from the vacuum cleaner. Slide the desired tool in and it will click when fully inserted.

Whenever you’re ready to remove the tool simply press down on the red button located on the tool / wand / handheld and the tool will release with ease.

1. On / Off trigger
2. Power mode switch
3. Dust bin release tab
4. Dust bin
5. Tool / wand connection point

How It Cleans

The Dyson V7 cleans through straight suction on a vast majority of the cleaning tools, but there are a couple that use agitation to lift dirt and debris while the suction is being applied.

That said, the V7 Motorhead has improved its suction (relative to the V6) with the V7, allowing for deeper cleans.

2-in-1 Design

The way the vacuum cleans lends itself more towards the user’s style. Since this unit can be used in both stick and handheld configurations, the way the vacuum cleans can change fairly regularly.

To that end, the suction of the vacuum is not any different between the two styles.

The Cyclones

Once the Dyson V7 vacuum has sucked up the dirt / debris, it filters it through Dyson’s two-tier radial cyclone filtration system.

This system allows the unit to properly sort through dirt and debris, helping to store it more efficiently.

Size & Dimensions

The Dyson V7 is 49″ long, 8.2″ tall, and 9.8″ wide. Additionally, this unit weighs 5.45 pounds when fully assembled as a stick vacuum.

• Length – 49″
• Height – 8.2″
• Width – 9.8″
• Weight – 5.45 pounds

When configured as a handheld vacuum, the Dyson V7 measures 12″ long, 8″ tall, and 5.5″ wide.

Accessories & Parts

The Dyson V7 Motorhead includes the following parts and accessories:

1. Wall mount
2. Motorized brushroll
3. Charger
4. Cleaning tools
5. Wand

Dyson V7 Absolute vs. Animal vs. Motorhead vs. Allergy HEPA vs. Fluffy

Dyson sells a number of V7 versions, however, the most popular and prominent are:

• Dyson V7 Absolute
• Dyson V7 Animal
• Dyson V7 Motorhead
• Dyson V7 Alergy HEPA
• Dyson V7 Fluffy

Functionally, all five Dyson V7 models are more or less the same. The motor, battery, suction, dustbin, and cleaning power are all the same. The different models simply provide different cleaning heads, accessories, and filters, depending on your needs.

For our review, we tested the Motorhead.

Below are the major differences between each type:

Wonder how other Dyson’s compare? See our complete Dyson vacuum reviews guide or our popular Dyson battles:

• Dyson V6 vs. V10
• Dyson V6 vs. V7
• Dyson V6 vs. V7 vs. V8 vs. V10 vs. V11
• Dyson V6 vs. V8
• Dyson V7 vs. V10
• Dyson V7 vs. V8
• Dyson V7 vs. V11
• Dyson V8 vs. V10
• Dyson V8 vs. V11
• Dyson V10 vs. V11
• Dyson V7 vs. V11
• Dyson V8 vs. V11
• Dyson V11 Torque Drive vs. Outsize vs. Animal vs. Outsize Origin

Usability

Using the Dyson V7 is simple. That said, there is a short setup period required before you can use the unit.

The Setup

This setup consists of unboxing the vacuum, charging it, and choosing the tool you want to clean with. As a cordless unit it does need to be charged in order to run for its full 30 minute run time, but this is virtually the entire setup process.

Daily Use

After getting the V7 charged up and ready to roll, the rest is up to the user. Using this Dyson vacuum is as easy as it gets. Swapping between cleaning tools is as easy as a push of a button.

Powering the unit is controlled by squeezing the trigger located on the handle of the unit. There is no power switch, so once the trigger is released, the motor shuts off.

Power Modes

Two power modes are available with the V7; low and max mode. The low mode offers up to 30 minutes of run time, but if the max mode is turned on the battery run time drops to around 7 minutes.

Although this is a rather large change in run time, the suction power on max mode is much stronger than the low power mode.

All things considered, using this vacuum is among the easiest we have tested to date. There are no confusing features or modes to learn. Everything on the vacuum is rather self-explanatory.

Maneuverability

Maneuvering the Dyson V7 is easy.

When being used as a stick vacuum, the wand is lightweight and the floor head is able to turn 90°, which makes turning sharp corners and going around furniture much easier.

Additionally, users have the ability to snap one of the smaller tools into the wand, which adds some reach when cleaning above the ground.

• Weight: 5.45 pounds
• Width: 9.8″
• Height: 49″
• Turning: 90°

When being used as a handheld vacuum, maneuverability becomes even easier. The weight decreases and now the unit basically goes wherever you go.

The crevice tool allows users to get into those harder-to-reach spots and the combo dusting brush / upholstery tool gives users the opportunity to clean delicate surfaces.

Moving around with the handheld or stick is a painless process and certainly a perk of this Dyson V7.

RELATED – Vacuum size plays a big factor in its usability. See our best small vacuum cleaners primer for more info.

Maintenance

The following table indicates the frequency at which you will likely want to replace the various parts and components of the vacuum.

However, your individual experiences may vary.

Maintaining the Dyson V7 boils down to three main parts:

• Wash the central filter: The central filter on the V7 is a lifetime filter. Users should wash once per month with cold water and allow to air dry for 24 hours.
• Wash the HEPA filter (if included): Not all of the Dyson V7 models include a HEPA filter. That said, if your unit does, it should be washed once per month with cold water and allowed to air dry for 24 hours. Just like with the central filter, only replace if it’s damaged or you lose it. The HEPA filter is a lifetime filter.
• Battery: The battery does not require your attention as much (unless it dies). Aside from replacing the battery as a whole, there is not much maintenance that goes into the battery.

After your warranty expires your annual maintenance costs will be around $8.75/ year, which will cover your replacement of the battery every 4 years.

Noise

All vacuum cleaner reviews on Modern Castle are put through our standard noise test. For this test, we use a sound meter to measure noise in terms of decibel level approximately 3′ away from the vacuum.

The Dyson V7 came in at a moderate volume of 70 decibels at low power.

Battery

All cordless vacuums on Modern Castle are put through a standard assessment of battery size, run time, life, and replacement cost.

The battery on the Dyson V7 is solid, offering ~30 minutes of run time when fully charged. Charging this battery takes anywhere from 3.5 to 4 hours.

If the vacuum is placed in max mode, the battery run time does drop to ~7 minutes. Although this is a big difference in run time, the increase in suction power is impressive.

Dyson has made a few upgrades to its batteries since the V7 was released. The V8 now has a run time of up to 40 minutes and the V10 or V11 stretches extends even further to the way out to a 60-minute run time.

Value

The Dyson V7 offers a fair value. The price of this unit is lower than the newer V8 and V10, but the performance is also weaker. That said, by no means is this Dyson stick vacuum a poor performer.

The V7 is offered in a few different models, so you do have the option of selecting one of the models that includes a few extra tools.

However, bear in mind, that this is an older model so the performance is not going to be quite as good as the newer Dyson V8, Dyson V10, or Dyson V11.

RELATED – If you’re looking for a less expensive choice, check out our guide to the best cheap vacuums for more.

With regard to warranty and returns, Dyson offers a 2-year warranty and a 30-day return period. Both are in line with the standard warranty and return period.

Specifications

Below is a complete list of important specifications and features included on the Dyson V7:

Who Should Buy the Dyson V7?

The Dyson V7 is a stick vacuum with the ability to break down into a handheld vacuum.

Powerful suction, a long battery run time, several cleaning tools / accessories, and a quality build all combine to create a cordless vacuum well worth considering.

I would recommend the Dyson V7 if you’re looking for the following features in a stick vacuum:

• Want a 2-in-1 vacuum: The Dyson V7 is primarily known for its stick configuration, but it also has the ability to be used as a handheld. With the exception of the floor heads, all of the tools included with the V7 work with both the stick and handheld configurations.
• Want a lightweight stick vacuum: When fully assembled as a stick vacuum, the Dyson V7 weighs 5.45 pounds. This is light enough for most people to lift above their head and clean above the ground, in addition to using it on the ground.
• Need a good run time: This Dyson cordless vacuum offers a 30-minute run time when fully charged.

For more information on the Dyson V7 see here.

ChangeLog

• March 9, 2021 – Added a run test tests section. Improved formatting. Clarified a few points, opinions, and facts. Fact checked the comparison. Updated several outdated links. Corrected a few minor errors. Added a new V7 version to the comparison chart.
• April 12, 2019 – Added an image. Made a few small formatting updates.
• March 31, 2019 – Overhauled the layout and design.