Dyson V8 Vs V6: What's The Difference Between These Vacuum Cleaners?

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The cordless vacuum market is filled with many different brands, and Dyson is arguably the most recognizable of all of them. It has developed a reputation for making high-performance, highly convenient vacuums, albeit with a correspondingly high price. Nonetheless, plenty of buyers keep their Dyson vacuums for many years after they purchase them, and as a result, when it comes time to replace them, the model that they originally purchased might no longer be on the market.

The V6 is one of those discontinued models, and so, V6 owners looking to upgrade will need to look elsewhere in Dyson's range. A logical place to start is the V8 vacuum, which offers some key improvements over the older model. The latest version of the V8 vacuum is the V8 Cyclone, which normally retails at Best Buy for $399.99. According to Dyson, it's the most powerful V8 variant that the company has built to date.

Dyson says the V8 Cyclone offers 150 air watts (AW) of suction power, which is a significant improvement over the 100 AW of power on the V6. The V8 Cyclone will also run for far longer, with a maximum of 60 minutes runtime, compared to a 20 minute maximum for the V6.

It is a bit heavier though, weighing 5.74 lb, while the older model weighs 4.5 lb. The latest V8 is a little bit shorter than the V6, but in other aspects, its exterior dimensions are mostly similar.

The greater runtime of the V8 Cyclone is complemented by a slightly larger dust compartment — 0.14 gallons versus 0.11 gallons — but the size increase isn't quite as large as you might expect, given that its runtime has tripled. As such, most users are unlikely to notice a major difference in the amount of times they'll need to empty it.

Although the V8 Cyclone should take longer to go flat, recharging its battery will also take slightly longer. While the V6 can fully recharge in 3.5 hours, Dyson estimates that a full charge of the V8 Cyclone will take four hours.

Before making a decision on whether or not a new Dyson is worthwhile, it's also worth noting the similarities between the brand's older and new models. Buyers still receive the same 2 year standard warranty with their new vacuum, and they should still find that the vacuum's overall design feels familiar.

For fans of the Dyson brand, the V8 should be a solid improvement overall compared to the V6. Even so, before adding that V8 Cyclone to your cart, it's worth taking time to consider some of the alternatives to Dyson's vacuum range. Many of the brand's rivals offer similar power for a more affordable price, with some also offering a similarly versatile design to Dyson's best vacuum models.