In this vacuum battle, I’ll compare the Dyson V10 vs V11, two of the best cordless vacuums on the market. Both of these vacuum cleaners are definitely worth the money, and they each serve a different purpose. But if I had to choose the winner, I would go for the Dyson V11.
The Dyson V11 comes out on top as the winner as it boasts a more powerful suction motor making it superior for vacuuming carpets and other suction-based tasks. Its battery life increased significantly, well beyond what I honestly believed was ever possible. In addition, the gimmicky features, such as the floor sensor and the LCD screen, appeared to be useful in practice. The Dyson V11 is the best option if you mostly clean carpets and value longer run time.
Dyson V10, as a runner-up, is also an excellent vacuum cleaner. It performs marginally better on hard floors than its counterpart. It also comes with more tools and brushes, like a soft roller floorhead that is great support for cleaning bare floors. The battery of the V10 charges significantly more quickly as well.
Dyson V10 vs V11: Comparison Chart
Dyson V10 vs V11: Differences
The Dyson V11 beats the V10 by a score of 2-0. Both have fantastic cleaning performance, but the Dyson V11 is a bit better in general, especially when vacuuming on the carpet. I also appreciate its design and convenience. Read on for further details.
Cleaning Performance
The Winner: Dyson V11
Suction Power
The new Dyson V11 seems to be much more powerful than the V10. I tested its suction at 111 inches of water lift or about 28 000 pascals, which is crazy high for an upright and borderline ridiculous for a cordless vacuum. It’s up from about 84 inches on the V10, which was the highest I’d ever seen on a cordless vacuum until I tested the suction power of the Dyson V11. On maximum mode, the V11 generates 185 AW of suction power, while the V10 can only generate 140 AW.
As far as airflow, which I would consider as much or more important than suction, I measured both the Dyson V10 and V11 in several places and on all power settings and found that, on average, the V11 had about 32% more airflow than the Dyson V10.
Cleaner Head
The High Torque cleaning head is the primary (if only) brushroll that comes with the V11 model. This cleaning head is virtually identical to the Torque Drive cleaning head that was included with the V10 model, with the exception of a new sensor known as the “Dynamic Load Sensor” that can automatically adjust power depending on the type of floor you are cleaning.
So the pickup of surface debris is going to be the same except where additional suction and airflow might play a role.
I can get a deep clean between carpet and hard floors without having to change accessories and still ensure the right suction. For example, the Dyson V11 will boost the suction on carpets for a better deep clean. I actually really like this feature, and it does seem to work well and optimize battery life.
The Dyson V10 comes standard with a Soft roller head, also known as a fluffy head, which is one of the most notable features that set it apart from the V11. In my experience, this cleaner head works well when vacuuming hard floors. Unfortunately, the Dyson V11 does not come with this cleaner head.
However, I found that with the Dyson V10 I almost never use a soft roller. Don’t get me wrong. It’s great for hard floors, but since it can’t be used on carpets or rugs, you pretty much have to carry around the torque drive head if you hit a patch of carpet. Anyway, equipping with a Soft Roller is also a plus.
Hard Floor Performance
The Fluffy cleaning head or Soft roller head was designed specifically for hard floors and capturing large debris types. Nevertheless, it is only included in the Dyson V10 and is not included in any of the V11 models.
Thanks to this cleaner head, the Dyson V10 performs exceptionally well on hardwoods and is widely considered to be among the top choices for cleaning hardwood floors. The torque drive head of the Dyson V11, on the other hand, does not pick up hard floors particularly well. It scatters and snowplows, especially with larger debris.
In all candor, I find this to be a major shortcoming of the V11. It is a little strange that Dyson would exclude this cleaning head from the package when the V11 brings so many other great improvements to the table.
I’m sure you could get all the debris if you go over the areas multiple times, but I think you need the soft roller if you have a lot of hard floors. That said, you can purchase a soft roller head for the V11 separately.
Carpet Cleaning Performance
So what can we do with the more powerful suction of the Dyson V11?
I do a carpet deep cleaning test where I take exactly 100 grams of sand and embed it into a medium pile carpet and weigh the bins before and after. I tested the Dyson V10 and Dyson V11 in all of their power settings and found that the extra airflow and suction meant that the V11 picked up on average about 7% more embedded sand than the V10.
Crevice Pick-up Performance
I also saw the extra power of the Dyson V11 on the crevice pickup test, where the V10 took twice as long as the V11 to pick up the debris on low power. Though they both only took one pass to get the debris on high power.
Cleaning Hair Performance
I also like that they both do a fantastic job of dealing with hair on every variety of surfaces, from bare floors to low-pile and high-pile carpets. It’s rare to see a roller resist tangles of longer hair. It’s rare to see a roller resist tangles of longer hair but their torque drive head is really great at.
Adjust Suction Power
The Dyson V11 has three different power modes to change its suction. These modes are Auto, Eco, and Boost. If you use the vacuum in the “Auto” power mode, it will automatically adjust the level of its power so that it is appropriate for the floor that you are cleaning. There is also a manually selectable ‘Eco’ mode and a ‘Boost’ mode, which allow the user to conserve power when dealing with light debris and stubborn messes, respectively.
Suction on the main vacuum head can also be adjusted to accommodate different surface types; however, this adjustment must be made manually using a small slider located on the head.
The Dyson V10 can be switched between three different power modes that each provide a different level of suction power. ‘Suction 1’ has the longest battery life, ‘Suction 2’ is a balanced mode for cleaning bare floors and carpets, and ‘BOOST’ mode is for removing stubborn dirt and debris.
In contrast to the Dyson V11, this model does not have the ability to automatically change its power mode when it detects high levels of debris or when it is used on carpet.
Design & Convenience
The Winner: Dyson V11
Display Screen
The Dyson V11 adds a digital screen to the back of the V11 motor. By using the little button, you can toggle between low, medium, and high power as well as auto mode. It shows you an expected battery lifetime which changes depending on which mode and attachment you’re using. It can also show you when to change the filter.
It does seem that this exact version of the LCD screen is only available on the V11 Torque Drive and Absolute versions, but not the Animal version.
Battery Life
Dyson has upgraded the battery for the V11, and it really shows. I found it to have, on average, about 30% more run time across all the different settings compared to the Dyson V10, which is pretty meaningful!
- Dyson V11’s run time when used on 3 different power levels and 3 different attachments
| Low power | Med power | High power | |
| Suction head | 74:00 | 39:00 | 9:18 |
| Fluffy head | 81:00 | 40:00 | 14:00 |
| Torque head | 66:00 | 43:00 | 8:00 |
- Dyson V10’s run time
| Low power | Med power | High power | |
| Suction head | 61:00 | 30:51 | 5:32 |
| Fluffy head | 56:23 | 28:51 | 9:15 |
| Torque head | 46:16 | 26:57 | 6:30 |
For example, when Dyson released the V10, they said it could get an hour of runtime. And that was true, but only if you were using a suction attachment on low power. With the Dyson V11, you can actually get more than an hour of vacuuming with the torque drive head on low power. In general, though, I think that we finally hit a threshold with the V11. That means that battery life is no longer a barrier to switching from corded to cordless, even if you have a massive house.
There is one downside to the bigger battery of the Dyson V11, which is recharge time. The recharge time jumped from 3.5 hours to 4.5 hours from the V10 to the V11.
Weight
The Dyson V11 is heavier than the V10. The weight increased by almost 1 pound (from 5.8 pounds on Dyson V10 to 6.7 pounds on Dyson V11), which does make it noticeably heavier on the forearm. The V11 has a screen now and a way bigger battery, so it’s probably a worthwhile sacrifice.
I’m not thrilled with the weight issue, as I’ve often complained that these cordless vacuums with all their weight are at the top, which makes them seem even heavier. And this extra pound just makes it a little worse. When you’re using both of these in the handheld, you can definitely notice the weight difference, and it does get more tiring on your wrist.
So if you’re planning to clean areas above your head, I went straight up just recommend getting the V10. But in general, Dyson is really good about weight distribution, and the V11 still feels lighter than similarly designed cordless vacuums.
Noise Level
The V11 is substantially quieter than the V10.
| Mode | Dyson V10 | Dyson V11 |
| Low | 77 Db. | 75 Db. |
| Med | 81 Db. | 78 Db. |
| Max | 91 Db. | 81 Db. |
So, these measurements show us that the V10 is generally noisier than the V11. Therefore, the V11 gets the win in this category.
Storing
Both the Dyson V11 and the Dyson V10 have an exceptionally compact design, making them impressively easy to store. Thanks to their tall and narrow design, you can easily store them, even in tight spaces like a small broom closet. They are both equipped with a docking station that provides a couple of additional storage spaces for additional tools, which is a convenient feature.
The Dyson V11, in contrast to the Dyson V10, has an onboard tool storage compartment that can hold up to two accessories without significantly increasing the vacuum’s overall footprint. I appreciate this utility; I won’t have to try to recall where I keep my accessories every time I want to attach them to the vacuum.
Dyson V10 vs V11: Similarities
Dirt Bin & Filtration
Dirt Bin
The dust bin on the Dyson V10 and V11 is sizable enough (0.76 liters). It is still on the smaller side and requires frequent emptying, which can be an inconvenience. Fortunately, there is an indicator that notifies you when the compartment has reached its capacity.
HEPA filter
They both come with a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter, which Dyson claims can capture 99.99% of dust, particles, and allergens as small as 0.3 microns. People who suffer from severe asthma will be relieved to hear that.
Since this HEPA filter can be washed and reused indefinitely, they can avoid maintenance costs. Dyson will still provide replacements in case your filter becomes damaged or lost.
To keep them in good condition, you only need to wash them once a month in lukewarm water and let them air dry for 24 hours afterward.
Alternative Configuration
Both the Dyson V10 and the Dyson V11 are 2-in-1 vacuum cleaners. You have the option of utilizing the vacuum either as a portable cordless handheld vacuum or as a full-sized cordless stick vacuum.
To switch from stick to handheld, simply press a button to release the cleaning head (and wand, if using), then snap on the appropriate handheld attachment.
Quick Rundown of Dyson V11
- Dyson's most intelligent, powerful cordless vacuum. Twice the suction of any cordless vacuum.
- Dyson technology helps create a cleaner, healthier home - Our vacuums and purifiers are scientifically proven to capture particles as small as allergens and bacteria.
- Engineered for whole-home, deep cleaning. Suction power, run time and tools designed to deep clean your whole home.
- Intelligently optimizes suction and run time across all floor types. The right balance of power and run time when you need it.
- Up to 60 minutes of run time. Engineered for larger homes with pets. Actual run time will vary based on power mode, floor type and/or attachments used.
Quick Rundown of Dyson V10
- Up to 60 minutes run time when using a non-motorized tool. Cyclone technology: 14 concentric cyclones. Filtration: advanced whole machine filtration. Cleaning path width - 9.84 inches
- Dyson technology helps create a cleaner, healthier home - Our vacuums and purifiers are scientifically proven to capture particles as small as and .
- Lightweight and versatile, to clean right through the home. Instant-release trigger means battery power is only used while it’s cleaning. Requires charging for 3.5 hours minimum before first use
- Up to 40 minutes of fade-free power with the soft Roller cleaner head (in suction mode I). engineered to pick up both large debris and Fine
- Torque drive cleaner head – Up to 20 minutes of fade-free power (in suction mode II). drives stiff nylon bristles into carpets to capture deep-down
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References:
- Dyson V11: https://www.dyson.com/vacuum-cleaners/cordless/v11
- Dyson V10: https://www.dyson.com/vacuum-cleaners/cordless/v10
Victor K. Giles is a leading consultant and expert in vacuum cleaner technology with over a decade of experience. As a mechanical engineering graduate in the University of Michigan, he specializes in product development, design optimization, and performance analysis. Victor collaborates with manufacturers and educates consumers, making her a sought-after guest speaker at industry events. His work has been featured in renowned publications, and he shares his expertise on his blog, “The Vacuum Teria”. Victor’s passion for cleaner, healthier living spaces drives his to help clients choose the best vacuum solutions for their needs.