I was asked if I’d like to review a Dyson Small Ball Multi-Floor Upright Vacuum. Normally I’ve never taken any interest in household appliances. Yet Dyson vacuums always seemed to be the exotic sports car of the vacuum industry. They’re packed with innovation as well as a unique exterior design. Indeed, they’ve achieved the level of status symbol even outside the stereotypically smug home and garden crowd. Naturally I couldn’t resist the opportunity to test one out.
Dyson Assembly
The biggest gripe I’ve had with manufacturers (pick a category) has been the level of difficulty one must endure to assemble a product. You’ve purchased said product to improve your life rather than add frustration. The assembly instructions included with the Dyson Small Ball Multi-floor Upright vacuum are primarily picture-based. I’ve read feedback from consumers who felt irritated by the lack of description for each step. Yet in my own experience as a parent, the assembly process was quite similar to the method employed by toy building block sets. Given some extra time I could have built a vacuum/robot mech with laser blasters. But I digress. The assembly, although slightly unclear via the instructions, was relatively painless. Factor in about 10 minutes to assemble and learn the functionality of various buttons, attachments, etc.
Floor and Carpet Test
Powering on the vacuum surprised me. According to press materials, the Dyson Small Ball™ also generates 30% less noise than its predecessor and has a 25% longer cleaning reach, with the cable, wand and hose extending to 42 ft. I found the noise level on par with other manufacturers but by no means stealth-like decibel levels. Your neighbors will be fully aware you’re tackling some domestic chores. Once you press the release button on the front of the vacuum, the handle and ball tandem work quite swimmingly together. Weaving in and out of obstacles was remarkably intuitive on hardwood floors. Suction power proved to be more than sufficient. I had a different result on the carpet.
When I put the Dyson Small Ball™ through its paces on the carpet, the first thing I noticed was the extra effort needed to actually propel the vacuum forward — especially if you adjusted the setting from normal to max. In theory, this setting would allow for a deeper carpet clean but instead it added friction. Honestly, I wasn’t too surprised since the cleaning head is not powered to assist forward movement. Given the light weight of this particular model, adding an additional pound for some sort of power mechanism would be a welcome upgrade. I made use of the attachments to access underneath furniture. The configuration options for the Dyson Small Ball™ are clever and convenient.
Conclusion
I came away pleasantly surprised by the functionality of the Dyson Small Ball™. The suction power was more than adequate for most uses. The build quality was top notch as well as aesthetically pleasing. The vacuum works exceptionally well on hard wood floors while achieving a mediocre performance on carpets. The vacuum’s light weight provides easy portability and storage. It’s relatively pricey but with a 5 year warranty seems built to last.
FTC Disclosure: I was sent product from Dyson for review. Opinions as well as vacuuming ninja skills are my own.
