Dyson V11 Outsize REVIEW

Dyson’s V11 Outsize vacuum cleaner is their latest and potentially greatest sucky motor to date. In my review of the original V11, I gave it a 10/10. Because of this, I initially wondered just how Dyson could possibly top their already awesome V11 stick vac. Their take on this was simple – Supersize all the things! It’s got a 150 percent bigger dustbin, a 25 percent wider cleaning-head and a click-in rechargeable battery (more on this later).

There was a lot to like with Dyson’s V11 Outsize. Thanks to its simple yet elegant LCD readout, supersized everything and torque-sensing cleaning head (which adjusts suction and brushing depending on the surface you’re hoovering), vacuuming was a doddle.

One of the few niggles I had with previous Dysons I’d tested revolved around charging them. I had to either wall mount the charger and drop the vacuum cleaner in it, or leave it loose, slotting in the vac and hoping it didn’t fall over. It wasn’t elegant and worse still, it cluttered up my kitchen.

This time around in my Dyson v11 review, I discover that Dyson designed the V11 Outsize with a click-in battery, which can be removed and charged while the V11 Outsize is tidily tucked away in a cupboard. If you’ve got a largish place, you can buy an extra battery and keep one charging so that you can click in a fully charged cell when it’s needed.

While the $249 sticker price for the additional battery may send some bank managers into conniptions, I see it as a good idea. For a start, I get the time back I’d previously wasted waiting for the battery to recharge. That’s a good investment in anyone’s books.

That said, our home is around 200 square metres and I usually have around a 10 percent charge left after vacuuming every room. Most usefully, I can easily replace worn-out batteries with new ones, extending the useful life of the V11 Outsize.

The other thing I noticed straight away during my Dyson v11 review was that it really sucked. This is thanks to the Dyson Hyperdymium 125,000 RPM motor. Add to this 18 Dyson cyclones which create G-forces of more than 79,000g, flinging cruft and dust into the V11 Outsize XXL sized bin.

Dust and pollen are trapped by an air filtration system. Dyson says it’ll trap 99.97 percent of pollen and other allergenic nasties – even particles as small as 0.3 microns cannot escape, which is good news for anyone with allergies or asthma.

As with previous Dyson Vacs, the HEPA filter is designed to be periodically hand-washed. Once it’s dried for 24 hours, it can be re-inserted and you’re good to go. It’ll typically last for years.

The other advantage of a cyclone based vacuum system is that unlike a lot of other vacs, the V11 Outsize doesn’t lose suction as its bag-free dustbin fills up. With its dustbin 150 percent larger, you’re able to get more vacuuming done before it needs to be emptied. Doing this is also dead easy. Simply detach the cleaning pipe, flick a red lever and a door on the bin slides open so you can shake out what you’ve hoovered up into a bin.

This is a good thing as the wider 32cm cleaning head can pick up more, which means less time is spent vacuuming. Anyone with wooden floors and rugs will also appreciate that the V11 Outsize’s motorised direct-drive cleaning head adjusts depending on the surface you’re cleaning. It’s a smart addition that helps stretch battery life just that little bit further.

In terms of battery life, a small LCD screen built into the top of the air filter provides an at-a-glance overview of what cleaning power setting you’re using (tapping a small stainless steel button switches between auto, medium or boost modes), as well as showing remaining battery runtime.

If there’s a blockage or the air filter needs cleaning, the display will also remind you to clean filters or show you how to remedy blockages. Anything that saves me from fossicking about with a manual wins brownie points in my books.

So, there’s a lot to like with the V11 Outsize. But what about downsides? The biggie (pun intended) is the weight. The V11 Outsize is heavier than the original V11’s 3kg, tipping the scales at around 3.5kg. Even with its superb ergonomics and balance (which is much like a chef’s knife), you’ll still feel its heft. After vacuuming our entire home I felt like I’d had a light workout.

Last (but by no means least), the V11 Outsize comes with six accessories and a smart attachment which allows several of them to attach to the V11’s cleaning pipe so they’re at hand when needed. If you already own a previous Dyson V-series stick vac, its accessories will fit as well.

Dyson v11 review: summary

If you’re thinking I’m rather impressed with the V11 Outsize, you’d be totally right. Dyson has taken what was already pretty darn good and pulled off the impossible by making it better with the V11 Outsize. Where stick vacuums used to be a byword for “waste of money”, Dyson’s V11 Outsize is superb.

www.dyson.co.nz