I've always thought you can tell a lot about a device by the box it comes in. If plenty of thought and creativity has gone into the packaging alone, you can usually assume the same will apply for what's inside.

 

I've never seen a box like the box for the Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute+...

 

 

Not impressed?

 

Well this is what I found inside...

 

 

As you can see, the boffins at Dyson have clearly come up with a way to bend the laws of physics, time and space to fit more into a box that can actually fit in that box. Not only that, but every single component was protected in its own, custom cut compartment - all cardboard and slotted together, no tape, glue or polystyrene.

 

If merely unpacking the V10 was this much fun, how good was using it going to be?

 

Until now, my only real first-hand Dyson experience has been courtesy of my trusty DC58 handheld, which has been, unquestionably, the most effective and reliable device of its kind I've ever used. Sure it's performed brilliantly for those "handy-vac" style jobs - cleaning up small spills and vacuuming out the cars - but I've also relied on it for doing my stairs, simply because lugging a normal sized vacuum cleaner, with a cord, up and down steps is a major pain.

 

Yes, Friday is vacuuming day and vacuuming is one of my jobs. I chose vacuuming not because I like it, but it was either that or cleaning the showers and I'm pretty sure I'd hate that even more.

 

I've been through a few vacuum cleaners over the years, different brands, models with bags, bagless ones... frankly, all of them sucked - and not in a good way. Each time I've bought a new one I've been disappointed within minutes of turning it on. Not powerful enough. Not maneuverable enough. Too bulky. Too heavy. Hard to clean. And the cord. Argh, the cord! Never long enough, constantly snagging, wearing paint off the corners of every wall.

 

There has to be a better way. James Dyson agrees. In fact, he thinks he's found it, which is why he recently announced Dyson is no longer developing corded vacuums.

 

Obviously, the theory of a stick vacuum that can clean a whole house as effectively as a corded model on a single charge is attractive, but many have tried before and come up woefully short in terms of sheer power, capacity, charge time and overall usability.

 

Still, even if the V10 performed to the same standard as my DC58 handheld, but with a longer attachment, I was pretty sure we'd be onto a winner.

 

The V10 didn't just match the DC58, it out performed it (and therefore every other vacuum I've ever used) in every way.

 

There are two main powered heads, one for carpet and one the Dyson people call, "the Fluffy" for hard floors. Yes, it's a slight bother having to swap between the two, but only a slight bother as Dyson's latest quick release locking system is more intuitive than before, with no chance of fitting the heads in the wrong position.

 

The V10 is easily as powerful as my old corded machine on the lowest of its 3 settings. At that setting, the Dyson website promises, "up to 60 minutes" of continuous use and I certainly had no problems getting through my entire 4 bedroom home... except, it turns out we're a family of filth monsters! The 760ml bin was only just big enough to collect all the grossness I sucked out of my floors first time through - which seemed to be a lot more than usual.

 

The standard procedure for Dyson cyclonic devices is to run at maximum suction right till the point the bin is full, then they cut out automatically. While less than a litre of bin capacity seems a bit small, it helps keep the weight of the whole device down to just 2.67kg, which is plenty comfortable enough to use all over the house.

 

The emptying procedure has been vastly improved on the V10, with the whole bin sliding forward to eject everything inside, a virtually dust free procedure which takes about a second. In fact, thanks to Dyson's latest filtration technology, dust doesn't get a look in. I even took part in a demonstration where the V10 sucked up a tank of smoke and left no trace.

 

The V10 comes with a compact docking station so you can hang it on the wall, complete with sockets you can fit your two favourite attachments into.

 

Ah yes, the attachments. The powered heads are extremely maneuverable, in fact you can hold the V10 past right angles which makes stairs easier than ever, either from above or below. There's a mini version of the motorised heads for smaller spaces and the familiar Brush, Crevice and Combination tools. There are also two even more ingenius attachments; the Flexi-Crevice tool, which extends to twice its length making it ideal for cobwebs in high corners and the Extension Hose, made from some kind of super-bendy wonder-material that ensures sucking things out of tight places under car seats is a breeze.

 

Design excellence is everywhere, with all these attachments easily snapping on and off with the same quick-release system and in many cases, you can attach them together to use them in combination.

 

If it sounds like a lot of bits to look after, it is. Which is why Dyson includes a comfy shoulder bag to put them in so you can carry them all around with you while you work.

 

You won't believe me when I say this, but I swear it's true. The Dyson V10 works so brilliantly, it's actually fun to use. I started to search out things to vacuum, just so I could use it a bit more.

 

Then came the ultimate test; moving house. You know what it's like, when you move you seem to need to vacuum every 5 minutes - boxes, rubbish and mess everywhere. Places under furniture that hasn't been moved for years. Then moving day comes and not only do you have to vacuum the house you're leaving behind, but you usually want to give the new one a good going over too.

 

Sadly, this is where my V10 met its match. I fully expected to run out of charge at some stage on moving day, so I diligently plugged it in whenever I wasn't using it. What I hadn't anticipated was a filter clean. A light started blinking on the side of the handset demanding I clean the filter. Luckily, as usual, Dyson has made this process extremely straight-forward; you simply unscrew the filter compartment off the back and run the tap through it.

 

Unfortunately, you then need to wait 24 hours for the filter to dry. Under normal circumstances, this is a process that only needs to happen once a month at most - but moving day is the opposite of normal circumstances. What's more, I didn't have 24 hours to wait for the filter to dry - I was only halfway through cleaning my old house and the new owners were on the way.

 

Luckily, my old handheld DC58 had been charging too. I got down on my hands and knees and finished the rest of the floors with that. Not quite what I'd planned.

 

Nor was what happened 24 hours later when I screwed the dried-out filter back on, which was absolutely nothing. My V10 had decided it had done enough and would do no more. What a disaster! To have the finest vacuum technology I'd ever encountered right there in my hands, but for it to remain completely lifeless. The humanity!

 

I got hold of Dyson and they replaced it immediately, totally confused by what could have caused the issue. So now I vacuum on, undeterred - although I'm a bit nervous about what will happen next time I clean that filter.

 

Let's hope it's some kind of freak, one-off fault, which I'm sure it must have been because I haven't been able to find any mention of a similar problem anywhere online. (And believe me, I looked)

 

In the meantime, my cars, stairs, ceilings and floors have never looked so spotless and I no longer dread my Friday morning chore. Is it going too far to say I now look forward to it?... Let's not get carried away.

 

 

Click here for more information on the Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute+