Dyson V7 Absolute review

The Dyson V7 Absolute is the latest in a line of handheld vacuums from Dyson. Find out if if it justifies its price tag with our in-depth Dyson V7 Absolute review.

Dyson V7 Absolute Review
(Image: © Dyson)

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

The Dyson V7 Absolute is a great cordless vacuum. Well designed with plenty of attachments for a variety of cleaning tasks, the Dyson V7 Absolute has the performance to match.

Pros

  • +

    Brilliant bagless design

  • +

    Wide range of accessories

  • +

    Handy reach under tool

  • +

    Good suction

Cons

  • -

    30 minute battery life limiting

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The Dyson V7 Absolute is the latest in a line of cordless stick vacuums, with the company becoming known for offering some of the best technology in household appliances money can buy. 

Dyson's V7 Absolute promises a convenient and cord-free way for maintaining a range of clean surfaces and sits between the more powerful V8 and lighter V6 in the Dyson cordless range. Is it the Goldilocks of Dyson vacuums? 

Dyson V7 Absolute review: Features

  • Motor spins at up to 107,000rpm
  • 75% more bush bar power generated compared to V6
  • Battery life of up to 30 minutes

One of the key appeals of Dyson vacuums is the suction technology employed and the V7 Absolute is no exception. 

The V7 Absolute uses a motor that spins at up to an incredible 107,000rpm - to put that into perspective that's up to five times faster than a Formula 1 car engine. This sees the V7 Absolute kick out 100 Air Watts, which compared to its smaller V6 sibling equates to about 75% more bush bar power generated. 

Then there's Dyson's patented 2 Tier Radial cyclone tech that sees 15 small cyclones suck up dust and put it in the bin. There's also a filtration system that captures microscopic dirt particles as small as 0.3 microns - that's almost 100 times smaller than the width of a human hair. This is good news if you or someone in your household suffers from allergies as the V7 Absolute is certified to capture the majority of dust particles.

As the V7 Absolute is cordless, it's powered by a rechargeable nickel-manganese-cobalt battery that lasts for up to 30 minutes, while suction shouldn't fade as the battery depletes. Use the MAX power mode though and battery life drops to a pretty limiting seven minutes. 

Dyson V7 Absolute review: Design

  • Used as a stick vacuum with heads for carpet and hard floors
  • Reach under tool makes vacuuming hard to reach areas easy
  • Converts easily to a handheld vacuum

If there's one word to some up the V7 Absolute, it's versatile. It can be used as a stick vacuum and is supplied with both a direct drive cleaner head for carpets, as well as a soft roller cleaner head. This features soft-woven nylon and anti-static carbon fiber for hard floors. New to the V7 Absolute is a clever reach under tool. Rather than having to bend down to get to the hard to reach spots, this tool twists and locks into place, allowing you to easily clean under furniture. 

The V7 Absolute doubles as a powerful handheld vacuum as well and comes with a host of useful tools. There's the combination tool that's good for switching between surfaces, the crevice tool that's designed for precise cleaning around edges and narrow gaps and a mini motorized tool. This motorized brush bar is designed to tackle pet hair and ground-in dirt, while there's also a soft-dusting brush attachment that's handy for hard surfaces. If there's one complaint, there's nothing supplied to keep all your accessories together - you'll have to resort to a third party solution if you want to have easy access to them rather than dumping them in a cardboard box under the stairs. There is a handy docking station that screws to the wall, with the V7 Absolute locking into place and recharging.

All the dirt collected is held in a 0.54 litre bin that's quick and easy to empty - simply hold it over your trash can, lift the lever and the bottom is released and the debris will fall out. It's a neat solution that works well. 

The Dyson V7 Absolute is also extremely light with the main body weighing in at just 4.85lbs (2.2kgs).  

Dyson V7 Absolute review: Performance

  • Trigger release to power on the V7 Absolute
  • Decent and powerful vacuum performance
  • Accessories swap out easily

Rather than an on/off switch, the V7 Absolute sports a trigger system - pick it up and press the trigger button and the V7 Absolute will fire into life. You'll have to keep it depressed as you clean, which might seem a little odd at first, but soon becomes second nature. 

Cleaning wise, we weren't left disappointed. Used on hardwood floors as well as short and thick carpet, the V7 Absolute impressed, sucking up everything in its path. The temptation is to use the MAX mode all the time, but you'll only get 7 minutes of charge, so use it sparingly. Even on its standard power mode there's plenty of torque to give your floors a good clean. 

It's easy to swap between heads and accessories, with each tool releasing and locking without any issues. The lightweight design means it's also easy to maneuver and lift up to reach those hard to reach parts of your home.  

The battery life is a little disappointing at just 30 minutes, while you can expect charge times of around 3.5 hours to charge fully. Annoyingly, you can't use it while it's charging, but at the same time it's not meant to replace a dedicated corded vacuum. 

Should I buy a Dyson V7 Absolute?

The Dyson V7 Absolute looks great, is comfortable and easy to use, has a quick-charging battery and a convenient release for emptying the bin. 

Performance is also very good and for those looking for a versatile vacuum that can be used round the house for a variety of cleaning tasks, then the Dyson V7 Absolute ticks pretty much every box.

You'll probably want still use a corded vacuum alongside the V7 Absolute if you have a lot of rooms to cover in one hit, but most of the time you'll end up reaching for this great cordless vacuum to get the job done quickly. 

Phil Hall

Phil is a photography and auto enthusiast who currently works as Editor of HeyCar. He has worked as Photography Editor on our sister site, TechRadar, and was briefly on the Top Ten Reviews team from 2019 to 2020 where he was responsible for commissioning, managing some members of the team, and writing news about cars and cameras.