Over the years, on both our boats and living in a very small house, we’ve had a number of cordless handheld vacuums. The original DustBuster, a Shark, several Mexican models, then three different Ryobi ones.
Most weren’t really satisfactory, lacking the power we wanted. Our first Ryobi was great . . . but we sold it with our house. The replacement Ryobi died quickly, but since the previous one had been so good, we bought another. And when that one quickly died, we re-thought our approach.
We really wanted a cordless handheld vacuum. We’d once had a corded one and just found it to be a nuisance to drag a cord around a boat. And handheld? We didn’t have the room to store something larger, as well as we needed it to get into tight spaces easily. The other requirements were that it have decent battery life, great suction, no weird bags that we couldn’t find in foreign countries and it had to last.
A while before the Ryobi fiascos, I’d done a roundup of reader recommendations on boat vacuums and the winner had been the Dyson Cordless Handheld. But Dysons are expensive, costing several times what our other vacuums had cost. So we’d balked.
Then it dawned on us that if the Dyson worked as well as people said it did . . . and actually lasted . . . it would cost less in the long run while giving better service. So I took a very deep breath and ordered one. Because it’s expensive as handheld vacuums go, I wanted to use it for a fair amount of time before writing a review.
Here’s the bottom line: It’s been over a year and a half now, with daily use, and we love it. We should have bought it 15 years ago and saved all the money we spent on the crappy ones.
- It is powerful — we generally use it on the regular setting to conserve the battery but when needed, the “turbo” has noticeably more suction.
- The trigger “on” button is great for conserving power — no fumbling to find the switch.
- It is nicely balanced in our hands.
- The two standard attachments that come with it have been sufficient for everything we’ve used it for.
- Emptying the dust container is easy to do, and it just neatly falls into the trash bag.
- The filter can be washed out — no need to find a replacement (and should you ever need to replace, enough Dysons have been sold with this filter that they are easy to find online).
- The battery, in addition to being rechargeable, is replaceable. So if it slowly loses its ability to hold a charge, you don’t have to buy a whole new vacuum!
We bought the “regular” V6 Trigger handheld. There is also a version made for dog hair — we did not get it, but people who have it with shedding dogs say it is very, very good. More recently, they’ve come out with a “Boat and Auto” model that could be worth looking into as it has the motorized tool for dog hair and several other potentially useful attachments. The basic unit on all of these is the same as ours; the others simply have various attachments packaged together with it (for less than they’d cost separately).
You can buy them directly from Dyson or through Amazon:
- Dyson: Handheld Vacuums
- Amazon:Â Dyson Trigger Cordless Handheld Vacuums
There are many attachments sold individually and parts are readily available from both Dyson and Amazon.
Three things to know:
- You need to charge the vacuum either from shore power or with a pure sine wave inverter (not a modified sine wave inverter — read here if you are unfamiliar with the dintinction), but it does not take a large inverter. We use this Kensington 150 watt inverter  that plugs into a “cigarette lighter” socket that we had previously purchased for other reasons: Kensington Auto/Air Power Inverter (Amazon).
- The cap on the filter can tend to fall off. Not a problem inside but if we were using the vacuum on deck and the cap went overboard, it’d be a problem. So we added a piece of tape.
- Try not to suck any water up in it. The good news is that we’ve gotten some in a couple of times and haven’t killed the vacuum. But the water will get into the dust bowl and mix with the dust . . . and then you have to clean the resulting mud out.
Here’s your “Quick Start” to everything you need to know when living on a boat:
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Randy Gunky Lump Lawson says
We are very impressed with our rechargeable Dyson that we have on our sailboat..so much so that we purchased another for our motorhome.
Donna Delahanty Guzman says
Randy, what model do you have?
heather tully says
hello from ‘ charisma “. the Dyson was the perfect choice. charisma has a central vacuum system but I found the hose cumbersome. we have the pet model with the turbo pickup. just love it.also, one night; great party , broken glass went down grabbed the vacuum sucked it all up thinking it was a dry spill. not .full glass of white wine. it never quit on me. smelled horrible even after a full cleaning but never quit. I take it in our motor home when traveling on land. its the best !
Randy Gunky Lump Lawson says
I am not sure which one we have on the boat, but I like the one we just purchased better anyway, the beater bar is much stronger..Beth is still sleeping, I don’t know the model name…but here are some pics…this is the charger…
Randy Gunky Lump Lawson says
The main unit…
Randy Gunky Lump Lawson says
Randy Gunky Lump Lawson says
Randy Gunky Lump Lawson says
Donna Delahanty Guzman Dyson V6 Motorhead Rechargeable
Gregory E Thompson says
Finally broke down and bought a cordless. Dyson V8 Animal. Came with all of the attachments $414 on Amazon Prime. Fantastic. We opted for the V8 because of the power and easy cleaning. Should have done this along time ago. The Admiral is very Happy and the other vacs are going to the Salvation Army and the small shop vac to the engine room.
Cathy McGillis Brinsfield says
We have one at home and liked it so much we got one for the sailboat. Easy to store and charge.
Ted Arisaka says
Just don’t vacuum near the heading sensor while underway on autopilot . It was a learning experience.
The Boat Galley says
And a bit of a spinning experience?
michelle ihnot says
Ted- How far away was your vacuum from the heading unit? (You may have just solved one of our electrical problems….)
Michelle
Sabrina Zickert says
How big are these? We have extremely limited storage space. We were looking at a 1 gallon shop vac. Comparable?
Randy Gunky Lump Lawson says
I posted some pics above Sabrina.
Sabrina Zickert says
Thank you. A little hard to tell but, looks about the same size as a 1 gal. Shop Vac.
Carolyn Shearlock says
I would say a little smaller. Plus the “nozzle” end comes off, making it easier to store. Also no hose. We used to have a one-galloon shop vac, so I’m familiar with the size. This is almost as powerful, but no wet/dry featurue.
Pauline McKenna says
Unlike a shop ax, cannot vacuum liquids with this.
Sabrina Zickert says
Ooh. Good point. My other concern is battery life. We do not live aboard. The boat does spend time on a trailer. I think we might be better served by a corded machine.
Donna Chiappini says
I did the small shop vac. Don’t do it. It’s bulky and difficult to manuver. Tips over and is frustrating. The Dyson doesn’t take up much space. I keep it and all of it’s tools in a small crate in one of the staterooms. Easily put away if I have guests. The long stick has to be put somewhere so I just put it in a locker.
Wendy Klaassen says
Love mine!
Ld Delano says
We’ve had two and both had charging issues. The connection wouldn’t stay put enough to keep it charging.
Liked the performance but couldn’t get enough juice to do the whole job.
Mark Sierakowski says
The Dyson is great, just wish it had a bigger battery.
Patti Holma says
We’re still using our Makita 18v li-ion cordless going on 6 years now, good thing is the charger is good for other Makita tools also.
Linda Strachan says
Love this vacuum! We also use our Dyson with the narrow long attachment to suck up bugs in the cabin at night! For Canadians this might be the most valuable feature
Pauline McKenna says
Have one, they are amazing!
Jenn Sumsion says
Christmas present for the kids’ bedrooms
Result !
Dick Dueck says
We have ours for 7 years. Survived 5 years on the boat and tow years in a construction site and the battery died!! Imagine. Just bought a new one on Amazon for $50 and can’t wait for it to arrive. Canada Post is slow. Should be here on Thursday.
The Boat Galley says
To me, the fact that the battery is replaceable is HUGE. Both from $$ standpoint and not having to throw the whole thing out.
Al Wong says
They are great. Just keep them dry. Battery died prematurely due to humidy in bilge.
Brittany Meyers says
Love our dyson!
Mary Watson says
Thanks for the review as we were just trying to decide on which cordless vacuum to purchase. We have a regular Dyson at home and despite its quirks, it does the job on a houseful of Golden Retriever hair. I ordered the hand held today from their website, and by clicking on the “chat here for a special deal” I was able to get the Dyson Dog vac for $183 with 4 tools included, plus the “special” was an additional 4 tools at no cost. Not sure I will really need all those for the boat but time will tell! Thanks for the detailed review–it sealed the deal.
Dean Calkins says
We love our cordless Dyson!
Joseph Grieser says
We have a Milwaukee M18 cordless wet/dry vac we love. Nice thing is it takes the same batteries as my drill. Battery life with the big M18 XC batteryis around 15 min, enough for doing the whole boat. It is the size of a medium tackle box.
The wet function is awesome for getting that last bit of water out of the bilges too
Donna Chiappini says
I wrote you a few years back askiing for suggestions for a boat vacuum. There was lots of good advice. But, in the end the Dyson is simply the best there is. I no longer have any real dust issues. I’m a weekender so when I leave I vacuum virtually everything in a matter of minutes including bedding. I simply love this machine. It has made my life so much easier.
Troy Etarip says
The most awesome vacuum. That’s what’s on Eagles Wings
Gale Golden Schulke says
We also have a Dyson. It is great.
Jessica Sinclair says
Same here, been charging on solar for 2 years now. Couldn’t live without it.
Brita Siepker says
My brother has one on his boat too; I was just thinking we need to swap our pathetic dustbuster for it.
Wanita Meed says
I compared the shark and bissell 2 yrs ago. Bissell won hands down. Battery lasted 20 min full power to the end while shark lasted 10 with decreasing suction. Less time to charge too. Bought extra filters as refitting steel boat.
Ron de Moraes says
In checking your advice to use a pure sine wave inverter and then going to the Kensington website I found this:
Peak power 120 Watts for 5 minutes, Continuous power 120 Watts for 120 minutes, 115 Volts AC +/_ 5 Volts, 60Hz +/- 1Hz, Regulated Modified Sine Wave.
Apparently, though regulated, it’s a modified sine wave inverter. I’m not sure what regulated means.
Carolyn Shearlock says
That’s interesting as it was marketed as pure when I bought it several years ago. I don’t know what regulated modified means, either. I will say that my Dyson has not had a problem with it. 😟
Connie Klimek Conway says
Best vacuum
Ever made!!!!
Judith Adams says
After all these reviews, it sounds like my next vacuum will be a dyson.
I have had this shark cyclone for 10 yrs. We’ve bought 3 hepa filters (expensive), and we’ve changed the belt a couple of times, but it won’t die..
Deb Jansma says
We chose this also, when we moved aboard. Worth every penny!
Michelle Walker says
We have had one on our sailboat for a couple years now. We love it too.
EvanW says
I just threw out the Black and Decker “dust buster” vacuum. Would not hold a charge, did not vacuum well, took up too much room. Whisk broom and dustpan are a boater’s best friend. And, its always charged.
Karen Smith says
Carolyn and others,
I am in NEED of a new vacuum, or at least one that has great suction.
How is this on carpets? We have a bunch of wool carpet on our boat!
Thanks!
Carolyn Shearlock says
We have rugs and it does well for us. I’d suggest maybe one of the “motorized beater bar” models if you are going to use it on carpet a lot.
Laura Dare says
We have carpeting throughout the interior of our boat. I vacuum it weekly with my Dyson V6 with the standard floor pole (no special beater bar) and can’t believe how much dust, dirt, and hair it picks up every time. This is my home vacuum and I carry it back and forth.
Samantha Oetting says
Just got mine yesterday! Very encouraging to hear you are so satisfied after 1.5 years. Thanks!
Helen Lesley says
We have that one too:)
Krystle says
Hi there! I was wondering how long it takes to charge the battery from dead to a full charge.
Carolyn Shearlock says
Somewhere between 2-1/2 and 3 hours. I’ve never timed it exactly, but both Dave and I had the same estimate. We do it using a small pure sine wave inverter from our 12v batteries.
Krystle says
Thanks, Carolyn!
Anonymous says
Love our dyson
Anonymous says
These things are awesome. My wife had me bring our home when we stored the boat for the season.
Anonymous says
Good to know, thanks for the article. We have a bagged vacuum and I am ready to go bagless!
Anonymous says
We use one for our boat, but also for our car and even at home for quick pick ups….
Anonymous says
We swear by Dyson. We have a large cabled one and a hand held at home, and a hand held on the boat. A must have!
Anonymous says
Use it almost daily. A cleaning machine. Totally worth the money. Perfect for our boat.
Anonymous says
Love our stain handheld
Anonymous says
I have a Dyson and a long haired German shepherd! Is the only vacuum that can cope! Plus customer service is fantastic and they send you spares if you need them hassle free.
Anonymous says
I love my Dyson for the boat!!
Anonymous says
Love my Dyson and no cord to plug in on the boat is priceless