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Dyson is one of the biggest vacuuming brands on the market, known for its constant innovation and sleek, cordless designs that make them some of the best vacuums you can buy. At the Good Housekeeping Institute, our experts have been testing the brand’s products for over 20 years, reviewing around 50 models to date, to find the best Dyson for your home, so we’re very familiar with their work.
But all this innovation comes at a price. Our top-rated Dyson stick vacuum for cleaning is the newest Gen5Detect Absolute Cordless Vacuum, which costs £749.99. If you have the budget, you’ll love the flashy LCD screen and head lights that show you every spec of dirt. However, not everyone has £800 to drop on a new cleaner.
The good news? An affordable Dyson vacuum does exist. Enter our experts’ best value pick: Dyson’s V8 Absolute Cordless Vacuum.
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Launching back in 2016, the Dyson V8 Absolute is an older model that’s still readily available via Dyson and Amazon. It retails at £350 less than the newest Dyson and scored an impressive 92/100 in our lab, making it a great investment if you want a Dyson vacuum on a budget.
But let’s break it down – is the Dyson V8 Absolute still worth buying in 2025, over the newer models?
How we tested the Dyson V8 Absolute Cordless Vacuum
In our lab, we have our very own dedicated vacuuming room (yes, really). That’s where our experts get to work testing dust pick up on a range of flooring, including laminate, floorboards, long- and short-pile carpet.
They lay down a special formulation of dust and debris and, after a fixed number of sweeps, they weigh out exactly how much the vacuum has collected. They also see how it fares with small residue like cereal and biscuit crumbs.
Then they grind pet hair (collected from our testers’ four legged friends) into the carpet to see if it’s a good pick for pet lovers. Finally, they use it clean their car, seeing how well it tackles tricky crevices.
Throughout, they rate design, ease of use, and clarity of instructions.
The Good Housekeeping Institute’s verdict on Dyson’s V8 Absolute Cordless Vacuum
Performance
This model boasts a motor that spins at up to 110,000 revolutions per minute (versus 135,000rpm for the new Gen5Detect) as well as a “Root Cyclone” separation system, which captures dust and debris and separates them, so you don’t lose suction.
In our tests, the motor proved effective at lifting dirt and debris across the board, scoring perfect marks for pick up on hard flooring. Performance dipped slightly on carpets, but it still managed to collect most biscuit crumbs and Rice Krispies. The detangling Digital Motorbar head worked well on our pet hair tests, removing all noticeable strands from the carpet.
The only thing you don’t get with this value buy are some of the premium add-ons. It doesn’t have the LCD screen of the newer models, which provide real-time information on what’s being collected, and the filtration isn’t as good. However, it still captures 99.99% of dust, particles and allergens so this is a niggle we can ignore – and still breathe easy!
Ease of use
The V8 only dropped one mark in our ease-of-use tests. Our experts loved the lightweight design (2.61kg versus 3.5kg for the Gen5Detect) and found it easy to manoeuvre around furniture and into awkward spaces.
There are only two power modes, and you have to keep a finger on the power button throughout, which can get uncomfortable if you’re vacuuming the whole house. You won’t be able to do this on maximum power either – it only lasts seven minutes so save this setting for deep cleans and high-traffic areas in your home.
On standard mode, the run time is around 40 minutes. This is one of its main differences to the Gen5Detect, which lasts up to 70, but unless you have a large home, you should be able to vacuum effectively within this timeframe. Just pop it back on charge after you’re finished, and you’re good to go.
As a handheld model, our experts found it a little bulky and uncomfortable to hold for long periods, but its pick-up still impressed in the lab, making it a reliable model for quick spot cleans.
The final verdict
Scoring 92/100, this lightweight stick vacuum is an oldie but a goodie. Testers were won over by its pick-up and found the 0.54-litre dust canister quick and easy to empty thanks to the “point and shoot” mechanism, which empties dust straight into your bin in one swift action.
You also get a range of great tools included, such as a mattress vacuuming tool, a quick-release mini soft dusting brush, a crevice tool for reaching awkward spaces, a hair screw tool, a combination tool, and two cleaning heads, which are great for tackling a range of tasks.
Read more: Are mattress vacuums worth it?
So, should you still buy the Dyson V8 Absolute in 2025? Absolute–ly.
It’s versatile, well-designed, and offers access to Dyson’s premium engineering at a lower price tag. As long as you don’t mind sacrificing some of the bells and whistles of the newer models, this is the best value Dyson vacuum cleaner to buy now.
The Dyson V8 is available at Dyson for £399.99
Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s senior homes and lifestyle writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market and has written hundreds of product reviews on everything from the best vacuum cleaners and coffee machines to the best ice cream makers and robot window cleaners.
When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her running every distance from 5km to 100km or relaxing at home with her cat – there really is no in between.
Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, Women's Health, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall.
Blossom is passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for GH readers. As head of the homes testing team, she has led reviews across multiple categories, from pizza ovens, and smart plugs to portable fans and hobs. She enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols to ensure we’re testing them against their claims. Her aim is to find the top-performing products on the market, to help take the hard work out of housework. Blossom’s most notable accomplishment in the lab has been toasting 528 slices of bread in her quest to find the best toasters money can buy. In her free time, she openly admits to being a music geek and indulges her creative side through crocheting, baking, singing and writing.
