Dyson v6 Absolute vacuum review

Normally I'm against stereotype "female" gifts i.e. toasters, blenders and other household appliances. I'd like to think that in this day and age we've moved past thinking housework is just women's work, but it seems all the department stores still think it is. Granted it is me who does most of the "housework" here, but that's not the point. I have to admit though, despite my dislike of pigeon-holed gender roles and the gifts associated with them, I was absolutely swooning over getting a new Dyson vacuum. I know I'm a big fat hypocrite, but trust me you'd be swooning over it too.

Up until recently vacuuming wasn't something I enjoyed doing {because hello it's vacuuming}. However, with a small toddler I don't really have a choice because toddlers are super messy. Playdoh, dirt, glitter, sultanas, peas and a whole bunch of other stuff inevitably finds its way onto my floors about 4000 times a day. Needless to say that requires a bit of cleaning and also meant I've had a lot of resentment towards needing to do it every five minutes. That was until my new Dyson v6 Absolute arrived this week.

Christmas has come early in our house, well for me anyway {bub still has to wait}. I never thought I'd be so excited...
Posted by Finding Myself Young on Saturday, December 5, 2015

You see up until this week I've been cleaning with a really heavy barrel vacuum that I've had for 9yrs. I didn't realise how far technology had come in the last 9yrs, my old vacuum really does look like something from the stone ages compared to the Dyson. I really had no idea what I was missing out on. Handstick, cordless and bag-less were words I never associated with vacuuming until the last week. I'm so glad Dyson has opened my eyes to how easy {and dare I say enjoyable} it can be. I'm totally in love with vacuuming now and I'm secretly loving it when bub makes a mess because it means I can clean it up {who even am I?}.

Without a doubt the biggest benefit of the Dyson v6 Absolute for me is that the vacuum is cordless. Not only does it save me having to stop and change the plug 3 different times while moving around the house, it also makes vacuuming a lot safer. A toddler running a million miles an hour plus a rogue vacuum cord don't really mix. Not to mention all the times the cord used to get caught on furniture as I moved around each room. Now I can move from room to room much quicker and easier.

The Dyson v6 Absolute comes with separate hard floor and carpet cleaning heads which makes it really simple to move from the tiles downstairs to the carpet upstairs. A simple click of a button removes the head and the new one slots in place. It also comes with a mini motorised tool, crevice tool and combination tool for cleaning all the hard to reach places like the couch, car and skirting boards.

The v6 Absolute also makes cleaning the stairs a lot easier. It was quite dangerous cleaning my stairs before, because I had to balance my heavy vacuum precariously on the edge of each step as I moved up. Not any more, thankgod. The Dyson vacuum is so light I can clean the stairs really quickly {and safely} now.

The vacuum is completely bag-less, storing all the contents in a clear canister. There's something so satisfying about seeing all the dirt that I've just sucked up sitting there waiting to be disposed of. It's really easy to empty - a simple flick of a button and all the dirt falls straight out into the bin. No more messing around trying to retrieve overflowing dust bags. The Dyson V6 Absolute also uses patented 2 Tier Radial™ cyclones, a post motor filter and a sealed system to ensure that the air that leaves machine is cleaner than the air you breathe. I have really bad asthma and I'm allergic to dust, so being able to vacuum without being exposed to all the dust particles is a huge benefit to me. The filters also don't need replacing, just a clean out once a month. No more buying replacement bags or filters.

Instead of having an on/off button, the Dyson v6 Absolute has a trigger button which needs to be held down to work. I'm in two minds about this. On the one hand I love it because it makes me feel in control, plus it means the vacuum only works when I need it to, so I'm not wasting any power while moving from one room to another. But, it does mean that my finger gets a bit fatigued if I use it for the whole 20 minutes.

The main drawback with the v6 Absolute is that it only has a 20 minute battery life, which means its not really designed to clean an entire house in one go. Its more for spot cleaning high traffic areas in between. However, because I live in a small townhouse I can pretty much do my entire house before the 20 minutes runs out {if I don't use the max button}, so it's not a huge issue for me but may turn others off. From what I've researched the 20 minute battery life seems to be pretty comparable to other cordless vacuums on the market.

What I love

Cordless
5 different cleaning heads
Compact + light {2.3kg}
Bag-less + HEPA filters
No need for replacement filters
Can convert to handheld for cleaning car + small areas
2 year warranty

Drawbacks

Short battery life
Trigger button
Price {It's on the expensive side, but in my opinion is worth every cent}

Overall opinion

The Dyson v6 Absolute has made cleaning so much easier and a lot safer, especially with a toddler on the loose. It hasn't stopped bub's fear of vacuum's, although she will try and help me use this one despite being scared of the noise, which is a huge improvement. She's even tried to change the power heads for me which gives me hope that one day maybe she'll do the vacuum cleaning for me! Although she'll have to fight me for it because right now I love it too much to share.

Its safe to say it's ignited a love for vacuum cleaning I never knew I had in me. I'm constantly looking for mess on the floor just so I have an excuse to use it. My floors have never looked so clean {if you ignore all the toys bub has lying around}. I'm sure if T knew it'd have this effect on me he would've got me one years ago. It's definitely a worthy investment.

You can purchase Dyson vacuums in store at  The Good Guys, Myer, David Jones, Big W, Harvey Norman and other leading electrical retailers. The Dyson V11 stick vacuum is the latest model Dyson stick vacuum available.

Do you love or loath vacuuming?

Toni x

Disclosure - I was gifted the Dyson v6 Absolute in exchange for attending a demonstration at the Food & Wine show and reviewing it here on the blog. All opinions are my own based on my experience using the vacuum cleaner. I did not receive payment for this review.

*This post contains some affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, should you make a purchase.