The Dyson V8 is a bagless cordless stick/handheld vacuum. Originally released in 2016, it represents Dyson's entry-level model in their V-Series cordless lineup. It utilizes the least potent motor in Dyson's V-series, with 115 AW of suction, and lacks some conveniences of newer models, such as automatic suction adjustment. Instead, you can manually select between two suction power settings. There are many variants available offering a wide array of accessories and attachments, including a turbo brush for furniture cleaning.
See our Differences Between Variants section for complete information about which accessories and attachments come with each variant, and note that some variants are region-specific.
Our Verdict
The Dyson V8 is a decent choice for a house. This small cordless stick vacuum is so well-sealed that it won't impact air quality as you clean, although you should be careful not to release a cloud of dust when emptying its bagless dirt compartment. It offers great pet hair and fine debris pickup on carpets, but its low floorhead struggles to pick up medium and larger debris, instead pushing it around. The major issue with using this vacuum in a house is its short runtime; it's difficult to clear large areas on a single charge or vacuum particularly heavy messes which require you to use the maximum suction setting. Build quality is also only okay, as the plastic can feel somewhat fragile.
Easily picks up pet hair.
Picks up most small debris.
Outstanding HEPA filtration performance seals in nearly every speck of dust.
- Only okay build quality.
Low floorhead pushes around medium and large debris.
Emptying the dirt compartment releases a cloud of dust.
The Dyson V8 is a great option for a small apartment. This is a compact, cordless vacuum that's ideal for small spaces, as it requires minimal storage space. It does a good job of filtering small particles during operation and doesn't negatively impact air quality. However, as a bagless vacuum, dust tends to scatter everywhere while emptying, so it's best to do this outside to avoid redistributing the dust you just picked up. Speaking of pick-up performance, it's a bit of a mixed bag. Pet hair is no problem for this vacuum, and it's good at removing fine debris from both bare floors and carpets. Unfortunately, its low floorhead tends to push medium and large-sized materials around on low-pile carpets and hard floors rather than removing them, so you'll need to perform extra passes and lift the floorhead to clear away this type of debris.
Easily picks up pet hair.
Picks up most small debris.
Outstanding HEPA filtration performance seals in nearly every speck of dust.
Low floorhead pushes around medium and large debris.
Emptying the dirt compartment releases a cloud of dust.
The Dyson V8 is great for cleaning stairs. It's lightweight and cordless, so you don't need to worry about tripping over a power cord, and it performs well on most surface types, especially with fine debris like pet hair. Additionally, its HEPA filter seals in dust so effectively that it won't negatively impact your air quality. However, be sure to empty the bagless dirt compartment away from living areas to prevent releasing a cloud of dust.
Easily picks up pet hair.
Lightweight.
Outstanding HEPA filtration performance seals in nearly every speck of dust.
Emptying the dirt compartment releases a cloud of dust.
This vacuum is very good for cleaning cars. Its highly portable, cordless design makes it easy to clean cars away from a power outlet, and it's easy to maintain and store after you're done. It does a decent job of clearing debris from automotive carpets, especially pet hair. You can also reconfigure it into a handheld vacuum and use a variety of attachments, including a crevice tool for narrow areas and a turbo brush for dislodging dirt from fabrics. However, it doesn't feel especially sturdy, and its suction is only adequate.
Convenient to use in tight spaces.
Easily picks up pet hair.
Accessory rich, with turbo brush and crevice tools.
- Only okay build quality.
Suction is insufficient to clean cracks.
The Dyson V8 is a decent option for cleaning bare floors. It's great for dealing with finer debris, but it tends to push larger debris around, which requires you to pick up the floorhead and make multiple passes. It does a satisfactory job on cracks but needs a more powerful suction motor to lift debris out of deep crevices.
Picks up most small debris.
Low floorhead pushes around medium and large debris.
Suction is insufficient to clean cracks.
The Dyson V8 delivers decent carpet pickup performance. On high-pile carpets, performance is good since it picks up most fine debris and pushes medium and large debris down into the softer carpet fibers, allowing it to be picked up. On low-pile carpets, performance is only adequate, as much of the medium and large material gets pushed around by the low floorhead rather than being picked up, although there's sufficient agitation to remove fine debris.
Picks up most small debris.
Low floorhead pushes around medium and large debris.
The Dyson V8 offers impressive performance in picking up pet hair. On carpet, the bristles on its multi-surface floorhead pick up almost all pet hair, including the most deeply embedded hairs. If you use its turbo brush attachment on furniture, it does a good job removing pet hair, leaving only a few short strands on its first pass.
Easily picks up pet hair.
The Dyson V8 has virtually no impact on air quality during operation. Its HEPA filter does a superb job of sealing in dust as you clean. However, emptying this bagless vacuum creates a large cloud of dust that you can breathe in and which will settle throughout your room. You may have a hard time containing all the dust in a garbage bag, and it would be better if you could empty this outdoors.
Outstanding HEPA filtration performance seals in nearly every speck of dust.
Emptying the dirt compartment releases a cloud of dust.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Jan 16, 2026:
We added text to this review for the new tests added in Test Bench 1.4, as well as the new verdicts.
- Updated Jan 16, 2026: We've updated this review to the latest test bench, adding Runtime, Mobility, Air Quality, and Mopping Capabilities sections, as well as a Swappable Battery test. See the Vacuum Test Bench 1.4 changelog.
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Updated May 07, 2025:
We mentioned that the fluffy cleaner head included with the Dyson V8 Absolute variant and the Dyson Cyclone V10 might work better on hard floors.
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Updated Jan 17, 2025:
Added the Dyson Digital Slim as an alternative with a better user interface and LCD Display in the Quality of Life Features section.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
In the North American market, three different variants of the Dyson V8 are available: the Origin, the Animal, and the Absolute. We tested the 'Animal' variant, and you can see its label here. The only difference between the three is in the included attachments. It's also worth mentioning that all trim levels of the V8 have been slightly updated and come with a slightly different set of attachments, which we've included below.
| Model Name | Tools Included | Accent Color | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| V8 Origin | Motorbar cleaner head, Combination Tool | Purple/Red, Purple | |
| V8 Plus | Motorbar cleaner head, Hair Screw tool, Crevice Tool, Mini Soft Dusting Brush | Purple | |
| V8 Car+Boat | Mini Motorized tool, Combination Tool, Crevice Tool | Purple | Intended to be used as a handheld vacuum and doesn't come with a wand or floorhead |
| V8 Animal | Direct Drive cleaner head, Mini Motorized Tool, Mini Soft Dusting Brush, Combination Tool, Crevice Tool | Purple | |
| V8 Animal (Updated) | Motorbar cleaner head, Hair Screw tool, Combination Tool, Crevice Tool | Purple | |
| V8 Absolute | Fluffy cleaner head, Direct Drive cleaner head, Mini Motorized Tool, Mini Soft Dusting Brush, Combination Tool, Crevice Tool | Yellow | |
| V8 Absolute (Updated) | Fluffy cleaner head, Motorbar cleaner head, Hair Screw tool, Combination Tool, Crevice Tool | Teal |
Let us know if you encounter a Dyson V8 that's different from ours, and we'll update our review.
Popular Vacuum Comparisons
The Dyson V8 is a stick/handheld vacuum. This older model is positioned as an entry-level Dyson. It falls behind newer Dyson stick vacuums like the Dyson Cyclone V10, the Dyson V11, and the Dyson V15 Detect regarding feature set, battery life, and overall suction power. It also lacks newer features like a particle sensor, and it can't automatically adjust its suction power. Still, despite its age and entry-level position in Dyson's current lineup, it remains a standout choice for pet owners living in apartments. It effectively clears pet hair from furniture and carpet, comes equipped with a very effective HEPA filter that seals in fine particles like pet dander, and its compact design allows for easy storage in a utility closet. That said, homeowners will likely want to look elsewhere, as its short runtime will make it difficult to clean large or particularly dirty areas on a single charge.
If you're looking for more options, check out our recommendations for the best cordless stick vacuums, the best lightweight vacuums, and the best car vacuums.
The Dyson V11 is better overall than the Dyson V8. It offers superior performance on most surface types thanks to its more powerful suction motor, higher-capacity battery, larger dustbin, and automatic power adjustment system. That said, the V8 is lighter.
The Dyson V12 Detect Slim is better than the Dyson V8. The V12 offers vastly improved battery performance, with a longer runtime and a much shorter recharge time. It also performs better on bare floors and is more effective in dealing with debris in cracks and crevices when used with its Laser Slim floorhead. It weighs a little less, making it even easier to maneuver. The V12 also has an automatic power adjustment feature, which allows it to increase its suction mode on carpeting or when it detects a significant concentration of debris. That said, the V8 has a larger dirt compartment that's over twice the capacity.
The Dyson V8 and the Dyson Cyclone V10 are very similar stick/handheld vacuums with a few minor differences. The V8 is a bit lighter and easier to maintain. However, the V10 has a higher-capacity dustbin. While the V10 also has a more powerful suction motor, the two vacuums are ultimately very evenly matched regarding debris pickup in the real world.
The Dyson V8 is simply better overall than the Dyson V7. The V8 performs far better on bare floors and carpets by virtue of a more powerful motor. It also has a longer maximum runtime and a battery life indicator to roughly tell you how much charge is left. The Animal variant of the V8 also comes with a unique 180-degree brush, which is good for cleaning hard-to-reach places.
Test Results
This vacuum does a passable job of dealing with debris on hard floors. It's quite effective at clearing away small debris like sand on this surface type, but its floorhead tends to push around larger debris like rice and cereal pieces instead of allowing the vacuum to suck it up.
On hard floors, we expect that the fluffy cleaner head included with the V8 Absolute variant will do a better job in this task than the bristled brushroll in the motorbar. For example, the Dyson Cyclone V10 uses a fluffy cleaner head and performs much better on hard floors.
This vacuum does a good job of cleaning high-pile carpeting. Its floorhead's brushroll provides a good level of surface agitation, allowing the vacuum to lift away smaller debris like sand, along with the majority of medium and bulky debris like rice or cereal. That said, you'll need to make a second pass to clear away everything.
This vacuum's performance is alright on low-pile carpeting. It's pretty effective in dealing with finer debris like sand, but its floorhead tends to push around larger debris like rice or cereal.
This vacuum does an excellent job of dealing with pet hair on low-pile carpeting. The bristles on its multi-surface floorhead are stiff enough to provide sufficient surface agitation to lift away hair that's been worked into carpet fibers. Check out the RYOBI PCL720K if you want a cordless stick vacuum that does an even better job of dealing with pet hair on carpeting.
This vacuum does a good job of handling pet hair on upholstered surfaces with its turbo brush attachment. It clears long strands of hair without difficulty but leaves behind some shorter strands on its first pass. The Hair Screw tool bundled with newer versions of the V8 does a better job of clearing away pet hair on this surface type.
The Dyson V8 does a decent job cleaning debris in cracks and crevices. It doesn't have too much trouble cleaning debris from shallower cracks. However, it uses a less powerful suction motor than the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, so it isn't quite as effective in lifting away debris sunken into deeper crevices. If you're set on the V8 but want slightly better crack-cleaning performance on bare floors, you could consider the Absolute variant, which comes bundled with a fluffy cleaner head that will slightly improve its ability to pick up debris in areas like grout lines on a tile floor.
This vacuum feels fairly well-built. It looks premium, but besides its lightweight metal wand, it's entirely made of plastic and doesn't feel especially sturdy. The dirt compartment is made of see-through plastic and feels particularly fragile. Check out the Shark Cordless Pet Plus if you want something sturdier. On the plus side, it's really easy to assemble and take apart since its parts clip together. If you want a cordless vacuum with better build quality, consider the Miele Duoflex HX1.
- Dyson V8 Animal vacuum
- Dirt compartment
- Lint/dust screen
- Cyclone
- Direct Drive vacuum head (Not included with V8 Origin, V8 Animal (Updated), or V8 Absolute (Updated) variants)
- Wand
- Pre-motor filter
- Post-motor (HEPA) filter
- Vacuum User Guide
- Various tools and brushes
- Brushroll
- Soft dusting brush (Not included with V8 Origin, V8 Animal (Updated), or V8 Absolute (Updated) variants)
- Upholstery and hard bristle brush tool
- Turbo brush (Not included with V8 Origin, V8 Animal (Updated), or V8 Absolute (Updated) variants)
- Crevice tool (Not included with V8 Origin variant)
- Tool holder
- 180 degree pivot extender tool (Not included with V8 Origin, V8 Animal (Updated), or V8 Absolute (Updated) variants)
- Docking station
- Installation manual
- Screws
- Charger
The following attachment is exclusive to the V8 Absolute and V8 Absolute (Updated) variants
- Fluffy Cleaner head
The following attachments are exclusive to the V8 Origin, V8 Absolute (Updated) and V8 Animal (Updated) models
- Motorbar vacuum head
- Hair Screw Tool
This vacuum isn't too hard to store. It has a wall rack station that holds it upright when it's not in use. However, the rack station only has onboard storage for two tools.
This vacuum has a reasonably sized dirt compartment. It's on the smaller side for a cordless stick vacuum, with alternatives like the Samsung Jet 70 having larger dustbins that are mounted horizontally, in line with the vacuum's wand. The Dyson vacuum's dustbin is made of clear plastic and has a clearly visible max fill indicator, so you can easily see when it needs emptying. If you don't mind the bulkier form factor of an upright and could use a cordless vacuum with an even larger dustbin, consider the Hoover ONEPWR Evolve Pet. Alternatively, if you'd prefer sticking with a lightweight cordless stick vacuum that comes with an automatic self-empty dock, the Shark Detect Pro is a good choice.
This vacuum's runtime performance is inadequate. Its maximum runtime in the default low-power Powerful Suction mode is lower than newer cordless vacuums like the Dyson Cyclone V10 or the Dyson V11. While its minimum runtime in MAX mode is low, this is typical of vacuums like the Dyson V15 Detect. You might be able to accomplish most cleaning tasks, but these factors will prove to be an issue when it comes to cleaning heavier messes or larger spaces.
The Dyson V8's battery performance is mediocre. Since the battery isn't swappable, you can't keep a fully charged spare battery on hand that you can swap out to continue with a large cleaning task when the battery runs out of power. Additionally, this battery takes significantly longer to recharge than alternatives that offer a similar runtime, such as the Shark Pet/Rocket Pro Cordless.
This vacuum is somewhat easy to maintain. Several parts need regular maintenance, but they're easy to access.
You can open the dirt compartment by pressing the red release valve at the top of the vacuum's body. It's fairly small and needs frequent emptying. Unfortunately, while it's very easy to dismount from the body or to open up and empty, debris can spread while you're shaking it over a trash bin.
You can pull out the pre-filter from the top and twist the HEPA filter off the back of the vacuum. Both need to be washed once a month with cold water. Depending on your usage, you should brush off any debris on the lint screen inside the dirt compartment.
You can unlock the brushroll from the floorhead by twisting the brushroll cover with a flat object, like a coin, and then pulling it free. When necessary, you should clear away any stuck-on debris or tangled hair. You can remove the brushroll in the miniature turbo brush just like the brushroll in the floorhead. You should remove debris and tangled hair from the turbo brush when necessary.
You should allow any part you wash with water to dry thoroughly for at least 24 hours before you reinstall it in the vacuum.
This vacuum incurs virtually no recurring costs. Like other Dyson vacuums like the Dyson V11 and Dyson V7, it uses a bagless design, so you don't need to worry about buying dirtbags. You won't have to replace the filters as long as they're properly maintained. However, if needed, you can find a replacement pre-filter here and a replacement HEPA filter here.
The Dyson V8 doesn't have too many extra quality-of-life features. It has a rotating head, which helps it maneuver around obstacles. You can manually choose between two suction power settings: the default Powerful Suction mode and the high-power MAX mode for cleaning stubborn debris. Consider the Tineco PURE ONE S11 if you're looking for a cordless stick vacuum with more bells and whistles, as it can automatically increase its suction power in an area with a large concentration of debris. Or, if you want a Dyson model with a nicer user interface with an LCD, consider the Dyson Digital Slim.
The Dyson V8 is very portable. This vacuum is lighter than more powerful Dyson models like the Dyson V11 and doesn't feel very heavy in your hand. Its handle makes it easy to carry from room to room or upstairs.
The Dyson V8 has good maneuverability. Its slim size, lightweight plastic construction, and rotating head make maneuvering in tight areas and around obstacles easy. It comes with tools and brushes that help clean furniture, stairs, or other tight spots but lacks onboard storage, which is a little inconvenient. Also, you may need to crouch down to properly clean under low furniture like couches and coffee tables. The vacuum also tends to get stuck on rug tassels. Fortunately, it can push electric cords out of the way without much trouble.
Since this is a cordless vacuum, its range is limited only by battery life and the room left in its dirt compartment. If you don't want to worry about keeping a battery charged, consider a comparable corded stick/handheld vacuum like the Shark Vertex UltraLight Corded.
This vacuum has a remarkable filtration system that captures and contains nearly all dust. Only minute quantities of dust are released when the vacuum first starts and during cleaning. This is a very low amount of dust, so you don't have to worry about this vacuum negatively impacting your home's air quality as you clean.
Just like nearly every bagless vacuum, emptying this one negatively impacts air quality. Even emptying the dirt compartment deep within a garbage bag will release dust, and this approach is much more cautious than Dyson's procedure. So it would be best to empty this outdoors or at least away from any living areas.
This vacuum delivers okay suction power. The manufacturer advertises its suction motor as producing 115 AW of power, which falls some way short of the current entry-level Dyson stick model, the Dyson V12 Detect Slim. As such, it doesn't do as well when drawing away debris embedded deep within carpet fibers or cracks and crevices. That difference in performance is also borne out when observing suction measured from its hose.
The Dyson V8's airflow performance is satisfactory. It isn't quite as effective as newer, pricier, and more powerful models for generating air movement, but it still does well enough to clear away most kinds of solid debris.
This vacuum is pretty quiet. When running, it makes a somewhat high-pitched noise that's sufficient to mask the sound of nearby conversation, but using it in an enclosed room does help block out most of the noise. Regardless, if you're looking for a quieter cordless stick vacuum, the Tineco S10 is a solid alternative.
