Best Vacuum? $60 vs $500 Dyson? Let’s Find Out!

The Nugget

The $60 vacuum does not compare favorably to the $500 Dyson; higher price correlates with better performance, especially in suction and cleaning capabilities. Ultimately, the Dyson and Shark Stratos show superior performance, while budget options like Bissell and AmazonBasics fall short in key tests.

Make it stick

🧹 Price Matters: Higher price vacuums tend to have better suction and cleaning power.
🐶 Pet Hair Ease: The Dyson excels in removing embedded pet hair thanks to its advanced brush technology.
💡 Quiet Leaders: The Shark 360 is the quietest among the tested vacuums, making cleaning more pleasant.
📏 Power Cord Length: Dyson boasts the longest power cord at 35 feet, allowing for greater reach during cleaning.

Air Speed and Suction Rankings:
- Dyson: 109 in water column suction, best performance.
- Shark Stratos: 100 in water column, second best.
- Kenmore: 82 in water column, solid performance.
- Low cost models (Bissell, AmazonBasics): Generally underperform on air speed and suction.
Carpet Cleanliness:
- Dyson (98g) and Shark Stratos (96g) performed best in sand pickup tests on carpets.
- Budget vacuums like Bissell and AmazonBasics struggled significantly, leaving debris behind.
Hair Collection:
- Shark Stratos & Dyson: Nearly perfect in hair pickup without causing brush roll clogs.
- Low-end models: Missing some hair, often leading to clogging.
Crevice Cleaning Test:
- Dyson (62g) and Shark Stratos (60g) effectively lifted sand out of crevices.
- Lower-cost models struggled, failing to lift significant amounts.

Bissell Clean View ($60): Affordable but lacks suction power with 58 in suction capability.
AmazonBasics ($70): Struggles in performance and suction; ineffective for thorough cleaning.
Eureka PowerSpeed ($90): Better performance than budget models but less effective than more expensive brands.
Kenmore Featherlight ($130): Decent power and quiet but struggles with hair wrap issues.
Shark 360 ($160): Good performance, especially for quiet operation, but overall less impressive than premium models.
Shark Stratos ($490) & Dyson Ball Animal 3 ($500): Showed outstanding cleaning capabilities and suction; well-suited for homes with pets.

"Comparing vacuums under $100 to the Shark Stratos and Dyson is like comparing a naturally aspirated four-cylinder to a supercharged V8."
"The best cleaning performance comes from vacuums designed for power, not just price."
"Air flow and suction are crucial performance characteristics in vacuum cleaners."
"Higher price often translates to higher performance in vacuum cleaners."
"The Kenmore vacuum did the best job picking up rice against the wall, impressing in its design efficiency."

This summary contains AI-generated information and may have important inaccuracies or omissions.