Does it Live Up to the Hype?
Dyson Vacuums
By Phillip Barnhard
Before dipping my big toe into the “Dyson vacuum review” pool, I figured I’d present the audience with full disclosure. You see, vacuums have never been large-purchase-worthy to me. As a college student, I promised myself I wouldn’t ever spend more than $50 on a product that sucked. I’ve taken pride in obtaining vacuums through the hand-me-down process, but once you get married, your significant other has a whole different agenda. Through word-of-mouth, my wife was told of the amazing suction power of Dyson, the “luxury sedan” of vacuums. In addition, all Dyson uprights are certified allergy and asthma-friendly. She was sold. I wasn’t. She shelled out $400 for the DC07 model. I died a little inside.
The Dyson Brand
Before we tread any further, let’s examine the Dyson brand. As the story goes, inventor James Dyson grew frustrated with his vacuum losing suction power. Using the same cyclonic-separation technology instituted at one of his factory, it took James Dyson five years and more than 5,000 prototypes to create the world’s first bagless vacuum cleaner. The Dyson vacuum’s high cost – one early model retailed for $2,000 – made it a status symbol in European and Asian households. In 2005, Dyson vacuums hit America with the same pomp and circumstance.
The Dyson brand gave a smooth British accent and trusting smile to its TV commercial campaign. With James Dyson discussing his own invention in his commercials, the audience received an honest account of his efforts to improve the way a vacuum works and his struggles in trying to create the perfect prototype. In addition, James used other videos to demonstrate product durability. At Dyson’s vacuum cleaner assault course, all upright models were pushed, pulled, dropped, frozen, baked and shaken, and all seemed to withstand the endurance test. After solid product reviews accompanied the commercials, Americans were sold on the status-symbol vacuums, and the uprights became a hot commodity in middle-to-upper-class homes.
The Review: Could Vacuuming Be Fun?
After a year of owning the Dyson, it was time for my wife to show me how to operate this foreign object. (While normally I wouldn’t mind sharing in the household chores and vacuuming on occasion, with the Dyson, I believe it excites my wife to see just how much dust and dander the vacuum sucks up.) First, I was attracted to the unusual design. The Dyson brand’s most identifiable color, the vibrant yellow, accents the unique conical shapes, while leaving a clear bagless container to showcase the visual feast of sucking power.
Getting the machine going was a different story. Unlike typical vacuums that have an on-switch and foot lever that releases from the upright to the leaned position, my wife introduced me to the Dyson DC07’s large power button positioned well below the handle – a far cry from the light switch-like mechanism I was used to on my old Oreck vacuum. The release lever was replaced by my foot pressing the vacuum head downward into the tilt position. I liked the simplicity of a one-button power switch, but something about awkwardly stomping on a $400 machine made me feel uneasy. I longed for a release button for about 3 seconds… then, I turned the vacuum on.
Imagine driving a Dodge Neon your whole life and, suddenly, upgrading to a Ferrari; that’s what it felt like to operate the Dyson DC07. With a cracked smile, I slowly nudged the device forward, getting a feel for it while the vacuum reciprocated. The Dyson’s roar didn’t seem any more overbearing than the next vacuum, but it wasn’t completely silent either. I began making carpet patterns across the living room floor. I begged for a piece of dirt to rear its ugly head, so I could make short work of it. I passed over large and small items, and the Dyson sucked them up on the first pass – unlike the three or four passes needed for the other vacuums I’ve used. After man and machine became comfortable enough with each other, we *gulp* danced.
It started passionate with our version of the Living Room Lambada, which really picked up when we maneuvered and dipped around the coffee table. The judges really liked our next number, the Paso Doble Down the Hallway, where I edged the hall’s corners to perfection. We closed with The Bedroom Waltz and went right into the Closet Charleston that brought the crowd to its feet. They begged for more, but all I could do was give my final bow and return my new dancing partner to its upright position.
After we cooled down, I checked the bagless canister for an event recap. I was surprised to see so much collected after only a few minutes of vacuuming. The strong suction power really seemed to tear through the carpet fibers and suck up everything in its path. Also, my wife has been using this thing every week for the last year, and it still had a just-like-new performance. I’ll be honest, $400 is a lot for a vacuum. In this case, it was nice to see our money invested in a quality product with a five-year warranty. While I can’t promise every vacuum experience will be that exciting, I can promise that Dyson vacuums live up to the hype.
E-mail the author: Phillip Barnhard
