Dyson’s powerful new cordless vacuum brings an end to plug-in models

Just in time for spring cleaning, Dyson has unveiled the newest addition to its lineup of high-tech vacuums. At a press conference in New York City yesterday, founder and chief engineer Sir James Dyson introduced the Dyson Cyclone V10, a powerful battery-operated stick vacuum that he says is “why [Dyson has] stopped developing corded vacuums.”

The Dyson Cyclone V10 is an update to the popular, lightweight Cyclone stick vacuum series. Along with tweaks like a larger bin, streamlined airflow, and a ceramic shaft that’s lighter but stronger than the previous steel version, this model features an updated battery that maintains the same wattage instead of draining power over time. (Sir Dyson couldn’t resist inserting a little dig at the iPhone’s “battery fade” problems when introducing this particular feature.)

With this power upgrade, the Cyclone V10 emphasizes maximum suction—the digital motor spins at 125,000 rpm with a suction of 290 AW—over long run time. The battery doesn’t hold a charge for more than an hour, though the motor is controlled by a trigger in the handle (instead of a constantly-on vacuum suction) so you can save a little battery life by releasing the trigger when moving between spots. I’ve never wanted to vacuum for more than an hour anyway, but for larger jobs you might have to charge in between rooms.

Dyson also unveiled a new air purifier/fan hybrid, the Dyson Pure Cool, with an LCD screen that gives realtime updates on its cleaning process. There are all kinds of symbols and graphs that require a thorough read of the manual to understand completely. The gist is that combining a fan and filter ensures that all of the air in a room is being purified, not just the area immediately surrounding the device.

Beyond a power boost, the two new devices also embrace simplicity of design. Dyson apparently demanded “absolute perfection” in assembly, which means allowing “no humans, or animals for that matter” near production—i.e. the whole process is fully automated. Shown at the presentation were some chuckle-inducing video footage of Dyson vacuums being stress-tested by robots.

Dyson

Dyson

Dyson

Judging by the short demo and hands-on time I got with the Pure Cool and Cyclone V10, all that testing was not for naught. The vacuum felt incredibly smooth and the Absolute version includes a hard floor attachment that could be particularly handy. In my tile-and-wood-floor household, for example, we’ve been using an old, refurbished Dyson Ball vacuum for years, even though that model is really intended for carpets. As for the purifier, it really did clear a small room full of smoke in a matter of seconds—but all the numbers and graphs on the screen still seem unnecessary for the average consumer.

Both the Pure Cool and Cyclone V10 are available on Dyson’s website. The Pure Cool tower fan costs $549.99, with a smaller desktop version going for $449.99. The standard Cyclone V10 Motorhead version starts at $499.99, with the popular Animal version coming in at $599.99 and Absolute version going for up to $699.99. Dyson is making these devices available at select retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.