Yes, the Dyson Handheld Vacuum Lives Up to the Hype

I'll be honest, I wanted the Dyson power, but I didn't want the Dyson price tag. For years I had been hearing about the wonder that is the Dyson vacuum lineup, but I just couldn't get over the buy-in. A random sale and my unrelenting curiosity finally got the best of my bank account about four years ago when I found myself the owner of the best handheld vacuum on the market. Let me just say, we're down to probably a $0.01 price per use at this point, and I would do it again in a second.

The model we went for is the Dyson V7 Trigger Vacuum ($540). It's the least expensive of all the Dyson vacuums, but you would never know it with all that power. Living in a house with two children and a furry dog who sheds nonstop, the Dyson V7 Trigger has become our constant companion.

The tool gets about 30 minutes of suction time between charges. I use it to clean the couches each week, clean up random messes (typically a nightly ritual around the dinner table and highchair), and vacuum the crevices after I do my every-other-day full house vacuum. With a dog and two little ones, the value of having a crevice tool to get into all those hard to reach spots cannot be underestimated. I manage to do all this on the MAX function and still scoot by with once weekly charging. Downgrading to regular strength is still plenty of power to tackle most of the jobs around our house, though I really enjoy a good turbo mode—regardless of the appliance in question. The motor doesn't fade in strength as the battery depletes, which I've found to be mostly a blessing though I have been caught off guard on occasion when it dies with one furry patch left on the skirt of the couch. Not great for the type-A cleaner.

I would be living in squalor if it wasn't for all the efficient tools that make it possible for me to keep my home clean and tidy while also working and raising children who bring joy and good into this world (your prayers for this objective are appreciated). Do I think you can make a happy home without this space-age vacuum? Absolutely. That being said, if you are thinking about taking the plunge and adding one of Dyson's rocket-powered units to your cart, I give my stamp of approval.

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I'll leave our allergy sufferers with one last tidbit: The hygienic bin-emptying process eliminates all the dirt and dust in one fell swoop without getting your hands dirty. It drops straight into the trash—no wrestling levers or plucking out fur balls.