Dyson micro 1.5kg
Buy now, £299.99, Dyson.co.uk
- Weight: 1.5kg
- Run time (on full charge): Up to 20 minutes
- Charge time: 3.5 hours
- Bin volume: 0.2l
- Dimensions: 701mm x 243mm x 143mm
- Suction power: 50AW
- Cordless? Yes
Design
From the moment we picked up the box, it was clear Dyson has gone above and beyond when it comes to weight. Knowing that it weighs 1.5kg is one thing, but there’s almost something that doesn’t quite compute about lifting a box you know contains a vacuum cleaner, but which weighs less than a small bag of shopping. The flip-top box, although still smaller than any other vacuum cleaner packaging we’ve come across, is disproportionately large, thanks to the careful arrangement of the various parts (all packaged in cardboard, with not a scrap of plastic in sight), including the charger (so that it can be charged without the docking station), the mini motorised tool, the docking station, combination tool and soft roller cleaning head.
It’s clearly been developed with simplicity in mind, although there’s plenty to offer in the style stakes, too. The vacuum’s main wand has a gorgeous, chrome-like finish and further reductions have been made to both size and weight by cleverly combining a brush and a crevice-friendly nozzle – the circular brush that is built into the combination tool (designed with dust-prone areas such as vents in mind) can simply be slid down to one end of the nozzle for easy deployment when required. We also loved the pared-back controls – there’s just an on/off button and a “max” button for when you need a little extra power.
Because it’s so ridiculously light, this cordless stick vacuum certainly felt top-heavy at first – other vacuum cleaners have a weight distribution that means there’s inevitably more bulk at ground level, but the degree to which the Dyson micro 1.5kg has been stripped back means that the upper section containing the bin (as well as eight of Dyson’s famous cyclones, which fling dirt into the bin itself) will inevitably feel like the heaviest part. But this isn’t a criticism – more an observation about how a vacuum with such a low weight inevitably feels slightly different when in use.
Built-in mechanisms are slick and smooth – the sliding bin-release button is perfectly positioned and simple to operate, and the rubber strip on the handle does a great job of providing extra grip. We also loved the narrow patch of rubber on the edge of the main unit, which meant we could rest it on tables or other delicate surfaces when moving items of furniture out the way without worrying about accidental scratches.
Several features offer reminders that this is a vacuum cleaner designed with allergy sufferers in mind. Dyson says that the black carbon filaments on the micro fluffy head (why can’t all vacuum accessories have such ridiculously cute names?) help to reduce static while picking up the tiniest of dust particles. Sturdy rubber seals on key parts have clearly been designed to minimise the risk of allergens escaping into the air. Its advanced filtration has been created to capture 99.99 per cent of microscopic particles, including ones as small as 0.3 microns (read: very, very small).
Performance
There’s something wonderful about wielding a vacuum cleaner that weighs just 1.5kg but which promises – and delivers – the suction power associated with a cleaner weighing much, much more. It’s important to bear in mind that the Dyson micro 1.5kg is designed for everyday cleaning. Yes, Dyson’s bestselling V11 vacuum can produce 185AW (air watts) of power while the Dyson micro 1.5kg offers just 50AW, but it’s worth pointing out that Dyson’s much-loved V7 only offers 21AW in its standard cleaning mode, but weighs a hefty 2.3kg.
We started by testing the Dyson micro 1.5kg on a carpet using the mini motorised tool to target a high-traffic area that we thought had been recently vacuumed. The fine dust and dirt particles that filled the vacuum’s bin suggested that either our vacuuming skills weren’t up to par, or the Dyson micro 1.5kg was sucking up dirt our other cleaner hadn’t been able to reach.
Its compact size proved a godsend from the offset. Getting to awkward corners and crevices became much easier with the extra control that came from replacing the wand with the mini motorised head – edge-to-edge cleaning was a breeze, and we could banish dust at the same time by simply slipping on the combination tool, which combined the crevice nozzle with the sliding brush.
The ease with which the Dyson micro 1.5kg slides across hard floors is deceptive – perhaps because we’ve been conditioned to equate sluggishness with better suction – but the Dyson micro 1.5kg effortlessly swept up a wide range of debris from our hardwood hallway, whether it was microscopic flakes of dried mud to blades of grass brought in on the treads of trainers. It worked wonders on the interior of our car, too.
In fact, splurging on a micro 1.5kg to use purely as a car cleaner might seem somewhat decadent, but also makes a certain amount of sense – it would take up a fraction of boot space, and could quickly be deployed during road trips and weekends away. Got a couple of crumb-strewn kids in the back seat? Simply pull out the micro 1.5kg and give them a quick once over. OK, vacuuming your nearest and dearest might seem extreme, but you get our point: this is an extremely lightweight, versatile vacuum cleaner that offers the same cleaning power provided by much bulkier models, without compromising on suction.