Dyson has carved out a major position in the home tech arena. Though the name appears in categories from air purification to beauty, its expertise is the most prominent in vacuums.

The brand's genesis stems from the same frustrations we've all had with one vacuum or another. In the early '90s, a British engineer — who was fed up with his current clunky, clogged vacuum — set out to create a vacuum that's not a chore in itself to use.

Enter an ergonomic design, funky colors, intense cyclonic suction, meticulous filtration, and an ingenious bagless dirt collection system … and so the Dyson vacuum was born. It's the kind of suction power that's so satisfying to wield, it seems unfair to let a robot vacuum take all the credit.

Originally, Dyson's claim to fame was its upright vacuum, eventually expanding into canister vacs as well. Both were built around The Ball: a rolling sphere that allows the vacuum to curve around furniture and tricky obstacles with a flick of the wrist. They had such impressive suction and were so tough on pet hair that people put up with the fact that they were also heavy and hard to store.

Dyson officially cut that cord in 2018, when James Dyson announced that the company would halt production of corded vacuums to focus on the less cumbersome It Girl, the cordless stick vacuum.

The cordless stick vacuum family, however, is updated so often that it's hard to keep up with which models do what. The deciding factors will narrow down to weight, suction power (the higher the suction, the better performance on pet hair and carpet), the number of attachments, battery life, and new tech like lasers — and, of course, how much you can justify spending on a vacuum.

We'll point out which Dyson stick vacuums between V7 and V15 are best for each budget, plus dive into differences compared to models that ditch V-number titles, like the Outsize series. While the guide below does include two non-stick models because they are still sold at some retailers, those product lines won't be expanded on.

Let's discuss Dyson's 2022 vacuum lineup:

The outwardly familiar design of the Dyson Outsize Absolute actually features one : a half-gallon dustbin that holds more than double the grime of the other 0.2 gallon bins. The illuminating laser first introduced on the V15 Detect is also present. Its Digital Motorbar XL is 25% wider than the V15 Detect's and uses polycarbonate de-tangling hair removal vanes to clear long hair from the brush.

Dyson's heaviest stick vacuum also provides a heavy duty clean. The Outsize is armed with an intuitive Hyperdymium motor that hits up to 220 Air Watts in Boost Mode, giving Dyson's upright and canister vacs a run for their money. Despite expending so much oomph, the battery's good for 120 minutes.

There have actually been several variations of this entry-level model over the years, like the V8 Motorhead, Animal, and Fluffy. The V8 Absolute is the cheapest official option on Dyson's website as of May 2022. It shares much of the muscle that makes its more expensive siblings so great. Tradeoffs like a little less oomph and a smaller dust bin also make it lighter — and easier to lift to the ceiling.

15 cyclones in the V8 create strong-enough centrifugal force to conquer debris in smaller, one pet (or no pet) homes. The Direct Drive cleaner head shoves bristles deeper into the carpet for better extraction on things like pet hair. Though it might require charging after every use, 40 minutes of battery should still be enough to get a full job done.

A transparent dustbin showcases just how dirty your floors are, but not until afterward. The V15 Detect wowed when it dropped in 2021 as the first Dyson to sport a laser. It's no longer the only Dyson stick vac with laser tech, but it is the cheapest way to get it.

The green light illuminates all of the specks lying ahead on your hardwood, tile, or laminate floors, offering some direction past the visible debris that your naked eye can see. The V15 tackles that dust with suction on the high end of the stick spectrum, though its bin will fill quickly.

Yup, Dyson omitted a vac titled the V9. The mid-priced V10 tops the V8 in a few ways: Its hour-long battery life offers an extra 20 minutes of cleaning and enhanced motor creates 20% more suction. According to Dyson, the new Torque Drive cleaner head shoves bristles deeper into carpet to pull out embedded dirt.

You may notice that the dust bin is situated parallel to the stick attachment rather than perpendicular like the older models. This design change shifts the vacuum's center of gravity and apparently provides better air flow for better suction — and makes for a more hygienic dirt ejection process.

The tea is that the cheapest stick vacuum on Dyson's website isn't the cheapest one out there. Walmart has consistently had the Dyson V8 Fluffy in stock and on sale for as low as $299.99 since Black Friday 2021 (compared to the $499.99 V8 Motorhead). Given its suction power and ability to go handheld, there's little reason to opt for the handheld Humdinger.

The namesake refers to a Fluffy cleaner head composed of nylon fibers and anti-static bristles for a scratch-free glide. Holding less than a quarter of a pound of debris, the Fluffy is best-suited for small homes or apartments with limited messes. The puny bin does keep it lightweight, making for comfy one-hand maneuvering.

There's no denying that the Dyson Humdinger is remarkably powerful for its size, or that Humdinger is a badass name. What is questionable is its bang for your buck, given that just $100 more unlocks a full-sized Dyson that can go handheld. 

Compared to the old V7 Trigger, the Humdinger packs more wattage (but a smaller dustbin) into a lighter body. Like other Dysons, it’s fueled by a series of cyclones that create powerful suction. This is particularly handy for car messes or furniture that receives the brunt of shedding.

The strongest upright vacuum on the market (according to Dyson) is the heavy hitter to take on your heavy shedders. It's not cordless or compact, but is easy to whip around.

The latest rendition of Dyson's iconic Ball technology was engineered specifically with pet owners in mind. The cleaning head self-adjusts its height to seal in suction depending on floor type, efficiently drilling into your carpet's stubborn layer of pet hair. All of the gunk that you didn't know existed is stored in a spacious half-gallon dust bin.

The Dyson Big Ball is not your grandma's bumbling canister vacuum. The spherical design is funky but not too clunky, arranging the heavy components in a way that creates a low center of gravity. (That makes it less likely to topple.) Inside the ball lies a matter that harnesses the highest air wattage of any Dyson.

The fact that it's corded is both a blessing and a curse: It won't die mid-sweep like the cordless ones, but it's also not as convenient to whip out of a closet or drag around furniture. However, the flexible hose and small cleaning are great for detailing staircases or tight areas where upright vacuums are too stiff to reach.