Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Dyson DC26 Multi Floor Compact Canister Vacuum Cleaner

Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2012

I have a 1900 square foot house and the only scrap of carpet in it is a small runner in my upstairs hallway. I have a long haired orange cat and a short haired black cat. All my furniture is leather but I do have a couple of ottomans and some pillows that need vacuuming. I used to use a Bona dust mop to sweep then a handheld vacuum to vacuum up the piles then get out the full size Shark vacuum for any rugs or upholster. I would also use the Shark on the stairs so I didn't have to throw a lot of dust into the air sweeping. This involved dragging way too much junk around my house and didn't get up all the dust. I won't knock the Shark, if I had a carpeted house it would be great.

I wanted a canister vacuum but I didn't want it to take up a lot of space and I have a bad back. I was hesitant to spend so much on a vacuum but my cleaning routine was killing me. This seemed to be the bets reviewed ultra lightweight canister vacuum that also did not use bags. I did not want to ever have to deal with tracking down and buying bags. I don't mind emptying the dirt cup on vacuums. I just do it outside and hold a garbage bag around the cup so no dirt escapes.

After almost a month I absolutely love this vacuum, it is seriously the best thing ever for laminate floors. I was concerned that it did not come with the "flat out" tool or the dusting tool but the included accessories have worked great. I use the floor tool for almost everything, including vacuuming my walls since surprisingly cat hair gets on your darn walls. I even use the floor tool to dust tables. The rotating brush tool is great for the small amount of upholstery and rugs that I do have, though I don't think I would be as enthusiastic about this vacuum if I had carpets. The crevice tool with brush is great for getting into nooks and crannies in my kitchen where cat hair likes to accumulate. The weight is fantastic, I no longer feel like I'm going to injure my back lugging around a vacuum. The hose height is great.

I have a relative who is allergic to cats. I usually completely clean the house before she comes over and offer her a zyrtec or she becomes progressively more stuffed up. The past two times she has come over since using this vacuum she has not taken zyrtec or had visible allergy symptoms. This vacuum is definitely doing a much better job of keeping the dust and fur at bay.

Some people complain about the cord length. I have not had a problem with this. My house is 1900 square feet and two stories. I've always had to re-plug the cord in to get both halves of my downstairs. The cord is shorter than my Shark but I've never found this to be a problem. I would much rather have an automatically retracting cord that is slightly shorter than a longer manually wrapped cord.

Here are my only negative comments, though I would buy this again in a heartbeat for my purposes.
*For as much effort as they put into the weight the extension hose/handle seems like it could be made a lot lighter. It's not heavy by any means but seems very bulky.
*There is no where to stow the floor tool when putting the vacuum away. The rotating brush tool docks into the top of the vacuum keeping the hose and extension handle upright but there is no where to attach the floor tool during storage.
*This is not fantastic for carpets. The rotating brush tool is very small. The brush is not motorized, it spins from the air flow so it can stop rotating with pressure or on high pile carpets. For an all hardwood or all laminate house with a few upholstered items and a few rugs this is not a problem at all. If I had a small apartment it would be OK. If I had a fully carpeted house
*When I'm holding the canister and carrying it while I vacuum I feel like the blower vent is on the wrong side. I hold the canister in my left hand and the tool in my right hand, I have to flip the canister from the way I would naturally pick it up so the hot air is not blowing on me. Not a big deal.

The vacuum I ordered from an Amazon seller had been opened before. It was still brand new and never used but it was repackaged in a way where the hose was permanently crimped. Amazon of course refunded my money with no problem and I just ended up buying it from a brick and mortar store so I didn't have to wait to re-order. Check your package when it arrives and make sure there are no crimps in the hose. This also makes me be careful not to store the vacuum squished up or bent in a way where this could happen again.

16 people found this helpful

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Nain o chwech

Size, suction & wgt. good for my needs

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2013

Verified Purchase

like this particular vacuum for some of the reasons others do not. I have musculoskeletal disorders so my situation is different than most users.
It IS small; therefore light and easy to carry. Suction is comparable to larger machines. We have no carpeted floors.
Carrying the heavier, larger machines from room to room or up/down stairs is a real challenge. This one is easily carried. It tucks away simply out of sight thereby making it easy to grab and use.
As with all Dysons, if they are used in a very dusty house they get dirty quickly. [No suction is lost however] It is very difficult to get all the dirt out. The clear plastic bin is difficult to remove. It is designed to just drop the bottom out to empty which IS easy, but I prefer to empty and brush out the whole bin. Again- we have a lot of dust, far more than the norm.
It will tip more easily than the larger ones; the cord is shorter; the bin fills quickly. None of these inconveniences are deal breakers for me. I can hold the machine and vacuum the high places like curtains, walls. Due to my limitations, this is a near impossibility with the heavier, larger machine.
I purchased another brand name machine which was the same size and supposedly the same type of suction as the Dyson. It cost about half. I never even turned it on. It was apparent from just looking it over right out of the box that was very cheaply made and wouldn’t last. Maneuverability and ease of use would have been poor also.
This is perfect for me and how I use it. It wouldn’t do for your high traffic and/or carpeted areas in my opinion. [I’ve been using this model for a couple years. Inexplicably the original one vanished.]
I give it 5 stars because it is what it is. It is not a full sized machine designed for whole house cleaning and isn't touted to be.

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MellonC

A Shop Vac is cheaper, better performing and better for health

Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2013

Verified Purchase

All show and no substance. Nice looking plastic parts, sturdy handle, small and somewhat light weight mechanism, and brand cache drove me to buy it. I regret it. The bin is too small. I have about 2200st of space to vacuum and the bin is full before I'm even done. The cord is too short, and it doesn't retract well. The darn motor unit keeps flipping over. It's pretty noisy for something this expensive. The brush handle is not motorized. What is the darn point? Worst of all, you have to remember to wash the filter once per month. Good luck with remembering. I like the less than $100 Shop Vac better. I'll grant you that a typical shop vac makes its way to the havens every 4 to 5 years or so, but they also cost about a 70% less than a Dyson. Shop vac also has a filteration on its own due to the bag design, which by the way, can handle at least 5 or 6 major cleanings before needing to be emptied. It has longer cords, doesn't tip over and sucks with much stronger force than this little unit. Oh did I mention that you can order interchangeable parts for Shop vac from just about everywhere? This would have been OK if it was priced at about $75. Save your money and buy something else. BTW. In all fairness, Dyson is a bit less loud than the shop vac.

2 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Perfect for me!

Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2012

Verified Purchase

I have a 2200 sqft house. Tile on the first floor and bathrooms, and carpet upstairs. I wanted a vacuum that I could maneuver around my house and clean anything I want to clean. I was hesitant to get a canister vac because I tend to smash them into walls. Did I mention I'm rough on my stuff? lol Anyhow, I love the ease and portability of this vac. It's only 12 pounds, and I can more than easily carry it around my house. The hose is plenty long also. I'm [almost] excited to clean my ceilings! I checked, being 5'3 I can reach my 10 ft ceilings. Also, I have 15 stairs, and the cord in plenty long enough.

Someone mentioned the odd placement of the air vent-that's true, and it almost creates wind. It doesn't bother me at all though. My boyfriend didn't like it at first and said it seemed flimsy. For a 12lb vacuum, you have to know you are getting plastic attachments that fold down to fit in all areas. I do not feel that it is flimsy at all. Also, with the carpet attachment being air powered, I've learned that I just need to glide the vac over the carpet and it cleans great. I usually push hard [I just realized], but that is not necessary. The Dyson has plenty of power.

Love it, Thanks!

5 people found this helpful

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Bling8888

Overpromising and Underdelivering

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2012

Verified Purchase

This product captures ones attention because of the promise of strong suction in a small, cool looking package. I think this delivers on the coolness factor; but underwhelms on the suction and the size factors.

Although it is small compared to other vacuums (I've seen videos claiming it's footprint fits on an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper), in reality, storing this in your closet takes up almost the same space as other vacuums. In my case, the perceived reduction in storage space was much higher than reality. So I think the hype overpromises on this aspect.

The reason more space is required than the canister size would suggest stems from (1) the inability to remove the hose and (2) the awkward way in which the wand and floor attachment is stored on the canister. As one would most likely store this on the floor, this would take almost as much space as a normal vacuum. Plus, if you use additional attachments for dusting, etc. there is no additional on board storage to accommodate the extra attachments. Thus, you will need additional storage for those accessories.

The suction on this is just okay; not super strong. It is enough to handle my mostly wood floors and very low pile industrial carpet. I would not recommend this for carpets in general; but okay for very low pile.

My biggest complaints on this are:

1. The hose seems to be made of inexpensive plastic that is too stiff for this purpose. This makes the handling and ergonomics of maneuvering the vacuum around your floors a bit awkward and causes fatigue to your hands. I would not recommend this for those with weak hands or with arthritis. Some consumers might be opting for a canister vacuum because pushing around a heavy traditional vacuum is difficult for them - well, the hose on this thing sort of defeats that purpose. I also have a Miele; the vacuum hose for the Miele seems to be made of higher quality and softer material so it is easier to use.

2. I've also read other reviews that mention the hose configuration seems to favor left-handed users. I did not understand this at first, but now I do after having used the machine. The hose sticks out at an awkward angle rather than straight out; it is angled to the right. I am right handed and prefer that the hose trail behind me on my right side so that I do not trip on the hose or the machine. But the hose is angled such that when I pull the machine behind me, it tends to travel in a diagonal rather than straight fashion; and sometimes the machine ends up falling to its side. It seems to travel straighter if I vacuum with my left hand and have the hose and machine trail me from the left... very strange design... This adds to hand fatigue if you are right handed.

I think you can get used to this machine after a while. But at this price, you would think the designers would have tested this and fixed this flaw before going to production.

3. The design of the wood floor attachment that came with this machine is also flawed. Not sure what's wrong with the design but with just slightly larger pieces of dirt, it takes a few passes before it picks up items from the floor. Seems to work only on light dust on the floor and not good with anything else. It's as if the brushes are pushing the items away from where the suction is and so maybe the brushes should be set back a bit more; or it could be that the suction is just not strong enough or the vents are poorly placed. Again, at this price point, you would expect better performance. I may purchase the other multi floor attachment to see if it improves performance. But that attachment is not cheap: $49.99 on the Dyson website. I found European videos showing that attachment was included instead of this flawed one that is included in the U.S. version of this product. Why is it different? Is this cheaper to make?

That said, there are a few things I like about the machine:

1. It is very light. I have multiple floors in my place so wanted a light vacuum that I can easily carry from one floor to the next. The canister is sufficiently small to make it manageable to use on stairs. My Miele is very heavy... I bought it when I lived in a single floor apartment.

2. You need not purchase any filters for this.

3. I like being able to see how much dirt it picks up.

4. Emptying the canister does not require you to be in contact with the dirt. However, the required monthly washing of the filters does...

I give this 2 stars. I commend the effort to make a smaller vacuum, but to sacrifice the suction and efficacy due to poor design defeats the purpose of a vacuum machine to begin with.

13 people found this helpful

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Deann Haugen

Amazing for hard surface floors, not so great on carpet.

Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2013

Verified Purchase

I bought this mainly to use on my wood floors. I have two dogs and a cat so it was essential to have a vacuum that was easy to use on a daily basis to keep the floors clean. We previously bought a Riccar upright when we lived in a house with a lot of carpet. The Riccar is amazing for the carpet but it's VERY cumbersome to use on the wood floors (attachments, hoses, lugging the upright behind me, etc). The Dyson DC26 is PERFECT for hard surfaces. It's so light, trails behind you with ease as you move and the rotating brush head picks up all the dirt on the floor that my dogs drag in. I'm currently 9+ months pregnant (due in just over a week) and using this vacuum is a breeze (the Riccar almost sends me into labor every time I use it dragging it around). Using the Dyson DC26 on carpet, however, is completely out of the question. Sure, it works ok for a light pick up, but even on a low pile rug it doesn't really get the dog hair off. Maybe if you don't have animals this would work fine on a low pile rug but there is no way we could use it on a regular basis for the rugs. I'll have to lug out the Riccar for the rugs which I don't mind since I won't have to also pull out all the attachments. The power cord is pretty short which is unfortunate. I know this is advertised as a "city" vacuum, meaning it's meant for use on small spaces, however my house isn't really that big and I have to unplug and replug every time I change rooms. Worth it for how well it works on the hard floors though.

The Dyson DC26 is also small enough that I can keep it in a corner of the closet and it doesn't take up hardly any room. All in all, this is the perfect solution to keep my hardwood floors clean on a daily basis.

Pros:
Light, small, easy to maneuver, cleans hard surface floors REALLY well, easy to empty and store.

Cons:
Doesn't work well on rugs/carpet for animal hair, short power cord.

9 people found this helpful

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Eric W. Lampi

Live in an Apartment or small house? This is the best vacuum ever!!

Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2015

Verified Purchase

Best Vacuum ever!! I picked it up during Amazon's deal of the day. This is THE vacuum you want if you live in an apartment or smaller house. It breaks down easily and takes up just a little space. It's easy to see if it's full or not, it's simple to detach easy to empty right into the trash without a huge cloud of dust everywhere. I don't have to go hunting for some obscure filter anymore. I just wash the parts maybe every 3-6 months, let them dry and put it back together. The carpet attachment was surprisingly effective on my single rug and worked great on hardwood too.

If you have hardwood floors, do yourself a favor, and spring for the extra attachments, especially the Dyson Articulating Hard Floor Tool. I also bought the Dyson Asthma & Allergy Kit which I use to clean the upholstery on my sofa and keep the dust bunnies under control.

Overall if you want something made thoughtfully, that's easy to open, clean, back together, and takes up a small space, get this!

2 people found this helpful

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Big E

Not bad, but not quite worth the money...

Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2014

Verified Purchase

Don't get me wrong; this is a nice vacuum. For all intents and purposes, it gets the job done in my 500sf office space, both on wool rugs and hardwood floors. And, it is compact enough that it is easy to store out of the way when not in use.

However, I just get a sense that it is underpowered when you need the power the most. Using the turbine head (supplied with the unit) when vacuuming my wool rug provides lackluster suction (when the hose/handle is at full extension), causing the turbine in the head to slow significantly, if not stall. I've figured out how to move the turbine head on the carpet to keep it spinning, but it takes some forethought... This even extends beyond the vacuum experience. When trying to retract the cord from full length, about half the time the cord only retracts 70% and then stalls. So, I have to help it along until it is fully retracted. Granted, no big deal. But, I shouldn't have to worry about such things with a premium vacuum like this.

I have two Dyson vacuums -- this and an upright DC41 Animal. At first, I was quite enamored of these devices, even though the build quality seemed "squeaky and flexible". Now, after a little over a year, I am starting to question their durability. The DC41 failed a month ago when the port-side ball wheel bearing yoke literally disintegrated while I was vacuuming, and now I'm getting a sense that this DC26 will suffer a similar fate, as the build quality is decent, but far from "bulletproof". The vacuum body, the handle, the parts all seem to flex a little too much, seem to squeak a lot, and I just don't get a sense of durability that I expected after having shelled out nearly $300 (Amazon) for this product.

I will continue using both Dyson vacuums until they are no longer viable (or until I can pawn them off on one of my kids). After that, I will be seriously considering a mid-level Miele Kona as a replacement. After trying out a Miele at a local vacuum store (actually, when I was getting the Dyson fixed under warranty), I was absolutely blown away by (a) how quiet it was, (b) how substantial the build quality felt in the hand, and (c) the performance of the Miele, which (subjectively) did a better job of picking up small particles on the test carpet. The Miele appears to be the "Apple MacBook Pro" of vacuums with perceptively solid and aesthetically pleasing build quality and super in-hand experience, and great vacuum suction. And, you will pay dearly for that experience, but for some of us, it is worth it. I can honestly say, as a Dyson owner, that the Dyson products don't even come close to providing the same level of experience.

So, this Dyson DC26 gets the job done, but it will also be my last Dyson before I migrate to Miele.

Anyone interested in a good, used DC26 for cheap?

6 people found this helpful

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S.R.

Design needs work

Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2014

Verified Purchase

As a whole, the vacuum does what it should do very well, but the design needs improvement. It works great, has wonderful suction and everything is on board and handy. But if I had seen this, instead of ordering it on line, I would have chosen a different model.

One issue is the hose. It's always in the way. if I leave the vacuum out, the hose sticks out where we constantly bump it. There should be a place to hook it to the unit so it's more compact. Also, the part I guess they call the extension wand, when not in use it fits into a slot on the vacuum. It fits so loose that if I move the vacuum at all, it falls out, and isn't easy to fit back in because the cleaning head flops around and gets in the way.

I would also like to point out, the picture that shows the canister on a hand is VERY inaccurate. It is about 4x that size. It's still small for what it does, but the picture misrepresents the size. It actually reaches from my hand, to the inside bend of my arm.

I do like many features.
The canister is small and lightweight in comparison to older canisters.
Emptying the vacuum really is a one hand, push of a button.
I always like a retractable cord and that works great.
It reaches and extends as far as I've needed it to go.
It's lightweight and easy to carry, or hold in one hand as I clean stairs.

It is an excellent cleaning machine, but not so easy to maneuver because of the hose and extension wand. I just remove the telescoping wand when I leave it out, but then I had to remove the on-board tools which slip over the connection. With what I paid for this, I will make it work for me, because it is overall a great vacuum, and that's why it got 4 stars. Not for the design.
Update 2/11/15, downgraded to 2 stars.
After using this for a while now I am very dissatisfied.
The retractable cord has less and less pull. Now I have to straighten out the cord about 5 times so it will go in, and feed in the last couple feet.
As it shows in the picture, the long wand sets into the vacuum and stands up. But the hose sticks way out and is always in the way. If I bump it at all the whole thing falls over and the wand and hose fall off the vacuum.
One of the biggest issues for me, is cleaning a clog. With most vacuums, if something gets stuck you take the hose off and push it through. But with this, there is a hard plastic part attached to the vacuum, a 90 Degree bend. And the hose doesn't detatch. It is extremely difficult to clean.
And finally, as I use it more I find it doesn't clean as great as I originally thought. It isn't clogged. It just doesn't have the suction it had a year ago.
I would not buy this again. Definitely not worth the big price for a Dyson.

2 people found this helpful

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morning fog

hardwood floor sucker

Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2014

Verified Purchase

This is my third Dyson since 2006, and I am fairly happy with their products. One of them (handheld model) died after two years, and that was disappointing, but my second one is still going strong and sucking everything on the carpeted second floor.
I bought this one to use on the hard wood floor on our first floor, and it's been working well so far. It collects lots of dust and hair from the wood floor, and it's fairly easy to empty and clean the canister. Handling and maneuvering is also easy and simple. I also like how this vacuum blows the sucked air upward instead of downward (that would create too much dust blowing).
Various accessories came with this vacuum, and I can use them on almost any surface. I especially like the little pointy brush one because it is useful for getting the dust off the delicate surfaces.
However, there are also a couple of things I was not satisfied with this vacuum. One is the short power cord. It is long actually, but I don't think it is long enough. I can just unplug and replug when vacuuming around the rooms, yet I just wish it had a longer power cord. The other thing is that even though I only intended to use this for hardwood floor, there's a section in my house that's covered with carpet. And when it comes to carpet vacuuming, it does not work as well as on the hardwood floor. It vacuums ok on the carpet, but I wish it performs equally on the different surfaces.
Nonetheless, this is a quality vacuum that is easy to handle and sucks fairly well. I've tried different brands before, but I am mostly satisfied with the Dysons I have now.

One person found this helpful

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Dyson DC26 Multi Floor Compact Canister Vacuum Cleaner

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