Dyson 455665 Light Ball Multi Floor Bagless+ Upright Vacuum Cleaner, Blue/Yellow

Product Information

Both suction and the level of airflow are very good. That translates directly into excellent cleaning on both floor types and when using the tools. Despite looking like a mini-me of the old Big Ball upright, Dyson’s Light Ball is all-new. This eco and weight-trimmed upright vacuum cleaner complies with the EU’s new sub-900W power limit for vacuum cleaners. It better be good – or we’ll have to protest by leaving the EU. Oh, hang on…

Yet getting down close and personal with the carpet pile revealed some heavier grains of powder left behind. Not at the edge, where you might expect, but the few inches into the room. Odd. Much crawling around examining the floor head in action ensued. Taking the dust container from the machine was easy-peasy. It’s obvious where to push thanks to the red button. To empty over the bin, I found I had to push the button like I really meant it, but that done, the dirt ejected easily. Handy features

Issues come when using the detail tools. With no mini-motorised tool, grafting hairs from our stair carpet took a fair bit of elbow grease using the upholstery tool. You had to go over patches a few times to clear the area completely. They did clear though – which is more than some cleaner’s hand tools manage. We are the largest suppliers of assorted Dyson spares in the UK, in addition to parts from other leading appliance brands. With over 40 years’ experience in the spare parts industry, our relationships with these brands is solid, so you can rest assured that our products are high-quality and authentic.

The indents on the purple nut were just too small for my fingers, which made things a little awkward. Removing the filter itself also proved a challenge. It’s sealed on tight and there’s nothing to grip onto. We suspect this will loosen a little when it’s been off and washed a few times, however. The reality of reducing motor power can’t be overcome by good airflow design alone – although Dyson gives it a damn good try. The Light Ball uses close to half the power of Dyson’s Big Ball Cinetic (700W power consumption compared to 1300W) yet gives away only 25% in suction power. It offers 90AW compared to the Cinetic’s 120AW. Impressive indeed. Despite this model not looking too much smaller than other Dyson models, it weighs far less. Under 7kg, in fact. In addition, the mass is low down in the ball, so it balances easily in the hand while carrying. In fact, Dyson’s cleaners have never been mains power-hungry monsters. They’ve often consumed much less energy than rivals anyway. With a 900W power limit to with which to comply, you might think an 899W motor would be the way forward. Not so – the Light Ball has a 700W motor and an annual estimated consumption of just 28kWh. That’s a solid A-rating for efficiency and less than a fiver of electricity per year.Controls are simple: one button for on/off and one to start/stop the brush bar. The motor itself is claimed to be 40% quieter than previous Dyson models. In use, it certainly is: we measured just 65-66dB vacuuming over carpet. That’s blissfully quiet. Yet the energy label states 80dB. Hmmm. As an addendum to that comment, however: a fortnight of use later, we enlisted our resident Octogenarian tester for her opinion on the Light Ball. She loved it; the bin flap opened cleanly for her every time and she had no problem getting the filter off. While this basic Multi-Floor version is never going to cope with multi-pet homes, for a singular pooch or tabby it isn’t bad. For outstanding hard floor and excellent carpet cleaning from only 700W of power, we can’t think of any other cleaner that gets close. Verdict The British-born company has responded with its very own creation: the Dyson Light Ball Multi Floor. Much like a car, a vacuum cleaner has its own set of specifications. Here, we have a 700W motor, a 1.6-litre capacity bin and an A-class energy efficiency rating.