Hey All Parents!
Hopefully, there are some parents here that have experience with Dyson products. Right now, I’m shopping for dorm vacuums and I’m stuck between the two following Dyson models:
V11 Torque Drive
Ball Animal 2 Total Clean
I was wondering if anyone here had experience with both or the other? I’m kinda stuck trying to figure it out and I want to get one before the end of the sales event. I know the V11 can be used to clean cars as well so that is one advantage but the Ball Animal 2 has the most suction of any upright? I’m also open to other alternates so long they’re similar or exceed Dyson’s performance.
Not trying to be negative, but in my son’s dorm there was a vacuum on the floor for anyone to use. If you feel you need to get one, get the smallest one you can. Dorm rooms are tiny.
I just snorted my drink through my nose!!!
That’s so funny that you think your child is going to not only vacuum her/his dorm room but that s/he needs something with “performance” like a Dyson. Chances are no vacuuming is going to occur and if your kid really has a burning desire to vacuum, there will be dorm vacuum s/he can use.
@mathmom Size was something on my mind which made me consider the V11 since it is cordless and can be stored in the corner. About the community vacuum, I heard from upper-class friends that they never maintain them so they barely have enough suction to pick up pieces of toilet paper.
@milee30 Funny you mention that lol, I actually do like my surroundings relatively clean and dust-free. Dust wrecks havoc on my records and sensitive audio equipment that require a clean environment to function at their highest levels.
Amazingly my kid asked for my cheapie stick vacuum cleaner (Dirt Devil 3 in 1 cordless) a couple of weeks into the school year and actually used it. Well, at least I think he did, I left it there for the school year and when he moved out for the summer it was all taken apart.
Our kids both opted to buy robotic vacuum cleaners. They set the timer and it doubled as a alarm clock which helped them get to class on time. The vacuum really helped keep allergen levels low for them.
@HImom You know I didn’t even consider robotic vacuums at all till you mentioned it… that actually would be really helpful with my terrible timekeeping. I wonder if Dyson makes robotic vacuums…
Edit: They do but holy smokes it retails for $1,449… I think even I’m not that crazy! lol.
We bought Roomba, from Costco. There are now other brands on the market. Love that it’s pretty low maintenance and mostly returns to its base. It encourages folks not to leave things on the ground.
Dorm rooms a are generally way too small and cluttered for a Roomba. I would just get a hand vacuum or a stick that converts to a hand vacuum. The Dyson stick is by far the best convertible stick, but that could be overkill for a small room.
I love OP’s hopeful optimism that their offspring will be using a vacuum cleaner with enough regularity to justify a Dyson’s price tag, but I’m betting one or more of the following scenarios will occur:
it will never get used (because laziness/the floor is always covered with clothing and other stuff that makes vacuuming impossible);
someone will complain that it takes up too much space in the closet/in a corner;
it will get passed around to enough other people in the dorm that it will get broken.
The only time there is a fight over the dorm floor-assigned vacuum cleaner is at move-out time (when you can get dinged $$ for leaving your room in a crappy state). If you must get one, I’d get a stick version or even a Dust Buster. Make it easy, make it cheap, make it small.
@Undercrackers Surprisingly, I’m not a parent actually lol. I’m just a student asking the older population for their advice and so far it’s a resolute just get a cheap dirt devil and be done with it. However, I wanted to get a Dyson since I thought it would be a better investment in the long run? Like the saying buy it once, get it done kinda mentality?
@ProfessorPlum168 What makes you say a Dyson is an overkill for a dorm room? My grandparents swear by their Dyson system back in their house and boy their house is spotless of any type of matter, dust or pollen or whatever.
ok; do you know for sure you will have carpet in your dorm room?
does the dorm have one you can borrow? I’m assuming you’ve asked these questions already; but that’s what I’d tell my kids before they bought a vacuum. If they needed one I’d probably have them look on craigslist or something similar for a cheap used vacuum.
My kids independently both felt it important enough for each of them to purchase their own robotic vacuum and have kept it going all these many years. For dust allergies it bakes a huge difference to have regular vacuuming and s good incentive not having “stuff” on the ground.
@bgbg4us Yes, I know my dorm for the fall and spring semester will have carpet throughout. The dorms do have a community vacuum but I saw them and they were pretty badly beaten shop vacs with no attachments and no rolling powered brush attachments. Basically meant for the shop and not the dorm room. So far I’m leaning towards the V11 for the convenience and power factor. But then again, I wonder what other people use in their houses.
@MrThatcher wish my kids were as fastidious as you in keeping their spaces clean. On my 3rd Dyson and they are much better than any other vacuums. We had the Ball when we had carpet but (not knowing how big your dorm room is going to be) I don’t really think you need something that bulky. Currently using a cordfree V7 stick as we don’t have any carpet due to allergies, just a few area rugs, and it is convenient, easy to store (hang it up on its charging post in the closet) and runs great. Plus you can take it apart to make it handheld vacuum too. I’d go with the cordfree also.
oh, as much as we love the Dyson, my upcoming freshman is getting a Black + Decker dustbuster for her miniscule room…fingers crossed she will see fit to use it and it won’t be broken/stolen as I expect it to be.
We have an Eufy robotic vacuum from Amazon, which it quite a bit cheaper than a Roomba and works very well. It’s not a true smart vacuum, but would work fine in a dorm room. You have to move cords and clothes out of its way. You can program it to run at the same time each day. It beeps when it starts up, and I think the beep would wake up most people (including your roommate).
@MrThatcher what I mean by overkill is that you’re talking about one small room for a $300 investment. To me, one could almost get away with a decent handheld vacuum. I have a Dyson V8 and it is absolutely fantastic, and I buy a lot of overpriced toys for my kid ($350 Bose QC 35 headphones come to mind) but for something that he’ll probably use once in a blue moon, I don’t know if I’d splurge for that. But that’s just me.
If a vacuum cleaner is really needed on a regular basis and the dorm room is carpeting though, I probably wouldn’t go with a low-end stick, I’d go with a Shark or a Dyson.