Hands on with Dyson's ballsy new vacs
Dyson, the company that made cleaning cool, is back with the latest in its well-loved range of vacuums, replacing standard wheels with funky, space-age balls.
Dyson, the company that made cleaning cool, is back with the latest in its well-loved range of vacuums, replacing standard wheels with funky, space-age balls.
The DC39 and DC41 are both re-imaginings of previous Dyson vacs. The DC39 is the new barrel machine (or the small one that you drag behind you, to the vacuuming layperson), and it benefits from a design with a lower centre of gravity, according to senior Dyson design engineer Charlie Park. This helps keep the machine moving smoothly across carpet rather than it being bogged down and difficult to drag. The front of the machine also turns independent of the barrel, helping the user to manoeuvre the machine and to save it from being caught on obstacles.
The DC41 is the latest upright model, a form of vacuum cleaner that doesn't get much of a look in in Australia. It replaces the DC33 with a sleeker, simpler design that sees the tubes and cables on the outside of the older machine moved to within the ball behind the floor head. Both machines are said to have improved Radial Cyclone technology, but we'd be lying if we told you we understood exactly how it was improved, and if this has any tangible effect on its sucker-up-er-ness.
One feature that did catch our eye as we pawed over the new machines before the Australian launch this week was the new machine heads designed for snatching up pet hair out of the carpet. This feature is built into the DC41 upright model, but you'll have to choose the DC39 "Animal" variant if you're looking for a barrel option.
Dyson plans to have the new models in stores soon, with prices ranging from AU$749 to AU$949. Check out our interview with designer Charlie Park above for a closer look at some of the key innovations in the new models.