Dyson V11 Extra Cordless Vacuum

Very well. The V11 Extra pulls a surprising amount of dirt out of carpet and rugs, and the head rolls straight onto hard floor without fuss. Dyson says it adjusts power between carpet and hard floors on its own, and the LCD screen shows the current suction setting.

Usually. One charge of the V11 Extra covers a whole house or a couple of cars for most, with Dyson rating it at up to 60 minutes. Runtime drops on thick carpet in boost mode, and the odd unit runs well short of the manual's figure, so keep an eye on the screen's battery countdown early on.

For some, yes. Most find the 6.5 lb V11 Extra light enough to carry between floors and use one-handed, but it doesn't suit everyone, and it can feel top-heavy and tiring to push across a big room. If you have wrist or shoulder trouble, that balance is the thing to think about.

It can be. Debris can lodge above the seal on the V11 Extra's 0.76-liter bin, and opening it quickly over the trash sends up a dust cloud. Open it slowly and low inside the trash can, and pick out anything stuck near the seal by hand.

Fairly quiet in use. Next to other vacuums the V11 Extra tends to sound quiet, even though Dyson lists it at 82 dB, and it gets louder when you switch to boost for thick carpet.

It converts to a handheld for furniture, car interiors and high spots like ceiling fans, and it comes with pet tools for embedded hair. Dyson includes a 2-year warranty.