Dyson Ball DC24 Vacuum Cleaner

 There are no qualms about it: Dyson make a good vacuum cleaner, but the trouble is the regular Dyson vacuum cleaner isn't the smallest of devices. But can a "Mini-me" version still pack an impressive punch? We do a spot of cleaning to find out. 

The Dyson DC24 is a compact version of its DC15 Ball product, down to the colouring and functionality. 

While on first impressions it looks more like a child's toy - and Mrs. Pocket-lint suggested we get my 2 year old to test it out - Dyson state that it is just as powerful. 

So what do you get? 

Well you get a small, compact vacuum cleaner that measures; 74.9(H) x 28(D) x 34.9(W)cm. In reality this means that when packed away it is small enough to fit under a kitchen counter. Before you worry that you might have to be incredibly short to use this, it can compress to this size mainly because of its fold-away handle. 

You also get the Ball design found in the DC15 that allows you to move around your home quickly rather than having to push and pull the vacuum cleaner backwards and forwards as you do with a design that features four wheels. 

Other features of the design include the standard Dyson bagless "bin" and two washable HEPA filters. This, states Dyson, means the air emitted from a Dyson vacuum cleaner has up to 150 times less bacteria, mould and allergens than the room’s ambient air. All Dyson machines are approved by the British Allergy Foundation. 

You also get a motorised brushbar giving you that extra suck where you need it and like previous models you can turn this on or off if you don't need the extra power. 

How have they managed to do all this compressing? Well mainly using dead space: one of the filters and the motor is hidden in the ball for example. 

In-use and we were very surprised at the performance of the Dyson, especially for something so small. 

We used the DC24 on carpet, floorboards and slate and cleaned a series of dirts such as flour, dog hair and even garden dirt. 

Like the DC15 the manoeuvrability is impressive with the claim of being able to turn on a sixpence being true. 

Drawbacks we found however are the size of the bin, something that shouldn't bother you if you are only cleaning a small flat and a fiddly hand wand set-up that requires you to construct it every time rather than as with the bigger model just extend it. 

However, where the DC24 outperforms the regular-sized DC15 is in its size and weight. It weighs 5.4kg. 

This makes it an ideal device for the stairs. In fact we found that it was light enough to hold in one hand while we used the wand and accompanying brush to do the cleaning in the other. Something we can't say about the heavy DC15.

 DC24 Multi Floor (previously known as DC24 All Floors)

Ultra-lightweight Dyson Ball vacuum cleaner.
DC24 Multi Floor is an ultra-lightweight and compact Dyson Ball vacuum cleaner that uses patented Root Cyclone technology for no loss of suction. Weighing in at just 5.4kg, it's Dyson's lightest upright, and includes a compressible wand so you can store it away more easily.
DC24 Multi Floor also includes patented Ball technology, which allows you to steer with ease around obstacles such as furniture and household appliances. It rides on a ball, so there's no more pushing back and forth to turn corners.

DC24 Multi Floor includes:

Ball technology to help you steer with ease

The motor is housed inside the ball to lower the machine’s centre of gravity. View larger

Have you ever got frustrated pushing an ordinary upright vacuum cleaner back and forth, back and forth to steer around furniture and other obstacles? Have a look underneath it, and you'll see that's because it sits on fixed wheels – perfect if all you want to do is travel in a straight line, but not so good at corners. Frustration is an important source of invention for Dyson engineers – it sparks new ideas, new ways of solving problems. It was their frustration with fixed wheels that led them to develop a new way of turning corners. Dyson Ball upright vacuum cleaners use patented Ball technology to overcome the steering limitations of fixed wheels. They ride on a ball, which pivots around itself so you can steer with ease, changing direction with just a turn of the wrist. The idea for Ball technology came about from a Dyson engineer studying new ways to steer. It started crudely - an old wand handle attached to a wheel. Eventually the wheel became a ball - and an ideal home for the motor.
The ball itself is made of glass-reinforced polypropylene – the same material used in the manufacture of car dashboards. It combines high impact strength with resistance to distortion. The ball is also where you'll find the motor. By putting the motor inside the ball, at a neutral point, Dyson engineers were able to lower the machine's centre of gravity and improve manoeuvrability even more.

Motorised brush bar for powerful pet hair removal. View larger

Ultra-lightweight and compact. View larger

Motorised brush bar for powerful pet hair removal
DC24 Multi Florr has a motorised brush bar for removing dirt and pet hair that have lodged deep inside carpets. The stiff bristles on the brush bar spin at high speeds - up to 90 times per second – to agitate the carpet pile and dislodge dirt and pet hair so that it can be vacuumed up and removed. Don't worry if you also have hard floors or delicate rugs – the brush bar can be turned off so you can use DC24 Multi Floor on these surfaces too.
Reversible wand
Despite its compact size, DC24 Multi Floor has a long reach for cleaning stairs and awkward areas. The wand on DC24 Multi Floor reverses to reach out-of-the-way spots more easily and with a better grip. There are no awkward components to assemble, and you can also attach tools and accessories to extend your cleaning abilities even further.

Reverse wand for stairs and high-reach cleaning. View larger

Hygienic bin emptying - one-touch trigger release.

Brush bar turns off for delicate rugs and hard floors.

Approved for allergy sufferers
Dyson upright and cylinder vacuums are approved by 12 allergy associations worldwide, including the British Allergy Foundation (BAF) and Allergie Suisse. Allergie Suisse approval is one of the most stringent in the world. To secure, it vacuums have to provide constant suction and separation performance so that they don't lose effectiveness while you clean.
No bags to throw away
The bags in ordinary vacuum cleaners clog with dust and dirt, causing a loss of suction. After a while the suction can fall so low you have to replace the bag – and throw the old one away. A lot of vacuum cleaner bags these days are made from a mixture of plastic and paper, which means you can't recycle them. Like a lot of waste, they end up in landfill, where they take years to decompose.
With a Dyson vacuum, you can simply detach the clear bin and empty it onto the compost heap. Biodegradable dust and fluff will be broken down naturally  into useful fertiliser. With no bags to replace, you won't be adding to the landfill problem.
No extra costs
Other vacuum cleaners are still designed to need replacement bags and filters – and the cost soon adds up. Over 5 years. Dyson vacuum cleaners don't need bags and have lifetime washable filters, so there are no extra costs to worry about.
Washable HEPA filter for clean expelled air
DC24 Multi Floor includes a sealed HEPA (High-Efficiency Particle Air) filter – the same filter used by hospitals – to trap tiny particles as small as 0.1 microns. That’s about the size of a single particle of cigarette smoke. Particles this small include common household allergens such as pollen, mould spores and dust mite faeces.
The air expelled by DC24 Multi Floor contains up to 150 times less mould and bacteria than the air you breathe. And because the filter is washable you won’t need to replace it. Just give it a rinse once a month with cold water.
5 year parts and labour guarantee
You'd be amazed at some of the tests Dyson carry out on their machines to make sure they're as tough and reliable as possible. During development, a push/pull rig moves Dyson vacuum cleaners a minimum of 4,452,651 feet. The hose is kinked 7,280 times. The bin is opened 1,560 times. Upright vacuum cleaners undergo 207 different validation tests, cylinders 235. That's why Dyson are so confident in their machines they guarantee all their uprights and cylinders for 5 years – parts and labour.
Which? Best buy
DC24 Multi Floor has been given a Which? Best Buy Award. A team of experts tested everything, including: dirt pick up, pet hair removal, noise and dust retention.

Root Cyclone technology for no loss of suction.

Patented Dyson technology Dyson engineers are constantly testing and inventing, trying to find new ways to make their technology work better. As they work, they file patent applications to protect their inventions from copycat manufacturers. That's why the only place you'll find Dyson technology is inside a Dyson machine.
Root Cyclone technology for no loss of suction
Ordinary vacuum cleaners rely on bags and filters to trap dust and dirt. Air is meant to flow through tiny holes, leaving dust and dirt behind. The problem is that when you use them, these tiny holes quickly clog up with particles of dust. This chokes the flow of air, so the vacuum cleaner loses suction.
Dyson vacuum cleaners don't rely on bags to trap dust and dirt. They use patented Root Cyclone technology, which spins the air at incredibly high speeds. The cyclones inside a Dyson vacuum cleaner generate centrifugal forces many thousands of times the force of gravity. Dust, dirt and pet hair are flung out of the airflow and straight into the clear bin. No bags, no loss of suction.