I had never given much thought about the old canister vacuum I used for years and years: It was a fair little vacuum with a dust-belching bag that I never remembered to replace, and a “retracting cord” feature had stopped retracting years before.
But once my mother bought me a Dyson upright, like so many Dyson fans, I was converted immediately and never looked back. Can Dyson tempt me back to a canister with their latest offering? And, if you are still living in the dusty world of vacuum bags, is this the vacuum that will get you bagless?
The Dyson DC 39 Multi-Floor Canister Vacuum is a futuristic-looking little powerhouse that has some of my favorite qualities of a Dyson: It has amazing suction, works really well on both carpeting and hardwoods, and isn’t too hard to maneuver on stairs.Oh and not having to deal with vacuum bags ever again is worth its weight in gold to me.
I’ve been giving a one-month loaner a run, and found that when I really love this canister profile over my trusty upright, is when I need to get under stuff. The extendable wand can reach way under beds and couches to suck up all those dust bunnies and Goldfish crackers. Plus, I appreciate that it is so easy to lengthen or shorten the wand so that my 5′ 9″ frame is comfortable when vacuuming, but can go shorter when the kids need to clean up the craft glitter. Again.
The DC 39 uses Dyson’s Ball technology (feel free to make 13 year-old jokes here) to make the head turn super easily. I could even get into that tight spot between the toilet base and the wall to suck up all the dust and ick stuck back there. Even going up stairs isn’t too tough with a vacuum compact enough, it tucks right onto a stair as I go up. This means it also tucks neatly into a closet for storage–a nice feature for apartment dwellers who may not want a big honking vacuum taking up half of their precious closet space.
Since “sucking up dirt” is my #1 criteria for a vacuum, my quibbles with the DC 39 seem a bit minor to me, though they may not be for everyone. For one, emptying the dust bin isn’t nearly as neat as it is with my Dyson upright. After sticking my hand up to pull out all the dog hair lodged in the bin, I realized it is way easier to just remove the entire plastic storage case rather than try to get it to dump out the bottom.
>One other minor annoyance was that my two extra tools—one long nozzle and one stair tool—never seem to stay attached to the wand properly. Also, I really wish the retractable cord was longer since I found myself having to unplug and replug the vacuum each time I entered a new room in our home.
Finally: cost. The DC 39 has a price of $449.99 right now on Amazon, which isn’t small change. But, having moved to a Dyson upright five years ago, I have been impressed that their “never lose suction” claim isn’t just marketing jargon. Besides, what I said earlier I meant:No bags = priceless.
Get all the specs on Dyson’s new DC 39 Multi-Floor Canister Vacuum at the Dyson website. You can purchase it directly from our affiliate Amazon. Also, pet-owners, note that the DC 39 Animal version runs $50 more, though I have one very shed-y black lab and found the regular DC 39 to work just fine.
