Dyson V11 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner - Outsize, Torque Drive, and Animal Models

Dyson V11 is a strong and versatile cordless, bagless vacuum cleaner. It is a convertible, 2-in-1 unit designed to be used as a lightweight cordless stick vacuum cleaner and a powerful cordless handheld vacuum.

Although a cordless vacuum, Dyson V11 is intended to be used as the main vacuum cleaner even in larger homes and apartments. It features excellent suction, true HEPA air filtration, versatile cleaning tools, a convenient wall-mountable docking/charging station, etc. Also, it is anything but a cheap vacuum. However, what you pay is what you get - a strong and versatile vacuum cleaner being able to clean a home from the floor to the ceiling.

Updated: November 4, 2022.

Dyson V11 Features and Specifications - Dyson V11 Outsize vs. Dyson V11 Torque Drive vs. Dyson V11 Animal

Dyson V11 Torque Drive and Dyson V11 Animal are very similar models, while Dyson V11 Outsize, although sharing the same design philosophy, differs in more details.

The main differences between these models are in color, screen type, length, number of batteries, dirt cup size, and the list of available cleaning attachments, as shown in the following comparison chart:

Model	Dyson V11 Outsize	Dyson V11 Torque Drive	Dyson V11 Animal
Photo
Motor Type	Dyson Hyperdymium Motor	Dyson Digital V11 Motor	Dyson Digital V11 Motor
Post Motor Air Filter	Yes	Yes	Yes
Max. Operating Time	120+ minutes (two batteries)	60+ minutes	60+ minutes
Operating Time in Boost Mode	24 minutes (two batteries)	12 minutes	12 minutes
Max. Suction	220 Air Watts	185 Air Wats	185 Air Wats
Display Type	LCD Screen	LCD Screen	LED Screen
Dirt Cup	0.5 gal	0.2 gal	0.2 gal
Charging Time	4.5 hours	4.5 hours	4.5 hours
Weight	7.85 pounds	6.68 pounds	6.68 pounds
Dimensions	12.5 x 50.63 x 11.7 inches	10.28 x 50.63 x 9.84 inches	10.28 x 49.65 x 9.84 inches
Torque Drive Cleaner Head	Yes (High Torque XL)	Yes	Yes
Mini Motorized Tool	Yes	Yes	Yes
Combination Tool	Yes	Yes	Yes
Crevice Tool	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mini Soft Dusting Brush	Yes	Yes	No
Stubborn Dirt Brush	Yes	Yes	Yes
Amazon Link	Dyson V11 Outsize	Dyson V11 Torque Drive	Dyson V11 Animal

Note: Amazon affiliate links in the chart open in the new window, feel free to check them for the most up-to-date offers and prices.

Due to the differences in screen type and the list of available cleaning tools (Dyson V11 Animal lacks Mini Soft Dusting Brush), there is also a difference in price, with Dyson V11 Torque Drive being more expensive than Dyson V11 Animal.

Dyson V11 Outsize comes with High Torque XL, which is 25% wider than the Torque Drive cleaner head found on Dyson V11 Torque Drive and Dyson V11 Animal. Also, Dyson V11 Outsize comes with an additional battery charger and an additional click-in battery.

Dyson V11 is powered via Dyson Digital V11 Motor, providing maximum suction of 185 Air Watts - and that is a strong suction, often stronger than the suction of many corded vacuums. But, Dyson V11 Outsize features even stronger suction - 220(!) Air Watts.

Dyson V11 comes with a 7-cells nickel-cobalt-aluminum lithium-ion battery, providing fade-free power, long operating time, and relatively fast recharges.

Note: Dyson V11 Outsize comes with two batteries!

Units easily convert from the stick vacuum cleaner to a handheld vacuum and back, allowing the user to quickly adapt to new situations.

When being used as the stick vacuum cleaner, the units use a new main cleaner head featuring two types of bristles and a direct electric drive.

'Torque Drive' cleaner head features soft carbon fiber filaments intended for cleaning fine dust and other small particles from hard, bare floors, while stiff bristles remove deeply embedded dirt from carpeted floors.

Also, 'Torque Drive' features so-called Dynamic Load Sensor (DLS) technology that monitors the brush bar resistance and adjusts the motor 360 times per second, allowing the 'Torque Drive' cleaner head to glide over and vacuum different types of floors easily.

Note: previous Dyson cordless vacuums also featured a Torque Drive cleaner head, but Dyson V11 comes with an improved cleaner head, and to emphasize the difference, it is often labeled as the 'Nickel Torque Drive' (Dyson V11 Torque Drive and Animal) or 'High Torque XL' (Dyson V11 Outsize) cleaner head.

Despite being an excellent cleaning tool, 'Nickel Torque Drive' is not a maintenance-free tool, and occasionally user has to remove tangled pet and human hair, lint, and fibers from the brush bar.

The brush bar cover is transparent, allowing the user to see the current condition and if required, to clean it.

In order to prolong the cleaning time on a single battery charge and to protect sensitive surfaces, Dyson V11 Outsize, Dyson V11 Torque Drive, and Dyson V11 Animal come with three different operating modes:

• Eco mode features the lowest suction but the longest operating time of up to, or even more than 60 minutes on a single battery charge. Operating time depends on the tool being used, and as a handheld vacuum with a non-motorized cleaning attachment, Dyson V11 can easily surpass 60 minutes of operation without the need to recharge the battery.
• in Auto mode vacuum senses the floor surface and adapts the operation accordingly. This mode allows the user to easily clean large, flat surfaces with 'Nickel Torque Drive'/'Torque Drive XL', regardless of the surface type. When cleaning using any other tool, the Auto mode becomes Medium suction mode. Operating time in Auto/Medium mode depends on the tool being used and the surfaces being cleaned, but it is shorter than 'Eco mode' and longer than 'Boost mode'.
• in Boost mode unit operates at full power, shortening the battery life to 12 minutes but producing respectful 185/220 Air Watts of suction - such suction is rarely achieved even by corded units.

One of the most important and obvious differences between V11 Outsize/Torque Drive and V11 Animal is display type - V11 Outsize and V11 Torque Drive use an LCD screen, while V11 Animal uses an LED screen.

LCD screen displays the most important information about the unit, like battery status, cleaning mode, remaining operating time, potential issues, and similar.

On the other hand, the LED screen displays similar data but displaying options are very limited.

For example, while the LCD screen displays the exact remaining operating time, the LED screen features three LED lights that symbolize either a fully charged battery (three lights on), medium battery charge (two lights on), low battery charge (one light on), or battery empty (one blinking light).

When the battery is fully discharged, both V11 vacuums require ~4.5 hours to fully charge the battery.

Note: in order to prolong the battery life, it is recommended to cool the battery for 10-15 minutes after use before charging the battery again. Dyson V11 comes with a wall-mounted charging station, and its battery management system allows the battery/vacuum cleaner to be indefinitely left in the docking station without the fear of overcharging the battery.

Although large and powerful, Dyson V11 is an easy-to-use and maintain convertible vacuum cleaner. Nonetheless, when it arrives, be sure to thoroughly read the manual/instructions - better safe than sorry.

Dirt cup capacity is 0.2 gallons (~0.76 liters)/0.5 gallons (~1.9 liters) and is large enough for regular vacuuming even of larger areas.

Since Dyson V11 uses cyclonic dirt air separation as part of its air filtering system, it is of vital importance not to overfill the dirt cup.

The dirt cup is transparent, allowing the user to see the amount of vacuumed dirt. When full, the dirt cup can be quickly emptied directly into the trash can using its bottom emptying system - there is no need for the user to touch the dirt at any moment.

Also, the whole machine is designed with air filtration in mind, preventing the air from exiting the vacuum prior to being filtered completely.

A cyclonic dirt air separation system uses 14 cyclones to generate large forces that remove the dirt from the vacuumed air.

Also, Dyson V11 uses a washable high-efficiency exhaust air filter, achieving a 'true HEPA' level of air filtration - it is able to capture 99.97% of 0.3 microns or larger particles, expelling practically the clean air back into the vacuumed area.

Note: for exact maintenance procedures, check the manual. But, for short, never assemble the unit with a wet filter and never use the unit with a wet/moist filter or no filter at all.

Dyson Cordless Vacuums Comparison Chart

Dyson V11 cordless vacuum follows Dyson's philosophy of Dyson convertible cordless vacuums, which started long ago and is present in the 'older' models like Dyson V10, Dyson V8, Dyson V7, Dyson V6, etc.

Note: I am not sure what happened with V9 :)

Anyway, the following chart lists some of the Dyson cordless vacuums:

Model	Dyson V6 Absolute	Dyson V7 Absolute	Dyson V8 Absolute	Dyson V10 Absolute	Dyson V11 Torque Drive
Photo
Max. Operating Time	20 minutes	30 minutes	40 minutes	60 minutes	60+ minutes
Max. Power Mode Operating Time	6 minutes	6 minutes	7 minutes	8 minutes	12 minutes
Max. Suction Power	100 Air Watts	100 Air Watts	115 Air Watts	150 Air Watts	185 Air Wats
Post Motor Air Filter	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dirt Cup	0.11 gal	0.14 gal	0.14 gal	0.2 gal	0.2 gal
Charging Time	3.5 hours	4 hours	5 hours	3.5 hours	4.5 hours
Weight	5.1 pounds	5.3 pounds	5.75 pounds	5.9 pounds	6.68 pounds
Dimensions	9.8 x 47.5 x 8.2 inches	9.8 x 49 x 8.8 inches	9.8 x 49 x 8.8 inches	10.1 x 49.2 x 9.5 inches	10.28 x 50.63 x 9.84 inches

Note: Maximum operating time is tested using non-motorized cleaning attachments using a new, fully charged battery. In real life, one can expect a slightly shorter operating time, especially when using motorized cleaner heads.

Dyson V6 and V7 feature maximum suction of 100 Air Watts in the boost mode, and that is excellent suction for cordless units, comparable with lower/medium range of corded units.

Dyson V8 features not only improved suction but longer operating time and has been offered with an extended list of cleaning tools at a reasonable price.

Dyson V10 and V11 feature rearranged air pathways, improving suction to a respectable 150 and 185/220 Air Watts, which is stronger suction than the suction of the most corded units.

But stronger motors and longer operating times require larger batteries, hence V10 and especially V11 are the heaviest Dyson cordless vacuums.

---

For short: If you are looking for a top-of-the-line cordless, convertible vacuum cleaner, and you don't mind paying for it, consider Dyson V10 and the latest V11.

But, personally, when it appeared, Dyson V8 Absolute was really something special, and after years of use (and abuse), it has shown that it is a great machine. Dyson V10 and especially V11 are not as tested in real situations as V8, and with the introduction of V11, the price of V8 is going down even more.

Getting a Dyson V8 Absolute with additional cleaning tools is IMHO the best option at this moment, at least as far as I am concerned.

If you should choose V10 or V11, you will get an expensive machine, but with no rivals in their class regarding suction, air filtration, cleaning capabilities, etc.

For more reviews and recommendations, feel free to check Dyson V11 Drive Cordless Vacuum Cleaners Amazon link (link opens in the new window).