Dyson Vs. Ryobi Stick Vacuum: How Do These Cordless Cleaners Compare?

Getting a new vacuum cleaner for your home is one of those little life situations that feels like it should be very simple, but never quite is. Vacuums are a surprisingly diverse market, with offerings from not just major brands like Dyson, but also various hardware brands like Ryobi. If the only goal is to get a tool that vacuums up dirt, hair, and other miscellaneous contaminants, any vacuum should theoretically be fine. Even so, if you're going to drop several hundred dollars on any appliance, you want to be sure you're getting a good value.

For example, both Dyson and Ryobi, despite being fairly different brands with different product priorities, offer stick vacuum cleaners of similar stature. Either one of these vacuums would probably work for general cleaning purposes, but if you need to be certain of the specifics, there are a few departments where these two devices differ from one another that may help you make an informed decision.

As a brand that specializes primarily in vacuum cleaners and other devices for moving air around, Dyson's V11 stick vacuum features most of the bells and whistles that the brand is known for, such as an internal filtration system that captures 99.99% of microscopic particles and expels clean air.

The Dyson V11 is designed primarily for homes with pets, with its Motorbar cleaning head constantly spinning as you push the vacuum around. That cleaning head uses a series of de-tangling vanes that chop up any hair that's been picked up while cleaning, which helps to prevent tangles and jams. The V11 also comes with several swappable heads, including a hair screw for specifically capturing long hair and pet fur, a crevice tool for reaching tight spots, and a combination wide nozzle and brush for handling various messes. Any captured dust or debris is stored in the 0.2-gallon dust bin.

The vac has three operating modes: Eco, Medium, and Boost. These modes are controlled via a small LCD display on the handle, which also displays an estimate of the tool's remaining battery power. On the Medium setting, you can usually get around 60 minutes of consistent operation, though the precise operation time will depend on the mode you're using. Afterward, the vac is plugged into its companion wall charger, which takes about 4.5 hours to recharge it fully from empty.

While Ryobi is a hardware brand first and foremost, it has offered its fair share of different vacuum cleaners over the years, ranging from small hand vacs to full-sized appliances. The Ryobi Whisper stick vac is a middle-grounder in that range, designed for general-purpose home cleaning. The Whisper stick vac is equipped with an internal HEPA filter, which helps it capture 99.97% of particles and particulates. 

Like the Dyson V11, the Ryobi Whisper stick vac has its own roller bar cleaning head, which can be removed from the housing for cleaning or replacement via a small latch on the side. This roller has Ryobi's WrapDefense tech, which allows it to safely capture and clear human and pet hairs up to 9 inches long. The primary cleaning head can be swapped with four other heads: a mini motorized beater bar, a crevice tool, a dust brush, and a micro crevice tool. 

As a part of Ryobi's Whisper tool series, this vacuum is built for quieter operation than average, with a typical operational noise level of about 61 decibels, roughly equivalent in volume to two people having a normal conversation according to a Yale decibel level comparison chart (PDF).

The Dyson Whisper stick vac has its own wall-mounted charger, which holds up both the device itself and its various swappable heads. However, what differentiates this vacuum from its contemporaries is the inclusion of Ryobi's ONE+ battery technology. Any battery pack from the ONE+ framework can be attached to the vacuum to power it, though the precise amount of operational time you get will depend on the battery's storage capacity and which of the three power settings you're using.

The Dyson V11 stick vacuum and the Ryobi Whisper stick vacuum are very similar in their general power and usage cases. The differences between the two are relatively minor, but they do exist, with one major potential concern being pricing. The Dyson V11 stick vacuum has an RRP of $569.99, while the Ryobi Whisper stick vacuum sells in a kit with a 4Ah battery and charger for $379.00.

One of the major differences between them is operational time. With a fully-charged battery, the Dyson V11 can get around 60 minutes of straight use on the Medium power setting and longer on the Eco setting. By comparison, the Ryobi vacuum's power usage can vary wildly. If you were to use the 4Ah battery included in the kit, you would only get around 9 minutes on high, 22 minutes on medium, and 35 minutes on low.

It is worth noting, however, that the modularity afforded by Ryobi's ONE+ system can potentially surmount this difference. If you were to switch to a 6Ah battery, you'd get 14 minutes on high, 32 minutes on medium, and 50 minutes on low. With Ryobi's strongest 8Ah battery, you'd get 19 minutes on high, 44 minutes on medium, and 70 minutes on low.

The Ryobi Whisper vacuum comes with more attachments than the Dyson V11, and while its HEPA filter technically doesn't capture as many particles as the Dyson's internal filter, there is only an efficiency gap of 0.02% between them. The Ryobi vacuum can also store slightly more debris with its 1-liter bin compared to the Dyson's 0.2-gallon bin.