Dyson DC59 Motorhead Review: Super Suction In A Slim Design

Dyson has a new vacuum available for sale today on Amazon and Dyson.com, and it’s a beast: The DC59 Motorhead is the most powerful handheld cordless vacuum cleaner ever put out by the British company, and boasts more suction than most full-sized vacuums according to Dyson. It’s a variation on the DC59 Animal Dyson launched earlier this year, but with a new motorized head attachment that gives it 75 percent more power, at the expense of just a couple of minutes of expected battery life.

Basics

  • 24-minute battery
  • 4.96 lbs
  • Comes with cleaner head with direct-drive motor
  • MSRP: $549.99
  • Product info page

Pros

  • Perfect handheld for carpets
  • Long-lasting battery

Cons

  • Slightly heavier than DC59 Animal

Design

The Dyson DC59 Motorhead resembles the Animal variant I reviewed earlier this year. That means a retro-futuristic crown for the motor component that makes you think vaguely of classic cars, as well as the new, more ergonomic handle and trigger design. It gets a new color scheme, sticking to the same general area of the color wheel as its immediate predecessor, but with a more pinkish hue. The result is more visually arresting, but still well within the realm of good taste.

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The new Motorhead attachment is larger than the one that comes with the Animal, but it helps the new vacuum boast 75 percent more suction power, too, so there’s a reason for the size increase. The head attachment adds some weight to the overall package, too, but it still doesn’t feel overly heavy, and I didn’t find that the increase in dimensions meant it couldn’t fit anywhere the Animal head attachment could go before it.

Other aspects of the design, Dyson standard features, remain solid, including the easy release receptacle for disposing of dust and dirt easily and cleanly. The snap button releases for attachments hold everything securely in place, too, and you get the convenient wall mount and attachment holder in the box, too.

Performance

Dyson’s DC59 Motorhead makes a strong argument for never owning a plug-in full-sized vacuum again. Its 24-minute battery life (which I found to be in line with Dyson’s stated estimates) is enough to still have some time left to spare after a thorough cleaning of my two-floor, roughly 1,100 square foot place (which includes a full floor of carpet). And the suction really does trump that of the Animal: It actually seems to resuscitate carpet, fluffing it up for a supremely comfy underfoot feel.

The DC59 Motorhead also performs just as well on hardwood, and offers up a more power-consuming boost mode (which drains the battery in just six minutes, however) if you’re having trouble with a particularly resilient piece of lint. And you get the standard wand and dusting brush attachments in the box along with the Motorhead, as well as a smaller motorized attachment for upholstery cleaning and tight spaces.

Bottom Line

In the end, Dyson is still category leader when it comes to vacuum cleaners, especially when it comes to portable power, and the DC59 Motorhead just extends its lead. With the added power and run time, you could conceivably clean an entire multi-floor house with a single charge, carpets and all, and that’s new territory for a cordless vacuum. The Motorhead still costs a pretty penny though at $549.99, but with just a simple monthly filter cleaning as the only maintenance required, it’s an investment that’s sound in the long run.