On Monday I told you a little bit about the Dyson DC35 Digital Slim vacuum that I was sent to review as a Walmart Mom. I also told you that it retails at Walmart for $299.
Now I know some of you may have had a bit of sticker shock when I mentioned the price, and thought “How on earth does a $299 stick vacuum, not even a regular vacuum, fit into a frugal living blog???”
The fact is, being frugal doesn’t always mean buying the cheapest thing. Sometimes a cheaper item is, well, junk. Buying a well made item that performs well and lasts a long time can be the least expensive option in the long run.
That’s why I buy LL Bean backpacks & lunchboxes for my kids, Dansko Clogs & New Balance Sneakers for myself, and we paid thousands of dollars for replacement windows when we moved into our house.
On the flip side of that, it hurts my heart to pay hundreds of dollars for something. I hem. I haw. I wonder. I read online. . . and still sometimes I don’t buy because I’m not SURE. . . and I hate to “waste” the money.
So when I get the offer to review what to me is a high dollar item like this Dyson DC35 Digital Slim I see it as an opportunity to really help out my readers-to give a true opinion, with pros & cons, of the item so you can make an educated choice.
So, now that you’ve heard my rational, on to the review.
Here is the official description from the Dyson website:
-Dyson DC35 Multi Floor – the most powerful cordless vacuum.
-Powered by the Dyson digital motor.
-Detachable long-reach wand cleans up high, down low and in tight gaps.
-Dual power mode gives 15 minutes constant high suction or 6 minutes on MAX power for tougher cleans.
-Ideal for quick, flexible cleaning on all floor types, stairs, upholstery and inside the car.
The DC35 weighs about 5 lbs, is energy star rated and is made with carbon fiber:
Carbon fiber has anti-static properties and the brushes on the Digital Slim™ reduce the build up of static charges while attracting fine dust for improved pick up. The brush bar also has stiff nylon brushes to pick up ground-in dirt from carpets.
Before I get into my observations, I want to make sure you understand that the Dyson DC35 is a stick vacuum–not a full sized vacuum. When I think of a stick vac, I usually think of something replaces my broom-that does quick pick ups of the daily dust, dirt & crumbs that 2 kids and a dog drag into the house, and (if you are lucky) can do an “in between” sort of spot cleaning on the rugs.
Of course, since my entire downstairs is hardwood floors (well, the kitchen is linolenum) with just a few area rugs, I have lots of area that can use a stick vac!
When I took the Digital Slim out of the box there really wasn’t much in the way of assembly. There was the motor unit, a long wand, the power head, two tools (crevice and brush), a wall mount unit and a cord. To put it together in the stick vac mode, you snapped the wand onto the motor unit, then the power head on that. Easy to do, not a lot of pressure required, and it only fits on one way so it would be impossible to put it on “wrong”.
I plugged it in to charge (it’s cordless, remember). The information said it takes 3.5 hours to charge fully-but since it was brand new I just plugged it in and left it overnight.
One of the interesting things to me about how this vacuum operates is that it doesn’t just have an “on/off” switch, but instead has a sort of “trigger” power button-the power only runs when you are pushing down on the button.
At first I was using the button like a trigger on a handgun (yeah-I know. Remember, I was in the Army). I was pushing with the pad of my pointer finger. This caused my hand and forearm to get tired very quickly!
I found that if I wrapped my hand around the handle, almost in a fist, so that the trigger was between my second and third finger I did not have that fatigue or engage the muscles in my forearm.
Now this unit is billed as having 12 minutes of power on regular, 6 on “Maximum”-which doesn’t sound like a lot. Because of the trigger switch, you can only engage the motor when you are actively vacuuming-and you can release pressure and save the battery when you are not (ie pulling out the coffee table, or moving from room to room). I was worried that the time would not be enough, but by not leaving it running every single second I had no problem vacuuming all 5 of my downstairs rooms-which included pulling out all the dining room chairs etc.
One of the “big deal” engineering points about the motor is that it has full suction for the entire time that it is running-the battery doesn’t do like most other machines, where it fades away getting less & less powerful as time goes on. I did an experiment after recharging the battery fully and ran it nonstop until it ran out. I lasted 8 minutes and 49 seconds going full gung ho-then completely cut off 🙂
On to performance.
The vaccum worked well, picking up debris with no problem from hard surfaces. It did very well on my low pile carpets too (sorry folks-I don’t have any high pile to try it on).
Unlike a full vacuum, there is no power train that helps to pull the machine forward, your arm and shoulder are doing all the work. (note: this is true as far as I know with all stick vacs) One thing I did notice with the Dyson Digital Slim is that on certain carpets in certain directions I felt a very noticeable “drag” while I was trying to push it forward, in one case I had to vacuum in a different direction. I actually think this is because the rotating brush is pretty powerful, and the way the carpet was woven in that direction was catching against the brush. When I moved perpendicular to that, I had no issue.
Emptying the dirt cup (or whatever you call it) is super easy. I love it when things have a good design! You simply take the motor unit over to your trash can, push on the little red lever and the BOTTOM of the cup drops out, releasing the grime into your trash can.
No lifting, turning, banging or removing anything. Then you just flip it back closed & you are ready to go again!
I swapped out the long wand for the crevice tool and hit the stairs.
Actually the brush attachment probably would have made more sense. Or you can even attache the power head straight to the motor unit.
Again, worked like a charm.
Overall I really like this machine. It looks cool, works well and has several configurations which should make it a workhorse around the house. It appears to be durable, and I have great hopes that at the price it goes for, the reputation of Dyson as a company and with the engineering that has gone into it will last a long time. If anything does go wrong it has a 2 year warranty (note to self, send in the little card ASAP).
Issues to consider when considering purchasing this unit:
1. The trigger power button. If you are arthritic, have carpal tunnel etc this type of switch which needs constant pressure may not be for you. I would go to the store and try holding it and squeezing the button for a while to see how it feels before purchasing it.
2. The weight. Remember, the motor is up high, near your hand, so you are holding up that weight. Although 5 lbs is very light, and most consumers should have no problem with this (even my kids were fine) if you have any type of medical issue that would preclude you from holding 4-5 lbs for 5-10 minutes you may not want this, or ANY stick vac.
3. The battery life. I found the 12 minute time frame to be more than equal to the tasks I have in my home for the Dyson DC35 Digital Slim. However if you need a machine that will vacuum for long stretches of time, this (or again, any cordless stick vac) is probably not for you.
So there you have it! But I’m not done. . . Dyson has challenged me to see how many different ways around the house I can find to use the DC35 Digital Slim. I’ll be bring you those ideas sometime soon. In the mean time enjoy this cool video Dyson made for the Walmart Moms telling us about the engineering that goes into creating their products. It’s pretty cool. . .they even have a lab where they grow their own dust mites so they can test the effects the vacuums have on them.
Dyson is on Twitter: @AskDysonUS and Facebook … and, of course, you can buy the DC35 Digital Slim at your local Walmart!
Christy @morethanmommy says
We have a Dyson that we’ve mostly replaced with another model after it lost suction. If we had any carpet in our home, we probably would have just bought another Dyson because while it was on its game, I love love loved it. And I will never, ever buy a cheap vacuum again. That said, $299 for a glorified dust buster is absurd, even for a Dyson. It looks really cool, and I want one, but even my non-frugal self can’t justify that price tag.
Jenn @ Frugal Upstate says
Trust me, I understand your point. However to be fair to the product, it really does have a lot more power & suction in the motor head than a dust buster (I’ve had a stick vac that was basically a dust buster that lifted out of the vacuum section which provided the power, so I can say this definitively). Honestly-I probably will use this as my main vacuum downstairs, and only pull out the “big” machine every once in a while for a deep clean of the den rug.
All that being said-I really need to use it and see it over the long haul before I can say if the price is really truly worth it.
Janelle says
Will this be another closet junk monster? It seems nifty and might fit in the closet better then a huge vacuum. You can give it a try, and take it back if your not satisfied.
Jenn @ Frugal Upstate says
janelle-I didn’t really show it but they have a special wall mount that the charger cord fits into as well as the unit itself and the two attachements-so it really could fit pretty well on a laundryroom wall or in a closet.
Lora says
I recently replaced an outdated stick vacuum after many years of successful performance because it could no longer hold a charge for long. Unlike its predecessor, on low pile carpeting my new stick vacuum has a episodes of “drag” such as you describe. The problem seems to be triggered by the swivel feature. The drag is usually to the extent of jamming, and I often have to change direction in order to continue vacuuming. Now that you have mentioned the power of the rotating brush as a possible factor, I’m wondering about that as well as the swivel feature. I have much larger areas of carpeting than of hard flooring so I’ve been using the full vacuum more often since changing stick vacuums.
Natalie says
Hi,
Did you find that it scratched your hardwood? We are having new hardwood installed and I’m concerned it might scratch.
Jenn @ Frugal Upstate says
Natalie-I haven’t noticed it particularly scratching-however with dog and children running around on our hardwood floors for the last 3 years I can’t really state that it ISN’T scratching either!
Ann says
Can it be used to dust plantation shutters? We had all hardwood floors so I think it will be great for that. We have shutters on every window and it would be a huge bonus if I could use it to quickly clean them.
Jenn @ Frugal Upstate says
I don’t have plantain shutters so I can’t say for sure. The sort of brush attachment should work, but you do have to hold the unit up if they are high shutters, so if weight is an issue then you should consider that.
Molly says
Did it pick up puffs of dog hair. I bought a shark and was disappointed it does not pick up dog hair.
Simon says
I find when vacuuming carpet I get severe static shocks. More often from the charging socket but also from the seams on the battery. I’m reluctant to do the carpet cleaning, has anyone had this problem?
Jenn @ Frugal Upstate says
Simon-I have not had that issue with my Dyson DC35. I’d recommend calling/contacting the company.
Leroy says
Mine goes on and off. Runs 10 to 20 seconds and then stops. Press trigger and it goes again. Any help
Jenn @ Frugal Upstate says
Sorry, I dont know what to tell you.
Brooks says
I did a lot of research when looking for a cordless vac. I decided to go with the Dyson DC35, mainly because of the power of the battery (and suction) and the flexibility of being able to convert it to a handheld. I love that I can take it out to my car and it makes doing the stairs so easy. I wouldn’t trade it for anything! I have to give you credit Jenn, your hands one review was one of the reasons I chose this guy!
Also, thank you for showing all the nice people how to pull the trigger. I saw so many negative reviews because people’s hands and arms were getting tired from pulling the trigger. If you hold it the way you show, it’s a non factor. I also noticed that the trigger made me more likely to turn it off when moving things I didn’t want to vacuum. Saved a lot of battery, as I would normally just leave it on to move stuff.
Thanks Jenn, keep up the good work!
Garrick Dee says
Hello Jenn,
Thank you for sharing this review with us. Just wondering how is it holding up after 2 plus years? Did you keep it or did you return it to Walmart.
Jenn @ Frugal Upstate says
Garrick–sorry, it’s been so long I’m not sure if you will see this! My unit is having a few issues with charging–it seems like whenever my hubs plugs it in it charges just fine, but when I do, it doesn’t. Probably operator error somehow! As far as the actual unit, I still like it for quick and easy pickups.
Clive says
Hi Jenn, you stated earlier that you ran the DC35 continuous and it lasted 8.49 min. Was it running highest power vacuuming a rug or held in mid air with no resistance? Did it last more than 6 minutes on a rug? People have complained that the battery pack comes loose from the contacts while vacuuming and used a zip tie to secure the pack with the handle, did you have this problem? I like the idea of using this with an extra battery so I’ll get at least 25 minutes of actual cleaning if necessary so I called customer service about this and she said that it would burn out the motor which is ridiculous to say the least. In Canada at Walmart it sells for $349 +taxes which is steep and an extra battery is $89 +taxes.
Thanks for your input Jenn as I need to buy one of these soon.
Jane McCafferty says
Hello Jenn,
I was just wondering, two+ years later, would you still recommend this product?
Thanks!
Jenn @ Frugal Upstate says
There have been a couple of questions about this that have come in the last couple of months–I apologize to anyone who I haven’t answered. It was super busy and I was not as on top of comments for older posts as I should have been.
Our Digital Slim is still working well. We really use it mainly for quick pick up type jobs. Since we have mostly hardwood floors dirt, dog hair etc tend to float around and collect in the corners and edges.
I still think that it is quite a large expenditure for the type of item it is–but it is well built and powerful for the amount of time the battery lasts–so it really depends on how much you intend to use it. If you have a small apartment and want to use this as an alternative to a big vacuum I think you’d be disappointed–ditto if you have a carpeted upstairs and are thinking that it would be good to use on the second floor without having to haul the big vacuum upstairs. If you are looking for something to take the place of a broom and to vacuum your upholstery and drapes, get into high corners for cobwebs etc–well than this would work for you. Then your next question is just if it meets your budget and if you’d rather buy something a little less well made for less money. Those are very personal choices!
robert opsvik says
i have had this unit for 2-3 years, gotta man crush on it due to my ocd…ONE BIG ISSUE…when i am finished with it, i break it all down for a thorough cleaning. this cleaning includes rinsing the collector tub out as well as the unit, blue top, it attaches to. neither of these parts have electric components. HOWEVER…i have had to replace theses components FOUR times. why? because the gaskets, one on the perimeter of the bottom debris canister “lid”, and the other located where the debris canister meet with the blue top of the suction system.
…whf??? is the water rinse causing these two, and just these two rubber gaskets to disintegrate into small pieces and fall out. they are 100% dry when i reassemble the unit…makes no sense. on the up side, dyon just sends me the entire section free…seems odd when all that is needed are two new gaskets.
i’m going to try using gasket specific grease, i work at boeing, . i need a solution as my warranty runs out in december…no more free assemblies…ANYONE else have this issue????or am i the only owner who rinses the unit after usage???
any info please call me at 206-819-9356…thanx…robb
Michael says
We have a Dyson Stick that we have had for almost one year. While it worked well when we first had it, now the suction is almost non-existent and it does nothing unless on max power. It also tends to cut out in mid stream. It is basically worthless after one year. I am going to attempt to return it and buy a real vacuum cleaner.
Miller says
I need to get a new vacuum as a present for my sister’s birthday (She asked me to get one for her as a present
Angela says
No don’t waste your money.
James G.Costa says
Thank for review this. Convenient machine. The price look good. Maybe I will buy it.
Sarah says
I JUST LOVE THIS, this is super slim, thanks for the review.
henryvu says
Hi, Jenn,
Thank for review this.Dyson vacuum cleaner is beautifully designed but expensive so maybe it does not suit me, can you advise me a model under $ 100?
Thanks !
Jenn @ Frugal Upstate says
I’m sorry, I really don’t have an answer/recommendation for you.