The Dyson Digital Slim Fluffy Extra is the latest model in Dyson’s stick cordless vacuum cleaner series.
And it is essentially the result of combining the power of the previous flagship V11 with the compactness of the “entry-level” V8 Slim.
The Digital Slim is 20 per cent smaller and 30 per cent lighter than the V11 series. The Digital Slim weighs only 1.9kg compared to V11’s 3.05kg. It is even 250g lighter than the already-lightweight V8 Slim.
SPECS
PRICE: $749 (available in Lazada and Shopee)
WEIGHT: 1.9 kg
But with its adapted Dyson Hyperdymium motor, the Digital Slim (120,000rpm) has the almost same suction power as the V11 series (125,000rpm).
It comes with a variety of accessories including the main cleaner head, light pipe crevice tool, mini motorised tool, mattress tool and low-reach adaptor. The main cleaner head has been re-designed to be 40 per cent lighter with 20 per cent lower profile than that of V11’s main cleaner head.
DESIGN
In terms of design, the Digital Slim is a basically a smaller version of the V11. It looks like a some high-tech rifle from a sci-fi movie. Its hand grip has a trigger that activates the suction power.
Unlike its predecessors, the Digital Slim comes with a detachable battery that you remove from the base of the hand grip, like a magazine from a rifle.
At its rear, there is a circular display with a button below it. Pressing this button toggles through three cleaning modes – Eco, Med and Boost.
The Eco mode is for when you want to conserve battery life, the Med mode gives you the balance between performance and battery life while the Boost mode is for the most powerful suction. The display also shows the remaining run-time, so you know how much juice it has left.
PERFORMANCE
With its smaller size and lighter weight, the Digital Slim is really much nicer to your arms. And it is also much easier to manoeuvre around corners or furniture.
FOR
+ Powerful suction
+ Lightweight and easy to manoeuvre
+ Removable battery
+ More affordable pricing
AGAINST
– No trigger lock
– Small dust bin
– Some attachments do not work with previous models
The Digital Slim actually feels even lighter during use. You can almost wield it like a broomstick.
It usually takes me 45 minutes to vacuum my 90 sqm four-room flat using the Dyson V11. Using the Eco mode, I was able to finish the cleaning at around the same time before the battery went flat. However, I can still feel the floor to be a bit dusty.
On Med mode, the floor feels as clean as when I was using V11. However, the battery lasted only 25 minutes in this mode. So, I end up having to use the V11 to finish the vacuuming.
Thankfully, the battery can be removed in Digital Slim. So for those with bigger houses, you might want to invest on an extra battery ($158). If not, you have to wait 3.5 hours for the battery to be charged full.
On the downside, the volume of Digital Slim’s dust bin is a mere 0.3L, compared to the 0.54L bin found in V11 and V8 Slim.
I found myself having to empty the bin at least three times during each vacuuming session. Thankfully, emptying the bin is easy. Simply push the red lever at the bottom of the bin forward to slide the bin out to empty its content.
In addition, it does not have a trigger lock. Having a trigger lock would make the device easier to use as you would not need to press the trigger with your finger all the time when vacuuming. I found my finger going numb pretty quickly and have to constantly switch fingers.
Also, some Digital Slim accessories, like the mini motorised tool and light pipe crevice tool, will not work with V8 Slim and V11, due to its smaller size. Accessories for V8 Slim and V11 can be used interchangeably.
VERDICT
With its price starting at $749, the Digital Slim is sandwiched between the V8 Slim (from $549) and the V11 Series (from $899).
In fact, apart from its less-than-stellar battery life, the Dyson Digital Slim Fluffy Extra is very much the perfect handheld vacuum cleaner striking a good balance in terms of pricing, design and performance.
RATING
FEATURES: 8/10
DESIGN: 9/10
PERFORMANCE: 8/10
BATTERY LIFE: 7/10
VALUE FOR MONEY: 7/10
OVERALL: 8.5/10
