It is loud. It feels slightly like a high-tech toy in your hand. But honestly, the Dyson Small Ball Multi Floor vacuum is one of the most misunderstood pieces of engineering in the cleaning world today. People see "small" and assume "weak." They couldn't be more wrong.
Actually, let’s be real for a second. Most of us hate lugging a 20-pound upright up the stairs. It’s a workout nobody asked for. That’s why this specific model carved out such a weird, loyal niche. It weighs about 12 pounds. You can lift it with a couple of fingers, yet it pulls dirt out of carpets that older, heavier machines just sort of... brush over. It's weirdly powerful.
The Engineering Behind the Dyson Small Ball Multi Floor Vacuum
The secret sauce isn't just the suction; it’s the way the baseplate interacts with your floor. Dyson engineers designed this thing with an active baseplate that automatically adjusts its height. If you're moving from a thick Persian rug to a cold kitchen tile, you don't have to flip a switch or turn a dial. It just hunkers down. It creates a seal. That seal is why it picks up fine dust—the stuff that looks like gray flour—which usually stays trapped in the backing of your carpet.
Inside, you've got the 2 Tier Radial cyclones. That sounds like marketing fluff, I know. But basically, it means there are 19 cyclones stacked in two layers. They spin so fast that the centrifugal force flings microscopic particles out of the air and into the bin. This is why the filter doesn't clog every five minutes.
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James Dyson famously went through 5,127 prototypes for his original vacuum. You can see that obsessive DNA here. The ball technology isn't just a gimmick to make it look futuristic. It houses the motor and the most important components, lowering the center of gravity. It turns on a dime. You can weave around a chair leg without that clunky "back up and realign" dance we all do with traditional four-wheeled vacuums.
The Weight Problem (Or Lack Thereof)
At roughly 12.15 lbs, this machine is a featherweight. Compare that to the old Dyson DC25 or the modern Ball Animal series, which can push 17 or 18 pounds.
If you have back pain, or if your home is a vertical labyrinth of stairs, those five or six pounds matter. A lot. You’ve probably noticed how some cordless vacuums are great until the battery dies 15 minutes in. This isn't that. You get the weight of a cordless stick with the "forever power" of a cord. It’s the middle ground that most brands have abandoned in favor of expensive batteries that eventually degrade.
Why the Small Ball is Different from the Animal
People ask me this all the time: "Shouldn't I just get the Animal?"
Maybe. If you have three Huskies and a carpeted mansion, get the Animal. It has a wider brush bar. But the Dyson Small Ball Multi Floor vacuum is actually better for tight apartments or homes with lots of furniture. The cleaner head is narrower. It fits into the gaps between the sofa and the wall where the bigger machines just bump and fail.
Also, the "Multi Floor" designation isn't just a label. The brush bar has stiff nylon bristles to dig into carpets and soft carbon fiber filaments for hard floors. Those carbon fiber strands are crucial. They dissipate static. Ever notice how fine dust seems to stick to your hardwood floors like it’s glued there? That’s static. The Small Ball breaks that bond.
Living with the Bin
Okay, let's talk about the bin. It's small. 0.21 gallons.
You will be emptying it. Often.
If your house is currently a disaster zone, your first three cleans will involve a lot of trips to the trash can. But that's sort of the point. The "hygienic bin emptying" system lets you push a button to drop the dirt out the bottom. In reality, sometimes you still have to reach in there with a chopstick to pull out a stubborn wad of pet hair. It happens. No vacuum is truly "no-touch" once you introduce a long-haired cat into the equation.
The Long-Term Reality of Maintenance
One of the best things about this model is the "Washable Lifetime Filter."
Most people forget it exists. Then, six months later, they wonder why the suction feels a bit sluggish. You have to wash it. Just cold water, squeeze it out, and let it dry for 24 hours. Don't put it back in wet, or your vacuum will start to smell like a damp basement.
The Dyson Small Ball Multi Floor vacuum is surprisingly durable for a machine made mostly of polycarbonate. That’s the same stuff riot shields are made of. It can take a tumble. I’ve seen these things survive falling down half a flight of stairs, though I wouldn't recommend testing that theory for fun.
The hose is another "love it or hate it" feature. It’s a "stable" wand, meaning it’s tucked inside the handle. You pop the top, pull it out, and you’ve got a long reach for cobwebs on the ceiling. It’s stiff at first. It takes a few months of use for the hose to really stretch out and lose that "spring-back" tension that occasionally pulls the vacuum over if you pull too hard.
Where It Struggles
It isn't perfect.
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If you have those ultra-plush, "soft" carpets that feel like walking on a cloud, this vacuum might actually be too good. The suction is so strong that it can create a vacuum seal against the floor, making it hard to push. It’s literally trying to eat your carpet. For those specific high-pile floors, you usually need a vacuum with adjustable suction vents on the head, which the Small Ball lacks.
It’s also corded. The cord is about 31 feet. That’s plenty for a large room, but if you’re used to the freedom of a V15 or an Outsize, you’ll find yourself doing the "cord flip" dance.
Honestly? It's a fair trade for never having to worry about a $150 battery replacement three years down the line.
Real World Performance Notes
- Stairs: This is the undisputed king of uprights for stairs. The hose and wand reach the top of a standard flight while the base stays at the bottom.
- Pet Hair: It handles it well, but the brush roll isn't "tangle-free." You will eventually need a pair of scissors to cut away the hair wrapped around the agitator.
- Allergens: It has whole-machine HEPA filtration. This is a big deal. Cheap vacuums suck in dirt and blow microscopic dust out the exhaust. This one traps 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns. If you sneeze when you vacuum, your current machine is leaking. This one won't.
Actionable Steps for Owners and Buyers
If you already own one, or you’re about to pull the trigger, do these three things to make it last a decade:
Wash the filter every month. Not every year. Every month. It keeps the motor cool and the suction at 100%.
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Check the brush bar for threads. Every time you empty the bin, flip the vacuum over. If you see carpet fibers or hair wrapping around the bar, snip them off. This prevents the motor from overheating due to resistance.
Store the hose properly. Make sure the wand clicks fully back into the handle. If it’s loose, the machine won't divert the suction to the floor head, and you'll think the vacuum is broken when it's really just a user-error air leak.
The Dyson Small Ball Multi Floor vacuum represents a specific era of Dyson design where power and portability finally hit a 1:1 ratio. It’s a tool for people who want a clean house without a heavy-duty storage closet or a gym membership. It’s compact, it’s loud, and it works better than almost anything else in its weight class.
For the best results, start your cleaning in the corners with the wand tool first, then finish with the floor head. This prevents you from blowing corner-dust into the center of the room with the exhaust air. Keep that filter clean, and this machine will likely outlast your next two cars.