IS THE DYSON V9 MOTORBAR CORDLESS VACUUM WORTH IT?
✓ Why Dad Likes It
Extremely lightweight and ergonomic; it rolls, pivots, and swivels with little effort
Did a great job on the carpet, and even medium mode beats eco
LCD screen shows your mode and time remaining
The Motorbar de-tangling head plus the hair-screw tool keep long and pet hair from wrapping the roller
− What To Know
Only okay on hard floors — with no dedicated soft-roller head it pushed larger chunks before grabbing them
Small battery drains quickly in boost mode
Small dust bin fills fast
BOTTOM LINE: Is the Dyson V9 Motorbar Cordless Vacuum Just a Dad Approved?
It IS Just a Dad Approved. The V9 Motorbar is the lightest, easiest Dyson I’ve pushed, and it really shines on carpet. It isn’t a full-price vacuum in my book — but catch it on a deal and it’s a strong-value pick for a carpet-heavy home. If most of your home is bare floor, or you need a long runtime, look at a bigger model with a dedicated hard-floor head. For the right home at the right price, it’s Just A Dad Approved.
Watch the Real-World Testing
From My YouTube Channel
More Videos On This Robot
🏆3-Month Real World Test Score7.4/10
Carpet Cleaning Performance
9/10
Hard Floor Cleaning Performance
6/10
Long Hair / Pet Test
8/10
Battery & Run Time
6/10
Ease of Use & Features
8/10
Score Summary7.4
Real World Testing Results
🐾
HAIR & PET TEST
De-tangling Motorbar head + hair-screw tool; only a few hairs wrapped after a big mess.
💧
CLEANING TEST
Excels on carpet even at medium power, but only okay on hard floors without a dedicated head.
After three months of daily use across carpet, hardwood, and stairs, the Dyson V9 Motorbar earned its place as the lightest, easiest cordless I kept reaching for — with one honest caveat about bare floors. It shines on carpet, it de-tangles hair, and it has the modern touches (an LCD screen, a removable battery) that make it easy to live with. Here’s exactly how it held up.
What's in the Box and First Setup
In the box you get the vacuum, the Motorbar floor head, the extension wand, a motorized hair-screw tool, a combination/crevice tool, a wall-mount dock with integrated charging, the charger, mounting screws, and a washable HEPA filter. Setup is quick — click the wand and head together, mount the dock on a wall, and charge. You can charge on the dock or plug the charger straight into the battery.
Cleaning Performance: What It Actually Picks Up
Carpet Performance
Carpet is where this vacuum shines. It did a great job across the whole test window, and even medium mode was noticeably stronger than eco; boost adds more suction but gets a bit harder to push. If your home leans carpet, this is the V9’s home turf.
Hard Floor Performance
This is the honest trade-off. With one general-purpose head and no dedicated soft-roller (fluffy) head, it does okay on bare floors but pushes some larger chunks in front before eventually getting them. It’s very quiet in eco, but if your home is mostly hardwood or tile, a model with a dedicated hard-floor head will serve you better.
Long Hair and Pet Hair
The Motorbar head has de-tangling vanes plus a comb that strips long hair off the roller as you clean, and the motorized hair-screw tool does really well on pet beds, furniture, and even the car. After a big carpet mess, only a few hairs wrapped on the roller — not bad at all.
Modes and How It Runs
There are three modes — Eco, Medium, and Boost — and it runs only while you hold the trigger. That trigger-hold is handy for quick stair jobs with a tool clipped straight to the vacuum, but it’s something to get used to on a longer clean. The LCD screen shows your power mode and the time remaining, and it converts to a handheld with one click.
Battery & Runtime
Dyson rates it at up to 40 minutes in eco. My unit displayed about 50 minutes in eco and roughly 7 minutes in boost — boost draws a lot more power, so that number drops fast. The 7-cell battery is small, but it pops out with one click, so you can keep a spare charged and swap it to extend a whole-home clean. This is the category where I docked the score a touch: the small battery and quick boost drain are the real limits.
Maintenance Reality
The dust bin is small, so plan to empty it more often — but it’s a simple point-and-shoot: the door drops open over the trash and a wiper cleans the screen on the way, while the 11-cyclone tech keeps debris off the screen so you don’t lose suction. One habit to learn: you must pull the wand or tool off before you can empty the bin. The brush roller pops out with a twist of the big screw and is washable — just keep the motor dry — and the HEPA filter is easy to rinse or replace.
Storage and Handling
It stores on a wall-mount dock that holds the tools and charges it, and at about 4.6 lb it’s Dyson’s lightest stick vac — it rolls, pivots, and swivels with almost no effort. The one thing missing is a headlight on the floor head, so a dark corner or an under-furniture pass is a little harder to judge.
What I'd Change About the Dyson V9 Motorbar
Add a dedicated soft-roller head for bare floors — that’s the one real weak spot.
A bigger dust bin and a longer-lasting battery would round it out.
Put a headlight on the floor head for dim corners.
Dyson V9 Motorbar vs the Competition
Dyson V9 Motorbar vs Dyson V11 / V15
The V11 and V15 step up on battery life and add a dedicated hard-floor head (and on the V15, laser dust detection). If you have a bigger home or lots of bare floor, they’re the better fit. The V9’s edge is weight and value — it’s lighter and easier to handle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Buyer Questions
Is the Dyson V9 Motorbar good on hardwood floors?+
It’s okay, not great. It has one general-purpose head and no dedicated soft-roller (fluffy) head, so on bare floors it pushed some larger chunks in front before grabbing them. It’s excellent on carpet — so if your home is mostly hardwood or tile, look at a model with a dedicated hard-floor head.
How long does the battery last?+
Dyson rates it at up to 40 minutes in eco. My unit displayed about 50 minutes in eco and around 7 minutes in boost, since boost draws a lot more power. The battery is small but pops out with one click, so you can keep a spare charged for a whole-home clean.
Does it handle long hair and pet hair?+
Yes. The Motorbar head has de-tangling vanes and a comb that strips hair off the roller as you clean, and the motorized hair-screw tool does really well on pet beds, furniture, and the car. After a big carpet mess I only found a few hairs wrapped on the roller.
Does it come with an auto-empty dock?+
No. It uses a wall-mount dock that stores it, holds the tools, and charges it, but you empty the bin yourself — point-and-shoot over the trash. One thing to know: you have to pull the wand or tool off before you can empty the bin.
Is it heavy to use?+
No — it’s Dyson’s lightest stick vac at about 4.6 lb, and the light, easy handling is the standout here. It rolls, pivots, and swivels easily and converts to a handheld with one click. The only catch is that it runs only while you hold the trigger.
About Tom Shelton
Tom Shelton
Tom Shelton is the creator of Just A Dad Approved. He tests robot vacuums, home products, and everyday gear in real homes so shoppers can see what actually works before spending money.
