Dyson DC16 Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

We purchased this little dyson for times when you have irritatingly small jobs that you need a hoover for, but don't feel like lugging the large hoover in and out of the cupboard.
I have twin girls, so you can imagine the mess!

If you are looking for a vacuum cleaner, and expecting the productivity of the larger corded types, then forget this little one. However, if like me, you need it for cleaning up the crumbs and clearing day to day mess, like kitchen worktops after cutting bread etc, then this little one is perfect.

I think that many reviews I have read are from people who wanted a miniature dyson, which was pretty much the same as their large one, but in my opinion, dyson couldn't really have done much more when designing it. It is light (weighs less than 3lbs), it looks nice, it's not huge, so it'll fit in your kitchen cupboard, and it has an easy empty function which is great, one click of a button and the dust is in the bin with no mess.
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Yes the battery is a bit pants, but if they had made it with a bigger battery, you would never have been able to pick the thing up! It would have made it extremely heavy and cumbersome. And after all, it was never intended to be a full sized vacuum, it's a glorified dustbuster, so you can't really complain. Also I do believe that with each subsequent charge, my dyson is eeking a little more power into the battery each time, bit like when you get a new mobile, they tell you it won't get up to full capacity until you've charged and fully discharged it a few times.

I can do the stairs and around the edges of my hall and landing thoroughly before it runs out. Today for example I got about 8 minutes out of it, which was plenty for me to do those two jobs. It's IDEAL for the stairs in fact because I almost break my neck every time I try to hoover them lugging my cylinder dyson up and down them, teetering precariously on each step!

All in all I am not too disappointed with my little dyson. I think the price could be a tad cheaper - say RRP of £.. instead of over £.., but when you think of the technology you're buying, it's not really so bad.

I nearly didn't buy this Dyson cleaner having read the reviews but went ahead anway as I was looking for a product that had a better performance than the dustbusters I had used over the last 10 years.

I have not been disappointed at all and in fact this cleaner has surpassed my expecatation.

If you need an easy to use but powerful cleaner to clear up mealtime detritus, mud on stairs etc then this has a much better performance than the 3 different dustbusters I had over the years due to the power of the suction and the useability of the included adaptors. By implication you are generally not needing it for a 6min clean and I have not had any problems wtih the battery running out or time taken to recharge. It is robust - capable of withstanding my 3year old dropping it down the stairs and has become invaluable in a very short period of time.

However if you are looking for a hoover equivalent, you will be disappointed as that is not the function this product was designed for.

I was a bit worried when I ordered the DC16 as the reviews of its battery life were appalling. However I haven't found this to be the case. I know that it is a bit expensive but it is excellent with no loss of suction, super cool design, and it is a Dyson after all. It is not intended for use to clean the whole house but to hoover up small messes at a time. As long as it is replaced on the charger after every use I have never had the battery die on me.

It is so useful especially cleaning up after 2 children, who are forever leaving a trail of crumbs behind them!!

Great little gadget, worth the money.