There is a lever on the back for this compression mechanism that you press manually and a separate button at the bottom to open the dustbin. You can use the compression lever when it is both closed and open. This helped compress the hair and dust while I was vacuuming, allowing me to see if I really filled the bin, although past a certain point it doesn’t compress any more. Pushing out debris was also helpful when needed, while there were times when I had to stick my hand into both the Dyson and the Shark to get stuck hair and dust out. Dyson has the same feature on the Piston Animal V16, which is due out this year, so I’m curious to see which mechanism is better engineered.
Bendable Winner: Shark
Photograph: Nena Farrell
If you’re looking for a vacuum that can bend to reach under furniture, I prefer the Shark over the Bosch. Both have a similar mechanism and feel, but when I was using it with active twist the Bosch managed to push debris around, while the Shark managed to vacuum up the debris, I couldn’t get on it with the Bosch without picking it up and placing it over that particular debris (in this case, the evil kitten).
Supporting Winner: Dyson
Dyson goes further as the Dyson Gen5 Detect comes with three attachments and two heads. You’ll get a motorbar head, a fluffy optic head, a hair tool, a combination tool, and a dusting and crevice tool that’s actually built into the stick tube. I like that it’s built into the vacuum so it’s one less separate attachment to carry around, and that makes me more likely to use it.
But Bosch performs well in this area as well. You will receive an upholstery nozzle, a furniture brush, and a crevice nozzle. This is another attachment you get from Shark, and Bosch also includes a wall mount that you can wire a charging cord to for storage and charging, and you can mount two attachments on it. But I will say, I like that the Shark includes a simple tote bag to store the attachments. The rest of my attachments are in plastic bags for each vacuum, and keeping track of the attachments is the most annoying part of cordless vacuums.
Build Winner: Tie
Photograph: Nena Farrell
The build quality of all three of these vacuums is good, but each one feels like it focuses on something different. The Bosch feels the lightest of the three and is the easiest to stand on its own, but all three need some support to stay upright. Dyson is the worst at this; It also requires a ledge or table beneath the canister, otherwise it will roll forward and overturn. The Bosch has a sleek black look and a colorful LED screen that will show you a picture of carpet or hardwood, depending on which mode it’s vacuuming. However, the vacuum head itself feels like the lightest plastic of the bunch.
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