Dyson has been determined to make 2021 the year of the cordless vacuum by launching no less than four brand-new vacuum cleaners within weeks of each other. The Dyson V15 Detect, which is floorcare stalwart’s most innovative cordless vacuum to date toting a laser no-less, has been joined by two compact cordless cleaners. Weighing in at almost half the amount of the V15 Detect, they are some of the lightest cordless vacs available to date and are designed primarily for use on hard floors rather than carpet.
The Dyson Micro 1.5kg, which unsurprisingly weighs 1.5kg and is one of the more ridiculous monikers Dyson has used, is the brand’s lightest and most compact cordless vacuum cleaner to date. It comes with a traditional-looking cleaner head for hard floors, while the Dyson Omni-glide has a new type of cleaner head with two brush rollers, and four 360-degree castors, so it can move in any direction. It can also lie completely flat, too.
Both are ideal if you have a small home or want a vacuum that can clean in tight spaces, but aside from their differing cleaning heads, you’re probably wondering exactly what the differences are and whether they’re both among the best vacuum cleaners on the market right now – and we’ve tested both in-depth to find out.
Best Dyson Micro 1.5kg and Dyson Omni-glide deals
Read on to find out just how these cordless vacuums compare – or, if you know which Dyson cleaner device you want, check out the best prices right now for both products below:
Price
Compared to the rest of Dyson’s cordless vacuum cleaner range, the Dyson Micro 1.5kg and the Dyson Omni-glide are relatively affordable.
The Dyson Micro 1.5kg is priced at $399.99 / £299.99 (around AU$530) and available in the US and UK only, while the Dyson Omni-glide will set you back $399.99 / £349.99 / AU$599.99.
So while in the US the Dyson Micro and Omni-glide are the same price, in the UK the Dyson Micro is slightly cheaper than the Omni-glide. It’s also worth noting the Dyson Micro is available now, while the Dyson Omni-glide is currently only on sale in the US and Australia – is expected to go on sale in the UK at some point this month (July 2021) but Dyson hasn’t been able to confirm an exact date.
Design
You can easily differentiate between the Dyson Micro 1.5kg and the Dyson Omni-glide thanks to their looks.
They both have a main section that contains the motor, cyclones – which generate centrifugal force to keep dust and dirt in the canister – and a dust canister. With the traditional looped-handle, the Dyson Micro 1.5kg looks like a smaller version of the Dyson V15 Detect.
Meanwhile, the Omni-glide looks different to other Dyson cordless vacuums thanks to the vertical handle, which sits on-top of the main unit, rather than the traditional handle that forms a loop at the back of the main unit. The vertical handle also houses the swappable battery, which makes it longer than the traditional handle too.
Both have a power button rather than the traditional trigger to switch the vacuum on and off, although on the Dyson Micro 1.5kg, this can be found on the front of the motor unit but it’s on the handle of the Dyson Omni-glide.
The Micro 1.5kg and the Omni-glide can be used in stick mode, with a wand and cleaning head attached to the canister, or converted into handheld mode and used with any of the tools they come bundled with.
We found the Micro 1.5kg was comfortable to use in handheld mode but the Omni-glide was cumbersome to hold thanks to the vertical handle. Both cordless cleaners have the same 0.05 gallons / 0.02 liter dust canister too.
Power and battery life
The Dyson Micro 1.5 kg and the Dyson Omni-glide are pretty evenly matched when it comes to suction power.
Both have two power levels and on test, collected fine dust and cereals from hard floors in just one slow sweep, putting them among some of the best cordless vacuums we’ve tested.
However, the Dyson Omni-glide trumps the Micro 1.5kg when it comes to battery life; while both managed 20 minutes on the lowest power setting, the Dyson Micro lasted just five minutes on the maximum power setting, whereas the Dyson Omni-glide managed a respectable 18 minutes.
Neither vacuum has an accurate way of gauging the battery level such as a remaining runtime counter found on the V15 Detect. Instead, you’ll only know the battery needs recharging when the vacuum cleaner won’t turn on and a small blue LED flashes for a few seconds after pressing the power button. However the Omni-glide has a swappable battery, concealed in the handle, so you can ensure your cleaning session isn’t interrupted if the battery dies by replacing it with a fully-charged battery.
This is providing you purchase additional batteries, whereas the Micro 1.5kg’s battery is built in to the handle.
Features
While both designed for use on hard floors, the Micro 1.5kg and the Omni-glide have different cleaner heads.
The Micro 1.5kg’s cleaning head is just 8.2 inches / 20.8 cm wide, which is considerably smaller than the cleaning heads found on larger cordless vacuums – for example the cleaner head that ships with the Dyson V15 Detect is 9.8 inch / 25 cm wide. This means the Micro 1.5kg is ideal for cleaning in tight spaces and hard to reach nooks.
The brush bar is covered in soft nylon to capture large particles without damaging hard floors, while anti-static carbon fiber filaments collect fine dust at the same time. However, unlike the Dyson Omni-glide it can’t lie flat due to the trigger style handle, so it may struggle to reach under furniture with low clearance.
The Omni-glide ships with a large rectangular cleaner head that has two of the brush bars found on the Micro 1.5kg. The cleaner head also sits on four 360 degree castors that allow the vacuum cleaner to be steered in any direction.
On test, we were impressed at just how smoothly the cordless vacuum glided on hard floors and how easy it was to steer around a circular trash can in the kitchen.
As we’ve already mentioned, the Dyson Omni-glide can also lay flat so we were easily able to clean underneath a sideboard in the living room.
Verdict
When it comes to choosing between the Dyson Micro 1.5 kg and the Dyson Omni-glide the way your home is laid out will affect which cordless vacuum cleaner you choose.
If you have lots of tight spaces but don’t want a vacuum that can lie flat then the Dyson Micro 1.5kg will be a great buy. However those with low clearance furniture or lots of obstacles to navigate around should opt for the Dyson Omni-glide.
If you hate interruptions to your cleaning sessions, then not only does the Omni-glide last longer when used on the most powerful setting, it also has a swappable battery that can be replaced – something the Micro 1.5kg just doesn’t offer.
However, for those that want to use the vacuum in handheld mode a lot – an area where we found the Omni-glide uncomfortable to use – then the Micro 1.5kg will be a true winner.