There’s a lever on the back for that squeeze mechanism that you press manually and a separate button to open the trash can at the bottom. You can use the compression lever when it is both closed and open. This helped compress hair and dust while I vacuumed, helping me see if I had really filled the bin, although at a certain point it didn’t compress much anymore. It was also helpful in pushing out debris when necessary, compared to the times I had to reach into the Dyson and Shark to clear out stuck hair and dust. Dyson has this same feature on the Piston Animal V16, which should be released this yearI will therefore be curious to see which mechanism is best designed.
Foldable Winner: Shark
Photography: Nena Farrell
If you’re looking for a vacuum that can fold up to get under furniture, I prefer the Shark over the Bosch. Both have a similar mechanism and feel, but the Bosch had a tendency to push debris around when I used it with an active turn, while the Shark managed to suck up debris that I couldn’t get with the Bosch without lifting it and placing it on top of that particular debris (in this case, rogue cat kibble).
Accessory winner: Dyson
Dyson is getting ahead of the curve 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 sucking tool that are actually built into the stick tube. I like that it’s built into the vacuum, so it’s one less separate accessory to carry around, and it makes me more likely to use it.
But Bosch also succeeds in this area. You will receive an upholstery nozzle, a furniture brush and a crevice tool. That’s one more accessory than you’ll get with Shark, and Bosch also includes a wall mount that you can wire the charging cord into for storage and charging, and you can mount two accessories on it. But I will say that I like that Shark includes a simple tote bag for storing accessories. The rest of my accessories are in plastic bags for each vacuum, and keeping track of accessories is the most annoying part of a cordless vacuum.
Construction winner: tie
Photography: Nena Farrell
All three of these vacuums have good build quality, but each one feels like it focuses on something different. Bosch feels the lightest of the three and gets up most easily on his own, but all three need something to lean against to stay upright. The Dyson is the worst in this area; it also needs a ledge or table wedged under the canister, otherwise it will roll forward and tip over. The Bosch has a sleek black look and a colorful LED screen that will show you an image of carpet or hardwood depending on the mode it vacuums in. The vacuum head itself, however, feels like the lightest plastic of the bunch.
