Vacuum cleaner first look video reviews Dyson Ball DC38 and DC39

Dyson has launched three new ball cylinder vacuum cleaners - the first of their kind in the UK. Dyson claims the DC39 Animal (£339.99), DC39 Multi Floor (£299.99) and DC38 Multi Floor (£299.99) are easier to manoeuvre than other cylinder vacuums as well as having superior dust pick-up abilities. We bring you our first impressions of the new Dyson cylinders to see if they live up to the hype.

UPDATE: We've now tested these Dyson cylinder vacuum cleaners - and you can find out if any of them have been awarded Best Buy status by checking our reviews of the DC38 Multi Floor, DC39 Multi Floor or the DC39 Animal.

Dyson's new ball cylinders all feature similar technology, although the DC38 is a smaller, more basic model designed for flats and smaller homes. They claim to be more stable and easy to manoeuvre than existing cylinder vacuums as a result of Dyson's Ball technology. Watch our video guide below to see the new models in action:

Dyson aims to distinguish itself from the rest of the vac pack with its Cyclone technology - which it says ensures that its vacs don't lose suction as they fill with dirt and dust. The theory behind this technology is that rather than relying on a bag to trap all the dust and dirt, Dyson Cyclones spin the air 'so fast that centrifugal forces up to 150,000 times the force of gravity fling dust and dirt out of the air and straight into the clear bin.'

The cyclone technology in the new DC39 and DC38 vacuums has been refined to minimise barriers to airflow and increase suction power. We'll see how much difference the new 'Radial Root' Cyclone technology makes when we send these models to our Which? test lab. In the meantime, here are our first impressions from our quick try out at Dyson HQ.

Ball design improves stability

Dyson believes that fixed wheels make vacs hard to manoeuvre, which is why it has introduced Ball technology. Dyson Ball vacuums ride on a single ball instead if wheels, which pivots around itself so you can change direction more easily. Dyson already has a range of upright vacuums with Ball technology, but these are the first cylinder versions they have launched.

The ball design and low positioning of the hose create a stable profile, meaning that the ball cylinder feels less likely to topple over in use - a common problem with cylinder vacuum cleaners. As with the new upright Dyson vacuums, moving previously external components inside the ball means less chance of snagging on obstacles when vacuuming, and allows for a small turning circle.

Intelligent steering

Two smaller wheels behind the ball provide a steering mechanism which is meant to ensure the vacuum follows your movements closely. When we tried this model out, it did seem easily manoeuvrable and followed us closely behind, without getting trapped on obstacles or overshooting. 

As with the new upright models, the DC39 models feature innovative self-adjusting floorheads designed to make vacuuming across different surfaces - such as carpets and hard floors - effortless. The DC39 Animal comes with a 'Triggerhead' tool which has a clever button on the handle which can start or stop the turbo brush (used for beating dust out of carpets) using air pressure. The DC39 Multi Floor comes with a 'Musclehead' tool which uses a bellows system to adjust the height of the floorhead when moving from carpet to hard floor. We found these both seemed to adapt effectively to different surfaces when we tried them out, without the need to lean down and manually adjust the floorhead. 

A quieter Dyson?

Dyson tells us that its improved cyclone technology means that these models are quieter than previous cylinders. Noise has been a problem for Dyson models in the past, so we'll tell you exactly how they measure up to other models once we've tested them fully at the Which? lab.

First look verdict

The new ball cylinders are exactly the kind of innovation we've come to expect from Dyson. They seem agile and easy to use, but we'll have to wait for our full test results to see if their performance matches up to Dyson's claims - and how these vacs compare to other models from top brands.

Pros: Easy to manoeuvre, lightweight, self-adjusting floorhead

Cons: Can be tricky to replace canister, awkward to store