Dyson 360 Vis Nav review: It's still the best robot vacuum cleaner you can buy

Telegraph

17-06-2025

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What is the Dyson 360 Vis Nav?
The Dyson 360 Vis Nav is a high-end machine that was named the Best Buy in our round-up of the best robot vacuum cleaners. It's not a do-it-all robot vacuum, like the Dreame X50 or Shark PowerDetect models, but it instead combines powerful suction with intelligent navigation. Its standout feature is a 360-degree vision system that maps rooms in real time, allowing for methodical, edge-to-edge cleaning.
Unlike many of its competitors, the 360 Vis Nav has a unique D‑shaped body engineered to reach into corners, a full-width brush bar that stretches across the front of the machine, and a side-edge duct that captures dust along skirting boards and in corners. The device connects to the MyDyson app, which provides an interface for viewing maps, adjusting no-go zones and scheduling cleans by room and power mode. It also lets you monitor battery life, bin status and the filter condition.
While its premium price may give pause, especially given its lack of self-emptying and mopping capabilities, the 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum cleaner is one of the few that can match the performance of even the best cordless vacuums. A cheaper alternative however is the Hoover HG4 robot vacuum, which was named the Best Value buy in our round-up.
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How we test
I tested the Dyson 360 Vis Nav by assessing its vacuuming performance across my entire home over a two-week period. I set up one dock downstairs to test it on the wooden floors in the living room, kitchen and utility room, and the second one upstairs, where the rooms are carpeted. It didn't just have different floor types to contend with: it had to navigate a one-year-old with a tendency of throwing food, a greyhound that takes up as more space than your average piece of furniture, and a high-pile rug that has successfully bewildered some of Dyson's competitors.
As with all of our robot vacuum reviews, we assessed the Dyson 360 Vis Nav's performance across five key metrics. I considered whether its design was fit for purpose, how easy the companion app is to navigate, whether the battery life can see it through a full-home clean and whether it matches up to Dyson's lofty claims when it comes to vacuuming performance.
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Design and build
Score: 9/10
The 360 Vis Nav is immediately recognisable as a Dyson machine thanks to its striking blue chassis and the chunky cyclones that sit on top of the dust canister. It's perhaps not instantly recognisable as a robot vacuum, though, as its unique D-shaped body – which Dyson has engineered to better fit into corners for edge-to-edge cleaning – is unlike anything else on the market.
It is also different in that it lacks the rotating side brushes you typically see on robot vacuums. Instead, it features a bar brush that spans the entire length of the vacuum's body and a novel extending side duct that automatically redirects suction to capture dust and debris right up to the wall.
While these features are impressive, my favourite thing about the 360 Vis Nav's design is its small footprint and the fact that two docks are included as standard, which proved incredibly practical during testing. I placed one upstairs and one downstairs, making multi-floor cleaning far less of a hassle as there was no lugging the vacuum or base between levels.
I'm also a fan of the smooth action of the vacuum's bin-emptying mechanism, though it's somewhat disappointing that it doesn't come with a self-emptying function, especially given its luxury price tag.
Performance and results
Score: 9/10
At the core of the Dyson 360 Vis Nav is a motor that spins at up to 110,000 rpm, generating an impressive 65 air watts of suction. This is significantly stronger than most robot vacuums on the market and makes the Vis Nav particularly effective at lifting embedded dirt, fine dust and pet hair, even in low power modes. It's one of the few robot vacuums we tested that rivals the cleaning performance of a full-size cordless model – I only ran to my trusty Dyson V8 for the stairs. For more power, consider a stick vacuum, such as the Dyson Gen5Detect instead.
I was impressed by its cleaning performance on all floor types, efficiently handling scattered food crumbs and half-eaten bits of pasta on my laminate flooring, and leaving the high-pile rug in my living room looking refreshed and thoroughly cleaned, which is something that other models have struggled to achieve.
But it is on carpets where the 360 Vis Nav really shows off. Thanks to the full-width brush head, which has stiff nylon bristles that remove deep dirt in carpets, the robot vac left our upstairs floors looking spotless, even along edges and skirting boards. I tested the vacuum mostly in Auto mode, which means the 360 Vis Nav automatically crank up the suction when it encounters a particularly dusty area (read: my whole home).
Connectivity
Score: 9/10
After a couple of months of testing various robot vacuums, the Dyson 360 Vis Nav was a breath of fresh air when it came to set up. Assembly took just minutes, and from there I simply had to plug in the charging dock, fire up the MyDyson app (yes, the same app where you manage the warranty for your hair dryer) and enter the Wi-Fi password.
The Dyson then set off on its maiden voyage. It first performs a mapping run, using its 360-degree fish-eye camera to see its surroundings, rather than a laser-guided LiDAR system like most of its rivals. This was completed quickly, and the map was pretty accurate though you do have to manually divide the space into rooms and add in any 'no-go' zones.
The MyDyson app is incredibly basic, perhaps due to the limited functionality of the robot vacuum itself (its lack of mopping capabilities, for example). There's no option to watch the vacuum as it moves around your home, for example, with the app instead offering a retrospective look at its last activity that tells you how long it cleaned for and highlights any particularly dusty areas it encountered.
The Dyson 360 Vis Nav offers alternative ways to interact with it, though. You can manually set it to clean via the onboard display, or with voice control using Amazon Alexa or Google Home.
Usability
Score: 10/10
If a technophobe friend or family member is in the market for a robot vacuum and you're already dreading the late-night phone calls asking for help – 'my vacuum cleaner says it's stuck on a cliff!' – the Dyson 360 Vis Nav could be an excellent option.
Not only is it easy to set up, but it's incredibly easy to use, so much so that I often forgot it existed. The simplicity of the app means it's ideal for even non-tech-savvy folk; you can simply press a button for the vacuum to start cleaning, or set a schedule for it to clean your home at the same time each day.
Perhaps most impressive is the fact that, in the two weeks I tested it, I had no issues; no warnings that the vacuum was stuck, and no nasty run-ins with loose Apple Watch chargers. Just press a button and off it goes, easily navigating obstacles (like greyhounds) and gliding under furniture to provide a deep clean.
Battery life and recharge time
Score: 9/10
The vacuum offers four operating modes – Quiet, Auto, Quick and Boost – each tailored for different tasks and energy consumption. Battery life ranges up to about 50 to 65 minutes in Auto mode, according to Dyson, dropping to around 15 minutes in Boost mode. When power runs low, it autonomously returns to its dock to recharge and resume cleaning where it left off.
During all my tests the vacuum didn't once run out of charge mid-clean however, even in Boost mode, though perhaps that's owing to the modest size of my home. According to Dyson, the Vis Nav takes just shy of three hours to recharge to full from zero (again, not a problem I've encountered during my time with the robot vac).
Technical specifications
Dyson might be the biggest name in vacuum cleaners, but how does it compare to Roomba, a brand synonymous with vacuums of the robot kind?
Should you buy the Dyson 360 Vis Nav?
On paper, the Dyson 360 Vis Nav isn't the most capable robot vacuum cleaner on the market; it's over a year old, it doesn't mop and you have to empty the dust canister manually. However, it remains the best performance-wise and left my carpets looking cleaner than ever. If being able to mop is important to you, the Dyson Wash G1 is a dedicated hard floor cleaner, though it is on the pricey side.
Yes, if:
You want a powerful robot vacuum for different floor types that gets into the edges
You don't want a bulky robot vacuum taking up space
You have pets and/or allergies
No, if:
You want a robot vacuum that self-empties
You want a robot vacuum that also mops
Dyson 360 Vis Nav FAQ
Does the Dyson 360 Vis Nav self-empty?
No, the Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum cleaner does not feature a self-emptying capability. Unlike some premium models equipped with auto-empty docks, the 360 Vis Nav requires manual intervention to empty its dustbin. It utilises a hygienic one-touch ejection mechanism, allowing users to dispose of collected debris without direct contact. While this design maintains Dyson's commitment to cleanliness, it may be less convenient for those seeking an entirely hands-off cleaning experience.
How well does the Dyson 360 Vis Nav navigate and map homes?
The Dyson 360 Vis Nav excels at navigation and mapping, thanks to its 360-degree vision system and intelligent Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) technology. It creates detailed floor maps in real time, enabling precise, systematic cleaning rather than the erratic paths of cheaper models. The robot avoids obstacles and adjusts to different floor types, while its MyDyson companion app shows users cleaning reports and offers the chance to set room-specific routines. Overall, its navigation is among the most advanced in the robotic vacuum category.
How effective is the Dyson 360 Vis Nav on different floor types and with pet hair?
The Dyson 360 Vis Nav performs impressively across various floor types, from hardwood and laminate to carpet and even high-pile rugs. Its powerful suction is among the strongest in the robot vacuum market, with Dyson's Hyperdymium motor spinning at up to 110,000 rpm, generating an impressive 65 air watts of suction. The motorised full-width brush bar effectively lifts debris and embedded pet hair. While impossible to test, Dyson claims the vacuum is capable of trapping 99.99 per cent of particles as small as 0.1 microns thanks to its whole-machine HEPA filtration, making it well suited to allergy sufferers and pet owners.