Dyson V7 Trigger review: Dyson's handheld hero is a great cordless vac for your car

If you're looking for something to get into those smaller nooks and crannies, or can't manoeuvre your household vacuum around the car, the Dyson V7 Trigger could make a great addition to your stock of cleaning appliances. 

Pitched as Dyson's sole handheld-only option for house and car, we view it as something you'd add to your arsenal for those smaller, more fiddly cleaning jobs. In other words, it won't be the only vac you own. That's because while it's certainly one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners you can buy, it's nobody's idea of a top-ranking best vacuum cleaner. Unless, of course, your home is the boot of a car. 

While some of Dyson's larger stick models might convert to handheld form, this is a cheaper and lighter alternative if you've already got a bigger vac and don't fancy a big stick unit taking up space in your cupboard.  

For the car, it's perfect. At just 1.71kg, it's half a kilogram lighter than the V7 Absolute stick model (which can convert to handheld if needed). But this lightweight model makes it easy to use one-handed and lets you get into all sorts of spaces. 

Retailing for $199 / £199 / AU$299, it sits on the high end of the price spectrum for handheld vacuums. But at the end of the day, it's a Dyson, so you're going to be getting far more for your money than you would with the average dust buster. It's worth checking our Dyson discount codes to save on your order. 

Dyson now only stocks the V7 Trigger as an individual unit on their Australian website, but UK and US customers can still get it from independent retailers. 

DYSON V7 TRIGGER REVIEW: DESIGN

As with all Dysons, the V7 Trigger certainly ticks the boxes in the aesthetic appeal department. It's sleek and compact, mimicking the body shape of its larger stick siblings. Notably for the Trigger is that it's significantly lighter than the V7 Absolute, weighing just 1.71kg compared to the Absolute's 2.32kg – which is already light itself. That makes it super easy to manoeuvre around tight spaces, high nooks and low crannies. Its weight makes it a true one-handed handheld,  so can be used by practically anyone. 

DYSON V7 TRIGGER REVIEW: ATTACHMENTS

The V7 Trigger is pretty scarce when it comes to attachments. In the box you'll get the crevice tool for getting down the side of your car seats, and the combination tool, with a wider barrel for larger surface areas and a brush addition for hard surfaces. 

As far a they go, they do a solid job. The combination tool is good for sucking dust and dirt particles out of carpets or fabric seats (especially in max mode), and the brush addition means you can run it over the dashboard of your motor without worrying about scratches. The crevice tool is a must too, as we all know how much junk accumulates in the narrow corners of every car, no matter how clean you think it is. 

But if you're looking at this as an additional vacuum solely for the purposes of specific spot cleaning (e.g. for you car) you may want to invest in some additional attachments. Dyson also stocks a specific car cleaning kit, compatible with the V7, V8, V10 Cyclone and V11 models. It'll set you back a further AU$89 (not available in US or UK), but comes with a flexible crevice tool, extension hose and stubborn dirt brush to give your car that valet-fresh feel. 

US and UK customers will also get a mini motorised brush tool, which uses an attachment similar to stick vacuum floor heads to work ground-in dirt and hair away from the surface. 

DYSON V7 TRIGGER REVIEW: BIN

Just like the larger V7 Absolute, the Trigger sports the hygienic bin system which makes emptying the reservoir simple and painless.

You just pull up the red tab and the airflow housing separates from the dust collector, while a lid below automatically opens to let out all the treasures you've collected during your clean. The movement of the tray can at times be a bit sticky, but it's well built, so you're not going to break it if you have to use a bit of force to close it again. 

And don't try emptying it unless you're standing over a rubbish bin – the bottom opens like a trap door, so it dumps out pretty quickly. It empties entirely almost every time, although you might get some stray hairs stuck to the filter on the odd occasion. 

The filter's metallic tube comes straight out for you to wash under the tap, or whack against something outdoors if you’re mid-clean. If rinsing, you need to make sure the filter is completely dry before putting it back in the unit.   

DYSON V7 TRIGGER REVIEW: BATTERY

Admittedly, the battery life on the V7 Trigger isn't amazing, and probably sits around the mid range for a handheld vac. Particularly when it comes to the max power mode, which will only give you six minutes before it bites the dust. 

But in normal mode, you'll get 30 minutes of fade-free suction, so still enough time to vacuum the car from front to back. Just remember to use the max feature sparingly and only for those really sticky areas. Allow 3.5 hours for a full charge. 

DYSON V7 TRIGGER REVIEW: PERFORMANCE

For a handheld vac, you won't get much better in terms of suction. The Trigger sports the same Dyson V7 digital motor as the larger model, so it has incredible power for such a small unit. 

And in max mode, the suction is second-to-none. I'd say you'd be hard pressed to find a handheld that does the same job on both carpets and hard surfaces. 

Obviously, there's no floor performance stats to discuss, as it doesn't really matter here. But whatever other surface you're working on, the V7 Trigger will clean it. 

As far as a standalone handheld option goes, it's leading the pack. 

DYSON V7 TRIGGER REVIEW: VERDICT

If you've already got a bigger vacuum to cover the rest of your house, but need something smaller for the car or niggly areas in the home, Dyson's V7 Trigger should solve your woes. It might be a little bit more costly than a standard dust buster, but the superior suction, excellent bin system and lightweight design make it worth the extra spend.