Oreck and Dyson are two home cleaning icons that you have certainly heard about. Oreck is known mostly for high quality construction and excellent filtration throughout their entire vacuum cleaner lineup. Their models are usually bagged and rated to last upwards of 10 years or more. And when most people hear the name Dyson they think extreme power and innovation. Always bagless in their design, they go about dust removal in a much different way than the competition. One thing these brands have in common is they consistently rank near the top of residential cleaners in terms of cleaning ability and overall cost.
The lightweight cordless category has really been heating up in recent years as more people realize the advantage of owning one of these versatile vacuums. As long as it is fully charged you can take the vacuum all over your home, vacuuming and cleaning a variety of surfaces that would normally take multiple machines to do. Versatility is a key quality of today’s cordless upright offerings.
The Oreck POD and Dyson V10 are two of the most capable cordless vacuums available today. They have a lot of key differences (and some similarities) which makes the choice a difficult one. Answering the question “which of these two lightweight cleaners is best for my home?” is not an easy one. Fortunately we have done the research and put together this side by side comparison to help you decide. But before we start breaking each model down let’s look at the two competitors.
Oreck POD Vs Dyson V10 – Appearance
Appearance is one of the categories where there are a lot of similarities (see picture above). The both have a long wand attached to the main body, which is completely removable to operate in handheld mode. The body on both vacuums looks similar as well, with a trigger to active the suction power and various controls. The wand attaches to the floor tools and lets each of the cordless models operate like a lightweight upright. This is how you would use them for cleaning open areas. Both vacuums also come with a variety of helpful tools (more on that below).
Oreck POD – Quick Overview
The Oreck POD is not your typical cordless vacuum cleaner at all. While it does look similar to other vacuums in this category the way it traps dust is much different. The “POD” is a self sealing, expandable container that is placed in the body for dirt collection. It starts out small but expands as it fills until you are alerted that it is time to be replaced. It works similar to a bag but actually can hold a bit more than you would expect.
This is Oreck’s first major challenge to the big players like the Dyson V10 or Shark IONFlex models. You can tell their engineers did their homework and came up with a model that offers some pretty distinct differences but still cleans ALL surfaces quickly and efficiently. This is what their customers have come to expect from Oreck, they don’t just develop a new vacuum without putting some thought into what is needed. Here are a few pros and cons that we came up with when reviewing it.
- Oreck’s POD technology is great at trapping tiny dust particles and keeping them inside. You don’t have to touch any dirt when emptying the machine.
- Lithium ION battery provides fade-free use so the power remains constant throughout. You don’t notice a degrade in performance until it is virtually drained.
- InVision Intelligence™ lets you know the current charge of the battery and when the POD needs to be emptied. This is right on the body so you can easily see it when you are vacuuming.
- The bristles on the soft brush tool are not that durable and become deformed over time.
- It’s not very effective at cleaning thicker or high piled carpets.
Dyson V10 – Main Features
The Dyson V10 cordless lineup is considered by many to be the best in the category. Like their other vacuums, their V series models are loaded with innovation coupled with highly effective filtration. The V10 is highly adaptable to a lot of cleaning situations including carpeting which is not something you can say for other portable vacuum cleaners. Dyson not only wanted to build a cordless vacuum that worked for quick pickups of dirt but also one that would deep clean carpeting. And they largely succeeded.
Like the POD from Oreck, the V10 has some key differences between it and stick vacs from other brands. One of the biggest is the 3 different suction modes: Mode 1, Mode 2, and Boost. Mode 1 is the typical mode for everyday cleaning of smooth floors and hard to reach places, Mode 2 is a little more powerful for deep cleaning carpets, and Boost Mode for when you need maximum suction power.
Even with these key features there are some other things we like as well as a couple we would like to see improvement on.
- Not only does it have the 3 different suction modes but the power is pretty amazing for a cordless vacuum. They definitely designed it to handle entire household cleaning.
- Built and tested to last for a long time, upwards of 10 years.
- Carpet floor attachment is one of the best designed in the industry, able to pull dust mites up from the fibers so no allergens are left behind.
- The 7 cell lithium ion battery is an improvement over their prior generation found on the V8 but it doesn’t give you the runtime they state when in anything other than Mode 1. Plus it isn’t removable to you cannot charge a second while you are vacuuming.
- It takes more than an hour (sometimes 2) to fully charge the battery as well. You just need to make sure it is fully charged and ready to go before you start.
Suction Power Comparison
Suction power isn’t something you would have thought would be important in cordless vacuums only a few short years ago but that was before the lithium ion generation took hold. Now you get tremendous cleaning power that is virtually fade-free for the entire cleaning session. The Oreck POD has more power than you would think. It is capable of cleaning large areas of your home including multiple types of surfaces. However, the Dyson V10 is fully capable of deep cleaning all types of carpeting so it must have power…and that it does.
The V10 has extreme power when needed and definitely has an advantage in the suction power comparison. It comes with an all new digital motor that produces 150 air watts at the Boost setting which is comparable to some full sized uprights. While this may sound impressive (and it is), you might not need that much power. If you are looking for a vacuum to clean more smooth floors like tile, hardwood, and laminate then you will never even use it. It all really depends on how many carpets you need to deep clean. But if that describes your household then the Dyson checks the box here.
POD Vs Bagless Design – Which Is Better?
The POD design is really innovative and the best feature of the Oreck. Not only does it trap everything inside, it completely seals itself as soon as you remove it from the vacuum. This means virtually no dust can escape at all. This is a big advantage over bagless vacuums like the Dyson as when you empty them into the garbage there will inevitably be some dust escaping out. With the POD you just remove it and drop it into the garbage bin. The only downside is you need to purchase replacements but they can last upwards of a month.
The V10 does have full machine HEPA filtration which is rated to remove 99.97% of all allergens down to 0.3 microns in size. With a bagless vacuum you really need to have a great filter or most of the small particles will pass right through back into your home. And even though you don’t have to buy expensive bags you do have the chance of touching the dirt particles as you empty the canister. If you or a family member have allergies then this is a consideration. For this reason, the POD design is better than bagless.
Batteries and More
As mentioned above, both of these vacuums use the latest technology of lithium ion batteries. The V10 has a more robust 7 cell battery but it needs it for the extra power. Both models will typically charge in around 2 hours and have between 30 and 40 minutes of runtime. Lithium ion are also fade-free when they drain which is much nicer than prior generations that would slowly lose power as you use them. This is a very nice advantage to them and makes it so you can use the vacuum for more than a single room. In terms of battery technology, the Oreck POD and Dyson V10 are both very good and very similar.
The POD comes with a few extra attachments including the AirPower™ pivoting brushroll tool, a soft bristle brush, their large floor cleaning head, a crevice tool, and 5 replacement PODs that will last a few months at least. You also get a nice wall charger so you can hang it out of the way when not in use.
The V10 actually has multiple models: the Absolute, the Animal, and the Motorhead. The latter would mostly be used for smooth floors while the Animal and Absolute are better equipped for carpets as well. Depending on which one you choose you can get their Direct Drive Motorhead with a soft roller, mini motorized tool, quick release crevice tool, and of course a long list of optional tools that you can buy. Oreck and Dyson both give you everything you need for cleaning the typical household.
Final Recommendation
The choice between these two cordless vacuum cleaners can basically come down to the types of floors you are looking to clean. If you have mostly smooth floors or area rugs then the Oreck POD makes a lot of sense. It is less expensive (by just a touch) and has everything you need to clean large areas of your home. Plus it is made by one of the highest rated companies in the industry in terms of quality and longevity. Click here to price out the POD at our recommended online supplier.
Alternatively, if you have a wide variety of flooring including medium to high pile (thicker) carpets then the Dyson V10 is the best choice. It can clean just about anything you throw at it, yet still provides the flexibility to clean other ‘above the floor’ items like furniture and curtains. Dyson is known for innovation and quality, and this just shines through on the V10. To read online consumer reviews and check pricing, click here to visit our favorite eCommerce store.