How does the Dyson “Mini Ball” compare to its big brother? Our Dyson DC24 vs. DC25 Ball vacuum comparison tests showed that the younger and lighter DC24 held its ground easily in most tests we threw at both contenders. Lets go into detail on with a Dyson DC24 vs. DC25 vacuum comparison.
The Dyson DC25 and the DC24 vacuum cleaners have been on the market for more than 3 years and yet they are both still in demand both offline and online.
Since there is a difference of just “1” in their model numbers, many consumers wonder what the real difference is between the lightweight DC24 and the heavier DC25 Ball vacuum.
Both vacuums feature a unique Dyson design which is “The Ball”.
This ball rolls on the floor and offers incredible maneuverability compared to a traditional two rear wheeled upright vacuum.
One thing that does take some getting used to is how the Dyson Ball turns. In order to maneuver the vacuum, you have to turn your wrist. When you rotate your wrist as you hold the handle, the vacuum will turn on a dime.
It is fun to use, but can take a moment or two to really appreciate the unique ball vacuuming system.
Dyson DC24 Vs. DC25 Vacuum Comparison: Overviewing The Main Differences
The standard version of the Dyson Ball, the DC25, is heavier, has more suction, a larger bagless canister, a longer cord, more on board tools, and costs more.
The smaller version of the Dyson Ball, the DC24, is lighter, has a little less suction, a smaller bagless canister, less on board tools, and is less expensive. There are a few other differences, but those would be the main areas.
Dyson DC24 Vs. DC25 Vacuum Comparison: Similarities Overview
Why are the Dyson Ball vacuum cleaners so popular? The real reason is they do a great job cleaning floors. Both work extremely well on all floors cleaning up any type of debris.
They work on carpet, large area rugs, entrance rugs, and lighter kitchen and bath rugs, and hard floors. They both do an excellent job cleaning up around the edges of the room without using the on board tools.
For example, both vacuums can get under kitchen cabinets without stopping to put on attachments.
Finally, they both have great reach with the stretchy hose, long reach wand, and on board tools.
Dyson DC24 Vs. DC25 Ball Performance Comparison
We put both vacuums through the same series of tests. There are some slight differences between each model in each category. The things we analyzed were how well they did cleaning carpeting, rugs, and hard flooring.
We used flour, crushed crackers, pet hair, and other debris to simulate the different things that any vacuum would encounter as it cleans the floor.
Both of these models, the lightweight Dyson DC24, and the full sized Dyson DC25, are All-Floors Models. They are specifically designed to do a great job on carpeting and hard surfaces like wood floor or tile.
The way they do this is with one touch of a button. The brush bar can be turned on for carpeting and rugs, and switched off for hard floors.
Dyson Carpet Cleaning Comparison
The Dyson DC24 and Dyson DC25 both did a great job on the carpet. The major difference between these two vacuums is the larger DC25 has a wider cleaning path by one inch.
We didn’t notice this difference much until we vacuumed up a larger carpeted room. One-inch width does make the DC25 clean faster than the DC24 lightweight ball.
The other major difference with the two ball vacuums is the suction power. The larger Dyson DC25 has a suction power of 90 inches of water, compared to 80 inches of water for the Dyson DC24.
Where would this be important? If you have long pile carpeting, you always want the most powerful suction because dust can really work its way into the carpet fibers. On small pile and medium pile carpeting, the suction power isn’t big enough of a difference to cause major concern.
The tests we ran involved cleaning flour as a small particle simulation. Both vacuums performed very well. For large particles, they also both did great. We used crushed crackers and pine needles.
The only concern was that the largest particles didn’t fit under the low clearance of the brush bar on both models. The vacuums would just push the large debris and then sometimes some of the debris would be stuck on the ball. They also both did an excellent job cleaning up pet hair on carpeting.
Better Carpet Cleaner – Dyson DC25 Ball
Rug Cleaning Comparison
Sometimes your biggest strength can be a weakness. The tremendous suction power of the Dyson DC25 can sometimes lift rugs right off the floor and makes it very hard to push back and forth.
The smaller, less powerful DC24 didn’t suck the area rugs up off the hard flooring, so it was easier to operate in this situation. Dyson Ball vacuums don’t have adjustable suction power, so the DC24 ball worked better with area rugs, small entry rugs, and kitchen and bath rugs.
Better Rug Cleaner – Lightweight Dyson DC24
Hard Floor Cleaning Comparison
There really wasn’t much difference between the two vacuums here. They both cleaned up small particles nicely, but larger particles didn’t fit under the head of the vacuum. They just got pushed around.
We had to use the hose and on board tools to get the biggest debris cleaned up. Because the DC25 has a wider cleaning path, it can clean faster than the smaller DC24.
Better Hard Floor Cleaner – Dyson DC25 Ball
Edge Cleaning Comparison
They were virtually the same for both of these tests as far as cleaning capabilities go. The best thing about these is how well they maneuver to fit into tight spaces and under overhanging items.
The Ball vacuum is the best for cleaning under kitchen cabinets since there is no need to get out attachments.
We will give the edge to the DC24 simply because it is lighter, which makes it easier to bend and turn.
Better Edge Cleaner – Lightweight Dyson DC24
On Board Tools Comparison
There is only one on board tool for the lightweight DC24 Ball. It is a combination debris nozzle and upholstery brush.
The DC25 comes with a combination tool too, but also has a small stair brush. The biggest difference is the long reach wand. On the DC25, the wand is already attached to the hose.
You simply pull up on the wand and it comes out. You can immediately start cleaning. On the lightweight Dyson DC24, you have to slide the wand out of the hose.
Then you have to turn the wand around and reattach it to the hose. This is why they call the wand on the DC24 a “reversible wand.”
It also is a little tricky to reattach to the base unit when you are done.
Better On Board Tools – Dyson DC25 Ball
Stair Cleaning Comparison
The lightweight Dyson DC24 was nicer to use on stairs. Yes, the DC25 comes with a stair brush, but the debris nozzle of the DC24 works just fine. The reason we preferred the DC24 was due to its lighter weight.
We could carry it up step by step as we vacuumed the stairs. It only weighs about 12 pounds, so you can hold the unit with one hand, and vacuum with the wand or hose with the other hand.
Better Stair Cleaner – Lightweight Dyson DC24
Miscellaneous
The DC25 is the heavy model with greater suction power.
There are some other differences between these two units that are worth pointing out. They all stem from the fact that the Dyson DC24 is smaller and the Dyson DC25 is larger.
The cord on the lightweight ball is only 20 feet long. The DC25 is over 25 feet long. Using a decibel reader we also tested how loud each model was. As expected, the less powerful DC24 was quieter at 70-75 decibels, and the DC25 was louder at 75-80 decibels.
The debris canister on the ‘mini ball’ is only 0.19 gallons so you will have to empty it more often, compared to the larger 0.31-gallon bin with the full sized ball.
One more difference that could play a large roll, no pun intended, in which ball you choose is the price. The smaller DC24 is typically over $100 less than the larger DC25
Similarities between the two models include obviously the Ball. You really have to use it to really appreciate the maneuverability. It makes a boring chore, vacuuming, quite fun. Now that’s saying something.
The filtration quality of both vacuums is also excellent. Using an airborne particle scanner we detected zero particles larger than 0.3 microns in size for both Dyson Ball models.
This means the Dyson DC24 and DC25 are ideal for people who are allergic to dust, dander, or other airborne particulates.
The maintenance is also the same for both models. There are two filters that need cleaning every three months.
Use cold water to wash out the filters and then leave them out to dry for at least 24 hours before putting back into the vacuum.
Dyson DC24 Vs. DC25 Video Comparison
Dyson DC24 Vs. Dyson DC25 Comparison Verdict
After completing the Dyson DC24 Vs. DC25 vacuum comparison, we have identified which models are best for specific functions.
VacuumWizard.com recommends the Lightweight Dyson DC24 Ball for:
Smaller homes, apartments, and even regular sized homes with a lot of small sized rooms would be better served using the DC24 by Dyson. There simply isn’t much difference between the two vacuums.
VacuumWizard.com recommends the Full Sized Dyson DC25 Ball for:
A large home or regular sized home with a great room would be ideal for the DC25. Also, if you have a smaller home, a condo, or an apartment with a lot of longer pile carpeting, go with the tremendous suction power in the full sized Dyson Ball.
We thought specifically that a home under 1500 square feet should use the lightweight DC24 (click for full review of the Dyson DC24). Between 1500 to 2000 square feet is a toss up.
Homes with over 2000 square feet should definitely use the full sized DC25 Ball. (click for full review of the Dyson DC25).
