James Dyson's London townhouse is a model of Spartan elegance - wooden floors and vast empty spaces. Somehow the absence of carpets proves oddly disconcerting when meeting the man who shook up the dusty world of vacuum cleaners with his "cyclone" technology. Fifteen years in the making, Mr Dyson's cleaners stormed British homes in the 1990s, despite retailing at almost double the price of more established brands. "Dyson really revolutionised the entire market," says Nick Platt, a vacuum cleaner expert at retail audit group GfK. "They changed the nature of the product into an aesthetic lifestyle product, a status symbol." Even Number 10, Downing Street, was not immune - a Dyson cylinder cleaner was seen gracing the red carpet in 1996 hours before a head of state trod its pile. In March of the same year, Dyson climbed up the league tables to become the top brand in total floorcare, in terms of value and volume, beating appliance giants Hoover and Electrolux. Small wonder Mr Dyson considers himself a British success story.

"I have made hundreds of mistakes and I'm honestly not that intelligent," he says. "But I am very passionate about making the product and getting people to buy it." Vote for Britain's best entrepreneur It is this projection of innocent naivety and entrepreneurial verve that seem to have endeared him to the British public.steam cleaners uk suppliers He battled doggedly for 15 years to transform his design for a cyclone-powered vacuum cleaner into a real product.best carpet cleaner san jose ca "It was the toughest period of my life - I had to maintain my belief against total negativity," he recalls of his attempt to get other manufacturers to license his design.car carpet cleaning extractors "But it worked inversely.

I became more convinced that I could compete against them." Similarly, his successful legal battle against Hoover for patent infringement in 1999 boosted his appeal as a champion of the corporate underclass. However, in recent times, the Dyson fairy tale has encountered the cold winds of change and cynicism. The company has attracted flak for shipping British jobs to Malaysia, inspiring Roger Lyons of the Amicus union to describe it as "a desperately bad example to rest of the [manufacturing] sector". Mr Dyson retorts: "Nothing he could say would annoy me at all." He also argues that Dyson has created 100 new jobs in R&D to counteract the 60-70 eliminated in August, following a decision to shift the manufacturing of his washing machines to Malaysia. In 2002, an additional 560 jobs were lost when production of the vacuum cleaners was moved to the Far East. The criticism he received still rankles. "I have never received a penny from the government in terms of grants.

"I've borrowed heavily from Lloyds [Bank], I've created 13,000 jobs and I've paid �100m in tax." However, the furore over Malaysia - and any collateral damage to Dyson's "British" brand - masks a more insidious threat. The company's transfer to the Far East will locate its manufacturing closer to its suppliers, but Mr Dyson admits that slower growth and rising costs have partly motivated the move. "It is no secret that our profits are being heavily squeezed," he says. Although Dyson is still the leading vacuum cleaner brand in the UK, it is beginning to lose out to cheaper machines that have copied its bagless technology. Pick up an Argos catalogue, and you will find an upright Dyson DC04 for �177, while a Morphy Richards 73310 Ultralite Cyclone Bagless Cleaner sells for a mere �68. Retailers such as Currys and Comet, which control 40% of the electricals market, have been driving down prices across the board. The dilemma Dyson faces is dropping its own prices or reinforcing the power and quality of its brand.

Unfortunately, the loyalty of Dyson's customers has also dropped off. The company's market share by volume has decreased from a third to a quarter over the last five years, according to GfK figures. Nevertheless, there is no shortage of Dyson die-hards. In a BBC News Online vote for Britain's best entrepreneur, Mike Clarke, UK, emailed: "For as long as I can remember, every brand of vacuum cleaner has always been called a 'Hoover', but a Dyson is always a 'Dyson'." And to provide a little perspective, two-thirds of Dyson owners go on to buy another Dyson, says GfK's Mr Platt. This is double the rate of its nearest competitor. The company is also working on 175 new inventions - the latest of which is the "Telescope" vacuum cleaner, which can be compressed for storage. Mr Dyson firmly believes that investment in new technology is the only way to keep ahead. "Reinventing yourself is a fragile thing," he says. "You can't prove it's going to be a success, but if you don't do something new, you will die."

Fed up of your heavy, back-breaking vacuum cleaner? The answer is a cordless vacuum cleaner. We've tested all the best cordless vacuum cleaners on the market and these are our top seven. Hit the Next arrow above to browse the list, or read on to learn more.Cordless vacs from all the leading brands, including Dyson, Vax and Bosch, make it into our list of the best cordless vacs. Each page features a summary review of the model, but click the links to read our full in-depth reviews.In the full reviews you can see before and after examples of cleaning performance on carpets and hard floors, and how well they clean right up to the edge of skirting boards.We also test what they're like to use on stairs and how well they clean up pet hair.Click the dropdown list above or hit the 'Next' arrow to see our mini reviews of the best cordless vacs, or see the names at a glance below.£129, Amazon.co.uk | Our score: 8/10Vax Air Cordless Lift U85-ACLG-B£195, Amazon.co.uk | Our score: 9/10£340, Amazon.co.uk |

Our score: 9/10£193, Amazon.co.uk | Our score: 8/10£300, Amazon.co.uk | Our score: 10/10£468, Amazon.co.uk | Our score: 10/10£280, Amazon.co.uk | Our score: 9/10Watch: First look at Dyson's new robot vacuum cleaner, the 360 EyeCordless vacuum cleaners are a great idea. While most aren't as powerful as corded vacuum cleaners, cordless vacuum cleaners are hugely useful and convenient. They let you clean in a completely different way. Instead of doing a big clean every week or so, it's easy to get a cordless machine out to do quick spot cleans whenever you need.Not being tethered to a socket means cleaning takes less time, too. That means less back bending, and cordless vacuums are lighter, so they're a good option if you have a bad back. They're typically easier to use on stairs and most are great to use in cars, making them even more versatile. Now $339A good cordless vacuum cleaner doesn't come cheap. You can buy cordless vacuums for around £100 or so, but we don't recommend that you buy any of them.