How to Change the Filters on a Dyson V8 (Top and Back Filter)

September 30, 2026

Your Dyson V8 has two filters, one on top and one at the back, and swapping both takes about 30 seconds with no tools. It is the cheapest fix on the whole machine, and it is usually the one people put off until the vacuum starts to feel weak.

Why change the filters on a Dyson V8?

The filters catch the fine dust that gets past the cyclone. Fresh ones do two jobs at once: they keep that dust out of the motor, and they keep it from blowing back out into your room. Because air can move through them freely, the machine pulls harder and runs the way it did when it was new.

That is also why the filters are the first thing worth looking at when a V8 feels weak. It costs a few dollars, takes no tools, and rules out the most common cause in half a minute.

What happens if you never change them?

A filter only has so much room for dust. Once it is packed, air struggles to get through, and you notice it as:

Weaker suction, even with an empty bin and a fully charged battery
A motor that has to work harder to pull the same amount of air
A machine that pulses or cuts out because the airflow is restricted
A stale, dusty smell from the exhaust, and fine dust escaping back into the room

The motor is the most expensive part of your V8 to replace. A filter set costs a fraction of that, so it makes sense to protect the motor with fresh filters.

Replace or wash? Why we would rather you replace

Dyson's own manual says the filters can be washed, so washing is what most owners do, and if you do it carefully it does work. But there are good reasons to just replace them:

Rinsing only gets the surface dust. Fine dust that has worked deep into the filter does not all come out, so a washed filter never quite goes back to how it was.
It has to dry completely. The usual advice is a full 24 hours. Put a filter back even slightly damp and you get a musty smell, with moisture sitting right next to the motor.
It wears out. Each wash leaves the material a bit more tired than the last.
Replacing is quicker. A new filter goes in straight away. There is no waiting a day for the old one to dry while you use the vacuum without it.

For the price of a filter set, swapping is the easier and safer option.