When Dyson introduced its Cyclone vacuum cleaner to the United States in 2003, it revolutionized a century-old category. Using an air-filled canister in place of a bag, the product was innovative in that it never lost suction. Later releases were less impressive, adding only minor tweaks. But with the DC-15, a.k.a. the Ball, released in the States last May, the British firm has reinvented the vacuum again. Instead of relying on the usual two wheels, the designers created a volleyball-size orb to make the vacuum easier to maneuver. “When you see one for the first time, there’s really an ‘Aha!’ moment,” says judge Landis Smithers, VP for creative at Old Navy.

BOTTOM LINE: In less than two months, the DC-15 became one of the top 10 upright vacuums in the U.S. market.