Dyson V15s Detect Submarine vacuum cleaner review: a double whammy

2023-11-24 17:44:38

Dyson launched the V15 Detect cordless vacuum cleaner two years ago now. I really liked the device at the time, and my appreciation has only increased over time. A few months later, I even did my favorite of all the gadgets I tried that year. And still today, I am impressed by its maneuverability and efficiency when I use it.

When I learned that a successor was going to be launched, and that it was also going to be accompanied by an accessory for washing the floor, let’s just say that my expectations were high.

In hindsight, probably they were a little too much.

The best vacuum cleaner, even better

The V15s Detect Submarine vacuum cleaner is both powerful and handy. Photo: Maxime Johnson

Let’s leave the new mopping accessory aside for a moment to focus on the rest of the device. Here, once once more, I don’t have much to complain regarding.

The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine looks a lot like the V15 Detect, still on sale elsewhere (pour 999$ normally, or $799 for Black Friday). The device charges a little faster than its predecessor, but otherwise its power is almost identical, as is the size of its receptacle.

So you have a truly powerful vacuum cleaner in your hands. Depending on the accessories, you will be able to vacuum debris and animal hair from a carpet without problem, for example. And as I said, it is light and easy to handle (these last two points are particularly striking if you compare with an older model, like the V11).

The vacuum cleaner handle can be split in two to reach tight spots. Photo: Maxime Johnson

As with the V15 Detect, the V15s Detect Submarine measures the quantity of dust sucked up. Photo: Maxime Johnson

The V15s Detect in vacuum cleaner mode mainly offers two new features compared to the V15 Detect. First of all, the extended accessory for vacuuming in tight places no longer exists. Rather, it is integrated directly into the handle of the vacuum cleaner, which can be separated in two. It’s a minor modification, but appreciated, because you can vacuum in several different places, without dragging an additional accessory with you. And since Dyson still doesn’t offer any storage solutions for its many accessories, I appreciate having one less.

The V15 Detect was launched with a new head for floors in 2021, the Fluffy Optic. This was equipped with a green laser, allowing us to see the dust invisible to the naked eye, and to see how much dirtier our floor was than we thought. Two years following the launch of this accessory, I still appreciate it just as much. This is the kind of innovation that really improves the user experience (unlike, for example, the sensor that measures the dust that is collected and displays the count on the screen integrated into the Dyson which , he is of absolutely no use).

Good news, this head is now improved with the V15s Detect Submarine. The new Fluffy Optic head now features a laser that is twice as powerful as when it was launched in 2021. The difference is big, and is noticeable at first glance. The new laser allows you to see further, wider and more dust.

Note that if you buy a V15 Detect today, you will also be entitled to this new head.

The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine’s laser is twice as powerful as before. Photo: Maxime Johnson

Aside from the lack of storage solutions, I only have one other gripe with the V15s Detect Submarine’s vacuum flap, and it’s the same as with all previous models: you still can’t sweep while the vacuum cleaner recharges. If the battery is flat, you will have to wait a little before cleaning. And if the battery ends up failing (which will happen sooner or later), you will have no choice but to change it. It’s a shame.

But overall, if you are looking for the best vacuum cleaner possible, and price is not an important factor for you, the Dyson V15s Submarine is definitely the model to buy. As I said during my review of the first V15, the device is so efficient and pleasant to use that we almost come to enjoy cleaning.

Electric mop: good efficiency, bad design

The new wet head of the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine. Photo: Maxime Johnson

The big news in Dyson’s vacuum cleaner is its new Submarine wet roller vacuum head. And here, things get a little tougher.

The operation of this accessory is simple: you fill a small container with water, you install the head on the handle of the vacuum cleaner and you pass the Dyson as usual. With just water and a high-speed roller, it is still possible to clean floors effectively.

You’ll have to go over a dirty floor a few times, but the V15s Detect Submarine cleans effectively with just water. Video: Maxime Johnson.

If it is very dirty, you will have to go over the same place a few times, but the mechanism works well. The first time I used it, my floor was a little awkward, and it was completely clean followingward. Some stubborn stains (this would obviously never happen in my house, but a splash of Minigo forgotten for a few days, for example) might be more difficult to remove, but for regular dirt, the device works wonderfully, even if it only cleans with water.

This last point also deserves to be clarified: according to Dyson tests, cleaning with water is as effective as with detergent, and it is also better for the cleaning head. I had my doubts at first, but honestly, I have no complaints regarding my floor following spending time with the V15s Detect Submarine.

Washing the floor is child’s play. Washing the vacuum cleaner, much less. Photo: Maxime Johnson

Unfortunately, while cleaning the floor with the Submarine wet roller head is a charm, washing it is much less so.

The dirty water collected from the floor is in fact sent to a second compartment of the cleaning head. Unfortunately, this compartment is open. If you take your head in the air and tilt it a little to the side, brown water may fall to the ground. When you open the accessory to empty it, you also risk dirtying the rest of the head.

The clean water is in a sealed compartment in the cleaner head of the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine, but not the dirty water, which is found under the red stripe. Photo: Maxime Johnson

Even if you manage to empty it without accident, you will need to wash the roller with water and a cleaning fluid, but without submerging it. Then you will need to air dry it. You will also have to wash the compartment that holds the dirty water, and this is difficult to access. And you have to do all this following every wash. Otherwise, the roller is harder to clean and, quite honestly, forgotten dirty water stinks.

The whole experience is poorly thought out. Dyson should go back to the drawing board and find a way for the dirty water to go into a second waterproof compartment, which might also be removed from the accessory, making cleaning much simpler.

Currently, I don’t use the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine for small messes, since I don’t want to wash it followingwards. I only use it for major cleanings. It’s better than nothing, but considering that this accessory increases the price of the vacuum cleaner by $300 compared to the original V15 Detect, it’s still a high price to pay.

Note that Dyson recommends changing the roller of the Submarine head every six months, so that it maintains its effectiveness. We still don’t know what its price will be, but it is announced for 30 US dollars on the American Dyson website (around 40 Canadian dollars). It might have been worse. However, let’s hope that this one will be easy to buy, since Dyson accessories are often out of stock, for a reason that is difficult to explain.

And for those who already have a Dyson vacuum cleaner, you cannot buy this head separately. You absolutely need the V15s to use it. The other cleaning heads, however, are compatible between the different Dyson models.

In summary

The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine vacuum cleaner, with all its accessories. Photo: Maxime Johnson

The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is an exceptional vacuum cleaner and efficient electric mop. The design of the accessory that allows you to wash floors is, however, poorly designed, which makes its use much less pleasant than what we are used to with the brand’s products. It’s a good first attempt, but Dyson has accustomed us to better.

The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is available now, for $1,299.

1700921998
#Dyson #V15s #Detect #Submarine #vacuum #cleaner #review #double #whammy