REASONS TO BUY
Exceptional cleaning performance
Advanced functionality
Powerful suction
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
On/off trigger has to be held down
Tough to move at max power
Dyson V15 Detect Review
Feature-rich, pricey, and fully capable on both carpet and hard floors, this model represents the top-end
Testing the Dyson V15 Detect on a variety of surfaces.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
By Rachael Lamore ⋅ Senior Review Analyst ⋅ July 18, 2025
Contributions From: Chris Maxcer
Our Verdict
The Dyson V15 Detect delivers outstanding all-around performance. It delivered nearly three times the average suction power of the group, allowing it to pick up more debris in fewer passes. That efficiency is backed by two surface-specific cleaner heads: the carpet head creates a tight seal to extract dirt and dander from deep within the fibers. In contrast, the hard floor head captures larger messes and highlights fine dust on the ground, so nothing gets overlooked. There are some tradeoffs. The trigger-powered design requires you to hold it down while cleaning, which can cause fatigue over time. And with all that suction, it's harder to push on carpet compared to less powerful models. However, if you want a vacuum that gets the job done faster and more thoroughly, the Dyson V15 Detect is built for users who expect serious cleaning power.
Our Analysis and Test Results
We appreciated that Dyson didn't skimp on floor head options and attachments, providing a great quiver of tools to choose from when we went to clean around the house. We liked how the mini-motorized attachment sucked hair out of furniture and pet beds without getting badly clumped. During our tests, the funky-looking internal motorized cone seemed to shuttle the hair into the suction tube surprisingly well.
Carpet Performance
The V15 Detect thrives on carpet, thanks to its powerful suction and stiff bristles, which help lift even the most stubborn dirt that lies beneath.
However, the relatively low headgate design tends to push around large, lightweight debris. It's a tradeoff. Bigger bits like bark or rocks might need another pass to make it through the gate of the head, but in return, you get a deep cleaning powerhouse that sucks up dirt you didn't even know was there.
The Dyson V15 Detect blew away most of the competition in our timed carpet stress tests.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
We measured the vacuum's suction at 2,239 pascals, which is significantly stronger than most other brands, and just under our leader, the Gen5detect, which measured in at a whopping 2,388 pascals.
On the fluffier, high-pile carpet, the suction power pulled its cleaner head down into the deeper carpet, which meant the lighter Cheerios often hit the head and plowed even more than they did on low-pile carpet.
Its 49% pick-up was above average in this test, showing strong deep-cleaning performance that reached further into the carpet weave than most. If you regularly deal with dirt tracked in by cleats or furry paws, this model remains a strong choice for grabbing that tougher debris. Just keep in mind it may require a bit more effort to push due to its powerful suction.
After 24 seconds in this trial, you can see most of the carpet was cleaned by the V15, but it also snowplowed some cheerios to near the end of our high pile shag carpet.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Hardwood Performance
All of the Dyson cordless vacuums we've tested that use the specialized hard surface cleaner head have performed well during our hardwood stress tests, and this model is no exception.
We spread a mix of material over a 27-square-foot section of hardwood to test performance on hard surfaces.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
One feature we love is the cool green laser light on the head. Its ultra-low angle highlights dust by casting shadows from tiny debris, making it easy to spot dirt that's invisible to the naked eye when you're standing overhead.
The built-in green light on Dyson's Fluffy Optic clean head reveals dust and debris that's hard to see without the light. Notice how clean the floor is on each back pass.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
For people who are obsessed with getting a floor clean, the Dyson makes it so easy to see where the messes are and to confirm that you've got every speck.
With this vacuum, we never had to worry about tight areas or switch tools midway through cleaning. It consistently sucked up debris right along the wall, no matter the angle, and handled those hard-to-reach spots with ease.
Before Testing After Testing
The V15 Detect did a great job sucking up coffee grounds very close to a wall in our edge test.
Pet Hair
Even though we're big fans of our four-legged companions, we're not thrilled about the constant shedding, so we love any vacuum that makes cleaning up pet hair less of a chore.
For households with lots of pet hair to vacuum up, this vacuum was a pet-hair-eating beast!
Sometimes vacuums like the V15 surprise us with how quickly they suck up our difficult pet hair challenges.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
We loved running this vacuum, as it easily sucked up 88% of debris on low-pile carpets and 60% on high-pile carpets. For at-home cleanup, we're confident you'll achieve even better results with a few extra passes.
One drawback was its long-hair performance. Despite having a “detangling” roller design that Dyson says can “automatically clear wrapped hair from the brush bar as you clean,” long hair is still wrapped in our tests. To be fair, we haven't seen a stick vacuum yet that could suck up long hair extensions without tangling. Don't believe the marketing hype.
Dyson's Motorbar head did an excellent job of directing typical pet hair into its suction tube but longer test hair extensions still tangled.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Filtration
This Dyson successfully sucked up the flour without excessively spiking room particulate measurements, making it a great choice for anyone who is sensitive to pet dander or allergens.
Filtration Particle Count
| Dyson V15 Detect | |
|---|---|
| Small Particle Count | 55 |
| HEPA Filter | ✖ |
| Dylos Air Quality Designation | Excellent |
Dylos ranks an increase in particulate measurements between 0 and 75 as excellent, with anything over 1,050 indicating poor air quality. Interestingly, this Dyson recorded only 55 small particles, demonstrating outstanding filtration performance without the use of a HEPA filter. This suggests that vacuum manufacturers don't necessarily need to license HEPA technology to achieve highly effective filtration.
Ease of Use
This model scores poorly in our key maneuverability metric primarily because its intense suction makes it harder to turn and push on the carpet. Even with the head gates open to reduce suction and the vacuum on the lowest suction mode, we found it challenging to get the head to swivel around our test cones on the carpet. In Turbo Mode, which creates more suction, this vacuum was downright frustrating.
In contrast to the effort required to push on carpet, it glides much more smoothly on hardwood and navigates around obstacles with ease, thanks to its great turning radius. At a handheld weight of 4 pounds and 8 ounces, though, it's on the heavier side, and after cleaning the whole house, we definitely felt it in our forearms.
Holding a trigger down constantly while vacuuming can create hand and finger fatigue. For those who prefer an on/off button, Gen5detect works with a simple button to start and stop.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
The vacuum comes with three additional tools: crevice, hair screw, and combination, along with a wand clip for convenient tool storage. It also includes the two cleaner heads we've already talked about. Changing attachments is very easy. They can also be used at the base of the rod and directly at the handheld for added versatility.
Here's everything that comes with the package deal for the product.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
The best attachment is the awesome hair screw tool, which is like a mini motorized cleaner head.
Dyson's standout mini hair screw tool is motorized. We appreciated its ability to power through hard-to-reach areas like stairs and furniture. Plus, it's handy for tackling embedded pet hair on pet beds.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
For those looking for the right device to tidy couch cushions or any other upholstery, this model's attachments will do it without fuss.
Before Testing After Testing
The included small attachment motorized head is great for cleaning furniture like pillows and dog beds.
Battery
Battery life is strong on the low setting, lasting 68 minutes in our test. Because the suction power is so high, most household cleaning can be done on low, giving you more usable time than vacuums that need full power more often.
If you do want to go into a deep cleaning session, just know that we only got 9 minutes of run time on the highest setting.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Should You Buy the Dyson V15 Detect?
If it fits your budget, we wholeheartedly recommend it. The cleaning power of this model is outstanding. While it's not the priciest option in the Dyson lineup, it's still a significant investment. However, considering the advanced technology, efficiency, and overall performance, it's worth the price tag, despite minor drawbacks like the on/off trigger and the difficulty of pushing it around on carpet.
What Other Stick Vacuums Should You Consider?
If you're loyal to Dyson and want extra versatility in your cleaning routine, consider the Dyson V15s Submarine, which doubles as a mop and offers impressive cleaning power, albeit at a higher price point. For a budget-friendly option without compromising performance, the Shark Stratos Cordless is a solid choice. Alternatively, if you're on a tight budget and still prefer Dyson, the Dyson V8 offers decent performance at nearly half the cost of higher-end models.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Dyson V15 Detect versus top competing products:
—Rachael Lamore and Chris Maxcer
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