Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine Review
Our Verdict
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 This Product
Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine | |||||
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| Awards |  Best for Most People | Best Premium Cleaner |  Best on a Budget | Best Buy for Small Spaces | |
| Price | $1,100 List Check Amazon (on sale!) | $550 List Check Price at Amazon | $750 List Check Amazon (on sale!) | $350 List Check Amazon (on sale!) | $260 List Check Price at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | This vacuum left us underwhelmed, and we needed a more powerful vacuum to clean up after it | Offering the convenience and cleanliness of an empty station and powerful cleaning performance, this vacuum sets a high bar for the competition | For those who want all the bells and whistles and superior cleaning power, this stick vacuum can do it all | It keeps your home clean as a premium vacuum does, but it struggles on hair and shag rugs | This simple vacuum is a solid cleaner, just don't expect much on shag carpet |
| Rating Categories | Dyson V16 Piston Ani... | Shark PowerDetect | Dyson V15 Detect | Levoit LVAC-300 | Bissell PowerClean F... |
| Carpet Performance (30%) | |||||
| Hardwood Performance (25%) | |||||
| Pet Hair (20%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (10%) | |||||
| Filtration (10%) | |||||
| Battery (5%) | |||||
| Specifications | Dyson V16 Piston Ani... | Shark PowerDetect | Dyson V15 Detect | Levoit LVAC-300 | Bissell PowerClean F... |
| Max Mode Runtime | 16 min | 12 min | 9 min | 16 min | 13 min |
| Low Mode Runtime | 72 min | 47 min | 64 min | 57 min | 46 min |
| Storage | Wall mount | Docking station | Wall mount | Wall mount Standalone |
Wall mount Standalone |
| Handheld Weight | 3.5 lbs | 3.9 lbs | 4.5 lbs | 3.5 lbs | 3.5 lbs |
| Suction | 572 Pa | 373 Pa | 2239 Pa | 448 Pa | 448 Pa |
| Low Pile Cleaned | 88% | 94% | 94% | 91% | 92% |
| High Pile Cleaned | 33% | 54% | 49% | 49% | 49% |
| Hardwood Cleaned | 99% | 97% | 99% | 97% | 95% |
| Pet Hair Cleaned | 75% | 79% | 74% | 66% | 58% |
| Charge Time | 5.1 hrs | 4.7 hrs | 3.8 hrs | 4.5 hrs | 3.4 hrs |
| Dustbin Capacity | 1.3 L | 0.7 L | 0.8 L | 0.8 L | 0.4 L |
| Noise Level | 88 dBA | 79 dBA | 79 dBA | 77 dBA | 73 dBA |
| Trigger | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Variable Suction Control | Yes | Yes, automatic | Yes, automatic | Yes | Yes |
| Model Number | V16 Piston Animal Submarine | IP3251 | V15 Detect | LVAC-300 | 4052 |
Our Analysis and Test Results
Likes
The V16 Piston Animal is very good at cleaning hardwood. It picked up 99% of the debris scattered on our hardwood floors. It left no crumb behind, and cleaned tight along baseboards.
The Fluffy Optic head is one of our favorite designs, and we particularly like the laser. It helps ensure you get all the fine debris, actually illuminating it. We are thrilled that this isn't just a gimmick or marketing tactic.
Mopping is better than the previous V15 Submarine. It now has an extra-wet feature that is better for tough stains. Plus, this model has an on/off button rather than a trigger, which is a huge improvement.
The dustbin is a generous 1.3 liters. We appreciated the compression feature, which allowed us to grab more pet hair between dustbin dumps.
The anti-tangle brush roller is actually immune to tangles. After passing over massive dog fur clumps and long extension hair, the brush roller was never clogged (disclaimer: it clogged plenty with other debris, just not hair). It also disassembles easily to be cleaned.
Dislikes
Right away, it wants you to connect to an app, which is entirely unnecessary for a vacuum. Once running, there was a noticeable difference in the power between it and the V15. While still great at cleaning, we had to make more passes over debris compared to the former version, which would pick up debris on the first pass.
The most annoying part of this vacuum was how often it clogged, or at least seemed to. Occasionally, the vacuum would become overwhelmed with debris and shut off, claiming a clog. However, we had many times when the vacuum abruptly shut off due to a clog, but when we checked, there was no clog.
Releasing the dustbin and motorhead from the stick was a chore. We had everyone in our lab try, and the only way to release the dustbin was to stand on the brushroller head and yank the motor head. It's safe to say everyone in our lab hated this design, and you must do this every time you empty the dustbin or swap to handheld mode. Not actively weightlifting? You might want to pass on this one.
Should You Buy the Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine?
No, we do not recommend the Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine. If you are willing to spend this much on a vacuum, we think there are far better picks. Part of that is because the V16 is difficult to use. Another part is that the cleaning power has not improved. Save yourself a little money and go for one of the other Dyson models.
What Other Cordless Stick Vacuums Should You Consider?
The previous version, the Dyson V15s Submarine is a better buy, and it's cheaper. It handles carpet, and the mop isn't that much different from this updated version, though it can't handle deeper stains. The Dyson V15 Detect is another favorite, effectively cleaning the whole house and much easier to use. It is often on sale for half the cost of the V16.
—Becca Glades and Rachael Lamore
