Dyson V15s Detect Submarine Wet & Dry Vacuum Review
Dyson has just released a new stick vacuum with a never-before-seen feature – and it will honestly leave your home “cleaner than ever”.
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I learned two things after using Dyson’s latest toy, the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine Complete. Firstly, the house is dustier and more hair ridden than you think (even if it’s vacuumed daily). Shaving my dog and my own head might be the only way to get a clean home.Secondly, if you’re going to splash out on any Dyson, make it Dyson’s first vacuum that comes with a mop. The Dyson Submarine wet roller head makes mopping smooth as butter and honestly, the house will never feel dust and debris free until it has been confirmed by the Fluffy Optic cleaner head. It’s a game-changer.
Several months ago a fake Dyson mop attachment went viral on TikTok and left dozens of Dyson stick vacs useless, and many owners wishing for something official.
Fast forward to today and the appliance juggernaut has finally made its first foray into the wet and dry market with the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine, an all-in-one cordless vacuum designed to suck up dust and dirt as well as tackle stubborn stains and liquid spills.
As someone who reviews and researches appliances for a living, I know that more shoppers are steering towards multifunctional gadgets. And with Dyson being a global leader when it comes to vacuums, I was definitely excited to see whether it could pull off the notoriously tricky wet-dry combo.
Read about my first impressions on the new Dyson V15s Detect Submarine Complete* below.
HOW WE TESTED THIS PRODUCT
At Best Of, it’s our mission to help you make informed shopping decisions. To ensure you buy the right product for you, we rigorously test products so you don’t have to. As well as sorting through mountains of consumer reviews, product manuals and conducting thorough product research, our team of expert writers puts each product we review through a series of hands-on tests to ensure we give you honest feedback about its performance and whether it’s worth your hard-earned money.
In this article
- Features
- Dyson Submarine wet roller head
- Dyson Fluffy Optic cleaner head
- Suction power
- Runtime
- What’s new?
- Is the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine Complete worth buying?
FEATURES
The new wet-dry vacuum is available in two versions, the widely available Dyson V15s Detect Submarine and the Dyson exclusive Dyson V15s Detect Submarine Complete, which you can purchase through the brand’s website. Aside from cost, the main difference is that the regular model doesn’t include the gold HEPA edition Fluffy Optic cleaner head, along with a few other accessories like the Floor Dok Multi charging and storage dock. It also has the regular crevice tool rather than the built-in alternative.
Here’s a rundown of the tech specs and main features to expect from the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine Complete.
• Runtime: up to 60 minutes.
• Charging time: 4.5 hours.
• Bin capacity: 0.77L
• Designed to wash tiles, laminate, linoleum, wood, ceramic, vinyl and stone floors.
• Three modes: Auto, Eco and Boost.
• No-touch bin emptying system.
• Single power control.
• Has a multistage and fully-sealed filtration system that traps microscopic dust and releases clean air.
• LCD screen shows the number of particles removed as you clean, as well as remaining runtime. You can also switch modes from here.
• Anti-tangle conical brush bar removes hair and moves it into the bin to prevent clogging.
• Accessories include: Digital Motorbar cleaner head, Fluffy Optic cleaner head, Submarine wet roller head, Combination tool, Hair screw tool, Built-in crevice tool, Floor Dok Multi, drip tray and charger.
PROS:
+ Works well on carpet and rugs, as well as tiles and hardwood floors.
+ Wet roller doesn’t leave floors super slippery and soaking wet.
+ Suction power automatically increases when dealing with stubborn debris.
+ Fluffy Optic cleaner head illuminates hard to see dust, dirt and dander really well.
+ Floor Dok Multi lets you recharge the stick vacuum and store accessories.
+ Has a click-in design that lets you remove and replace the battery to get more runtime (additional battery is optional).
CONS:
– Expensive.
– Trigger button can cause sore hands if you’re vacuuming for a long period.
– Can use the wet roller head for up to 16 minutes before it needs to be refilled, which might be inconvenient if you want to cover a large house.
DYSON SUBMARINE WET ROLLER HEAD
The new wet roller head offers a powerful motorised microfibre alternative to the old fashioned sloppy mop that’s always somehow drenched or soaked in cleaning solution no matter how hard you wring it. I love how the Dyson Submarine wet roller head takes a leaf out of the premium robot vacuum and mop combos, and contains a 300ml clean water tank and a separate 360ml water tank to prevent dirt and debris from transferring back onto the floor as well as keep the roller fresh throughout the clean. If my time with the Ecovacs T20 Omni taught me anything, manually mopping doesn’t always leave floors grime free. So, it was great to have the cleaner head extract the contaminated water and empty it into the dedicated waste water tray.
Running the wet-dry Dyson vacuum over a day old coffee spill and grounded coffee puck was just as quick and easy as mopping up milk and water. Emptying and washing the cleaner head was just as simple, while the tray provided a convenient spot to place the wet roller.
It didn’t make the stick vacuum hard to carry either, despite being a fair bit larger than the regular Digital Motorbar cleaner head and Fluffy Optic cleaner head.
DYSON FLUFFY OPTIC CLEANER HEAD
The Fluffy Optic cleaner head has sent many shoppers and social media users in a frenzy, and it’s not hard to see why. It lit up every sliver of dust, hair and dent in all its glory. I never knew I had so many dents and markings on my walls, hardwood floors and tiles, let alone the horrifying level of dust and hair that consumed the home. The amount of dust and pet dander under the beds felt criminal. But it seems I’m not alone afterDyson’s latest Global Dust Study Report labelled it one of the “filthiest spots”. (If you’re curious, under the mattress was the most neglected area.)
Similar to the Digital Motorbar cleaner head, I also liked how the cleaner head easily swivelled, so you didn’t need to constantly lift or distort the stick vac when working in corners and low awkward space such as under the sofa, bed frame and in between furniture. Plus, I was could easily navigate both cleaner heads under low drawers and tight spaces.
SUCTION POWER
After trying out a variety of vacuum cleaners, I’ve learned that some models can actually be too powerful. The downside to strong suction power, in some cases, is that it can end up inhaling the rug or a carpet instead of cleaning them. This can potentially damage the threads and make it virtually impossible to push the vacuum, and sometimes the appliance becomes all noise and useless in picking anything up.
That’s why I fell in love with the auto mode, which worked brilliantly on hard floors, tiles and low-pile area rugs. It didn’t even attempt to swallow my thick rug whole straight from the bat, which was a nice change from every other stick vac, robot vac and barrel vacuum cleaner I’ve used.
Another feature that stood out was the auto setting, which allowed the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine to automatically adjust the suction power depending on the level of debris. This made the stick vac even easier to use and fuss free.
RUNTIME
The 60-minute runtime is good, but nothing special compared to other Dyson vacuums and other cordless vacs out there. If you have a large house, it might not be enough to do a deep clean and both vacuum and mop in one go.
The Dyson Gen5 family, including the similarly priced Dyson Gen5 Absolute offers the longest runtime at 70 minutes. Keep in mind that runtime refers to the maximum amount of time you can clean on a single battery, on the lowest setting.
Unlike most cordless vacuums, this model has a handy click-in design that lets you swap batteries so there’s no need to wait for the unit to recharge. But considering how much the stick vac already costs, purchasing an extra battery isn’t exactly on top of my priority list.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE WITH OTHER DYSON CORDLESS STICK VACUUMS?
The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine Complete features updated software and a new wet roller head, which cannot be purchased separately. It uses the same Digital Motorbar cleaner head offered on the Gen5detect, although a different width, and includes the LED Fluffy Optic cleaner head instead of the Laser Slim Fluffy cleaner head contained in units like the Dyson V12 Detect Slim.
For runtime, this stick vacuum offers up to 60 minutes of cleaning time. This is pretty standard for most cordless stick vacuums. The model also has a generous 0.77L bin capacity similar to the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine and Dyson V15 Detect as well as older models including the Dyson V11 and Dyson Cyclone V10.
If you’re after a lightweight option, this Dyson stick vac doesn’t feel too heavy despite being one of the heaviest from the brand, weighing 3.8kg. While it’s certainly not the heftiest on the market (this award probably goes to the 5.2kg Bissell Crosswave Max Turbo), there are lighter alternatives such as the 1.6kg LG CordZero Handstick and Power Mop that are easier to carry.
One downside to this flashy Dyson stick vacuum is that it still uses the same trigger button. While it feels softer and easier to hold down compared to, let’s say, my old V7, it can still be really tiring on the hands. This can be inconvenient for anyone who needs to vacuum the whole house in one go (or longer than a few minutes), as well as the elderly or someone with weaker fingers or hands. The brand previously switched the trigger for a power button in models including the Dyson Omni-glide and Dyson V12 Detect Slim range, so maybe we’ll see a trigger-free option in the future.
The other major con is the brand’s usual hefty price tag. The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine Complete retails for $1649 and is exclusively sold through Dyson. The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is more widely available and sits at $1549, but lacks the Fluffy Optic cleaner head and a few other tools and accessories.
Although if you don’t mind forking out the extra $100, the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine Complete is worth investing in and honestly feels more ‘premium’ due to the Fluffy Optic cleaner head. This additional tool is really easy to manoeuvre and helps you see any dust and debris equally clear at daytime and in low light.
IS THE DYSON V15S DETECT SUBMARINE COMPLETE WORTH BUYING?
For the record, I own a Dyson V7 which is definitely considered one of the brand’s more vintage pieces. It may look a little beaten up, but it still works great and gets the job. After all, “if it ain’t broke, why buy a new model that costs more than twice as much?” But after trialling the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine Complete for the past couple of weeks, I’m definitely keen to save some money aside and purchase one for myself.
Having just finished testing the Ecovacs DEEBOT T20 Omni robot vacuum and mop, my floors were in deep need of a proper clean. They became too good for the traditional bucket and mop, and demanded something with a motor to get them shining again. This new Dyson cordless vacuum washes floors really well and doesn’t leave any wet marks or an overly slippery finish. The different settings (Auto, Eco and Boost) are easy to switch between and both the Digital Motorbar cleaner head and Fluffy Optic cleaner head have no trouble with a hairy home. I can give the floors and my dog’s bed a quick vacuum without having the brush heads getting tangled and eventually slowing me down. Overall, I’m a fan.
BUDGET WET AND DRY VACUUM CLEANERS
Want something a little more affordable? Here are a few options to check out.
Tineco Floor One S5 Steam Smart Wet-Dry Vacuum Cleaner, $699, Amazon Australia
This Tineco corded stick vacuum boasts the brand’s iLoop Smart Sensor Technology, which automatically adjusts suction power, brush speed and water flow for an efficient clean. It also packs a dual tank system to separate clean and dirty water, and uses high temperatures to clean and sanitise the brush head after each session.
Numatic George All in One Wet & Dry Vacuum Cleaner and Carpet Extraction, $799, Godfreys
Numatic’s George is a deceptively cute vacuum that packs serious versatility. It features a 15L dry capacity, 9L capacity and 6L extraction capacity to help you tackle spills and clean carpets. The blue unit can even help you with car detailing, thanks to the different accessories.
Pullman CB15 Wet & Dry Commercial Vacuum Cleaner, $269, Godfreys
Want something heavy duty? Exclusively available from Godfreys, the Pullman CB15 Wet & Dry Commercial Vacuum Cleaner is made to handle stubborn commercial cleaning tasks and includes a 15L capacity so you can clean large spaces for extended periods without disruption. It also contains a 1000W Ametek bypass motor, 10m cable and stainless steel build.
*Product has been loaned to us by Dyson for a 100 per cent independent, honest review as per our editorial policy.
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