Dyson V15 detect absolute
Buy now £599.99, Dyson.co.uk
Weight: 3.1kg
Dimensions: 125cm x 26cm x 25cm
Capacity: 76ml
Charge time: 4.5 hours
Run time: 60 minutes
Tools and accessories:10
Variable power: Auto, eco and boost
Attachments include: Laser slim fluffy head, anti-tangle head, hair screw brush, crevice tool, stubborn first brush, mini soft dusting brush, combination tool, wand clip, docking station and charger
FeaturesUsing a laser to show up where we need to actually vacuum has quite literally revolutionised the way we do this daily chore. Living with a cat means we vacuum often (likely every other day), but it’s clearly not often enough. When we first used the laser, which is on the little fluffy head attachment, we could not believe how much dust was on our floors. What was once invisible, is now hiding in plain sight and means we can really thoroughly clean our homes and be confident about it.
Designed with a class 1 laser – which is safe for humans and pets, but just don’t look directly at it – it’s made for hard floors, as carpets absorb the light more, although we still found it useful there too. For us, it worked best on our hard shiny bathroom floor – we were astounded at how dusty it was, and found ourselves cleaning more – but more accurately too. Although the laser didn’t work as well on the terracotta kitchen floor.
Aside from the addition of the laser, there’s also been some updates to the LCD display on the back of the handle. At first glance, it looks the same as that on the Dyson V11, but this is actually where things get really, (and we mean really) techy. This vacuum actually counts the dust particles it’s sucking up – measuring 15,000 times a second – and can collect particles as small as 10 microns. And not only that, it even shows you a chart of them by size too. Admittedly, the relevance of this has passed us by.
More usefully, it shows the run time you have left, which means you’ll never be caught short while in the middle of a big clean. On the display, you can also select which mode to vacuum in, choosing from auto, eco and boost. The first reacts according to how much dust there is to pick up, ramping up when there’s more. Use the second when you want to extend the battery life and the final one for quick jobs or particularly dirty patches. We found the run time on auto to be very impressive, and have cleaned our spacious two-bed flat numerous times without needing to charge it, which is a huge upgrade from our Dyson V7 that only lasts seven minutes on max mode.
This is also the first time that Dyson has produced a machine with anti-hair wrap on the bar brush of the main head. Often having a lot of hair on our carpets, we found it didn’t tangle around the brush.
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DesignEverything about this machine is ergonomic and nice to look at. The box, the packaging – each attachment neatly packed in like a puzzle. The colours ooze Dyson status too, from bronzy gold to purple, red and steel greys. When it comes to getting going, everything slots together easily: all you need to do is fully charge it before you go. It comes with a QR code to scan, where you’ll find a video on how to set your machine up, the user manual and useful videos on how to use the different attachments and functions.
We really like how small the headslim fluffy head is, which at 25cm wide is nifty and super easy to get into corners, glide alongside skirting boards and into some smaller nooks without having to change attachments. The laser can also be turned off with the little slider switch on the head, so it doesn’t need to be in use at all times. Although frankly, we’re not sure why you’d want to turn it off as it’s such great fun. It’s also very quiet to use too.
The main head, the high torque cleaning with anti-tangle, is larger (although not by a huge amount) and adjusts the suction depending on the floor type. According to Dyson, it has 24 per cent more suction than the V11 range, which of course is good when it comes to cleaning, but if you’ve got thin rugs like we do in the corridor even the auto setting is too strong for them, so we had to shake the rugs and vacuum the carpet instead.
UsabilityOne thing you notice when using the vacuum is its weight, or lack of. We love a light vacuum; it’s easy to transport from room to room, or upstairs when not using it, and easy to manoeuvre around the room when you are using it. It’s not cumbersome and people with weaker arm strength won’t struggle to use it on their own, although they may find it harder to lift the barrel themselves if they wished to change attachments. Coming in at just 3.1kg, this is nice and light and feels breezy to use. The LED display couldn’t be simpler with just one button to press.
After you have been for a spin and need to empty, the dustbin is easy to empty, with just a little slide on the side of the dustbin. It is a little springy, so do make sure it’s directly over your bin to avoid dust missing it.
Although not tested on a large house, we were pleased with the dustbin capacity. At 76ml, we were able to amply hoover our two bed flat and shared corridor, without having to empty it. In actual fact, it’s likely we could do this twice without having to empty it.