Dyson V15 Detect review: is this premium vacuum cleaner worth it?

Price on writing: £570 | Buy now from Amazon

Our verdict

Crowned the best vacuum cleaner 2024 by Mumsnet users and MNHQ reviewers, the Dyson V15 Detect really is a cut above. It's very powerful, making light work of the carpets in my two-cat, two-dog (and two long-haired DC) home. What's more, it has a clever green light on its hard floor attachment, which shows up every single bit of dust, hair and fluff, before dutifully sucking them up.

Lighter and with a better battery life than previous Dyson cordless vacuum cleaners, the V15 Detect makes hoovering the whole house a quick and easy job. You need to keep your finger on the trigger the whole time, which can make holding it a bit heavy and awkward after a while.

Each component easily comes apart, so the V15 can be transformed into a handheld without any faff. I found this especially helpful when removing cat hair from my office chair - the swivelly head makes corners and awkward angles a breeze to navigate. It didn't perform quite so well in the car, however.

With a wall mount included, this sleek and compact vacuum cleaner can be stored easily without taking up too much room in your home, and grabbed for both quick clean ups and full house vacuuming sessions.

Dyson V15 Detect: what's in the box?

The Dyson V15 Detect comes with plenty of attachment options, all with a simple slide and click method to connect to either the vacuum unit or the stick. Inside you'll find:

• Vacuum unit

• Combination Tool

• Crevice Tool

• Wall Dok

• Digital Motorbar

• Fluffy Optic Cleaner

• Charger

What's the Dyson V15 Detect like to set up?

Set-up couldn't be easier. The vacuum cleaner came holding some charge, so I got straight to testing it out. The pieces click together with big, ergonomic red buttons and it's intuitive to build. Within minutes I was able to try it out on my most cat-hair covered rug.

When it runs out of battery, you can charge it just like a mobile phone - or, if you have a suitable spot near a plug socket, install the wall mount so it can hang happily while it charges. Due to its design, it doesn't stand up on its own, so I'd recommend installing the wall mount even if you can't place it next to a plug socket, for ease of storage.

The display at the end of the vacuum unit shows you battery level while it's charging, and the time you have left before it runs out of juice while you're vacuuming - very handy for big hoovering jobs. It also shows you which different nasties it's removing from your home - with live stats on dust mites, sugar and other allergens in a little bar graph.

What's the Dyson V15 Detect like to use day-to-day?

I find myself reaching for this vacuum cleaner often throughout the day. Previously, I've been used to a Henry Hoover and a Eufy robot vacuum cleaner, so the light and versatile nature of the V15 - with no need to struggle with a heavy cylinder vacuum cleaner or mess around with my Eufy X8 Pro's app - means it's much easier to clean up spills, crumbs and pet hair in a hurry.

When it comes to hoovering the whole house, the V15 is a game-changer. While I love my robot mop and vacuum cleaner for keeping on top of the downstairs floors, giving the whole house a once-over, not to mention the stairs, still needs doing. The V15 can fit under beds and other furniture, as well as up high for getting rid of pesky cobwebs. I have hard floors and rugs throughout my house, so the ability to use the Digital Motorbar with its flexible, swivelly ball on both types of floor makes it an easy job.

It took me a few goes to get the hang of emptying the dust bin, but once you've mastered it, it's quick, easy and the dust can go directly into your kitchen bin.

The only job I wasn't impressed with was vacuuming the car. The size and shape of the available attachments just aren't suited to the curves and cervices of a small car like mine, even in handheld mode.

How well does the Dyson V15 Detect perform on carpet?

When I first set up the Dyson V15, I was eager to test it out in my study, where my two cats hang out in the daytimes, shedding everywhere. Suffice it to say I was not disappointed. The Dyson cut through a lot of hair in one sweep across the rug - its powerful suction engine and cleverly designed anti-tangle head are truly a dream team.

While pet hair is the biggest bane of my hoovering life, the vacuum cleaner also performed well picking up crumbs, dust and even larger bits of debris like the chewed up stick my dogs deposited on the living room floor.

Read next: The best vacuum cleaners for pet hair, tried and tested

How well does the Dyson V15 clean hard floors?

I tested both the Digital Motorbar and the Fluffy Optic Cleaner (translated from Dyson-speak: the two attachments with the revolving stripy bars) on a variety of hard floors including parquet, tile and hardwood.

The Fluffy Optic Cleaner (pictured below), designed for hard floors specifically, gives a more flexible and cushioned clean, plus it has a spooky green light that shows up absolutely everything - all the dust and fluff you can't see under normal lights. I'd definitely opt for this attachment if I'm just vacuuming hard floors.

The Detangling Motorbar (pictured below) works brilliantly on all floor types, so I opt for this one when I want to vacuum a mix of hard floors and carpets quickly. It deals remarkably well with hair, detangling as it goes, and even adapts suction power when it senses a change of floor type.

Does the Dyson V15 Detect offer good value for money?

Now, here's the rub: the Dyson V15 Detect is a powerful, high-tech vacuum cleaner with a price tag to match. At £700, it's a real investment for most UK families. I've been really impressed by it and can see why it's priced so highly, and it's worth considering the time it saves on a whole-house clean when compared to a less powerful or less nimble model.

I turned to our Talk forums to get some more opinions on the price and performance of the V15 Detect Absolute, from Mumsnet users who've tried and tested the vacuum cleaner in their own homes:

"I have a Dyson V15 Absolute. It’s amazing and on a cost per use incredibly good value. I can vacuum my whole 4 bed house easily on one charge. It has never blocked up and the only maintenance it needs is a monthly rinse of the filter. Even with a constantly shedding dog and a busy house it keeps everything clean and as dust free as possible and because it’s so much easier to use I vacuum daily where with my corded Miele it meant dragging round a heavy cylinder that caught on everything. The fluffy head is great on hard floors and the brush one is good on carpet and rugs. I have had big powerful corded vacuums and a multitude of cordless Dysons but nothing that’s as good all round as the Dyson 15, it’s worth every penny." - Product recommended by NotLovingWFH

"I just got the Dyson V15 Detect. Stupidly expensive but it is brilliant. It has this laser light, which sounds like a gimmick but actually using it in a darkened room, you pick up so much more debris from the floor than you thought was there. My mum has the V10 which is a bit heavier and the battery isn't as good, but she just wanted it for the hard surface of the kitchen and utility room. Its good on carpets too, the V15 just seems more powerful, slightly lighter and has a better battery. V11 might be worth looking into, not as expensive as V15 but definitely more powerful than V10." - Product recommended by PiaPea

"I have a Dyson V15 and absolutely love it. It cuts up my long hairs so they don't tangle round the head, which is a real godsend. Good suction, easy to empty and change/wash the filter. Cost a lot, though, but for me, worth it!" - Product recommended by CrunchyCarrot

So there we have it: an excellent vacuum cleaner that'll make a real difference to your cleaning routine. If you have the budget to invest, it's unlikely you'll regret it.

How we tested

Mumsnet editor Poppy tested the Dyson V15 Detect over the course of a month in her three-bedroom home. She tested the vacuum cleaner against a host of everyday household challenges, including pet hair, spills, cobwebs, hard-to-reach areas, stairs and general vacuuming on hard floors, carpets and rugs. She took detailed notes on the vacuum cleaner's ease of use, performance, design and features.

About Mumsnet reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.

About the author

Poppy O'Neill is a Content Editor at Mumsnet and a mother of two. She's been researching and reviewing baby and child products for 2 years, with a particular focus on baby essentials, toys and books for toddlers and outdoor play equipment. From potties to paddling pools and bunk beds to bedtime stories, she loves to deep-dive into research and find the best products out there.

Poppy is also an award-winning, best-selling children's and parenting author of books such as Don't Worry, Be Happy, The Extraordinary Book That Makes You Feel Happy and Mother Power. She specialises in children's mental health and her books are used by therapists, teachers and SENCOs across the UK. She won a The Week Junior Book Award in 2023, her books have been translated into several languages and she's been featured in The Guardian, The Sunday Times and The Sun.

After earning a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Leeds and a PGCert in Fashion and Lifestyle Journalism from University of the Arts London, she worked in fashion for most of her 20s. When her children were young, she undertook an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Chichester and re-trained as an author and freelance writer.