Dyson's latest V15 Detect Total Clean vacuum cleaner has a few new tricks. It is an improvement over the company's existing stick vacuum cleaner models, looking very similar to previous models but with some small - and big - differences introduced with this model.
This is not their largest vacuum cleaner as that distinction goes to the Dyson Outsize model but it is currently their most powerful model, with a 100% more suction when compared to the V8 model. For comparison, the Dyson Outsize and V11 models both have about 60% more suction power than the V8 model.
At 126 cm tall and only 3 kg (almost half kilo lighter than the Dyson Outsize), the Dyson V15 Detect Total Clean is just the right height and weight to make it an effortless job to clean around. I also noticed the trigger seems to be lighter to pull and hold than the previous model I used here.
Its 0.77-litre bin is large enough to do a good pass around a 100 sq m house - or a couple of passes around the dining and living areas - before having to empty it. Of course how frequently you have to empty it will also depend on how much dust, pet hair, biscuit crumbs and felting wool you have around the house (those are the most common things to clean around here). Emptying the bin is pretty easy and involves minimum contact with dust as you can just point the vacuum cleaner to a rubbish bin and push the red release lever to push the contents of the bin out and into the rubbish bin.
The quick-release battery can last up to 60 minutes depending on the type of floor and carpet you are cleaning and how dirty they are. This is because the Dyson V15 Detect Total Clean automatically change suction power depending on a variety of factors, with input from its smart High Torque cleaner head and from a built-in acoustic piezo sensor that counts and classify dust particles by size as they pass through the vacuum chamber. The High Torque cleaner head monitors the brush bar resistance up to 360 times per second so it can detect when you move from the hard floor to a carpet area, while the piezo sensor measures dust particles of micron (μm) size up to 15,000 per second.
This means the Dyson V15 Detect Total Clean will change suction power not only based on the type of floor but also on how dirty it is.
The Dyson V15 Detect Total Clean will also use that data to report the amount of dirty it cleans, by showing a bar chart on its new colour LED display. This cart shows the distribution between different allergen types based on particle sizes from larger than 10 μm (pollen), up to 60 μm (microscopic dust, skin flakes and mould spores), up to 180 μm (dust mites) and larger ones up to 500 μm (fleas, sugar, etc).
The LED display is also used to provide visual feedback while charging the battery and to help select between Eco, Auto and Boost cleaning modes when using the button below it.
A Hyperdymium motor spins up to 125,000 rpm to create the suction vacuum where dust, dirt and hair are initially separated from the airflow. The incoming air then goes through a stainless steel filter that will remove large particles before sending it through 14 "radial cyclones" that help create enough speed to separate any dust particles before sending the air through the filter, which can then collect the very small particles left behind - down to 0.3 μm.
This filter is washable and very easily removable by twisting the top of the device to unlock the receptacle where it is inserted.
This pretty much describes what goes inside the device itself. But there are still a few other new tricks.
Cleaning accessories have been redesigned. The already mention High Torque cleaner head has some new anti-tangling technology that prevents hair tangling around the bristles - and it does work. Gone are the days I had to spend time cleaning the old torque head model. Any long hair, threads that it finds just go straight into the collection bin.
They also have a new cone-shaped Hair Screw tool that is perfect for cleaning mattresses, pet beds and other areas where hair can accumulate.
The most interesting accessory though is the new Slim Fluffy cleaner head with Laser Dust Detection, designed for use on hard floors. Basically, Dyson engineers managed to add a Class 1 laser to the cleaning head and position it at an ideal height and angle to reveal particles you cannot usually see on the floor.
From my experience don't expect it to be something like a laser beam in sci-fi flicks. It actually illuminates a small area in front of the head just so you can see anything on the floor that you wouldn't be able without this help. It is not very effective if you are cleaning an area with direct sunlight for example but on dark hard floors with artificial lighting things just suddenly appear in front of you and it makes it just that much easier to look where to go next. Also, this fluffy cleaning head is washable.
This Slim Fluffy cleaning head also has new carbon fibre filaments that help to lift dust out of hard floors.
There are obviously other cleaning accessories but none really jump at you like those three new options.
Inside the box, you will also find a small battery charger (you will need a 4.5-hour charge to have it up to 100%) and a plastic holder that can be mounted to a wall so you can hang the Dyson V15 Detect Total Clean while not in use.
Another thing that really makes you appreciate their work is on the packaging. The vacuum cleaner, battery, charger and cleaning accessories all come in a single box that basically contains a dozen or so other smaller boxes inside. Everything just clicked in place, every little box held in place thanks to its folds. Basically like a puzzle and once you open it you can flatten everything quickly for recycling - and I don't think anyone can put those back together anyway.
So there you go. Is it a worthy upgrade? If you have a recent Dyson vacuum cleaner model such as the V11 or Outsize it may not be yet. But if you have the older models and need more cleaning power this will be a huge boost to cleaning around the house. It definitely leaves the floors, stairs other areas looking clean.
