Dyson has elevated their best-selling vacuum with a surprising twist - I'm using it constantly

They say that cleanliness is next to godliness, but in the case of the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine, I the two have merged. The iconic Dyson V15 has been upgraded with a mopping function that works wonders. It's a cleaning dream come true.

Dyson has long been famous for making some of the best vacuums on the market and the V15s Detect Submarine is no exception. With a 60-minute run-time, accessories for all floor types, a clever mopping floorhead, and suction power that's almost unbeatable, it's a true treat to use.

I put it to the test against Shark's best vacuums and other Dyson models and it still came out sparkling. Here's everything you need to know

Dyson V15s Detect Submarine Specifications

Unboxing the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine

Dyson is exceptionally good when it comes to packaging and presentation. Not only does the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine come in a slim, lightweight box, but everything that's contained inside the box can be recycled too (although you'll want to hold on to the vacuum). From a sustainability standpoint, it gets full marks.

Inside the box, you'll get a vacuum unit, torque brush roller bar (for soft floors), fluffy optic cleaner (for hard floors), the wet vacuuming Submarine attachment, a crevice tool, a hair screw tool, an upholstery tool, a charger, and a wall dock. It's enough accessories to make you feel like you could clean anything with your Dyson without feeling like you're adding extra clutter that your home can't house. That's the perfect balance, in my opinion.

All the parts clip neatly together and they also detach really easily. So much so, I ended up storing these in a cupboard.

Who would the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine suit?

There’s no escaping that this is a luxury vacuum cleaner. It’s well-suited to people who take their cleaning seriously: you get the accessories that take the vacuum from a basic one-size-fits-all model through to a vacuum that adjusts to suit every floor type and every home.

If you know your Dyson vacuums, you’ll have seen that the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is more expensive but the cost justification is actually relatively easy. The V15 Submarine's motor packs more power than its predecessor. It can generate 230 air watts of suction power. In practice, that means it can pick up about 10g more fine particles than the average vacuum that I tested and it’s much better when it comes to lifting hair from carpets, especially high pile ones.

What is it like to use?

In true Dyson style, this is one of the most simple vacuums you'll ever use, even though it's one of the most powerful too. You click your floorhead into place on the wand and click that onto the main unit and you're ready to go.

On the top of the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine, your vacuum will show you how much longer you have left in the battery, and you can toggle between 'Boost', 'Auto', and 'Eco' mode. As you vacuum, you'll spot a techy-looking bar chart that gives you feedback on what you're vacuuming up at home. It breaks down the different particles: dust, sugar, and other allergens. It's disgusting, but also really satisfying.

Generally, it's light, mobile and nimble. We'll get into the details of all my vacuuming tasks, but it reached under beds and furniture and made it through a whole hour of tough vacuuming.

Test 1: flour and sugar

The first test that I put all vacuums through is cleaning up 100g flour and sugar from hardwood floors, carpets, and linoleum. It's a great way to emulate the dust and fine particles that you might find lying around your home and, as you might expect, the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine cleared it flawlessly.

I ran all the tests through twice, because for the first test, I kept the torque floorhead on across all surfaces. I'm a lazy cleaner, so I knew the most practical reflection of what I would do would be using one floorhead across the whole home. Visually, the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine did a great job: it picked up all the flour and sugar in one pass, so I didn't need much time or effort to get the floors sparkling.

In the next test, I used the fluffy optic cleaner head on the hard floor tests. Whilst I thought my first round was visually impressive, it was clear that this was doing some deep cleaning. It picked up more than the 100g of flour and sugar that I scattered on the floor, so either the last test had left behind some invisible mess or this was collecting extra dust from somewhere. Wither way, it's seriously impressive.

I've come to love the laser and fluffy optic cleaning head for how much it shows up the dust and particles. If we're really getting into confession time, I vacuum the hard floor in my vacuum in the dark so that I can really see the laser at work. You'll get the same results for vacuuming under sofas and kitchen islands too. It's impressive.

Test 2: cereal

The cereal test is a great one if you want to make sure that you're picking up bigger bits of dust and debris around the house. I scattered two handfuls of granola on the hard floor, carpet, and linoleum floors and it picked them up effortlessly. The auto suction levelled up to make sure that pieces didn't get scattered and spat across the room. The results? Every last oat was collected.

Test 3: hair

Lots of vacuums promise anti-hair-wrap technology, but Dyson's is one of few that is genuinely good. I have long hair, a dog, and I scattered a pack of hair extensions around the house. As I moved through each room, I kept checking the roller to see whether we were getting any tangles, but I worked through all five floors of the house without needing to stop. Granted, when I was cleaning up the hair extensions close together, I needed to wiggle a few out of the roller, but that's not unusual for a vacuum. Normally, I have to cut the strands free.

Cleaning and maintenance

The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine really looks after itself. If you're working on heavy tasks, you'll quickly fill up the 0.77-litre just bin. Mine normally needs emptying after cleaning two rooms, but that's not because of the dust bin size (it's actually bigger than the average vacuum) I see it as proof that this is doing a thorough job.

Emptying the Dyson is really easy. All you have to do is push a button, which unlocks the base. You'll end up with the dust emptying out the bottom in one, clean movement.

You'll get a notification on the top screen of the vacuum if the filter needs cleaning. You run it under the tap, leave it to dry, and then re-insert it. It's a lovely, low-maintenance vacuum.

How does it compare?

The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine vacuum is a high-end model, which means that it gets pitted against some of the best, most expensive models on the market. Having tested over 30 different models, I have to say that the V15s Detect Submarine is the best model that I've tested on vacuuming and mopping. Second in line would be the Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam, which is a corded model, but it's bulkier and a lot less convenient than the Dyson. If you wanted to save some money and you don't mind sacrificing some conveniences, this is perfect.

As a more general vacuum, the V15s Detect Submarine has some of the most powerful suction power that I've tested. It's nimble and light and does a good job all round the house. The only two vacuums that can hold a candle up to its performance are the Dyson V11 and the Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty Cordless vacuum.

The Dyson V11 is great as a vacuum that offers similar performance, with less frills and faff. If you don't mind losing the laser and the extra accessories, you could save nearly £500 with buying the V11.

Alternatively, the Shark PowerDetect is a money-saving alternative. It's £200 less than the Submarine and comes with lots of clever extra features. For example, the wand bends in the middle, making it even easier to reach under furniture and kitchen islands. The floorhead can automatically detect walls and different obstacles, adjusting suction power to make sure that all dirt is properly lifted from any cracks and crevices.

Should you buy it?

If you're looking to invest in one of the best vacuums on the market, this is for you. It's certainly a luxury option and it comes with lots of handy extras, but you'll pay the price for it too.

How we test