Class-leading suction and the green laser that shames your old vacuum, for hundreds less than the flagship that barely beats it.

Dyson V15 Detect

Dyson

Still the cordless to beat: class-leading suction, genuinely useful laser dust detection, and sealed HEPA, for $550 less than the V16 that only edges it. It is heavy and its filtration is a step coarser than the flagship's, but for pets and allergies it earns the price.

For two years the V15 Detect has been the cordless other vacuums get measured against, and the arrival of the pricier V16 has not really changed that. A 125,000 RPM Hyperdymium motor delivers a rated 240 air watts, with reviewers measuring peak Boost figures near 280, and RTINGS still calls it the best stick vacuum they have tested. On thick rugs and heavy debris, that headroom is the difference you feel. Two features do real work. The Fluffy Optic head throws a green laser across hard floors that reveals fine dust you would otherwise walk past, which sounds like a gimmick until you see what your old vacuum left behind. And the whole machine is sealed with a HEPA filter rated to trap 99.97% of particles to 0.3 microns, so the dust it lifts stays captured. That last figure is a step coarser than the V16's 0.1-micron claim, worth knowing if severe allergies are your reason for buying. Hair is handled well: the conical Hair Screw tool and the anti-tangle Motorbar head clear long and pet hair without the wrap-and-cut ritual, and the LCD counts and sizes particles as you go. The click-in battery pops out for a swap, the bin holds a generous 0.77 litres, and Auto mode reads the floor and adjusts power, which stretches the runtime you actually get. The costs are real: at about 3.1 kg it is one of the heavier cordless vacuums, extended overhead work is noticeable, and it charges on a wall dock rather than emptying itself. But here is the buying logic that matters. It cleans within a hair of the $1,299 V16 for roughly $550 less, which makes it the more sensible premium pick, not the runner-up. If you have pets or allergies and want the near-best without flagship money, this is it.

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Last reviewed Jul 8, 2026

What we like

• ✓Class-leading suction that still tops independent stick-vacuum rankings
• ✓Green laser on the Fluffy Optic head reveals fine hard-floor dust you would otherwise miss
• ✓Sealed whole-machine HEPA keeps captured dust and allergens from leaking back out
• ✓Conical Hair Screw tool and anti-tangle Motorbar clear long and pet hair without the wrap-and-cut ritual
• ✓Click-in swappable battery and a generous 0.77 L bin
• ✓Cleans within a hair of the $1,299 V16 for roughly $550 less

Trade-offs

• −Heavy at about 3.1 kg, so extended overhead cleaning is noticeable
• −Filtration is rated to 0.3 micron, a step coarser than the flagship's 0.1-micron claim
• −Charges on a wall dock; there is no self-emptying base
• −Boost mode runtime drops to roughly 8 to 25 minutes
• −Still a premium price for buyers who do not need the laser or the suction headroom