Dyson V15 Submarine Detect Review

It's me with the brand new Dyson Submarine!

For a while now, Dyson has truly introduced a new innovation to its vacuum cleaner lineup: not just a longer battery life or a new button, but an entirely new functionality. A cordless vacuum cleaner with a mopping feature! I'm, of course, talking about the new Dyson Submarine. This new cordless vacuum cleaner with a mopping function comes in two versions: the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine and the Dyson V12s Detect Submarine. I've decided to purchase the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine with my own money and thoroughly test it.

In short what you should know:

• • The mop accessory is truly an innovative addition by Dyson
  • With the mop accessory, you can only mop; it cannot be used for vacuuming

• It is approximately $300 more expensive than the closely comparable Dyson V15

Watch the key findings in the video below and read all about the test results below it!

Design Dyson Submarine: Look & Feel

Upon seeing the initial images of the Dyson Submarine, it becomes immediately evident that this cordless vacuum cleaner aligns with other Dyson products in terms of design. It even closely resembles the Dyson V15 Detect (read my review here), which has been Dyson's flagship model so far. It's time to thoroughly examine this new variant and see what comes with it.

Accessories: unboxing Dyson Submarine

The Dyson Submarine comes in two versions: the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine and the Dyson V12s Detect Submarine. For my review, I opted for the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine. Below, you can see what comes with this version.

© Vacuumtester

1. Dyson V15s Detect Submarine
2. Submarine mopping attachment
3. Drip tray for mopping attachment
4. Vacuum rod
5. Wall mount (for hanging a Dyson)
6. Crevice tool
7. Extendable furniture tool
8. Tangle-free pet hair brush
9. Motorized floor brush
10. Fluffy Detect floor brush (with green laser)
11. Charger

Design and Build Quality

The vacuum cleaner looks like a true Dyson: it features the recognizable Dyson colors, is nicely finished, and has a transparent dust container. The vacuum cleaner also appears visually similar to its predecessor, except for the presence of the mopping accessory. The vacuum cleaner feels robust and sturdy, but like many other Dyson models, many components are made of plastic.

The recognizable design of Dyson cordless vacuum cleaners! © Vacuumtester

Suction Performance of the Dyson Submarine

An important question: how powerful is the suction of this Dyson Submarine, and how does it compare to its predecessors? To find out, I tested the cordless vacuum cleaner in my testing environment for suction power (measured in kilopascals) and AirFlow (measured in meters per second).

Suction Power and AirFlow Measurements

The Dyson Submarine has a suction power of 10 kPa. For a cordless stick vacuum cleaner, that's excellent suction power! Compared to the other Dyson models I've tested, it's a decent average. When we look at the airflow, it's also in line with other stick vacuum cleaners: 9.8 meters per second.

Although these numbers may not mean much to you, these indicators do allow me to compare the suction power of vacuum cleaners with each other and classify the best powerful vacuum cleaners.

Cleaning Performance of the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine

I extensively tested the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine on various types of flooring. Because while this cordless vacuum cleaner is renowned for its mopping feature, it also comes with many other Dyson attachments that make it interesting for different types of floors.

Floor Testing: Wooden Floor, Carpet, and Pet Hair

As we saw in the introduction, the Dyson Submarine comes with a motorized floor brush. This is particularly suitable for both high and low-pile carpets. Vacuuming is very easy and requires little to no effort with this type of floor brush. It effectively removes dirt, but I did notice that larger debris can be pushed forward by the rotating brush. 🙁

On to delicate wooden floors! For this purpose, I can use the provided fluffy Detect floor brush, also known as the brush with the green laser. The soft brush prevents scratches and streaks on wooden floors, and here as well, I encountered no issues while vacuuming. The vacuum cleaner glides smoothly back and forth, effortlessly picking up all the dirt. The green laser is particularly beneficial in dark areas and on dark floors. The dirt becomes highly visible, as clearly shown in the photo below.

© Vacuumtester

And now it's time to test the holy grail of this vacuum cleaner: the mopping accessory! Contrary to my expectations, it's not a vacuum/mop combination nozzle, but a 100% mop. In other words, you can't vacuum and mop simultaneously. The top of the mop nozzle is sealed, so the vacuum wand is also sealed off. Now, you might think that the Dyson would struggle since the airflow is blocked, but thanks to the sensors, the vacuum cleaner recognizes that the mop nozzle is installed.

© Vacuumtester

Mopping is easy, and stains are effectively scrubbed by the rotating brush at the front of the nozzle. It's not just a simple wet cloth, as was the case in my Philips SpeedPro Max Aqua review.

Do you have a dog or cat at home? Even then, the Dyson Submarine proves to be a great choice: it comes with multiple motorized brushes that can easily remove pet hair from textiles (such as carpets or cushions). You even get an additional tangle-free pet hair brush.

User-Friendliness of the Dyson Submarine

Now, no matter how well the Dyson Submarine can vacuum and mop, if it makes an incredible amount of noise, is super heavy, or constantly needs recharging, it's still a no-go. I've tested the Dyson Submarine on various factors that influence its user-friendliness.

Noise level: 76 dB

The Dyson Submarine is a cordless and bagless vacuum cleaner. From experience, I can tell you in advance that the noise level will be higher compared to a vacuum cleaner with a cord and a bag, like the AEG VX82-1-ÖKO (57 decibels); currently the best quiet vacuum. In my sound measurement, I'm not surprised to see a reading of 76 decibels. While it's not extremely quiet, it's a decent result for a cordless vacuum cleaner in this category.

When we look at the noise level with the mop accessory, it's only 66 decibels. However, this isn't entirely fair because there's no suction power involved. It's the suction power that often generates a lot of noise.

Weight: not the lightest cordless stick vacuum

A cordless vacuum cleaner is carried as a whole unit. The weight is much more important for this type of vacuum cleaner compared to those that you pull behind you. The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine weighs 3.8 kilograms: making the vacuum cleaner feel quite heavy. The Dyson V8, which I consider a lightweight cordless vacuum cleaner, is over a kilogram lighter (2.63 kilograms). And if I install the mop nozzle? Then the Dyson Submarine becomes even heavier at 4.5 kilograms.

Battery Life: approximately one hour of cordless vacuuming

The battery life of the Dyson Submarine is approximately 60 minutes, which is a good duration for vacuuming your home. If you find 60 minutes to be insufficient, you can choose to purchase an additional battery. The Submarine features a click-in battery design, allowing you to replace the Dyson battery without needing any tools.

Maintenance: Emptying and Cleaning

The vacuum cleaner has a dust capacity of 0.77 liters, which means you'll need to empty the Dyson after two to three vacuuming sessions. The emptying process is simple: you remove the vacuum wand and slide the red lever forward to empty the dustbin over the trash. The Dyson Submarine features a washable and replaceable HEPA filter. You can remove this filter from the top of the vacuum cleaner. Read more information about how and how often replacing a Dyson filter.

© Vacuumtester

The mop attachment requires a bit more maintenance. After use, it needs to be thoroughly rinsed, as well as the roller brush at the front of the mop attachment. Neglecting this step could lead to an unpleasant odor in the Dyson. Thankfully, this is a very simple task. And if you want to do some vacuuming in between, you can place the mop accessory in the provided drip tray. This prevents any stains on your floor.

Conclusion Dyson Submarine review

The Dyson Submarine, with its mop accessory, is finally a cool new addition from Dyson. The mop accessory works well for removing tough stains from your floor, and it effortlessly gets rid of stains. The vacuum cleaner performs well, is versatile in use, and very flexible. Thanks to the laser technology, it's much better at detecting dirt on the floor.

Looking at the test results, the vacuum cleaner is nearly identical to the Dyson V15 Detect. With a price difference of around $300, that can be a much more appealing choice if you don't frequently mop your floors. And if you do mop often, it's still a question of whether you're willing to pay that much for it.

My conclusion: opt for the Dyson V15 Detect. It's just as good as the Dyson Submarine but without the new mop accessory. If money is no object and you simply want the latest and greatest, then the Submarine is a fun gadget to give your floors a little extra pampering!