Dyson Gen5detect/Gen5detect Absolute Vacuum Review

The Dyson Gen5detect has decent build quality. It feels fractionally sturdier than other Dyson vacuums, like the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, with a body made of a slightly thicker grade of plastic with a matte finish. That isn't to say that it doesn't incorporate features from other Dyson vacuums. Like the V12 Detect, it features an on/off power button instead of a trigger, so you don't have to worry about holding a trigger down or fiddling with a trigger lock during longer cleaning sessions. Unfortunately, there are a few notable weak points, which is pretty disappointing for a vacuum at this high of a price point. The rubber gasket around its cyclone is incredibly fragile and peels very easily, as seen here. However, it's unclear as to whether or not this will have a long-term impact on overall performance. The wheels for its floorhead also feel somewhat fragile.

Thankfully, out-of-the-box assembly is very easy, thanks to the prevalence of easy-clip mechanisms. You'll also need to select the language for the LED interface at the back of the vacuum body on the initial setup.

The Dyson Gen5detect is pretty easy to maintain. Quite a few parts require regular maintenance, though they're very easy to access.

• Dirt compartment: The dirt compartment is connected to the main body of the vacuum. You can empty it by pressing the release button, but you need to remove its wand before doing so, which is inconvenient. You can also detach the dustbin by pressing the red release button on the spine of the main body. This lets you clean the lint screen, which you should wipe periodically with a damp cloth to clear any stuck-on debris.
• Fluffy brushroll: You can rotate the indentation on the left side of the Fluffy Optic vacuum head to release the fluffy brush roll from its housing. You should regularly clean it under cold water when needed, but remove the bearings inside first. Regardless, it's very easy to clear away any stuck-on dirt or tangled hair. You can wipe down the LED light's lens with a clean, soft, lint-free cloth periodically, too.
• Motorized head brushroll: You can access the brushroll by using a coin to remove the side cover on the side of the motorized vacuum head and then sliding the part out. While this floorhead has built-in teeth to trap hair, some can still get stuck inside. Still, once you remove the brushroll, it isn't all that hard to clean.
• Hair Screw tool brushroll: You can access this part by pulling a release latch on the back of the turbo brush and clearing it of stuck-on debris when needed.
• HEPA Filter: The filter is placed near the top of the vacuum and can be removed by twisting it counterclockwise to release it from its housing. You should wash it under cold water at least once a month or whenever the maintenance light indicates it needs cleaning. Be aware that the vacuum doesn't turn on if the HEPA filter isn't mounted in place.

Any parts that you wash under cold water should be left to dry for at least 24 hours before being re-installed.

This vacuum incurs virtually no recurring costs. As long as you regularly clean its HEPA filter, it won't need replacing.

Unfortunately, if your vacuum filter is lost or damaged, no replacement is currently available; that said, this isn't unusual for a new vacuum, and we'll update this review once this part is in stock. On the upside, you can purchase a replacement battery from Dyson's website, seen here.

This vacuum is reasonably easy to store. It has similar dimensions to the Dyson V15 Detect and comes with a wall-mount docking station that can hold two of the included accessories.

Since the docking station has the vacuum sitting higher off the ground, it has a height of 50" (127cm).

This vacuum's dirt compartment is alright. It's the same size as that of the Dyson V15 Detect, which means it's a little on the small side. While the full canister can hold the advertised capacity of 0.77L, you aren't supposed to fill it past the Max fill line, which means its effective capacity is only 0.45L. Thankfully, since it's made of clear plastic, you can check roughly how full it is at all times. If you're looking for a similar vacuum with a larger dirt compartment, check out the Dyson Gen5outsize/Gen5outsize Absolute.

• Dyson Gen5detect vacuum
• Vacuum body/dirt compartment
• HEPA filter
• Fluffy Optic vacuum head
• Digital Motorbar vacuum head
• Wand
• 1x Battery
• User Guide
• Tools and brushes
  • Integrated crevice tool/soft-bristle brush
  • Upholstery brush/Hard bristle brush combination tool
  • Conical turbo brush
• Wall Dok
  • Docking station
  • Docking station backplate
  • Installation manual with mounting screws
  • Charging cable

Since it's a cordless vacuum, its range is limited only by the remaining battery life and room left in its dirt compartment.

At just over 7.5 lbs, this vacuum is about a pound heavier than the Dyson V15 Detect, likely due to slight differences in construction and the addition of the integrated crevice tool/dusting brush. It's still far from the heaviest vacuum on the market, but the added weight can make it somewhat cumbersome to use handheld.

Battery performance is adequate. It performs similarly to the Dyson V15 Detect, with a max runtime of more than 70 minutes in its 'Eco' power mode with no attachments, which is quite lengthy for a cordless model. Do note that this runtime drops to under 10 minutes if you run it continuously in its high-power 'Boost' mode with the motorized head, so you need to work fast when dealing with stubborn messes. That said, it's worth noting that battery life can vary drastically in its self-adjusting 'Auto' mode depending on the surface you're cleaning as well as debris type. The LED display on top of the vacuum gives you a rough estimate of the remaining battery life. Unfortunately, this vacuum takes quite a long time to charge, at a little under four hours.

The Dyson Gen5detect has quite a few quality-of-life features. Its Fluffy Optic vacuum head has an integrated LED light to help you see finer debris. You can also choose between three different power modes: the energy-efficient 'Eco' mode, the high-suction 'Boost' mode, and 'Auto' mode, which automatically adjusts the suction power depending on the surface you're cleaning as well as the amount of debris being sucked up. There's a suction gate on its motorized head to help you further tweak its suction force on different surfaces. Like its predecessor, it also has an LED display that gives you a rough estimate of particle quantities being sucked into the dustbin. Instead of a regular trigger, this vacuum features an on/off button, just like the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, so you don't have to hold down on a trigger throughout longer cleaning sessions.

It's worth noting that older versions of the vacuum had a floorhead with a Laser light, not an LED. This Laser Fluffy Optic head would get noticeably brighter than the Laser Slim Fluffy head that used to be bundled with the Dyson V15 Detect. You can see how the two lights compare here and here.

The Dyson Gen5detect comes with a broad selection of tools and accessories. It has unique tools, like its Fluffy Optic head, which helps you see small particles on bare floors. There's also its conical turbo brush, which can clean pet hair from fabric-lined surfaces, as well as a combination tool that features an upholstery tool and a sliding hard bristle brush. This vacuum also features a crevice tool/soft-bristle brush that fits within its wand, and you can access it after detaching the latter, as seen here. That tool features a plastic bracket that surrounds the bristles to prevent them from bending too far backward, seen here.

You can reconfigure the Dyson Gen5detect into a handheld vacuum by removing its wand. Unlike many previous Dyson models, the Gen5detect has a crevice tool/soft-bristle brush that slots into the main wand, making it much easier to quickly switch into handheld mode.

This vacuum's performance on hard floors is excellent when used with its Fluffy Optic cleaner head. In this respect, it's even better than the similarly-designed Dyson V15 Detect, with no evidence of finer material like sand being trapped at the back of its floorhead. It easily clears away large debris like cereal pieces as well as the majority of medium-sized and fine material like rice or sand within a single back-and-forth pass, though you'll probably need to give the area a quick once-over to make sure nothing is stuck along walls or in corners.

This vacuum performs quite well on high-pile carpet when used with its Digital Motorbar floorhead. It clears away most large and medium-sized debris like cereal and rice within a single pass, though a small amount might be left behind along walls and in corners. That said, you'll probably need to make a second pass to deal with finer debris like sand that's been worked into carpet fibers.

This vacuum's debris pickup performance on low-pile carpet is decent when fitted with the Digital Motorbar floorhead. It does a good job of clearing away finer material like sand that's been worked into carpet fibers, but it tends to push a small amount of medium and large debris like cereal or rice into walls.

This vacuum does a good job of handling pet hair on low-pile carpet. It'll clear away all but the most heavily embedded strands of hair within a single back-and-forth pass.

This vacuum delivers very good suction force. While Dyson advertises a higher max suction power of 262 AW, in practice, it isn't a huge increase over the older Dyson V15 Detect. Still, regarding raw suction power, it's among the most powerful cordless models we've tested, and it doesn't have too much trouble dealing with debris on carpets or in deep crevices.

This vacuum's airflow performance is great. It's one of the most powerful cordless models we've tested, and it won't have any trouble lifting away large amounts of heavier debris.

This vacuum isn't too loud. When used with its soft roller floorhead on bare floors, it won't cause much of a disturbance. However, it's a little bit louder when used with its multi-surface brushroll, especially on carpets, where it automatically ramps up its suction power to the highest level when used in its 'Auto' mode.

Maneuverability is good. Like many other vacuums from this manufacturer, the Dyson Gen5detect's floorhead pivots smoothly and has a wide range of motion, so it isn't too hard to maneuver around obstacles. You'll feel the added weight over other Dyson vacuums when lifting it over obstructions like electrical cords. However, the handle does have a rubberized grip to provide a bit of extra comfort. Removing and attaching different tools and accessories is a simple process, though unfortunately, there's no on-board tool storage rack, so you'll need to carry around its tools separately when moving the vacuum from room to room. Unfortunately, it can be hard to clean high-pile rugs due to the high suction power, which makes it hard to push around and can drag smaller carpets around if you don't stand on them to keep them in place.

This vacuum does an excellent job of dealing with pet hair on upholstered furniture when used with its Hair Screw Tool in its 'Auto' power mode. It tends to collect hair and turn it into densely packed ball-shaped tangles, making it easier to pick up, and it has no trouble dealing with shorter strands. The vacuum's somewhat heavy weight and strong suction force mean you'll need both hands for comfortable handheld operation.

The Dyson Gen5Detect has good air filtration performance. The manufacturer advertises its HEPA filtration system as being able to seal in particles measuring as small as 0.1 microns.

With its soft roller head, this vacuum does a great job of clearing debris in crevices on hard floors. Its powerful motor and low-sitting floorhead allow it to remove debris in shallow and deep cracks. That said, if your floors are slightly uneven, you might have to use the edge for the floorhead to achieve a tight seal with the ground and clear away debris in cracks.

This vacuum isn't meant to clear away stains on hard floors with either of its included floorheads. Dyson doesn't currently offer a variant of this vacuum with a mopping floorhead, unlike the Dyson V15 Detect, with the recently introduced V15s Detect Submarine model.

This vacuum isn't designed to clear away liquid spills.