Dyson Gen5detect review: a heavy-duty vacuum in more ways than one

Dyson Gen5detect: two-minute review

The Dyson Gen5detect is a powerful cordless vacuum that boasts some impressive specs and advanced features. It launched in Australia in October 2022 but didn't reach US and UK markets until May 2023, and at time of updating this review it's the best Dyson vacuum you can buy in terms of specs.

This is the first Dyson stick vacuum to use a different naming system – its predecessors are V-somethings. Despite the new name, the Gen5detect bears a strong resemblance to the most recent Dyson stick vacuums, and especially its direct predecessor, the Dyson V15 Detect (see exactly how the two compare in our Dyson V15 vs Gen5detect face-off). Just like that model, it can sense how dirty your floor is and automatically adjust suction in response, as well as providing you with real-time updates on what it's sucking up, via the LCD screen.

The reason for the new name is a new, more powerful motor, delivering more suction (262AW, compared to 230AW on the V15), and doing so more quietly. On test I found the Gen5detect delivered outstanding suction and reliable cleaning on both hard floors and carpet, and it can tackle deep cleans alongside daily, light cleaning. It picks up hair reliably and the detangling features are effective too (in fact, it appears in TechRadar's best vacuums for pet hair guide). I was especially impressed with the dirt-illuminating laser on the Fluffy floorhead designed for hard floors (this appeared on the V15, but here it's brighter and more useful, because you can see it in daylight).

The Gen5detect switches on with an on-off button rather than a trigger, a feature that's especially welcome if you're going to be vacuuming for long periods. That's helpful here, because the battery life is outstanding – Dyson promises up to 70 minutes on one charge, and managed slightly longer on some of my tests. 

So what's holding it back from being included in TechRadar's best cordless vacuum guide? First, the weight. It might be the bigger battery that's to blame, but the Gen5detect really feels heavy for a cordless stick vacuum, and it's quite the workout to use it in handheld mode. That's a shame, because a new integrated crevice tool hidden in the wand makes converting it to handheld easier than ever.

Another is the price. It's very much a premium vacuum, and while I appreciate the innovation, I'm not sure it's going to be worth the investment for most people. In practical terms I couldn't see a significant difference in performance compared to the V15 or the flagship vacuums from other brands, like the Samsung Bespoke Jet, both of which are cheaper and lighter. That's the short version – read on for my full Dyson Gen5detect review.

Dyson Gen5detect review: price & versions

• Launched: October 2022 (Australia) / May 2023 (US and UK)
• List price: from $949.99 / £769.99 / AU$1,549
• Various iterations available, depending on territory

The Gen5detect arrived in Australia first, back in October 2022. It wasn't until May 2023 that it launched in the US and UK. As with all the Dyson vacuums, there are a few different iterations, generally with the same base model but different sets of accessories. Options vary by country and retailer. All of this makes nailing down the price a little tricky, but let's have a go anyway. The following is based on what's currently available direct from Dyson at time of updating this review.

In the US, there's the standard Gen5detect for $949.99, or the Gen5detect Absolute for the same price. (Usually, the 'Absolute' suffix means there's two different floorheads included rather than just the one, but both of these models come with two floorheads – the only difference here appears to be the colorway.) 

There's also the Gen5outsize and Gen5outsize Absolute. Again, both come with two floorheads, and the only difference is the colorway. As an Outsize vacuum, it's not quite the same base model – this one has a wider floorhead, more Cyclones and a larger dust cup (0.5 gallons vs 0.2 gallons). Both have a list price of $1,049.99, but at time of writing the Absolute is discounted to $849.99.

In the UK, it's just the regular Gen5detect, with a list price of £769.99, in a couple of different colorways.

In Australia, there's the Gen5detect Absolute for AU$1,549 (down to AU$978 at time of update), a Gen5detect Complete (with a load of tools) for AU$1,599, a Gen5outsize Absolute (with a wider floorhead, bigger dust cup and more suction power) for AU$1,649, or a Gen5outsize Complete (same larger size, but extra tools) for AU$1,699 reduced to $1,249.

There's plenty of variants there, but regardless of which one you go for, they all fall into TechRadar's premium price bracket, and more expensive than most of the best vacuum cleaners on the market right now. The Gen4detect is the newest and priciest Dyson vacuum in the current lineup (sometimes the 360 VisNav robovac and V15s Detect Submarine wet-dry vac come close, but those are offering something different). The reason to buy this vacuum is because you want the most tech-packed, meticulously engineered, capable vacuum and are happy to shell out for it – it's never going to be a value option. 

It's not all about Dyson, either. While it is still perhaps the brand doing the most innovation, today's best Shark vacuums are increasingly giving Dyson a run for its money, and at a lower price point, too. It's worth keeping an eye out for a Dyson deal around major shopping events like the Black Friday sales if you're hoping to score a bargain.

• Value score: 3 out of 5

Dyson Gen5detect specs

Dyson Gen5detect review: design & features

• Looks similar to V-series predecessors, but upgraded motor
• LCD screen provides live updates on pickup, as well as battery info
• Noticeably heavy for a stick vacuum

For the most part, the Dyson Gen5detect looks like any of the newer Dyson stick vacs, with your cyclone array, and sleek but colorful design. Like all the models from the Dyson V10 onwards, the various elements (motor/cyclones, dust cup, wand) are all in a straight line, to maximize suction efficiency. 

Dyson claims the Gen5detect can capture particles as small as 0.1 microns (compared to the claimed 0.3 microns with the V15 Detect), which is virus territory. Don't get too excited about thinking it might help with the fight against illnesses – it's not a disinfectant – but it's still good news for allergy sufferers. The HEPA filter is washable.

The motor has been honed from the V15, to be more 'power-dense', and faster, spinning at 135 rotations per minute. It promises more suction power, too. The battery pack is replaceable, as before, but bigger than the one found with previous cordless models.

All information is conveyed via an LCD screen. Here, you'll find a visual representation of how much the vacuum cleaner is sucking up in each particle size category. I'm not convinced this bar graph is genuinely useful – there's not much to gain from knowing the size of the particles being removed from your floor. Far more helpful are the updates on battery life and notifications that it's time to clean the HEPA filter.

Rather than being trigger-operated, as most of the V-series models are, the Gen5Detect switches on and off with a single press of a button that sits above the screen. 

All versions come with two floorheads: your regular Digital Motorbar cleaner head, and a Fluffy Optic cleaner head. The former is for carpet but can also be used on hard floors, and has 56 detangling vanes that prevent hair from clogging up the floorhead. The latter is specifically for hard floors, and shoots out a beam of light to illuminate dirt and dust in dingy areas. The fluffy bit is also washable. This light-up cleaner head feature was also included with the V15 and V12 models.

Beyond that, you'll get a range of useful compatible accessories. The exact selection that comes bundled in will depend on which iteration you go for, so be sure to check the list before you buy.

One significant update to the tools is that there's now a crevice/dusting tool hidden within the wand of the vacuum, revealed by pressing a button. This is really handy as it converts the stick vacuum to a handheld unit in seconds, without you needing to switch attachments – although, of course, you can also add any of the other attachments for use in handheld mode. Since it’s housed within the tube, the new crevice tool is slimmer, but many iterations of this vacuum also come with the original combination tool in the box, so you can use that if you prefer. 

The built-in crevice tool and the bigger battery pack both add weight, and mean the Gen5detect is extremely top heavy. I had a similar complaint with the V15 Detect and, although the difference between the two is just 400g (3.1kg versus 3.5kg for the newer model), I could really feel it in my arms when testing out this machine. While the motorized floorheads go some way to offsetting the issue when used as a stick vac, in handheld mode it's unwieldy. And for that, the Gen5detect loses some marks.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Gen5detect review: performance

• Excellent suction everything from deep-pile carpet to hard floors
• Bright laser illumination is genuinely useful
• Automatically adjusts suction to maximize battery

The Dyson Gen5detect has some impressive vacuuming skills. There are three power modes: Eco mode, Auto mode, and Boost. Eco is a low-power mode for light cleans, while saving battery. Boost is the most powerful, for dislodging ground-in dirt, but it will sap your battery life quickly. 

The most interesting mode is Auto. In this mode, if the Gen5detect senses more dirt or realizes it has moved from hard floor to carpet, it will automatically boost suction, thus making efficient use of battery and removing the need to manually change modes. It's not new to this model, but it is always useful, and I found it worked reliably well on test.

The upgraded motor promises more powerful suction. I'd be hard pressed to see the difference between the V15 Detect and its successor in the Auto mode, but I did notice a significant improvement in Boost mode. I think in Boost mode the Gen5detect is on par with the Samsung Bespoke Jet’s max suction setting (called Jet mode) despite it officially offering less suction (210AW). Still, the Gen5detect is an excellent sucker.

It's also worth noting that the Gen5detect is noticeably quieter than its predecessor, and pretty quiet in general for a vacuum. On test, it clocked up 60dB on Eco mode, 64.5dB in Auto and 78.6dB in Boost mode. In comparison, the V15 hits 73dB in its Auto mode.

As well as using it for regular cleaning during my review period, I also allowed larger amounts of hair and dust to accumulate on a couple of occasions, to see it it could handle a deeper clean. I was impressed with the results; the suction is strong enough to tackle built-up dirt, including cleaning hair-entwined carpet with ease.

However, I found that neither of the two floorheads was especially effective at clearing dust from the edges rooms. They weren't great with larger debris, either, scattering corn kernels rather than sucking them up, and struggling a bit with rice and small pieces of paper. I found that to completely clear spillages like this, I had to lift the vacuum and place the cleaning head directly over the debris, which is not ideal (although not an uncommon problem with vacuum cleaners).

The Fluffy Optic floorhead comes with a dirt-illuminating laser. This idea was introduced with the V15 Detect, but on the Gen5detect the light is apparently twice as bright, and the beam broader to illuminate a wider area. (A similar feature appears on a number of Shark vacuums, but there it's a simple white LED headlight, and it's included on the main floorhead rather than a secondary one.)

I thought the Laser Fluffy was a gimmick when it arrived with the V15 Detect, and I didn't find myself using it very much, preferring to use just the regular Motorbar floorhead for most scenarios. However, with this brighter beam, I'm starting to be won over. The laser illumination is visible even in well-lit rooms, highlighting dirt that would otherwise be hidden.

If you're cleaning above floor-level, you'll want to convert the Gen5detect into a handheld. The integrated crevice tool makes this quicker and simpler than ever, but I found the weight makes this vacuum unwieldy to use in handheld mode, which limits the overall versatility of the Gen5detect.

I won't get too much into the various attachments, because these vary depending on which iteration you go for. However, I will say that if you have a shedding pet, or live with long-haired humans, you will want to make sure the version you go for comes with a Hair Screw Tool. This is excellent for getting hair out of stairs and furniture, and is designed in such a way that the hair is directed straight into the dust cup rather than clogging the roller (the footprint is too small to make it worth using on floors, where you'll need to rely on the Digital Motorbar head).

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Gen5detect review: battery life

• Up to 70 minutes runtime, and lasts longer on hard floors than carpet
• Replaceable battery pack
• Recharge quoted at 4hrs 30, but it took 3 hours on test

The Dyson Gen5detect ups the ante when it comes to battery life. Prior to its launch, the V-series stick vacs topped out at 60 minutes of cleaning time, but the Gen5 ups that to 70 minutes in the lowest power mode. In fact, I managed to squeeze out 75 minutes during one test run.

The bigger battery (Dyson doesn’t specify the capacity) is great for making sure larger homes are cleaned up in one go. Using the Digital Motorbar on a relatively clean hard floor, I got about 62 minutes on Eco mode, 45 minutes on Auto and just eight minutes on Boost. Swapping over to the Fluffy Optic cleaning head and I was able to clean for longer: on a relatively clean tiled floor, I got a smidge under 75 minutes on Eco mode, 65 minutes on Auto and 15 minutes on Boost. All of that is good news for those with predominantly hard floors.

Because suction automatically adjusts based on how dirty the floor is, runtimes will vary. If your floors are particularly dirty, it'll eat through the battery more quickly. 

Dyson says the battery can take about 4.5 hours to recharge from zero to full, but I found it took just three hours from completely empty to full-charge. 

• Battery score: 5 out of 5

Should I buy the Dyson Gen5detect?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if...

Also consider

If you’re not sure about the Dyson Gen5detect, here are a couple more options to consider...

Dyson V15 Detect

If you really want a Dyson, the V15 Detect is still a great alternative that’s slightly cheaper. Despite the Gen5 Detect having more suction power, there’s not a lot of real-world difference in performance. Moreover, the V15, despite weighing over 3kg, is still easier to handle than its successor.

Read our in-depth Dyson V15 Detect review for more information

Samsung Bespoke Jet

A powerful vacuum that sucks and mops (albeit not at the same time), the Bespoke Jet comes with plenty of attachments, including an auto-empty station that does a great job of sucking out the dirt, hair and debris from the handstick’s dust canister. Two batteries in the box, plus plenty of space to stow all the attachments, great color options and a superb max suction mode makes this a compelling alternative to any Dyson.

Read our full Samsung Bespoke Jet review to learn more

How I tested the Dyson Gen5detect

I used the Dyson Gen5detect as my main vacuum, twice a week for five weeks. I tested out all three suction modes on hard floors (tile) and on carpets. I also allowed the carpet to accumulate significant amount of hair and dust for a couple of test runs, to see how well it could handle a deeper clean. 

On hard floors, I scattered different sized grains, such as rice, cereal and corn kernels, and tested to see if the Digital Motorbar and the Fluffy Optic cleaning heads could pick them up. I used an iOS app to measure sound levels. I compared its performance, in all areas, to other vacuums I've tested, including the Dyson V15, this model's predecessor.

I’ve actively been testing and reviewing vacuum cleaners of all kinds for over five years and have learnt what’s important when choosing one, and what features are best for different kinds of homes. 

Read more about how we test

[First reviewed January 2023]