Dyson V15 Detect Absolute + Pet Groom Tool Review: An Absolute Beast Of A Vacuum

After a while, Dyson vacuums do tend to feel almost the same. They look quite alike, and most of their vacuums can be said to be "powerful". The new V15 Detect vacuums, though, actually feel noticeably more powerful than older models.

And no wonder. This vacuum comes with up to 240 air-watts of suction power, and it's Dyson's most powerful vacuum to date. It does look quite identical to other models though, but if you get the Dyson Direct Exclusive model, the V15 Detect Absolute (HEPA), you'll notice the cyclones are gold and the cap at the end is actually a very striking teal colour that's lovely. The colour isn't the only thing different though, the V15 Detect Absolute is whole-machine HEPA filtered, so a post-motor filter will remove particles as small as 0.1 microns.

The price difference is only around S$50 as well (S$1,349 vs S$1,299), which I feel is more than worthwhile to avoid reintroducing microscopic particles into my home after I've vacuumed. Additionally, there's a built-in dusting and crevice tool, which is fantastic since that means one less attachment to have to look for when it's needed.

But back to the vacuum. All that added power does come at a cost though, and the V15 Detect Absolute (HEPA) is one of the heaviest machines I've tested from Dyson, weighing in at around 2.7kg. It does mean long vacuum sessions do become a bit of a workout, but it might just be showing me how unfit I am.

There's also technology here that's inherited from the older V12 Detect Slim vacuum, namely the additional laser head that's included in the box along with the acoustic piezo sensor that sizes up and counts how many particles are sucked up by the vacuum, up to 15,000 times a second. This number is then displayed at the rear of the vacuum.

The Laser Slim Fluffy cleaner head is a nice touch, and my relatives were very amazed when they tested it out, seeing as they have two cats and the laser actually illuminated the cat fur on the floor clearly.

That being said, the cleaner head that most people would be interested in would definitely be the new Digital Motorbar cleaner head, which has been revamped with rubber guides along the bristles to help prevent hair from tangling around the bar and polycarbonate teeth to help move hair and long fur along the bar and into the dust bin of the vacuum.

Speaking of the bin, it's capable of holding up to 0.54L, which is certainly good enough for most homes here in Singapore. Emptying the bin is, again, just as easy and hygienic as it always is with Dyson products - point the vacuum downwards into a rubbish bag, pull down on the red latch and the lid will pop open, emptying out the dust, dirt and hair into the bag.

The battery is in the handle as per usual, and detachable for charging or swapping out. Each fully-charged battery gives 60 minutes of runtime, which is a good amount, but for bigger houses, I would recommend you buy an extra one or you'll have to stop halfway to charge.

There are plenty of other attachments in the box as well - Up-top adapter, Comb-crevice tool, Fabric and mattress tool, Hair screw tool, Mini soft dusting brush as well as the dock and a charger.

But let's put that aside for now, because Dyson came out with two new attachment tool kits and they're super exciting. One is the Pet Grooming Kit and the other is the Detail Cleaning Kit. The detail cleaning kit comes with three items, an awkward gap tool that can twist 22-degrees to get to hard-to-reach areas, a self-cleaning scratch-free dusting brush as well as an extension hose.

The pet grooming kit comes with the pet groom tool, extension hose and cord-free adapter, and that's the one that was the most fun to use. Any pet owner will know the pain of trying to clean fur buildup out of pet brushes. Well, the pet groom tool is essentially a replacement for a brush, and it's "self-cleaning" in a sense as well.

How the tool works is that there's a button to press and hold down, with the bristles coming out of the head. It should then be used to brush the pet first without the vacuum being turned on, and then once there's fur caught in the bristles, the button can be let go while the vacuum is turned on to suck up all the fur from the head.

It works incredibly well, and it's hygienic to boot. Of course, you do have to get your pets accustomed to the vacuum and the brush head first. But once they acclimatise to it, it's easy to scoot up to them and give them a good grooming session. I feel like a reminder here would be timely: do not turn on the vacuum while you're brushing your pet!

The tool is backwards compatible with the older V8, V10, V11, V12, V15 and Digital Slim models as well, so there's no need to buy a brand new V15 Detect Absolute just to use it. Very nice move here by Dyson that will no doubt generate some goodwill with their customers.

There's no doubt the Dyson V15 Detect Absolute (HEPA) is an expensive product, but it really does an excellent job at sucking up dirt and debris from all sorts of surfaces, from high-pile carpets to hard floors. If you want a powerful vacuum to last you for a long time and you don't mind splurging a bit, this is certainly a very good option to consider.