We've been teased by the launch of the Dyson Gen5detect; first in Australia, and then in the UK in October 2022. The wait is finally over for UK residents though because this latest cordless vacuum cleaner by global brand, Dyson, is now available to buy - but it comes at a cost.
I think Dyson makes some of the best cordless vacuums you can buy, and they've long since passed the point where for most of us they're just as good as the best upright vacuum cleaners: despite the best efforts of my kids and dog, my Dyson V10 Animal keeps my flat clean with the minimum of fuss. But tech moves on, and Dyson's Gen5detect cordless vacuum makes mine look like an old rotary carpet cleaner.
The Gen5detect is Dyson's most powerful cordless yet, with a faster, smaller and more powerful motor than before and whole machine HEPA filtration to remove irritants and allergens. It can filter out potentially harmful particles as small as 0.1 microns, has illumination that's twice as bright as its predecessor and has a brand new user interface that makes cleaning the carpet feel more like a video game. There's a power button instead of a trigger for more comfortable cleaning, and the easy-eject bin has a capacity of 0.77 litres so you don't need to empty it every couple of minutes.
In our in-depth Dyson Gen5detect review, we praised its "impressive vacuuming skills" thanks to a whopping 262 air watts of suction, although we found that the difference between it and its predecessor is only really noticeable in boost mode. It has dynamic suction when you use the Digital Motorbar tool, automatically adjusting as you move from hard floor to carpet. It's quieter than its predecessor, and you can expect about 70 minutes of runtime between charges.
The downside to a Dyson, other than a design that you either love or hate, is the price tag. I bought my V10 refurbished because at the time a new one was way beyond my budget, and the new Gen5detect is even more expensive: it's just launched in the UK with a price tag of £849, a good £220 more than the five-star V15 Detect Absolute. In Australia Dyson is already discounting it, with models down from AU$1,549 to AU$1,269 and from AU$1,599 to AU$1,319. US pricing and availability haven't been confirmed yet.
Opinion: this new Dyson is amazing, but older ones are pretty great too
I'm not going to criticise Dyson for charging premium prices – I'm typing this into an Apple Mac while wearing an Apple Watch – but as with Apple, if you want the very latest kit you'll pay a lot for it. And for most of us, we don't need the very latest kit.
This Dyson is without a doubt the best cordless Dyson yet. But it's also £220 more than what was the best cordless Dyson a month ago, and it's considerably more expensive. The V15 Detect Absolute is £629.99. Is it worth spending £220 more to get ten more minutes of run time and 32 more air watts? Would you be just as happy with the cheapest V15 Detect, which doesn't have the fancy laser light but is £370 cheaper than the Gen5? I know I would.
Don't get me wrong. This new Dyson is brilliant. But to my mind it's the iPhone 14 Pro Max of vacuums, the model you buy when you've got tons of spare cash and want to show off a bit. That makes the Dyson V15 Detect the vanilla iPhone 14, without quite the same advanced tech but a much lower price tag.
And my Dyson V10? That's an iPhone X: dated, for sure, but still going strong and currently as cheap as chips.
The people who buy this new Dyson vacuum cleaner, like the people who buy the iPhone 14 Pro Max, will be delighted with it. And good for them. But I'm still quite delighted with my V10, and that only cost me £229 – just £9 more than the difference between the new Dyson and its predecessor. New Dysons are great but, in my opinion, old ones aren't bad either.
