Dyson V16 Piston Animal vs V15 Detect: Which to Buy?

Dyson rates the V16 Piston Animal at 315 air watts, against 262 for the Gen5detect and 240 for the V15 Detect. Most of the reviewers who’ve measured how much dirt it actually lifts found the opposite of what those numbers suggest.

This page puts together what Dyson publishes and what six independent reviewers measured, with the version each one tested, because that matters here more than usual.

Should you buy the Dyson V16 Piston Animal?

Buy the V16 if long hair wrapping round the brush bar is your main complaint and you want fewer trips to the bin. For pickup on carpet and hard floors, buy the V15 Detect instead: in TechRadar’s side-by-side carpet test it cleared the oats and visible tea on its first pass, and the V16 didn’t.

The V16’s real advantages are practical ones. Its two cone-shaped brush bars push hair off their narrow ends and into the bin, and Expert Reviews found no hair at all tangled in the head after its pet hair test. A lever on the bin squashes debris down so it holds more between emptyings. And in Boost it ran for 15 to 17 minutes in four separate tests, roughly double what Vacuum Wars and RTINGS measured from the V15.

The cost of those is the floorhead. TechRadar, Expert Reviews, the Guardian, CHOICE and RTINGS all traced a cleaning shortfall to the same place: the middle of the head, where a strip of plastic joins the two cones and suction doesn’t reach. Vacuum Wars, which bought both V16 versions with its own money, is the one reviewer that ranks the V16 above the V15.

Is the V16 better than the V15 Detect and Gen5detect?

On pickup, no, according to most of the reviewers. Here’s what each one tested and found.

Reviewer	Version tested	What they measured	Result for the V16
TechRadar	Standard V16	Oats and dry tea on carpet, side by side with the V15 Detect and Gen5detect, in Auto and Boost	Worst of the three in every part of the test; left a strip of tea under the centre of the head
TechRadar	Standard V16	Four Dysons scored on hard floor, carpet and pet hair	Lowest overall; 2.5 of 5 on hard floor and 2 on medium carpet, against 4 and 4.5 for the Gen5detect
Expert Reviews	Standard V16 (UK)	Weighed Cheerios, flour and pet hair before and after one pass	88% of spills collected on average, against 99% for the Gen5detect; 4.7 of 5 g of pet hair from carpet
The Guardian	Standard V16 (UK)	Flour, cat litter and pet hair, compared with the Gen5detect	Left about 30% of its flour spills; more cat litter left behind than the Gen5detect on both floors
CHOICE	Submarine (Australia), first look	Lab-rated floor tests	Carpet rated good, against excellent for the V15s Detect; hard floor very good
RTINGS	Submarine	Scored lab tests, compared with its V15 Detect and Gen5detect results	7.7 bare floor, 6.5 carpet, 8.8 pet hair, against 8.0, 7.8 and 9.0 for the V15 Detect; better than the Gen5detect at lifting embedded pet hair
Vacuum Wars	Standard and Submarine (US)	Embedded sand, carpet pickup, hair, suction and airflow	100% on carpet deep clean, tying its V15; 4 of 5 on carpet pickup against 3.5; lower sealed suction (85 in vs 112)

The reason most of them give is the new All Floor Cones Sense head. TechRadar’s reviewer wrote that the gap between the two conical rollers means a gap in suction, which is where the strip of tea came from, and that a wider, grippier border pushes oats along instead of letting them under. The Guardian found its flour in “a central smear where there’s a gap between the two rollers”. RTINGS describes “a plastic support along the middle of the floorhead, which leaves strips of debris behind”, and CHOICE saw pet hair left as a strip on carpet for the same reason.

So the 315 AW figure doesn’t reach the floor. Dyson’s own footnote says it’s measured at the inlet in Boost. RTINGS found the V16 “can’t deliver the same suction at its floorhead” as the 262 AW Gen5detect, and Vacuum Wars measured lower sealed suction and wand airflow from the V16 than from the V15 it tested alongside.

What’s different about the V16?

Four changes matter, and the testers agree more on these than on pickup.

The cleaner head. Dyson says the two conical brush bars de-tangle hair up to 25 inches and send it straight into the bin. Expert Reviews’ head “always remained completely clear”, and CHOICE found no visible hair around it after a long-hair test. TechRadar’s reviewer saw no tangling with real Spaniel fur, but adds that the V15 and Gen5detect never tangled with their hair either. Hair doesn’t always reach the bin, though. RTINGS found the head can “roll hair into a ball and trap it behind the rollers”, which come out easily for cleaning; TechRadar saw clumps of long synthetic hair stick behind the cones or in the corner of the suction tube; and the Guardian found it sometimes ejected clumps back onto the carpet.

The compacting bin. Dyson calls it CleanCompaktor: a lever pushes debris down and wipes the inside of the bin as you empty it. TechRadar wrote that it “works extremely well”, and Expert Reviews, in a home with a lot of cat hair, cleaned the whole house without emptying it once. Read Dyson’s 0.35 gallon (1.3 L) bin figure with care, though: it counts the compaction. RTINGS measured 0.42 litres of usable space, slightly less than the 0.45 litres it measured in both the V15 Detect and Gen5detect, and CHOICE measured 0.4 litres. The lever is what makes the difference, not a bigger bin.

Boost runtime. Dyson’s 70-minute figure is for Eco mode. In Boost or max, TechRadar measured 16 minutes 49 seconds, Expert Reviews 16 minutes 20 seconds and Vacuum Wars 15.3 minutes. RTINGS got around 17 minutes from the V16 Submarine. Vacuum Wars got 9 minutes from its V15 on max, and RTINGS measured 8 from the V15 Detect in Boost with the motorised head. Both machines take Dyson’s swappable click-in battery.

Filtration. Dyson rates the V16 at 99.99% of particles down to 0.1 microns, against 0.3 microns for the V15 Detect. No reviewer we read tested filtration.

Against all that, the V16 is heavier (7.5 lb against the V15 Detect’s 6.83, by Dyson’s figures), and the pointed front of the head can’t go flush against a wall. RTINGS found it left material behind in edges and corners. CHOICE and TechRadar both say to approach an edge from the side, and TechRadar found it cleaned right to the edge that way. Under low furniture, CHOICE rated it excellent.

V16 Piston Animal vs Submarine: which version?

The Submarine is the same V16 with a second floorhead: Dyson’s Submarine 2.0 wet roller, a motorised microfibre roller that washes spills and stains off hard floors, with a max mode for tougher marks. Dyson’s spec panel for the two versions is identical, from the 315 AW to the 7.5 lb.

That’s why the version column in the table above matters. RTINGS and CHOICE tested the Submarine, and their carpet and pet hair results come from its dry cleaner head, which the standard V16 shares. Vacuum Wars bought both. RTINGS sums the Submarine up as “not a meaningful upgrade over earlier (and more affordable) models”.

Only pay for the Submarine if you’ll use the wet head. CHOICE wasn’t convinced the Submarine head justifies its cost and says the version without it offers better value. Dyson’s earlier V15s Detect Submarine pairs the same idea with the V15’s floorhead.

Can you still buy a Gen5detect?

Only the Gen5detect Absolute, and only from Dyson. Dyson’s Gen5 range page lists the plain Gen5detect as out of stock, and Amazon itself no longer sells it new, so we don’t card it here. Dyson’s US warranty covers only machines bought from Dyson or a Dyson authorised seller, so check who’s selling before buying one anywhere else. Our Gen5detect review has the full picture.

On the evidence above, it came out ahead of the V16 overall in every review that tested both: TechRadar’s two, Expert Reviews’, the Guardian’s and RTINGS’. The one exception within those was RTINGS’ pet hair test, where the V16 lifted more embedded hair from carpet.

Specs side by side

Dyson’s own figures. Gen5detect figures are from Dyson’s archived US spec table, since its product page now redirects.

Specification	V16 Piston Animal	V15 Detect	Gen5detect
Suction (Dyson rated)	315 AW	240 AW	262 AW
Max runtime (Eco)	70 min	60 min	70 min
Charge time	3.5 hr	4.5 hr	4.5 hr
Bin	0.35 gal with compaction	0.2 gal (0.77 L)	0.2 gal (0.77 L)
Weight	7.5 lb	6.83 lb	7.72 lb
Filtration	99.99% to 0.1 microns	99.99% to 0.3 microns	Whole-machine HEPA
Main floorhead	All Floor Cones Sense	Digital Motorbar	Not specified
Battery	Swappable click-in	Swappable click-in	Not specified
Warranty	2-year limited	2-year limited	2-year limited

For how the 315 AW compares with other cordless and corded vacuums, see our vacuum suction power chart. If you’re shopping during Black Friday week, our Black Friday vacuum deals page covers what to check before buying a Dyson from anyone other than Dyson or Amazon, and where Dyson vacuums are made explains the Dyson range by generation.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Feature	Dyson V16 Piston Animal Long hair, fewer bin trips	Dyson V15 Detect Better pickup for less	Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine V16 with a wet roller head
Rating	4.0	4.5	4.0
Suction Power	315 AW	240 AW	315 AW
Weight	7.5 lbs (Dyson published)	6.83 lbs	7.5 lbs (Dyson published)
Runtime	70 min (Eco mode)	Up to 60 min (Dyson); RTINGS measured 8 to 75 min depending on mode and head	70 min (Eco mode)
Dustbin Capacity	0.35 gallon with compaction (Dyson); CHOICE measured 0.4 L uncompressed	0.2 gal (0.77 L)	0.35 gallon with compaction (Dyson); CHOICE measured 0.4 L uncompressed
Filtration	Fully sealed five-stage HEPA, 99.99% of particles as small as 0.1 microns	Fully sealed whole-machine filtration, 99.99% to 0.3 microns	Fully sealed five-stage HEPA, 99.99% of particles as small as 0.1 microns
Warranty	2-year limited	2-year limited	2-year limited

Dyson V16 Piston Animal

Long hair, fewer bin trips

Rating

4.0

Suction Power 315 AW

Weight 7.5 lbs (Dyson published)

Runtime 70 min (Eco mode)

Dustbin Capacity 0.35 gallon with compaction (Dyson); CHOICE measured 0.4 L uncompressed

Filtration Fully sealed five-stage HEPA, 99.99% of particles as small as 0.1 microns

Warranty 2-year limited

Dyson V15 Detect

Better pickup for less

Rating

4.5

Suction Power 240 AW

Weight 6.83 lbs

Runtime Up to 60 min (Dyson); RTINGS measured 8 to 75 min depending on mode and head

Dustbin Capacity 0.2 gal (0.77 L)

Filtration Fully sealed whole-machine filtration, 99.99% to 0.3 microns

Warranty 2-year limited

Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine

V16 with a wet roller head

Rating

4.0

Suction Power 315 AW

Weight 7.5 lbs (Dyson published)

Runtime 70 min (Eco mode)

Dustbin Capacity 0.35 gallon with compaction (Dyson); CHOICE measured 0.4 L uncompressed

Filtration Fully sealed five-stage HEPA, 99.99% of particles as small as 0.1 microns

Warranty 2-year limited

Detailed Reviews

Dyson V16 Piston Animal

Long hair, fewer bin trips

D

Dyson V16 Piston Animal

+3

4.0

4.0

Check Price →

Dyson's 315 AW flagship with an anti-tangle head and a compacting bin. Most labs found it picks up less than the older V15 Detect and Gen5detect, so buy it for the hair handling, the bin and the longer Boost runtime, not for cleaning power.

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What We Like

• 315 AW from a 900 W Hyperdymium motor, which Dyson bills as the most powerful anti-tangle cordless among models claiming over 300 AW
• All Floors Cones Sense head auto-adjusts suction and brush speed based on detected floor type
• Two conical brush bars feed hair directly into the bin, no manual de-tangling on long-hair households
• CleanCompaktor compresses debris in the bin, fewer trips to empty during a full clean
• Swappable click-in battery (Dyson), and TechRadar, Expert Reviews and Vacuum Wars all measured 15 to 17 minutes in Boost or max

What We Don't

• In TechRadar's side-by-side carpet test it was the last of the three to clear oats and tea, behind the V15 Detect and Gen5detect
• The pointed front of the floorhead can't go flush against a wall or into a corner (CHOICE, the Guardian)
• In TechRadar's test at Dyson's labs, clumps of long synthetic hair stuck behind the cones or in the corner of the suction tube
• The Guardian found it left about 30% of its flour spills behind, some of it in a smear where the two rollers meet
• RTINGS found the Submarine version picks up less from carpet than the V15 Detect and leaves a strip of hair down the middle of the head

Dyson V15 Detect

Better pickup for less

D

Dyson V15 Detect

+11

4.5

4.5

Check Price →

Cleared every pile on its first pass in TechRadar's side-by-side carpet test, where the V16 didn't, and RTINGS found the V16 no better on any floor. The smaller bin and short Boost runtime are the trade-off.

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What We Like

• Fluffy Optic head lights up microscopic dust on hard floors
• Piezo sensor counts particles and shows them on the LCD in real time
• Digital Motorbar head de-tangles long hair and pet hair as it cleans
• 240 AW suction that adapts to floor type and the dust it picks up

What We Don't

• RTINGS measured just 8 minutes in Boost with the motorized head
• Small 0.2-gallon bin needs frequent emptying
• Premium price point
• 4.5-hour charging time is lengthy

Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine

V16 with a wet roller head

D

Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine

+2

4.0

4.0

Check Price →

The same V16 plus a motorised wet roller for hard-floor spills. Only buy this version if you'd use the wet head; CHOICE suggests the dry-only V16 as better value.

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What We Like

• The V16 Piston Animal plus Dyson's Submarine 2.0 wet roller head, which washes spills and stains from hard floors and has a max mode for tougher stains
• Vacuum Wars bought this version and ranked it its number one cordless vacuum, with a perfect score in its carpet deep-clean test
• Two conical brush bars send long hair into the bin; CHOICE found no visible hair around the head after its long-hair test
• Vacuum Wars measured 15.3 minutes on max power, against 9 for the V15 it tested alongside, and the bin's lever squashes debris down so it holds more between trips
• Swappable click-in battery (Dyson)

What We Don't

• CHOICE rated its carpet cleaning only good, against excellent for the V15s Detect, because a plastic strip between the cones leaves a line of debris
• Vacuum Wars measured lower sealed suction and airflow than the V15 it tested alongside
• The pointed front of the floorhead can't go flush against a wall (CHOICE)
• 7.5 lb, and CHOICE found it top-heavy in handheld mode

Sources & Research

• Dyson V16 Piston Animal Official Product Page
• TechRadar Independent Review
• RTINGS lab test results
• Dyson V15 Detect range page (US)
• Dyson US V15 Detect product page, specifications table (Wayback capture, 2026-10-20)
• Amazon Product Page
• Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine Official Product Page
• Vacuum Wars V16 Piston Animal Submarine review
• CHOICE V16 Piston Animal Submarine first look (Australia)