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is this the best cordless vacuum you can buy?
Price: £649.99 at Dyson and John Lewis, also available at Amazon for £599.95
Telegraph verdict: 9/10
We like:
- Excellent suction and results on all traditional surfaces
- The ‘fluffy optic’ attachment shows up dust that’s otherwise invisible to the naked eye
- Slim and nifty – gets into every corner and is easy to store away
- Cordless, bagless design makes it really easy to use
We don’t like:
- The position of the motor and filter mean you occasionally get a gust of air to the face
- The top-heavy build makes it a little hard on the arms during a lengthy cleaning session
- Full battery charge time is significant, at four and a half hours
What is the Dyson Gen 5 Detect Absolute?
The Dyson Gen 5 Detect Absolute was our best cordless vacuum cleaner until it was supplanted by the Dyson V16 Piston Animal. Starting at £649.99 for the purple/iron colourway and rising to £749.99, the Gen 5 Detect is one of the priciest cordless HEPA vacuum cleaners, but for the outlay you get the longest run time of any cordless vacuum at 70 minutes (on its eco setting), and a HEPA filter which promises to suck up particles and even viruses as tiny as 0.1 microns.
This makes it a good choice for households with allergies, pets – like my fluffy, mucky cocker spaniel – and homes with hard floors, as it comes with a ‘fluffy optic’ cleaner head specifically designed to light up and suck up fine dust on wood and tile surfaces. It’s bagless, so you can see every speck collected in the transparent bin, and unlike previous Dyson models it’s controlled by a one-touch button rather than having to hold down a trigger.
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How we test cordless vacuums
I tested the Dyson Gen5 Detect by vacuuming my entire house including bathrooms, a utility room, wooden stairs and a combination of wood flooring and rugs as well as the sofa, the dog’s bed and the dog himself. No, I’m not joking – Dyson actually has a grooming attachment, available separately.
I assessed how well the vacuum performed during my daily clean, as well as adding seeds, flour and quinoa to see how it coped. In scoring I considered whether the design and build was fit for purpose, including how weighty or easy to manoeuvre it is and how well it got into the crevices of my home. I also thought about how instinctive and easy to use the controls and attachments were, how well the battery lasted and how long it takes to recharge and finally, how easy it is to store.
