Dyson
Gen5detect Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
About the product
A cordless vacuum with power comparable to corded models
Dyson is known for its powerful, cutting-edge vacuums, with its cordless vacuums delivering nearly the same power as corded models. But the Gen5detect Absolute takes it a step further, emerging as a bona fide alternative to a corded vacuum.
The Gen5detect Absolute stands out as the Dyson cordless vacuum with the highest maximum suction power, so it’s highly effective on both hard surfaces and carpeting. Its maximum runtime is also longer than other models, providing 10 more minutes of cleaning time. It includes a special cleaning head that emits a dirt-revealing laser, too, so you can get your hard floors as sparkling as possible. Best of all, unlike previous models with a power trigger that needs to be held down while you vacuum, it has a one-touch on/off button for greater comfort.
To see how well the Gen5detect Absolute really cleans, the BestReviews Testing Lab put it to work on several different flooring surfaces. We also tested its ability to pick up different-sized debris, such as ground coffee, kosher salt and dry pet food. Plus, we put it to work in a home with two dogs, so we could determine how well it picked up pet hair.
Why we like it
- Suction power: With a maximum suction of 280 air watts, the Gen5detect Absolute was the most powerful Dyson cordless vacuum we tested. It thoroughly cleaned both hard flooring and carpeting and easily picked up pet hair.
- Run time: The Gen5detect Absolute can clean for up to 70 minutes, 10 minutes longer than most other Dyson cordless models.
- LCD display: Its full-color LCD display is easy to read and provides helpful information to aid your cleaning. It shows the selected cleaning mode, counts down the remaining battery life and provides a graph that reacts in real time to the particles it’s picked up, so you know when an area is clean.
- Fluffy Optic head: Like other Dyson Detect models, including the V12 Detect Slim, V15 Detect and V15 Detect Submarine, the Gen5detect Absolute comes with a Fluffy Optic head, which emits a green laser that reveals hidden dirt and hair on hard floors to ensure the most thorough cleaning.
- On/off button: Instead of a power trigger you have to hold down while vacuuming like the Dyson V11 Extra and V15 Detect, the Gen5detect Absolute has an on/off button that you only have to press once in order to turn the vacuum on or off.
What we don’t like
- Price: While the Gen5detect Absolute boasts extreme suction power and plenty of special features, it costs over $900, which is very steep — especially for a cordless vacuum.
- Weight: Weighing almost 8 pounds, the Gen5detect Absolute is heavier than nearly all of the Dyson cordless models we tested, which made it more difficult to use for extended periods.
The 60-second scoop
Product specifications: Dustbin Capacity: 0.2 gal | Dimensions: 9.8” L x 10.87” W x 50.2” H | Battery Life: Up to 70 minutes | Cleaning Path Width: 9.84” | Weight: 7.72 lb.
The Dyson Gen5detect Absolute is the most powerful Dyson vacuum we tested, with a maximum suction power of 280 AW. We saw that power in action during testing when it needed just a single pass to pick up nearly all types of debris on both hard flooring and carpeting. We were particularly impressed with how well it handled pet hair, rivaling a corded vacuum’s effectiveness. It also cleaned for over an hour, longer than models like the V11 Extra, V12 Detect Slim, V15 Detect and V15 Detect Submarine.
Like other Dyson models, the Gen5detect features a piezo sensor that can count and identify the particles it picks up. However, the graph that it displays on its LCD screen is much more helpful than the ones for the V12 Detect Slim and V15 Detect because it responds in real time. The bars for each particle begin to go down as you vacuum, so you know when an area is clean. We also loved its Fluffy Optic cleaner head, which illuminated hidden dirt on hard floors. Its laser was brighter than previous Detect models, like the V12 and V15, too, so it was easy to get our laminate floors as clean as possible.
See how it compares to other products in its space — check out our reviews for the best Dyson vacuums.
Price and where to buy
The Dyson Gen5detect Absolute usually retails for $949.99 and is available at Amazon and BestBuy.
Setup
The Gen5detect Absolute arrived in a sturdy, branded box that opened with a horizontal lid to provide easy access to the components. The vacuum was disassembled, and each part was secured with cardboard and cushioned with foam sheets to protect them during shipping.
The setup was a breeze once we removed the components from the box. We connected the wand to the main vacuum body and then attached a cleaning head to the end of the wand. It was easy to figure out where they connected because the areas were marked with gray tabs. When the vacuum was assembled, we connected the charger to its battery and then plugged the unit into an outlet, so it could charge fully for cleaning.
In total, it took less than five minutes to set up the Gen5detect Absolute.
Design and brushrolls
The Gen5detect Absolute has a design similar to other Dyson cordless vacuums. Its main body detaches easily from the wand, so we could convert it to a hand vac in seconds. At 7.72 pounds, it was one of the heavier models we tested — and we definitely noticed the extra weight during testing, with our arm getting tired when we cleaned for more than five minutes.
The Gen5detect Absolute has two cleaning heads: a Digital Motorbar cleaner head and a Fluffy Optic cleaner head.
The Digital Motorbar cleaner head worked well on hard flooring and was especially effective on carpeting. It features 56 detangling vanes that automatically move hair from the head’s brush bar. We tested in an area with two medium-large dogs that shed regularly, and we never found any hair tangled around it after vacuuming.
The Fluffy Optic cleaner head is similar to the one that comes with the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, V15 Detect and V15 Detect Submarine. It has a specially angled light that illuminates invisible dust and hair. The cleaner head that comes with the Gen5detect Absolute provides a brighter light than those with other models. We definitely found that it highlighted more dirt than the other Dyson vacuums during testing, leaving the hard flooring in our testing area as clean as possible.
Battery life and recharge time
Dyson advertises up to 70 minutes of cleaning time for the Gen5detect Absolute — and it came very close during our testing. In its Eco mode, the cleaning mode with the longest run time, it cleaned for 67 minutes. In Auto mode, it cleaned for 45 minutes. In its intensive cleaning mode, Boost, it cleaned for 13 minutes. Its 67-minute cleaning time was one of the best among the models we tested, only outperformed by the Gen5outsize Absolute.
After the Gen5detect Absolute’s battery was fully drained, it took four hours and 10 minutes to recharge, which made it one of the fastest to recharge among the Dyson models we tested.
Suction power
The Gen5detect Absolute offers a maximum suction of 280 AW in Boost mode, making it the most powerful of the Dyson cordless vacuums we tested. It definitely performed that way during testing, so we found it highly efficient on both hard floors and carpeting.
Carpet performance
We tested the Gen5detect Absolute on low-pile and medium-pile carpeting and were impressed with how well it cleaned both. It needed just a single pass to pick up all types of debris on both types of carpeting, including even fine particles like ground coffee and sugar and medium-sized particles like coarse kosher salt. It didn’t struggle to remove large debris like dry pet food, either.
Our testing area had two medium to large dogs that shed regularly, and the Gen5detect Absolute easily handled all the pet hair. It took less than five minutes to remove all the visible pet hair in a 200-square-foot area with low-pile carpeting. Based on the amount of hair in the dustbin after vacuuming, it also picked up plenty of hair we hadn’t seen.
Hardwood floor performance
The Gen5detect Absolute had no trouble on hard flooring surfaces, including laminate and tile. It removed smaller debris like sugar and ground coffee in one pass, as well as medium-sized particles like coarse kosher salt. It removed large debris like dry pet food in a single pass on laminate, though it needed a second pass on tile because some pieces were blown out of its path.
Cleaning hard floors was especially easy with the Gen5dect Absolute because of its dirt-revealing Fluffy Optic cleaner head. It illuminated dust and hair on our laminate and tile flooring that were invisible to the naked eye so we could thoroughly clean the surfaces. Its light was brighter than the laser emitted by the Dyson V12 Detect Slim and V15 Detect, so we didn’t need to turn the lights off in our testing area to use the feature, either.
Noise
The Gen5detect Absolute made about the same noise as other cordless vacuums, so we weren’t particularly bothered by its volume. It registered at 72.2 decibels in Eco mode, 74.7 decibels in Auto and 79.4 in Boost. The full-size, corded vacuum in our testing area, the Bissell Cleanview Swivel Pet Rewind, was noticeably louder at 93.1 decibels.
How does it compare to other stick vacuums we tested?
- Power: The Gen5detect Absolute has a maximum suction of 280 AW, making it the most powerful Dyson model we tested. The Gen5outsize Absolute and V15 Detect come close at 250 AW and 240 AW, respectively, but other models like the V11 Extra at 185 AW and V12 Detect Slim at 150 AW are a bit further behind. This power difference definitely translated to its performance during testing, with the Gen5detect efficiently removing all types of debris on both hard floors and carpeting. It was powerful enough to be a viable alternative to a corded vacuum.
- Weight: At 7.72 pounds, the Gen5detect Absolute is one of the heaviest Dyson vacuums we tested. The Gen5outsize Absolute is heavier, weighing 8.6 pounds, but the V12 Slim Detect is 2.5 pounds lighter and the V11 Extra is 1.19 pounds lighter. The heavier design is necessary due to the Gen5detect’s impressive power, but we found that the added weight made it a bit more challenging to move around furniture and up and down stairs.
- Battery: Most Dyson cordless vacuums we tested like the V11 Extra, V12 Slim Detect, V15 Detect and V15 Detect Submarine can clean for up to 60 minutes on a single charge. However, like the Gen5outsize Absolute, the Gen5detect Absolute can clean for up to 70 minutes.
- Power button: Unlike the V11 Extra, V15 Detect and V15 Detect Submarine, which all feature a power trigger, the Gen5detect Absolute has a one-touch on/off button. Instead of holding a trigger down the entire time we vacuumed, we only had to press the button once to turn the vacuum on and then again to turn it off, reducing the chance of hand fatigue while cleaning.
- Special features: Like V12 Detect, V15 Detect and V15 Detect Submarine, the Gen5detect Absolute comes with a Fluffy Optic cleaner head that helps reveal hidden dirt and hair on hard surfaces. Like the Gen5outsize Absolute, it also has a built-in crevice tool, conveniently housed in its wand, as well as other cleaning accessories, including a hair screw tool and a combination tool. The Gen5detect Absolute and Gen5outsize Aboslute both have an enhanced LCD display compared to the V12 Detect, V15 Detect and V15 Detect Submarine, so it counts the remaining runtime and provides real-time information about the number of particles it’s removing to help you know when an area is truly clean.
Features and accessories
As one of Dyson’s most advanced models, the Gen5detect Absolute boasts plenty of special features to make cleaning easier. It also includes several accessories that allow for cleaning surfaces beyond your floors.
Digital Motorbar Cleaner Head
The Gen5detect Absolute’s digital motorbar cleaner head is designed for use on both hard floors and carpeting, but it’s especially effective for pulling pet hair from carpet fibers. It has 56 detangling vanes that automatically move hair away from the brush bar while vacuuming to prevent it from getting caught around the brush.
During testing, we cleaned an area with heavy pet hair. The digital motorbar cleaner head never got tangled, and we only saw a few stray hairs sitting on the brushroll after vacuuming.
Hair Screw Tool
Like the digital motorbar cleaner head, the Gen5detect Absolute’s hair screw tool features an anti-tangle design. Its compact size lets it fit easily into smaller areas, making it ideal for cleaning stairs, car seats and even pet beds.
We used the hair screw tool to clean a set of carpeted stairs and two dog beds and found it removed all visible dog hair easily. Afterward, we didn’t find any hair tangled around the brushroll either.
Fluffy Optic cleaner head
The Gen5detect Absolute’s Fluffy Optic cleaner head seemed like it would be a gimmick, but we were impressed with how effectively it deep-cleaned hard floors. Its precisely angled light illuminated dirt and hair that we couldn’t see with our eyes alone, so we could clean more thoroughly. It was stunning to see how much dust and debris we’d missed on the floors, making it ideal for anyone who wants to ensure their hard floors are as clean as possible.
Compared to the other model’s Fluffy Optic head, the Gen5detect’s light was also brighter. It worked equally well whether we turned the lights off or left them on.
Other features and attachments
The Gen5detect Absolute has three cleaning modes to clean all types of messes. Eco mode offers the lowest suction power but the longest run time, making it perfect for full-home cleaning sessions. Auto mode automatically adjusts the vacuum’s power based on the flooring type to help maximize the cleaning time. The Boost mode provides the strongest suction power but the shortest run time, so it is best suited for deeper spot cleaning.
The vacuum also has a full-color LCD display that provides information to aid with cleaning. It shows the selected cleaning mode and counts down the remaining battery life in minutes and seconds, showing precisely how much battery is left. The display also provides a graph that uses the Gen5detect’s piezo sensor to count and size the particles it picks. Unlike previous models, though, its graph reacts in real time, so we could see when we’d removed each particle size to let us know that the floor was truly clean.
Like other Dyson cordless vacuums, the Gen5detect Absolute comes with accessories for cleaning versatility. In addition to the hair screw tool, it includes a combination tool with a wide nozzle on one side and a brush on the other and a crevice tool. Unlike other Dyson models, though, the Gen5detect’s crevice is built into its wand, making it much more convenient to store than a separate tool. The only drawback to the built-in design is that it can only be used in handheld mode and not at the end of the wand.
However, we were big fans of how easily the crevice tool cleaned between couch cushions and removed pet hair from along the wall edges in our testing area.
How we tested the Dyson Gen5Detect Absolute
To determine how well the Gen5detect Absolute cleaned, we conducted several standardized tests. In addition to analyzing how well it picked up different types of debris on both hard flooring and carpeting, we evaluated its battery life and noise levels.
Handling small debris like ground coffee and sugar
We tested how well the Gen5detect Absolute picked up fine debris by setting out small amounts of ground coffee and sugar. We placed 5 grams of ground coffee and 5 grams of sugar on laminate and 5 grams of coffee and 5 grams of sugar on tile. Next, we set 5 grams of ground coffee and 5 grams of sugar on low-pile carpeting and 5 grams of coffee and 5 grams of sugar on medium-pile carpeting. We noted how many passes the vacuum needed to fully remove the debris piles on each surface to determine how effectively it cleaned.
Handling medium debris like coarse kosher salt
To test how well the Gen5detect Absolute removed medium debris, we used coarse kosher salt. We placed 5 grams of salt on laminate, 5 grams on tile, 5 grams on low-pile carpeting and 5 grams on medium-pile carpeting, noting how many passes it took to pick up the debris on each surface.
Handling large debris like dry pet food
We tested the Gen5detect Absolute’s ability to pick up large debris using dry pet food. We placed 8 grams of kibble on laminate, 8 grams on tile, 8 grams on low-pile carpeting and 8 grams on medium-pile carpeting, recording how many passes it needed to remove the debris on each surface.
Evaluating battery life
We assessed the Gen5detect Absolute’s battery life by recording how many minutes it could run in its three modes: Eco, Auto and Boost. We also noted how long the battery took to recharge after it was fully drained.
Evaluating noise levels
To determine how loud the Gen5detect Absolute was, we used a handheld decibel meter. We held the meter beside the cleaning head while the vacuum ran in all three cleaning modes and recorded the reading.
The final verdict
The Gen5detect Absolute is the most impressive Dyson cordless vacuum we tested, hands down. Its power alone makes it a worthy replacement for a corded vacuum, but it also offers a host of special features that make cleaning more thorough and convenient.
Its price, though, is a major sticking point. At over $900, it won’t fit most homes’ budget for a secondary vacuum to handle spot cleaning. So ultimately, we recommend the Gen5detect Absolute for homes that want to replace a traditional vacuum with a cordless model because it delivers enough power and versatility that you won’t miss your upright. It’s also lighter than most corded vacuums, so it’s perfect for anyone who can’t push around a heavier model.