Dyson
Gen5outsize Absolute Vacuum
About the product
It’s a powerful cordless vacuum. But is it too powerful?
Cordless vacuums certainly make cleaning more convenient, but many lack the suction power, cleaning time and dustbin capacity you can get from a corded vacuum. But the Dyson Gen5outsize Absolute lives up to its name by offering increased power, battery life and dirt-cup capacity, providing a corded cleaning experience with an accessible cordless design.
The Gen5outsize Absolute is one of the most powerful cordless vacuums Dyson offers and boasts the largest dustbin. It also provides twice the battery life of the next longest-running model, so it can clean even the largest homes without interruption. But there’s a price to pay for all that power and capacity — the Gen5outsize Absolute is the largest, heaviest cordless vacuum in the Dyson line, making it more challenging to navigate around furniture, other obstacles and especially up and down stairs.
To determine how well the Dyson Gen5outsize Absolute performed, the BestReviews Testing Lab put it to work on different flooring types. We also tested its ability to pick up debris in various sizes, such as sugar, coarse kosher salt, ground coffee and dry pet food, and noted how long its battery ran on a single charge. We considered how comfortable the vacuum was to use, too, paying attention to its ease of use, maneuverability, noise level and maintenance requirements.
The 60-second scoop
Product specifications
Dustbin Capacity: 0.5 gal | Dimensions: 11.4” L x 12.6” W x 50” H | Battery Life: Up to 140 minutes | Cleaning Path Width: 12” | Weight: 8.6 lb
The Gen5outsize Absolute’s name gives away its main selling points — it is bigger and better than many similar cordless vacuums. It has a maximum suction power of 250 air watts (AW), which is second to only the Gen5detect Absolute among Dyson cordless vacuums. Its increased suction power helped it perform well on both hard flooring and carpeting, so it only needed one pass to pick up most types of debris during our testing. It also boasts an extra-large dustbin, so it can hold up to 0.5 gallons of debris and reduce the need to run to the trash can in the middle of cleaning even larger homes.
The Gen5outsize Absolute also features an extra-wide cleaning head that lets you clean more efficiently. However, its size can be an issue when vacuuming corners or beneath furniture. Additionally, the vacuum weighs over 8.5 pounds, making it the heaviest among Dyson’s cordless vacuums and more difficult to push for longer cleaning sessions. It comes with two batteries, though, giving it twice the battery life of the Gen5detect Absolute and making it ideal for cleaning large homes.
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 Gen5outsize Absolute typically retails for $1,049.99. You can find it at Amazon and Best Buy.
Why we like it
- Powerful suction: The Gen5outsize Absolute has a maximum suction power of 250 AW, making it one of the most powerful among Dyson’s cordless models. It effectively cleaned all types of debris, including pet hair, from both hard surfaces and carpeting, so it is a viable alternative to a traditional corded vacuum.
- Extended battery life: The Gen5outsize Absolute’s battery runs for up to 70 minutes, the longest running time among Dyson cordless vacuums. However, it includes two batteries, doubling its battery life for up to 140 minutes of cleaning time.
- Extra-large dustbin: With a dustbin that can hold up to a half gallon of debris, the Gen5outsize Absolute doesn’t need to be emptied as often as other cordless vacuums.
- Fluffy Optic cleaner head: In addition to its traditional Digital Motobar cleaner head, the Gen5outsize includes a Fluffy Optic cleaner head that illuminates hard floors to reveal hidden dust and hair for more thorough cleaning.
- One-touch power button: Unlike some cordless vacuums with a power trigger you must hold down the entire time you vacuum, the Gen5outsize Absolute has a one-touch power button that makes for more comfortable vacuuming.
- Detailed LCD display: The Gen5outsize Absolute has an enhanced LCD display that not only shows the chosen cleaning mode and counts down the remaining battery life but also provides the number of particles being removed in real time to let you know if you need to keep cleaning or can move on.
What we don’t like
- Price: The Gen5outsize Absolute costs over $1,000, so it won’t fit many budgets, especially considering it’s a cordless vacuum.
- Size and weight: Because the Gen5outsize Absolute offers improved suction power and a larger dustbin, it’s bigger and heavier than many similar cordless vacuums, so moving it around furniture and other obstacles can be challenging. It also has a wider cleaner head than similar Dyson models, so it doesn’t fit in tight areas as well as other vacuums.
Setup
The Gen5outsize Absolute came in a branded box with a horizontal lid that made it easy to open and unpack. The vacuum was fully disassembled, with each component secured with cardboard and wrapped in foam for protection during shipping.
Once we removed the parts from the box, the setup was extremely straightforward. We connected the wand to the bottom of the Gen5outsize Absolute’s main vacuum body and then attached the cleaner head to the end of the wand. Both clicked into place easily, and the attachment points were easily identified because they were marked with red tabs.
Overall, it took less than two minutes to set up the Gen5outsize Absolute.
Design and brush rolls
As its name implies, the Gen5outsize Absolute is fairly large for a cordless vacuum. At 50 inches tall and 8.6 pounds, it is taller and heavier than the other Dyson cordless vacuums we tested. Its weight was noticeable during testing, as we found that our arm got tired if we cleaned for more than five minutes at a time.
Its design is somewhat bulky, too, because it has an extra-large dustbin, which can make maneuvering it around furniture and other obstacles difficult. We also noticed that its larger size and weight made it difficult to stand up straight when resting against a wall or furniture during vacuuming breaks. In fact, it toppled over several times during testing.
Unlike other cordless vacuums with a power trigger you have to hold down the entire time you clean, the Gen5outsize has an on/off button you only have to press once. We found this design much more comfortable to use because our hands didn’t get fatigued while cleaning as they did with models like the Dyson V15 Detect and V11 Extra.
The Gen5outsize Absolute comes with a traditional Digital Motorbar cleaner head that works well on both hard flooring and carpeting. It has detangling vanes that automatically clear hair from its brush bar to prevent it from wrapping around. We tested the vacuum in an area with two medium-to-large dogs, so there was plenty of pet hair to pick up. Still, we never found any hair tangled around the brush roll after vacuuming.
Battery life and recharge time
The main difference in the Gen5outsize Absolute’s battery life compared to other Dyson vacuums is that it includes two batteries. Each battery can clean for up to 70 minutes, providing a total of up to 140 minutes of cleaning time.
Like other Dyson cordless vacuums, the Gen5outsize Absolute has three cleaning modes. Eco mode provides the longest battery life but the lowest suction power for full-house cleaning, while Boost provides the strongest suction but the most limited battery life for intensive spot cleaning. Finally, Auto mode automatically adjusts the power based on the amount of dirt to balance battery life with suction.
During testing, the Gen5outsize Absolute cleaned for 74 minutes in Eco, 46 minutes in Auto and 14 minutes in Boost. When the battery was fully drained, it took four hours and 11 minutes to recharge. However, because we had a second battery, we didn’t have to wait to start vacuuming again, so it offered enough cleaning time for even the largest of homes.
Suction power
With a maximum suction power of 250 AW, the Gen5outsize Absolute is one of the most powerful cordless vacuums we tested, outpaced only by the Dyson Gen5detect Absolute at 280 AW. We definitely felt its power during testing because it performed just as well on carpeting as it did on hard surfaces like laminate and tile.
Carpet performance
The Gen5outsize Absolute was one of the best-performing cordless vacuums we tested on carpeting. It removed debris of all sizes, including sugar, coffee grounds, coarse kosher salt and dry pet food, in just one pass from both low-pile and medium-pile carpeting.
We were especially impressed with how well it handled pet hair on carpeting, though. The two dogs in our testing area shed constantly, so there was plenty of hair to pick up. The Gen5outsize Absolute removed all visible hair from even our heavier medium-pile carpeting — plus plenty we didn’t see, based on how much hair was in the dustbin after we finished cleaning the entire 1000-square-foot area.
Laminate performance
As expected, the Gen5outsize Absolute easily cleaned laminate flooring and other hard surfaces, picking up smaller debris like sugar, coffee grounds and coarse kosher salt in a single pass.
However, it needed two passes to remove dry pet food from the slick laminate surface because the Gen5outsize Absolute blew a few pieces out of its path. That often happens with extremely powerful vacuums on hard surfaces. Still, we had to return a second time to pick up the stray pieces.
Noise
The Gen5outsize Absolute is a fairly noisy vacuum, hitting 74.7 decibels in Eco mode, 79.7 in Auto and 81 in Boost. However, it wasn’t as loud as the corded vacuum in our testing area, the Bissell Cleanview Swivel Pet Rewind, which registered at 93.1 dB. For context, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a gas-powered lawn mower is 80 to 85 decibels.
As far as cordless vacuums go, though, it was on the louder side. In particular, it is louder than the Dyson Gen5detect Absolute, which hit a max of 79.4 dB.
How does it compare to other stick vacuums we tested?
- Size and weight: At 8.6 pounds, the Gen5outsize Absolute is the largest and heaviest of all the Dyson cordless vacuums we tested. It is over 3 pounds heavier than the Dyson V12 Slim Detect, the lightest model in the line, but it’s also nearly a pound heavier than the Gen5detect Absolute and over 1.5 pounds heavier than the V15 Detect.
- Suction power: The Gen5outsize Absolute has a maximum suction power of 250 AW, so among the Dyson cordless vacuums we tested, only the Gen5detect Absolute offers stronger suction with a max of 280 AW. The Dyson V15 Detect and V15 Detect Submarine both top out at 240 AW, while the V12 Slim Detect only reaches 150AW at its peak.
- Dustbin capacity: Given its bigger size, it’s no surprise that the Gen5outsize Absolute has the largest dustbin among the Dyson vacuums we tested. It can hold 0.5 gallons of debris, while the Gen5detect Absolute and V15 Detect only have a 0.2-gallon capacity.
- Battery life: Like the Gen5detect Absolute, the Gen5outsize Absolute’s battery can run for up to 70 minutes. However, because it comes with two batteries, its cleaning time is doubled, giving over two hours of battery life. Other Dyson models like the V15 Detect, V15 Detect Submarine, V12 Slim Detect and V11 Extra can only clean for up to 60 minutes, so the Gen5outsize Absolute is a better choice for larger homes.
- Price: The Gen5outsize Absolute is the only Dyson cordless vacuum over $1,000. The Gen5detect Absolute and V15 Detect Submarine are both $100 less, while the V15 Detect retails for $300 less.
Features and accessories
As one of the premium models in Dyson’s line, the Gen5outsize Absolute offers many high-end features and accessories that can make cleaning easier.
Digital Motorbar cleaner head
Like the Dyson Gen5detect Absolute, the Gen5outsize Absolute comes with a Digital Motorbar cleaner head. This head automatically adapts its suction power based on the flooring type, increasing its power on carpeting for deeper cleaning. It also features detangling vanes that help move the hair away from the brush to prevent tangles.
However, the Gen5outsize’s Digital Motorbar cleaner head is wider than the Gen5detect’s. This increased size provides a larger cleaning path, so we definitely noticed it could clean an area more quickly. However, its size became an issue when cleaning smaller, tighter areas. We especially had trouble fitting it beneath some furniture and into tight corners.
The head cleaned well, though, and never got tangled with hair. After vacuuming an area full of pet hair, we only found two or three strands on the brush. None were tangled, though, so we just picked them off with our fingers.
Hair screw tool
Like other Dyson cordless vacuums, the Gen5outsize Absolute includes a hair screw tool, which is a small head with an anti-tangle brush bar. We used it to clean a set of carpeted stairs and a large pet bed and found that it pulled off a significant amount of hair, leaving the surface free of all visible debris.
Setting up the hair screw tool was easy because the connection points are marked with red tabs. We only had to click it into place at the end of the main vacuum body, and we were ready to clean.
Combination tool
The Gen5outsize Absolute’s combination tool features a wide nozzle and a brush to make it easier to switch between cleaning and dusting. We found it highly effective for cleaning the blinds and HVAC vents in our testing area, removing all visible dust and debris.
Like the hair screw tool, it was very simple to connect the combination tool, so the setup took just a few seconds.
Other features and attachments
Like the Dyson Gen5detect Absolute, V15 Detect, V15 Detect Submarine and the V12 Detect Slim, the Gen5outsize Absolute comes with a Fluffy Optic cleaner head. It emits a precisely angled blade of light to reveal hidden dust and hair on hard floors.
Initially, the feature seemed a bit gimmicky, but to our surprise, it worked exactly as advertised. We were stunned by the amount of dirt we’d missed cleaning the laminate flooring in our testing area with our usual corded vacuum and appreciated how thoroughly it allowed us to clean the area. Like the Gen5detect Absolute, its Fluffy Optic cleaner head’s light seemed brighter than the one on the V15 Detect, V15 Detect Submarine and V12 Detect Slim, so we could see more dirt.
We were also impressed by the Gen5outsize Absolute’s improved, full-color LCD display. It shows the vacuum’s cleaning mode and counts down the battery life, so it doesn’t run out of power unexpectedly. Additionally, its piezo sensor allows it to size and count the particles that it picks up, so the display then shows a graph that lets you know if you need to continue cleaning or can move to another area.
Like other Dyson models, the Gen5outsize Absolute includes a crevice tool. However, unlike models like the V15 Detect or V12 Slim, the tool isn’t a separate piece. Instead, it’s built into the vacuum’s wand, making storage easier. We loved the crevice tool for cleaning crumbs between the cushions on the sofa in our testing area and along the room’s edges where the extra-wide vacuum head couldn’t fit.
How we tested the Dyson Gen5outsize Absolute
To fully evaluate the Gen5outsize Absolute’s cleaning ability, we tested it on laminate, tile, low-pile carpeting and medium-pile carpeting. We used debris in different sizes to assess its suction power and also evaluated its battery life and noise levels.
Handling small debris like sugar and ground coffee
To see how well the Gen5outsize Absolute handled small debris, we used sugar and ground coffee. We placed 5 grams of sugar and 5 grams of ground coffee on laminate; 5 grams of sugar and 5 grams of ground coffee on tile; 5 grams of sugar and 5 grams of ground coffee on low-pile carpeting; and 5 grams of sugar and 5 grams of ground coffee on medium-pile carpeting. We then noted how many passes it required to remove the debris fully on each surface.
Handling medium debris like coarse kosher salt
We evaluated the Gen5outsize Absolute’s ability to handle medium debris using coarse kosher salt. We placed 5 grams of kosher salt on laminate, 5 grams on tile, 5 grams on low-pile carpeting and 5 grams on medium-pile carpeting and recorded how many passes it required on each to pick up all the debris.
Handling large debris like dry pet food
To assess the Gen5outsize’s performance with large debris, we used dry pet food. We set 7 grams of kibble on laminate, 7 grams on tile, 7 grams on low-pile carpeting and 7 grams on medium-pile carpeting and noted how many passes it needed to remove the debris entirely.
Evaluating battery life
We tested the Gen5outsize’s battery life by draining it fully in the Eco, Auto and Boost modes and noting how many minutes it cleaned for. We then recharged the battery, recording how long it took until it was full.
Assessing noise levels
To determine how loud the Gen5outsize Absolute was, we used a handheld decibel meter. We held the meter beside the vacuum head in Eco, Auto and Boost modes and recorded each reading.
The final verdict
The Dyson Gen5outsize Absolute is a powerful cordless vacuum that can easily replace a corded vacuum for both hard surfaces and carpeting. Its larger dustbin and longer battery life make it perfect for large homes, and its cleaning features like the Digital Motorbar cleaner head, Fluffy Optic cleaner head and LCD display ensure the most thorough cleaning of all floors, even in homes with pets and small children.
But its larger size also means a heavier vacuum, so the Gen5outsize Absolute isn’t the best choice for someone who wants a model that’s easier to maneuver around furniture or take up and down stairs. Its price tag is tough to swallow, too, especially considering that there are similar Dyson vacuums under $1,000.