A powerful vacuum that reveals unseen dust

Plenty of cordless vacuums can thoroughly clean dry messes on your hard floors and carpeting, but only a few can also tackle wet messes. The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is a hybrid cordless vacuum and mop that can handle nearly any mess you find on your floors. 

The V15s Detect Submarine is one of Dyson’s more powerful cordless vacuums, so its performance on both hard surfaces and carpeting was closer to a corded model than other cordless vacuums. Its battery can also run for up to an hour, making it one of the longer-running models. Like other Dyson vacuums in the Detect line, it has a special cleaning head that emits a concentrated light to reveal hidden dust and hair on hard floors for the most thorough cleaning possible. As a mop, it can wash hard surfaces like wood, laminate, tile, stone, vinyl and linoleum. It is one of the heavier models in Dyson’s line, though, so it can be difficult to maneuver around furniture or carry up and down stairs. 

The BestReviews Testing Lab put the V15s Detect Submarine to work on hard surfaces, such as laminate and tile, as well as carpeting to see how effectively it vacuumed and mopped. We also tested the vacuum with dry debris of different sizes to evaluate its suction power, and we assessed its mopping abilities on both fresh and dry stains on hard flooring. We evaluated its battery life, special features, dustbin capacity and maneuverability, too, to determine how easy it was to use. 

Why we like it

• Versatility: The V15s Detect Submarine is the most versatile Dyson vacuum we tested. In addition to coming with attachments that allow for floor-to-ceiling cleaning, it is the only model we tested that also works as a mop. 
• Powerful suction: With a maximum suction of 240 air watts, the V15s Detect Submarine is one of the more powerful cordless vacuums we tested. It cleaned both hard floors and carpeting effectively, needing only a single pass to remove most types of debris. 
• Fluffy Optic cleaner head: Like other Dyson models in the Detect series, the V15s Detect Submarine includes a Fluffy Optic cleaner head, which emits a beam of green light to reveal invisible dust and hair on hard floors for more thorough cleaning. 
• Drip tray for mop head: The V15s Detect Submarine has its own drip tray for its Submarine wet roller head, which provides storage for the head and collects any water droplets before they reach your floor.

What we don’t like

• Price: Like most Dyson cordless vacuums, the V15s Detect Submarine is pretty pricey. Costing over $900, it won’t fit all budgets. 
• Weight: As a cordless vacuum/mop hybrid, the V15s Detect Submarine is one of the heaviest models we tested. The added weight can sometimes make maneuvering around furniture and up and down stairs more challenging and lead to arm fatigue when cleaning for long periods. 
• Power trigger: Unlike other Dyson models, such as the V12 Detect Slim and the Gen5detect Absolute, the V15s Detect Submarine doesn’t have an on/off button. Instead, it has a power trigger that must be held down the entire time you vacuum, which can cause hand fatigue or cramps when cleaning for long periods. 
• Post-mopping cleanup: The V15s Detect Submarine’s wet roller for mopping isn’t machine-washable, so it requires hand-washing after each use, which means getting your hands dirty. 

The 60-second scoop

This powerful cordless model vacuums and mops effectively, but its weight may be an issue for some.

Product specifications
Dustbin Capacity: 0.2 gal | Dimensions: 10.6” L x 10” W x 49” H | Battery Life: Up to 60 minutes | Cleaning Path Width: 10.1” | Weight: 9 lb
 

The V15s Detect Submarine is very similar to the Dyson V15 Detect, except it can also mop in addition to vacuuming. It has a maximum suction power of 240 AW, allowing it to clean hard flooring and carpeting effectively. It also picked up all types of debris during testing, including pet hair. As a mop, it removed both fresh messes and dried-on residue from hard surfaces. Its 0.2-gallon dustbin is about average among the cordless vacuums we tested, and we found it was large enough to clean 1,000 square feet without needing to empty it. 

The V15s Detect Submarine can clean for up to 60 minutes, the same as most of the Dyson cordless vacuums we tested. However, its three cleaning modes allowed us to choose the power and battery life we needed for specific cleaning situations. At 9 pounds, it is one of the heaviest Dyson models we tested, though, so it was more challenging to navigate around furniture and carry up and down stairs than other cordless vacuums. It also led to arm fatigue when we cleaned for more than five minutes. 

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 V15s Detect Submarine usually retails for $949.99. You can find it at Amazon and Best Buy.

Setup

The V15s Detect Submarine’s filter is washable. Dyson suggests cleaning monthly with warm water until it runs clear.

The V15s Detect Submarine came in a branded box with a horizontal lid, making it very easy to unpack. It was fully disassembled, and each component was secured inside with cardboard and protected with plastic or foam sheets to prevent damage during shipping. 

After removing all of the components from the box, the setup was extremely straightforward. We attached the wand to the bottom of the main vacuum body and then connected the vacuum head to the bottom of the wand, making sure that each component clicked into place. Finding the connection points for assembly was very easy because the areas were marked with red tabs. 

Setting up the V15s Detect Submarine took less than two minutes in total. 

Design and brushrolls

The testing team was impressed to find hair never got tangled on the Digital Motorbar cleaner head thanks to its detangling vanes.

The V15s Detect Submarine features a similar design to other Dyson vacuums, particularly the V15 Detect. It has a main vacuum body with a display at the top that connects to a wand with a cleaning head at the bottom. Like the V15 Detect, the V15s Detect Submarine has a power trigger that must be held down during cleaning, which sometimes led to hand fatigue and cramping during testing. 

However, because the V15s Detect Submarine has added mopping components, it is heavier than the V15 Detect. Weighing 9 pounds, it is one of the heaviest cordless vacuums we tested. This added weight, coupled with the power trigger, became an issue during testing when we vacuumed or mopped for more than five minutes because we would experience fatigue in our hands and arms. Maneuvering the vacuum around furniture and carrying it up and down stairs was more challenging, too. 

The V15s Detect Submarine comes with a Digital Motorbar cleaner head that features detangling vanes. These vanes help clear hair from its brush bar automatically as you clean. Our testing area housed two medium-to-large dogs that shed constantly, but the V15s Detect Submarine’s cleaner head never got tangled with hair. In fact, we never found more than three or four stray hairs on the brush roll, which we could easily brush away with our fingers. 

Battery life and recharge time

The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine’s battery arrives partially charged, but Dyson recommends fully charging it for the best performance.

Depending on its cleaning mode, Dyson advertises up to 60 minutes of battery life for the V15s Detect Submarine. Eco mode offers the longest battery life but the lightest suction power, making it ideal for whole-house cleaning. Auto mode balances suction power with battery life based on how much dirt is on the floor. Boost mode offers maximum suction but the shortest battery life, so it works best for intensive spot cleaning. 

During our testing, the V15s Detect Submarine surpassed Dyson’s battery-life claims. It cleaned for 71 minutes in Eco, 44 minutes in Auto and 13 minutes in Boost. When the battery was drained, it took four hours and 35 minutes to fully recharge. 

We mainly tested it on Auto mode, and we found that its 44-minute runtime was more than enough to clean our 1000-square-foot testing area. 

Dyson V15s suction power

The V15s Detect Submarine has a maximum suction power of 240 AW, so it is only outclassed by the Gen5outsize Absolute and Gen5detect Absolute among the Dyson cordless vacuums we tested. Its power was evident during our testing, as it effectively cleaned all types of debris from both carpeting and hard surfaces — requiring just a single pass to pick it up in most cases.

Carpet performance

We tested the V15s on low-pile and medium-pile carpeting. On our low-pile carpet, it removed all types of debris, from finer particles like ground coffee and coarse kosher salt to large pieces like dry pet food, in one pass. On medium-pile carpet, it picked up ground coffee and salt in a single pass but needed two to remove the kibble. 

We were very pleased with its ability to pick up pet hair from carpeting, too. Our testing area was home to two medium-to-large dogs, which meant there was tons of pet hair on the carpeting. The V15s Detect Submarine picked up all visible hair on low-pile and medium-pile carpeting — and likely plenty of other debris we hadn’t seen because the vacuum’s dustbin was over half full when we were finished. 

Laminate floor performance

As we expected, the V15s Detect Submarine easily cleaned hard surfaces like laminate. It needed just one pass to remove all types of debris from laminate, including ground coffee, sugar, coarse kosher salt and dry pet food. 

Its Fluffy Optic cleaner head also helped us get a deeper clean for the laminate floors in our testing area. It revealed an astonishing amount of dust and hair on the surface that we couldn’t see with our eyes alone, leaving the surface significantly cleaner than our usual corded vacuum. 

Mopping performance

As a mop, the V15s Detect Submarine handled most messes quickly and easily. It cleaned spilled tea and smeared peanut butter on laminate flooring without leaving any residue behind. It also removed dried mud and salt stains from our laminate floors after a snowstorm with just one pass over the areas.

However, the V15s struggled a bit more with stubborn stains. We had to go over a spot of dried toothpaste on a tile floor several times, and afterward, there was still a bit of residue left that we had to scrub away by hand.

We also noticed that the mop head released more water than necessary in some spots, so it puddled up slightly. It was worse at the start of a mopping session, but then the water distribution became more even as we continued to mop. 

Overall, we were pleased with the V15s Detect Submarine’s mopping performance. However, we didn’t find that it performed any better or took any less time than manual mopping. 

Noise

The testing team found the V15s made an average amount of noise compared to other vacuums we tested.

While we didn’t find the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine the loudest vacuum we tested, it was fairly noisy during testing. It registered 84.2 decibels in Boost, 73.6 in Auto and 70.7 in Eco. However, it was quieter in mopping mode, hitting just 67.1 decibels. 

We also found that at its loudest, the V15s Detect Submarine was still quieter than the corded vacuum in our testing area, the Bissell Cleanview Swivel Pet Rewind, which registered at 93.1 decibels. For comparison, a dishwasher is about 70 decibels, while a gas-powered lawn mower is about 80 to 85 decibels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

How does it compare to other stick vacuums we tested?

The V15s is heavier than other models we tested due to its mopping components.

• Weight and size: The V15s Detect Submarine weighs 9 pounds, so it is over a pound heavier than the Dyson Gen5detect Absolute, over 2 pounds heavier than the Dyson V15 Detect and over 3.75 pounds heavier than the Dyson V12 Detect Slim. Its extra weight is due to its mopping components, so that may be a tradeoff you’re willing to make. But the V15s is more difficult to maneuver around furniture and carry up and down stairs than other models and can cause arm fatigue when cleaning for long periods.  

• Power: Like the Dyson V15 Detect, the V15s Detect Submarine has a maximum suction power of 240 AW. Its suction is noticeably stronger than the Dyson V12 Slim Detect with a max of 150 AW and the V11 Extra at 185 AW, but it is not quite as impressive as the Dyson Gen5detect Absolute with a max of 280 AW.
• Versatility: The V15s Detect Submarine comes with all the same accessories for floor-to-ceiling cleaning that the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, V15 Detect and Gen5outsize Detect include, but it is the only Dyson model we tested that vacuums and mops. 
• Power trigger: Like the Dyson V15 Detect and V11 Extra, the V15s Detect Submarine has a power trigger that must be held down the entire time you clean. However, models like the Dyson V12 Slim Detect and Gen5detect Absolute have a one-touch on/off button that makes for much more comfortable vacuuming. 
• Battery life: Like the Dyson V11 Extra, V12 Slim Detect and V15 Detect, the V15s Detect Submarine can clean for up to 60 minutes. However, the Dyson Gen5detect Absolute can run for up to 70 minutes for some added cleaning time. 

Features and accessories

V15s Detect used clean water efficiently while mopping with its Submarine wet roller head.

The V15s Detect Submarine is one of Dyson’s premium models, offering many high-end features and accessories. Its mopping ability and accessories make it one of the most versatile cordless vacuums we tested. 

Digital Motorbar cleaner head

The V15s Detect Submarine’s main cleaning head is the Digital Motorbar cleaner head designed for use on both hard floors and carpeting. It automatically adjusts its power based on the surface to ensure the deepest clean no matter where you’re cleaning. It also has detangling vanes that clear hair from the brush bar as you vacuum. 

Because our testing area housed two dogs, it had heavy pet hair on both the hard floors and carpeting. However, after cleaning, we never found any hair tangled around the Digital Motorbar cleaner head’s brush. In fact, we only saw a few stray hairs on the brush bar afterward, so we only had to brush them away. 

Submarine wet roller head

To mop with the V15s Detect Submarine, we only had to attach the Submarine wet roller head. This head features a wet roller that can clean up wet spills and dried-on stains and two water tanks. One tank holds clean water that the head dispenses onto the floor, and the other holds the dirty water extracted from the cleaner head after mopping. 

The V15s Detect used clean water efficiently while mopping. It used less than 10% of its water when we cleaned a 175-square-foot area with laminate flooring. The dirty water tank in the wet roller head is smaller than the clean tank, but it didn’t come close to the maximum fill line during our mopping session. 

The one issue we encountered with the wet roller head’s water tanks is their small openings. While we had no trouble filling the clean water tank or emptying the dirty water tank, cleaning the two was difficult because it was tough to reach inside. 

Other features and attachments

In addition to the Digital Motorbar cleaner head and Submarine wet roller head, the V15s Detect Submarine comes with a Fluffy Optic cleaner head. This head produces a precisely angled beam of light that illuminates hidden dirt, dust and hair on hard flooring. Initially, we were skeptical of this feature and figured it was mostly a gimmick — boy, were we wrong. The V15s’ Fluffy Optic cleaner head revealed a significant amount of dirt and hair that our usual corded, upright vacuum, the Bissell Cleanview Swivel Pet Rewind, had missed, allowing us to clean the laminate much more thoroughly. 

We also appreciated the V15s’ full-color LCD display. It not only shows the selected cleaning mode but also counts down the remaining battery life so it doesn’t run out of power unexpectedly. It displays a real-time graph with the number of particles of each size it’s picked up, too. If the vacuum has any issues with its battery, filter or a blockage, it also displays an alert. 

In addition to its three cleaning heads, the V15s Detect Submarine comes with accessories that allow you to clean more than just floors, including a hair screw tool, a combination tool and a crevice tool. 

The hair screw tool is designed to pick up pet hair and long hair without tangling and is small enough to fit into tight areas. We used it to clean a set of carpeted stairs and pulled out a ton of pet hair without any getting wrapped around the brush. 

The combination tool has a wide nozzle and a brush, so it’s easy to switch quickly between cleaning tasks. It worked well for cleaning delicate areas like window blinds and HVAC vents. 

The crevice tool was our favorite attachment, though. We used it to remove the crumbs between the sofa cushions in our testing area and at the bottom of the wall along the room’s edges where the vacuum’s head couldn’t quite fit. 

How we tested the Dyson V15S Detect Submarine

The testing team sprinkled around debris like dry pet food and ground coffee to test the V15s Detect Submarine’s suction.

To determine how well the V15s Detect Submarine cleaned as both a vacuum and a mop, we tested it on multiple flooring surfaces, including laminate, tile, low-pile carpeting and medium-pile carpeting, and with different types of debris and messes. We also tested how long its battery lasted and how much noise it made. 

Handling fine debris like sugar and ground coffee

We assessed how well the V15s Detect Submarine could clean fine debris by sprinkling around 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, recording how many passes it required to fully remove each pile.

Handling medium debris like coarse kosher salt

To determine how well the V15s handled medium debris, we set 5 grams of coarse kosher salt on laminate, 5 grams on tile, 5 grams on low-pile carpeting and 5 grams on medium-pile carpeting. We then noted how many passes it took to pick up all the debris on each surface. 

Handling large debris like dry pet food

We tested how well the V15s Detect Submarine picked 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 and recorded how many passes it needed to remove the debris fully. 

Evaluating mopping ability

To assess how well the V15s Detect Submarine could mop, we spilled a small amount of iced tea and smeared some peanut butter on laminate flooring to see how many passes it needed to remove the mess. We also used the V15s to clean existing stains, including mud, ice-melt residue and toothpaste.   

Assessing battery life

We assessed the V15s Detect Submarine’s battery life by running it down in Eco, Auto and Boost modes and recording how long it lasted. We then noted how long it took for the battery to recharge once it was drained. 

The final verdict

The testing team found the V15s Detect Submarine did an excellent job vacuuming and mopping our testing area.

The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine offers something that the other cordless vacuums we tested don’t — the ability to both vacuum and mop your floors. Its versatility makes it a particularly good fit for homes with mainly hard floors. It can handle carpeting almost as well as corded vacuums, though, and easily pick up pet hair. 

But its price certainly won’t fit all budgets, and since using it as a mop doesn’t really save as much time and hands-on effort as you might want, for some, it may not be worth the splurge.