Dyson V15 Detect Extra is the most versatile handheld vacuum for cleanliness freaks
IF SPLURGING ON household appliances counts amongst the little joys of adult lives, the Dyson V15 Detect Extra is, without a shadow of a doubt, peak adulting indulgence. Dyson’s latest stick vacuum takes everything we’ve loved about Dyson vacuum cleaners — strong suction power and a host of thoughtfully designed accessories — and adds in debris-revealing laser illumination and dust particle count sensors. The uncompromised cleaning performance doesn’t come without the Dyson premium (`65,900) but dare I say, it makes the routine task of cleaning the household a little bit of… fun?
If you’ve seen a recent Dyson handheld vacuum, you would be familiar with the sci-fi space-blaster aesthetic of the device, and although it’s gotten a bit heavier (3.1kg) than Dysons of yore, it’s still easy to hold and use. The bulk of that weight is the Hyperdymium motor, which Dyson claims generates up to 230 air watts of suction to pull 99.97% of particles through a five-stage filtration system. All the dust and other nasties (down to 0.1 microns) are captured in a significantly larger 0.77-litre bin. The V15 Detect Extra has a laser-illuminated cleaner head, which angles downward onto hard floors to reveal dust particles you cannot ordinarily see.
Then there’s the piezo sensor which shows you, as you’re vacuuming, the size of the dust particles being picked up, on the LCD located on the rear end of the machine — a handy way to figure out just how dirty the house really was in a particular cleaning session. The LCD also doubles up to show you maintenance information, battery level and your selected cleaning mode — eco, auto/ medium and boost, with automatically adjusting suction based on the level of dust being collected).
Setup is easy, although you do have to wait to fully charge — about 4.5 hours — before using it for the first time. Yet, it’s the attachments that give Dyson the edge in terms of versatility, not to mention that oddly satisfying clicking sound when an accessory locks into place. Aside from the laser detector cleaning head for hard floors, there’s an antitangle cleaner head plus a special anti-tangle hair screw tool for pet hair and longer human hair… not to forget the combination tool that switches between a wide nozzle and a brush for dusting and cleaning tasks.
You’d be well advised to look at at least one tutorial video online to fully understand the purpose of each cleaner head. New in this model is the ultra-soft dusting brush for delicate surfaces (think easily scratched gadgets or crystal showpieces) and a new awkward gap tool which is angled at 22 degrees to clean hard-to-reach spots in the home or the car. In a neat trick, the wand (stick) attachment detaches to reveal a crevice tool stored inside for quickly addressing narrow gaps without having to reach for another attachment.
Aside from the small bugbear of constantly having to press the trigger the entire time you’re cleaning, the new Dyson does an effective job of pulling dust and particles unseen out of seemingly clean cushions, blinds or even floors that have just been swept. As with previous Dysons, you cannot use this with water spills as it handles only dry vacuuming. Battery life is up to 60 minutes, depending on the power mode, dust levels, surface type and attachments used, and you can buy an optional second battery if you find yourself running out of juice on a typical cleaning session.
The writer is a tech columnist and commentator and tweets @2shar