As the latest model in Dyson’s cordless stick vacuum lineup, the Gen5detect covers the expected bases for a Dyson vacuum. It’s impeccably designed, easy to use and powerful enough for routine or deep house cleanings. In fact, the Gen5detect could even work as the primary vacuum in your home.
But with the Gen5detect’s higher price tag than its competition, is it worth adding it to your cleaning tool rotation? Here’s our verdict on the new Dyson Gen5detect.
The Dyson Gen5detect is a stellar cleaner and includes excellent features like its auto-calibrating vacuum power system. But with its higher price tag compared to the competition, getting the Dyson brand name will cost you extra.
What we liked about it
Dyson design remains impeccable
Throughout our testing, the Gen5detect had excellent usability, thanks to Dyson’s sharp design touches. With the Gen5detect’s articulated hard floor and carpet attachments, we capably navigated the vacuum under kitchen counters and between living room furniture without missing a beat. At 7.7 pounds, the Gen5detect is slightly heavier than the competition — comparable models like the Samsung Bespoke Jet and Dyson V15 clock in at around 6 pounds. Still, we had no issues using the Dyson as a floor cleaner or lifting it above our head in handheld mode.
The Gen5detect carries over some of the great features from recent Dyson vacuums like the Fluffy Optic hard surface attachment, which has an angled green light that illuminates floor dust, and a 0.2-gallon bin with a convenient no-contact emptying latch, but it also comes with several new upgrades. We liked the Dyson’s integrated crevice-and-dusting tool, which is built into the Gen5detect’s wand section. If you’re cleaning multiple areas during a cleaning session, you won’t have to awkwardly switch between additional attachments to dust shelves or clean between furniture.
No more power trigger
The Gen5detect replaces Dyson’s traditional power trigger with a single power button located on the vacuum’s main panel. This switch makes the Gen5detect far easier to use for longer cleans, as you won’t have to hold down the Dyson’s trigger the entire time. Dyson hasn’t fully abandoned its trigger system, as the Dyson V12 still uses a trigger, but we’re glad Dyson has begun to offer an alternative.
Auto-calibrating vacuum system is great
The Gen5detect’s auto-power system is also intact, another impressive feature we liked in recent Dysons. This system automatically increases or decreases the Dyson’s suction power based on the size and amount of dirt it picks up.
During our testing, the Gen5detect quickly revved up when we moved from a hardwood floor to a living room rug. Impressively, the cleaner’s power system also distinguished between surface-level dust and larger dust bunnies while we cleaned a stairwell. The feature is a great quality-of-life addition, and we rarely needed to take a second vacuum pass to fully clean an area.
Excellent cleaning performance
What kind of cleaning performance should you expect from the Gen5detect? On paper, the Gen5detect offers decently improved performance compared to older Dyson models, thanks to its listed 262 air watts of suction power. By comparison, the Dyson V15 clocks in at 240 air watts, while older Dysons like the V8 and V12 land at around 150 air watts.
In practice, the Gen5detect performed as expected for a high-end cordless vacuum, and it has enough horsepower to be your household’s primary vacuum cleaner. Throughout our testing, the Dyson reliably cleaned hardwood floors and pulled hairs and dirt out of carpet without any performance issues. The Gen5detect also fully cleaned a mixture of dirt and popcorn crumbs off a low-pile carpet in a single vacuum pass.
What we didn’t like about it
Good but varying battery life
Dyson touts that the Gen5detect comes with an operating time of up to 70 minutes. The Gen5detect can switch between three cleaning modes (Eco, Auto and Boost) for maximum battery life or higher horsepower for spot cleaning, and the Dyson’s rear LCD screen shows your battery’s remaining run time.
That said, your Dyson’s real-world battery life heavily depends on your exact cleaning setup. Eco mode offers enough cleaning power for routine cleaning, but it’s also the only mode that’ll regularly hit Dyson’s listed 70-minute mark. Depending on your Dyson attachment loadout, the Gen5detect’s battery life will drop to around 30 to 40 minutes in Auto mode. Boost mode blows the Dyson’s battery life into the single-digit range, but considering it’s only meant for spot treatment, you wouldn’t want to run Boost mode for long stints anyway.
At the same time, we had no problems cleaning several rooms off a single charge during our testing. And between the Dyson’s on-screen battery timer, variable speed modes and auto-calibrating system, you won’t be surprised by a Dyson battery that suddenly hits 0%. (Plus, Dyson’s hardly the only manufacturer with battery life spans that vary depending on real-world usage.) Still, the Dyson’s battery life swings may be an issue if you live in a large house and want to clean multiple floors in a single run.
Limited wall dock space
The Gen5detect comes with four swappable accessories: two cleaner heads for hard and carpeted surfaces, a smaller pet hair removal tool and a combo brush/dusting tool when you’re using the Dyson as a handheld cleaner. But Dyson’s included wall dock accessory only includes slots for two accessories, which’ll leave one add-on as the odd man out. Admittedly, this won’t be a dealbreaker for many owners, but considering the Gen5detect’s price, it still feels like an odd design oversight from Dyson.
A hefty price tag
For as good as the Gen5detect’s performance is, the vacuum’s price tag will likely give potential shoppers pause. With a retail price of $949.99, the Gen5detect is Dyson’s second-priciest cordless vacuum and costs $200 to $300 more than predecessors like the Dyson V15 and V12.
The Gen5detect’s still an exceptional cordless cleaner, but its high price makes it strictly a top-of-the-line option.
How it compares
Many premium cordless vacuum competitors have leveraged their higher prices to take bigger design swings compared to the Gen5detect. LG’s CordZero and Samsung’s Bespoke Jet vacuums include auto-emptying holding stations, while Miele’s Triflex HX2 series can shift its motor up and down the wand shaft for improved handling.
As for Dyson’s older cordless vacuums, the Dyson V15 and V12 have Gen5detect features like the LED-equipped hard floor attachment and auto-power system. But the V15 still sports a power trigger, while the V12’s 0.09-gallon bin makes it a poor fit for larger cleans.
Bottom line
The Dyson Gen5detect easily earns its spot as Dyson’s latest flagship model, as the Gen5detect’s cleaning features, performance and usability make it versatile enough to be your home’s sole vacuum cleaner. You’ll get one of the best cordless stick vacuums on the market with the Gen5detect if price isn’t a concern, but the cleaner’s premium performance comes with an equally premium price tag.
