When it comes to Dyson vacuums, it’s no surprise to see innovation — that’s why its name appears in our list of the best vacuum cleaners. From LCD displays to lasers to detect hidden dust — even bizarre air-purifying headphones — the company always seems to be trying something new. I’ve been testing vacuum cleaners for several years now, so I’ve been around the block to say the least, but Dyson still seems to surprise me, and its latest introduction is no exception.
The Dyson Submarine attachment turns the V15s Detect from a vacuum cleaner into a wet mop cleaner. And all you have to do is switch out the floor heads to do this. Such versatility brings new levels of convenience to this appliance, and makes a chore that most of us will put off, all the more easy to complete. In fact, I don’t usually ask for household appliances for Christmas, but the Dyson Submarine makes the cut. Here’s why.
Mopping the floors has never been my favorite chore. Once the vacuum has been packed away, I need to fish out an entirely separate appliance to get the job done, and if I tackle the task with a manual mop, it can get overly tiring very quickly. There’s always the option to rely on one of the best robot vacuums with a built-in mop function (or simply one of the best robot mops), but to be frank they don't offer as deep a clean as doing it manually, and areas can end up missed as a result.
That’s why I was happy to see Dyson making advancements in this field. With the newly introduced Submarine attachment, you can quickly convert the V15s Detect from a vacuum to a mop, by simply switching out the floor head. It works by applying clean water from the 300ml water tank to the rotating roller, which then scrapes away and deposits the dirty water along with any small pieces of residue in another on-board 360ml tank. With such a capacity, it’s said to cover up to 1184 sq. ft. at a time, before needing to be emptied/refilled. It deposits 18ml of water a minute, which gives you roughly 16 mins of runtime.
In terms of maneuverability, you move it around pretty much like you would a vacuum cleaner. It can even pick up small bits of debris as you go, although you should always vacuum beforehand to remove the bulk, as it’s not designed for this. There’s no suction when this attachment is in use, so you don’t need to worry about water reaching the motor; the activity remains entirely within the floor head. Once you’ve finished cleaning your floors, you simply disassemble and rinse the Submarine head attachment in water along with an anti-bacterial detergent, before drying for its next use. It is suitable for use across many hard floor types, including wood, tile, stone, laminate, vinyl, linoleum and ceramic.
There are a couple of drawbacks to this design. First, you need to purchase the V15s to get this attachment. It doesn’t work with previous Dyson models and so is not sold separately. In other words, you must upgrade to access it, and with a price tag of $949, it’s not a cheap investment. Weighing 9 pounds with a full clean water tank, this is not the lightest of appliances to move around the home, especially when compared to alternative stick vacuums, but compared to other wet dry vacuum cleaners, it’s pretty generous.
Overall, I might have to break into my savings to get this piece of tech, but I think it’s worth it. The convenience of not having to store a second mop or a bulky upright appliance, is a big plus point. And the ease and speed of switching from vacuuming to mopping makes the chore feel, well like less of a chore.
The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is currently available from a number of major retailers, but if you purchase it directly from Dyson, there's the option to get the Submarine Absolute model for the same price ($949). This is sold exclusively from Dyson and features built-in HEPA filtration and a unique gold finish. Plus, at the time of writing, by purchasing this model you can save $200 on a Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 purifying fan/heater.
