Dyson V15s Detect Submarine Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner review

Dyson has firmly made its mark as one of the best vacuum cleaners to date — and after owning and testing a few over the years, there is no denying Dyson’s exceptional cleaning power, advanced filtration and innovative features to make light work of chores. 

So when it announced the launch of its very first wet and dry vacuum cleaner, I couldn't contain my excitement. Finally, a Dyson cordless stick that could vacuum my hardwood floors and wash them too? It offers similar functionality to Tineco's Floor One S6 wet and dry vacuum that Tom's Guide has also reviewed.

The Dyson V15s Detect Wet/Dry Vacuum Cleaner is essentially an upgrade to its predecessor, V15 Detect Absolute. The only difference is that it comes with the additional, wet/dry attachment head. This motorized wet roller head is designed to suck up liquids, debris and remove stains, which are continuously extracted from the roller as it rotates. 

The only caveat to that is you’re not able to purchase the head separately, if you already have a cordless stick — a clever marketing ploy from Dyson. In any case, I was keen to see if the Dyson Submarine will excess my mopping expectations, and worth its premium price tag, 

Plus, the idea of waving goodbye to my trusted mop and bucket, and cut down on cleaning time was ever so appealing. I put it to the test to find out. 

DYSON V15S DETECT SUBMARINE REVIEW: PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine  is available to buy in the U.S. from Dyson.com, and costs $949,99 and on Amazon for $895.  In the UK, you can pick one up at Dyson.co.uk and Dyson Demo Stores, priced at £799.99.

DYSON V15S DETECT SUBMARINE REVIEW: DESIGN

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The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine has a similar design to the Dyson V15s Detect Absolute, weighing in just 9 pounds. In addition, it comes with a selection of cleaning heads/tools. 

This includes the standard digital motor bar cleaner head to deep clean carpets, fluffy optic cleaner head, hair screw tool, combination/crevice tool, the Submarine mopping head and a useful drip tray to place into after use. 

Its handy, one-button control, LCD screen gives you real-time information about performance, dust particles, run time countdown, and maintenance alerts. While you can switch between three power modes — Eco, Auto and Boost, depending on the cleaning task. Overall, it’s a sleek-looking, slimline stick vacuum that is easy to store — although you'll probably need to find extra space for the many attachments.  

DYSON V15S DETECT SUBMARINE REVIEW: EASE OF USE

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Like all Dyson vacuum cleaners, the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is easy and fuss-free to set up. The different head attachments easily swap out by its click-and lock signature red buttons.

There are no complicated instructions, and even setting up the Submarine wet/dry  roller head has numbered diagrams on it to guide you. You simply slide out the water chamber from the wet roller head, unscrew the cap, and fill with clean water.  Unlike the traditional mop and bucket, you don’t use hot or lukewarm water, just room temperature — and no detergent such as dish soap.

I found it a breeze to push across my low-pile carpets and hard floors with ease, thanks to its swivel-head mechanism that allows you to get into corners and tackle edges of baseboards (without hitting them!). Since the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is lightweight, I didn’t find it a struggle to lift and carry around the home. 

In addition, emptying the waste bin canister is fuss-free; a simple pull down on the red lever opens the chute directly into the trash can. The 0.77 L capacity is adequate for doing a light clean around the home, and doesn’t get too full. 

The only minor downside is that strands of hair would often get trapped into the crevices, and would need manual attention, but it’s not a deal breaker in the grand scheme of things. 

DYSON V15S DETECT SUBMARINE REVIEW: PERFORMANCE

First, I tackled my low-pile, beige carpet with the detangling cleaning head attachment. Although we don’t have any pets at home, the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine did a grand job in lifting up my long hair strands that were deeply ingrained into the fibers. And its impressive, suction power quickly cleaned my carpet from dirt and dust in no time at all —  making it look almost new again! This was also helped by the Hair Screw Tool to get deep into the stairs, while the crevice tool tacked the edges. 

Since we have mainly hardwood flooring, perhaps my favorite tool was the Fluffy Optic cleaner head. This beams a bright laser to reveal the dust and dirt accumulation as you vacuum your hard floors. This enabled me to do a thorough clean, including all the spots that I would have usually missed without it. What’s more, my 12-year-old son enjoyed using this tool as it made vacuuming his room more “fun” — making it a win-win!

Next up (and what I was most looking forward to), was the Submarine wet/dry roller head. The motorized head comes with eight water jets, evenly spaced along the roller, and 18 ml of water is released every minute to wash floors thoroughly. The dirty water is then sucked into a separate, 360-ml chamber to empty out.

As I pressed the handle, it quickly got to work on washing my hardwood and tile floors. After two sweeps, it did appear much cleaner, however, I did find it tricky to get into the tight corners and angles — which a traditional mop can access easily. 

Another downside is that if you pause mid-flow, the roller can leave grimy water streaks behind — where the suction has essentially stopped. In which case, you’d have to go over the area again to remove marks. However, considering the sheer power of the Dyson V15s Submarine, this was not a major issue

The drying time was also quick, and it didn’t leave behind a saturated floor, which some traditional and steam mops often do. Additionally, the handstick’s LED display gives you an indication of how much clean water is left, in case you need to tackle other rooms. Once you finish mopping, you simply empty the dirty water tank into the drain, and give the roller brush a good rinse in water. If I'm being fussy, the only thing missing is an auto self cleaning mode to make the task quicker. 

Also, bear in mind that the head holds a small water tank — so it will never replace a full bucket. So while it does a quick job of getting rid of minor stains and dirt on hard floors, it still doesn’t substitute a deep clean that you'd achieve with a good mop. Instead, I would recommend it for tackling those smaller messes or spillages, especially if you have young children or pets in the home.  

DYSON V15S DETECT SUBMARINE REVIEW: VERDICT

If you’re after a wet and dry cordless vacuum cleaner that offers impressive power, and convenience, the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine does a good job. Easy to assemble and use, you can quickly transform it to suit each task at hand. 

The battery life is impressive too, although I did mainly use it on the Eco setting to preserve more power. After using it several times around my home, the battery lasted for an impressive 76 minutes — which is longer than other cordless vacs I’ve tested. 

We enjoyed the convenience of using the mop roller head to wash and clean hardwood and tiles in seconds. And while it does not have the water coverage to tackle larger rooms or heavy-duty cleaning jobs (as a mop and bucket can), the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine gives a top-notch performance.