Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool review

The Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool PC3 is the latest tower fan from the British brand, and it offers up not only excellent cooling with owl-like oscillation, but also air purification.

That makes the Find+Follow Purifier Cool particularly helpful for those with asthma or allergies when they don't want dust, pollen and other particulars floating round their home.

But the party trick here is in the ‘Find+Follow’ name, and it’s what sets it apart from its predecessor, the Purifier Cool PC1, while also kicking the Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 to the curb.

This particular cooling and air purifying fan features a small camera that can identify people in its field of view, and then follow them round a room, ensuring the breeze is always directed where it’s needed.

It’s a good looking fan, but all this comes at a steep cost — $849.99 / £549.99 to be exact. With many of the best fans coming in at a lower price point, Dyson has its work cut out to justify the premium cost of its latest offering.

Things get off to a positive start with the fan arriving in suitably protective packaging that’s almost all cardboard — the main piece of plastic is a large bag over the fan itself. It’s easy to unpack, and setup via the free My Dyson app is straightforward.

You’ll need both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled on your phone, allowing you to get the fan connected to your device, as well as your home network. I liked the ‘Getting started’ video in the How To section of the app: it’s just under two minutes long and walks you through the core functions of the fan.

Controls in the app are nicely laid out, with easy access to on/off, fan speed, and oscillation. There’s also auto and night modes, a timer setting to turn off the fan after a set duration, and the ability to switch from fan to diffuser mode, if you want to purify the air in your home without the main fan being active.

Shifting focus back to the fan itself, it stands tall with its large, oval bladeless design sitting atop a gold pedestal that hides the air purifying tech and HEPA H13-grade and K-Carbon filters. Dyson claims the filter “captures 99.95% of particles such as viruses and bacteria, as well as pollen, pet dander and mould spores”.

It not only cleans the air, but the K-carbon filter can remove smells and gases, handy if you’ve been over-enthusiastic in the kitchen and want to get rid of that burning smell. I found it did a pretty good job of getting rid of the burnt toast smell in the morning quicker than leaving it to dissipate on its own.

There’s a power button just above the circular display on the base of the fan, but Dyson doesn’t provide any further controls on the device itself. Instead you need to use the remote, which magnetically clings to the top of the fan for simple storage, or the app to adjust settings.

You can also link the PC3 to your smart home, allowing you to use Google’s Gemini or Amazon’s Alexa voice assistants to control the fan. Linking it to my smart home setup also allowed me to control the Find+Follow Purifier Cool from the Google Home app as well as the My Dyson app.

The display on the fan is subtle, and from a distance it can be difficult to read due to its small size, but you can get all the info displayed here in the My Dyson app.

You can adjust the information the display shows by clicking the ‘i’ button on the remote, allowing you to cycle through visuals for various data including; indoor air quality, indoor humidity, indoor temperature, and remaining filter life. It’s useful stuff, but it’s better viewed in the app.

I was particularly impressed with the range of oscillation on offer, with the ability to rotate 45, 90, 180, and 350 degrees. Pop the Find+Follow Purifier Cool in the middle of a room and it’ll reach almost every area.

This was particularly useful when it came to placing the fan in a bigger room, as the huge angle of coverage provides far more flexibility. In my large, open-plan living space I could position it towards the center and have it reach most areas — although there was one small shortcoming: the length of the power cord.

At 1.8m it’s similar to many other rival fans, but as there are 350 degrees of movement, this is a fan you might be more inclined to position further away from a wall outlet to get maximum benefit. I was able to plug it into my kitchen island, allowing it to stand well away from a wall, without the cord or an extension cable draped across the floor — but your home’s setup will be different, so it’s worth considering where you’ll be plugging it in.

Once on, Dyson’s clever bladeless design delivers smooth air flow that feels like a natural breeze moving through your home, rather than the harsh buffeting you get from some other propeller and tower fans.

Coupled with its quiet operation — especially at lower fan speeds — you might find yourself forgetting it’s even on. My partner questioned whether I’d left the back door open as she felt a breeze, but it was simply the Dyson’s caress of the air is so gentle that it didn't feel artificially generated.

In our open-plan living space, I needed a fan speed between eight and 10 to really feel the effect during the warm weather, when sitting around four to five meters from the fan. In my small office (16m²), a fan speed of three was enough to keep me feeling cooler, with the Find+Follow Purifier Cool positioned a couple of meters away.

At its highest speed setting of 10, the Find+Follow Purifier Cool was still relatively quiet at 40-60dB, allowing you to comfortably have a conversation without the need to shout over the noise. Halving the speed sees the sound generated dropped to 20dB (similar to a mosquito), while at its lowest speed I got a reading of around 15dB, just slightly louder than normal breathing (10dB). If you’re looking for a quiet fan, the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool is a strong contender, but the Duux Whisper Flex 2 has it beat, just.

The quiet operation meant I was able to keep the fan on overnight in our bedroom, with the low level hum not loud enough to disturb my sleep. My partner is a lighter sleeper, and after an initial adjustment, they were able to sleep with it on as well.

And then there’s the Dyson's Find+Follow party-trick. Enable this mode by pressing the button on the remote or in the app, and the fan will scan the room looking for people. Once it’s detected a person, it’ll direct air flow towards them. Get up and move around the room, and the purifying fan will oscillate to maintain air flow in your direction. It doesn’t rotate particularly quickly, but it’ll keep moving until it picks you up again.

If you leave the room briefly, the Find+Follow Purifier Cool will wait patiently in a ‘dormant’ state for your return. The fan will continue, but movement will only resume when you re-enter the room and it picks you back up.

When there’s clear sightlines in an uncluttered room, the Find+Follow AI does a reasonably good job of tracking movement, delicately rotating as you move about. However, I found if I passed too closely and too quickly, it wouldn’t always continue tracking me, even though I was still within its range of movement. This feature works best in large, open-plan spaces where you don’t need to pass too closely to the fan itself. In smaller rooms, the AI tracking can struggle a little more.

In cases where you leave the room for more than an hour, the system will switch to Auto mode, where the fan’s sensors will adjust the settings to reach the target air quality for the room.

For those concerned about the privacy implications of this technology, Dyson says the: “AI vision system never identifies anyone and only detects presence. Images are processed instantly within the machine, deleted and never leave the device.” And you can turn off the follow mode at any point using the remote, app, or smart home voice assistant.

When it comes to maintenance, Dyson’s bladeless design makes things super simple, with the wipe of a damp, lint-free cloth all that’s required. You do need to keep an eye on the air intake holes on the base though, as I found pet hair from my two cats would build up over the course of a few days. Dyson suggests using a soft brush to remove this debris.

The Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool is a highly accomplished purifying fan with useful modes, impressive features, and a fun — if slightly creepy — follow mode that a subset of users will find beneficial. Though I wouldn’t say the addition of this tracking camera does enough to fully justify Dyson’s asking price.

I’ve no problem saying that if you have the money, and are looking for a true flagship purifying fan, the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool absolutely delivers. It’s supremely easy to set up and use, while the performance matches other high-end multi-purpose rivals. But if you’re bulking at the list price, there are plenty of reasonably priced fans — and Dyson purifying fans without Find+Follow — that provide similar levels of performance for less.

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool review: Price & release date

• Premium price tag of $849.99 / £549.99
• Costs considerably more than its closest rivals
• Available in the UK and US from June 2026; not on sale in Australia

The Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool has been on sale since May 2026 in the UK, and went on sale in early June 2026 in the US but it's unfortunately not currently available in Australia. You can buy it via Dyson directly and a number of major third-party retailers.

The Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool costs $849.99 / £549.99, making it one of the more expensive fan and purifier combos on the market. It’s not Dyson’s most premium purifier (that’s the Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde), but it is the firm’s most expensive fan, nudging out the $499.99 / £399.99 Hot + Cool HF1.

While the Find+Follow comes with its eponymous following camera tech, that has added $300 / £100 to the retail price of the Purifier Cool PC1 it replaces. The PC1 is still available though and is generally discounted too, if you want similar cooling and purifying results without the person-tracking tech.

If you’re not fussed about the heating or air purifying features, Dyson’s cheapest comparable fan is the Cool AM07 tower at $399.99 / £349.99, although this older model is sometimes discounted.

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool review: Specs

Should I buy the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool review: Also consider

How I tested the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool

• Used the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool for a week
• Used it in the bedroom, office and main living space
• Tested various modes, including Find+Follow and Sleep

I used the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool at home in the UK during a week of very warm May weather (28-31C / 82-88F). I set it up in my open-plan living space, master bedroom, and small home office, to experience how effective it was in different locations.

I tested the range of modes the fan has to offer, including auto, sleep, and Find+Follow. I operated it with the remote, via the My Dyson and Google Home apps, and I even asked Gemini via the smart speakers in my home to adjust fan speed and turn the unit on and off.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: June 2026

EOFY sales in Australia aren't just about work-related deals — nothing is stopping you from picking up something for your home or yourself when there are savings to be had.

So if you've been eyeing something from Dyson, you're in luck because the British brand is hosting its own EOFY sale that's slashing up to AU$651 on some of its top-selling products.

You don't have to buy directly from Dyson if you don't want to, though. Other authorised retailers are also discounting Dyson's tech and I've hunting down some of the best prices on a variety of premium vacuums and hair stylers. I'm also keeping an eye on Dyson's purifier fan heaters for good discounts, so watch this space.

I'll be tracking all the best Dyson EOFY deals through June, so you can bookmark this page and check back to see if there have been any price drops or new items discounted — you'll get the most up to date information right here.

Top Dyson retailers

• Dyson: up to AU$651 off select items, including exclusive models
• Adore Beauty: save on Dyson hair styling tools
• Betta Home & Living: discounts on select stick vacuum cleaner
• eBay: the official eBay Dyson store with more savings for Plus members
• JB Hi-Fi: save on select vacuum cleaners
• Myer: vacuums, heaters, fans, purifiers, hair tools – the lot!
• Sephora: discounts on Dyson's hair tools
• The Good Guys: find deals on vacuums, purifiers and hair tools

• Want to save more on Dyson products? Check out the latest Dyson promo codes and coupons.

Best EOFY 2026 Dyson deals

Vacuums

Haircare tools

Fans, heaters and air purifiers

Other Dyson deals

Dyson EOFY 2026 sale: key information

Dyson Supersonic Travel: two-minute review

As the name suggests, the Dyson Supersonic Travel is a scaled-down, travel-friendly version of Dyson's now-iconic Supersonic dryer, redesigned to fit in your luggage. It's 32% smaller and 25% lighter than the original, weighing just 0.7lbs / 330g, and it automatically adapts to any voltage between 100 and 240V without any fiddly switches or converters.

It offers the same 110,000rpm motor and intelligent heat control technology as seen on the full-size Nural, measuring air temperature over 100 times a second to avoid extreme heat damage. You get three heat settings and two airflow speeds, controlled via buttons on the cylindrical head and LEDs show you which setting you're on, at a glance.

The Travel ships with a magnetic smoothing nozzle in the box but is also compatible with any and all existing Supersonic Nural attachments, which is a useful detail if you already own the Nural or if you need a range of alternative nozzles.

In testing, drying was noticeably faster than a typical hotel dryer, and faster than some cheaper, regular hair dryers. It took around four minutes on my fine, mid-length, curly hair and the results were smooth. Dyson is upfront that airflow isn't quite as powerful as its full-size range and it is noticeable, but not a dealbreaker for my hair type. I imagine it will soon frustrate anyone with thicker or longer hair, though.

The price is where things get complicated. At $299.99 / £249.99 / AU$449, the Supersonic Travel sits at the very top of the travel dryer market. The ghd Flight+ does the same basic job, albeit it with some more fiddly controls, for $129 / £79. The most like-for-like is the Dreame Pocket Pro and even that only pushes the price to $159.99 / £149.

By almost any normal dryer standards, the Supersonic Travel is a well-designed, well-built and powerful contender in the hunt for the best hair dryers. It more than holds its own and there are very few sacrifices to make. This performance goes a long way towards justifying the higher cost, but even then it's still a tough price pill to swallow unless you're a frequent traveler.

Dyson Supersonic Travel: price & availability

• List price: $299.99 / £249.99 / AU$449
• Availability: US, UK, Australia

The Supersonic Travel sits at the top end of the travel dryer market – and then some. It's almost three times the price of the GHD Flight+ and twice the price of the Dreame Pocket Pro. In fact, it's not too far off the price of the original Supersonic, which still retails for $399.99 / £279.99 (although is often on sale for less).

It is, however, notably cheaper than its siblings and Dyson's flagship models, the $449.99 / £399.99 / AU$749 Supersonic Nural and the Supersonic r that retails for $549.99 / £449.99 / AU$799.

The Supersonic Travel is available from Dyson, as well as Amazon, Boots and Cult Beauty in the UK; Amazon and Best Buy in the US; and JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman in Australia.

The most obvious budget alternative is the ghd Flight+ at £79 / $129 / AU$159 – a foldable travel dryer with dual voltage, albeit without auto-adapting voltage (you need to use a coin to switch modes) and no wider attachment compatibility.

The Dreame Pocket Pro ($159.99 / £149) is a more interesting comparison: it's lighter (at 300g), similarly auto-adapts to global voltage, and comes with a more generous attachments bundle. It's also foldable, whereas the Dyson model isn't.

Neither the GHD or Dreame models match the Dyson for brand heritage or the intelligence of the heat control system, but both are meaningfully cheaper.

• Value for money score: 3 out of 5

Dyson Travel Supersonic specs

Dyson Supersonic Travel: design

• Classic Dyson-style cylindrical head design
• 32% smaller, 25% lighter than Supersonic
• Three heat settings, two airflow speeds, controlled via buttons on head
• Universal voltage auto-adapts from 100–240V
• Reviewed in Ceramic Pink / Rose Gold with styling concentrator

The Supersonic Travel is unmistakably a Dyson device, from the pink and rose gold accents to the same circular head above a narrow handle.

The biggest difference, visually, is in size. The Travel is 32% smaller (2.7 x 2.8 x 8.7in / 6.8 x 7.1 x 22.2cm) and and 25% lighter (0.7lbs / 330g) than the original Supersonic, but doesn't lose any of the essence. I'd be as bold to say it's the best-looking travel dryer I've ever tested.

Despite the size difference, the dryer still feels well-balanced. It doesn't fold in half like the GHD Flight+ or Dreame Pocket Pro, to name two rivals, but the whole design is sleek and compact enough to drop into a handbag or carry-on regardless. The only thing that really gets in the way is the chunky 6.6ft / 2m cord.

There's no travel case in the box, which at this price feels like a miss, particularly when the ghd Flight+ includes one at a fraction of the cost. Even a bag as standard, to protect what is far from a cheap dryer, would suffice but instead you have to pay an additional $39.99 / £45 for the privilege of a travel pouch.

To account for the lack of handle space on the Travel, versus the larger Dyson models, the controls are more concentrated on the head.

On the back of this cylindrical head, the airflow button sits on the left with the temperature button on the right. Each button has a row of LEDs above it – two lights for high speed or heat, one for the gentler settings. These LEDs also flash white if the filter needs cleaning, and red if there's a fault. The power button is then a slider on the back of the handle and this slider is used to control the cool shot.

If you've ever used a Dyson, these split controls will be familiar but they do take a little getting used to compared to other, standard dryers. To enable the cold air, give the slider a nudge upwards from its 'on' position. It isn't clear or obvious that you need to do this, unless you have an Airwrap and are familiar with how Dyson maximizes the use of its switches, and ended up being one of the only features on the Dyson Travel that didn't feel natural. Also the LEDs are great on paper, because you can see which setting is selected at a glance but given that they're on the rear of the head, it's not as intuitive as it sounds either.

The removable filter cage sits at the base of the handle and pulls down onto the cord for cleaning. You can remove the entire filter and wash it with water and this is a small but welcomed touch. It also means the Travel should last longer, which at this price is a blessing.

In the box is a magnetic smoothing nozzle, and thanks to Dyson's heat shield technology, the surface of this nozzle stays cool to the touch even during use. It's not exactly a wide default attachment range, especially at this price and the fact the Dreame Pocket Pro ships with five attachments.

However, you're unlikely to want to take lots of attachments when travelling, and the Supersonic Travel is compatible with the full Supersonic and Supersonic Nural attachment range, which is super useful if you already own either machine, and semi-useful if you can afford to buy any of them separately.

One thing to note, even though the Supersonic Travel automatically adjusts its voltage based on the country you're in, Dyson recommends using an adapter rated to 1,300W across the full voltage range rather than a universal adapter. It's not a dealbreaker but will help preserve the life of the Travel for longer.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Dyson Supersonic Travel: performance

• Dries faster than a hotel dryer; notably quick for a compact machine
• Intelligent heat control measures air temperature 100 times per second
• Noise level: [XdB] in testing

The Supersonic Travel was tested daily over four weeks, including a trip to San Francisco where the universal voltage got its first real workout.

It's not the fastest dryer I've tested, but it was notably, and surprisingly, powerful for such a compact device. Drying time on my fine, mid-length curly hair ran to around 4 minutes on high heat and high airflow – faster than I expected from a machine this size. If you have thick or long hair, expect to be there for longer but even then, I can promise it will be faster than a hotel dryer and with more heat protection.

Speaking of protection, Dyson's intelligent heat control is one of the reasons the results hold up so well. With temperature measured more than 100 times per second, there's no scorching or uneven heat distribution – just consistent, controlled drying. The finish was always smooth with minimal frizz and enough volume to feel close to an at-home result. Over the review period my hair also felt softer.

The styling nozzle helps further with this. It guides the airflow for precise smoothing and shaping and clicks on magnetically. You can rotate it during styling, which is a bonus if you're trying to get different angles in a cramped hotel bathroom, but it never came loose. It's a delicate balance of movement and security that Dyson is great at across the Supersonic range.

One of the more compelling arguments for the Supersonic Travel's price is the attachment compatibility. Any attachment from the Supersonic or Supersonic Nural range clicks straight onto the Travel's magnetic barrel. This means if you already own either machine at home, you can simply pack whichever attachments you need rather than adapting your routine around whatever comes in the box.

I tested the Travel with the Gentle Air attachment alongside the Nural's Styling Concentrator. The Gentle Air attachment diffuses the airflow slightly for a cooler, softer result. This is useful for fine hair that doesn't need aggressive heat, and is particularly good for a second-day refresh, but I found I didn't have much of a need for it given the Travel's already lower, more gentle airflow.

My favorite attachment to use with the Travel (and any Dyson Supersonic model for that matter) is the Flyaway Smoother. It uses Coanda airflow to attract and flatten stray hairs on a finished style, and it works incredibly well. Especially on fine, naturally curly hair; the difference between a finished blow-dry with, and without it is noticeable. My only complaint is that it's a large attachment which doesn't lend itself well for travelling.

Despite these attachments originally being designed for the larger Supersonic models, the magnetic connection felt as secure on the Travel as they do on the Nural; clicking on with the same snap as on the full-size machine, and rotating smoothly during styling without any loosening mid-use.

Plugged in at my hotel in San Francisco with a country adapter, the Supersonic Travel performed exactly as it did at home. There was no perceptible difference in power or overheating. You can often tell when a dryer isn't performing at full strength when abroad by a drop in noise but this also wasn't noticeable with the Dyson Supersonic Travel. Another pleasant surprise.

Speaking of noise, the loudest the Travel got during my tests was 87dB on high speed, and the lowest was 83dB on low speed. The machine is certainly not silent, but it's comparable to – and in many cases quieter than – the sort of dryer you'd find mounted to a hotel room wall. It also carries over the slightly softer-pitched sound found on the wider Dyson range (of vacuums and hairdryers) which is less jarring on the ears than the decibel rating may suggest.

Elsewhere, maintenance is minimal. The filter cage requires periodic cleaning when the LEDs flash white, which involves removing it, washing it under a tap, and leaving it to dry naturally before reinserting. It's a six-step process that Dyson details clearly in the manual and it's not difficult at all.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

How I tested the Dyson Supersonic Travel

I tested the Dyson Supersonic Travel hair dryer over four weeks on my fine, mid-length naturally curly hair.

I used it as my only dryer at home and took it on a trip to San Francisco. Testing included daily use across all heat and speed settings, use with the styling concentrator on wet and damp hair, and real-world travel use with a country adapter in a US hotel room.

I measured noise levels using the DecibelX app and compared drying times against my usual full-size dryer.

• First reviewed May 2026

Dyson is making big strides in the world of robot vacuums, and its latest robovac — the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai — uses a camera combined with artificial intelligence to tackle tough stains that other robot vacuums tend to miss, and get your floors as clean as possible. But why did Dyson choose to tackle that particular problem, and what does the future hold when it comes to household robots?

I visited Dyson's UK Innovation Campus in Wiltshire, where many of the company's advanced engineering teams work on new products and technologies, using rapid prototyping to develop and test ideas. The campus is also the home of the Dyson Institute, where undergraduate students from around the world come to learn, and work on real-life projects.

There, I sat down with Jake Dyson, the company's Chief Engineer, to learn more about his own experience, and Dyson's approach to AI and robotics.

Despite being the son of founder James Dyson, Jake hasn't always worked for the company. After a brief spell at Dyson at the age of 22, he left to pursue an independent career in industrial design. He built his own workshop and began to specialize in lighting, separately from the family business, before returning, bringing that experience with him. I asked him how that early work translated into his current endeavors.

"It comes down to identifying problems and solving them," he explained. "When LEDs first entered the market, I realized people weren’t cooling them properly. The promise of LEDs is that they should last a lifetime, but in reality they were being treated like disposable lightbulbs. I visited Osram in Asia, and they explained that if you keep the diode temperature below about 50C, you can maintain brightness, color quality, and lifespan. That became my goal."

"I looked at how satellites manage heat. In space, temperatures swing from extremely hot to extremely cold, so they need precise thermal control. I applied similar thinking by designing systems that passively dissipate heat. For example, the heat moves away from the chip and is cooled by airflow, maintaining a stable temperature even at high power.

"That process, spotting a problem and solving it, is what drives everything."

Stairs and arms

Dyson's latest robot vacuum has been designed to tackle the specific problem of tricky stains on hard floors, which other wet-and-dry cleaners fail to tackle. The Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai uses a high-definition camera and an LLM that includes over 190 different household objects and stains.

I asked Jake why Dyson had chosen to tackle such a (literally) ground-level problem when other companies are debuting robot vacuums that can climb stairs and lift objects with mechanical arms. He explained that Dyson has been tackling those more advanced problems for about 10 years already, but the solutions aren't yet genuinely useful and reliable.

Having seen some other companies' ambitious robots, I can see what he means. The Roborock Saros Z70, for example, has a pincer arm that can lift lightweight objects out of the way, but in our tests it failed to identify and move them independently, instead relying on you to control the pincer remotely. It also has a lower success rate on carpet due to what Roborock calls a "hardware limitation".

Stairs are also a major challenge. My colleague Ruth Hamilton saw two stair-climbing robovacs in action at last year's IFA tech show, but explained that the legs/treads used to navigate stairs aren't actually attached to the robots themselves (they are more like a cradle that holds the bot), which means they can't clean the stairs as they go. Only one robot managed to tackle the first step with confidence as well. According to Ruth, the other "approached this initial challenge at the speed of a geriatric turtle".

They're interesting concepts, but neither looked ready for the mainstream — and as Jake explains, they're attempting to solve a very difficult problem.

"Every staircase is different height, spacing, materials and then you add in pets, children, and people moving around. It becomes a very complex and potentially unsafe problem," he said. "Something going up and down stairs autonomously needs to be extremely reliable. It’s actually more complex than autonomous driving in some respects."

"So while it’s an interesting challenge, and being able to clean an entire home, including all floors, with one machine would be ideal, it has to meet a very high bar for safety and usefulness. Until it does, we focus on delivering products that work reliably in real homes today."

Safer decision-making

Dyson has never been shy about dropping products that don't work out (such as the CR01 Contrarotator washing machine and the Dyson car), but its work on cordless vacuums continues apace. We recently reviewed the super-compact Dyson Pencilvac Fluffycones, and just a few weeks ago the company debuted its first self-emptying cordless vacuum. I asked Jake whether he thinks robots will eventually handle all your cleaning tasks, or whether there will always be a place for stick vacuums.

"No, I don’t see that happening, at least not completely," he said. "Right now, robot vacuums are very good at regular maintenance, keeping floors tidy day-to-day. But people still want a to clean with a cordless vacuum when they do a deeper clean, as well as being able to clean surfaces other than the floor."

However, he added that the world of robotics is advancing incredibly quickly, especially when it comes to AI.

"Previously, robots could see and navigate, but they struggled when they encountered something unfamiliar. Now, with reasoning, they can make safer, more informed decisions.

"We’re also seeing rapid development globally, the US is leading in AI and ‘brains’, and China is producing robots at scale and more affordably.

"In the future robots will learn from each other via the cloud,; one robot’s experience will instantly improve others, and one robot will be able to repair a fault on another robot. That will massively accelerate development.

"However, regulation and safety will slow adoption. These technologies may be ready soon, but it could take around 10 years before they’re widely allowed in homes. Elon Musk said he thinks humanoid robots will be in many homes in three years, and I agree with him. Though they use up a lot of energy to walk for example, so a robot vacuum cleaner is much more energy efficient than a humanoid [robot] using a vacuum cleaner.

"So yes, robots will become more capable, but I think traditional tools will still exist alongside them."

Although you might like the idea of handing over all your household chores to a robot, it seems cordless and handheld vacuums will be around for a while yet — and you'll still need to climb the stairs and pick up socks yourself for now.

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool: review

Dyson’s engineers are experts in airflow — whether in vacuum cleaners, fans, or hair dryers — and the HushJet Mini Cool puts that power right in your hand. It’s a portable cooling fan that you can hold, wear around your neck, attach to clothing or a bag strap (if you buy one of the optional clip accessories) or stand upright on your desk — and it really works.

Shortly before testing the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool, I got my hands on the Shark ChillPill — a rival handheld fan that was released at approximately the same time. I was impressed by the ChillPill’s cooling ability, which is supplemented by a misting attachment and a metal cooling plate — but in terms of sheer power, the Dyson absolutely blows it away.

Watch the video version of this review below...

This mainly comes down to two factors: the fan’s powerful motor, which can reach up to 65,000rpm (compared to just 25,000rpm for the ChillPill), and the shape of the HushJet nozzle, which concentrates the airflow so it’s all directed right at you. Even on the lowest setting, you can really feel it; dial it up to maximum and it’s as powerful as some hairdryers I’ve used.

The sound is not unlike a miniature vacuum cleaner, but the HushJet shape works to eliminate the annoying higher frequencies that might irritate colleagues if you use it in the office, or fellow passengers on a busy commuter train. There’s even a hint of Dyson’s signature ‘bounce’ sound when you turn it off.

Accessories like a clamp (so you can attach it to gym equipment) are available to buy separately, but you get a neck strap included with the fan as standard. Slide this onto the fan (it has notches that allow it to slip past the control buttons), adjust the cord to a suitable length, rotate the fan’s head so it’s pointing towards you, and you’ll enjoy a cooling jet of air on your chest, neck and face, hands-free. Extremely handy if you’re taking stuffy public transport.

Dyson claims that the HushJet Mini Cool can run for up to six hours on its lowest power setting, but during my tests it significantly outperformed that figure, lasting almost exactly six and a half hours on a full charge.

It’s hard to fault the HushJet Mini, but a couple of things stood out during testing. Firstly, it’s easy to accidentally cover part of the air intake grille with your hand when holding the fan, which I’m sure affects its performance.

Secondly — and this is only my personal opinion — the Stone/Blush colorway makes the fan look like an exfoliating facial brush at first glance (not unlike the Braun Facespa Pro) which is a strange thing to wear around your neck and might raise a few eyebrows.

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool: specifications

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool: price and availability

• Launched May 2026
• Available globally
• List price $99 / £99.99 / AU$169

Dyson announced the HushJet Mini Cool on April 9, 2026, and it was available to buy globally a few weeks later. It has a list price of $99 / £99.99 / AU$169, which is very reasonable for a powerful personal fan. For comparison, the Shark ChillPill, which went on sale just a few weeks earlier for $149.99 in the US, or £129.99 in the UK (which converts to about AU$210, though at the time of writing the ChillPill isn’t yet available in Australia).

The Dyson HushJet Mini Cool has been in high demand since its launch, and at the time of writing (June 2026) it’s often sold out in Dyson’s official online stores. The Stone/Blush colorway is sometimes the only one available.

If you’re not planning to use your fan on the move, and want one specifically for your desk, take a look at the Dyson Cool CF1 Desk Fan, which is just as quiet but can move a larger volume of air, oscillates and has a remote control, making it a better choice if you’re sitting still (possibly working from home). It has a list price of £249.99 (about $340 / AU$470).

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool: Design

• Unique shape for a portable fan
• Nozzle focuses airflow and reduces noise
• Neck strap and charging base included

Dyson devices often look slightly unusual, taking the most practical shape for their function regardless of how vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, or, in this case, fans have traditionally looked. The HushJet Mini Cool is no exception — with its slim, tubular body and angled nozzle (which is the same shape as that of the Dyson HushJet Compact Purifier), it looks nothing like other personal cooling devices, but it’s a shape that works. The body of the fan is comfortable to hold, and the nozzle can be turned to direct the airflow exactly where it’s needed.

The HushJet Mini Cool is bladeless (like Dyson’s larger fans), ensuring the airflow is smooth rather than choppy, and its honeycomb-like mesh keeps dirt and debris out of the mechanism — though it's also supplied with a soft velvet carry case to protect it on the move.

The HushJet Mini Cool comes in three colorways: Ink/Cobalt (dark blue), Stone/Blush (soft pink, as shown here), and Carnelian/Sky (red and pale blue). Personally I prefer the latter option, which is the most striking, and it seems I’m not alone — at the time of writing all colors are selling out rapidly, but Carnelian/Sky seems to be the one disappearing from the virtual shelves quickest, followed by Ink/Cobalt.

The tubular shape, with a flat end, means that you can easily stand the HushJet Mini Cool on your desk while you work. If you’re planning to use it all day, it comes with a charging base, which provides extra stability regardless of whether the USB cable is plugged in or not.

Whichever color you choose, the fan’s case has a satin finish that feels pleasantly smooth and cool in the hand and is resistant to fingerprints, with contrasting colors for the nozzle and buttons. Dyson’s car never took off, but the company’s designers took the knowledge they gained about finishes and materials, and applied it to beauty products — which explains why they look so smart.

A row of five small white LEDs show the current power setting, and represent the battery level when the fan is charging..

Should you buy the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if

Don't buy it if

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool is the right fan to keep you cool, here are two other alternatives to consider.

How we tested the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool

• Tested for a week
• Used on trains, in the office, and at the gym
• Tested battery on lowest power mode
• Measured volume with decibel meter app

I spent a week testing the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool in various locations, including trains to work, at the office, and in the gym. I compared its performance directly against that of the Shark ChillPill.

I measured its noise level with a decibel meter app on my phone, and tested its battery life by fully charging it, then allowing it to run on the lowest power setting until it switched off. For more details, see how we test, review, and rate products at TechRadar.

First reviewed June 2026.

• The purifier has intelligent sensors to track where you are in the room
• There are no privacy worries — everything is processed on the device
• It's priced at $850 / £550 (about AU$1,190)

Dyson has launched what may be its smartest air purifier yet, the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool. As the name suggests, it's a purifier that knows where you are and follows your movement, directing air to where you are and optionally turning itself off when you leave the room.

It doesn't just work for solo users. It can detect multiple people in the same room, automatically adjusting its oscillation to share the cooling "efficiently and evenly". By directing the air at people rather than just into the room, the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool should be more energy efficient than less intelligent devices.

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool: key details and pricing

It's worth noting that like similar Dysons, this is a fan rather than an air conditioner so it doesn't refrigerate the air; it just moves it around very well. If you're looking for a portable air conditioner we've rounded up the best in-stock options right here.

In addition to the people detection the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool has a typically high specification. Its K-Carbon + HEPA filtration captures 99.97% of ultra-fine particles as small as 0.3 microns and promises to capture 50% more NO₂ than rival purifiers. It's fully sealed to HEPA H13 standard and has automatic sensing of PM2.5, PM10, VOCs, NO₂, and formaldehyde.

As ever with Dyson, the device is very impressive but the price is pretty high, especially in the US – although it's a little more affordable than first announced. The press release listed the price as $894.99, but it's currently available from Dyson.com for a slightly less frightening $849.99 / £549.99. That works out at about AU$1,190, but it's not currently listed on Dyson's Australian website.

It’s no secret that Dyson makes some of the best cordless vacuums out there, combining performance with a premium and futuristic design aesthetic. That does mean its offerings come with a high price tag (whether it’s actually warranted or not is a different story), and can be somewhat of an aspirational purchase for some households.

If you’ve been eyeing a Dyson stick vacuum but couldn’t justify paying top dollar, then these discounts direct from the Dyson website might just be the opportunity that you’ve been waiting for. Prices start at just AU$335 and you can grab anything from an entry-level model (which is still powerful enough to clean a dirty carpet) to wet-and-dry options if you want a mop as well.

While the V10 Absolute has the biggest discount of AU$700 and now costs just AU$599, the newer V8 Cyclone is cheaper at AU$549, making the latter the better buy as you get the latest technology from Dyson. But neither are our picks for the best Dyson deal this week as the V8 Cyclone has been a lot cheaper previously. So we’ve gone through all the discounts and picked three that we think are worth considering, and it includes a new-release model for under AU$500.

Hurry, though, as these offers end Wednesday, May 20.

In my previous role as a TechRadar Homes Editor, I spent many, many hours testing vacuum cleaners. And of those, a good chunk were Dyson. I've used almost every vacuum in the brand's current lineup. As a result, I'm surprisingly invested in this brand's floorcare moves, even though now it is no longer my job to care about them.

So when I got wind that a new Dyson vacuum was being unveiled, alongside the self-empty dock the brand has been promising since September, I was very excited to see what was in store.

The new addition is the Dyson V10 Konical. It's not a flagship (we're on V16 now; keep up) but rather a cheaper, less tech-crammed option, without the useful information screen that marks out the brand's V11-and-up models. It's also, confusingly, one of a number of V10 vacuums — the Cyclone V10 launched in 2018 and remains widely available, and there's also now a Cyclone V10 Submarine, which is one of a few models to come bundled with a mopping floorhead that can be swapped for the vacuuming one.

The V10 Konical hasn't made it to the US yet, but the vacuum (without the dock — more on that in a sec) is available to buy now in the UK for £449.99 and in Australia for AU$799.

An unwelcome return

The V10 Konical lacks a number of Dyson's newest, fanciest features, but — to my dismay — the one recent innovation that has made its way into this new addition is the All Floors Cones Sense floorhead. This inventive floorhead made its debut on the Dyson V16 Animal, and features two conical rollers rather than a regular, tube-shaped one, the idea being that it's better for avoiding hair wrap (the cones should funnel long hair towards the suction inlet).

On the V16, I found the floorhead very frustrating. The fact the casing comes to a slight point, to mirror the shape of the cones, means it's very tricky to effectively clean the edges of rooms. Furthermore, the strip that connects the two rollers creates a barrier in the middle of the floorhead where no cleaning is happening.

All of that means this floorhead just isn't that good at cleaning. It was no less annoying in its fluffy iteration on the Dyson PencilVac FluffyCones, although at least they didn't spell it FluffyKones.

An unexpected surprise

I was doubly disappointed to discover Dyson's interesting new vacuum is kitted out with my least-favorite feature, because the self-empty dock the brand announced alongside the V10 Konical is something I'm interested in. During my vacuum reviewing years I became an unexpected self-empty evangelist, and I'm especially invested in Dyson's efforts.

Then I spotted a bit of small-print in the press release: "The Auto-empty Dok is backward compatible, so existing Dyson V8 Cyclone owners can upgrade without replacing their entire system." Hurrah.

The Dyson V8 Cyclone is a vacuum that I am fully on board with. It's one of the cheapest options in the range, coming in at £349.99 / AU$649 (no US availability yet). For that relatively affordable price, it delivers simple but effective cleaning — with a regular, not-annoying floorhead, and the same 150AW of suction as the pricier V10 Konical.

The fact that I could pick up an Auto-empty Dok to use with my existing V8 Cyclone is very welcome news. It's also unexpected; the other auto-empty docks I'm aware of are all tied to one, specially adapted machine, which is frustrating if you have a perfectly good vacuum but want to try the auto-empty functionality.

Currently, the Auto-empty Dok isn't yet available to actually buy anywhere. It's due to land in the UK on 8 July, where a V10 Konical-plus-Dok will cost £569.99. In Australia, we only know it'll arrive some time "later this year", and the Dok its own will be AU$299. That would be equivalent to around $210 / £160. I'll be watching with interest...

• The Dyson Supersonic Travel is a lightweight, compact hair dryer
• It's compatible with the same attachments as full-size Supersonic dryers
• It adapts automatically to suit the voltage in the country you're visiting

Dyson has launched a new travel-size hair dryer that's small enough to pack in your hand luggage and safe to use anywhere in the world. The Dyson Supersonic Travel is 32% lighter and 25% smaller than the original Dyson Supersonic (released in 2016), but still offers intelligent heat control to prevent damage

If you already have a Dyson Supersonic or Supersonic Nural hair dryer, you'll be pleased to know that the new travel-size model is compatible with all the same attachments, so you don't need to struggle without your favorite diffuser, wide-tooth comb, or smoothing nozzle.

The attachments are held in place with magnets so you can snap them on and off, and your Supersonic dryer will recognize which one is currently in place. When we tested the original Supersonic, we were particularly impressed by the Flyaway attachment, which tames stray hairs with the same technology as the Dyson Airwrap.

Voltage can be an issue when you're travelling with electrical appliances, but the Dyson Supersonic Travel automatically adapts to the country you're visiting, so you can take it around the world without worrying about damaging the motor or experiencing poor performance.

During styling, the Dyson Supersonic Travel measures airflow temperature 100 times per second to ensure your hair isn't overheated, which can cause damage over time — a welcome change from hotel hair dryers, which tend to either wheeze warm air onto your hair, or blast it with heat.

The Dyson Supersonic Travel is available to buy now direct from Dyson for £249.99 in the UK or from Dyson Australia for AU$449 (about $340 in the US). The company has yet to announce dates for its international launch.

Dyson PencilWash: one-minute review

The Dyson PencilWash is a wet floor cleaner that’s a counterpart to the PencilVac launched last year. Unlike the PencilVac, the PencilWash isn't a vacuum. Instead, it’s essentially an electric mop with a soft roller that spins as water is dispensed onto it along eight points, and a squeegee that forces dirty water out of the roller into a storage tank.

It’s extremely slim and lightweight, with a long, slim handle and a full-size floorhead that’s almost identical to the one found on one of Dyson’s best wet-dry floor cleaners. It can soak up wet spills, wash away dried-on dirt, and pick up dust and dry debris in one sweep.

The PencilWash’s simple controls, lightweight and highly articulated head make it extremely easy to use, and almost effortless to maneuver around even tight corners, though its roller can’t reach right to the very edge of your baseboards.

It’s very effective when used with plain water, collecting an impressive amount of dirt from surfaces that looked reasonably clean at first glance, though you can also use it with a cleaning fluid to help break down more stubborn and sticky stains.

It can be messy to empty because the dirty water tank doesn’t have a spout for clean pouring, and any debris that has accumulated on the squeegee and roller will need to be rinsed off or removed by hand. I found that the roller takes a long time to dry - even when I left it in a room with a dehumidifier running, it wasn’t completely dry for over a day.

For me, the PencilWash’s biggest drawback is the price; the PencilWash only does wet cleaning, but costs almost as much as a good quality wet-and-dry vacuum cleaner like the Shark HydroVac Cordless WD201 / WD210 or the Bissell Crosswave HydroScrub. It does its job very well, but it’s tough to justify the expense for what is essentially a motorized mop unless you have no carpets or rugs to clean at all.

Dyson PencilWash: specs

Dyson PencilWash: price and availability

• Available globally
• List price: $349.99 / £299.99 / AU$549

The Dyson PencilWash is available globally for $349.99 / £299.99 / AU$549, which is rather expensive for a wet floor cleaner without a vacuum. For comparison, the Bissell Crosswave HydroScrub wet/dry floor cleaner is $369.99 (about £280 / AU$540), while the Shark HydroVac Cordless WD201 / WD210 is $359.99 / £329.99 / AU$399.99.

It’s the most affordable Dyson floor cleaner you can buy right now, and you’re getting a great quality appliance that’s compact but powerful, so it’s a question of whether you have enough hard flooring in your home to justify the cost, or whether you’d be better served by a two-in-one cleaner.

• Value score: 3.5/5

Dyson PencilWash: design

• Super slim and lightweight
• Full-size, fully articulated floorhead
• Easy to operate

The PencilWash is a partner to Dyson’s super-slim vacuum cleaner, the PencilVac, with a similarly lean build. It consists of a slender copper-colored pole (which contains the rechargeable battery, controls, and a small LED display) and a full-size floorhead. This appears to be the same as the Submarine Wet Roller Head, which you'll also find on the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine.

The floorhead contains a large, fluffy microfiber roller, a refillable water tank, a ‘squeegee’ that forces dirty water out of the roller, and a tray that collects it. It’s easy to disassemble and slot back together, with all removable components colored red to make things as simple as possible. Unlike the PencilVac, however, the PencilWash has no LEDs to illuminate dirt on your floors.

The head is fully articulated and moves freely. It can be flattened to almost 180 degrees for cleaning under low pieces of furniture, and swivels smoothly to reach into awkward areas like behind furniture legs.

The PencilWash weighs 4.85lbs / 2.2kg without water, and feels nicely balanced with just 13.4oz / 380g in the hand. The water tank is in the floorhead, keeping the center of mass close to the ground.

The controls are simple and intuitive, too, with a power button and two boost options that dispense extra water for a certain period of time (five seconds or 30 seconds) if you need to tackle a particularly grimy area. The screen shows the current cleaning mode and power status.

The PencilWash comes with a charging stand, which holds the pole, and a tray to hold the floorhead when it’s not in use. Both are discrete and take up the bare minimum of space in small homes.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Dyson PencilWash: performance

• Cleans wet and dry dirt with ease
• Can reach under low furniture and into tight spaces
• Dirty water tank must be emptied with care

I tested the Dyson PencilWash in my apartment, which has black laminate flooring throughout the kitchen, hallway, and bathroom, which shows every water mark, crumb, and speck of dust.

Preparing the Pencilwash for use is simple; just remove the water tank and roller from the floorhead, fill the tank to the maximum line and twist it back into place, then dampen the roller with clean water and slide it onto its mount.

When switched on, the PencilWash’s roller propels it forward, and the highly articulated head and lightweight handle make it effortless to push across your floors. Because the water tank is in the floorhead, most of the weight is kept close to the ground, keeping it stable and leaving the handle light and comfortable.

During my tests, I found that the PencilWash made light work of spills and dried-on dirt, such as spilled juice in the kitchen, and footprints in the hallway. Although you can use the PencilWash with a floor cleaner (such as Dyson’s own 02 Probiotic hard floor cleaning solution), I was impressed by how well it cleaned using nothing but plain water and agitation from the spinning roller, which is ideal if you have allergies that are exacerbated by cleaning products.

Although the clean water tank appears small (it has a capacity of just 10.6oz / 300ml), the PencilWash is frugal with its use of water. A little goes a long way, and I was able to clean all my hard floors with the tank still mostly full at the end. If you’re cleaning a large home with hard flooring throughout, you’ll need to refill it partway through, but I was surprised by just how little water was required for thorough cleaning.

The floorhead’s articulation made it possible to clean even around the legs of my bathroom cabinet, which are particularly awkward. The head isn’t small, so I was surprised it was able to reach into such tight nooks and crannies. It’s a shame that the roller doesn’t get right up to the edge of baseboards, though. There’s a gap of around half an inch that goes unmopped, which is unfortunate since this area can be quite dusty.

I was also surprised by how well the microfiber roller picks up hair, dust, crumbs, and other dry debris, so you don’t need to vacuum before mopping. The downside is that dirt can accumulate on the roller and squeegee, and will have to be cleaned off by hand when you disassemble the head to empty the dirty water tray.

You need to be very careful when emptying out the dirty water, which involves disassembling the floor head and gently pouring the waste away. The tray isn't enclosed, so it's quite easy to accidentally spill.

All the wet components can be cleaned with a mild antibacterial cleaner, after which you must leave them to dry out. I found that the roller took a particularly long time to dry, and even in a room with a dehumidifier running, it took over a day to dry out completely.

Overall, the PencilWash is very easy, and even fun to use — which is a surprising thing to say about a mop. It’s great for quickly refreshing hard floors mid-week, and for more thorough cleaning when necessary, thanks to its boost mode. If it could reach all the way up to my baseboards and was a little less messy to empty, it would have earned an extra half star.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Dyson PencilWash: should you buy it?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Dyson PencilWash: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Dyson PencilWash is the right floor cleaner for you, here are two other options to consider:

How I tested the Dyson PencilWash

I tested the Dyson PencilWash for a week on laminate flooring, using the regular and boost modes. I tested it on ordinary everyday dust and dirt, as well as muddy footprints, dried-on juice, and milk. I cleaned it after each use, following Dyson's instructions, and allowed it to dry fully. For more details, see how we test, review, and rate products at TechRadar.

First reviewed April 2026.

• Dyson has launched a new personal fan to use at home or on the move
• The Dyson HushJet Mini Cool Fan has a bladeless design with five speeds
• It will be available direct from Dyson later this month for $99 / £99.99 (AU pricing TBC)

Dyson has just launched a new personal fan that you can place on your desk while you work, carry on public transport, or even wear around your neck. The Dyson HushJet Mini Cool Fan has a compact bladeless design and five airflow modes — plus a boost button when you need relief from the heat fast.

It can run for up to six hours on a single charge, and weighs 7oz/212g. It comes supplied with a Neck Dock for moments when you want to stay cool hands-free, as well as a charging stand, travel pouch, and USB-C charging cable. Other accessories available to buy separately include a Universal Mount for securing the fan to objects like pushchairs or gym equipment, and a Clip Grip for fastening it on bag straps or jackets (particularly helpful for commuting).

The HushJet Mini Cool Fan comes in three colorways: Ink/Cobalt, Carnelian/Sky, and Stone/Blush, so you can pick one that will suit your wardrobe.

The new fan looks striking, but it should sound discreet thanks to the HushJet nozzle, which lowers frequencies so you're not distracted by annoying high-pitched whirring and whining.

This looks set to be a particularly cool summer, because the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool Fan has arrived just a few weeks after the Shark ChillPill — another compact fan with a rechargable battery that's designed to be used indoors or on the move, but which also features a misting attachment that sprays you with quick-drying water vapor, plus a cooling plate that you can apply to pulse points for fast relief on hot days.

The HushJet Mini Cool Fan lacks these two extra features, but it's both lighter and more affordable. The Shark ChillPill is $149.99 / £129.99, whereas the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool Fan is $99 / £99.99.

The HushJet Mini Cool Fan will be available to buy later this month, direct from Dyson's website and from Dyson demo stores in the UK and US. Aussies will have to wait a little to find out local pricing and availability, although it's confirmed to be coming Down Under — you can head to the Dyson Australia website to be notified as soon as it drops.

I'll be putting it to the test soon to see how it compares to the ChillPill in terms of cooling power, noise, and convenience, and I'll bring you a full review once I've put it through its paces.

Dyson just announced the PencilWash, a motorized wet floor cleaner that's roughly the same size as a regular, manual mop. This isn't the first time Dyson has shrunk down a traditionally bulky appliance: the PencilWash is a sister product to the Dyson PencilVac FluffyCones, an almost impossibly compact cordless vacuum.

The downsizing trend began life in a less immediately eye-catching way, in Dyson's haircare department. The brand had already shaken up the haircare market with its original Supersonic hair dryer, but for its professional-only Supersonic r it redesigned its inner workings to be far more streamlined and 'power-dense'.

That meant all the mechanics could be fitted into a tubular design that looks odd, but turned out to be excellent for extended, meticulous hair styling. Dyson recognized that it was onto a good thing, and in March last year it made the Supersonic r available to consumers, too.

Dyson then decided that if it could make a hair dryer that was 1.5 inches / 3.8cm in diameter, it could surely make a vacuum that was 1.5 inches / 3.8cm in diameter, too. Unbelievably, it was successful: all the inner workings of the PencilVac have been squeezed into a handle that's the same width as the Supersonic r. To make it happen, the brand had to engineer a Hyperdymium 140k motor that's a minuscule 1.1 inches / 2.8cm wide.

The same tech powers the PencilWash. And who knows where it'll come in next — Dyson is clearly on a shrinking spree, and it would be silly to stop there.

“We’re keen on making machines smaller and lighter while dramatically improving performance," says Dyson CTO John Churchill. "The PencilWash… brings the simplicity of a broom together with the precision and power from Dyson engineering.”

Small size; big win

The benefits of downsizing a floorcare appliance are obvious. It makes it more maneuverable, more comfortable to use for longer periods, and able to get into tighter spaces. However, some may quibble with the "improved performance" claim, because there are knock-on effects that can't entirely be glossed over.

One is battery life. The PencilVac can only manage 30 minutes of cleaning per charge, whereas the best Dyson vacuums of the flagship line can run for over an hour before needing to juice up.

Another is outright power. Here, there's an even bigger gulf between the PencilVac and the rest of the lineup: even the decade-old V8 has twice the suction power of the PencilVac (115AW versus 55AW).

Finally, there's the unavoidable lack of space. The PencilVac has to have a tiny dust cup that needs emptying regularly, and the PencilWash has to have small clean and dirty water tanks.

For me, though, to focus on these things is to miss the point. The PencilVac and PencilWash aren't meant to be the perfect choice for everyone, but they will be the perfect choice for some people. Plus, they offer something that you currently can't really find anywhere else.

For example, the cordless vacuum market is awash with vacuums that offer massive amounts of power and ever-longer runtimes, but which are heavy and bulky as a result. If you have mostly hard flooring, a small home, and awkward corners to get into, super-suction and a never-ending battery isn't going to be of any benefit to you. What you need is a small, nimble, compact vacuum with just enough power to whip the dust off your floor. The PencilVac provides just that.

Similarly, the PencilWash won't guzzle up massive spillages like a suction-based wet-and-dry vacuum, but there are many homeowners that rarely have to deal with that kind of mess, and just want something that will get their hard floors mopped in an efficient and hygienic way.

What Dyson is doing is broadening out the market to cater to a wider range of customers — and I'm excited to see what will get the shrinking treatment next.

Dyson is still the king of vacuums, but recently it has been busy growing its range of wet-floor cleaners. For a long time, we had just the WashG1, but now there's also the Clean+Wash Hygiene, and Dyson has just announced a third addition to the lineup: the Dyson PencilWash. That's not to mention the recently expanded fleet of 2-in-1 Submarine vacuums.

If you're wondering which of Dyson's wet cleaners to invest in, I'm here to help. I've tested both the WashG1 and Clean+Wash Hygiene, and crunched the specs for the new model, too, to figure out the key differences between them. Below, you can learn which Dyson mop I'd recommend for a range of priorities.

However, note that right now the WashG1 is attracting some major discounts in both the US and the UK, taking it down to around half price. That alone makes it a very compelling proposition – I think it's a little overpriced at list price, but with that kind of discount you're getting a lot of bang for your buck.

If your priority is maneuverability...

The PencilWash looks like the clear winner in this category. It's specifically built to be ultra-maneuverable, with the motor and battery reduced in size to fit in the handle, and compact water tanks tucked into the floorhead.

It's a sister model to the Dyson PencilVac, which is very similar but swaps the mopping floorhead for a vacuuming one. I've used the PencilVac, and it pivots and maneuvers like a dream, which bodes well for the PencilWash.

Where the Clean+Wash Hygiene might have the edge is in the fact it can lie completely flat to the ground – there's even a mini wheel on the rear of the handle that lets you guide it smoothly along the floor. In this mode it's 4.44 inches / 11.3cm tall, and perfect for cleaning under low furniture. The PencilWash can also get pretty close to the ground, dropping to 170 degrees and a height of 5.9in / 15cm, but it won't go as low as the Clean+Wash.

Don't write off the WashG1, though, because as wet cleaners go, I found this one super nimble and easy to maneuver. Due to the positioning of the water tanks, the handle here is more bulky, while the floorhead is more streamlined. In use, I found it pivoted more smoothly than the Clean+Wash Hygiene.

If your priority is minimal maintenance...

Both the WashG1 and Clean+Wash Hygiene have a self-clean cycle that can be activated when the machine is docked. It runs clean water through the system to flush out any lingering dirt and freshen up the roller.

Where the Clean+Wash has the edge is that it also has a self-dry mode, where the dock will blast the roller with hot air to ensure it's dry. In contrast, it's probably best to remove the WashG1's rollers and pop them out to dry somewhere, or they'll start to smell musty pretty quickly.

The PencilWash doesn't have any kind of self-clean cycle, so you'll need to rinse and dry the roller after every mopping session.

What about longer-term maintenance? Well, Dyson asserts that one of the biggest problems with wet-dry vacuums is that they suck solid and liquid waste through small tubes to reach a waste water tank mounted on the handle. As a result, the tubes are prone to becoming clogged, which leads to bad smells.

All three of Dyson's hard-floor cleaners seek to offer a solution to this issue, but in different ways. With the WashG1, solid waste is filtered and stored in a tray in the floorhead, so it's only the dirty liquid that travels through the pipes.

In the Clean+Wash Hygiene, too, any solids are filtered out, but all the waste is contained within the floorhead, so nothing has to travel anywhere. In the PencilWash, everything again remains in the floorhead, but solids and liquids aren't separated.

You'll need to decide for yourself how concerned you are about potentially gunky pipes. The one thing that stood out to me during testing was that the WashG1's waste tank proved really easy to clean. It's wide enough to get your hand inside, and there are no crevices in which grime can collect. In contrast, the tanks on the Clean+Wash are impossible to get into, and the PencilWash looks the same.

If your priority is price...

At list price, the WashG1 costs $769.99 / £599.99 / AU$999, the Clean+Wash Hygiene comes in at £429.99 (not yet available in the US or Australia), and the PencilWash will have a list price of $349 / £299.99 (no AU pricing yet).

However, where things get interesting is that the WashG1 is very heavily discounted in both the US and UK. In fact, it's easy to pick up for around half price in both territories – you'll find the best current deals below. While the following is just speculation, I'd associate those kinds of discounts with a product that's about to be discontinued.

In the case of the PencilWash, you're paying a premium for the compact form factor. If you live in a smaller home and need something super-nimble, it might be reason enough to make it worth the spend. However, if you want maximum bang for your buck, at current prices I think the WashG1 is your best option, in the US and UK at least.

If your priority is more versatility...

In the pantheon of hard-floor cleaners, none of Dyson's models are especially feature-rich. Both the WashG1 and Clean+Wash Hygiene have three hydration modes and a Boost mode for extra water, whereas the PencilWash is simpler, with just two hydration options and no Boost. If you're seeking advanced modes such as steam-cleaning or automatic adjustment, as well as suction, my guide to the best wet-and-dry vacuums has plenty more complex options to explore.

Of course, if you want the most versatility in a single Dyson machine, an argument could be made for choosing the Submarine model over all of them. These take one of Dyson's flagship vacuums and bundle in a mopping floorhead (this bit looks a lot like the bottom of the PencilWash to me). You can then swap them over to turn the appliance into a mop or vacuum as required.

Another thing to consider is the size of the water tank. The PencilWash's tanks are super-small, which rules that model out for homes with lots of floors in need of mopping. For bigger areas, a WashG1 or Clean+Wash Hygiene are better. Dyson suggests that due to better water control, the latter will actually deliver more cleaning per tank, despite said tanks being smaller than those of the WashG1.

Specs compared

The Dyson PencilWash is a wet cleaner designed specifically for use on hard flooring, and it differs from most of today's best wet-and-dry vacuums in a couple of significant ways. First, it's ridiculously compact and lightweight — the motor and battery have been shrunk down and fitted into the handle, and the water tanks tuck inside the floorhead. Second, it doesn't use suction, but instead harnesses a combination of hydration and agitation to buff away dirt, soak up spills, and generally get your hard floors sparkling.

It has only just been announced, and is a sister product to the Dyson PencilVac, which is also relatively new to the party. The PencilWash joins the WashG1 and Clean+Wash Hygiene in Dyson's lineup of wet cleaners. So what do we know so far about the Dyson PencilWash? Let's take a look...

Dyson PencilWash: price & availability

The Dyson PencilWash was announced on 19 February 2026. It will go on sale in the UK on 23 February and in the US on 17 March in the US. At list price, it will cost $349 / £299.99. If you're in Australia, it will be available from 5 March for AU$549.

Dyson PencilWash: design

Let's break the design down into three parts: the handle, the floorhead, and the dock. The handle is 1.5in / 38mm in diameter and contains a shrunk-down motor. The top section of the broom handle is the battery, and it's removable and swappable. On the front of the handle you'll find the control buttons, plus a screen to show you which of the two modes you're in and how much battery you have left.

Moving on to the floorhead. This contains two small water tanks — one for clean water, one for dirty — and a microfiber roller that's densely packed with 64,000 filaments per square centimeter. You can use the PencilWash with just water, or mix in some Dyson's-own, non-foaming 02 Probiotic hard floor cleaning solution.

The roller spins at speed, and is fed evenly with fresh water from eight inlets. The waste water is directed straight into the dirty tank — there's apparently no filter here. (Although Dyson did say that about the Clean+Wash Hygiene and it turned out there was one — just the kind built for chunky rather than fine debris.)

Finally, the dock. This is just for charging the machine, and looks like a little cone. To dock, you remove the mopping floorhead and slot it into the top. There's a drip tray provided to pop the damp floorhead on.

Dyson PencilWash specs

Dyson PencilWash: usability

I haven't had any hands-on time with PencilWash yet, so you'll need to sit tight for my full performance review. What I do know is that this cleaner is designed to be very easy to maneuver, and able to glide smoothly into tight spots and around awkward corners. It can lie near-flat to 170 degrees, and in this mode it's just 15cm high.

It's really very lightweight in general, coming in at 4.9lbs / 2.2kg. Even more notable is that most of the weight is in the floorhead. Dyson says the weight 'in hand', with the PencilVac resting on the floor, will be around 0.8lbs / 0.38kg.

Dyson says the machine will pivot by just twisting the handle. That's certainly true of the Dyson PencilVac, which is the nimblest vacuum I've ever tested, by some margin. I expect this model to be slightly more cumbersome because the floorhead is (necessarily) chunkier and heavier, but I still have high hopes on the maneuverability front.

The water tanks are really rather small, so it likely won't be well suited to big homes. A 30-minute runtime is on the shorter side for an appliance like this, but should still allow for a decent amount of cleaning per charge.

It's very simple in terms of modes and features: there are two moisture modes, and that's about it. Other wet cleaners offer a wider range of modes, and even things like automatic setting adjustment and steam or foam modes — as well as suction, for pulling up solid messes with more oomph. Another common feature that's missing here is a self-clean mode, which would take care of some of the maintenance for you.

The real USP here, and the reason to choose the PencilWash over competitors' models, is the ultra-compact size. There are some streamlined wet-dry vacuums on the market — the Tineco FLOOR ONE i7 Fold is a recent example — but as far as I'm aware, there's nothing quite as shrunk-down as the PencilWash available from any other brand.

• Dyson has unveiled the PencilWash wet floor cleaner
• Uses the same ultra-slim, light build as the PencilVac vacuum
• It has two hydration modes, with water tanks hidden in the floorhead

Dyson has announced a new wet floor cleaner that's incredibly compact and lightweight. In fact, the new PencilWash is about the size and shape of an old-school, manual mop. All the mechanics have been shrunk down and squeezed into the handle, while the water tanks are tucked into the floorhead.

Announcing the PencilWash, John Churchill, Dyson's Chief Technology Officer, said: "We’re keen on making machines smaller and lighter while dramatically improving performance. PencilWash applies that thinking to wet cleaning: our slimmest, ultra‑light format that glides effortlessly and reaches where others can’t. It brings the simplicity of a broom together with the precision and power from Dyson engineering."

The handle itself is 1.5 inches / 38mm in diameter — just a little wider than a regular broom handle. It's designed so you can steer the whole thing effortlessly, simply by twisting the handle.

The PencilWash weighs 4.9lbs / 2.2kg, but most of that (minimal) weight is concentrated in the floorhead, so Dyson says the weight in your hand will be more like 0.8lbs / 0.38kg. It's designed to be able to sneak under furniture — it lies flat to 170 degrees, and in this mode it's just 15cm tall. It's built for use on hard floors, and can handle wet and dry spills.

The 300ml clean-water tank is apparently capable of cleaning up to 100m² of flooring. The cordless design has a maximum 30-minute runtime, and you can pick up a backup battery to swap in if you want to extend that.

As is the case with the whole Dyson wet-cleaner range, there's no suction — instead, the PencilWash uses hydration and agitation to get your floors clean. The roller is covered with densely-packed microfiber, to absorb liquid spills and buff off dirt. It's continuously fed with clean water as it rolls around, while the dirty stuff is extracted, so you're not just smearing the dirt around your floors. You can choose from two hydration modes.

Unusually, there's no filter. The press release suggests filters simply "trap dirt, breed bacteria, emit odors, and [are] difficult and unpleasant to clean" whereas this filter-free design "removes the risk of sludge, blockages, or drop in performance". I won't quibble with the idea that filters are nasty to clean, and if this design can avoid blockages and grime buildup without one, that's excellent news.

Where does it sit in the wider range?

I haven't had any hands-on time with this new cleaner yet, but I have been testing the PencilVac, which is the sister model, unveiled in June 2025. It has a similar, broom-shaped build, but swaps the mopping floorhead for a vacuuming one. That cleaner is supremely maneuverable and incredibly nimble — I'm hopeful Dyson has recreated that same magic with the PencilWash.

The PencilWash is the third dedicated wet cleaner in Dyson's range, sitting alongside the WashG1 (which went on sale August 2024) and the Clean+Wash Hygiene (just launched at time of writing). However, in some ways the design is more similar to the Submarine floorhead on the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine, with the tanks all contained within the floorhead.

The Dyson PencilWash goes on sale on 17 March in the US, and 23 February in the UK and 5 March in Australia, at a list price of $349 / £299.99 / AU$549.

• Dyson has launched the PencilVac Fluffy, following the Fluffycones version
• It features a parallel roller rather than cone-shaped, otherwise the same ultra-compact vacuum design
• Currently available in the US only, it's significantly cheaper than the original

Recently, Dyson launched an almost impossibly compact new vacuum: the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones. It looks nothing like a regular cordless vacuum, because all of the main components have been shrunk right down and hidden within the handle, which itself is about the size of a broom handle.

I tested one out and declared it a true feat of engineering and innovation. In fact, I was completely sold on this new design... save for one niggling issue. Dyson has used cone-shaped rollers on the floorhead, rather than standard parallel ones. The plastic casing then follows the shape of the cones, which means the floorhead comes to a slight point at the front.

The knock-on effect is that the PencilVac Fluffycones can't sit flush to a wall, unless you approach side-on, which isn't always possible. It makes vacuuming the edges of rooms unnecessarily tricky, and tasks like cleaning the stairs – which this lightweight, nimble vacuum would otherwise be perfect for – become a major hassle. It's a problem I also had with the Dyson V16 Piston Animal, which has a similar cone-based floorhead.

Imagine my joy when I spotted an alternative on the dyson.com website, launched without any fuss or fanfare: the Dyson Fluffy. It looks to be exactly the same as the PencilVac Fluffycones, except for the floorhead. The cone-based head has been swapped for one with a parallel roller.

The new floorhead looks similar to the Fluffy / Fluffy Optic floorhead that is bundled in with the Dyson V15 Detect and Gen5detect vacuums, but is possibly slightly more streamlined, as implied by the name: the Micro Fluffy cleaner head. Just like the Fluffycones head, the roller is entirely covered in soft, dense fibers that are designed to get right up close to your hard floors, sweeping away dust and buffing the surface clean, without risking any scratches.

Potential down-sides

For me, the Micro Fluffy cleaner head looks like a clear winner of the two floorhead options. It solves the room edges problem, and based on the specs it's lighter too.

The only thing I'm slightly sad about is that there doesn't appear to be any laser headlamps on this new version – in contrast, the FluffyCones has two, one mounted to the front and another to the back. These help illuminate lingering dust on hard surfaces, to ensure you don't miss any. They also make cleaning that much more satisfying.

The original idea behind using cones is that any long hair the vacuum encounters will make its way down to the small ends of the cones, to be easily sucked up. This works well, but then again I've never had issues with hair-wrap on the standard Fluffy floorhead on my V15 or Gen5detect, either. If you have Rapunzel-like locks, it might still be worth considering the FluffyCones version, but otherwise I'd say you'll be fine with the Micro Fluffy option.

The Dyson PencilVac Fluffy is currently available to buy in the US direct from Dyson, but it's not yet an option on the UK or Australian sites. It costs $449.99 – significantly cheaper than the Fluffycones version, which is listed at $599.99.

It’s no secret that Dyson makes some of the best cordless vacuum cleaners and, while my colleague who’s been testing the British brand’s products for years is not entirely sold on some of its latest releases, I think it’s still one of the most innovative brands in the home appliances space. That, however, means it’s firmly in the premium tier with prices to match.

Take the latest flagship, for example. The company has tried something new, but our Dyson V16 Piston Animal review found it wasn’t the best vacuum we’ve seen from the popular brand. It's also one of the most expensive. However, that minor gripe has now been fixed thanks to a massive discount – it can be now snapped up for just AU$1,399 (down from AU$2,348) – and it’s the most powerful Dyson yet with up to 310AW of suction.

Set the V16 aside, though, and I have it on good authority that there are plenty of other Dysons that are worth the money – as long as you can pick them up at a discount. Dyson’s currently hosting a sale with up to AU$949 off select products, including vacuums, haircare tools and purifiers, but I’ve picked our favourite Dyson vacuums here at TechRadar.

The biggest savings are reserved for models that are a few years old, but still feature at the top of our best Dyson vacuums buying guide, with the powerful and feature-packed Dyson V15 Detect Absolute getting a whopping AU$573 discount.

One notable inclusion that I need to call out is the recently released headline-grabbing Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones, which is getting a AU$151 price cut. This is the vacuum that embodies Dyson’s innovation.

The best part of this sale is that the other vacuums discounted by Dyson are some of its more affordable offerings, making them even more attractive for the discerning buyer. So take a look at my picks from this current sale and suck up the savings (pun intended).

If you’re interested in other Dyson products, some of its hair care products and fans are also discounted, with savings of up to AU$150 for the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool purifying fan and AU$203 off the Dyson Airstrait straightener and dryer.

Whichever product you’re shopping for, be sure to check for any Dyson Australia coupon codes and see if you can save even more on a vacuum, fan or hair care product.

Dyson recently launched three new home appliances: a wet floor cleaner, the Clean+Wash Hygiene, a robot vacuum, the Spot+Scrub Ai, and a regular vacuum, the PencilVac Fluffycones. Of the three, the manual vacuum stands head-and-shoulders above the others.

It makes sense: Dyson has long been considered the vacuum king. There are decades of expertise to draw on there. The other products? Not so much.

It's further convinced me of something I've been thinking about for some time: that brands should lean into what they're good at, rather than trying to be everything to everyone. I don't mean just making one type of product, but I do mean focusing on the expertise you have in your business and looking to maximize it.

Getting experimental

On the surface of it, branching from vacuum to robot vacuum seems pretty logical. Except it's not. Suction – which Dyson does know about – is only a tiny piece of it. Arguably, the software side is much more important. A great cleaning algorithm and reliable navigation are crucial, and none of Dyson's handful of robot vacuum attempts have shone in these areas.

Dyson has also ported in manual vacuum features. I'm not sure whether this is an attempt to connect it to the rest of its products or because it thinks these features make sense in a robot vacuum, but to me, they're not a good fit. Dirt-illuminating laser LEDs are unnecessary here, and the transparent dock dust cup is unwanted.

The Clean+Wash Hygiene is similarly slightly underwhelming. There's no suction (which is fine, although again, it feels like it's not playing to Dyson's strengths), but instead uses a well-designed roller and even water flow to remove solid and/or liquid dirt from your hard floors.

It works fine, but in terms of features, it's notably behind the folks that have been doing wet cleaners for a while – Tineco and Bissell, to name a few. Unfortunately, Dyson's pricing doesn't reflect the short featurelist.

Pencil me in

Then we come to the PencilVac Fluffycones. This is Dyson's area of expertise, and boy does it show. We don't just have a passably good product; we have one that outshines all the competition and introduces something genuinely new to the market.

For the PencilVac, Dyson shrunk all the component parts of a vacuum cleaner down and stuck them in a broom-shaped handle. The result is a machine that's ultra-streamlined, lightweight, and a dream to use. I think it might truly change the vacuum market.

Another area where Dyson has successfully transferred its expertise is haircare. Although on the surface, it seemed like quite the pivot when the brand first announced its Supersonic dryer, it actually makes a lot of sense.

Dyson is skilled at moving air – it's what makes it so prevalent in the vacuum cleaner and fan/purifier spaces – so it follows that it could make a great hair dryer.

Staying in your lane

Dyson isn't the only brand interested in expanding its horizons. At the start of the year, Dreame announced it its entry into... well, just about every home category I can think of. I expressed my concerns that it'd be able to maintain the high standards I've seen so far in its robot vacuums and hair stylers.

I'm all for pushing boundaries, but I also think it's worth playing to your strengths. Not all home brands can offer everything under one roof, and that's fine.

Dyson is known for its vacuum cleaners, but recently it has been getting more into wet hard-floor cleaners. Its first attempt launched in August 2024, and you can read all about it in my Dyson WashG1 review. Now there's a new model on the block: the Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene.

Unlike the best wet-and-dry vacuums on the market, neither use suction, but instead harness a combination of hydration, agitation and separation to clean your hard floors. To put it another way, they add water, dislodge dirt using cleverly designed rollers, and then separate solid and liquid waste for easy disposal.

Beyond that, though, there are a couple of key differences between the Dyson WashG1 and Clean+Wash Hygiene. The first is that the dock will dry the roller with hot air once it's finished its self-washing cycle. This is a solid improvement; no notes.

The second is that the Clean+Wash stores all the waste water in its floorhead, rather than on a tank mounted to the handle. The idea behind this is that because the liquid's not traveling anywhere, there are no tubes to get gunked up. This design shift makes sense in theory, but has several knock-on effects I'm not such a fan of. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that in making this one change, Dyson has sacrificed most of the WashG1's best features.

Here's why I actually prefer the older Dyson WashG1 over the new and shiny Clean+Wash Hygiene...

1. It's fiddly and messy to empty

The WashG1 has its dirty-water tank mounted to its handle, and this is easy to remove and empty. The solid waste tray slots into the floorhead, and is slightly more complex to fit, but still fairly straightforward.

In contrast, the Clean+Wash Hygiene has its dirty-water tank mounted into the top of the floorhead, with a two-part solid waste tray integrated in. Separating the three components is fiddly, and putting it back together again even more so – and I say this as someone who's pretty good at jigsaws.

The knock-on effect of having a more complicated floorhead, with lots of connecting components, is that it's a lot leakier than the nice, simple WashG1. Now, all the wet floor cleaners I've used are a little bit drippy – it feels like an unavoidable problem – but the Clean+Wash Hygiene seems especially bad. It felt like every time I went to empty the dirty-water tank something would dribble out onto me or the floor.

2. There's only one roller

The WashG1's floorhead has two large microfiber rollers and a bristled roller for solid messes, and delivers efficient cleaning. In contrast, the Clean+Wash Hygiene only has space for one roller on its more complicated floorhead.

I will say I do prefer the microfiber roller design on the Clean+Wash. The scrubbing action is slightly improved, thanks to the addition of wiry, longer fibers that extend a bit from the roller. My ideal scenario? The upgraded microfiber roller design, mounted in the old floorhead.

3. The water tanks are too small

The WashG1 has a 1L clean-water tank, and a 0.8L dirty tank, whereas the Clean+Wash Hygiene equivalents are 0.75L and 0.52L respectively, and the difference was noticeable on test; not so much during the actual mopping – Dyson has tweaked the water delivery so there's only a fine sheen of liquid applied to floors, eking out the clean water as much as possible – but during the self-clean cycle.

Each self-clean cycle uses more than half a tank of clean water, which means for the first few times I ran one of these I had to stop twice per cycle: once to refill the clean water tank and again to empty the dirty tank. Eventually I learned to do this before each self-clean cycle to avoid annoying interruptions.

The benefit of smaller tanks is a more streamlined and lighter machine, so I can see why Dyson was keen to keep things compact here – you'll need to decide your priorities when making your choice.

4. Cleaning the dirty-water tank is tricky

One of the things I liked about the design of the dirty-water tank on the WashG1 – and something Dyson highlighted as a big benefit when I was first shown that machine – was that the waste water tank was designed to be easy to clean.

It's wide enough that you can get your hand in and wipe everything out, and there are no awkward corners where grime can collect. I've tested a number of wet-dry vacuums now, and I've never seen anything like it – dirty water tanks are always too small to get your hand in, and always have sharp edges that get grubby almost instantly.

The setup on the Clean+Wash is especially bad, though. It opens with a screw cap, and there's no access to the inside at all. It's not the worst thing for a dirty water tank to be dirty, but this feels like an oversight in terms of long-term maintenance.

Dyson WashG1 vs Clean+Wash Hygiene: specs compared

Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai: two-minute review

The Spot+Scrub Ai is a shot at robot vacuum redemption for Dyson, since it follows in the wake of two uninspiring attempts to take the fight to rivals like Eufy, Roborock and Dreame. During two months of testing, I found the Spot+Scrub Ai works well when tasked with a little-and-often approach to cleaning. It vacuums well, mostly avoids all manner of obstacles, mops to an acceptable level, and does a great job of cleaning itself – so much so, that after two months' use the mop still looked brand new.

This is all good news, and while the app is a little unintuitive at first – especially with regard to map creation and editing – it eventually makes sense, and its lack of adjustability is a welcome change compared to many rivals obsessed with pages of settings menus.

Up to 18,000 Pa of suction power is very acceptable if not market-leading, and the Dyson performed very well in my hard floor tests, smartly slowing its side brushes to avoid flicking food debris all over the kitchen.

But it wasn't perfect. It seemed to get lost during the setup process, frequently struggled to drive up the ramp into its dock, and once failed to properly empty its bin, causing an overflow and spillage. I also encountered an issue where the target cleaning function was repeatedly ignored, and I'd rather the dust bin of the docking station wasn't transparent, since it gives a constant view of dust, hair and crumbs to everyone in sight.

I anticipate that some of these issues can be fixed with software updates – and, if you create a daily or even twice-weekly schedule, I have no doubt the Dyson will diligently keep your house clean. But it falls short when tasked with deeper, targeted cleans, and while decent for a robot, the mop will always be beaten by a wet wipe and a bit of elbow grease.

That's the short version; read on for my full Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai review.

Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai review: price & availability

• List price: £1,049.99 / AU$1,999 / US TBC
• Available: UK / AU – US to follow
• Launched: February 2026

Dyson's latest attempt to crack the robotic vacuum market was announced in 2025 and went on sale at the end of January 2026. The UK price at launch is £1,049.99, but the US price hadn't been revealed at the time of writing. Given the way our currencies work these days, it'd be safe to assume a very similar figure, around the $1,100 mark. It launched in Australia in early February, with a list price of AU$1,999.

For that you get the robot itself, plus a docking station that houses a bagless dust bin, tanks for clean and dirty water, and a charger. A bottle of detergent is not included, which feels a bit mean given the instructions mention it during the setup process. You'll need to spend £19.99 / AU$38 on 500ml of Dyson's own, or source an alternative.

Four-figure price tags have quickly become the norm among high-end robotic vacuums and mops. So, while it might seem expensive if you're new to these products, the Spot+Scrub Ai doesn't punch your credit card with as much Dyson tax as the company's stick vacuums do.

Rival robots like the Narwal Flow and Eufy Omni S1 Pro cost more, at least at launch. Given the Dyson name, bagless design – meaning no spending on replacement bags – mopping features and AI smarts, it seems fairly priced. No word yet on how much replacement parts will cost.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai specs

Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai review: design

• Bagless docking station, but bin is transparent
• Rotating roller mop with hot water mopping
• Both robot and dock on the larger side

Dyson products are as much about design as they are performance. The iconic clear plastic dustbins, bright colors, red highlights and a hint of the extraterrestrial give Dyson products a design language all of their own. Take the logo off, and its products are still instantly recognizable.

This is still broadly true of the Spot+Scrub Ai, but I can't help thinking Dyson's design team has phoned it in. The handy bagless design is here, which is genuinely useful since it means you'll never have to buy replacement bags for the docking station. There's also a nice bit of sci-fi going on with the bin lid, plus splashes of blue and red on the mopping unit and side brushes.

But that's it. The rest of the product is all rather generic, with little of the wow-factor Dyson loads into its other products with unbridled confidence. Aesthetics shouldn't matter too much, but Dyson products are supposed to be visually exciting and this just isn't.

There are practical issues here too. Clear plastic works well with a handheld stick vacuum, making it easy to see when the bin is full. The same logic applies here, but whereas stick vacuums tend to live in closets, under stairs and generally out of the way, the Spot+Scrub Ai will likely be on full display in your kitchen. I don't want to see the inside of a bin while eating breakfast, and would much rather other parts of the docking station were transparent instead.

It also isn't obvious at a glance which tank is the clean water and which is dirty. Does a filled-in purple circle on top mean clean, or is it the empty circle?

My last concern is its size. Many modern robotic vacuums are rather cumbersome, especially when paired with a dock with water tanks, but the Dyson is especially bulky. The dock measures 45.5cm high, 44cm wide and 50.8cm deep, while the robot is 11cm tall, 37cm long and 37.3cm wide. It's a little taller than some rivals, so you'll want to check the height against any furniture you want it to clean under before buying.

Thankfully, the rest of the Dyson's design is good. It feels well-made and is easy to set up and use. The robot itself has the usual pair of spinning side brushes for reaching into corners, and a roller brush underneath, plus a large mop that rotates and slides outwards by 1.57 in / 4cm to the side, helping it clean right up against the wall.

The roller mop uses water warmed to 140F / 60C and self-cleans as it goes, then gets cleaned again (and dried) when back at the base station. It's a comprehensive approach to mopping that promises to perform well.

The robot's own bin has a generous 3-liter capacity, and although Dyson doesn't say, the onboard water tank looks to be around 1.5 liters, and gets replenished from the base station during longer mopping tasks.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai review: performance

• Clever automatic vacuuming adjustment but self-emptying can fail
• Thorough (if noisy) mop self-cleaning
• Good obstacle avoidance but some navigation problems

I used the Spot+Scrub Ai for a couple of months before writing this review, including over a busy holiday period with frequent cleans of the kitchen and lounge after hosting family, and vacuuming up Christmas tree needles. I wrote more about my initial impressions here, and while the Dyson failed to impress on day one, I grew to like it over the weeks to come.

It only once got stuck, having become caught on the power cable of some Christmas lights. This was an oversight on my behalf, and although the Dyson spent all day – literally hours while I was out, until its battery died – trying to break free, no damage was done to the lighting or the robot. Every other cleaning mission was completed successfully, and it also created a second map and cleaned the upstairs without any problem.

As ever with these robots, there's a concern that it'll get confused and start mopping the carpet, but thankfully it's smart enough not to do this. You can manually put restrictions in with the app, telling it not to mop or vacuum certain areas – although, unlike many premium bots with flat mop pads, the Spot+Scrub Ai can't lift its roller when traversing carpet after mopping, nor can it drop it off in the dock when it's not required.

Moving to TechRadar's specific robovac tests, and the Dyson didn't start well. Tasked with vacuuming a flour and crumb mix from a section of carpet, it drove to the target area and cleaned, but somehow entirely missed the debris. The path it drove covered barely half of the target area, for no apparent reason.

I tried twice more, and again it completely failed to clean up the crumb mix. Bafflingly, it appeared to actively avoid the dirt, driving around it as if it were an obstacle.

Exasperated, I tasked the Dyson with vacuuming the entire room instead. This worked fine, suggesting a fault with the target cleaning mode. The Quick and Quiet modes (recorded by a microphone at 61 dB and 63 dB, respectively) both did an okay job, but you're best either using Boost (71 dB) or Auto, where the robot works it all out for itself. This Dyson is among the loudest robovacs I've tested, with its drive motors noisier than others and even the Quiet mode being audible from a room or two away. Self-emptying into the dock is especially loud, at 81 dB.

The Spot+Scrub Ai's obstacle avoidance skills are decent, with it successfully avoiding items like sockets, slippers and USB cables placed in its way. It nudged my slipper a couple of times, and once got very close to the cable, but managed to avoid everything, clean around them, and return safely to base.

Performance was similar when I swapped the crumb mix for a scattering of dry oats, and on carpet the Dyson performed best when asked to clean the whole room in Auto mode. It mostly did a good job of picking up the oats from where I'd scattered them, but spilled some when turning around and driving over a door threshold. I don't mind a few dropped oats, but the Dyson performed poorly here, spreading the debris around far more than I'd hoped it would.

I later realized its internal bin was overflowing, and had failed to empty into the bagless bin of the dock, despite it being programmed to do so every 15 minutes. That 81 dB of suction sound after each clean didn't seem to have done much at all. I emptied the bin myself and found no cause for the blockage – just dust, oats and Christmas tree needles.

The robot also had a sizable amount of hair wrapped around its central roller brush, which needed removing with scissors. Other robovacs have anti-tangle designs to better prevent this, and it's worth mentioning this is a two-person household with no pets. Once cleaned up and properly emptied, it was back to top performance, using Auto mode to vacuum up almost all of the oats from my carpet.

I next switched to a hard kitchen floor. Here, the Spot+Scrub Ai seemed to spot where debris was and ramp up the suction over that area, clearing a section of the crumb mix with ease (with one pass of Auto mode). A few crumbs were flicked across the room, but the quality of clean was otherwise very impressive, and it adhered to the target cleaning zone this time. If only it had performed so well during the carpet cleaning earlier.

The oat test on hard floor was similarly successful, with the Dyson slowing down, diving carefully over the debris, upping its suction power and even slowing its rotating brushes right down to prevent oats being flicked all over the room – something many rivals are frequently guilty of.

It wasn't quite a perfect clean, since a few oats were still pushed outside of the target zone. But it did relatively well on what is often a tough test. As ever, setting the robot to vacuum a whole room delivers the best results.

Mopping

Finally, mopping. For this I smeared some ketchup on a wooden floor and let it dry for a couple of hours. The Dyson spends a few minutes preparing to mop – filling its water tank, washing the roller mop, warming up the water – and it's a pretty loud process, at about 71 dB.

The actual mopping process is quieter, between about 62 dB and 67 dB. The Dyson's mop reaches outwards to scrub right up against the walls, and it drives methodically over the target area. As per the 'Spot+Scrub' part of the name, one of this bot's USPs is that it's meant to detect spills on hard flooring and go back-and-forth over them until they're clear. I didn't notice it doing anything like this in my tests.

After my zone clean, some ketchup remained, so I cranked the settings up to maximum: water level three and two passes of the target zone. This removed more, but not all, of the ketchup. Ultimately, for a stain like this you're best off tackling it yourself with a damp cloth or wet wipe.

Afterwards, the robot drains its water tank and cleans the mop, which is also rather loud at 70 dB and lasts around five minutes before the mop is dried (44 dB). It's worth shouting out the effectiveness of this setup – even after two months of regular use, the mop still looked brand new.

As with all robotic vacuums and mops, the Dyson is best used for a little-and-often cleaning strategy. For weeks, it did a good job of keeping my house visibly clean. But when tasked with specific chores, it didn't perform as well as I'd hoped from the Dyson brand.

Lastly for performance, the Spot+Scrub Ai frequently struggled to drive back into its dock. I've no idea why, but it would sometimes try for a while, fail, then turn around a few times, try again, and eventually succeed. It's as if it can't quite manage the slope up to the dock, despite being on a perfectly flat floor.

• Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai review: app

• Refreshing lack of adjustability
• Dyson product ads
• Could be more intuitive for map creation and edition

The app was one of my primary concerns during my initial test of the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai, but once I'd spent a few days with it I found it works well. It's still not the most intuitive menu system I've seen, especially with regard to map creation and editing, but I like that there aren't pages and pages of adjustable settings, as with some other robovacs.

There's a sense that Dyson trusts its robot to just get on with the job, and therefore doesn't ask if you'd like to adjust every parameter of how it functions. That said, I'd like more detail about spotted obstacles; these only appear as an orange cone on the map, but I'd prefer a better description of what the object is, or even a photograph. Dyson says the robot can identify 200 objects, so this could surely be possible.

Multiple maps can be created (one for each floor of your home), and you can tell the robot to avoid certain areas, or tell it to never mop or vacuum certain areas. Mostly, you'll want to leave it in Auto and have it clean entire rooms, or even floors, at a time.

I got into the habit of using the robot to clean our kitchen every evening, and vacuum the lounge and hallway at the weekend. This is where robovacs work at their best. Or, better yet, create a schedule and have the Dyson clean every day while you're out.

The app is also full of helpful videos to explain how everything works and how to clean, service and replace consumable parts. I like how the app shows the approximate life remaining of each part as a percentage, and how Dyson is transparent with the costs of every component. It'll let you buy replacements for just about everything, even including the docking station. Slightly annoying is how the app serves as an ad to show off unrelated Dyson products, like headphones and hair dryers.

• App score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai

I set up the Dyson and used it as my only vacuum and mop for a couple of months. The test began by setting up the robot and having it create maps of both floors of my house, then using it to keep all carpets and hard floors clean.

I used the robot every couple of days across the Christmas period, then set about conducting TechRadar's standardized robovac tests to assess the performance of its vacuuming, mopping, navigation and self-cleaning abilities.

Read more about how we test robot vacuum cleaners

• First reviewed December 2025

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene: two-minute review

The Clean+Wash Hygiene is the second in Dyson's hard floor cleaner line. Like its range-mate, the Dyson WashG1, it stands out for not using suction at all, but instead harnessing a mixture of 'agitation, hydration and separation' to get your hard floors squeaky clean.

The absence of suction means this cleaner is significantly lighter than most true wet-dry vacuums, and it also means it can operate relatively quietly. On test, I couldn't see a compromise in performance, either: I was very impressed with how effectively the Clean+Wash Hygiene picked up all kinds of messes, including chunky particles like oats, using just its cleverly designed roller.

Liquid waste is separated from solid, and one USP here is that all the waste is stored in the floorhead itself. Dyson says this is good news for longevity, because there are no pipes to get grimy or blocked up. I did find the emptying process a little fiddly, and the floorhead was drippier than other hard floor cleaners I've used.

There's a self-clean cycle that runs fresh water through the system. It will likely require you to empty the dirty water tank and refill the clean one mid-cycle, but otherwise it's effective at removing dirt from the roller. Dyson has also added hot air drying here – it's noisy but again, effective. Even after the muckiest of cleaning task, my roller looked good-as-new afterwards.

Bar some minor quibbles, I was impressed with this cleaner. Whether it's worth the asking price is another thing – I've tested some of the best wet-and-dry vacuums on the market, and there's little that stands out as truly exceptional here, unfortunately.

That's the short version; read on for my full Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene review.

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene review: price & availability

• List price: £429.99 / AU$799
• Available: Now in the UK and AU, US to follow
• Launched: December 2025 (UK), March 2026 (AU)

The Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene went on sale in the UK in December 2025, at a list price of £429.99. An Australian launched followed after in March 2026, when it went on sale for AU$799. It's due to become available in the US at a later date in 2026, but I don't have any specifics or pricing yet – based on UK pricing, it might be around $600.

That's in the premium band for a hard floor cleaner, and although the build quality is excellent and plenty of thought has clearly gone into the design, I don't think it does quite enough to justify the price tag. For that kind of money I'd expect to see the option of suction, and special features like dirt detection, automatic adjustment, and even foam / steam functions.

• Value for money score: 3 out of 5

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene specs

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene review: design

• Streamlined and relatively lightweight, and can lie flat
• Waste is stored in the floorhead, and separated into solids and liquids
• Self-clean function and hot air drying on the dock

The Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene is a lightweight hard floor cleaner with a handful of interesting design features. Rather surprisingly given this brand's heritage, there's no suction here – instead, it uses hydration and agitation to remove dirt from hard flooring.

The roller spins at speed, and is continually fed with fresh water, as the dirty stuff is scraped off. It can handle mixed solid-and-liquid spills, and to a certain extent also dust and other dry debris (although it won't be as effective as a regular stick vacuum here).

The roller is densely packed with fibers to make it as absorbent as possible, and Dyson has added wiry bristles that stick out a bit, for extra scrubbing power. There's also an anti-tangle comb behind the roller to prevent hair wrap. On one side the roller goes right up close to the edge of the floorhead, but on the other there's a decent chunk of casing. The roller can be removed for rinsing as required.

One of the areas where Dyson tends to shine in its floorcare range is maneuverability, but I didn't find the Clean+Wash Hygiene quite as nimble as I expected. Don't get me wrong, it's far from cumbersome – it's streamlined in design and pivots smoothly, but it felt a little less agile than something like the Dyson WashG1. I was impressed that it could lie completely flat to the ground, until the whole thing is just 4.44 inches / 11.3cm tall. A small wheel on the back of the handle helps it maneuver smoothly in this mode.

The dirty water compartment is integrated into the floorhead itself – similar to the mopping floorhead on the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine. The thinking is that because the dirt has nowhere to really travel, there's no tubing to get clogged up. Liquid ends up in a dirty water tank, and solid waste is filtered out into a separate tray. The two compartments are removed as one, but getting them apart and then back together again is a little fiddly compared to other wet-dry vacuums I've tested... not to mention messier.

There are three hydration modes to choose from, and a Boost mode to add extra water for tackling dried-on dirt. Dyson proudly claims the 750ml clean water tank will cover an area of 350 sqm, leaving such a fine sheen of moisture that your floors will be dry within 60 seconds. There are no other special modes, such as automated setting adjustment.

One major upgrade on the Clean+Wash Hygiene compared to the WashG1 is that Dyson has introduced hot air drying on the dock. So after mopping, you run a self-clean cycle which runs fresh water over the roller. Then it's dried using wafts of warm (185F / 85C) air, saving you from having to remove it and put it out somewhere to dry.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene review: performance

• Efficient, relatively quiet cleaning of liquid and solid spills
• Floorhead a little drippy, and self-clean cycle uses a lot of water
• Mop drying rather noisy but effective

I started by filling up the clean water and embarking on a whole-floor clean. The roller saturated fairly quickly without any pre-wetting, and left a very light, even sheen of water on my vinyl flooring. It's easy to toggle modes, and the screen spells out remaining cleaning time so you'll never unexpectedly run out of battery.

Because there's no suction, it's relatively quiet in operation, and the runtimes are long too. The Clean+Wash Hygiene can last up to 45 minutes per charge.

Cleaning

To assess its capabilities more closely, I tested how the Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene handled a range of tricky cleaning challenges. I started with soy sauce mixed with oats. It gobbled up all the oats in one forward and backward pass in Med mode – impressive, given there's no suction here.

Then I decided it was time to bring out the big guns. I smeared maple syrup, crunchy peanut butter and Marmite (a super-sticky, viscous spread) on a vinyl floor. This time it struggled a bit. I unleashed Boost mode, and it took about 20 seconds of back-and-forth to clear the mess. That's a decent result – this test is purposefully very tricky. Plus, there was no sticky residue left behind.

Like every wet-and-dry cleaner I'm aware of, this machine is only suitable for perfectly flat floors. It can't deal with uneven surfaces such as flagstones, and it won't get into the cracks between tiles either – although it does do a better job of this than some, thanks to those bristles in the roller.

Maintenance

After my mopping session, it was time to clean out the waste. Although I see the logic in separating liquid from solid waste, and I acknowledge the potential long-term maintenance benefits, the emptying process does feel fiddlier than usual.

Unlike on the WashG1, you can't get your hand inside the dirty water tank to clean it out. The design of the tank also makes it very difficult to see when it's filling up, although it will inform you on screen.

I also found the floorhead had a tendency to drip or leak dirty water when handled. No wet-dry vacuum is perfect in this respect, but this Dyson machine seems especially bad for it, perhaps because the waste compartments are relatively complicated in design, with lots of separate elements.

Next, I embarked on a self-clean cycle. This starts by flushing the system with fresh water to get rid of lingering dirt. Almost immediately, the machine paused and asked me to refill the clean water tank. After relaunching, it paused again and asked me to empty the dirty water.

I'd recommend doing both these things before launching a self-clean cycle, and again afterwards, to avoid annoying disruptions. The process uses more than half a tank of fresh water, so it'll almost certainly be required.

Flushing complete, the dock then begins to dry the roller with hot air. This part is surprisingly noisy too, although it only lasts around half an hour. (On other machines I've used, the drying lasts longer but is much quieter, and on some advanced models you have the option of short-and-noisy or long-and-quiet.) Afterwards, I inspected the roller and it was almost completely dry, with no dirt to speak of.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene: Scorecard

How I tested the Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene

I used the Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene for a couple of weeks on my hard floors. Aside from day-to-day use, I ran a series of dedicated cleaning tests to see how it coped with different kinds of messes, including liquid-solid spills, sticky and viscous substances. I compared my findings with other hard floor cleaners, and assessed if this model offered strong value for money.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed January 2026

Dyson PencilVac: two-minute review

The Dyson PencilVac looks nothing like any vacuum I've seen before. All the mechanisms – the motor, filters, battery, and even the dust cup – are hidden within the handle, which measures just 1.5 inches / 3.8cm in diameter. That isn't the only unique thing about the PencilVac: the floorhead is also very quirky, with its four, fluffy, conical rollers rotating in opposite directions to lift dirt and buff your floors clean.

In use, it's the most nimble vacuum I've tested. The head appears to hover across the floor; it can be used forwards or backwards, and lie completely flat to the ground. With a bit of practice, you can make the floorhead do figure eights.

Those fluffy rollers are specifically meant for use on hard flooring – there's nothing to agitate carpet fibers to release trapped dirt. The suction power is in line with what I'd expect for a hard floor-specific vacuum, too: a relatively low 55AW of power, when most of the best Dyson vacuums have at least double that.

That power proved plenty to whisk away dog hair and dust from my hard floors, however. I could see it was doing a good job, because lasers installed in the front and back of the floorhead do a stellar job of illuminating any lingering dirt.

There are a couple more compromises for that ultra-streamlined, super-light build. The battery life is rather limited, topping out at 30 minutes per charge. The dust bin is small, too, although air compression helps maximize the amount you can fit into the physical space.

The only issue I think is a genuine mistake on Dyson's part is that the floorhead comes to a slight point, which means it can't sit flush to a wall. This makes it really tricky to get a thorough edge clean. It's extra-annoying here given the emphasis on maneuverability and thoroughness of coverage. This shape is dictated by the tapering rollers, which are designed to prevent hair wrap, but I've found Dyson's Motorbar and Fluffy floorheads do this perfectly well without the need for a tapering roller.

It's a relatively minor complaint in what is a genuinely impressive feat of engineering – and a useful one at that. If you have mostly hard floors and want a nimble, lightweight vacuum that will and highlight hidden dust as you clean, you'll struggle to find something better than this. Read on for my full Dyson PencilVac review.

Dyson PencilVac review: price & availability

• List price: US TBC / £429.99 / AU$949
• Available: US TBC / UK 10 Dec / Australia August 2025
• Launched: Summer 2025

The PencilVac was announced in June 2025 and went on sale in Australia in August. A UK launch followed in December 2025. At time of writing, it isn't yet available in the US. At the list price it costs £429.99 / AU$949 (discounted to AU$798 at time of writing). That's equivalent to around $590 in the US, although actual pricing is unknown.

That puts the PencilVac in the premium price bracket for vacuums. You're paying extra for the unique design here (and a little bit for the Dyson name). In terms of specs such as suction power, runtime, and even special features and accessories, it doesn't compare favorably to other models on the market. However, if you want something ultra-light and maneuverable, there's nothing else like it (for now, at least...). The build quality is excellent, as I'd expect from Dyson.

• Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

Dyson PencilVac specs

Dyson PencilVac review: design

• Lightweight, compact build, with all mechanisms hidden in handle
• Extremely maneuverable, can be used either way around
• Small dust cup, but uses air compression to maximize space

The design here is unique. There's no visible battery, motor, filter, or dust cup section. Instead, all that is packed within the wand, which measures 1.5 inches / 3.8cm in diameter. To achieve that, Dyson has had to re-engineer its motor to one that's incredibly compact – the Hyperdymium 140k motor is just 1.1 inches / 2.8cm wide, and hidden entirely within the handle.

The PencilVac in general is very lightweight, at 4lbs / 1.8kg (by comparison, the V8 is 5.5 lbs / 2.5kg with wand and floorhead attached), and extremely nimble.

The battery forms the top section of the wand, and can be removed and swapped. Moving down you'll find the controls – there are just two buttons: an On/Off, and a second button to switch modes (Eco, Med and Boost; there's no auto-adjustment here). A small screen displays the mode you're using and how much time you have left on the clock.

Move down further and you'll find the dust cup behind a transparent casing; this allows you a view as it fills up. Rather unusually, the dust collects at the top of the bin section. Not surprisingly, the capacity is rather limited, at 0.08L (most of Dyson's stick vacuums have a 0.8L bin). However, the PencilVac apparently uses air to squish down the particles, so that they take up as little room as possible. As such, Dyson says that this cup will hold up to five times its physical volume.

To empty the bin, you remove the floorhead and slide the whole casing down. The dust and dirt then shoots out of the bottom. This process is straightforward and works well, although I did find particles got stuck in and around the bin casing.

At the end of the wand you'll find the new Fluffycones floorhead – another unique part of the PencilVac. This a kind of hybrid between the All Floors Cones Sense floorhead introduced with the Dyson V16 Piston Animal, and the Fluffy cleaner head that made its debut with the Dyson V15 Detect.

Instead of having one or two tube-shaped rollers, the Fluffycones head has four conical ones. The tapering shape is designed specifically as a way to deal with long hair: rather than becoming tangled around the brush roll, the strands should make their way down to the small end of the cone where they drop off in a clump, and can be vacuumed up in a single pass. It's an idea that Dyson first used in its Hair screw tool.

However, unlike the All Floors Cones Sense head, the rollers here are entirely covered with soft, fluffy fabric. This is perfect for use on hard floors, where it can get right up close to the flat surface without risking scratches. It isn't well-suited to carpet, though, because there's nothing to agitate the fibers and release embedded dirt.

Dyson has also added a green laser to both the front and back of the Fluffycones floorhead. This is designed to highlight specks of dirt that might otherwise be missed.

The cones extend a little way past the hard plastic casing, and rotate in opposite directions, which means the PencilVac can pick up debris when pushed forwards and when pulled backwards. In fact, because it's basically symmetrical, you can use it either way around.

Since the "wand" contains all the inner mechanisms, the PencilVac isn't quite as versatile as a traditional stick vacuum. You can't remove the wand part and use it like a hand vacuum. However, you can swap out the floorhead for a detail tool. There was one included with my review model: a "Rotating combi-crevice tool" that can be used like a traditional Crevice tool, or with the brush section engaged to sweep up dirt (NB: it doesn't actually rotate).

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Dyson PencilVac review: performance

• Excellent and very efficient pickup on hard floor, even in Eco mode
• Not designed for use on carpet, and not sucky enough for ingrained dirt
• Laser light is effective and useful

So how does the Dyson PencilVac perform in practice? The first thing to emphasize is how comfortable it is to use. Although it takes a moment to get used to the different grip – you hold this cleaner like a broom, rather than like a traditional stick vacuum – it's very light in the hand and maneuvers incredibly well. You can use it forwards or backwards, and the floorhead pivots with ease. With the detail tool attached, it's also super easy to clean up high or in tight spaces.

Unfortunately, the design of the floorhead isn't quite as impressive. Since it comes to a slight point at the front, it can't sit flush to a wall. This was one of my main complaints with the similarly shaped All Floors Cones Sense floorhead, and it's no less annoying here. If you can't approach an edge side-on, it's tricky to achieve a thorough clean. This kind of vacuum should be perfect for the stairs, say... except the reality is that using the PencilVac to clean along all those straight edges is a nightmare.

This isn't the most powerful Dyson vacuum – you're getting a maximum 55AW of suction, where most Dyson stick vacs have double that. Also, the design of the floorhead doesn't lend itself to being ultra-sucky, either. Usually, the casing around the edges would descend to the floor around all four edges, creating a "vacuum" (in the original sense of the word) underneath. That isn't the case here. And because the rollers are soft all over, there's nothing to agitate embedded dust.

None of that is an issue if you're just using the PencilVac on hard flooring, which is its intended use. You don't need a ton of suction to clean hard floors, because all the dust and dirt is sat right there on the surface. But if you're seeking something for carpet, or even a vacuum that will pull the dirt from the cracks and crevices in your floorboards, this isn't it.

To get a more objective view of how well the PencilVac cleans, I ran a series of tests using dry, loose tea (to represent fine particles) and a dry couscous/oat mix (to represent chunky debris) on the large tiles of my kitchen floor. The results were very impressive: the vacuum picked up everything in a single pass, even on the lowest Eco mode. There was minimal pinging of large particles, and the fact that the head cleans from both sides meant I could clear the spillage in half the time.

In general use, the PencilVac was a dream to use in my kitchen. The Fluffycones head seemed to hover across floors, moving smoothly and with minimal effort on my part, whisking away dirt and pet hair as it went. The lasers did a great job of illuminating dust in dingy areas, and I could easily direct the vacuum into tight corners – down the side of a sofa, for example. The only annoyance was that awkwardly angled floorhead.

Although this vacuum isn't really built for carpets, I still ran my standard carpet tests to see how it would cope. It pulled up a decent amount of chunky debris in a single forward pass in Medium mode, although it did flick other bits about.

Medium mode wasn't enough to pull many of the flecks of fine dry tea from my mid-pile carpet, and even after several passes I could still see a shadow where the tea had been sprinkled.

I also decided to try the PencilVac on the canvas-style mat in my kitchen. It pulled up a good amount of debris, and there was less pinging than there had been on the carpet. It's certainly capable of pulling surface dirt from this kind of flooring, and perfectly fine for everyday cleaning.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Dyson PencilVac review: battery life

• Promises 30 mins in Eco, 20 in Medium, and 5 in Boost
• 2 hours recharge time
• Battery removable and swappable

The main compromise you're making for the lightweight, compact build is a smaller battery. Larger, heavier Dyson vacuums last over an hour in their lowest-powered mode, but the runtimes on the PencilVac are much shorter. Dyson promises 30 minutes in Eco mode, 20 in Medium and 5 in the most powerful Boost mode. The battery recharges in a relatively speedy 2 hours.

Medium mode is the one I'd typically default to, and it lasted for 18 minutes at the power (less than Dyson's listed specs). That's really quite short for a middle mode, although it did give me enough time to clean three bathrooms, a large kitchen and utility room, so maybe it isn't too much of an issue. I'd also say that for hard flooring, Eco mode will actually usually be sucky enough for most situations.

I've been testing vacuums for a while now, and with the PencilVac I missed having a dirt-detecting Auto mode, although I can see why it wasn't included here. I'm pleased to see that despite the battery taking a different format, it's still removable and replaceable, which should help with the longevity of the PencilVac overall.

• Battery life score: 3.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Dyson PencilVac?

How I tested the Dyson PencilVac

I used the Dyson PencilVac regularly for a couple of months, to get a general feel for its performance and usefulness. I also ran specific cleaning tests including chunky particles (dry couscous/oat mix) and fine particles (dry, loose tea) on my hard floor, thin mats and carpet. I compared my findings with other vacuums I've tested, and assessed if it offered strong value for money.

Read more about how we test vacuum cleaners

• First reviewed November 2025

I've been writing about vacuums for a long time now, and every new cordless vacuum that comes out seems to offer more suction and longer runtimes. Dyson has bucked that trend with its new launch. The Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones has suction and runtime specs that, if I was being polite, I'd describe as 'underwhelming'. Despite that, it's one of the best cordless vacuums I've tested in a long time, and I truly think it's going to shake up the vacuum market.

In its PencilVac, Dyson has embraced a completely new form factor. It looks more like a broom than a cordless vacuum, with all the main mechanical components (motor, filter, dust cup, battery) shrunk down and hidden within the handle. It's incredibly streamlined and impressively lightweight.

It's designed for use on hard floors, and for that it's absolutely perfect. I've been testing it out for several weeks (read my full Dyson PencilVac review) and it has no trouble clearing every last speck of dust from my tiled kitchen floor. I can see how much of a good job it's doing, because there are lasers mounted to the front and back of the floorhead that light up the tiniest specks of dirt like a beacon.

The reason the lasers are on the front and the back is because this cleaner works from both directions, which cuts cleaning times in half. It's ultra-nimble and incredibly low-effort to use – I loved flinging it around my kitchen and watching the laser-illuminated dust disappearing before my very eyes.

A forgotten market

This kind of vacuum will be perfect for anyone who struggles with lifting or maneuvering a traditional stick vacuum. It's a chunk of the market that has been somewhat forgotten about lately. Generally, in their quest for ever-more suction and ever-longer battery life, brands have been compromising on weight. Dyson is particularly guilty of this. Its newest models, the V16 Piston Animal and Gen5detect vacuum, both weigh a hefty 7.5 lbs / 3.4kg. The PencilVac, in contrast, weighs 4 lbs / 1.8kg.

This kind of compact, easily maneuverable vacuum will also suit anyone with awkward corners to clean. What's more, the lightweight build is perfect for cleaning up high, with the detail tool attached.

Sure, it won't suit everyone. The design is specifically for hard floors and perhaps the occasional canvas-style rug – the floorhead design and suction level won't work for carpet. That's fine; those with carpets to clean have plenty of alternatives to choose from.

The relatively short runtimes (you'll get around 30 minutes' cleaning in Eco mode and 20 in Med, whereas most modern vacuums offer an hour or more in the lowest mode) aren't going to be a problem for everyone either. I found that a. Eco mode was sucky enough to clean my hard floors efficiently, and b. 30 minutes was plenty of time to clean my large kitchen and three bathrooms, partly thanks to the efficient design and smooth maneuvering.

The Dyson PencilVac is proof that there's space for different kinds of vacuum cleaners on the market. By (to some extent) ignoring suction power and battery life, Dyson has freed the PencilVac up to shine in different areas. I've already seen my first dupe, and I'm confident it won't be the last.

Dyson is one of the most respected appliance brands around, and has a reputation for invention. In my role as a TechRadar Homes Editor, I've had a chance to try out almost all of this brand's gadgets and appliances (as well as plenty of competitor products, for added context). I'm consistently impressed with Dyson's creativity and innovation... but not all of its inventions are quite as good as others.

Below, I've listed Dyson's big innovations, ranked from best to worst. To narrow things down a bit, I've focused on the brand's vacuum cleaners and haircare gadgets, though, of course, it also has significant stakes in the air purifier and fan markets. Read on for the Dyson features that truly blew me away, and those that turned out to be downgrades in disguise.

#1. A teeny tiny motor

Any handheld gadget typically benefits from being as compact and light as possible. For its Supersonic r hair dryer, Dyson shrunk the motor right down and put it in an incredibly compact shell. It looks weird, but it's a dream to use, with the pipe-like shape directing air with precision – plus, it blasts out air with serious force for such a small gadget.

Perhaps even more impressive is the new Dyson PencilVac. This is a cordless stick vacuum, except all the internal mechanics have been shrunk down and tucked into the handle, which is 1.5 inches / under 4cm in diameter.

It looks like a broom handle, except inside there's a tiny little motor, alongside filters, a battery, and even a dust cup. It almost defies belief. I've been busy testing this gadget at home, and it's ultra-nimble and light.

#2. Lasers on vacuums

Want to be disgusted by exactly how dusty your floors are? Now you can! Dyson was the brand that first put dirt-illuminating laser headlamps on its vacuum floorheads. They're ultra-bright and positioned at precisely the right angle to cast big shadows on the tiniest particles and finest hairs on your hard flooring.

They're genuinely useful in making sure you get every last speck of dust cleared away. They're also just generally really satisfying to use and helpful in highlighting (literally) the dirt-hotspots that are getting neglected.

These were first introduced on the Dyson V15 Detect, but appear on most of Dyson's newest vacuums, including the Dyson Gen5detect and V16 Piston Animal. Lots of brands have copycat versions these days. I've tested plenty of headlamp-equipped vacuums from different brands, but very few come close to Dyson's version in terms of effectiveness.

#3. Curl automation

Dyson deserves credit for pioneering a new way of curling hair with its OG Airwrap. Now my bathroom is full of Airwrap dupes, and the auto-wrapping, air-powered curling feels like old news, but Dyson has managed to capture my attention once again with a major upgrade to its iconic multi-styler.

The newest models – the Airwrap i.d. and Airwrap Co-anda 2x – have a little spring-loaded switch on the front that automates the curl sequence for you. Flick it upwards, and it kicks off a wrap – curl – cool shot process, so all you need to do is hold the styler in place while it works its magic.

The timings of each part are specific to your hair and determined by a quiz you complete in the companion app. Normally, I'm pretty opposed to apps for things that shouldn't really need one, but here, Dyson gets a pass.

Now, this upgrade isn't essential. I could achieve the same results on my own with some focus and clock-watching. It's just that it makes styling so effortless. And because I invariably get bored or distracted when trying to curl without the automated sequence, the results on me always look more polished and last longer when the machine times it all out for me.

#4. Ultra-precise dust detection

Dyson's newer flagship vacuums (from the V15 onwards) have the ability to detect exactly the size and number of particles they're sucking up at any time, and report back on a screen mounted above the handle. They do this in real-time, via a colorful, moving bar graph, and a summary is provided at the end of the cleaning session. The vacuums also use the information to adjust suction to clean away the particles efficiently.

Let's be clear: I do really like this feature. The reason it's further down my list is that I'm not convinced all of it is strictly necessary. The particle detection and automatic suction adjustment is super-useful. I also enjoy watching the bars shift as I clean, and to some extent, it helps me do a more thorough job, as I can see where the floor is especially dirty.

However, the real-time reports are limited in their practical usefulness, and there's certainly no need for them to be broken up by particle size. I have a sneaking suspicion the bar graph is mainly there for the gratification of the engineers who really, really wanted us to know what was going on under the hood and how much work it took to make it.

#5. Submarine floorheads

Another innovation I'm on the fence about is Submarine floorheads – mopping heads that can be swapped onto certain vacuums to enable them to wet-clean as well as vacuum. In fact, it might be more accurate to say I'm not sure Dyson has really found its way when it comes to wet cleaners in general.

I haven't been blown away by any of the mopping gadgets I've tested from Dyson so far. The V15s Detect Submarine suffered from a poorly designed Submarine head that had an unfortunate tendency to leak dirty water when disconnected from the machine for emptying. And while the Dyson WashG1 is a very good cleaner, it doesn't do enough to justify its sky-high price tag. There are similarly priced (and cheaper) models in my best wet-and-dry vacuum roundup that do more, and better.

I have a new Clean+Wash Hygiene on its way for testing, so Dyson may still redeem itself on the mopping front.

#6. Conical floorheads

My final entry in this list is one that I genuinely think is a downgrade. On its latest flagship – the V16 Piston Animal – Dyson decided to shake things up on the floorhead front. Instead of having one parallel brushroll, the new-look head has two cone-shaped rollers connected in the center. The idea is that any long strands of hair will make their way to the narrow end of the cone and away into the bin, rather than staying tangled around the roller.

The knock-on effect is that the front of the floorhead becomes slightly pointed. This is a major pain when it comes to cleaning the edges of rooms, because the head won't sit flush to the wall. Getting the perimeter of a room clean now requires a load of awkward maneuvering, whereas before it was straightforward as anything.

What's more, there's a barrier in the center of the floorhead where the two rollers connect, and below which nothing gets sucked up.

While the new design does work on an anti-hair tangle front, here's the thing: I never had any real issues with hair wrap on Dyson's previous (parallel) floorhead, either. It might make a noticeable difference if you have Rapunzel-like locks, but for most households, the issues it creates will far outweigh any benefits.

A mere eight months ago, Dyson announced an ultra-innovative new vacuum cleaner. It was called the PencilVac, and the USP was that all of its major components, from its motor to its battery to its dust cup, had been shrunk down to fit into its broom-shaped handle.

The design was – I was informed – the result of much meticulous work from the Dyson, and required the engineers to create a teeny-tiny new motor just 1.1 inches / 2.8cm in diameter. It would be worth it though: there was nothing else remotely like it.

Except now, there is. The PencilVac went on sale in the UK in December 2025 (it launched a little earlier in Australia and is yet to become available in the US), and in January 2026 I saw my first PencilVac dupe at CES. It's just at prototype stage at the moment, but there are a number of features that could be causing Dyson some concern.

As you'll learn in my Dyson PencilVac review, I'm a big fan of the Dyson version. Now, Narwal's version is clearly not finalized yet – it doesn't yet have a name, there's very minimal information available, and I was only able to look at the prototype, but not touch it.

Let's take a look at what we know so far about Narwal's upcoming PencilVac dupe, and whether it poses a real threat to Dyson...

Double take

In terms of the design, the two look unmistakably similar – it's clear what Narwal based its design on. There's the same streamlined build, with mechanics squeezed into the handle; Narwal's handle is oblong rather than round, but otherwise it looks pretty much the same, with a Power switch, small info screen, battery at the top and dust cup at the bottom.

I wasn't able to pick it up, so I couldn't comment on the maneuverability or weight, but I will say the PencilVac excels in these areas, based on my tests so far. The Narwal version is described as having '360-degree swivel', and a brand rep told me its version would be lighter than the PencilVac, although no specs were supplied, so I'm hesitant to take that as given.

Dyson's PencilVac has an unusual floorhead, with soft, cone-shaped rollers designed to prevent hair wrap. Narwal's prototype version is more standard – the roller is still soft (which suggests this model, like Dyson's, is meant for hard floors rather than carpet) but it has just one parallel roller. Dyson has mounted dirt-illuminating lasers on both sides of its floorhead, and Narwal also mentions "a dirt-detection headlight" on its feature list.

Dyson deviations

One big area where Narwal has deviated from Dyson's design is in the inclusion of an auto-empty dock. This is essentially a base that houses a larger dust cup/bag, into which the vacuum's smaller onboard bin automatically empties when the vacuum is docked. These are becoming increasingly common on regular stick vacuums, and are even scheduled to be added to Dyson's lineup. However, there isn't one on the PencilVac.

An auto-empty dock is a logical addition, because the whole concept of this type of vacuum means there's not much room for a large dust cup. Dyson has included air-powered compression on its PencilVac dust cup to maximize the space, but there's still only 0.8L available – I have a shedding pet, and I find the dust cup fills up with hair rather quickly. An auto-empty dock, which takes the mess and effort out of emptying the bin, makes a lot of sense.

Other things that might well be causing Dyson some headaches are the listed specs for battery life and suction power. Narwal promises 140AW of suction on its dupe, compared to 55AW for the PencilVac. And while the PencilVac can manage up to 30 minutes of cleaning per charge, Narwal says its version will last either 50 minutes (as per the press release) or 45 (as per the specs displayed at CES). That's a significant difference in both cases.

Of course, the big caveat here is that the Narwal vacuum is still at prototype stage, so I won't be taking any of those specs as a given just yet – the inconsistency in runtime information is telling. While Narwal has brought out some very good robot vacuums, its report card is a little patchier than Dyson's, and for me it's not up there in terms of quality or reliability either.

That said, I'll still be watching with interest to see what happens when this interloper makes its way to market.

I'm a big fan of Dyson vacuum cleaners. They're nimble, powerful, and they consistently push boundaries when it comes to innovation. However, the one area where they consistently seem to fall down is comfort.

The most recent flagship vacuums are some of the heaviest cordless stick models on the market. And while the older and less tech-packed Dyson options might be lighter, there's nothing in the way of shaping or padding around the handle, which might boost user comfort.

I had a chance to sit down with Dyson engineer Steph Parker to pick her brains about how the company designs its vacuums – and I started by asking about the weight issue of its flagship models.

Steph explains that when designing the new flagship, the V16 Piston Animal, keeping the weight down was "a key focus" – and, specifically, it was "a target not to go any more weighty than a [previous flagship] Gen5".

"One way we did it was by switching the motor around, which allowed us to compress the overall size of the product. And that's allowed us to reduce its weight," she says. "We've also done some fine-tuning [adjustments] of materials, running it through kind of simulations. For example, 'If we drop wall thicknesses, we can save weight there.'"

At the end of this process, Dyson appears to have been successful – the V16 is 7.5lbs / 3.4kg with its wand and main floorhead attached, and the Gen5detect is almost exactly the same weight. Plus, if you take the wands and floorheads off, the newer option is lighter (and more streamlined in shape) than the older model.

Unfortunately, though, Dyson's models remain significantly heavier in the context of the wider market. This is one reason that it's the model down from the Gen5 – the V15 Detect, at 6.8lbs / 3kg – that holds top spot in my ranking of the best Dyson vacuums.

To Dyson's credit, on both the Gen5detect and the V16 Piston Animal, the company has added a pad above the handle, to bring some cushioning to that area. "It's designed so that it's comforting the top of your hand, because that's where the most of the weight is going," explains Steph. Ideally, I'd like to see similar padding on the cheaper models, too, because while they might be lighter, I still tend to find they rub awkwardly on my thumb joint when used for long periods.

Getting in shape

The other comfort issue I've found with Dyson vacuums is that all their handles are straight-edged, whereas other brands mould theirs to make them more ergonomic. A shaped handle would be especially welcome on Dyson's heavier, flagship vacuums – the elongated configuration of the top section means they can be especially unwieldy when used in handheld mode, with users benefitting from being able to achieve a more secure grip. Steph says this isn't on the cards, however.

"We fine-tune the sizes of that handle depending on our 95 percentile [so 95 per cent of hand sizes can hold the handle comfortably]. We'd go through multiple testing with user trials, just to make sure it is as comfortable as possible," she assures me. "But in terms of molding it, that's basically as far as we'd go to try to make it as comfortable as we can.

I ask if it's a style choice – after all, Dyson has a distinctive and established design aesthetic, one that leans heavily towards clean lines. However, Steph clarifies that it's more to do with ensuring the handle is nice and sturdy.

"I think it's probably mostly focused on structural [aspects] and just making sure the products are as robust as they can be while being comfortable to most of our users," she continues. "It will go through vigorous testing, so it needs to be structurally sound. And we don't want a visual kind of design [decision] compromising that at all."

It looks like, for now at least, if you want the flashiest Dyson in town, comfort might have to be a sacrifice you'll have to make.

Dyson's latest flagship vacuum was a big disappointment for me. You can read all about why in my Dyson V16 Piston Animal review, but essentially it boils down to a new floorhead that's not fit for purpose, and generally rather weak cleaning. It won't be troubling my best Dyson vacuum ranking any time soon.

However, alongside the changes that didn't work were a couple that really, really did. The first is the dust compression lever on the bin, and the second is the easy-swap attachment connectors. Both made their debut in the V16, but neither could make up for the failings elsewhere.

Squish it down

I'll start with the dust compression, because that's my favorite of the two features. A lever has been added to the bin section, and you press it down to squish together dust and dirt inside the cup to clear the way for more to make its way in. That allows for longer cleaning spells without having to traipse to the trash.

It also means the dust cup can be physically smaller while still being able to hold the same amount of debris. Keeping weight and size down is a priority for comfort and flexibility, but the best cordless vacuums must find ways to do this without compromising in other areas, and offering a decent dust capacity is part of that.

When I was first shown the V16, Dyson had a display that showed the dust capacity compressed and uncompressed, and the difference is massive. It was also noticeable in use – cleaning with the V16, I was able to cover more ground than I could with other vacuums, and I found dog hair seemed to compress especially satisfyingly.

The same lever has a couple of other knock-on benefits. It's designed to wipe fine dust off the inside of the bin casing when pushed down, making it less likely these micro-particles will find their way into the mechanisms, where they can cause issues in the longer term. And it can also be used to shoot dust out of the bin when it does come to emptying, so you don't have to go in with your fingers.

All in all, an uncharacteristically lo-tech and straightforward innovation for Dyson, but extremely helpful in a number of different ways. Full marks.

Change it up

To create its easy-swap attachments, Dyson has made two adjustments. First, at the top of the wand is a new red cuff. You press down on this and it releases the connected floorhead or Hair screw tool on the end. The docking sections on these attachments then automatically stay in an angle that's just off upright, enabling you to slot a different one on, all without ever having to bend down. It's another clever bit of engineering and one that works really well in practice.

It's a shame that this particular upgrade was introduced on a vacuum that only has one floorhead – the previous flagships, the Gen5detect and V15 Detect, had an any-floor head and a soft head for hard flooring, and in swapping between the two, this mechanism would have really come into its own. As it is, it's only really the small Hair screw tool that you could swap on, and I'm not sure how many people are regularly using that on the end of the wand.

Another unfortunate consequence of changing up the connection mechanism is that it means none of Dyson's old tools are compatible with the V16, and vice versa. So you couldn't, for instance, take the older and better Digital Motorbar floorhead and use that in place of the new All Floors Cones Sense floorhead.

While I can't recommend the Dyson V16 Piston Animal outright, I am impressed with both of these new additions. Here's hoping they both get their chance to shine in the next flagship to join the lineup.

Shark has been trying to make auto-empty docks happen since at least 2023, but I think 2026 might be the year they finally take off. If you're in the dark about what exactly I mean by an 'auto-empty dock', it's just what it sounds like: a base that houses a large dust bag or bin, into which the contents of the vacuum's small onboard bin will automatically eject when it's docked.

Auto-empty docks are already commonplace in the robot vacuum market, where they feel like a natural fit – onboard bins are necessarily tiny, the bot needs to dock itself to charge anyway, and the main selling point of the whole thing is that it's a hands-off solution.

They're less common with manual vacuums, where an auto-empty dock feels more luxury than essential. But still, there are plenty of benefits of auto-empty docks for stick vacuums – less effort required from users, the potential for smaller and lighter onboard bins, and minimal chance you'll end up in a cloud of your own just-vacuumed dust as a result of a misjudged dirt ejection.

I'm seeing more and more examples of manual vacuums with auto-empty docks hitting the market. As the author of TechRadar's best cordless vacuum guide, I keep an eye on all the major new releases, and it feels like now more of these have auto-empty docks than don't.

Who started it?

As far as I can tell, the brand that released the hand-break on the auto-empty bandwagon was Samsung. The Samsung Bespoke Jet launched in 2022, and was the first of many self-empty Bespoke Jet vacuums with ever-longer names and ever-loftier price-tags (the most recent being the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra).

However, Samsung is still quite a peripheral brand in the vacuum market, so I think it's Shark's efforts that have been more instrumental in pushing the trend forward, with popular models like the Detect Pro and PowerDetect Cordless available in 'Clean & Empty System' (US) / 'Auto-empty system' (UK) versions. Most recently, Shark has come out with several cheaper, more basic auto-empty options that seem to be aimed at cementing this as an option for everyone, rather than a premium choice.

This year also saw Roborock attempting to establish itself in the manual vacuum space with a range that includes several auto-empty docks (I tested the Roborock H60 Hub Ultra). But the thing that really convinced me they were here to stay was Dyson's announcement that it would be launching compatible docking stations for its newest vacuums.

I say 'announcement' – it was a single line, tucked away in a much larger press release detailing the brand's many September 2025 launches. No images, no prices, no fanfare. For that reason, I'm maintaining a healthy level of wariness about when (and possibly if) these docks will actually arrive on the market. If they do, though, then it could be major.

Shark and Dyson are arguably the two biggest names in the manual vacuum market right now, and if both of those brands are going hard on auto-empty docks, you can assume they're going to be kind of a big deal.

Of all the reviews I've tackled in 2025, Dyson's new robotic vacuum cleaner arrived with the greatest air of excitement. No, really. I love my Dyson stick vacuum, was disappointed to discover how poorly Dyson's last robovac reviewed, and I'm a sucker for a good old-fashioned redemption story.

It's called, rather clumsily, the Spot+Scrub Ai. This is Dyson's attempt to redeem itself in the robovac world, by sprinkling a bit of the bagless, semi-transparent, cyclone tech magic that's made the British-Singaporean firm so successful in the posh vacuum space.

You'll have to hold tight for my full review, but my first impressions of the new bot are good. The disappointing 360 Vis Nav of 2023 failed to trouble TechRadar's best robot vacuum ranking. Despite possessing a sky-high price tag, it was purely a vacuum, with no mopping function and no self-emptying capabilities.

The Spot+Scrub Ai comes out firing on all cylinders with both of those functions present and correct. It's got a clever, roller-style mop that's fed by an onboard water tank, and a base station that charges the battery, cleans and dries the mop, and uses Dyson's cyclone technology to empty the robot's dust bin.

Pleasingly, the base station is bagless – something that's surprisingly rare in the robovac space. Instead of buying new bags every few months, and trying to work out what sort and size of bag the robot needs, you simply lift the dust collector out and empty it into a bin, as you would any other Dyson stick vac.

I'd rather the contents of the bin weren't visible through a clear plastic window, as if to display to visitors just how dirty my carpets were before they arrived, but I accept it's a design trait that echoes the rest of the Dyson aesthetic. I'd also like Dyson to include some mopping detergent in the box. Adding some to the water tank is one of the first instructions, yet it's sold separately for £19.99. For a £1,050 vacuum (US and AU price TBC) that feels a bit mean.

A bit of a dis-app-ointment

The setup process is simple enough, and especially so if you've used any other robotic vacuum cleaner. However, so far I've found the app a little disappointing – for a premium, tech-first firm like Dyson I'd expected better. It isn't unstable, nor is it full of the poorly translated English seen in rival vacuum apps, but it isn't particularly logical either, and I had issues editing my map after the bot failed to identify some doorways on its initial mapping run.

For a robovac that apparently possesses artificial intelligence smart enough to identify over 190 objects and substances – best not to dwell on the latter – failing to spot a doorway, even when there's a threshold and a change from wood flooring to carpet, is disappointing. Perhaps I'm being picky, but anyone spending four figures on a robovac has every right to be. And in any case, rival vacuums I've tested do a much better job of mapping doorways and even labeling rooms based on their contents.

A couple of other app issues, I'm afraid. The robot adds orange traffic cone icons to the map after a clean, but they're not labeled and tapping them does nothing. Has it spotted a sock, a stray USB cable or a mouse? I'll never know. Rivals at least try to guess, and some even attach a photo, though they often resemble evidence from a Netflix crime documentary.

Also, despite spending time labeling the map – lounge, kitchen, hallway, toilet, etc – these tags are frustratingly missing on the screen for telling the robot where to clean, and are instead assigned a number. My kitchen and living room have the same icon, for some reason, and since I live in a predictably symmetrical newbuild house, it isn't immediately obvious which is which. Always best to double-check, or I'll worry that the Dyson will try to mop the lounge carpet instead of the kitchen.

My first impressions of the app aren't great, but I'll overlook these if the rest of the robot lives up to expectations – and, after a couple of cleans, the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai seems pretty smart. It navigates well – something its predecessor struggled with – and I think it looks good, as far as these things go. I also like the bagless design and I'm particularly keen to see how well it mops. Given its roller design, ability to reach into corners, and use of warm water to clean itself, I have high hopes – plus it claims to use AI to spot dirt and scrub at those bits more aggressively, which will be interesting to test over the holiday period.

Cleaning thick carpet isn't easy. There needs to be just enough suction to pull up particles that have settled deep within those long, luxurious fibers, without making the floorhead impossible to push. Too much suction and you'll get stuck; too little and there won't be much cleaning happening.

I recently ran a big group test to find the best cordless vacuum on the market, and as part of that I ran several suction tests on thick carpet. The model that scored the highest marks for cleaning deep-pile carpet was the Shark PowerDetect Cordless.

Read on for a closer look at the tests I ran, how this vacuum performed, and what makes it such a strong choice for deep-pile carpet (plus the runners up, if it's not quite right for you).

How did I test?

To test how well each vacuum performed on deep-pile carpet, I sprinkled dry tea (representing fine particles), a dry rice and lentil mix (representing chunky particles), and dog hair clippings (representing, well, dog hair) onto a large sample of thick carpet, rubbing each mixture into the fibers. I then vacuumed over the mess with the various models, using Auto mode if the vacuum had one, or the medium suction setting if it didn't.

I assessed how effectively the vacuum cleared each spillage – both at surface level and deeper down in the carpet fibers. I also assessed how easy it was to push the vacuum over the carpet, and the extent to which the floorhead pinged or pooled the particles about, rather than sucking them up.

The PowerDetect Cordless scored a perfect 5/5 in my chunky particle test, clearing everything in a single forward pass in Auto mode. It was equally effective with pet hair (in fact, this is the best vacuum for pet hair that I've tested, in general).

For fine particles the score was a little lower (4/5), because I could still see a fine dusting of tea within the carpet fibers after a forward pass. However, that was the equal-highest score that any vacuum in my group test achieved here – the reality is that it's just super tricky to effectively clean fine particles from deep-pile carpet.

Why is this vacuum so good for thick carpet?

In my opinion, the success of the PowerDetect cordless is down to a combination of outright power, an Auto mode that copes superbly when clearing mess off thick carpet, and a well-designed floorhead. The vacuum clearly comes packing plenty of suction – the PowerDetect came top or joint-top in all my cleaning tests, which covered mid-pile carpet, hard flooring, and further pet-hair trials.

The suction level of this model is designed to amp up and down depending on the floor type and how dirty it is, and I could hear the power shifting as I moved the floorhead over any mess. No matter the level of power it was exerting, the vacuum remained easy enough to push in Auto mode, never getting stuck down as a result of the suction.

Shark has also added a flap to the back edge that makes it more effective at sucking up particles when the floorhead is pulled backwards over them. While this feature really shines on hard flooring, it also seemed to help when cleaning thick carpet – there was some pooling (as you can see in the video above), but nowhere close to the levels that some competitor models created. I also found that the wheels appeared to help agitate the carpet fibers.

The runners up...

If the Shark PowerDetect doesn't look quite right for you, these were there runners up in my deep-pile carpet tests.

• Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene is a new wet floor cleaner, joining the WashG1
• It's one of the most lightweight wet cleaners on the market
• There are no filters or dirty water pipes, and it's self-drying for minimal maintenance

Wet floor cleaners are a major effort-saver when it comes to the mopping part, but sometimes the appliance maintenance is demanding and disgusting enough to barely make it worthwhile – and Dyson is addressing the issue with its new wet cleaner.

The Clean+Wash Hygiene is an upgraded sister model to the Dyson WashG1, and it improves on that gadget in three main ways, two of which tackle the maintenance side of things so there's less messy hands-on time required from you. Let's take a closer look...

1. There's no filter or tubing to clean

For the Clean+Wash Hygiene, the dirty water tank is integrated completely into the floorhead itself. There's no filter, nor any tubing for the gunky water to slowly clog up. Keeping the internal mechanisms clean and free-flowing is one of the most significant and fiddliest upkeep jobs associated with wet-dry vacuums, and Dyson has basically completely removed them here.

The design of the WashG1 does address this issue: integrated into the floorhead is a filter to collect solid debris, so it doesn't need to make its way through any tubing, and the dirty water tank is large and smooth on the inside, making it easy to get your hand in and clean it properly as required. But this new setup looks more hands-off still – there's no filter to clean at all.

Within the Dyson lineup, the setup looks more similar to the self-contained mopping floorhead included with the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine. (I just hope it doesn't have the same spillage issue we found with that design.)

2. It's ultra-lightweight

Some of the best wet and dry vacuums on the market are so heavy and unwieldy that using them is a major workout. The WashG1 was relatively lightweight, but the Clean+Wash Hygiene is even more so – in fact, Dyson says it's the lightest option on the market (using data from the top three dedicated floor washer models from each of the top five brands globally), coming in at just 8.42lbs / 3.82kg.

Part of the weight saving is likely because this new model – like the WashG1 – doesn't have any suction. Instead, it just uses water and agitation to clear dirt and spillages.

The Clean+Wash Hygiene can also lie completely flat to the ground, for cleaning under low furniture. In this mode, it's just 4.44 inches / 11.3cm tall.

3. It cleans and dries it own roller

The WashG1 came with a self-wash mode that ran clean water through the system and over the roller. The Clean+Wash Hygiene can do that too, but can also dry the roller with hot air, saving you from having to detach it and place it out somewhere after each clean.

This feature puts it more in line with the wider market – although in truth it's still a little behind the competition. I'm increasingly seeing self-clean modes that use hot water to cut through grease. However, the Clean+Wash Hygiene system will take on the hard work out of the mop maintenance for you.

What else is new?

There are other, smaller improvements that also look promising. As with the WashG1, the roller is fed with fresh water as it makes its way around, while the dirty stuff is continually siphoned off. The roller here has been upgraded, though – it's more densely packed with fibers to make it more absorbent, and Dyson has added nylon bristles for extra scrubbing power.

Again you've got three hydration settings plus a Boost mode that delivers extra water. However, Dyson has tweaked the delivery to enable the Clean+Wash Hygiene to clean a 20% larger space than its predecessor, despite having a smaller clean water tank (750ml versus 1L).

Plus, it can now be used with Dyson's on cleaning fluid, whereas previously the recommendation was water only. The new 'Dyson 02 Probiotic' is a non-foaming, non-toxic hard floor cleaning solution that's specially formulated to work with the Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene.

Price & availability

The Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene is already on sale in the UK at a list price of £429.99. It's due to go on sale in the US and in Australia in 2026, but I don't have any specifics or pricing yet. I have one on its way to me, and will update you with my thoughts when the full review embargo lifts in early February.

It was first unveiled amid a flurry of product announcements in September 2025. I've already reviewed the Dyson V16 Piston Animal flagship vacuum and the Dyson V8 Cyclone affordable stick vacuum, and I have the Dyson PencilVac in my reviewing pile alongside the Spot+Scrub AI robot vacuum, Dyson's surprise new robot vacuum.

Most of Dyson's vacuums look pretty much the same, so figuring out what the differences are – and crucially, if those differences will translate to cleaner floors and a less demanding housework session for you – can be tricky. To help you out, I ran side-by-side tests with some of Dyson's newest vacuums, comparing everything from suction to battery life to design, features and price, to make it clear how the different options compare.

In this test, I used four vacuums from across the range. I started with the brand's two most recent flagship models: the Dyson V16 Piston Animal (released in September 2025 and the best Dyson vacuum based on specs) and the Dyson Gen5detect (released 2022). Those are both ultra-premium options, so for a bit of balance I also included the Dyson V11, which is one of the oldest models in the current range (released 2019). Finally, I tested the Dyson V8 Cyclone, a refreshed-for-2025 version of the classic V8, one of the cheapest and most basic Dyson vacs (not yet available in the US).

This comparison was part of a larger group test including models from various other brands – you can see how these models stacked up against competitor efforts in my guide to the best cordless vacuums on the market. Alternatively, read on for my main takeaways from this Dyson vacuum showdown, plus the scorecards from my tests.

#1. The cleaning is stellar...

With one glaring exception (which I will cover in my next point), all the Dyson vacuums I tested offered excellent cleaning. Even the cheapest model (the V8 Cyclone), and the oldest (the V11 Advanced) sailed though my cleaning tests. I've included a score breakdown below, if you're interested.

Mid-pile carpet cleaning performance was uniformly great, with the V8 Cyclone, V11 and Gen5detect all delivering near-perfect pickup in Auto or Med mode, on everything from fine dust to chunky particles to pet hair. It's notable that I didn't see better performance on the models that had automatic suction adjustment, compared to the ones that did not.

That holds true for my deep-pile carpet tests, too: these three vacuums all have ample suction to pull dust from within thick carpet fibers. A bigger reason for docking of points in my deep carpet tests was a lack of air intake slider on the floorhead. If a vacuum has a lot of suction but no way to allow more air in, it becomes almost impossible to push on deep pile. This was an issue on both the V8 Cylcone and V11 Advanced.

Hard flooring is less of a challenge for vacuums because all the dust is sat right there on the surface. Again, scores were generally great. The reason for the not-quite-perfect scores was generally due to the design of the floorhead causing debris to ping around a bit, or pool up when reversed over the particles (the only vacuum I've used that doesn't have the latter issue is the Shark PowerDetect Cordless). If you have delicate hard floors, opt for the Gen5detect, which comes with a soft floorhead specifically for this situation.

#2. ... with one glaring exception

As you may have spied in the table above, the V16 Piston Animal earned far lower scores in my cleaning tests. It's a little baffling, because this is the newest flagship model and based on specs it should be the most powerful. I'm not sure if something is going wrong elsewhere too, but what's obvious to me is that the redesigned floorhead is not helping matters.

For this model, Dyson has swapped the already-excellent Motorbar floorhead for a new All Floors Cones Sense floorhead, whose impressively unmemorable name is but the first in a long list of disappointments. The two cone-shaped rollers are joined in the center by a big chunk of plastic that blocks anything beneath it from being sucked up, and the front edge of the floorhead comes to a slight point, which means it can't get flush to walls.

If you want to get more into the V16's cleaning powers, watch my full video review below, or head to this article where I filmed side-by-side cleaning tests using the three newest Dyson flagship vacuums.

#3. The newest flagships are very user-friendly

So the cleaning might be much of a muchness, but where the pricier Dyson vacuums really stand out is user-friendliness. The addition of an info screen makes the biggest difference here – it's present on all but the V8 Cyclone.

This screen not only spells out (in words) which mode you're using, so there can be no doubt, but it also tells you exactly how much cleaning time you have left in your current mode with your currently attached tool. And if anything gets blocked or needs attention, it'll clue you in on that, too.

Switching down to the screen-less V8 Cyclone, I was struck by how much information I was missing. The suction mode is indicated by a colored LED ("Is that blue or green?", "Hold on, what does blue stand for anyway?") and battery levels are largely up to you to guess – the only indications of charge occur when the machine is about to run flat, or when it's fully juiced-up.

The most advanced options (the Gen5detect and V16) offer up automatic suction adjustment based on dirt detected. Their screens also display a moving bar graph of the size and volume of particles being sucked up as you clean, which is a neat way to highlight dirt hotspots and flag when there's still dirt on the floor, so you know a few more passes are needed.

In fact, the V16 has further advancements that aid with user-friendliness. There's a dust compactor on the bin, to help you fit more in without having to traipse to the trash. The main cleaner heads also have a quick-release mechanism that means you can swap them over without having to bend down.

My only real usability complaint is that Dyson hasn't really nailed the control setup yet on any of its vacuums. The Gen5detect, V16 and V8 Cyclone all switch on and off with a one-press button, but said button isn't reachable from the hand grip, so you'll have to keep your other hand free at all times.

The V11 uses a trigger, and while that's better for quick cleanups, having to keep it compressed is awkward and uncomfortable when using the vacuum for long periods. The ideal would be a trigger, with a lock for continual running, but no Dyson vacuum has this setup.

#4. Dyson needs to work on improving comfort

One area where Dyson consistently disappoints me is in its concessions to comfort. None of the vacuums here (or in Dyson's wider range) have any shaping on the handle to make it more ergonomic.

That's a particular issue with the fanciest models (the Gen5detect and V16), which are both amongst the heaviest cordless stick vacuums I've used. The top section is also rather elongated, which makes it especially unwieldy when used as a handheld. Shaping the handle might help deliver a more secure grip. To its credit, Dyson has added a padded section above the handle, to cushion this area a bit.

That padding is absent, however, on the lighter V11 and the V8 Cyclone. In both cases, I could have done with it, because I found the edge of the filter casing on the could rub on my thumb joint.

None of the Dyson models in my group test really shone in the comfort section – the Gen5detect earned the lowest average score and the V8 Cyclone the highest, but that was mainly determined by each vacuum's weight.

#5. For best value, shop middle of the range

None of these vacuums are especially cheap, so which one delivers the most bang for your buck? If excellent cleaning is your priority, I'd go for the V11. This vacuum earned the second-highest marks overall in this Dyson showdown, with especially strong scores on cleaning performance (pid-pile carpet and pet hair in particular) and battery life.

It didn't score below a 3/5 in any area, so it's a strong all-rounder. Because it's getting a little longer in the tooth now, excellent deals are relatively easy to find, and especially around sales events.

If you'd prefer something more hi-tech, you could stump up for the Gen5detect, which earned the highest overall score of the four vacuums, but is a decent jump up in price from the V11. Again, the cleaning scores were very impressive, and this model also earned marks for its various special features – most notably, Automatic suction adjustment.

(A quick side note: it wasn't part of this side-by-side test but for something similar but I'd recommend the Dyson V15 Detect – it has pretty much all the same features as the Gen5, the cleaning is still excellent, and it comes in slightly cheaper. See exactly how the two compare in my Dyson Gen5detect vs V15 Detect article.)

For those on an even tighter budget, the V8 Cyclone also earned strong overall scores, especially with regards to cleaning, although it lost points for shorter runtimes and a more basic design (specifically, the lack of screen is a hindrance). In short, avoid the V16 Piston Animal and you really can't go wrong.

If you have hairy pets that like to hang out on your sofas, you will know how quickly the fuzz builds up on the fabric and the pain of trying to clear it. Thankfully, many modern stick vacuums come with motorized upholstery attachments designed specifically for this purpose.

I recently ran a group test of a load of different cordless vacuums to see how they compare across a range of cleaning challenges and ultimately find the best cordless vacuum on the market. As part of that test, I tested all the mini upholstery tools to see how efficiently they could remove pet hair – kindly gifted by my local dog groomer – from a velvet cushion. The aim was to see which brand has the most effective pet hair tool.

Results: the short version

Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that while the design of the mini head plays a big part in the effectiveness of the cleaning, the vacuum that's attached to it also has a rather big impact. For that reason, it's difficult to give a definitive result as to which brand has the best mini pet hair tool.

However, the TL;DR version is that the top performers were the Shark PowerDetect cordless with its Motorized hand tool, the Dyson Gen5detect with its Hair screw tool, and the Dreame R20 with its unnamed mini tool. That's overall, not per brand – I tested multiple options from Shark and Dyson, and not all performed as effectively.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at each brand individually...

Shark – Motorized hand tool

The Shark PowerDetect Cordless I tested came with a Motorized hand tool, which was outstanding at clearing dog hair – it pulled all visible strands out in a single pass. This vacuum also performed best in my carpet tests using the main floorhead, earning it the overall best vacuum for pet hair crown.

Be aware that this tool doesn't seem to be included as standard with every version of the PowerDetect Cordless, so double-check before you buy. It is available to buy separately direct from Shark, and costs $87.99 in the US or a significantly more affordable £14.99 in the UK.

My group test included a second Shark vacuum: the Shark Detect Pro. This vacuum didn't come with a Motorized hand tool, so I tested its regular Duster crevice tool, and it got a bit of the hair up, but not much.

That's likely due to a combination of relatively weak power (this vacuum was one of the least efficient cleaners in my wider tests) and a tool that's not up to the job.

Dyson

Dyson has a few different styles of upholstery tools. The most common these days is the Hair screw tool, which has a tapering shape designed to prevent long hair from getting tangled up. With the newest flagship – the V16 Piston Animal – Dyson has upgraded this tool by adding a grippy strip along the front edge, to help lift up hair so it can be suctioned away.

The Dyson V8 Cyclone – a new, more basic option – has a Mini motorized tool that's parallel in design rather than tapering, similar to the one Dyson offered before the Hair screw tool was introduced.

So, on to the cleaning results. Dyson Gen5detect with its original Hair screw tool was the top performer here. It cleared all visible hair from the pillow in a single swipe, in Auto mode.

An unexpected runner-up amongst the Dyson contenders was the V11. This didn't come with a motorized mini tool, so I used the standard Combi tool, and it was just as effective as the Gen5/Hair screw option, despite not having a motorized roller.

A downside is that this tool is narrower than the motorized option. It's great for things like cushions, but if you were going to use it to clean a whole sofa or flight of stairs, it might take a while.

Coming in third was the V16 Piston Animal. Despite having an upgraded Hair screw tool, it wasn't as effective as either the Gen5detect or the V11 at removing hair.

It wasn't awful, but it took a few passes to get everything. I wonder if this is down to a flaw in the design rather than the changed tool – this vacuum performed poorly in my general cleaning tests.

Dyson V8 Cyclone, with its Mini motorized tool, was the least effective at tackling hair. Again, it took a few passes to clear the hair with the detail tool, despite this vacuum performing well in my other cleaning tests.

Dreame

The Dreame R20 was the surprise hit of the mini tool competition. This was the only Dreame vacuum included in my trials, and the mini motorized tool (which doesn't have a specific name) cleared my velvet cushion of hair just as efficiently as Dyson and Shark's best efforts.

That's especially notable because in my general cleaning tests this model sat in the middle of the pack, earning perfectly acceptable scores but not excelling as the Dyson Gen5detect and Shark PowerDetect did. If you have a hairy pet and mainly hard floors with some rugs or mid-pile carpet, this would be a top, budget-friendly choice.

Roborock

Finally, I tested out the Roborock H60 Hub Ultra with its mini motorized tool. This did a decent job of clearing pet hair from my velvet cushion, but it took a few passes to get everything clear, and I had to crank up the vacuum to Max mode, too.

For more advice, here's what the experts recommend you look for in a vacuum for pet hair. Or if you want something to take care of day to day cleaning for you, my guide to the best robot vacuums for pet hair has plenty of recommendations (although, of course, you'll still have to handle vacuuming the couch yourself).

As one of TechRadar's Homes Editors, I get to test all the newest vacuum cleaners that come onto the market. These days, almost every vacuum that makes it into my flat has some kind of fancy feature included – many can sense floor type (and dirt levels) and adjust suction in response, but others might have an unusual-looking floorhead designed to banish hair wrap, or the ability to tell when they're approaching the edge of a room.

These kinds of features are so common that when the new Dyson V8 Cyclone landed on my doorstep, with its three suction suction levels and no special features to speak of, it seemed positively prehistoric. I was skeptical that this ultra-basic model would be able to compete with the other, tech-crammed stick vacuums in my cleaning cupboard.

But compete it did. So effectively that I've had to revise my priorities when it comes to what I look for in a stick vacuum.

In my recent group test to find the best cordless vacuum on the market, the V8 Cyclone more than held its own in the cleaning trials. It also earned much higher scores than both the Dyson V16 Piston Animal and Shark Detect Pro; two of the most hi-tech and innovative vacuums around.

The V8 Cyclone is an updated version of the Dyson V8 vacuum, which came out absolutely ages ago but remains a Dyson best-seller. The Cyclone version is not yet available in the US, but the other straightforward vacuum in the group test, the Dyson V11, earned almost exactly the same score as the V8 Cyclone.

These vacuums took spots #3 and #4 in my tests – the overall winner for cleaning was the Shark PowerDetect Cordless, followed by the Dyson Gen5detect. Both of those vacuums do have advanced features, but the gap in performance compared to the simple V8 Cyclone and V11 was minimal. Here are the scores:

My main takeaway from that group test is that while fancy features like auto-adjustment are nice to have, they aren't the final word in great cleaning. What's most important is strong suction and a well-designed floorhead.

The reason the V16 Piston Animal earned such low scores is because the floorhead has been over-engineered, to its detriment. For its All Floors Cones Sense head, Dyson has swapped a parallel roller for two cone-shaped rollers, with the aim of making it impossible for long hair to end up tangled in the floorhead. And sure, the hair doesn't wrap, but there's now a gap between the rollers where nothing's getting sucked up, and the front of the head comes to a slight point, so it won't sit flush to a wall.

The Detect Pro, meanwhile, offers all kinds of advanced automation features, but it lacks outright power. So while it can sense dirt, carpet and room edges, even the amped-up power isn't enough to deliver effective cleaning in those more challenging situations.

The V11 and V8 Cyclone both have the old-style Dyson Motorbar floorhead, which is far simpler than the newest offerings, but a much better cleaner than the new cone-based head. And while they lack automated suction adjustment, they make up for it in outright power. I know which one I'd rather have if I was trying to tackle a pet hair-strewn carpet, or dusty old rug.

Black Friday is over, but apparently the good folks over at Dyson haven't heard. In fact, its Cyber Week sale – ending in two days – is providing one of our favourite deals of the month with up to 52% off two of its most impressive cordless vacuums.

The two vacuums in question are the Dyson Gen5detect Absolute and Gen5outsize Absolute, and they're very similar machines. The Gen5outsize is better suited to larger homes thanks to its bigger dustbin and larger cleaning heads, while the standard Gen5detect would be ideal for most people's needs.

Both of them come with four-figure price tags, which usually makes it difficult to recommend a Dyson over some of its more competitively priced alternatives, but these discounts remedy that – and then some!

Luckily, you don't have to spend a fortune on either thanks to these extended Black Friday sales. We think 51% off the Gen5outsize – down to just AU$799 – is the better-value discount as it's only AU$11 more than the best price on the smaller Gen5detect that's now AU$788.

While we've only tested the Detect model, we have a complete guide explaining the differences between the Gen5detect and Gen5outsize. It's simple, though – the Outsize is bigger.

In all other facets, the machines are the same. This is why we think the Outsize is the deal to buy right now, even if your home isn't a large one. Both machines offer a 70 minute runtime, whole-machine HEPA filtration and a negligible difference in suction power (280AW for the Detect and 250AW for the Outsize).

Plus, there's no real drawback to the bigger model's size, other than the slightly more space it might take up to stow away, and it's only 0.4kg heavier.

If you want to spend less time vacuuming (and who doesn't?), the Outsize is worth the extra money purely for its larger head and 1.9L dustbin (compared to the Detect's 0.8L).

However, if you are genuinely crunched for space or don't think you'll hit that 70-minute maximum run time, the Detect is a stellar machine in its own right, perhaps making that AU$11 better spent elsewhere.

Have you picked up the Dyson deal you wanted? If you haven't, you're in luck because the British brand's Black Friday sale in Australia is still live. In fact, one of its Outsized vacuums is now discounted, which it wasn't through November!.

Dyson's Black Friday sale has up to AU$650 off on select products, but you can potentially save more by shopping from third-party resellers like Amazon and The Good Guys. You should also keep in mind that there are cordless vacuum cleaners and Airwrap dupes that can save you even more.

I've handpicked the best Dyson deals still available for you, and listed a fair few alternatives as well – the choice is now yours. But hurry or you might miss out – these prices won't last long.

Top Dyson retailers

• Dyson: up to AU$650 off select items, including exclusive models
• Adore Beauty: save on Dyson hair styling tools
• Betta Home & Living: discounts on select stick vacuum cleaner
• Bing Lee: find vacuums, purifiers and haircare from Dyson
• eBay: the official eBay Dyson store with more savings for Plus members
• JB Hi-Fi: save on select vacuum cleaners
• Myer: vacuums, heaters, fans, purifiers, hair tools – the lot!
• Sephora: discounts on Dyson's hair tools
• The Good Guys: find deals on vacuums, purifiers and hair tools

• Want to save more on Dyson products? Check out the latest Dyson promo codes and coupons.

Best Black Friday Dyson deals

Vacuums

Haircare tools

Fans, heaters and air purifiers

Headphones

Lighting

Best Black Friday deals on Dyson alternatives

Dyson vacuum dupes

Dyson Airwrap dupes

Dyson fan & purifier alternatives

Dyson Black Friday 2025 deals: key information

Dyson Black Friday 2025 deals: predictions

It's every tempting to say that you'll find offers in every single Dyson product in the brand's repertoire for Black Friday, but that would be wishful thinking.

However, considering the latest Dyson vacuum cleaners like the V8 Cyclone and the V9 Submarine are already seeing discounts, don't be surprised if you find them for cheaper.

Also keep an eye on the prices of the older models, starting with the V15 Detect and the Gen5detect. They're surely going to see big discounts, while you could pick up an older V10 or V8 for real cheap.

There was a time when it was pretty rare to see Dyson's haircare products get steep discounts, but we have been seeing upwards of AU$250 in savings on some of these coveted tools.

As for the purifier fans, you'll be able to save hundreds even when shopping directly from Dyson. The one product we don't anticipate seeing a discount on is the Solarcycle Morph lamp, but perhaps Dyson will surprise us this year. And we don't expect the latest V16 Piston Animal vacuum cleaner variants to see a price drop in 2025 either.

The last time I saw a good price on the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine, it was AU$733 – that was at the start of 2025 on Amazon. The price has hovered around the AU$800 mark during big sales, but The Good Guys can beat the previous all-time low by a decent margin.

It's all thanks to the current Click Frenzy sale – you can follow our live coverage for more deals – but here's how you can score this massive discount that drops the price to just AU$724.

It's discounted at The Good Guys to AU$794. You then ask for a price beat (Harvey Norman is listing the vacuum for a dollar less), which brings it to AU$784. Then tack on the checkout code FRENZY25 that saves you an additional AU$60 when you spend AU$400 or more. Et voila, down to just AU$724! And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the kind of savings you'd want to suck up (pardon the pun).

I use this vacuum cleaner at home myself – and you can read my honest thoughts about it in my Dyson V15s Detect Submarine review – but I'll be the first to admit it's not the best vacuum cleaner in Australia, or even the best stick vacuum cleaner. That, however, has nothing to do with its cleaning prowess.

It's a fantastic cordless vacuum! It's 240AW of suction cleans carpets remarkably well and I'm always amazed at how well it can mop. In fact, I use it regularly to mop up wet spills and my floors are always streak-free. The only reason it doesn't make it into our lists of the best vacuums is because its Submarine roller head has a design flaw that needs you to be careful after you finish mopping.

You see, the dirty-water compartment isn't fully sealed, so when you remove the Submarine cleaning head and carry it to a sink, chances are there may be some spillage. And that's despite Dyson thoughtfully adding a drip tray for the attachment. (Dyson addressed this issue in its first dedicated wet cleaner – read our Dyson WashG1 review for more on that one and see how the two models compare in our Dyson WashG1 vs Dyson V15s Submarine article.)

Other than that, though, there's nothing I can complain about.

I should note that this is the Absolute version of the V15s Detect Submarine, so you don't get the free-standing dock or the Fluffy Optic cleaning tool for hard floors, but that's neither here nor there – I find myself using the Digital Motorbar far more even though I have the Fluffy Optic.

At full price, it is an expensive vacuum cleaner, especially since it's now been replaced by Dyson models, like the V16 Piston Animal. This price drop, however, is absolutely worth considering.

Earlier this year Dyson launched the Dyson Airwrap Co-anda 2x. If you're wondering how exactly it differs from the regular Airwrap, and if it's worth buying, this article is here to help.

The Airwrap Co-anda 2x is based around the same principle as every other Airwrap: it uses a phenomenon called the coanda effect to cause strands of damp hair to wrap around a barrel, shaping them into curls as it finishes drying them. The process uses far less heat than a traditional curling tong, so is better for your hair in the long run.

Prior to the release of the Co-anda 2x, the latest version of the styler was the Dyson Airwrap i.d.. The big upgrade with that model was the addition of an i.d.curl switch that launches an automated wrap > curl > cold shot sequence that takes all the effort (and counting) out of styling your hair. Right now, I rate it the best hair styler on the market... but then I haven't had a chance to test out the new version yet.

The Airwrap Co-anda 2 doesn't just introduce a hyphen where a hyphen has never existed before, it also adds a more powerful motor, attachment memory, and a new attachment that enables you to straighten your hair from wet. All that in a styler that's also lighter and more compact than the Airwrap i.d.

Read on for more about the Dyson Co-anda 2x, and whether you should consider buying one or not.

Dyson Airwrap Co-anda 2x: price & availability

• List price: $749.99 / £579.99 / AU$999
• Launched: summer 2025

The Airwrap Co-anda 2x was unveiled in the US and UK at the start of July 2025 (in fact, it had already been on sale in Korea at that point, but news hadn't really travelled overseas). It went on sale in the US that same month, and hit the UK market in September. It's now widely available internationally, direct from Dyson as well as via select third party retailers.

At ticket price, the Airwrap Co-anda 2x costs $749.99 in the US, £579.99 in the UK, and AU$999 in Australia.

That's a decent price bump compared to the Airwrap i.d., which is $649.99 in the US, £479.99 in the UK, and AU$849 in Australia. That version remains available as part of the main Dyson lineup.

There are also a couple of older Airwraps, typically referred to as the Airwrap Origin. These occasionally pop up on the Dyson AU website, but are generally only available via third party retailers.

Dyson Airwrap Co-anda 2x specs

Dyson Airwrap Co-anda 2x: design

The Airwrap Co-anda 2x is smaller and lighter than its predecessor, but also more powerful. (Confusingly, the weight listed in the specs section of the products listings doesn't seem to support this claim – I'm not sure what's happened there.) To achieve this, the internal mechanics have been completely redesigned, with the Co-anda 2x packing a 'Hyperdymium 2' motor that can spin nine times faster than an F1 car engine. Dyson says it can deliver twice the air pressure and 30% more power than the Airwrap i.d., without being any noisier.

To save you from fiddling with settings as you style, Dyson has added attachment memory. The attachments have RFID sensors that enable the dryer to recognize which one is clipped on. It'll then switch automatically to the recommended (the first time) or your last-used (thereafter) temperature and windspeed settings with each attachment.

I've used this feature on the Dyson Supersonic Nural, and I found it really smoothed out the styling process. It's especially helpful if your routine involves switching between various attachments.

My favorite part of the Airwrap i.d. is the i.d.curl feature, which launches an automated curling sequence at the flick of a button. That feature is still present here, and it's had a small upgrade: the barrels can detect when hair is fully wrapped, and it's time to move on to the curling part of the sequence. That should save time if you have a lot of hair to style.

You've got an extra temperature setting for added control. The i.d. had two heat options plus a cool shot, whereas the Co-anda 2x has three. I'm slightly frustrated to see that the buttons that control these settings seem to have been shrunk down – rather than the i.d.'s chunky, easy-to-use buttons, the 2x has the same dinky switches that I found so annoying on the Dyson Supersonic r hair dryer.

Dyson Airwrap Co-anda 2x: attachments

With many haircare brands, the attachments seem to be something of an afterthought. Not so with Dyson, and I was pleased (but not surprised) to see the attachment selection has been revamped for the Co-anda 2x.

Perhaps the most notable addition is the AirSmooth, which essentially turns your Airwrap into a Dyson Airstrait. Two unheated plates clamp together and blast air at the strands of hair trapped between them, smoothing and straightening them as they dry. When you reach the bottom of your hair, the plates will automatically unclamp. This attachment helps reposition the Airwrap from primarily a curling tool, to a true multistyler.

There's a plethora of other attachments, too, including different sized curl barrels and round brushes to smooth or volumize. For curly or coily hair, there's a tension comb and two-part diffuser, and for naturally straight hair there's a flyaway smoother.

In the US and UK, Dyson sells two bundle options: one geared towards naturally straight or wavy hair, and the other towards curly or coily hair, with attachments to match. In Australia, there seems to only be one bundle option, although you should be able to purchase further accessories individually.

Should I buy a Dyson Airwrap Co-anda 2x?

Based on what I know about the Dyson Airwrap Co-anda 2x, here are the people I'd suggest should (and should not) consider buying one...

Buy it if...

Buy it if...

Dyson recently brought out an upgraded version of its V8 cordless vacuum. That model originally came out in 2016, but it remains one of the brand's top sellers (if I were to take a wild guess at why, it could be that it's one of the few Dyson vacs that doesn't require you to clear out your entire bank account to purchase it). The new version – the V8 Cyclone – looks very similar, but features a few notable upgrades.

I've been testing the two side by side, and have come to the conclusion that the Cyclone is one heck of a smart move from Dyson. It improves on the original in small ways that make a big difference in day-to-day use.

If you want to read about each model individually, head to my Dyson V8 Cyclone review or check out the TechRadar Dyson V8 vacuum review. Alternatively, read on for a closer look at how the two compare in real life.

The big game-changer is the battery life. The older V8 offers up to 40 minutes of cleaning per charge – less if you venture into Max mode. That's a decent runtime, but not enough to clean a larger home in one go if you're going to be thorough about it.

When using the V8, it ran out of power on more than one occasion – especially if the machine wasn't completely juiced up to begin with, or I'd had to use the Max mode for particularly tricky bits of dirt. It's very frustrating, because charging is a lengthy process.

The V8 Cyclone's battery lasts up to 60 minutes. That's not quite up there with the newest and best Dyson vacuums on the market (the V16 and Gen5detect last up to 70 minutes), but it's enough time for a meticulous clean without pausing to recharge. It also puts this vacuum more in line with most of the best cordless vacuums on the market.

Another welcome upgrade is the addition of an extra power mode. The older V8 has Regular and Max modes, whereas the V8 Cyclone offers Low, Med and Max. Not only does it give you more control over your cleaning, but it's particularly helpful if you have a lot of hard floors. Here, the lowest option will be plenty sucky enough to pull up dirt, and will help you eke out as much battery life as possible.

Finally, there has been a change in operation. The V8 Cyclone switches on and off using a one-press button, whereas the V8 uses a trigger, which you have to keep compressed the entire time you're using it. The trigger is meant to help extend runtimes – because you never have the vacuum running when it doesn't need to be – but I found it awkward and especially annoying for a longer cleaning session.

It should be said that there are drawbacks to the button operation, too. You need a hand free to switch the machine on and off, and it's fiddlier if you're just doing a quick cleanup. However, on balance, I much prefer it to a trigger.

Dyson promises more powerful suction on the V8 Cyclone, and on my side-by-side tests, I could see a difference. The Cyclone ate through everything I put in front of it – including plenty of dog hair. However, it should be said that the original V8 is still a very capable vacuum, and its cleaning powers will be more than enough for most people's needs.

Some minor complaints

It's not all good news, though. I have minor niggles with some of Dyson's design decisions. I think in the name of streamlining, the controls on the V8 Cyclone are slightly less usable than on the original V8.

On the Cyclone, the mode you're in is indicated by a colored LED within the mode-switch button – it's green for Low, blue for Medium, and red for High. You need to remember which color stands for what, and if you're colorblind, you might need to rely on the sound of the motor instead.

In comparison, the older V8 has a labelled sider. There's never any doubt as to which mode you're in.

Next, the battery indicator LEDs. The Dyson V8 Cyclone has one LED that blinks to show the machine is charging, while the LED in the mode-switch button flashes when it's running out of juice; otherwise, there's nothing to indicate the vacuum's charge levels.

While cleaning – or even just picking up the vacuum to start a cleaning session – I have no idea if I have a whole house's worth of cleaning left on the clock, or if it's going to die before I've even finished the first room.

The original V8 has three indicator LEDs on each side of the battery (both sets show the same thing). The more that are illuminated, the more charge the machine has. It's not a terribly detailed system, but it's infinitely more helpful than what the Cyclone offers.

Dyson V8 vs V8 Cyclone: price & availability

The V8 Cyclone was unveiled in September 2025 and went on sale in the UK and Australia shortly afterwards. At list price, it costs £349.99 / AU$649.

Dyson has a large presence in the US, but at time of writing, there's no indication of if or when the V8 Cyclone might become available there. (However, in the US, a different affordable alternative to the older V8 has been released: the Dyson V9 Motorbar.)

If you go direct to Dyson, the original V8 currently costs $539.99 / £329.99 / AU$599. In the UK, there's very little difference in the price of the new and old versions, making the Cyclone a bit of a no-brainer if both are being sold at full price.

Of course, the older V8 is likely to attract discounts in the UK and Australia, to make way for the upgraded version, which presumably will replace it entirely at some point.

Dyson V8 vs V8 Cyclone: specs

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Dyson Hot+Cool HF1: two-minute review

The Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 is a sleek and smart fan heater with the bladeless and aesthetically pleasing design we expect to see from the brand.

With a premium list price of £399.99, the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 can be found at Dyson and a few other retailers. Sadly, it’s only available in the UK at the time of publishing, but I’ll provide an update if it ever makes its way off the island.

The HF1 offers ten fan speeds, three oscillation options of up to 70 degrees, a heater that can kick out up to 90ºF / 32ºC, and, most excitingly, some desirable smart features.

During testing, I found the HF1 to be very efficient in both Cool and Hot modes. The lowest setting delivered a delicately cooling breeze to me as I sat on my couch six feet away.

There are plenty of ways to control the HF1, with a few onboard controls, a remote, and the MyDyson app, which gave me access to the whole suite of settings and features.

I could perform most actions with the remote, but its communication with the HF1 was a bit patchy at times. The MyDyson app made controlling the HF1 delightfully easy and offered me a wider range of timer options, as well as scheduling, historical ambient temperature data, and, pleasingly, the option to turn on heat mode remotely so I could return to a warm living room.

The fan’s volume was perfectly acceptable and on par with most of the similar fans I’ve tested. Sleeping with the HF1 a few feet from the bed was a smooth ride, for the most part. However, when it came to using Hot mode, I found that it would go through a period of being particularly noisy for a few moments as it got up to temperature, which it would do whenever the ambient temperature dropped below the target I’d set.

This wasn’t so bad in the daytime, but as one of its selling points is that you can use it in your bedroom overnight to keep the temperature at a desirable level, it’s worth bearing in mind if you’re a light sleeper.

If you have children or inquisitive pets, it’s also worth noting that the metallic edging at the front of the air purifier can get very hot very quickly, and that the child lock only applies to the onboard controls. So if you have a rampaging toddler or a clumsy cat, this could potentially prove inconvenient.

Overall, though, the Hot+Cool HF1 is a satisfyingly efficient fan heater. While it has a high price tag, it’s worth it for the performance and convenience, especially with those clever smart features.

If you’d like to explore more options, our guide to the best fans has our top recommendations.

Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 review: price & availability

• List price: £399.99
• Launch date: October 2025 (UK)
• Availability: UK only at time of publishing

The HF1 is a premium option packed with some fantastic features, but as is often the case with Dyson, it has a premium price tag to match, costing £399.99.

The Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 is currently only available in the UK, and can be purchased from Dyson, Currys, and a few other retailers.

There’s a price difference of £150 between the HF1 and the Dyson Cool CF1, which is actually pretty reasonable considering the addition of Hot mode and the fantastic smart features.

Overall, with its good performance and a number of convenient features, the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 won't disappoint if you have the money to spare. However, it’s worth considering the drawbacks I’ve covered in my review to ensure they won’t pose an inconvenience before you stretch your budget.

• Value for money score: 4 / 5

Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 review: specs

Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 review: design and features

• Small and lightweight design, which can be tilted
• The HF1 has 10 fan speeds and outputs temperatures up to 90ºF / 32ºC
• MyDyson app offers extra settings and features, including a pre-heat function

Setting up the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 was a quick and simple process of attaching the plastic base plate and connecting the HF1 to the MyDyson app.

The Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 is conveniently sized, with a max diameter of 8 inches / 20.4cm once the base is attached; however, at 23 inches / 58.5cm, it might feel a smidge tall for desktop use.

Though it feels a little wrong, as I’m used to using larger-scale formats like the Dyson HP10, it worked perfectly well on the floor. Whether you place it on a tabletop or the floor, the vertical angle of the airflow can be adjusted slightly by shifting the fan’s body backwards or forward to tilt it.

Predictably, the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 fan features a bladeless design, making it easier to clean and a safer option to bladed fans for those who happen to have curious offspring or pets.

In addition to its 10 fan speeds, the HF1 can oscillate 15, 40, or 70 degrees. Both of these functions can be adjusted via the onboard controls, with a power button/dial combo that can be turned to increase or decrease the fan speed, a button to cycle through oscillation angles, and another button that enables Hot mode.

Hot mode offers a temperature range of up to 90ºF / 32ºC, and the combination of the ceramic heater plates and Air Multiplier technology can apparently increase whole-room temperature by one degree in as little as one hundred seconds.

Like the Dyson Cool CF1, the Hot+Cool HF1 also comes with the standard Dyson-style magnetic remote control, which can be stored on top of the loop amplifier. It features power, oscillation, fan speed, and temperature control buttons, as well as ones to enable sleep mode, set the timer, and engage the child lock.

One advantage the HF1 has over the Cool CF1 is its app integration, which gives access to an advanced range of settings, historical temperature readings, outdoor air quality data, and easy remote control, whether you’re out and about or sitting on the couch. Plus, there’s the option to connect the HF1 to your smart home system, so it can be controlled without lifting a finger.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the HF1's smart capabilities is the ability to preheat a room to your desired temperature, ready for when you return home.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 review: performance

• Good performance for its size in both Cool and Hot modes
• Very easy to control, thanks to the MyDyson app
• Quiet overall, but noisy while getting up to temperature in Hot mode

The Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 was simple and straightforward to use, especially when using the app. I often used the remote, too, but there was a bit of a lag whenever I made an adjustment, and the HF1 didn’t register the command at all at times.

When testing from my couch, which was around 6ft / 1.8m away from where I’d placed the HF1, the breeze from speed one wasn’t really detectable when the fan was static, which isn’t really a surprise considering its size. However, when I set it to oscillate at 40 degrees, it was enough to give a gentle and surprisingly effective cooling breeze.

As you’d imagine, the breeze felt a little more prominent with each setting increase, until speed five, when the airflow felt noticeably amplified, and I could hear a quiet windrush past my ears.

The airflow was satisfyingly strong at top speed 10, though it was a little noisy at 45dB from 6 feet away, which was loud enough for me to need to turn the volume up on my TV.

When I measured the sound output of the HF1 in Cool mode from the usual 2ft distance, I found that it produced a similar volume to the Dyson Cool CF1 and the Levoit Circulair. However, its readings of 29dB at speed one, 36dB at speed five, and 50dB at speed ten, conveyed that the HF1 is a whole 10dB louder at its top speed than the Meacofan Sefte 8in.

These aren’t bad volumes, though, with the HF1 operating as quietly as a whisper, to as loud as moderate rainfall when in Cool mode. Some may find the oscillation sound mildly distracting because, as I discovered when reviewing the Cool CF1, it’s reminiscent of the droning of a document scanner. The oscillation itself is only around 28dB, however, and the whirring was subtle enough that I could fall asleep to it.

As it’s getting mighty chilly in the UK as I write this, I’ve been very grateful to have the opportunity to test out Hot mode.

I could easily find out the current room temperature by looking at the fan’s display or checking the app, and the temperature was very straightforward to adjust a degree at a time using the buttons or the slider in the app.

It’s important to note that, while Dyson states that the HF1 is safe for family and pets as there are no exposed heater elements, it would appear this doesn’t eliminate the chance of scalding, as I found that the metallic edging around the air outlets became too hot to touch within just a couple of minutes in Hot mode at 73ºF / 23ºC.

Hot mode starts off noticeably louder than Cool mode. The HF1 is fairly quiet for the first few moments, then quickly ramps up before settling down to a consistent volume. For example, when using Hot mode at fan speed five, the volume quickly rose to 42dB, then settled down to 37dB.

True to Dyson’s claim, the HF1 did increase the temperature by a degree in less than two minutes, though I’m not sure how accurate the temperature reading is when it comes to the ambient temperature across a large room.

As the ambient temperature is monitored for Hot mode, I would have liked to see Dyson use it for an auto function for Cool mode so that it could adjust the fan speed based on how hot the room is, as I loved this feature in the Meacofan Sefte 8in.

Another change I’d love to see is the extension of the child lock beyond the onboard controls, so the remote cannot be used either. Having access to the app should mean this wouldn't cause inconvenience for adults, but even if not, Dyson could take a leaf out of other brands’ books and assign a combination of buttons to unlock the remote.

When I set the HF1 to sleep mode at bedtime, it turned off the display and reduced the fan speed to four, which has a volume of 29dB, though I could still adjust the speed if required.

Due to the weather in the UK right now, I mostly used the hot mode overnight. Aware that a key feature of the HF1 is that it will start up whenever the temperature drops, and having witnessed how noisy Hot mode can get, I set it to fan speed one to minimize disturbances.

I can recall it waking me up at one point in the early hours of the morning, but it wasn’t loud enough to shock me awake, and I fell back to sleep once it had settled down. It should hopefully be bearable enough for most people, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend it if you’re a particularly light sleeper.

While the hot mode might be good for speedy heating, it would be great if the sleep mode could increase the heat gradually, so there wouldn't be such a sudden volume increase. It’s also worth noting that the display doesn’t appear to turn off when in sleep mode if you’re using the heat function.

Overall, though, I quite like the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1. I appreciate how no fan speed felt redundant from six feet away, and that it was light enough to relocate without much effort. So, while the HF1 may not be the right fan heater for you if you’re a light sleeper who intends to use Hot mode overnight, for everyone else its smart features, effortless remote control, energy-saving Hot mode, and satisfying airflow make it a great choice.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1?

Buy it if...

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Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 review: Also consider

How I tested the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1

• I used the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 in multiple locations
• I explored the features and settings in the MyDyson app
• I evaluated the strength of the airflow and the sound levels

I unboxed the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1, attached its base, and set it up on the MyDyson app. I tested it out on different surface heights, on the floor, and next to my bed. I did most of my testing with the HF1 where I usually place my table fans, about six feet away from my couch and near my bed at nighttime.

I adjusted the settings using the onboard controls, the remote control, and the MyDyson app. In the app, I went through the setup process before exploring the different settings and sections.

I used all the fan speeds in Hot and Cool mode, and measured the sound output. I used it in Hot mode on my bedroom windowsill when I went to bed at night, using the timer so that I didn’t get too toasty after I fell asleep.

• First reviewed: October 2025
• Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee

Dyson V8 Cyclone: two-minute review

The Dyson V8 Cyclone is a refreshed, upgraded version of the classic V8. That model was launched way back in 2019, but remains one of Dyson's bestsellers despite its underwhelming specs in the context of the modern market. For this updated version, Dyson has improved suction power, boosted battery life, and swapped the trigger operation for a one-press button, but kept the straightforward design and (crucially) the affordable pricing.

The V8 Cyclone is clearly an upgrade on its source model, but how does it compare to the rest of the best cordless vacuums on the market? I used one for two weeks at home, and ran side-by-side tests with seven other stick vacuums (including several pricier Dyson models) to see how the V8 Cyclone matches up.

In terms of design, this vacuum is nothing particularly special. It features three suction modes, which you select by pressing a button. There are none of the bells and whistles of the best Dyson vacuums – don't expect automatic suction adjustment or a screen to convey information like remaining battery life. While it is relatively lightweight and easy to maneuver, I feel that Dyson could have put more effort into making it comfortable to hold and use.

Where the V8 Cyclone really shines is its cleaning power, which is up there with those of far pricier vacuums. In my tests, it proved to be an excellent cleaner on carpet, clearing large and small particles with ease, and very effective on hard floor, too. It also tackled pet hair efficiently, although the Mini motorized tool was good but not great at removing hair from upholstery.

So, while there are flashier models out there, if you're looking for a simple, effective and relatively affordable vacuum, the V8 Cyclone is a solid choice. Read on for my full Dyson V8 Clone review, including an in-depth look at how it performed in all my tests.

Dyson V8 Cyclone review: price & availability

• List price: £349.99 / AU$649
• Launched: September 2025
• Available: UK, AU

The Dyson V8 Cyclone launched in September 2025, alongside a range of other products, including the V16 Piston Animal, Dyson's current flagship stick vacuum. It's currently available in several countries, including the UK and Australia. In time, it might end up on sale in the US, but there's no information on that as yet.

At list price, the V8 Cyclone costs £349.99 in the UK and AU$649 in Australia (equivalent to around $470 based on UK pricing, though there's no guarantee that's what it would actually cost if it went on sale in the US).

Based on TechRadar's wider vacuum cleaner price bands, the V8 Cyclone sits in the mid-range bracket. It's also one of the most affordable Dyson vacuums – most other models in the range cost two or even three times the price. It's probably the best cheap vacuum option in the brand's lineup right now.

For comparison, the older V8 Absolute is $589.99 / £329.99 / AU$999, although at time of writing, there was around 50% off in both the US and Australia. Keeping pricing low has clearly been a priority with this new launch – it's a step up in performance compared to the older V8, but not a step up in price.

I think the V8 Cyclone is decent value for money. Other brands have similarly-priced models with more advanced designs, and you pay a bit of a premium for the Dyson name, but this vacuum's cleaning powers do go some way to justifying its price tag. While it feels noticeably less premium than other Dysons, at half the price or less, that's to be expected.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Dyson V8 Cyclone specs

Dyson V8 Cyclone review: design

• Basic stick vacuum with 3 suction modes and button operation
• Relatively lightweight but could be more comfortable to use
• Interface simple but effective – no screen for in-depth info

The V8 Cyclone is a cordless stick vacuum, an update to the V8 vacuum that launched in 2019 and remains one of Dyson's bestsellers. Both the motor and the battery have been improved, offering 30% more suction and 50% longer runtime, respectively, compared to the original.

It uses the older-style configuration, with the cyclones, motor and dust cup sitting at a right angle to the wand rather than all in a straight line (the latter configuration was introduced with the V11 to maximize suction efficiency).

This older arrangement has the benefit of making the weight more balanced in the user's hand. Indeed, this is one of Dyson's lightest vacuums, as well as being a relatively lightweight option in the wider market.

A departure from the older V8 design is a one-press button rather than a trigger to switch on the V8 Cyclone. This means you won't need to keep the trigger always compressed in use, but on the downside, you will need to keep a hand free to switch the machine on and off.

The large On/Off button is on the top of the main motor section, next to a second button that controls the modes. There are three options, and the selection is indicated by a colored LED in the center of the buttons: red for Max, blue for Medium and green for Low. This system won't be ideal for colorblind users.

The battery has a higher capacity than the original V8, delivering up to an hour of cleaning on a single charge, which is in line with most of the competition these days. Another welcome upgrade is the fact that the battery is now removable and swappable.

Overall, the power options and controls are relatively basic and lack features common to the best vacuums on the market. Many modern vacuums – including the newer Dyson models – have an Auto mode that can adjust suction and/or brushroll speed based on the floor type or how much dirt needs to be cleared. Here, you'll have to toggle settings manually. There's also no screen to indicate suction mode, flag any issues, or tell you how much battery life is left.

On that final point, there's no real indicator of charge levels at all. The LED in the mode button will blink when the battery is running low, and when the vacuum is plugged in, a second LED next to the battery will blink to show it's charging, or go solid when the battery is full. Anything in between 'full' and 'low' is anyone's guess.

The V8 Cyclone comes with the Dyson Motorbar floorhead, which is suitable for both hard floors and carpets. It has been optimized to prevent hair wrap, but there are no fancier additions, such as a laser lighter or sensors to monitor particles.

Like pretty much all stick vacuums, the V8 Cyclone can be reconfigured for use as a handheld. The version I tested came with a Crevice tool and a Mini motorized tool for cleaning stairs and upholstery.

Moving on to comfort and usability. The Dyson V8 Cyclone gets a medium score here. On the plus side, it's relatively lightweight, and the main motor section is compact and squat, meaning it's easier to wield than models that have an elongated shape.

However, Dyson hasn't put any effort into boosting comfort levels. There's no shaping on the handle, and no padding to speak of either. I found that the edge of the filter casing rubbed on my thumb joint as I cleaned. This model also uses shiny plastic, which can rub if your hand is a little sweaty.

The floorhead pivots well but can occasionally be a little hard to push – it's a shame that Dyson got rid of the usual air intake slider, which would have helped in this situation. I had no issues with the mechanism used to swap the tools over; everything clipped in and out with relative ease.

To empty the V8 Cyclone, you pull on a large, red handle, causing the whole top section to pull upwards as the bottom flap drops open. You then need to click down the top section before you can close the flap. The process isn't immediately intuitive, but it's extremely quick and smooth once you know what to expect. I also like that you don't have to remove the wand to empty the bin, as is the case with the newer Dyson vacuums.

• Design score: 3.5 out of 5

Dyson V8 Cyclone review: performance

• Excellent cleaning performance on carpet, especially medium-pile
• Solid pick up on hard floor but a little pooling of debris
• Floorhead tackles pet hair extremely well, but Mini tool not as impressive

During general use, I was very impressed with the V8 Cyclone's cleaning powers. I've used almost all of Dyson's vacuums, as well as numerous models from other brands, and there was no noticeable step down in performance compared to some far pricier models I've used. In fact, in my group test of eight vacuums, there were several instances where the V8 Cyclone was among the top scorers in my suction tests.

However, I did miss having an Auto mode that changes suction intelligently based on floor type and/or dirt levels. Here, you need to switch manually when making your way around the home.

Moving on to the results of the suction tests. For these, I used a mixture of dry rice and lentils to represent chunky debris, and dry tea to represent fine particles. I also used dog hair from a friendly local dog groomer. I tested all the particle types on medium-pile carpet, deep-pile carpet, and a linoleum floor.

Medium-pile carpet

I started by sprinkling both on medium-pile carpet. The V8 Cyclone performed extremely well, clearing almost all the chunky particles in one forward pass in Med mode, leaving only a few stragglers. There was no significant pooling of debris in front of the floorhead.

The fine particle performance was even more impressive – the V8 Cyclone cleared all but a few tiny specs with one forward pass in Med mode. In my side-by-side testing, it was more effective than some of the far pricier machines.

Deep-pile carpet

I repeated the same tests on deep-pile carpet. It was a little hard to push in Med mode, but fine in Low (unfortunately, there's no slider or the floorhead to adjust how much air can get in – this is very useful in situations like this).

In Low mode, the V8 Cyclone cleared most of the rice/lentil mix in one forward pass, although there was a tiny bit of pinging and pooling, and it spat a few particles out afterwards. The performance on fine particles was very solid, with only a dusting of tea leaves left after one forward pass. In this price bracket, the V8 Cyclone is one of the best vacuum cleaners for carpet.

Hard floor

Next, I moved on to hard floor. The V8 Cyclone's cleaning powers were very acceptable, but not quite as impressive as they were on carpet. In Medium mode, the vacuum cleared most fine particles in one forward pass, but caused them to pool behind the floorhead when pulled backwards. There was a similar situation with the chunky particles – they pooled a little in both directions. This is a common issue with stick vacuums, and by no means unique to the V8 Cyclone.

Hair

Finally, I tested the V8 Cyclone's performance on pet hair. It was very good at clearing hair from deep-pile carpet, leaving only a few hairs remaining after a single pass in Medium mode. The performance was even better on medium-pile carpet – I couldn't see any hairs left after a single pass in Medium mode. In its price bracket, this is one of the best vacuums for pet hair that I've tested.

I was a bit less impressed with the Mini motorized tool designed for use on upholstery. I used it to remove dog hair from a velvet cushion, and while it cleared a good amount, there were hairs left behind. It wasn't as efficient as other brands' detail tools I tried in my group test. However, the performance was still acceptable.

(It's worth noting that in my tests I found Dyson's Combo tool could actually be better when it came to removing hair, although the smaller suction path means it does take longer to cover the same area.)

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Dyson V8 Cyclone review: battery life

• 60 mins in Min mode, 28 minutes in Med mode, 8 mins in Max
• Only one LED to indicate battery life; recharge 4 hours
• Battery removable and swappable

One of the big upgrades on the V8 Cyclone compared to the original V8 is its battery – Dyson now promises up to a full hour of cleaning per charge. That's a very strong runtime. Some models offer longer, but not many, and most of those are much more expensive (you also need to take into account the amount of suction being delivered).

As always, the maximum runtime is in the lowest suction mode, and you should expect runtimes to be much shorter in higher modes. I timed the Medium mode at 28 minutes and 21 seconds, using a mixture of the motorized floorhead and Mini motorized tool. That's decent but not amazing – I'd hope for 30 minutes in Medium mode.

The Max mode lasted 8 minutes, which is on the shorter side for a maximum suction mode. However, it's worth flagging that the Max mode here is very powerful – noticeably suckier than both the Dreame R20 and Shark Detect Pro, which I tested alongside it.

Whereas newer Dysons have a screen that spells out exactly how much time you have left on the clock before the battery dies, information here is much more limited. There's a single LED next to the battery that blinks to show the vacuum is charging and turns solid when the battery's full, and the LED within the mode button will flash when the battery is running low, but other than that, there's no indication of charge levels.

• Battery life score: 3.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Dyson V8 Cyclone?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Dyson V8 Cyclone: alternatives to consider

How I tested the Dyson V8 Cyclone

I used the Dyson V8 Cyclone as my main vacuum cleaner for two weeks in a four-story home with carpet, tile, and laminate wood flooring. During this time, I got a feel for how easy and comfortable it is to use and how well it performs on different floor types, as well as how effectively it handles hair (my own, mid-length hair, and that of my black Cocker spaniel).

To get a more objective view of this vacuum's cleaning powers, I ran a series of cleaning tests in our testing studio. I tested how well the V8 Cyclone picked up fine (loose dry tea) and chunky (dried rice and lentils) particles, on medium-pile carpet, deep-pile carpet and linoleum. I also tested how well the vacuum handled dog hair, sprinkling cuttings from the local groomers on the carpeted floor panels and vacuuming it up, as well as rubbing hair into a velvet cushion and seeing how efficiently the Mini motorized tool cleared it with the vacuum in handheld mode.

These tests formed part of a wider group test, where I compared various vacuums side by side. This group test included the Dyson V8 Cyclone, the Roborock H60 Ultra, the Dreame R20, the Dyson Gen5detect, Dyson V16 Piston Animal, Dyson V11 Advanced, Shark Detect Pro and Shark PowerDetect.

I assessed how effective the V8 Cyclone was at cleaning, how usable the design is, and if it's worth the asking price.

Read more about how we test vacuum cleaners

• First reviewed October 2025

The TechRadar team is delighted to present the winners of the TechRadar Choice Awards 2025! These are our biggest awards ever, honoring the best products of the last 12 months in the major tech areas, while bringing in hot new categories such as open earbuds, and making sure we still have price-conscious categories, to represent how people are really buying gadgets today.

As always, the TechRadar Choice Awards are chosen by a combination of our expert judges' verdicts based on their experience with the products, with votes from you, the TechRadar readers. The vast majority are awards are voted on by the public, to make sure that products that people really love in the real-word are represented.

Our first category is our Readers' Choice Award, which is the award chosen 100% by reader votes, then we have our Editors' Choice Awards, which are selected solely by our expert judges. After that, every winner was picked by a 50/50 combination of the votes of our readers with the scores from our judges.

Readers' Choice Award

Editor's Choice Awards

Phone of the Year

Camera of the Year

Laptop of the Year

Gaming device of the year

TV of the Year

Streaming Service of the Year

Headphones of the Year

Health and Fitness Device of the Year

Home Device of the Year

One to Watch

Brand of the Year

Phones category winners

Phones Brand of the Year

Best Value Phone

Best Mid-Range Phone

Best Folding Phone

Best Flip Phone

Best Camera Phone

Best Gaming Phone

Best Phone Accessory

Best Tablet

Best AI Phone

Best eReader

Best Writing Tablet

Cameras category winners

Camera Brand of the Year

Best Beginner Camera

Best Mid-Range Camera

Best Professional Camera

Best Video Camera

Best Instant Camera

Best Action Camera

Best Dash Cam

Best Camera Lens

Best Compact Camera

Best Camera Accessory

Best Drone

Computing category winners

Best computing brand

Best value laptop

Best Chromebook

Best AI laptop

Best gaming laptop

Best gaming PC

Best computing innovation

Best processor

Gaming category winners

Gaming brand of the year

Best mobile gaming accessory

Best PC Gaming Handheld

Best console accessory

Best gaming service

Best gaming controller

Best Gaming Keyboard

Best Gaming Mouse

Best Gaming Headset

Best Gaming Monitor

Best Gaming Chair

TV category winners

Home Entertainment Brand of the Year

Best Gaming TV

Best TV for Sound

Best OLED TV

Best Mini-LED TV

Best Mid-range TV

Best Value TV

Best Projector

Best Portable Projector

Best Ultra Short Throw Projector

Best Gaming Projector

Best Soundbar

Streaming category winners

Best Streaming Service for Movies

Best Streaming Service for Documentaries

Best Streaming Service for TV Series

Best Streaming Service for Value

Best Free Streaming Service

Best Live TV Streaming Service

Audio category winners

Audio Brand of the Year

Best Wireless Headphones

Best wireless earbuds

Best Open Earbuds

Best Value Headphones

Best Value Earbuds

Best Value Open Earbuds

Best Wired Headphones

Best Wired Earbuds

Best Bluetooth Speaker

Best Wireless Speaker

Best Portable Audio Player

Best Turntable

Health & fitness category winners

Health and Fitness Brand of the Year

Best Smartwatch

Best running watch

Best fitness tracker

Best smart ring

Best Fitness App

Best electric toothbrush

Best connected fitness tech

Best electric bike

Home tech category winners

Home Tech Brand of the Year

Best Smart Lights

Best Home Security Camera

Best Video Doorbell

Best Air Fryer

Best Blender

Best Coffee Machine

Best Robot Vacuum

Best Vacuum

Best Hair & Beauty Tech

The second Prime Day sale of the year is inching towards its final days (it ends at 11:59pm AEDT on Monday, October 13) and I've only just seen that the Dyson V8 has gotten a Prime-exclusive discount that slashes 58% off the list price.

This isn't the lowest price I've seen on this cordless vacuum – that was AU$319.99 a couple of months ago – but this isn't too far off. It's a discount worth considering even though it's now been succeeded by an upgraded Dyson V8 Cyclone that retails for AU$649.

Every time it's been discounted, I've seen it sell like hot cakes. This time last year, it was AU$399 and it rose to become the #6 bestseller in Amazon's Homes category. During the same sale last year, our own data showed that over a dozen of our readers purchased the V8 when we wrote about that AU$399 offer. It was out of stock soon after.

So if you need a new vacuum cleaner and you're keen on a Dyson, this entry-level model ain't bad at all for AU$339, especially since the ever-popular Shark IZ102 is out of stock on Amazon at the time of writing, and the AU$199 Dreame U20 offer is also no longer available.

As already mentioned, the Dyson V8 is currently the British brand's base cordless vacuum cleaner model. While it's not the exact original version that launched way back 2016 – Dyson has made some tweaks – the specs are pretty much the same.

You'll only get a maximum of 40 minutes of runtime with non-motorised attachments (like the crevice tool and the dusting brush), and a little less when using the Motorbar cleaning head. Still, that's usually enough to vacuum the floors of the average one-bedroom Aussie home.

Having the Hair Screw Tool means it's going to be a lot easier to suck up hair and fur without tangles, and it's handy to use on beds (even pet beds), sofas and rugs. You can, in theory, use on the floor, but its got a small footprint, so you'll end up spending more time cleaning – best to stick with the Digital Motorbar on your floors.

There's ample suction power here (115 air watts) generated by the 110,000rpm motor inside the V8. Sure, it's not as powerful as the newer Dyson cordless vacuums (the Gen5detect, for example, has 262AW of power, while the V16 Piston takes it up to 315AW), but for the usual vacuuming jobs, that's plenty.

In my 4-star Dyson V8 review, I called it out for its affordability, versatile design and impressive suction for an older model. If this Prime Day deal looks appealing to you, get it quick or you might miss out.

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Dyson is, of course, known for making some of the best cordless vacuums. And we all expected the company’s latest release, the silly-named V16 Piston Animal to be its best model yet bar none. With its whopping 315 air watts of suction, it sure is the most powerful Dyson yet but, as you’ll learn from our Dyson V16 Piston Animal review, it’s not the all-star machine it’s hyped up to be.

If you want a new Dyson, then we think your money is going to be much better spent on the Gen5detect, especially now it’s dropped to AU$949 (from AU$1,549).

How are we so confident in our claim that the Gen5detect is the better buy? Partly because we’ve previously found it to be a top performer, but also because we recently conducted some side-by-side tests with both models mentioned, along with the V15 Detect, whereby we discovered that Dyson’s latest release performed the poorest.

We've also conducted a second test, pitting just the Gen5detect against the V16 Piston Animal, and again, the older model came out on top.

We admit we were surprised by the results, but they prove that more suction power doesn't necessarily result in improved performance.

As we said in our Dyson Gen5detect review, this stick vacuum delivers "a powerful yet quiet clean on all types of floors” and it’s able to tackle hair and built-up dirt “very well” thanks to its 262 air watts of power. Our reviewer loved the dirt-illuminating light on the Fluffy Optic floorhead too, as it’s the brightest one Dyson has made, swapping the laser for an LED, meaning it can be clearly seen during the daytime and it has a broader beam than before.

What’s especially impressive about the Gen5detect, however, is its battery life. Offering up to 70 minutes on a full charge, you’ll likely find you’ll rarely need to plug it back into the mains in the middle of a cleaning session. And, of course, being a Dyson, the Gen5detect removes 99.9% of dust and allergens, plus a whole-machine HEPA filtration system means it’s all kept inside the unit.

We can’t be sure how long this deal will last as this price is rather enticing, so if you’ve been eyeing up one of Dyson’s most powerful vacuums but haven’t wanted to pay top dollar, now’s your chance.

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Dyson was the brand that first introduced bladeless fans to the world. As one of TechRadar's Homes editors, I regularly find myself writing about the best fans on the market, but I'll be honest – I've never quite understood how these machines actually work. Where is that blast of air coming from?

On a recent visit to Dyson's campus in Malmesbury in the west of England, I got the chance to pick the brains of Sophie Harold, an acoustics and vibration engineer at Dyson. Here's what I learned…

The terms that Dyson employees use to refer to the brand's bladeless fans are 'Loops', 'Amps' (short for 'Air amplifiers'), or, occasionally, 'Race tracks'. This is the traditional Dyson aircare product format.

"They've got a gap in the middle [and] slots on the side, and they've got fast air out of the plastic outer loop," says Sophie. This, she explains, causes something called 'entrainment', where the loop pulls in air from elsewhere in the room, to create an effect the brand calls 'air multiplication'.

"It means that… say you put the new CF1 on the desk, the air that you feel at your face is even more air than the motor or the compressor itself is generating, because it's dragging in air from the room as well," Sophie continues.

Compact cones

The Loop is just one of the formats Dyson uses to wrangle air. It also makes many of the best air purifiers on the market. In fact, a number of its models act as fan-purifier combos, because the processes required are so similar.

Some of Dyson's more recent purifiers use a 'Cone' rather than a Loop. This looks a bit like a bowl, and appears on the likes of the Dyson Big+Quiet. Because there's no need for an empty space in the middle, these kinds of products can be a bit more compact in shape, and shorter. Or, they can cram an awful lot of power without being absolutely massive – as is the case with the Big+Quiet.

"They use Coanda, so that's causing [air]flow to adhere to a surface. That's the same tech that the Airwrap barrels use to cause the hair to swirl around and get that nice curl shape," says Sophie.

"What it does here is it uses the surface to direct the air so where you would have to oscillate a Loop fan, with a Cone, you can just vary the strength of the jet at the top and the bottom, and it moves the flow up and down. That's the primary thing that that shape can do."

Starry eyed

The newest air purifier in the Dyson lineup – the HushJet Purifier Compact – doesn't use a Loop or a Cone, it uses a 'Star' nozzle.

The new Star nozzle is interesting because it causes entrainment without having to have the big gap in the center (as Loops do), so it can have a more compact shape than an amp fan. The HushJet is Dyson's first compact air purifier.

"It drags air from the rest of the room with it, making a really powerful jet, and it does that by having that star shape," says Sophie. "By having the kind of bending edges, it's still encouraging air from the surrounding region to join in with the fast jet."

"It also means the air is quite fast," she continues. "Similar to the Air amps, which have very narrow slots, this has a contraction into the star shape, smaller than the motor is, which means the air can go really quickly, mix well and purify the room." I've heard it likened to a jet engine, or perhaps more relatably, the Concentrator nozzle on a hair dryer.

Fans and filters

As I said earlier, many of Dyson's fans can also function as air purifiers. However, not all models are pulling double duty. I asked Sophie how the designers' approach differs depending on what the appliance needs to do.

"[For a] purifier, you might focus on mixing the air in the room, rather than directing the air flow at your face. It's much more important to get good filters on the product," she explains.

"Whereas things like the CF1 [fan], they don't have filters on, and that's because it means you can run the motor more efficiently, get lower running costs, and just get the cool flow on your face, rather than focusing on really getting all the air through and purified."

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Are you trying to make a decision about whether to splash your cash on the Dyson V16 Piston Animal or the Dyson Gen5detect? I'm here to help. I tested both side by side, to determine which vacuum is the easiest to use, which offers the longest battery life – and, ultimately, which delivers the best cleaning performance.

The Gen5detect is the older of the two models; it launched in Australia in 2022, and hit the US and UK markets the following year. It can sense the number and size of particles being sucked up, and display that information on screen as you clean. Head to our Dyson Gen5detect review for the full low-down.

Based on specs, the V16 Piston Animal is the best Dyson vacuum you can buy. At the time of writing, it's Dyson's newest model (launched in September 2025) and does most of the things the Gen5detect does, with added extras including onboard dust compression and an unusual new floorhead. Read more in my Dyson V16 Piston Animal review.

Overall, I think the Gen5detect is the better choice, but that's almost entirely because I didn't get on well with the V16's new floorhead. Despite being less powerful technically, the older vacuum performed better in my suction tests, tackling both fine and large particles more effectively than the V16.

The V16's All Floors Cones Sense floorhead comes to a slight point at the front, which is frustrating for cleaning the edges of rooms – and especially when you can't approach from the side. It's worth noting that this design is meant to be better for clearing very long hair – I found both the V16 and Gen5detect's floorheads worked perfectly fine with my armpit-length hair. However, if you have very long locks then perhaps the V16 will be more worthy of your attention.

The V16's floorhead is a deal-breaker for me, which is a shame – because otherwise, it's probably the superior choice. The dust compression is genuinely useful, the vacuum is easier to empty than the Gen5detect, and it offers longer runtimes in Boost mode.

That's the short version. Read on for an in-depth look at how the Dyson Gen5detect and V16 Piston Animal compare, so you can figure out which is the best cordless vacuum for your needs.

Dyson V16 Piston Animal vs Gen5detect specs

Dyson V16 vs Gen5detect: price & value for money

• At list price, V16 costs from: US TBC / £749.99 / AU$1,349
• At list price, Gen5detect costs from: $1,049.99 / £769.99 / AU$1,549
• V16 cheaper at list price, but Gen5detect more likely to attract discounts

If buying direct from Dyson, the V16 Piston Animal is available at a list price of £749.99 / AU$1,349. Currently, it isn't available in the US – it's due to go on sale some time in 2026, at which point the list price will be released. The Gen5detect costs from $1,049.99 / £769.99 / AU$1,549.

The fact that Dyson's newest release costs less than its predecessor is unusual – with the caveat that US pricing is to be confirmed. The Gen5detect isn't fresh out of the oven works in its favor, though, because it's more likely to attract discounts. Dyson promo codes are rare, but Dyson deals crop up semi-regularly. For example, at the time of writing, the Gen5detect was available for £160 off in the UK and AU$454 off in Australia.

I won't pretend that either is a bargain, but Dyson goes some way to justifying those sky-high prices. Both vacuums are extremely well built, and boast features you won't find elsewhere. While the V16 perhaps looks and feels slightly more premium, based on cleaning performance, I'd splash my own cash on the Gen5detect.

Actually, if I'm being honest, I'd opt for the model that came before the Gen5detect – the Dyson V15 Detect. See exactly how that model compares in my Dyson V15 Detect vs Gen5detect article.

Dyson Gen5detect vs V15: design

• Both are premium vacuums with dust sensors and a screen for info
• V16 has onboard dust compression and quick-release tools
• Gen5 has a general floorhead and a Fluffy floorhead; V16 has one new-look floorhead

The V16 Piston Animal and Gen5detect look pretty similar, but the newer model packs a number of nifty upgrades.

My favorite is the lever on the dust cup, which compresses all of the air out of the dirt in there to make room for more. Dyson says the dust cup has a capacity of 1.3L, but that's definitely post-squish – because to look at it's clearly smaller than the Gen5detect's bin, which has a listed capacity of 0.77L.

You can also deploy the V16 lever to push all the dust out of the bin when emptying. This works a treat, and means minimal finger intervention is required. You might have spotted that the Gen5detect also has a lever, but don't be fooled – this is a far inferior lever. It's just part of the empty mechanism, and simply pushes the outer casing forwards to encourage the dirt out. It's good, but it's nowhere near as efficient as the V16 setup.

All of the insides have been rearranged on the newer model, to cram in more power: the V16 has 315AW compared to 280AW on the Gen5detect. (That doesn't necessarily translate to better cleaning power, though; I'll get into in a second.) In terms of weight, both models are similar: the body of the vacuum, with no wand or tool attached, weighs 4.93lbs / 2.24kg for the V16, and 4.75lbs / 2.16kg for the Gen5detect.

Moving on to the tool setup, and there are further differences. Dyson has added a red cuff onto the wand of the V16 Piston Animal, which you press down to release the tool at the end of the wand. The docking section of the main tools sits upright, so you can also click on a new one from a standing position. The joints all feel a little stiff, and the new setup does mean that the V16 isn't compatible with older Dyson tools, but it may still be helpful for those who struggle with bending down.

If you opt for the Gen5detect, you'll get two floorheads bundled in as standard: the Digital Motorbar head and the Digital Fluffy floorhead. The former is for any floor type, while the latter is designed specifically for hard floors and has a built-in laser to illuminate dirt that might otherwise be missed.

With the V16 you get just one floorhead – a new design that offers a combination of the two previous floorheads, while adding a few extra flourishes. It can be used on any floor type, and continues to include a laser – here it's in the middle, rather than off to one side. It also has conical rollers rather than regular tube-shaped ones, apparently to avoid hair tangling.

There are plenty of similarities between the Gen5detect and V16 Piston Animal, too. Both have buttons to switch suction on and off, and enable you to toggle between modes (Eco, Auto and Boost). Both have a nifty screen to display information, including mundane stats such as how much battery power you have left, and more exciting figures such as the number of particles of each size the vacuum has sucked up. The V16's screen is slightly more logically presented, with a traffic light system to indicate dirt levels.

Dyson Gen5detect vs V16 Piston Animal: performance

• V16 officially has more power, but Gen5detect performed better on test
• V16's dust compaction very effective, but floorhead poorly designed
• Similar Eco mode runtimes, but V16 lasts longer in Boost

Officially, the V16 Piston Animal is the more powerful of the two vacuums, but it was the Gen5detect that shone in my side-by-side cleaning tests. Below you can see how the two vacuums handled spillages of oats and tea in Auto mode.

(I've cropped to the section that shows the Gen5detect followed by the V16 Piston Animal. You can see the full video, including the results for the V15 Detect on the left, in this suction comparison.)

The Gen5detect proved better at sucking up large particles without pushing or pinging them around, and it was better at clearing fine particles, too – I think because the V16's floorhead has a section down the middle where nothing is sucked up.

It's worth pointing out that in the wider market, both are excellent cleaners. The V16 has a more advanced Auto mode, where it will adjust not only suction power but also brushroll speed to suit the cleaning situation.

Overall, I far prefer the Gen5detect's floorhead(s) to those of the V16. Not only is the Digital Motorbar floorhead a better cleaner (as evidenced above), it's also far better for tackling the edges of rooms. The V16's All Floors Cones Sense floorhead comes to a slight point on the front, which means you need to clean the edges of rooms from the side – and if you can't get in from the side, you're in for a world of pain.

The idea behind the conical rollers is that they're better at handling long hair. I didn't have any issues with my (armpit-length) hair tangling around the All Floors Cones Sense rollers, but neither did I have that issue with the Digital Motorbar floorhead. If you have extremely long hair and find most modern anti-tangle floorheads aren't up to scratch, the V16 might be worth a punt.

There are other areas where the V16 wins out. The dust compressor / dirt ejector lever makes emptying the canister easier and requires you to do so less frequently than when using the Gen5detect. The quick-release cuff makes it easy to swap tools without bending down, and the real-time dirt reports are more logically designed, with their traffic light-inspired color coding.

In terms of battery life, both promise 70 minutes in Eco mode. However, the V16 lasts significantly longer in Boost mode; I managed just under 17 minutes cleaning sofas and carpets, compared to just 8 minutes on carpet with the Gen5detect (to its credit, the Gen5 lasted longer when using Boost on a hard floor).

Should you buy the Dyson Gen5detect or V15?

Buy the Dyson V16 Piston Animal if...

Buy the Gen5detect if...

After a period of relative inactivity, Dyson has emerged blinking in the sunlight, and dumped a whole load of new products on us. Alongside an unexpected new robot vacuum and a desktop purifier inspired by a jet engine, there are two new manual stick vacuums – one ultra-pricey new flagship and one reimagining of a Dyson classic.

I've been knee-deep in Dyson news for a fortnight, so I've only just got round to reading the small print on the press releases on the stick vacuums, and it seems like there's an even more intriguing update heading our way.

Tucked at the bottom of the press release for the V8 Cyclone and the V16 Piston Animal, there's a line that says: "Looking ahead, owners will be able to purchase a compatible self-emptying docking station."

Dyson is not the first vacuum brand to explore this feature – some of the best cordless vacuums have optional auto-empty docks. The likes of Shark and Samsung have already launched vacuums with emptying stations, and Roborock's new manual vacuum has one too. I didn't expect Dyson to get on board with the idea – it seems to like to be the brand setting trends, rather than following them – but I'm thrilled that it has.

The idea is simple: slot the vacuum onto the dock and everything that has accumulated in the bin on the previous cleaning session will whoosh out, via a closed system, into a much larger bin (or bag) in the base. It's the same kind of thing you'd get with most robot vacuums, but scaled up.

So far, I know that the docks for the V16 and the V8 Cyclone will capture 99.99% of dust and have a 2.5L bin capacity, capable of holding up to 60 days' worth of dust. There's no pricing information, nor do I have any idea of when these docks might arrive. Despite this relative lack of information, I'm excited.

I wasn't sure about them at first, but I've recently become an auto-empty convert. They remove a significant pain point from the vacuum cleaning process. No more clouds of dust escaping back into the air and down the side of the bin liner, no more sticking your fingers into the dust cup to dislodge stubborn clumps of hair. The dock does it for you – and provides somewhere for the vacuum to live, and charge, at the same time.

It's even better news for allergy sufferers, because it means you only need to empty the bin once in a blue moon, rather than every time you clean. And Dyson is especially good at meticulously filtering particles, so I'm willing to bet its bases will do an excellent job at ensuring nothing escapes.

It's interesting that Dyson is offering this option, not just with its top-of-the-range, flagship model (the V15) but also an affordable option – the V8 Cyclone is a reboot of the older V8 vacuum, and is set to be one of the cheapest stick vacuums in the Dyson lineup. That suggests it might be something that will be rolled out with all new launches.

A question of style

The potential sticking point with auto-empty dock is what it looks like; this is something that's going to be on show in your home, after all. These docks need to be quite bulky, and based on existing efforts, it can be difficult to make them look stylish. Shark's chunky, white triangular docks (as featured on the PowerDetect Cordless) are a low point for me, while Samsung's gray, tube-shaped base (accompanying the Bespoke AI Jet Ultra) is more successful.

I'm intrigued to see what the Dyson dock looks like. A tiny rendering in the press release shows an uninspiring, dark grey plinth, with no detailing to speak of. I'm hoping some more design flourishes might be added before it comes to market.

Dyson might also struggle with height limitations. Any auto-empty dock needs to connect directly to the bin section of the vacuum, which means it needs to be quite tall (in fact, the rendering I have so far shows the dock extending to the full height of the vacuum). To avoid a dock being too imposing, other brands have added telescopic wands to their vacuums, so they can collapse down somewhat to slot into a shorter dock. That's unlikely to happen here, because the docks are being added to existing vacuums.

Either way, I'll be watching closely, and I'm excited to see what Dyson comes up with.

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In my opinion, "Auto" modes are one of the best innovations in the vacuum cleaner market. How exactly such a mode will works is likely to vary depending on the model (and how expensive it is); but, broadly speaking, Auto mode will see the vacuum increase or decrease power according to the surface being tackled, saving you from having to manually toggle between different settings as you clean.

A number of the best cordless vacuums on the market have some kind of automation mode, but the one on the V16 Piston Animal – the newly announced Dyson flagship vacuum – is particularly clever.

Dyson first introduced an Auto mode on its V11 vacuum, and it has been getting steadily more advanced with each new release. I asked a Dyson engineer exactly how the latest version works.

"We now control brush for speed as well as suction," explains Steph Parker, who helped design the V16. "It's intelligently understanding whether you're on hard floor or carpet and changing both accordingly. Historically, we've only kind of ramped up suction, but not as intelligently, and definitely not to the extreme of brush bar as well." The result is the most efficient clean using the least amount of battery life – a key goal for any cordless vacuum.

On carpeted floors, the spinning brushroll is important because it agitates the carpet fibers to release the dirt that's trapped within. However, on a hard floor, dust sits on the surface, which means you don't need the roller to be whirling away.

"On hard floors, you don't need your brush bar spinning as much," continues Steph. "By slowing the spin, you save energy. And being less aggressive on hard floors is good as well."

That latter point is relevant because Dyson's previous two flagship models (the Gen5detect and V15 Detect) included a separate, entirely soft floorhead especially for delicate hard floors; with the V16, one floorhead does it all.

The new "All Floor Cones Sense" floorhead includes strips of a soft material for hard floors, and bristles for carpet. The bristles are cut slightly short so that they make contact on carpet fibers, but not on hard floors.

The roller adjustment is only part of the equation. Like the two models before it, the V16 has sensors in its floorhead that enable it to determine the size and volume of particles being sucked up. The vacuum then uses this information to raise or lower suction power appropriately to clear the dirt. It will also report back in real-time, on its screen.

What are other brands doing?

Dyson isn't the only brand to be amplifying its automation efforts. Today's best Shark vacuums have all manner of detection capabilities. Models such as the Detect Pro Cordless and PowerDetect Cordless can adjust cleaning power based on floor type and dirt levels, but can also sense when they're close to the edge of a room – where dust can collect – and ramp up suction on the relevant side of the floorhead in response.

Samsung is another brand that's exploring more advanced automation features. Like the V16, the Samsung Bespoke Jet AI Ultra can also adjust brushroll speed and suction based on floor type. However, Samsung goes one further, claiming its vacuum can drill down to determine specific floor types, from dense carpet to mats, using AI. It will then adjust suction power and brushroll speed to deliver cleaning power equivalent to using "Mid" mode, while saving battery power without getting to the point the vacuum is too difficult to push around a room.

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Dyson has released a new flagship cordless vacuum, and on paper it's extremely impressive. The V16 packs 315 AW of suction, making it officially the most powerful Dyson cordless vacuum.

After testing many of the best vacuum cleaners on the market, however, I've learned that it's not always all about suction. Multiple factors play into how well a vacuum cleans, including the design of the floorhead and the way the different settings function.

When I was trying Dyson's newest addition out for my V16 Piston Animal review, I felt like it was doing a good cleaning job, but it didn't feel noticeably more powerful than its predecessor, the Gen5detect. In fact, it also felt quite similar to the model before that, the V15 Detect (confused about Dyson's naming structure? I hear you).

So I decided to conduct some side-by-side suction tests to see how the three vacuums performed relative to each other. And I was shocked by the results. Short version: the V16 was the worst of the three, in all parts of the test.

The suction tests

For my tests, I sprinkled piles of oats (to represent chunky debris) and dry tea (to represent fine particles) on a carpeted floor. I then vacuumed the oats and one pile of tea with each vacuum in Auto mode (where the vacuum should intelligently adjust based on floor type and dirt levels). I vacuumed the final pile in Boost mode.

Below from left to right on screen are the V15 Detect > Gen5detect > V16 Detect Animal. You can see how each vacuum handles different kinds of spillages.

The V15 Detect and Gen5detect both cleared the oats and visible tea on first pass in Auto mode, and performed similarly well in Boost mode. The V16 Piston Animal doesn't fare nearly as well. It scatters the oats in the first forwards pass, catching most (but not all) on the return stroke. In both Auto and Boost modes, a strip of tea is left where the center of the floorhead has passed over it.

For the sake of thoroughness, I repeated the test, with very similar results. You can watch the video below. Here, the vacuums are in the opposite order (left to right on screen: V16 Pistol Animal, Gen5detect, V15 Detect). You can tell which one the V16 is from the differently shaped floorhead.

If you want to dig more into the differences between each of these three vacuums, I have separate Dyson V16 Piston Animal vs Gen5detect and Dyson Gen5detect vs V15 Detect articles.

Why did the V16 perform the worst?

I have a strong suspicion that the weaker performance of the V16 Piston Animal isn't down to a lack of power, but instead a result of the new floorhead. Dyson completely redesigned its main floorhead for this model, swapping the Digital Motorbar head for the All Floors Cones Sense head, which not only has a stupid name, but is – in my opinion – a downgrade all round.

The new floorhead swaps standard rollers for conical ones that are designed to prevent hair tangling. It follows the same principle as the popular Hair Screw mini tool: long hair naturally makes its way to the smaller end of the cone, where it can be whisked away into the suction tube.

In theory, it's not a bad idea. The practical application is where it all falls down. There's a gap between the two conical rollers, which means a gap in suction – hence the strip of tea left in my suction tests.

The border section around the roller also seems wider and grippier on the new floorhead, creating more of a suction seal. That might help with pickup in the roller area, but it can also cause issues when trying to clear up chunky debris. That's the reason I think this floorhead tends to push things like oats around rather than sucking them up.

(Incidentally Shark has an ingenious solution to this. It has added a flap to its PowerDetect Cordless vacuum, which mechanically lifts to allow large particles to pass under it when the floorhead is pulled back over the spillage, and flips back down to retain the suction seal when the floorhead is pushed forwards.)

Those aren't my only issues with the All Floors Cones Sense floorhead. The angled front side makes cleaning up to the edges of rooms far more complicated than it needs to be, especially if you can't approach the area from the side.

Overall, it's a bit of a shame, because there are so many other good things about the V16 Piston Animal. But ultimately, if the cleaning powers aren't as strong as on the cheaper, older models, it's difficult to recommend.

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Dyson has just announced an updated version of its V8 cordless vacuum. The V8 is one of the oldest models in the brand's lineup, but remains its best-seller, despite first launching in 2016. The new version is called the V8 Cyclone, and it features some big upgrades over the original V8, but it also looks very similar.

I chatted to Steph Parker, a Dyson engineer who was part of the team that worked on the new launch, about how they decided what to keep, and what to lose.

The thing that was most noticeable to me – and the thing that marks the V8 out as different from the rest of Dyson's cordless vacuum lineup – is the fact that the cyclones, bin and motor are arranged at a right angle to the wand. From the V11 onwards, these are all stacked in a straight line, an update introduced to improve suction efficiency.

I asked Steph why the inline configuration wasn't introduced on the V8 Cyclone. "That's a really good question. I think that if you change the format, you change a huge amount of product," she said. "If you think about where the filter is put on the product and how your airflow goes through the product… "

"We're still trying to be that all-rounder vacuum cleaner with a V8, but without those kinds of improvements to the design, whether it be format or the motor."

She explained that without making those kind of major changes, you limit the amount of power you can get out of the product. "We're not achieving the same amount of air watts with our V8 anywhere near equivalent to Gen5detect or a Dyson V16 Piston," she continued. "I think that's the compromise, basically."

The Dyson V16 Piston is the brand new flagship, and the Gen5detect is the previous flagship. Both are far more advanced, and far pricier, than the V8 Cyclone.

Steph went on to explain that the V8 is designed to fill a specific niche within the lineup. While it's not the best Dyson vacuum by specs, that doesn't mean it won't be the perfect choice for some people.

"The V8 is a great model. It satisfies a lot of customers, but it isn't our most powerful machine. It's not our most hygienic. The Dyson V16 Piston is definitely our top tier-product, but [the V8 Cyclone is] still a great performer in the range of products out there in the industry." It's also worth pointing out that the V8 Cyclone does have more power than the original V8 – specifically, 30% more suction.

Further features

That's not to say there haven't been notable improvements in other areas. One of the most significant updates to be introduced with the V8 Cyclone is to the battery. The old V8 had a fixed battery that provided up to 40 minutes' of cleaning on a single charge. That's not competitive in today's market.

The new version has up to an hour of cleaning per charge, which is in line with what I'd expect from the rest of the best cordless vacuums on the market these days – including those at similar price points to the V8 Cyclone.

The fact the battery is now removable and swappable means you could purchase a backup and hot-swap it in to extend runtimes. It also means that if and when the battery wears out, you can replace it.

Another major change is that the V8 Cyclone operates via a button rather than a trigger. That's good news if you're going to be vacuuming for longer periods and want to avoid a sore finger, although it does mean you'll have to have a hand spare to turn it on and off.

I've had some hands-on time with the V8 Cyclone, and will have a review live as soon as I can get hold of a review model to test out properly. So far, though, I think it's a smart move from Dyson. The brand has been busy releasing ever-more-expensive flagship models, but I think the far more affordable, updated V8 is the vacuum that most people actually wanted.

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