Dyson V8 vs V15 Detect cordless vacuum: what's the difference and which should I buy?

Wondering whether the Dyson V8 vacuum will do the job, or the V15 Detect is worth the upgrade? In this article, I'll run through all the differences between the two, so you can figure out where to put your money.

The V8 is the oldest vacuum in the Dyson lineup, but remains extremely popular. It first launched in 2016, and looks a little different to modern Dyson vacs because there's no screen to provide info, and the wand, motor and filters aren't in a straight line (a change made later to improve suction efficiency).

As you might expect, it's a straightforward option that focuses on the basics: strong suction and great maneuverability. The specs aren't up there with what you'll find on the best Dyson vacuums on the market, but it's still a very capable cleaner. And it's the cheapest Dyson stick vac around. Head to our Dyson V8 review for a closer look at how it performs.

The V15 Detect is much newer. It hit the market in 2021, and as well as having a more modern configuration – complete with info screen – and stronger specs, it can automatically adjust suction based on how dirty the floor is. It also comes with a separate (laser-equipped) cleaner head specifically for hard floors. As you might expect, it costs a lot more than the V8. In fact, it's about twice the price. It's also noticeably heavier. Head to our Dyson V15 Detect review to find more details on its performance.

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The short version is that if you're on a tight budget, don't have a massive home or lots of dust, the V8 is still your best choice. However, for bigger homes and more challenging cleaning needs, it's worth shelling out for the Dyson V15 Detect. Read on for a closer look at all the differences you need to know.

Side note before we begin – there's actually a flagship model that was launched between these two vacuums: the Dyson V11. See how that compares to each vac in this article in my Dyson V8 vs V11 face-off and Dyson V11 vs V15 Detect face-off.

Dyson V8 vs V15 Detect: price & value for money

• List price for Dyson V8 is from $469.99 / £329 / AU$599
• List price for Dyson V15 is from $799.99 / £649.99 / AU$1,449
• Both are widely available in various versions

The Dyson V8 is significantly cheaper than the V15 Detect. In fact, it's the cheapest Dyson you can buy. Both are widely available worldwide and sold direct from Dyson, as well as via a handful of third-party retailers.

Both the V8 and V15 are available in a few different versions – Extra, Absolute, etc. The different name often denotes different tools or floorheads, a different colorway, or occasionally a different suction power or filter setup. What's available will vary by country and when you buy.

Based on what's available at time of writing, the V8 costs from $469.99 / £329 / AU$599 at list price, while the V15 Detect starts at $799.99 / £649.99 / AU$1,449. So it's around double the cost. (Note that in the US, the V8 is not as cheap as it used to be – at time of writing, the list price had shot up by over $100.)

Both models are well designed and of high build quality, but there's a big jump up from the V8 to the V15 in terms of both key specs and extra features. Whether it's worth the extra outlay will depend on your cleaning needs.

Dyson promo codes are very rare, but Dyson vacuum deals do crop up semi-regularly – I've spotted some especially big price-cuts on the pricey V15. These discounts are well worth snapping up if you find one. Keep an eye out during shopping events like the Black Friday sales, in particular.

Dyson V8 vs V15 Detect specs

Dyson V8 vs V15 Detect: design

• V8 is lighter with a less powerful motor and a rather small bin
• V15 has an info screen and sensors to count particles
• Both have the same filter and turn on via trigger

The V15 Detect looks like most modern Dyson vacuums, whereas the V8 is a little different. It sports the old-style configuration, where the dust cup and cyclones are at a right angle to the wand – this is apparently less suction-efficient compared to the newer setup on the V15, where everything is in a straight line.

The dust cup on the V8 is rather small, at 0.14 gallon / 0.54L, whereas the V15's 0.2 gallon / 0.77L cup is more in line with what I'd expect on a cordless stick vacuum. Both machines are turned on and off via a trigger, but the V8 has a slider to select suction mode and LED lights to show battery levels, whereas the V15 has a button for the modes and boasts a small screen that conveys how much cleaning time (in minutes) you have left.

In fact, this screen has further tricks up its sleeve. While cleaning, it'll tell you the number and size of particles being sucked up and provide a summary when you're finished, on a colorful graph.

Both vacuums have 14 cyclones, and, as far as I can tell, the same filter setup. However, the motor in the V15 is significantly more advanced – there's a maximum of 240AW of power on offer, whereas the V8 has 115AW (or occasionally 130AW, if you find an upgraded version). Payoff for that extra power is weight – at 6.8 lbs / 3kg, the V15 is noticeably heavier than the 5.6 lbs / 2.5kg V8.

Detail tools will vary depending on which bundle you go for, but one notable difference is that the V15 Detect comes with an extra floorhead for hard floors. It's soft all over and kitted out with a laser to illuminate hidden dirt (I rate this among the best vacuums for hardwood floors).

Dyson V8 vs V15 Detect: performance

• V8 is less powerful and has only two suction modes, Standard and Max
• V15 can auto-adjust based on how dirty the floor is
• V8 is much lighter, but both are easy to maneuver

In terms of outright suction, the V15 Detect is much more powerful than the V8, with a maximum of 240AW of suction, compared to 115AW / 130AW on the V8 (depending on which version you buy). You also have less control over your cleaning, because there are only two modes to choose between: Standard (which you'll use almost all the time) and Max (which saps battery quickly and is only for occasional use).

The V15 has three modes: Eco, Auto and Boost. Auto is a bit of a game-changer. In this mode, the vacuum will automatically increase or decrease suction depending on how much dust and dirt are on the floor. It means you get a thorough clean and the most efficient battery use. For example, a hard floor needs much less suction to clean than a carpet does, but on the V8, you'd use Standard for both, likely wasting battery on the hard floor but not sucking quite hard enough on the carpet.

Perhaps less practically useful are the V15's real-time dust reports, which show as a bar graph on the vacuum's screen as you clean. Still, it's quite a cool feature, and can help you identify hotspots for dust that you might not have been aware of.

If you have hard floors – and delicate ones in particular – you'll also benefit from the V15's extra Fluffy floorhead. This gets right up close to the floor's surface, and the in-built laser does a startlingly good job of highlighting dust and hair that might have otherwise gone missed.

Where the V8 does win out is in its weight. It clocks in at 5.6 lbs / 2.5kg, compared to 6.8 lbs / 3kg for the V15. That's particularly noticeable in handheld mode. Both are extremely easy to maneuver and great at getting into nooks and crannies, and both have an equally annoying trigger operation, with no lock option for extended use.

Finally, factor in dust cup size – unless you have a small, not especially dusty home, the V8's small bin will fill up irritatingly quickly. Owners of shedding pets should definitely avoid it if they don't want to be emptying it every 15 minutes (conversely, I rate the V15 Detect as one of the best vacuums for pet hair).

In terms of cleaning performance, the V15 is undoubtedly the better of the two vacuums. The suction is more powerful, the Auto mode means more efficient cleaning with less effort from you, and there's the bonus of a specialist hard floor head. However, if you have less demanding cleaning needs and would prefer something lightweight, the V8 will do the job just fine.

Dyson V8 vs V15 Detect: battery life

• V8 lasts 40 mins in Standard and 7 in Boost, recharge takes 5 hours
• V15 lasts 40 mins in Eco and 18 in Max, recharge takes 4hrs 30
• V15 has a removable, swappable battery, whereas V8 does not

The V8 offers 40 minutes of cleaning per charge in Standard mode, and just 7 minutes in Boost (this is really only for occasional use). That runtime will be fine for small homes, but potentially require an annoying mid-clean recharge for larger homes. (By comparison, most of the best cordless vacuums on the market these days offer around an hour in their lowest-powered mode, and some even longer.)

In Eco mode, the V15 Detect manages a full hour of cleaning, and in Max mode, we eked it out a rather impressive 18 minutes of cleaning. Runtimes in Auto mode will vary depending on what kind of floor you're cleaning and how dirty it is.

Both models take a long time to recharge – around 5 hours for the V8, and 4 hours 30 minutes for the V15. Both are designed so that when they run out of juice, they just switch off, rather than getting less sucky as the battery drains. On the V15, you have the benefit of the on-screen countdown telling you how long you have left, whereas with the V8, you're relying on the less precise indicator lights.

However, the thing that really puts me off the V8 is that the battery is fixed and not removable. Not only does that mean you can't buy a backup and hot-swap them to extend runtimes, but it also means you won't be able to replace the battery when it wears out. Often with cordless vacuums, the battery is the first thing that goes.

Should you buy the Dyson V8 vs V15 Detect?

Buy the V8 if...

Buy the V15 Detect if...