Confused by Dyson's vacuum names? Me too – so I asked a Dyson engineer to explain

A new flagship Dyson vacuum has recently been unveiled. It follows the Gen5detect, so maybe it'll be a Gen6? Or a Gen5 something else? No – it's the Dyson V16 Piston Animal.

That's all the more confusing because the model before the Gen5 was the V15 Detect. In fact, all the previous Dyson stick vacuums of the past decade or so have been V-somethings (although there have been further anomalies within that structure, as I'll get into shortly). If you're trying to figure out which is the best Dyson vacuum for your needs, this irregular naming system can be a big hindrance.

During a one-to-one interview with Dyson engineer Steph Parker, I decided to try to get to the bottom of things.

"I think it was specifically calling out the 'Piston', being the compaction technology, and 'Animal' being that it's really great with hair and pet hair," Steph told me when I asked about the new model's name. "The Gen5detect was focusing on the Gen5 motor specifically.

"All the names are relevant towards the technology, but I know sometimes not the most coherent in our range."

Time for a bit of background info. The V16 has a lever on the dust cup that squishes down the contents to enable you to fit more in – this is the bit that's referred to as a 'Piston'.

Rewind to the Gen5detect, and the reason for the introduction of a new naming structure was that this model has a completely new motor design. Dyson wanted to emphasize this, and set the Gen5 apart from all the V-somethings. (The motor has been revamped once again for the V16, although whether the innards of the new version are closer to the Gen5's or the V15's is anyone's guess.)

Rewinding further still to the V15 Detect, and the 'Detect' part, as I understand it, is either to do with that vacuum's dust-sensing capabilities or the laser on the floorhead. Both of those features are present on the Gen5detect, and incidentally also the V16, but I guess they're old news now.

Tool confusion

The 'Animal' part of the V16 Piston Animal's name is especially baffling to me. Typically this suffix would indicate a different bundle, with an extra tool that's specifically for handling pet hair.

I asked Steph about this, and she explained that that's not the case here: the V16 Piston Animal is the main version. "It's more that it's an all-rounder for animal hair, and really being able to deal [well] with hair."

Dyson regularly adds suffixes like 'Complete', or 'Extra' to its vacuum options, and there's rarely consistency in how these terms are used. My favorite, 'Absolute' can sometimes refer to a different suction level, a better filter, or just a different colorway – the only way to figure out which is to do some painstaking cross-referencing.

What's in a name?

Historically, Dyson's vacuum names have been more consistent: the brand adopted the V-something format and worked its way up the numbers. Mostly.

There's no V13 or V14, and I can't quite get to the bottom of why – although they're both considered unlucky numbers in certain cultures, which could be part of it.

Before I started writing this, I was under the impression that there was no V9 either. But lo and behold, there does seem to be a Dyson V9. As someone who regularly performs deep-dives into Dyson product histories, this discovery is unsettling to say the least. Further background reading, though, denies the existence of a V9, with commenters saying that the 'V9' motor was used in Dyson's haircare releases instead. At present, this model remains something of an enigma.

The brand also went for a 'Dyson Cyclone V10', which bothers me – especially as the new, revamped V8 has just been christened the V8 Cyclone. But I'll accept that perhaps that's only an issue for pedantic writers who are just craving a bit of consistency.

For the record, here's a run-down of the current lineup:

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