Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Price & release date

• List price: $1,299.99 / £999.99
• Released March 2026

The Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal comes in at $1,299.99 / £999.99 — while it’s far from cheap, it’s pretty good value for what it offers. That being said, there are other robot vacuum cleaners with equally impressive features and better software at a similar price point.

Plus, you’ll need to maintain some parts of the vacuum; in particular, refills for the multi-floor cleaner ($13.99 / £14.99) and the odor-neutralizing puck ($9.99 – $14.99 / £7.99 – £15.99), as well as the usual replacement for things like side brushes and mop pads. Over time, these can add up, but you’ll scarcely find a robovac that doesn’t come with added costs at similar prices these days.

• Value: 4/5

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Design

Out of the box, you’ll find the vacuum, base, power chord, an anti-odor puck, one refill bottle of Shark’s multi-floor cleaner, two side brushes, plus the usual array of instructions and warranty documents.

The base stands at 17 x 18 x 14 inches / 43.2 x 45.7 x 35.6 cm, and comes in either black or white — mine was the latter, and I think it looks a lot more premium than the tackier black colorway. Enclosed in the lid of the base are the 2.74-litre / 96.65oz clean and 1.18-litre / 41.62oz waste water tanks, which lift out easily thanks to the retractable handles, as well as the bagless dirt compartment — I really appreciate that Shark opted for this so there’s one less thing to routinely replace.

You can remove the container with the press of a button situated on the side of the dock, and it’s also HEPA-filtered. There’s also a set of two filters you’ll need to clean every 1-2 months, depending on how often you use your robot vacuum, and a slot for one of Shark’s anti-odor pucks should dusty smells be an issue for you.

The vacuum itself is a fairly standard, rounded 2-in-1 robot vacuum, but a little tall and hefty at 5.35 inches / 13.6cm tall. The top houses its raised puck for LiDAR sensing, which works in tandem with the front of the device, where the cameras and other sensors, including a camera as well as LED and UV lights, to navigate your home and spot messes ripe for cleaning.

If you’d rather not use the app, you can use the four touch-sensitive buttons to activate mop and vacuum modes, send the vacuum home and connect to the Wi-Fi. A soft bumper surrounds the edges of the vacuum to prevent damage from any collisions, which are remarkably rare thanks to its top-tier obstacle avoidance, and you can remove its dust bin and mop plate from the rear of the device.

On the underside, you’ll find the wheels, brush bar, side brush, and a singular, flat mop pad. These aren’t my favorite type — a rondel will typically offer a deeper clean, better post-clean drying and less water waste. However, Shark has designed the robot vacuum to wiggle this mop pad to agitate dirt, which goes some of the ways to make up the difference.

Of note is that the vacuum seems to be a total dust magnet. I have mine placed beneath a desk, where I wouldn’t expect excessive levels of dust — however it’s constantly lined with a thick layer of the stuff.

• Design: 4/5

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Performance

Setup for the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal is pretty simple; using the app, you’ll connect the vacuum to your Wi-Fi, give it a name (I loved some of the suggestions like Clean Latifah), and after that, the robot vacuum will run its first mapping pass. Broadly, mine was accurate; my apartment has a slightly tricky layout for robot vacuums, including a half-tiled, half-carpeted kitchen-living room, and lots of doors to dodge.

After this first pass, the app will offer you a second mapping run, this time to detect flooring types. If you plan to regularly mop hard floors and have carpets or rugs to avoid, make sure to get this out of the way during setup; I couldn’t find any way to update this map after the fact.

Cleaning tests

I performed my standard pickup tests using oats, cornflour and brown rice to compare performance to other robot vacuums I’ve tested, and the results were a mixed bag. When setting the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal off for a standard, vacuum-only clean, I was immediately impressed as it zig-zagged across my floors, leaving them visibly refreshed — plus, it’s pretty quiet in action.

On hard floors, it excels thanks to a combination of its side brush, solid suction and the jet of air it blasts at hard-to-reach debris, ensuring floors are spick and span post-clean. On carpet, it’s slightly less impressive, especially in the edge cleaning department, but it still does a decent enough job. Its pickup of larger debris was very impressive on carpet, leaving little to nothing behind, but there was a small amount of powdery debris left behind on my medium-pile rugs — hair, however, is no problem, be it human or pet.

Next up, I tried a regular combination clean with vacuum and mopping, and that’s where my experience with the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal became a bit more mixed. The robot vacuum first fills its water tank at the base, proceeding to concurrently vacuum and mop your floors rather than splitting out the tasks. This helps to save time and battery; however, it does increase the risk of soggy carpets.

To avoid this, the robovac will lift its hind to keep the mop pad from drenching carpets — this reduces its effectiveness on carpets, though, as it crushes the side brush, and sometimes, while navigating, it will spin round and spit water across the floor, too. However, once it reaches hard floors, the results are pretty impressive; the mop pad agitates spills and stains with a back-and-forth scrubbing motion, and will reach into corners to make sure every spot is well-cleaned.

It does use a lot of water, though, and especially if you’re cleaning up larger spills, that means the PowerDetect UV Reveal can leave a streaky mess in its wake. I noticed this even more so when there was lots of debris to vacuum up during the clean; the PowerDetect UV Reveal left a clump of soggy oats behind like an owl pellet as well as white streaky marks across the floor, but I wouldn’t typically recommend regularly using your robot vacuum to collect large volume spills anyway. I have especially reflective kitchen tiles, so I noticed this a lot; on my less shiny bathroom tiles, it wasn’t as much of a problem.

Powering up to a higher suction or mopping setting does result in a more thorough cleaning job, especially on carpets, but it’s worth noting that this seems to make the excess water usage more noticeable.

Object detection and navigation

When the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal works, it really works, but I encountered a fair few bugs and limitations that do impact its overall effectiveness — for example, when doing a combination clean, it sometimes skips cleaning certain areas and rooms, or neglects to clean areas I’ve specifically asked it to.

Its LiDAR scanner makes accurate room maps, though they’ll be a bit odd-looking if you have lots of furniture at floor level. That’s unavoidable, to a degree, but I wish it had investigated those areas more closely to find the real edges of the walls; that way if furniture moves around your home, you wouldn’t need to remap.

Its object detection is incredible — perhaps too good, as the robot vacuum avoided my low-hanging (but not floor-length) curtains like the plague, giving wide berth to even the most inconsequential of obstacles. Generally, it’s not too much of a problem, but improved smarts would mean there’s slightly less preparation required pre-clean to ensure your entire floor gets cleaned properly. I was also massively impressed by the ease with which it lifted itself over and cleared thresholds, chair legs, and the like, leading to quicker cleans.

UV detection

After its standard cleaning cycles, the robovac will return to its base, but the cleaning isn’t over quite yet. It’ll issue an ominous warning once it’s refreshed itself: "I detected stains. I'm heading back out to aggressively attack them."

Here’s where the magic of the PowerDetect UV Reveal is really on show; as it cleans, it flares a blue UV light, with which you can see for yourself the stubborn and sometimes invisible stains on your floor, which it will then return to after a standard cleaning run. It was pretty cringe-inducing to watch it navigate areas I hadn’t cleaned recently and see just how much grime was there.

Dock

After the job’s complete, it’ll return for a final time to the base and begin the mop pad maintenance process quietly in the background with just a low humming noise, washing it with hot water before drying it to reduce contamination. In my testing, the robovac lived up to its estimated 3-hour battery life; a 45-minute clean on standard settings dropped the battery by 25%. A full recharge takes roughly 4 hours, and the vacuum won’t perform new tasks when at less than 20%.

• Performance: 4/5

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Software and app

The app is quite restrictive when it comes to home and schedule customization; you can only have one map, so multi-floor cleaning isn’t possible, no-go zones are always rectangular and you can only create two schedules per day.

I also noticed that the robot vacuum would often get confused when it initiated a clean, forging straight to the corner of my living room and spinning there for a good few minutes before figuring out its path to the hallway. On closer inspection, this happened most frequently when I sent it to clean somewhere other than its home room; for some reason, it wanted to head straight through my wall instead of around and through the doorway.

I couldn’t find a quiet mode, either, meaning if you ever wanted to use the vacuum at night or when little ones are sleeping, they might awaken to an ominous threat from your robovac.

These issues, among other software quirks, make for the primary complaint I have surrounding the Shark PowerDetect UV reveal; its app and on-board smarts hold back an otherwise high-performance robot vacuum.

• Software: 2.5/5

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Specs

Should I buy Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal?

Buy it if…

You value well sanitized floors
With its UV detection, the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal offers peace of mind and broadly great results, especially in the mopping department… if you can handle slow-drying floors.

You have pets
Again, the UV detection comes in clutch here for invisible pet messes, but it’s also a deft hand at hair collection.

You have a large home
With its great battery life and efficiency, the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal is unlikely to run out of juice before finishing the job even in larger homes.

Don’t buy it if…

You have lots of wooden floors or shiny tiles

While it’ll clean these floor types within an inch of their life, the residual water and cleaning solution could warp or damage wooden floors and leave streaky marks on particularly reflective ones.

You have lots of carpet
Don’t get me wrong, this is an accomplished vacuum for carpets, but if you want to do combination cleans, you might end up with a few soggy spots left in its wake.

You want to vacuum multiple floors — or other smart features

I liken the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal to a power washer in the hands of a caveman; it’s only as good as the software allows it to be, and with frustrations like single-floor mapping, ignored instructions and

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Also consider

How I tested the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal

I tested the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal for two weeks in my home, completing my standardised pickup, edge cleaning and mopping tests in addition to simulating tests for features like UV detection. I used the app, making a map of my home and testing various features like scheduling and room-by-room cleaning tasks, closely observing the vacuum when in use to note any navigation or performance issues during testing.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed June 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.

• Shark has launched a new Luxe Collection of robot and cordless vacuums
• The range features muted colors, satin finishes, and metallic accents
• It was designed in partnership with designer and TV personality Jeremiah Brent

Robovacs are perfect for keeping your home tidy between deep cleans, but they're not very attractive. Even the best robot vacuum is usually a piece of black or white plastic that sits in a matching dock, and is something you'd probably prefer to hide away if possible — some owners even build miniature garages to keep their bots out of sight. Now, Shark has come to the rescue with a robot vacuum that looks more like artwork than an appliance.

The company has teamed up with interior designer Jeremiah Brent of design studio AD100, who you might remember as the interior design expert on seasons 9 and 10 of Queer Eye. He's used his expertise to help develop a new version of the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal 2-In-1 Vac & Mop that looks much more appealing than the original, while cleaning just as well.

We awarded the PowerDetect UV Reveal 2-In-1 Vac & Mop four stars out of five in our review, and were particularly impressed by its obstacle avoidance, edge cleaning with extending mop pads, and its ability to lift itself over thresholds. It's not much to look at though, which is unfortunate for such a conspicuous appliance.

Now, however, the same vacuum is available in four subtle new colors — Evergreen, Ivory, Espresso, and Deep Harbor (navy blue) — all of which have co-ordinating satin-finished metallic trim.

These new Luxe Collection robot vacuum is available for the same list price as the original black model ($1,299.99, which works out at about £970 / AU$1,820), though it's worth noting that the black version is currently discounted to $949.99 (about £710 / AU$1,330) in Shark's online store.

At the time of writing, the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal 2-In-1 Vac & Mop Luxe Collection is only available in the US, but I'm hopeful it will be ready to clean homes globally very soon.

Cordless and chic

If you're fed up with an ugly cordless vacuum occupying space on your wall, the Shark Luxe Collection also includes a more stylish version of the Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean & Empty. This lightweight vacuum with its flexible head now comes in four extra colors (Oatstone, Harbor Slate, Sagewood, and Walnut), which are again finished with muted metallic accents.

Each vacuum has a list price of $499.99 in the US, or £499.99 in the UK (about AU$700). They're not currently available in Australia, but will hopefully roll out there before long.

Our tester Tim Gee gave the Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean & Empty four and a half stars in his review, saying: "It did a great job picking up fine dust and larger debris in our tests on carpet and hard floors, has good edge cleaning, and can easily be moved around the house making it an ideal occasional cleaner."

Shark PowerDetect Speed: one-minute review

The Shark PowerDetect Speed is a very capable cordless stick vacuum with a great auto empty base, but like other high-powered cordless vacuums a lack of battery life means it can’t replace a main vacuum.

It did a great job picking up fine dust and larger debris in our tests on carpet and hard floors, has good edge cleaning, and can easily be moved around the house making it an ideal occasional cleaner.

It's a premium product from an established vacuum brand, but when compared with Dyson it's significantly more affordable, making it a good choice if you want top, reliable performance without the high price.

Battery life is a major concern though, as it didn’t last 11 minutes on the highest power setting and took over five hours to recharge the battery, limiting its practicality.

Shark PowerDetect Speed: price and availability

The PowerDetect Speed launched in the US and UK in April 2026 costing US$499.99 and £499.99 for the Clean & Empty version that comes with an auto empty charging dock (although it is worth noting the US version comes with an extra Pet Multi tool that the UK version doesn’t). It was released in Australia in early June 2026 for a retail price of AU$799.

This places it at the premium end of the scale for vacuums, although it is significantly cheaper than the Dyson Gen5detect models it is competing with, making it feel very good value for money when comparing spec with spec.

The build quality is good, it feels capable of handling the rough and tumble of everyday cleaning and it has a good set of features you would expect of a top of the line vacuum including floor and dirt detection. The addition of a dock that empties and charges the vacuum is a godsend and real standout at this price point.

The PowerDetect Speed is also available without the auto empty dock for $429.99 or £429.99, which come with an extra upholstery tool in the US or pet tool in the UK. This version hasn't been released to Australia at the time of writing.

• Value score: 4/5

Shark PowerDetect Speed: specs

Shark PowerDetect Speed: design

• Simple, functional design
• Place to store accessories
• Dirt detect feature not shown on the floorhead

While a vacuum cleaner is very much a practical product rather than a statement piece it is nice for it to look at least smart in a subtle way if you do have to have it visible and Shark has done a decent job with the PowerDetect Speed. The grey and blue metallic finish feels mostly focused on blending into the background and any out-there accents have thankfully been limited to the orange roller in the floorhead.

The auto empty dock is also unfussy but does include one of my favorite features of this entire product in the shape of two small notches at the back of the dock for storing the included accessories. This is such a small thing, but after years of trying to find where in the house the kids have hidden the crevice tool this time, it is hugely appreciated.

The body of the vacuum is similar to the older PowerDetect model but it is slightly smaller, lighter and they have swapped the trigger button for a second button on the back of body. This is a definite improvement as it was easy to accidentally change modes with the trigger button, especially if vacuuming at different heights such as cleaning the stairs.

The PowerDetect Speed does lose 0.5kg on the previous version and comes in under Dyson’s Gen5 Detect by around 300g, but that said, this is still a bit of a chunky vacuum cleaner and may feel like a bit of a workout to push around for some, Rivals like the Dreame R20 weigh in almost a whole kilo lighter so if lightweight is top of your priority list it may be worth looking elsewhere.

It's controlled using two buttons on the back of the body, which also has a screen to show you what mode you are in, how much battery you have left and whether the vacuum is currently detecting dirt where you are cleaning. This is done through a color coded arc around the top of the screen with a dark purple color indicating it is picking up a lot of dirt which then progressively goes paler until it goes white indicating the floor is now clean.

I will go into more detail about the PowerDetect feature later but I do have a gripe about how this is presented. In the previous PowerDetect model this color-coding was also shown in lights at the back of the floorhead so you could see cleaning performance as you cleaned without taking your eyes off where you were moving the floorhead. With it only on the back of the body of the vacuum you now have to keep moving your eyes from one to the other which is definitely a step backwards.

The floorhead uses one roller with anti-wrap elements and a light that switches from regular white light on carpet to a blue UV light on hard floors for highlighting dirt. This works well although I’m not sure the UV light really provides a significant improvement over a regular light.

Depending where you are you will get different accessories with US customers getting a crevice tool and pet multi tool and those in the UK only getting a crevice tool, but the slightly better version that includes a sliding duster to it. The pet multi tool did OK at picking up cat hair, although no better than the regular floorhead and generally just caught them in the bristles rather than picking them up directly. Where it was most useful was as a wider cleaning path than the crevice tool when vacuuming a car.

• Design score: 4/5

Shark PowerDetect Speed: performance

• Dirt Detect works well
• Excellent fine detail and debris pick up
• Handles pet and long hair well without tangling

It is straightforward to use with only the two buttons for one and off or to change mode — which unless you are trying to maximize battery runtime, you shouldn’t need. The attachments are easy to snap into place or detach using the large buttons and the whole vacuum can fold in half for storage away from the charging dock.

It maneuvers well and while it might not be quite as smooth as the Dyson equivalent or as light as some other rivals it is easy to steer around furniture. It also is able to bend the wand so you can run the cleaner under low furniture reaching hard to clean spots. This is a nice bonus and may be ideal for some homes but I personally didn’t find myself using it day to day.

Emptying the vacuum is one area where it really stands out, you simply pop it back on top of the charging dock when you are done — or more likely when it has run out of battery but more on that later — and the base sucks all the dust out into its own larger two-liter bin. This obviously will need emptying itself, but the shape (and the fact you will have to do it less often) makes it much easier to do this without making a mess.

The detect part of PowerDetect comes from the four ways it adjusts suction power to optimize cleaning by detecting the floor type, amount of dirt being sucked up, whether it is close to the edge of a room and what direction it is traveling. This means all you need to do is move the vacuum around and it will change its cleaning modes, with the dirt detection also letting you know whether certain sections are worth some more attention through the color coding display on the handle.

When I first used this dirt detection I was a bit skeptical that it was still picking up debris where it claimed it was but the dust bin would time and again prove me wrong. At first this felt like an amazing feature, but later when combined with the battery life, having to go back and forth over the same bits of floor made me start to wonder if ignorance was bliss.

In the cleaning tests the Speed struggled a bit in low suction mode with one pass leaving quite a bit of fine dust and larger debris on both carpet and hard floors. Moving it up to full suction did much better with it picking up almost all the fine dust on the hard floor and, aside from some scattering of the rice, most of the debris on the next pass.

Edge cleaning was a similar story at both low and high power, with it doing very well on high for hard floors. It still needed the crevice tool to get the finest material but it did as well as I have seen from a stick vacuum.

Hair pickup was also excellent handling long and pet hair well without any sign of tangling on the floorhead brush.

It’s not quiet but at around 70-75 dbs (somewhere between traffic and a busy restaurant) on maximum power it's not the loudest either. The auto empty base creates a similar level of noise as it flushes the dust from the cleaner, but this is a pretty quick process.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Shark PowerDetect Speed: battery life

• Less than 11 minutes on boost mode
• Long recharge time
• Spare batteries not yet available

My sticking point with the PowerDetect Speed is the battery life as, when testing on full power, it only managed a paltry 10 minutes and 38 seconds. While the variable speed in dirt detect mode will allow you to get a bit more cleaning out of a charge, I often found it would last less than half an hour. Couple this with a recharge time of 5 hours and 19 minutes and it severely limits its practicality as a main vacuum for anything but a small apartment.

This is a common problem for high powered stick vacuums as they try to keep the weight of the batteries down, but it is one of the shortest run times and longest charge times I have tested making it a bit of a challenge even thoroughly vacuuming the car on a single charge.

While you can switch out the battery, I wasn’t able to find a way of buying a spare battery online with the cordless vacuum battery available through Shark’s website only compatible with older models. If one is made available expect this to come with a hefty price tag, the older model batteries cost an additional $87.99 in the US.

• Battery life score: 3/5

Should you buy the Shark Poweretect Speed?

The answer is going to depend heavily on the size of your home and how you plan to use the cleaner. If this is going to be your only vacuum it’s barely going to get through a studio apartment before it needs a recharge. If you are looking for a convenient cleaner for spot cleaning it is superb both in terms of performance and ease of emptying, all while being a step cheaper than the Dyson equivalent.

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

How I tested the Shark PowerDetect Speed

I tested the PowerDetect Speed for over a week in day-to-day use as well as specific tests picking up fine dust (tea) and larger debris (rice) on hard floors, carpet and around room edges. Battery life was tested on the highest power setting and lowest, as well as checking the time it took to fully charge from empty.

I tested the Speed in different cleaning scenarios including vacuuming stairs, a car and a variety of floor types.

First reviewed May 2026

Hoover HF3 DynamicClean: one-minute review

DynamicClean is Hoover’s latest crack at the mid-range tier of cordless stick vacuum cleaners, and for the most part it's a great effort.

Weighing in at just 5.6lbs / 2.54kg, it's one of the lightest cordless sticks you can buy, which makes it pretty easy to push around and carry between floors. The 150 AW motor delivers good suction across carpet and hard floors, and Hoover's Anti-Twist brushbar technology keeps hair from wrapping itself around the roller, which means easier maintenance in the long run.

You also get HEPA filtration built in, which is a top selling point for anyone with allergies or pets, alongside LED headlights on the floorhead, three power modes, and a wall-mounted charging dock. It's a well-featured package for the money, and on carpet in particular it delivers surprisingly good cleaning results for the money.

Where the HF3 shows its mid-range roots is in the build quality and the battery. The whole thing feels a bit cheap in places, the bin is narrow enough to make getting your hand inside a challenge, and the headline 60-minute runtime only applies if you stick exclusively to Eco mode. Switch to standard or turbo and that number drops fast. It’s worth being aware this probably won't cover a whole house in one charge for most people.

Still, at its current price, the HF3 DynamicClean offers a lot of vacuum for not a lot of money, and the cleaning performance itself is hard to fault at this level.

Hoover HF3 DynamicClean: price and availability

• List price £179.99 (about $250 / AU$340) from Hoover Direct
• Currently on sale at around £129 from Hoover Direct and Argos
• Pet variant available with mini turbo brush

The HF3 DynamicClean is available now across UK retailers, though at the time of writing it's not sold in the US or Australia. Its list price sits at £179.99 (about $250 / AU$340), but you'll almost certainly find it cheaper. At the time of writing, both Hoover Direct and Argos had it listed in the sale for £149.99, which is a really good deal for what you're getting.

That's significantly cheaper than a comparable Shark cordless, which will typically set you back £200 or more for similar features, and it's a fraction of what you'd pay for a Dyson. If the anti-hair wrap tech is the thing that appeals, the Shark equivalent costs nearly double.

The Pet variant, which adds a mini turbo tool for upholstery, is also available for a bit more (£199.99) if you have furry housemates.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Hoover HF3 DynamicClean: Design

• Extremely lightweight and easy to handle
• Inoffensive colorway that blends in
• Feels a bit cheap and has nowhere to store attachments

The HF3 is a slim, upright stick vacuum that's harmless looking but doesn't exactly scream style. It's got a slightly boxy, utilitarian look, but the minimal light grey and black colourway should at least go with any house deco style. Sure, it's not the sleekest-looking machine out there, but at least it doesn't take up much room. And while it's not that premium feeling, it's perfectly fine looking and won't embarrass you if it's wall-mounted in plain sight.

At 2.54kg, this vacuum is feather-light in the hand. Pushing it around open floor space takes virtually no effort, and carrying it upstairs is a one-handed job. That weight is a plus if you've got multiple levels to cover or if you're buying for someone who finds heavier vacuums a struggle.

That said, while it's nimble enough on open stretches, I found it can feel a bit stiff when you're trying to get into trickier spots, like around chair legs or into the gap between the sofa and the wall. It doesn't have the same fluid manoeuvrability as some pricier cordless sticks I've used.

Despite not being quite as nimble as the likes of a cordless Dyson or Shark, the floorhead steers around reasonably well, and the double-edge cleaning design means it can pick up dust along both its left and right sides, so it cleans along skirting boards and wall edges regardless of which direction you're pushing it.

There are also LED headlights on the front to light up dust under furniture, and the self-standing feature lets you park it upright mid-clean without it toppling over, though I did see some online reviews mention the head can lock into position when using it at odd angles on stairs, triggering an auto-shutoff. I didn't experience this myself, but it's probably something you should be aware of.

Where the budget price of this device really shows is in the build quality. I'll be honest, it feels a bit cheap in hand. The integrated dusting brush and crevice tool have that thin, hollow plastic quality that doesn't inspire long-term confidence, and there's nowhere on the unit to store the latter either. It just has to live in a drawer somewhere until you need it, which is minor but still annoying.

As for the bin, its 0.7-litre volume is a decent enough size, but the opening is narrow, so getting your hand in to clean around the central filter cone can be a fiddle if you don't have particularly small fingers.

• Design score: 3/5

Hoover HF3 DynamicClean: features and performance

• Strong suction, though not quite Dyson-level
• Anti-Twist tech delivers on its promise
• Battery life and noise are the weak spots

The HF3's brushless motor does an all-round good job for a vacuum at this price. On carpet, it pulls up dust, crumbs and fine debris with a good level of suction. Hard floors are handled well too, with the floorhead transitioning smoothly between surfaces without needing you to manually adjust anything.

I must add that while the suction is great for the price, it isn't quite on the level of some cordless Dyson vacuums I've used. It does leave the odd bit behind here and there, particularly on higher-pile rugs, where a Dyson would have performed much better. For the price difference, that's expected, and the HF3 is still perfectly good for everyday cleaning. Just don't expect it to compete with something two or three times the price.

Hoover's Anti-Twist technology is the headline feature here, and it works well. Over my testing period, I didn't find a single strand of hair wrapped around the brushbar, which — if you've ever owned a vacuum without this — is worth the entry price alone. The brushbar itself also pops out easily for cleaning, keeping maintenance to a minimum

The HF3’s three power modes (Eco, Standard and Turbo) give you some flexibility in how you use the battery. Eco mode is gentle but best for lighter cleaning and will get you closest to that 60-minute runtime claim. Standard mode, which is what you'll likely use most of the time, is rated for around 30 minutes and delivers a decent clean.

As for Turbo mode, this cranks things up a notch, being ideal for stubborn patches. However, this mode burns through the battery fast, offering around 15 minutes of use at best, in my experience. This is the HF3's biggest limitation. That 60-minute figure Hoover promises is only really achievable in Eco mode with the handheld configuration, which isn't how most people are going to use a stick vacuum day to day. On Standard mode with the floorhead attached, you're realistically looking at 25 to 30 minutes, which probably won't cover a whole house in one go unless you live in a one or two bedroom flat.

Another niggle is the vacuum’s noise. For something this compact and lightweight, the HF3 is surprisingly loud. It's not unbearable, but it's noticeably louder than I was expecting — you certainly won't be using it while someone's on a call in the next room. Nevertheless, there are plenty of other positives to help negate this.

The HF3’s LED display on the handle, for example, works well – showing you the current battery percentage and which mode you're in at a glance. It's not a touchscreen, just a simple readout, but it's handy for knowing exactly how much juice you've got left.

The HEPA filtration is another of the vacuum’s strong point. Hoover claims it captures 99.9% of dust and allergens, and while I can't exactly verify that figure in my kitchen, it's a reassuring spec for anyone with allergies or asthma. The filter is washable too, which should save you money on replacements over time.

• Features and performance score: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the Hoover HF3 DynamicClean?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Hoover HF3 DynamicClean: also consider

How I tested the Hoover HF3 DynamicClean

I used the Hoover HF3 DynamicClean as my main vacuum cleaner for several weeks across carpet, rugs and hard floors. I tested all three power modes, used the handheld conversion for stairs and upholstery, and assessed the build quality, bin emptying, wall dock, battery life and day-to-day usability throughout.

First reviewed: April 2026

Hoover HL2 TurboStyle: one-minute review

The Hoover HL2 TurboStyle is a budget corded upright that's clearly been designed for people who don't want to think too hard about their vacuum cleaner. It’s one of the best upright vacuum cleaners for those that just want something that picks stuff up, doesn't cost much, and won't break their back carrying it upstairs. At under 5kg it's one of the lighter corded uprights you can buy, and the 850W motor delivers consistent suction that doesn't fade the way a cordless stick does when the battery starts dropping off.

Hoover's Anti-Twist brushbar technology works well in practice, keeping hair from wrapping around the roller in a way that genuinely saves you the grim job of cutting it free every few weeks, and the dual-speed setting means you can dial the brushbar back for hard floors without it scattering debris everywhere. The LED headlights are also a nice touch for spotting dust under furniture, and the push-and-lift handheld mode makes it easy enough to get at stairs and upholstery without detaching half the machine.

Where the budget shows is in the build quality and the finer details. The plastic has that slightly hollow feel that makes you handle it a bit more carefully than you probably should have to. There's no app, no sensors, no clever features – which is fine if you don't want any of that, but it does mean you're paying purely for cleaning performance and not much else.

For the price, the HL2 TurboStyle does the fundamentals well and the suction holds up across carpets and hard floors without any complaints. It's not that exciting to look at but it does what it promises as a sensible, no-frills upright. If that's all you're after, look no further.

Hoover HL2 TurboStyle: price and release date

• Available now in the UK priced at £169.99 RRP, currently on sale at £129
• Also available from retailers such as Currys
• Colours: Pastel Pink, Teal

The HL2 TurboStyle is only available in the UK, where it sits at a very accessible price point. The standard Home model is available in pastel pink or teal colourways and has an RRP of £169.99 (about $230 / AU$320). However, at the time of writing, it’s currently priced at £129 (about $180 / AU$240) either direct from Hoover or Currys. The Pet variant (which adds a mini turbo brush for upholstery) can be picked up for £179.99 (about $240 / AU$340).

For context, that's significantly cheaper than a cordless Dyson, which will set you back at least £300 / $400 / AU$600 for something entry-level, and around the same price as a lot of budget cordless sticks that'll give you 20 minutes of runtime before needing a charge. If you're happy being tethered to a plug, the HL2's price is hard to argue with.

• Value score: 4/5

Hoover HL2 TurboStyle: design

• Lightweight and nimble for a corded upright
• Bin release button is far too sensitive
• Color choices could do with a rethink

The HL2 is a compact, slim upright that doesn't look like much out of the box, and that's OK. It's not trying to be anything it’s not – it's a mid-range vacuum cleaner that gets the job done with very little faff. At under 5kg, it's noticeably light for a corded machine, and the swivelling floorhead makes it easy to steer around furniture without needing to do that awkward three-point-turn you get with bulkier uprights.

The eight-meter working radius is generous, too. I was able to do most of a room without having to unplug and move to a different socket, which takes the annoying part out of a corded setup. The cable itself is long enough that I stopped thinking about it after a while (apart from needing to move it out of the way to change direction).

Build quality is where you start to see why this machine has the price point it does. The main body is fine, sturdy and sensibly laid out, but the attachments feel a bit cheap. The crevice tool and dusting brush have that thin, hollow plastic feel and while nothing broke during testing, I’m not sure if it would survive being bashed around over time.

The bin is a good size at 2.5 liters, and the one-click emptying is supposed to make disposal straightforward but in reality I found the release button to be a little too trigger happy. On one occasion, when I was carrying the bin across to the kitchen, the button rested gently on my hand and the hatch popped open spilling the entire contents across the floor. It's a design quirk that will likely catch you out at least once.

As for the colours, I tested the teal version, which is inoffensive enough. The pastel pink is clearly aimed at a specific buyer, and fair play. But I do think a simple black, dark grey or more neutral option would go better with any home, and it feels like Hoover missed a trick not offering one.

• Design score: 3.5/5

Hoover HL2 TurboStyle: features and performance

• Impressive pickup, especially on carpet
• Anti-Twist tech works well with hair
• Push-and-lift handheld mode is useful but basic

After trying it across multiple floor types, I found the HL2's 850W motor does a genuinely good job. When running it over a high-pile wool rug that I'd already gone over with my Dyson cordless, the Hoover pulled up a surprising amount of extra lint, dust and general debris that the Dyson had clearly missed. There's something to be said for the raw, consistent power of a corded motor, and the HL2 reminded me why uprights still exist.

There are two brush bar speeds, controlled by a rocker switch on the floorhead: one for hard floors and one for carpet. The carpet mode is pretty aggressive, digging into the pile with enough energy that you can see it lifting as the vac passes over it. Meanwhile, hard floor mode dials things back so you're not flinging dust around. It's a simple setup that works well, but it’s worth flagging how a lot of modern, premium models have sensors which can detect a change in floor type and switch between these modes automatically. This is definitely missed here.

Hoover's Anti-Twist technology does a good job, too, as I didn't end up with any hair wrapped around the brush bar during my testing period. The LED headlights on the floorhead are a nice touch as well, lighting up darker areas under the sofa and bed where dust loves to hide.

The push-and-lift conversion to a handheld is perfectly functional, too. You press the button, lift the main unit off the base, and you've got a handheld vac for stairs and above-floor work. It's fine for quick jobs, but the unit is a bit unwieldy for extended handheld use, and the stretch hose, while reaching two metres, doesn't give you quite as much flexibility as a proper dedicated handheld.

For day-to-day use, the HL2 is pleasingly smooth to push around. There's very little effort needed to glide it up and down, and the swivel head handles corners and furniture legs without too much fuss. Suction is consistent throughout, which is the benefit of being plugged in, and I didn't run into any blockages, overheating or performance dips during testing.

If there's a complaint about performance, it's that the HL2 doesn't really do anything beyond the basics. There's no auto-adjust for floor types, no dirt sensors, no display showing you anything useful. That's expected at this price, but it does mean you're relying entirely on your own eyes and judgement, which, after using smarter vacuums, can feel a little old-school.

• Features and performance score: 4/5

Should you buy the Hoover HL2 TurboStyle?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Hoover HL2 TurboStyle: also consider

How I tested the Hoover HL2 TurboStyle

I used the Hoover HL2 TurboStyle as my main vacuum cleaner for several weeks across carpet, rugs and hard floors in a multi-level home. I tested it alongside my regular Dyson cordless to compare pickup, used the handheld mode on stairs and upholstery, and assessed the build quality, bin emptying, storage and day-to-day usability throughout.

First reviewed: April 2026

Narwal Flow 2: two-minute review

I’ll be the first to tell you that I have had a hate-love relationship with robot vacuums. However, over the years, I’ve watched as the technology has improved, resulting in better mapping, improved object avoidance, and exciting features. This is why I was all too glad to test the Narwal Flow 2 robot vacuum.

Narwal introduced its 2026 flagship robot vacuum in January, which resulted in a lot of buzz. It’s not the first robot vacuum to have dual cameras, but the way they work with the LM OmniVision AI Model feels like a big leap forward.

During testing, I observed the Narwal Flow 2 robot vacuum recognizing the dirtiness of a floor and adjusting the suction and mopping capabilities. Plus, its ability to 'smart clean', or recognize which areas of your house need deeper cleans, and avoid and identify obstacles is next to none. Although I don’t have pets or babies, the Pet Care Mode and Baby Care Mode are quite cool because they let the Flow 2 find your pet (and play with it), switch to quiet mode near cribs, and avoid crawling zones.

Overall, I found the Narwal Flow 2 ’s smart capabilities very impressive, and its customization capabilities within the app particularly convenient. Its mopping capabilities are its best feature, and when paired with vacuuming, it does a great job of cleaning all floor types — though it doesn't fare as well with edge or corner cleaning. The suction capability wasn’t strong enough to pull super-fine materials like flour from a thick rug, but it did better than other robot vacuums I’ve tested. I would have also liked it to be half an inch shorter so it could fit under my kitchen cabinets.

The Narwal Flow 2 stands out in other ways too, such as its ability to climb over high thresholds, app and voice controls, and video feeds. The dock automatically empties the dust cup, and washes and dries the roller mop with hot water and hot air. I still think you’ll need a vacuum and a wet-dry vacuum on hand for deeper cleans or to reach spaces the robot vacuum can’t go, but the Flow 2 will do a stand-up job at keeping your home pristine between deep cleans.

The Narwal Flow 2 launched in the US in April 2026, with a premium price tag to match its high-end cleaning features. There are plenty of other great robot vacuums that are more affordable (even ones with cameras), but most don’t have the AI capabilities of this model, which really set it apart from the competition.

Narwal Flow 2: price and availability

• Price: $1,499 / AU$2,999 (about £1,100)
• Special price at launch: $1,099 (about £810 / AU$1,500)
• Launch date: April 2026
• Availability: US; from June 2026 in Australia

The Narwal Flow 2 launched in the US on April 13, 2026, with a UK release expected at a later date. Australian availability is from late June 2026. Although the list price for the robot vacuum and the base is $1,499, those who buy it during the launch can snag this combo for $1,099. It’s available directly from Narwal and Amazon, but may expand to other third-party retailers later.

The robovac will set you back AU$2,999 in Australia.

The price makes sense considering that the Flow 2 is outfitted with high resolution cameras, a roller mop, and superb AI capabilities that lets it recognize shoes, cords, pets, and toys, and adjust the cleaning settings depending on the type of dirt, debris, or spill. The dock also has hot water and hot air-drying capabilities — something that lesser models lack. We consider the Narwal Flow 2 to be a premium buy since it costs more than $800 / £650 / AU$1,000.

Our review model came with cleaning solution and one extra dust bag. Accessory replacements are available from Narwal.

Now the question remains, is this model worth $1,499 / AU$2,999? Considering all the features and control users have through the app, I would say yes. I just wish the edge and corner cleaning had matched my expectations. Perhaps an update will improve both settings soon.

• Value score: 3.5/5

Narwal Flow 2: design

• Circular robot vacuum and a self-emptying and self-cleaning base
• Anti-tangle mopping roller brush
• Dual high-definition cameras with a wide view

The Narwal Flow 2 is a black, circular robot vacuum that’s about 13.5 / 35cm inches in diameter and has the capability to lift over thresholds. At 3.7 inches / 9cm, the robot vacuum is relatively tall, and even though it can fit under my couch and baker’s rack, it doesn’t fit under my cabinets.

It has a small rotating brush along the bottom edge that sweeps debris toward the zero-tangling floating brush, where the robot vacuum uses 30,000Pa to suck up debris. The Flow 2 uses a crawler mop for edges; think of it like a roller map that has been flattened so that it’s wide, long, and rotates, using 12N downward pressure to clean floors. The crawler mop can extend 1.8 inches / 5cm from the side.

The robot vacuum comes with a black base that’s 20.5 / 36cm inches tall, 14 inches / 36cm wide, and 17 / 43cm inches deep, and a cord that is 4.8 feet / 1.5m long. Separate clean water and dirty water tanks sit on top of a tank that holds the cleaning solution. Both the robot vacuum and the dock have filters.

The dock also features a dust bag that can last up to 120 days, and colored ambient lighting, which can indicate different things like when there is problem with the robot (eg flashing red lights).I

n addition to LED lights on the robot vacuum itself, the Narwal Flow 2 has dual 1080p cameras with a 136-degree field of view. The robot vacuum uses cameras and AI to recognize objects or pets and either avoid them or note them on the map, captures video and photographs, and provides deeper cleanings.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Narwal Flow 2: performance

• Climbs tall thresholds and avoids objects well
• Solid job at vacuuming and mopping
• Truly hands-free experience and easy-to-use app

I had no issue connecting the Narwal Flow 2 to Wi-Fi or the app. The robot mapped my house in 35 minutes. I had to split and merge a few rooms, but that was simple enough.

As part of my testing, I utilized the robot vacuum like anyone else might – letting it clean my entire house multiple times, directing it to specific rooms (like the kitchen after dinner), or to an area where I’d made a mess (like near my sewing machine). In doing this, I found that the vacuuming and mopping capabilities of the Narwal Flow 2 were solid. The water output was perfect, and by that, I mean my floors weren’t too wet and they dried very quickly.

One of my favorite aspects of this robot vacuum is the roller mop. Some brands opt for circular mop pads that spin, however, I always thought such pads just moved wet dirt and other materials around the floor before the robot had a chance to return to the base to wash the pads.

The Narwal Flow 2 has a roller map that’s wide (almost flattened), and as it rotates, the robot sends clean hot water to the mop so that it’s cleaning the mop as it cleans your floors. A 12N downward pressure of the roller mop also aids in removing stubborn or heavy messes. If the robot vacuum recognizes a significant spill, it will also return to the base to clean the roller before returning to clean the floor again.

The robot easily climbed my thresholds – some of which are two inches / 5cm high – and avoided a lot of objects. In fact, I felt like it stayed too far from objects and edges at first, so I adjusted the cleaning to 'meticulous' within the app and was happier with the results.

I also watched it avoid low overhanging areas like my kitchen cabinets. At least the robot vacuum had the ability to extend the roller mop 1.8 inches / 4.6cm under the cabinet. Still, it wasn’t far enough to clean fully under the cabinet, so I had to use a vacuum to reach under there.

The robot vacuum got stuck once on my bath rug, which has fringe, but that was the only object that it ever has any issue with. it avoided cords and shoes, and even noted them on the map.

While I could customize the suction power of the vacuum, I liked to keep it on Smart so that the suction adjusted based on the floor type and whether the robot sensed dirt or a mess. I liked that the robot vacuum used the LED light in low light areas to clean better. The Narwal Flow 2 didn’t do well with suctioning large objects like medium-sized leaves from my poinsettia plants. This isn’t that big of a deal as most robot vacuums (or vacuums) don’t do well with suctioning larger items.

Although I used the app most of the time to direct the robot vacuum, occasionally, I used one of the 34 voice commands. Sometimes I had to use the app because the commands are limited. For instance, I could tell it to clean my living room, but I couldn’t say, “Clean up the living room and the hallway.” Combining commands wasn’t possible.

The robot vacuum took three hours to clean my entire 1,600-square-foot house, dropping to 31 percent in terms of the battery. In fact, the battery was only at 50% at the 2-hour cleaning mark. It took four hours to fully charge the robot vacuum, which is quick in my opinion.

Overall, I was very happy with how well Narwal Flow 2 kept my house clean of dirt, debris, and kitchen scraps. That said, after running some cleaning tests, there are some areas where it could improve.

Cleaning tests

To begin my testing, I placed ground coffee, flour, and dried flower petals on my kitchen laminate floor and on my living room rug and utilized the vacuum-only feature to see how well the robot could suction different materials. I even made sure to sprinkle ground coffee under my kitchen cabinets, along the edges of my kitchen, and in the corners. Here’s what I observed.

In the kitchen, the robot vacuum increased suction automatically when it went over the flour and the dried flowers, but not over the coffee. It suctioned all of the coffee, all but one flower petal, and most of the flour. Unfortunately, the wheels of the robot vacuum moved a thin film of the flour around on the floor. Where it didn’t succeed was suctioning coffee from the corners, edges, and under the kitchen cabinet.

To be fair, the robot couldn’t fit under the kitchen cabinet. When it came to corners, the robot vacuum suctioned coffee completely in one corner, but not the other. It failed quite miserably with suctioning coffee grounds along the edges.

As for the suction test on the rug, the robot vacuum automatically increased the suction to 'super powerful' when it recognized the material. On the first pass, the robot vacuum picked up some coffee grounds and flour but all of the dried flower petals. I also placed slightly damp poinsettia leaves on the carpet, and the robot vacuum did not pick them up but unintentionally moved them off the rug.

I was disappointed at first, until the robot vacuum went over the coffee and flour three more times – without me instructing it to do so. By the end, 98 percent of coffee grounds had been suctioned. A lot of the flour had been picked up, minus a small amount that had been pushed into the rug. In the end, I thought the suctioning capability on rugs was better than most robot vacuums.

For the final test, I used the vacuum and mop features on my laminate floor. I covered the floor with flour, coffee grounds, a spilled glass of water, chocolate sauce, soy sauce, wing sauce, and creamer. The Narwal Flow 2 cleaned up the wing sauce, soy sauce, water spill, coffee grounds, and flour in a single pass. I was surprised by how smoothly it picked up the chocolate sauce since it’s a tough substance that dries quickly. (I test wet-dry vacuums and even many of them have issues with cleaning slightly dried chocolate sauce in two passes or more.)

When it came to the creamer, the robot vacuum recognized it as a 'spill', which meant it cleaned it up in a single pass then returned to the dock to clean the mop. It then repeated this two more times — cleaning that area and returning to the dock to clean the mop — before it moved on. The floor was not sticky by the time the robot vacuum had finished.

I also placed coffee grounds under the cabinet, in the corners, and along the edges to see if the mop and vacuum combo would result in better cleaning capabilities. When the robot vacuum passed near the cabinets, it extended the mop to the side, and while it picked up a bit, unfortunately, the roller mop couldn’t extend far enough to pick up half of the coffee grounds under the cabinet

When it came to corners, the robot vacuum had the same results using the vacuum and mop as it did during the suction only test. It cleaned edges better with the mop than without it, but the results weren’t as good as I’d hoped. One edge was cleaned very well but a lot of coffee grounds were left along another edge.

To sum it all up, I’d advise utilizing the vacuum and mop features on hard flooring to maximize the cleaning process. The Narwal Flow 2 does an average job edge and corner cleaning. When it comes to carpets, it can pick up a lot of debris, though for the finest materials like flour, you’ll probably need a more powerful vacuum.

Maintenance

When it comes to the Narwal Flow 2 , there isn’t much maintenance you’ll need to do daily or weekly. It took 16 uses of the robot vacuum before I was informed to refill the water tank and empty the dirty water tank.

I would suggest going through the app when you first start using the Narwal Flow 2 to set up the maintenance how you see fit. Head to the “Dock” section and choose what kind of mop drying intensity you prefer (silent, strong, or smart), as well as how often you want the dust bin to be emptied (every time of execution or when the robot determines it needs to be emptied). You can even choose the noise level of the dust emptying.

The base cleans the roller with 140-degree hot water and dries it completely with hot air. The dust bag holds up to 120 days’ worth of debris. In the future, Narwal may roll out a reusable dust bag. The debris filter is washable and should be cleaned once a month. You’ll need to remove the bottom tray of the base and clean it out once or twice a month as lots of debris and dirt accumulates there.

Within the app, you can keep an eye on which accessories need to be replaced and/or how much longer they will last. For instance, the zero-tangling floating brush on my testing robot is still good for another 144 hours of use.

• Performance score: 4/ 5

Narwal Flow 2: app

• Easy app with fantastic 2D and 3D mapping and insights
• Cleaning customization options (AI clean, vacuum and mop, vacuum then mop, vacuum, mop, and room customization)
• Video features and control through app

I had an easy time using the Narwal app to set up the Narwal Flow 2 . Although there is a 3D mapping option, I preferred using the 2D option and had an easy time labeling the rooms and seeing things like rugs on the map. I ran into some issues trying to split my living room and study on the map. The rooms have a wide doorway with pocket doors, so I understand the robot thinking they are the same room, but when trying to split them, the map says in doing so the rooms are “too small.” This is odd considering that my bathroom is about a sixth the size of each of those rooms and it was considered its own room on the map.

I tried to set up my corridor as a no-go zone (the floors are not sealed and can’t be mopped), but unfortunately, when I did this, the robot vacuum wouldn’t pass the corridor to clean the bathroom. Thankfully I was able to go around this with the room customization feature which allows me to customize the type of cleaning I want for each room. Therefore, I designed the corridor to be a vacuum-only space so that the robot vacuum would be able to reach the bathroom where I have it designated to be vacuumed and mopped.

Within the app, I can choose to clean the whole house, certain rooms, or even specific zones within those rooms. I can also customize this further by informing the robot vacuum to vacuum and mop, vacuum then mop, vacuum only, or mop only.

One of my favorite features is the Navo assistant that sits below the map offering insight on the cleaning or information that’s relevant, like if the vacuum has gotten stuck. If you click it, the assistant shows you the voice commands that you can use with the robot vacuum and lets you adjust the language and voice tone.

The Dock button informs users of the dust bag status and touch-on-demand features like dock dust emptying, dust bag dry and disinfecting, mop washing, mop drying, and adjusting the ambient lighting effects.

Users can watch a live video from the cameras on the Narwal Flow 2 . You can record or take videos, control the direction of the robot, and direct the robot to clean. There is also a Cruise feature that takes photos on a specific route through your house and stores them in the app.

On top of scheduling cleanings and monitoring the cleaning history, you can also adjust the cleaning settings, from the suction power to the mopping humidity, coverage precision (smart, standard, and meticulous), and set things like intensive corner cleaning, priority cleaning for carpet, intensive carpet cleaning, intelligent room splitting and rewashing of the mop, high altitude mode, child lock, do not disturb feature, obstacle avoidance strategy, and smart object detection. It’s also here where you can set up your Narwal Flow 2 with Alexa, Google Home, or Matter.

The Pet-friendly Mode section is very extensive. Users choose which pets they have (cats, dogs, or both) and designate either easy cleaning in specific pet areas or enhanced cleaning in areas that were missed because pets were present. It also allows you to find your pet and/or “play” with your pet by attracting the pet to the robot with a specific sound.

• App score: 4.5/5

Narwal Flow 2: specs

Narwal Flow 2: should you buy it?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Narwal Flow 2: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Narwal Flow 2 is the right robot vacuum for you, here are two other options to think about.

How I tested the Narwal Flow 2

I tested the Narwal Flow 2 for two weeks on my laminate and historic wood floors and medium-to-large pile rugs. To review all the vacuuming and mopping capabilities, I conducted several tests with various materials (water, chocolate syrup, soy sauce, coffee grounds, and flour) on different types of flooring to see how well the robot suctioned and cleaned the floor. This included testing different features like spot cleaning, video capabilities, mapping, voice commands, and so much more.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2026

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.

• The Deebot X12 OmniCyclone from Ecovacs tackles particularly tough stains
• It identifies dried-on dirt and pre-treats it using high-pressure water jets
• Once the dirt is softened, the OmniCyclone's extra-long mop scrubs it away

Ecovacs, maker of some of the best robot vacuums we've tested here at TechRadar, has just launched a new flagship model designed to tackle particularly tough dried-on stains that most robovacs would fail to clean.

The Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone uses infrared and camera-based detection to identify particularly tough stains like muddy pawprints and spilled juice that you may not have even noticed before they dried. It pre-treats them using high-pressure water jets to soften them, then uses its roller mop to scrub them away.

The extra-long mop is rinsed with fresh water throughout cleaning to avoid spreading dirt or creating streaks. It won't make your carpets wet either; when moving off a hard floor, the OmniCyclone automatically raises and covers its mop head to keep everything dry.

The OmniCyclone cleans particularly close to baseboards, while also staying a safe distance from obstacles like pets and charging cables, and furniture.

After it's finished cleaning, the OmniCyclone's dock will handle messy jobs including washing and drying the mop, emptying debris, and managing cleaning solution automatically. It also has a fast-charging system called PowerBoost, which means it's ready to start cleaning again faster than other wet-dry robovacs.

The OmniCyclone is on sale now for $1,499 (about £1,100 / AU$2,100) direct from Ecovacs and from Amazon. We'll be testing it soon to see how it compares with rivals from the likes of Roborock and Dreame, so stick with TechRadar to find out whether the OmniCyclone can scrub its way to first place.

I’d never have guessed that consumer and industrial drone manufacturer DJI would ever consider bringing a robot vac to the dining table, but I was wrong. And when you think about, why shouldn’t they? After all, the company’s amazing squadron of drones are capable of following users through difficult terrain, even through woodland with tree branches everywhere, with breath-taking accuracy and speed.

Given that navigation and obstacle avoidance are prerequisites of any successful robot vac, it makes perfect sense to use established drone navigation tech in a robot vac, or even a robot lawn mower. And since DJI would presumably never dream of sharing its navigation technology with anyone else, they may as well make their own robot vac. And that it did.

I’ve already given the new transparent DJI Romo P a very favourable review after putting it through its paces and watching it work over the course of a week. I also spent a lot of time analyzing its cleaning power on both hard floor and carpet. However, one facet of this new upstart has truly amazed me and that’s its extremely good obstacle avoidance.

In fact, I think that the DJI Romo P’s obstacle avoidance represents one of the most technologically sophisticated navigation systems yet deployed in a consumer robot vacuum cleaner. Unlike cheap and simple robot vacuums that rely on bumper switches or basic infrared sensors, the Romo P combines dual fisheye vision sensors with three solid-state LiDAR units that, according to DJI, bring ‘millimeter-level obstacle sensing’ into the home.

When combined, this multi-sensor data allows the Romo P to identify not just large, basic obstacles like furniture legs and walls, but also extremely thin obstacles as narrow as 2mm in thickness. And this means it is also a dab hand at dodging thin phone cables of any length, a myriad of toys including Lego bricks and, if approached head on, even flat objects like train tickets and playing cards. This level of discrimination is quite significant because credit-card thin items are among the hardest for robot vacuums to detect.

Navigation and obstacle sensing hardware in itself only gathers data but making intelligent decisions from that data is equally important. Hence, DJI and, it must be said, other big players like Roborock and Dreame, also incorporate onboard machine learning algorithms — including AI-assisted learning — in their premium bots that interpret the combined sensors’ inputs. These algorithms enable the robot to recognize different types of obstacles and choose the most appropriate course of action.

Sometimes it will weave close to narrow legs of furniture to clean nearby, while other times it will give a wide berth to most smaller objects. This contextual awareness apparently helps minimize cleaning interruptions and prevents the bot from getting stuck or inadvertently spreading messes, which is something I observed when the Romo P actively avoided a large dollop of tomato ketchup in my review’s mopping test.

I’ve also noticed the logical routes the Romo P takes every time it performs a task, and I can only assume that this is also down to its spatial awareness and ability to perform almost human-like movement through a maze of obstacles.

For my review test I tried to prove this and set up an assault course using a variety of items both large and small. I was frankly amazed at the speed with which the Romo P navigated its way around the obstacles without stopping for a breath or knocking anything over. In fact, it was like watching an Olympic slalom skier in action.

Anyway, this got me thinking. So for this article I set up another two, even more extreme tests and not only focussed on the Romo P, but enlisted the help of my trusty Roborock Saros 10R, another robot vac with very decent obstacle avoidance.

By the way, the Romo P offers three levels of obstacle avoidance in the DJI Home app: Obstacle Avoidance Priority, Standard and Cleaning Priority. For the following tests I selected the Standard mode because it better balances the gap between cleaning and avoidance.

Roborock Saros 10R vs DJI Romo P obstacle tests

I’ve been using the Roborock Saros 10R since April 2025 and, along with its stablemate the Saros 10, it is one of the best bots I’ve ever had the pleasure of reviewing. So I thought I’d see how well it faired against DJI’s new Romo P when it comes to negotiating a challenging obstacle course.

For this comparison test I carefully positioned a wide range of obstacles including dog toys of various sizes, phone cables of different lengths, three titchy diffuser oil bottles, a small leaflet of stamps, a mock train ticket, a packet of cigarette papers, two thin black lids, a silver spanner, a small screwdriver and a sock.

I created two different tests because I wanted to see if either bot had learned from previous mistakes. However, I can’t categorically say if they learned anything from Test 1 because I’ve never seen any robot do exactly the same thing twice. They’re robots, after all, and they quite literally have minds of their own.

Anyway, back to the two tests which started with the Saros 10R followed by the Romo P. Both models were commanded to go from their dock positions (the Saros in the hall and Romo in the lounge) and head to the kitchen over a patterned rug. They were then commanded to return to the dock.

Although they were both coming from different areas, I made sure that both bots were given equally challenging tasks, or as close as I could get it. Setting both robots to leave from the same area would have entailed remapping the whole home on one of the bots and I simply didn’t have the time or, for that matter, the inclination. However, as the video demonstrates, both bots faced equally complex assault courses.

Test 1

Roborock Saros 10R

The Saros 10R happily jaunted into the room and simply headed straight over the cigarette papers and one phone cable but then made a very good fist of reaching its goal without causing any chaos in about one minute. Its return trip was more haphazard and it rode over a small cable and the stamps and, after having a good think with it’s camera facing the cigarette papers, it decided, what the heck, and continued onwards, carrying the packet into the hall before depositing it as it approached its base station. Its return trip took 35 seconds.

DJI Romo P

Now it was the Romo P’s turn, and for this I selected its ‘Standard’ obstacle avoidance mode which is the best option for better cleaning performance. Straight away it turned towards the spanner and, rather disappointingly, rode right over it. Typical! It also rode over the book of stamps before continuing with a weird detour around a small phone cable. However, it still completed the task in just 48 seconds.

Its return trip was also a bit wayward and took exactly one minute though it did glance the small screwdriver (understandable) and rode over the stamps. But this time it stopped at the spanner before detouring around a hair scrunch before returning to dock.

I have to say that both of them performed extremely well in this test and I was especially surprised by how adeptly the Saros 10R handled the course. However, the Romo P was clearly a lot quicker to complete the task.

Test 2

Roborock Saros 10R

The Saros 10R approached the cigarette paper packet and pushed it aside before heading over the black phone cable. It then carefully worked its way between the two diffuser bottles before noticing it had run over the short cable and reversing. It then continued, glancing a small black plastic cap before running over the second one, completing the task in 45 seconds.

Its return trip was less successful. It immediately rode over the black cap and, after some time thinking at the small bottles, ran headlong over the black cable, which it dragged most of the way home. Time: 38 seconds

DJI Romo P

A perfect gold-medal run. This time the Romo avoided everything, including the spanner, the cigarette paper packet, the stamps and both black caps. An amazing achievement in 48 seconds flat.

However, Rom(e)o got very cocky on its 50-second trip home and rode over the screwdriver, stamps and cigarette packet (twice) as if it had had enough testing for one day and just wanted to get home as quickly as possible. You’ve got to laugh.

Test 3

DJI Romo P

For this final test I used just the Romo P and selected it’s ‘Obstacle Avoidance Priority’ mode which further enhances its navigation capabilities for ultra-cluttered homes. I even added some smaller obstacles like a thin piece of cardboard, along with the black caps and stamp booklet from the previous tests. While the Romo P did a bit more thinking and a couple of detours, it nailed the run with no major issues to report other than its side brush tampering with the thin slice of cardboard. Another gold-medal result.

While these tests in no way represent the real world (at least I’d like to hope so), they just go to show how refined the navigation is on both of these models. Yet while the Saros 10R’s obstacle avoidance can be considered perfectly acceptable for everyday scenarios, I have to give the winning rosette to the Romo P for a more accurate and speedy approach when it comes to overall navigation and the perfected art of obstacle dodging.

Dreame Z20 Station two-minute review

The Dreame Z20 Station has completely changed my home cleaning habits, thanks to a combination of terrific suction power, useful cleaning modes and a self-empty docking station that makes vacuuming an absolute breeze.

While its 250AW of suction power can be beaten by some newer models from Dyson and even Dreame itself, it’s still impressive and utilizes a well-designed floorhead that ensures dust and debris is effectively collected from both hard floors and carpets.

Called the Illumination Omni-Brush, this floorhead features a built-in LED light beam to help reveal dust that’s otherwise invisible to the eye. It’s a similar feature to Dyson’s Detect technology which, it must be said, is a bit more effective than Dreame’s implementation, but only in the sense that Dyson’s version is brighter and covers a slightly broader area of the floor. Dreame’s CelesTect technology, as it’s known, does still show up dust on hard floors and after the initial shock of realizing just how much was on mine, I found it to be an invaluable feature.

Unlike the top-of-the-line Dreame Z50, whose floorhead can automatically detect floor types and adjust its inlet to maintain good suction and reduce damage to carpets, the Omni-Brush requires the user to manually flick a front-mounted switch as you move from hard floor to carpet and vice versa for the optimal clean.

Speaking of cleaning, I found the Auto mode to be the best of the three suction settings on offer — the other two being Eco and Turbo — as it’s the only mode that dynamic suction comes into play and the Z20 would function perfectly well if you never changed settings. Whether that was to clean up dirty floorboards or remove hair from my carpet, it handled it in one pass quite effectively.

The LCD display on the top of the handheld unit shows a graph of dirt sizes that the vacuum detects during cleaning, much like on a Dyson, but it’s a lot more animated than its competitor. I initially found this feature a bit superfluous and an excuse to use up the display real estate, but it ultimately enabled me to carry out a more thorough cleaning of my home, as it shows when all dust and debris under the floorhead has been vacuumed.

Using the Dreame Z20 day to day is a simple process, with the power and mode select buttons falling nicely under the thumb. There’s decent manoeuvrability in the Illumination Omni-Brush cleaning head too, but the vacuum is top heavy, which makes it tiring to use for longer cleaning sessions. The wand is also a bit too short for my liking, which caused some lower back pain from having to bend slightly during every clean, and it’s sadly not extendable like in the Z50.

The Z20 comes with a few additional attachments, although the exact number and type varies by country, with the US getting a broader set compared to Australia. Changing attachments is easy thanks to large press-in buttons.

The main feature that differentiates the Z20 Station from the standalone Z20 available in the UK is the former coming with an auto-empty docking station. This is a freestanding charging base for the vacuum that automatically empties the dust cup into a 3L bag every time you place it on the stand. The dust bag is accessed via a magnetically attached side plate. Dreame says the bag is big enough for up to 100 days of dust and debris, although that will depend on the amount of dirt that’s collected each cleaning run and how often you clean, but a spare is supplied in the box to help save on initial costs of buying extras.

Other than its weight and height, there’s really not a lot to complain about here — with excellent suction and performance, plus the ease of having a self-emptying feature, the Dreame Z20 Station represents good value for money, especially if you can pick it up during a sale.

Dreame Z20 Station: Price & availability

• Announced at CES 2025, available since early-2025 in US, mid-2025 in Australia
• Station model not currently available in UK
• List price: $799.99 / AU$799 (standalone vacuum costs $299.99 / £299)

The Dreame Z20 Station was announced at CES 2025, so it’s not exactly ‘new’, but it then had a staggered rollout worldwide, arriving in the US first, followed by an Australian launch in July of that year.

With a list price of $799.99 / AU$799.99 — and with it seemingly never far from a big discount — the Dreame Z20 Station is well priced, especially when compared against direct competitors. There is arguably greater value in the US, as the Dreame Z20 Station is supplied with a few extra attachments compared to the Australian variant. These include a rotating soft dusting brush and a flexible adapter that allows the vacuum cleaner to get underneath chairs and tables for example, without you having to bend down.

The Station model on review here, which includes the auto-empty dock, isn’t currently available in the UK. A standalone Z20 cordless model (so without the dock), is available in the US and UK at a lower price point of $299.99 / £299 — and again, never far from a discount — but isn’t available in Australia at the time of writing. The vacuum itself is the same no matter which version you get.

Perhaps the closest competitor to the Z20 Station would be the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Lite, which offers 280W of suction power compared to the Dreame’s 250AW, along with an auto-empty docking station. However, this Samsung model costs $899.99 in the US, and nearly double that of the Dreame in Australia at AU$1,499. The Dyson Gen5detect also offers 280AW of suction power, but can’t self-empty, and will set you back $1,049.99 / £799 / AU$1,599.

While Shark has a few auto-empty options in its vacuum range at a similar price point to the Z20 Station that don’t incur the ongoing cost of purchasing replacement dust bags, the Dreame manages to outdo them in terms of pure power.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Dreame Z20 Station: Specs

Dreame Z20 Station review: Design

• Sleek, premium look for vacuum and dock
• Can feel heavy after long periods
• Separate stand for attachments

The Dreame Z20 Station is made up of two components: a cordless vacuum cleaner and a docking station that’s used to both automatically empty the vacuum’s dust canister and to recharge its battery. The standalone Z20 cordless vacuum looks (and performs) identical to the Station model reviewed here.

It’s part of a wider Z-series of cordless vacuums in Dreame’s lineup — with up to five sold depending on where you live — and is positioned as the mid-range option. The highest-spec variant available in most territories is the Z30, while the even more powerful Z50 Station is currently only available in Australia.

Other than the white Dreame Z10, the other Z-series models are mostly all-grey affairs, but with subtle differences to tell them apart. In the case of the Z20, Dreame has given the predominantly gray color of the vacuum and the docking station some copper/brass accents that are a lot more prominent than on the Z50. In my opinion, this is the best-looking Z-series Dreame vacuum as the copper/brass color gives off an added sense of luxury.

The Dreame Z20 ships with one main floorhead called the Illumination Omni-Brush. As the name implies, this floorhead features a built-in illuminating LED light to help reveal dust and debris on floors that are invisible to the naked eye. It’s a similar feature to Dyson’s ‘Detect’ floorhead and shines out over 140º. I haven’t used a Dyson myself, but my colleague and vacuum expert Sharm has. She confirms that the green beam used by Dyson is brighter and has a broader beam, but adds the Dreame’s interpretation of the technology is still incredibly beneficial.

A small comb is integrated into the floorhead to prevent hair from tangling, and there’s a small switch on the front that adjusts a movable lip on the brushroll housing — you’ll need to flip it when moving from hard floors (lowered for close suction) to soft floors or carpets (raised to maintain optimal clearance between the roller and fibers, preventing carpet damage).

The tube connecting the handheld unit to the main floorhead isn’t telescopic, which may put taller people off. Indeed, I felt some pain in my lower back as I had to bend ever so slightly to ensure the cleaning head remained in contact with the floor, and I’m roughly 177cm tall.

With the main vacuum unit, the tube and floorhead combined, the total weight is 3.3kg, making it one of the heavir cleaners we’ve tested at TechRadar. As a result it did cause my arm to become tired, even during shorter cleaning stints of around 10 minutes.

There are two buttons on the main vacuum body — one for power and one to switch between cleaning modes. Both are placed where your thumb naturally falls, resulting in easy control. Above the buttons is a color display that shows which cleaning mode you’ve selected, both via a temporary image that shows up when you select a mode, and then a color theme to indicate the mode you’re in. The default automatic mode is yellow, Eco is green while Turbo is red.

When particularly dirty areas are detected, a graphical representation is shown on the LCD display. Particles are divided into four categories depending on their size, with a rising bar for each indicating the number of particles detected. While Dyson also offers a similar feature, I much prefer Dreame's design.

At first I thought it was a bit gimmicky, but the more I used the Dreame Z20, the more I found the graph to be beneficial when cleaning. Before I would usually pass the vacuum over my floors quickly, but thanks to the graphical display, I spent more time moving around my home to ensure the graph levels returned to 0 before moving to the next spot of floor.

Like many of the best cordless vacuum cleaners, the Dreame Z20 can be converted into a handheld cleaner by removing the main wand and attaching any of the other tools. Exactly which tools you have at your disposal will vary depending on where you live and which version of the Z20 you get.

As already mentioned, the Z20 Station ships with a single main floorhead, along with a motorized mini brush and a combination crevice tool. The US version adds a flexible adapter and an extra extension piece for the main rod.

The standard Z20, available in the US and UK, includes two main floorheads — a multi-surface brush and a soft roller brush for hard floors, both are illuminated — along with a motorized mini brush, rotating soft brush and some extension pieces.

No matter which variant you choose, the extra attachments all store on a separate docking station that sits on the floor. It’s not particularly big and each attachment has a dedicated spot, but it is an extra thing you’ll need to make space for.

The onboard dust canister is rather a standard 0.6L, and given the fact it’s automatically emptied every time the Z20 is returned to the docking station — which itself utilizes a three liter dust bag — it’s unlikely you’ll ever actually fill it!

Speaking of the auto-empty docking station, it looks just as sleek as the Z20 vacuum cleaner, decked out in a matching grey color finish. You’re able to adjust the orientation how you see fit and depending on where the nearest power point is, as there are four available outputs for the cable in the base. A magnetically attached side panel conceals the 3L dust bag inside, and requires just a small amount of pressure to remove.

Battery life is rated at up to 90 minutes of runtime in the Eco power mode, which should be plenty even if you have a large home. Switching modes does have an effect on battery life and recharging to full can take a few hours (more on that later). The battery on the Z20 is swappable, but is naturally an extra added expense.

• Design score: 4/5

Dreame Z20 Station review: Performance

• Good suction on carpet and hard floors
• LED light beam reveals dust that’s invisible to the eye
• Auto mode is a great set-and-forget option

The Dreame Z20 Station offers an impressive 250AW of suction power. However, compared to the likes of the Dyson V16 Piston Animal with its 315AW and Dreame’s own Z50 Station which offers a staggering 330AW of suction, the Dreame Z20 could look underpowered but don't let that put you off.

I think Dreame has done a great job optimally harnessing that power with a floorhead design that cleans with both front and back movements. As you'll read below, I found that I could clean the majority of messes in one pass on any kind of flooring.

The Dreame Z20 has three power modes, and to test them all, I sprinkled flour, rice and hair (separately) on both carpet and hard floor.

Hard floor performance

Hard floors are objectively easier to keep clean compared to carpet and most cordless vacuums will be able to keep them dust-free even with low suction power.

To test how well the Dreame Z20 Station could handle different sizes of dirt and debris, I concocted a mixture of cacao powder, long-grain rice and coffee beans. I sprinkled this mixture on wooden floorboards and it took one forward movement in Auto mode to clean up the mess. There was a small amount of the mixture left in front of the floorhead that had been pushed forward, but this was easy to clean up with a second going over. And, as expected, the vacuum did boost its suction power automatically when it detected this mixture on the floor.

I was just as impressed with the performance in Eco mode, as even with the lower suction, my mixture was removed off the floor without any issues. I did need to switch to the Turbo setting however, as a few of the coffee beans did become stuck within it.

I don’t have a pet, but for the purposes of this review, I was prepared to take some clippers to my own hair. With a decent chunk of hair available to sprinkle on my floor, the Dreame Z20 Station once again proved it had no trouble cleaning it up on both Auto and Eco modes.

The laser on the Illumination Omni-Brush tool does a good job of highlighting dust and debris on hard floors that is invisible to the naked eye, either illuminating a bright aquamarine or creating visible shadows. It’s not as bright as the light on Dyson’s Fluffy floorhead, nor is the beam as broad.

Indeed, when using the Z20 during the day when my home was filled with natural light, it was a little tricky to see the effects of the CelesTect technology. When ambient light levels are lower, it naturally performs far better. And, unlike the Dyson Fluffy Optic tool, the Dreame beam can’t be switched off, making it superfluous when cleaning carpets.

Still, l ultimately found it to be invaluable when cleaning my home. In fact, my partner messaged me from home one day when using the vacuum, claiming he was experiencing “trauma” from the amount of dust that was now visible on the floor.

Carpet performance

I used the same mixture of cacao powder, long-grain rice and coffee beans on a relatively low-pile carpet and found that performance wasn’t quite as effective as it was on hard floors.

By this I mean that in both Auto and Eco modes, I needed to pass over the mess with two front and back movements to ensure everything was cleaned up. Given the fact it took these two passes in Auto mode, which automatically kicked into Turbo mode when it first detected the spill, I expected Eco mode to either require more passes, or just not succeed at all. However, as you’ll see from the images above, both modes only required a double pass (forward and backwards twice), which I found impressive.

It was a similar story with hair. The Z20 Station did effectively remove my trodden hair trimmings from the carpet, but needed a couple of passes in order to do so, which is still pretty darn good compared to other cordless vacuums we’ve tested here at TechRadar.

Handheld and accessories

As I’ve already mentioned in this review, the Z20 Station comes with a varying number of tools depending on where you live, and a separate cradle to store them. US customers receive a few more tools compared to Australia — these being a Rotating Soft Dusting Brush, a Flexible Adapter and an Extension Hose — and since I’m based in Sydney, Australia, I was unable to test them.

However, my colleague Sharm has recently reviewed the Dreame Z50 Station (an Australia-only model at the time of writing) which comes with these attachments, and found the rotating soft dusting brush did an admirable job of keeping shelves dust-free.

The set of attachments that come with the Z20 Station in both countries include a motorized mini brush, a combination tool and a soft brush tool.

Converting the vacuum to handheld mode and back again is a simple process as the buttons to disengage pieces are large and work as intended. Simply remove the extension rod, clip on your desired attachment and you’re away. However, given the main unit is quite large and the battery makes it relatively heavy, I found myself using two hands to hold onto it when vacuuming upholstery, for example.

Cleaning performance when in handheld mode is just as good as its regular mode and I was pleasantly surprised to find the dynamic suction adjustment carries over too. However the graphical display doesn’t function, i.e. when the vacuum applies some boost to the suction power, the bars don’t indicate what type and how much of a particular particle type has been detected.

Dock performance

Emptying the Z20’s dust canister is easy thanks to the free-standing charging dock. Just place the unit on the dock to trigger the auto-empty function. Whether you have the vacuum in handheld mode or the full unit, the function will trigger, although the additional weight of the wand and floorhead makes for a more seamless experience by providing the right amount of pressure inside the dock to force the self-empty to take place. You can also manually get this feature to come on by pressing a button on the dock.

While auto-empty works well, I should note that some dust and debris could occasionally remain stuck towards the handle end of the canister. I found that I needed to knock these around with my palm to dislodge them and trigger the auto-empty functionality again.

One final performance metric worth mentioning are the noise levels. I used the decibelX app on my iPhone to measure sound levels in each mode. Eco returned a result of around 63dB, similar to a washing machine, and Turbo mode saw it increase to 79dB, similar to heavy traffic. That’s quite standard for a vacuum of this caliber.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Dreame Z20 Station review: Battery

• Up to 90 minutes on Eco mode; 10 minutes in Boost
• Battery takes up to 5 hours to fully recharge
• Swappable battery reduces interruptions and life cycle

When using the lowest-powered Eco setting, Dreame claims the battery will last up to 90 minutes. That’s impressive and puts the Z20 up there with some of the longest-lasting runtimes and on par with our current-favorite cordless vacuum cleaner, the Dreame R20 — clearly Dreame knows how to eke the most out of its vacuum power units.

On test, with the crevice tool attached, I managed 1 hour 38 minutes, which is in line with Dreame’s claims. However, with the Omni-Brush cleaning head attached, which is motorized, the battery life in Eco mode dropped considerably to 42 minutes.

Using a vacuum cleaner’s Boost mode comes with the expectation that battery life will take a considerable hit and that is indeed the case for the Z20, as I managed just 10 minutes before it completely died.

I got around 60 minutes of runtime when in Auto mode, but given the fact that suction power is dynamically adjusted in this mode, runtime will depend a lot on the area being cleaned and how dirty it might be. A countdown displaying the remaining battery percentage is shown on the digital display, which changes to just “Lo” when it drops below 10%.

If you want to be able to clean for longer, or to ensure you maximize the runtime of your Dreame Z20, then you’ll need an additional battery pack. An official power unit is available from the Dreame store in the US for $69.90, but at the time of writing I am unable to find one on either the UK or Australian stores. Third-party power packs are available from the likes of Amazon, but these should be used with caution as they can void your machine’s warranty or damage the unit if overheated.

• Battery score: 4/5

Should I buy the Dreame Z20 Station?

Scorecard

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Alternatives

How I tested the Dreame Z50 Station

I used the Dreame Z20 Station in my own two-bedroom apartment as the test space, which includes a variety of flooring — carpet in the bedrooms, tiles in the bathrooms and hardwood floors in the kitchen and living areas.

While I used it mainly for regular cleans, I also decided to cut my own hair (to mixed result) so that I could tread it into the carpet to determine how well the vacuum would perform.

I also created a mixture of pantry items to test cleaning of different dirt sizes — this included cacao powder, rice and coffee beans — which I sprinkled over both carpet and hard floor.

I also used all three attachments to see how well they work with the handheld unit, including using the motorized miniature brush on my bed head and sofas, while the crevice and brush tools were used to clean drawers and skirting boards.

To measure battery life, I used a stopwatch to time when the machine powered down on its own during different suction settings and with different attachments. I also ensured that I only tested the battery on mixed flooring when it was particularly dirty and with the main floorhead, to see how long it would run with dynamic suction.

Read more about how we test vacuums at TechRadar

[First reviewed April 2026]

Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub: one-minute review

The Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub All-in-One-Multi-Surface Cleaner is a cordless vacuum and mop in one. It effectively picks up dirt from bare floors as well as certain kinds of rugs. A single charge is probably enough to vacuum and mop an average-sized home, though you might need to refill the cleaner if you have a lot of carpets or rugs. It's lightweight, easy to use, and not too loud. A headlight really shines a light on dirt so you can be sure to get it all. However, it lacks some features that may be a dealbreaker for some.

It's great on bare floors and hard carpets and rugs. But the Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub is not intended for flimsy or fluffy carpets. It lacks a wand or hose of any kind, which means you can't use it on furniture. Also, don't expect any miracles in the stain-removal department.

For the day-to-day cleaning of a typical home with hard floors, either bare floors or dense rugs, the Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub All-in-One-Multi-Surface Cleaner excels. For specialty carpeted surfaces or deeply ingrained carpet stains, it may not be enough.

Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub: price and availability

• List price: $369.99 (about £280 / AU$540)
• Available on BISSELL's website and Walmart

As of this writing, the Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub All-in-One-Multi-Surface Cleaner is available on Bissell's own website and at Walmart. The price is the same at both places, $369.99 (about £280 / AU$537). It's fairly expensive for this type of cleaner but might be worthwhile if it fits your needs.

• Value score: 4/5

Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub: specifications

BISSELL CrossWave HydroScrub: design and features

• Cordless
• Wet and dry cleaning modes
• Cleans bare floors and rugs

The cordless Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub All-in-One-Multi-Surface Cleaner takes about five hours to charge fully, and then will clean for about 45 minutes on a single charge. Vacuum your floors and rugs with the PowerVac Mode, and then switch to Power Mop Mode for wet cleaning. A headlight comes on automatically as you clean, and makes it easier to find and clean any dirt.

It's relatively lightweight, weighing in at under 11 pounds. The front of the handle has three buttons: Power, Cleaning Mode button, and a Turbo Mode button for extra suction. The inside of the handle has a Scrub Mode trigger for extra scrubbing in mopping mode. On top of the handle, you'll find the Clean-Out Cycle button.

A lit display on the front of the body indicates which cleaning mode you're in and how much power you have left. This display informs you of any issues, such as clogs, an empty clean tank, or a stuck brush roll, among other things.

The size and shape allow you to get close to walls and in corners to clean. There are no hoses or attachments that would allow you to clean sofas or other furniture.

The back of the unit houses the clean water tank. You fill it with warm tap water up to the water fill line, and then add cleaning formula to the formula fill line. This gives you the right concentration of cleaner to water. Empty out the dirty tank as needed; you'll have to disassemble all of the parts and give them a good clean by hand.

If you wish to run the Clean-Out Cycle, you need to empty the dirty tank first. Add cleaning solution up to the Clean-Out Cycle line on the clean water tank, then put the machine in the docking station and press the Clean-Out Cycle button. It takes just 45 seconds to clean out the machine. Then you'll need to clean out the dirty tank again.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub: performance

The Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub All-in-One-Multi-Surface Cleaner made quick work of food crumbs on my kitchen floor. I also threw down some salt and that was easily vacuumed up as well. I ran it over some dried-on mess in Power Mop Mode and that was easily cleaned up as well. I did need a few passes in the same spots, especially near walls. One odd thing I noticed was that the wheels got dirty very quickly, and there's no easy way to clean those.

I vacuumed and then wet-cleaned three good-sized area rugs plus two carpeted bedroom on a single tank of cleaner and a single charge. I also attempted to clean a thin, flimsy, washable area rug and unsurprisingly that didn't work at all; it just got sucked up into the CrossWave HydroScrub.

It never gets particularly loud. My dog usually barks at vacuums because she hates the loud noise; she didn't bark at this one until I'd been using it for a while (and I got into her space.)

The pulling back motion on rugs feels a bit rough sometimes. Forward motion is consistently smooth. It took several passes to vacuum up a single hair on an area rug, but it did get up eventually.

My area rugs had actually been shampooed rather recently, but not the bedroom carpets. I didn't realize how dirty they were, but wow: the dirty tank was filthy after my cleaning session. I mean, really gross.

After wet cleaning, the rugs were slightly damp but not soaked. They dried pretty quickly after cleaning. I did have some old, set-in stains and those did not come up. It's worth noting that my rugs and carpets are all very dense; the Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub All-in-One-Multi-Surface Cleaner is not designed for plush or fluffy rugs.

I cleaned out the dirty tank after I was done with this cleaning session, and then I added more cleaner and ran the 45-second Clean-Out Cycle. Again, the dirty tank was filthy, so I cleaned it out again and then hand-washed all of the parts.

• Performance score: 4/5

Should you buy the Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub: also consider

If the Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub All-in-One-Multi-Surface Cleaner isn't exactly what you're looking for, you might consider the following:

How I tested the Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub

• I tested both wet and dry modes and Scrub Mode
• I ran a Clean-Out Cycle
• I took apart the dirty tank and washed all of the parts

I vacuumed up crumbs and food from my kitchen floor. I ran a mop cycle on some dried-up mess on the floor. I vacuumed several area rugs. I did a wet-cleaning cycle on three area rugs and two bedrooms. I attempted to clean some set-in stains on carpet. I ran a Clean-Out Cycle when I was done cleaning. I took apart the dirty tank and hand-washed all of the parts.

Read more about how we test.

• Dyson has announced the availability of its newest cordless vacuum, the V10 Konical
• Available in Australia initially, it's compatible with Dyson's first ever self-emptying dock
• The Auto-empty Dok will be sold separately and will also work with the Dyson V8

Dyson has today (March 19) made the surprise announcement of a brand-new cordless vacuum cleaner — and it's the cheapest yet to feature its newer conical floorhead. The Dyson V10 Konical has first been released in Australia, where it will set prospective buyers back AU$799 (US and UK pricing and availability are TBC, but that's around $560 / £420), and shares the same 150AW of suction as the Dyson V8 Cyclone released last year.

Its headline act, however, is a welcome feature that Dyson has been rather late to embrace — self-emptying.

That's right, the Dyson V10 Konical will pair with the new freestanding Auto-empty Dok, which will also charge the vacuum while providing storage for attachments. Dyson hasn't specified the size of the dust bag the Auto-empty Dok will use, but the company claims it will hold "up to 60 days of dirt".

That Dok will also need to be purchased separately, though it isn't yet available to buy, even in Australia. Dyson hasn't provided a firm date for its release, only saying that it will come "later this year" and cost AU$299 (around $210 / £160).

The good news is that the new Dok is also compatible with the V8 Cyclone, so users who've already purchased that older budget model won't need to upgrade to the V10 Konical to get the auto-empty feature.

When tools matter

In the meantime, the V10 Konical, as the name suggests, uses the same conical floorhead as the V16 Piston Animal, which Dyson says is suitable for use on any floor type. While I haven't tried the V16 myself, my colleague found that the new design wasn't as good as Dyson's Digital Motorbar on the Gen5detect in cleaning up dirt and debris in a single pass.

With that in mind, if I had to choose between the V10 Konical and the V8 Cyclone, I'd probably opt for the latter, as it comes with the Digital Motorbar head instead.

Like the V8 Cyclone, the V10 Konical also ships with just two other attachments in the box, though a mini motorized tool replaces the V8's Hair Screw Tool on the new model. Given they share similar specs elsewhere — including total suction power and up to 60 minutes to runtime — I'm a little disappointed that the V10 Konical costs AU$100 more than the V8 Cyclone in Australia.

That said, Dyson has stated that "accessories across Dyson V8, V8 Cyclone, and the new V10 Konical are interchangeable", which means if you already have the Hair Screw Tool — which I personally love to clean mattresses and sofas — you won't need to replace your entire system when opting for the latest Dyson vacuum.

While it's easy for me to find fault with the V10 Konical based on specs comparisons with other Dyson models, it still remains to be seen how well it performs in real-world testing. However, it's the Auto-empty Dok that has captured my attention — after having tested self-emptying docks from Samsung, Dreame and Shark, I'm very curious to find out how the Dyson Dok compares.

Dyson is spoiling us. Towards the end of last year the brand launched an ultra-compact new vacuum, the PencilVac, and a nimble new hard-floor cleaner, the Clean+Wash Hygiene. Now it's combined the best features of both cleaners to create the Dyson PencilWash.

This new hard-floor cleaner has the PencilVac's streamlined build and shrunk-down motor, and takes its mopping cues from the efficient Clean+Wash Hygiene. Here's a run-down of this innovative new cleaner's most exciting features…

1. It's so compact

The (baby) elephant in the room is the size. Many of today's best wet-and-dry vacuums are chunky and heavy, but the PencilWash is almost impossibly svelte. It uses a tiny motor, which is small enough to fit inside the 1.5in / 38mm handle. The battery is equally compact, and clips on to form the top section of the handle. The water tanks are then integrated into the floorhead.

That means the whole unit is not much bigger than a regular-sized broom. It's also light, at 4.9lbs / 2.2kg. Now, designing the water tanks to fit into the floorhead does mean that they're pretty small, but thanks to some meticulous water distribution, Dyson says they should be good for up to 100 square meters of cleaning per tank.

2. There's no filter

The knock-on effect of the waste water tank being positioned inside the floorhead is that the dirty liquid barely needs to travel at all. As a result, there's no risk of any tubing to become blocked, or start emitting unpleasant smells. In fact, Dyson boasts that there's no filter here at all.

3. It's extremely maneuverable

As well as sporting a streamlined design, the PencilWash is built for maneuverability. This is an area where Dyson excels – most of today's best Dyson vacuums are ultra-maneuverable. This one has the benefit of that broom-shaped handle, too, which means there's no bulk around the top section either.

Dyson says the PencilWash will pivot smoothly at the twist of a wrist, and based on my experience with the PencilVac, I can believe that. It can also drop near-flat (170 degrees), in which mode it's just 5.9 inches / 15cm tall, and can slide easily under low furniture.

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

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.

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 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.

A vacuum cleaner is a pretty straightforward concept. You switch it on, it sucks up dust and dirt, and then you switch it off again. But after spending my days testing most of the best vacuum cleaners on the market, there's one useful feature I've found can make a big difference to the cleaning experience – and I'd wager that most people aren't aware of it.

Here it is: an air intake adjustor on the floorhead. This usually takes the form of a small manual sider, and it does exactly as the name suggests: it changes the amount of air that can get into the main suction area underneath.

Vacuums rely on there being a 'vacuum' (in the original sense of the word) underneath the floorhead. The head needs to connect to the floor around its entire perimeter in order to maximize the cleaning power – if it were open, the motor would be wasting energy sucking air from the surrounding area rather than being concentrated on its main task of pulling dust from the floor beneath it.

However, if there's too much of a vacuum created underneath the floorhead, it can become impossible to push. That can be a particular issue on thick carpet, where the long fibers help form more of a seal around the floorhead. That's where the air intake slider comes in.

The trick is to find the setting that makes maneuvering comfortable while still creating enough of a seal for efficient cleaning. So you'll probably want to open up the sider just a little bit on thick carpet, to can make the vacuum easier to push (when I was running my group test to find the best cordless vacuum, I found on the models that had the most power, I often had to open the slider when cleaning carpet in order to make maneuvering possible). Conversely, on a hard floor, you might want to close it down to maximize pickup power.

The good news is that this isn't a particularly advanced feature – a large proportion of vacuums have it already, you just might not have noticed it. If you're struggling with maneuvering on carpet, or want to maximize your vacuum's cleaning power on hard flooring, it's well worth checking around on your floorhead to see if there's a slider you might have missed.

Today's best Dyson vacuums have powerful batteries – some can last up to 70 minutes on a single charge. But taking care of your battery is important for longevity of your vacuum, and the best way to extend its lifespan overall.

Often with cordless vacuums, the battery will be the first thing to expire (cordless vacuums tend to last less long than corded ones in any case). Although all of Dyson's current models have batteries that can be removed and swapped over, and spare batteries purchased, it's still worth treating your vacuum's battery with care to prevent you from having to replace it before its time.

Below are five things that can damage or speed up the aging process on your vacuum's battery, and which you should avoid if you want it to last as long as possible. These tips are pulled from the Battery Care page on Dyson's own site, and while they're specific to Dyson vacuums, most of these tips will be relevant whichever brand's cordless vacuum you're using.

1. Using Boost too much

All of Dyson's cordless vacuums have a Boost / Max mode that offers more suction power than the other modes. This will drain the battery life quickly, but what you might not realize is that using it too frequently will also speed up how fast the battery degrades. Dyson says that its vacuums are "designed to be used in Auto or Normal mode for everyday cleaning" and that "Max or Boost modes are meant for powerful, intensive bursts of spot cleaning."

The newest Dyson vacuums have three suction modes: Eco, Auto, and Boost. In Auto mode, the suction will ramp up or down depending on the kind of floor it's on, and how dirty that floor is. This is a great way of ensuring a thorough clean without taxing the battery too much, or running it down unnecessarily quickly.

2. Plugging it in straight away

Most people will pop their vacuum back on its charge dock, or plug it into the mains, as soon as they're done using it it, so it can start juicing up ready for the next cleaning session. Dyson says that you can preserve the life of the battery by pausing to let it cool down first before plugging it in to charge.

I asked Amit Gupta, Head of Electrical Power Systems at Dyson, why this is the case. "Allowing battery cells to cool after high-power discharge promotes lithium-ion redistribution and electrode relaxation, reducing stress from high currents and temperatures," he explains. "This process increases usable capacity for the next discharge."

He also explains that charging the battery at cooler temperatures minimizes unwanted side effects and internal pressure, which helps keep the battery healthy. Dyson vacuums have a built-in intelligent Battery Management System (BMS), designed to protect and optimize battery performance.

"When you dock your machine after use, the BMS continuously monitors the battery’s temperature and will only initiate charging once it has cooled to the recommended level," he adds. "This prevents thermal stress, safeguards internal components, and ensures long-term battery health."

3. Not draining it completely

If you're the kind of person who can't let an appliance drop below 50% battery life without breaking out in a cold sweat, I have bad news for you. Dyson recommends letting your vacuum's battery drain to completely empty at least once a month, to help prolong its life.

If you've picked up a backup battery, the brand suggests switching between the two batteries every once in a while. That gives each one a chance to discharge naturally.

Want the technical explanation? "Occasional running a lithium-ion battery flat (also known as 'deep discharging') can recalibrate remaining capacity, depending on usage history," says Gupta. "A deep discharge and rest enables a small, short-lived 'capacity rebound' as lithium ions redistribute, recovering some reversible capacity loss."

However, he advises that while this can slightly extend runtimes, as well as making your estimated runtimes (as displayed on your vacuum screen) more accurate, it's not a fix-all cure, and won't restore permanently lost battery capacity.

4. Letting it get too warm

As I touched on in point #2, your vacuum's battery does not like to be too warm. So if you're storing it in a boiler cupboard or next to a radiator, or even in a place that regularly gets direct sunlight, Dyson recommends moving it to a new spot, pronto. Oh, and if you have the Dyson Car+Boat, it's not a good idea to leave it in your car either.

"Hot environments speed up battery aging," says Dyson. "Heat sources, such as radiators, can damage the battery." The ideal storage temperature is between 64.4F / 18C and 82.4F / 28C.

5. ... or too cold

Turns out your vacuum is a bit of a Goldilocks when it comes to temperature, because just as it doesn't like things too hot, it's not fond of the cold either. ("Batteries contain complex chemical structures that react to their environment," explains Dyson.) The brand warns against storing your vacuum in your garage or a cold porchway in the winter months. In fact, to protect the motor and the battery, your vacuum won't charge or operate if the temperature is below 37F / 3C.

Typically, wet-and-dry vacuums are chunky beasts. Sure, they'll get your hard floors sparkling clean, but you might need a sit-down after using one, and an XL cleaning closet to store it too.

Tineco – one of the leading brands in this area – has brought out a new model that aims to change all that. The FLOOR ONE i7 Fold is a wet-dry vacuum that looks (and moves) almost like a cordless stick vacuum. I had a chance to try one out at CES 2026, and I was impressed with how compact and nimble it was.

The only wet cleaner I've used that can beat it on lightness and maneuverability is the Dyson WashG1, and that model doesn't include any suction – quite a crucial difference.

The i7 Fold weighs just under 8lbs (3.6kg) – which is actually less than some regular stick vacuums, including the Shark PowerDetect cordless (8.38 lbs / 3.8kg). It's impressively streamlined for this type of cleaner, but the feature that really stands out when it comes to usability is that it can hinge forwards in the middle.

That means it can bend to an L-shape for easier cleaning under furniture. It's an idea borrowed from the best cordless vacuums, and it's a game-changer if you don't want to have to get right down on the floor to clean under the cabinets. This model can also lie completely flat, and Tineco has helpfully added a tiny wheel to the underside of the main body for easier maneuvering in this position.

The forward-bending body also means this cleaner can be folded in half for more compact storage.

A Tineco rep explained to me that shrinking down the body of this wet-dry vacuum was a serious feat of engineering. Impressively, there are no major compromises in terms of performance either – it has just a smidge less suction power than Tineco's full-sized options, and will typically last around 20-30 minutes per charge, too (or up to 50 in Eco mode), which is decent for this type of cleaner.

The Floor One i7 Fold is featured on the US Tineco site but is not yet available to buy. I'm confirming launch dates and pricing and will update this article when I know more.

Head over to TechRadar's CES 2026 news page for all the biggest stories and our hands-on verdicts from the event, covering everything from wireless TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for our highlights from the CES show floor!

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.

Let's get one thing clear before we start: Shark makes some great vacuums. But having tested a number of different models from this brand, I've noticed they all fail in one specific way. It was especially clear in a recent group test to find the best cordless vacuum, in which I compared options from a range of brands side-by-side.

Here it is: user-friendliness. And in particular, how the brand conveys information to the user. It might seem like a small thing, but it can be ultra-frustrating, and I suspect it means some people aren't getting the best from their appliance, simply because it's not clear how to use it properly.

Take, for example, the Shark PowerDetect Cordless. It's a stellar cleaner, smashing through all my suction trials in the group test and earning the highest overall score in this area. But making sense of it is a nightmare.

 A riddle wrapped up in a mystery

Upon switching the PowerDetect Cordless on, a selection of different icons flashes up on the screen. The Eco and Boost symbols are easily discernible, and having used a number of hi-tech vacuums, it was clear to me that the target symbol represented some kind of Auto mode.

But a fourth symbol also appears: a water droplet. I've never seen this appear in use, and scoured the product manual for clues as to what it might mean, but it's not mentioned anywhere (it's absent from "Instructions for use" and "Error codes"). I've also emailed Shark directly for help, and so far they're as baffled as I am. To this day, I don't know what it means or why it's there.

To add insult to injury, Shark insists on having each icon flash up individually on screen every time you switch the vacuum on. This mini-display becomes tedious quite quickly, and especially because it's accompanied by a second or two's pause before the power actually kicks in. Shark's vacuums are the only vacuums I've tested that have this delay, and it's frustrating if you just want to do a quick clean.

In its Auto mode, the vacuum will sense dirt on the floor and boost or lower suction in response, to clean it efficiently without wasting battery. To illustrate this, Shark has also added a color-changing ring to the outside of the screen. The colors it has chosen are white for clean (although Shark insists it's actually blue, but let's not quibble on that) and purple for dirty – not the most intuitive, and hard to distinguish between, too.

The vacuum switches on and off with a one-press button, but there's no second button to switch modes. For the longest time, I couldn't figure out how to switch modes at all. Very late in the day, I discovered you could press in what I assumed to be a comfort-focused bit of molding under the index finger on the handle to toggle modes.

For those used to turning their vacuum on and off using a trigger in exactly this position, and pressing a separate button to switch modes, this reversal of functions will take some getting used to. Oh, and the On button can't be reached from your holding hand either, so you'll need to have a hand free at all times while cleaning – although this issue isn't exclusive to Shark.

Keeping it simple

My complaints here are mostly about one specific vacuum, but I've noted a general tendency to over-complicate and under-explain in Shark's newer, fancier vacuum options (and in fact its other products, too – looking at you, Shark Glam multistyler).

It might be a knock-on effect of having too many cool features to work with – the list of automation capabilities seems to grow ever longer with every launch – but even so, I think things could be handled better.

In my tests, the brand that scored highest on usability was Shark's biggest rival, Dyson. If you compare the two brands, the difference is night and day: Dyson spells out the cleaning mode in words on screen (intuitively color-coded for extra clarity), and in its Auto mode, it'll show you what's being sucked up on a moving bar graph that packs in plenty of information but is still easily understandable. It shows there are ways to handle complex information without forgoing user experience. (Here's more on my take on Shark vs Dyson vacs, if you're interested.)

Shark has proven it can deliver outstanding cleaning, so with a little more attention paid to usability, it could have the power to create the perfect vacuum.

I test dozens and dozens and dozens of appliances each year. Some are rather ho-hum, and others, like the IQAir Atem X Air Purifier and the Levoit Everest Air Purifier are astoundingly impressive. However, the crown for the best gadget I've tested this year has to go to the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra Vacuum.

I'm a big fan of the form-follows-function principle of design. And Samsung's latest vacuum cleaner is extremely functional – which is, of course, the most important thing. But at the same time, it also manages to be beautiful.

These are some of the reasons why the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra is my #1 product of 2025…

#1. It looks great – and I can store it in plain slight

Cordless stick vacuums are my favorite type of vacuum, but I have a lot of them stored in a closet because they're not self-standing. If a vacuum cleaner can't stand on its own, this presents a storage problem. The idea of propping it against a wall, or leaning it up against furniture isn't realistic – and could actually be a safety hazard.

While some cordless stick vacuums can be mounted on a wall on a wall, this involves drilling holes. Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra's All-in-One Clean Station is a blessing, providing somewhere for the vacuum to live, without the need for any minor DIY.

In fact, I wouldn't dream of concealing the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra in a closet – it is prominently displayed in the side hallway. It's so well designed that it doesn't take up much space, plus the black satin finish is simply stunning, and the fluted material on the clean station especially so. The vacuum cleaner fits perfectly on the clean station and the entire design is thoughtful and purposeful.

#2. It takes care of emptying for me

As its name implies, the All-in-One Clean Station does more than provide storage. When I dock the vacuum cleaner on its perch, the clean station will automatically empty the contents of the dustbin into a dust bag. From the app, I can choose a short (8-10 seconds), normal (12-14 seconds) or long (20-22 seconds) duration. I appreciate not having to touch the dust bin at all. The vacuum cleaner also recharges while docked on the clean station.

#3. I never have to trouble-shoot problems

The Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra has a user-friendly display panel that reveals the charging status (for example, 39% charged), alongside other useful information such as the selected suction setting. However, it also provides alert messages, if – say – an object is stuck in the brush/tool, the washable micro filter is not properly inserted, the micro filter needs to be cleaned, the dustbin isn't closed, and more. So, I'm not wasting time trying to guess why the vacuum cleaner isn't working properly.

As mentioned, this vacuum also comes with a companion app, which provides even more information. The app shows the charging status, lets me know when the dustbin was last emptied, and provides settings options – I can use it to adjust the power mode, dustbin emptying duration, and turn the vacuum screen and battery lights on or off while the vacuum is on the clean station.

#4. The battery life is excellent

Cordless stick vacuums are notorious for having a short battery life. Many will provide 40 to 60 minutes of cleaning before it's time to stop and recharge the battery, bringing the cleaning session to a halt for several hours. However, the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra's battery provides a whopping 100 minutes of cleaning time. And, if that's not impressive enough, there's also a second battery included, which has a 60-minute run time.

The suction power on the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra is also quite impressive. The 400W suction motor does a great job of removing debris. I prefer to use the AI mode, which auto-adjusts suction depending on the exact environment the vacuum is being used in, but there are other modes to choose from as well.

#5. The design is super-versatile

The Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra has a telescopic wand that can be adjusted in height, so tall and short users can find the most comfortable length when vacuuming. This adjustable wand makes it easy to clean the vents on my ceiling, and clean window blinds and other areas that require reaching up high.

I can also detach the telescopic wand and use the main body as a handheld vacuum, after selecting an attachment. The Combination tool is helpful for removing dust from curtains and furniture. The Extension Crevice tool is ideal for cleaning in tight spaces, like on the side of the refrigerator, or in corners. The Pet tool + can be used to clean pet hair from upholstery and other places.

I will admit that some of the features found on the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra are present on other vacuums. For example, one vacuum may have a clean station, and another may have an adjustable telescopic wand, and yet another vacuum may have a long cleaning time. However, the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra combines all of these features, so I don't have to pick and choose which features are most important. And that's why it's the best thing I've tested this year.

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.

Dyson's new PencilVac is probably the weirdest-looking vacuum I've seen. There's no visible motor or filter section, nor any obvious battery. It's just one long handle with an odd-looking floorhead at the bottom. It looks nothing like the rest of the best Dyson vacuums on the market. So what's it all about?

I had my first demo of the PencilVac a few months ago, and for the past few weeks I've been testing out a model in my home (here are my early thoughts, if you're interested). Over that time I've had a chance to make sense of the innovative design – here's how it all works.

Where are all the mechanics?

In the handle! To make the PencilVac, Dyson developed a tiny new motor, measuring 1.1 inches / 2.8cm in diameter – which is about the same width as a 2-euro coin. The battery is hidden at the top end of the handle (it's removable), as is the filter. The handle itself is only 1.5 inches / 3.8cm wide, and the entire unit is impressively lightweight, too.

Where does all the dust go?

At first glance, it looks very much like the PencilVac is missing a dustbin – which would be a problem. In fact, there is a bin; a very small one, hidden in the handle alongside all the other mechanics.

With a capacity of 0.08L, the bin is 10x smaller than the standard cordless stick vacuum dust cup, which typically comes in at 0.8L. And for those who might think that this means you'll spend more time at the bin emptying than actually vacuuming, Dyson has developed an innovative compression system that squishes the mess together using air, to squeeze as much into that space as possible. Unusually, too, is that the dust particles sucked up by the vacuum seem to defy gravity and collect at the top of the dust cup.

Why are the rollers cone-shaped?

Most vacuums feature single or dual parallel-edged rollers in their floorheads, but the rollers here are cone-shaped. And there are four of them. The theory here is that the shape is better for tackling long hair: the strands make their way down the cone to its pointy end, where they are expelled in a neat clump and can be vacuumed away. It's the same principle as Dyson's Hair screw tool.

Is it necessary? I'm not sure. Based on my early tests it works well, although I've rarely encountered hair-wrap on any of Dyson's modern floorheads – and an unfortunate knock-on effect is that the front side of the floorhead is also angled, which means it can't get flush to a wall.

Why are the rollers all soft?

The shaping isn't the only unusual thing about this vacuum's rollers: they're also covered in soft fabric – there isn't a bristle in sight. Those familiar with Dyson's more recent lineup will know the score: similar to the Fluffy floorhead introduced with the Dyson V15 Detect, this Fluffycones floorhead is better for use on hard flooring.

That soft fabric is able to get super close to the floor surface and whisk away dust and hair without risking any scratches – plus, it will gently buff your floor as it goes.

In this particular model, the floorhead looks and feels super cool: it appears to float across the floor. In addition, the two pairs of rollers here rotate in opposite directions, gathering dust from both sides. Based on my tests, the design works superbly, efficiently whisking dust into the suction path.

Is it actually powerful?

Surely such a tiny motor can't generate that much suction? In the context of the wider Dyson range, that's correct. The PencilVac is capable of delivering 55AW of power. The weakest options from the rest of the range can manage almost twice that (100AW), while the newest and priciest vacs will deliver up to 315AW.

However, for hard flooring that 55AW is actually plenty, because all the dirt is sat right on the surface. This vacuum isn't built for deep cleans, nor is it suitable for use on carpet (suction-aside, you really need bristles in the floorhead to agitate carpet fibers to release dirt – a soft roller isn't going to cut it). Nevertheless, I've found it very efficient at clearing dust and hair from the large tiles on my kitchen floor.

Are there detail tools?

At first, I assumed this would be an all-in-one kind of prospect, because the design of the mechanics don't lend themselves to being reconfigured. However, Dyson has included a detail tool that can be swapped in place of the floorhead. So while it isn't a handheld in the traditional format (as is the case with most other stick vacuums), you can still use it to dust your baseboards.

In fact, I've found it's especially good at getting into awkward nooks, because it's so streamlined. Plus, the PencilVac's light weight makes it a great option for tackling cobwebs in ceiling corners, without experiencing arm ache.

The Dyson PencilVac is already available to buy in the UK and Australia, and it costs £429.99 / AU$949. US pricing and release date are TBC.

I've been in the fortunate position to have reviewed a veritable tranche of very decent home appliances this year for both TechRadar and its sister publication T3 this year, but the Roborock F25 Ultra hard floor cleaner is the product that has impressed me the most.

At this juncture you might be wondering what a hard floor cleaner actually is. And you wouldn't be alone, because even the manufacturers of this particular household product don't really know what to call it. Some manufacturers ill-advisedly describe it as a 'wet & dry mop' – which it arguably isn't because the mop it uses is never dry – while others have settled on the more realistically acceptable but less glamorous moniker of 'hard floor cleaner'.

You'll also see things like this referred to as a 'wet and dry vacuum' (TechRadar's preferred term), although some similar models don't have suction, which confuses the matter slightly.

For the uninitiated, a hard floor cleaner is a battery-powered upright floor-cleaning system designed for wet mopping hard floors of all types, bar some more delicate materials like thin wooden laminates, polished concrete and marble. Think of it as a liquid-swallowing vacuum cleaner and convenient replacement for a conventional mop and bucket, and you're halfway there.

However, do note that while it will collect dry debris during its wet cleaning regime like a normal cordless stick vac, it is absolutely not a replacement for a vacuum cleaner which, of course, is designed for sucking dry debris and dust off hard floors and especially carpets.

Strangely satisfying

There's a plethora of hard floor cleaning models out there from the likes of Tineco (one of the first companies to introduce a system like this), Vax and Bissell but, for my money, robot vac stalwart Roborock smashed it out of the park with the recently introduced F25 Ultra.

Sleek, efficient and practical, the F25 Ultra takes cordless hard floor mopping to a whole new echelon by including a raft of new features and functions that make the unenviable act of mopping a strangely satisfying task.

Say you've just spilled a bowl of porridge or cereal or, heaven forfend, the new puppy has just relieved itself on your kitchen floor. With this product you simply remove it from its charging plinth, wheel it over to the offending chaos, turn it on and gently push the unit towards the mess. Then watch with a combination of awe – and possible revulsion – as the quagmire is quite literally sucked into the F25 Ultra's 24.3oz (0.72 liter) dirty water tank, leaving no trace whatsoever of the offending spill.

But that's not all. When you're finished, you simply place the unit back on its charging plinth and it runs its own self-cleaning regime, returning the roller and suction tube back to like-new condition before drying it with 203˚F / 95˚C degree hot air to keep mold at bay. All you have to do is pour the contents of the dirty water tank into the toilet bowl, followed by a quick rinse of the container under a tap. That's got to be better than using half a roll of kitchen towel, a pair of rubber gloves and, if a puppy was involved, a nose peg – not to mention the messy and time-consuming combination of a mop and bucket for the follow through.

While effectively cleaning up awkward liquid spills is undeniably this modern hard floor cleaner's pièce de résistance, the F25 Ultra will also wet mop an entire hard floor in a fraction of the time it takes to perform the same task with a conventional mop and bucket – and with less water left in its wake. In fact, the F25 Ultra is at least two steps ahead of the competition in this regard, because it not only mops floors using water at room temperature, it will also mop using water preheated to 194˚F (90˚C) and even steam clean at a germ-annihilating temperature of 356˚F (180˚C).

With regards to battery usage, I've managed to eke 20 minutes of hot water mopping, 25 minutes of steaming and at least 60 minutes room-temperature mopping respectively before the Lithium battery has depleted.

Aside from these aforementioned state-of-the-art features, one of the F25 Ultra's most appealing functions is its AI-enhanced power-assisted wheels. These kinds of cleaners can get heavy and unwieldy, but the wheels on this model automatically provide a level of self propulsion that makes it feel almost weightless in operation. And because the whole unit can be laid flat to the floor, you can even use the accompanying Roborock app to literally steer the F25 Ultra remotely like an RC car to mop deep under a super king bed.

Yes, I've loved most of Roborock's robot vacs this past year – and also some products from the Dreame, Eufy and Anthbot stables – but, for sheer practicality and convenience in the face of several overwhelming household disasters, the Roborock F25 Ultra has come to the rescue more than once this year, and that's good enough reason to name it my best product of 2025.

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.

Vacuum cleaner designs might be getting slightly out of control. As a dedicated vacuum reviewer (I manage TechRadar's official best vacuum ranking) I spend plenty of time testing different models with different features, so I know which additions will make a difference to your cleaning routine, and which are just unnecessary gimmicks.

Below, I've listed the features you should be prioritizing when choosing a vacuum, and those that you can basically ignore. I've focused on just the floorhead features here, because extending it to the entire vacuum would be far too big a topic for a single article. (Am I in too deep? Possibly.) Here's my official list of vacuum floorhead features, ranked...

Vacuum floorhead features – essentials

An anti-tangle roller

If you live with anyone with hair, you need a floorhead with anti-tangle features. And I don't mean Rapunzel-length locks – if you'd cut it with scissors rather than clippers, I'd prioritize this.

On older vacuums, hair was basically left to do its own thing, which invariably meant it would wrap around the brushroll like a thick, cozy hair duvet. After every clean, you'd have to take to the roller with a pair of scissors, and hack the hair away. Not ideal.

The good news is that most modern vacuums don't have this problem – they tend to have an anti-tangle roller as standard and pretty much all that I've tried work well. Approaches to this vary by brand, so there's nothing specific to look for, beyond some kind of reference to being 'anti-tangle' in the product listing.

Dyson has come up with a specific method where, on its very newest vacuums, it uses tapering, cone-shaped rollers rather than straight-edged ones. This works well but has an unfortunate side effect (which I'll cover in my next point) that means it's worth avoiding.

A straight front edge

A niche one, but don't underestimate the importance of a straight front edge on your floorhead. As far as I'm aware, the only vacuums not to have this are Dyson's newest options, where the brand has used cone-shaped rollers and brought the front of the vacuum to a slight point as a result.

An angled edge means you won't be able to get the vacuum flush to your room's baseboards, where dust often collects. Going in side-on can solve the issue, but that's not always possible. A side-note on this one is that it's worth looking for a floorhead that has relatively narrow perimeters, meaning the suction area can get nice and close to the edges of rooms.

An air intake slider

If you have carpet – and especially deep-pile carpet – in your home, look for a vacuum with an air intake adjustment slider on its floorhead. If you find your vacuum is too difficult to push on deep carpet, you can open this up to allow more air in and ease the vacuum (in the original sense of the word) in the suction cavity. This can be the difference between a vacuum being suitable for carpet and not. On another floor type, you might want to close it down to seal off the suction area more and increase particle pickup.

Vacuum floorhead features: nice to have

Headlamps

Headlamps are increasingly common on vacuums, but the quality and usefulness varies significantly from model to model. A great set of headlamps will cast big shadows on the tiniest specks of dust so you can ensure a thorough clean. They're really for use on hard floor, but can have limited use on carpet, too.

The brands with the best headlamps I've tested are Dyson (included on the soft floorheads of vacuums including the V15 Detect and Gen5detect) and Roborock (as seen on the likes of the Roborock H60 Hub Ultra). Both use lime-green lights that do a stellar job of illuminating dust.

At the other end of the spectrum are your bog-standard white lights, which do little more than help brighten dingy corners. They're kind-of useful, but not a game-changer. See the Dreame R20 and Shark Detect Pro for examples.

A reverse-cleaning flap

I'd actually quite like this to come under 'Essentials', but as it's exclusive to one Shark line (at time of writing), that feels unfair. Essentially, on its PowerDetect Cordless and PowerDetect Upright vacuums, Shark has added a flap to the back of the floorhead that lifts when the vacuum is pulled backwards.

This enables particles to pass under the floorhead and into the suction area, rather than pooling up behind the floorhead as happens with pretty much every other vacuum I've used. It's a relatively simple feature that works really well in practice, and makes a big difference to how efficiently the vacuum can clean – on hard flooring in particular.

Vacuum floorhead features: probably unnecessary

Edge-based suction adjustment

This one's another Shark exclusive, but this time feels much more gimmicky. A number of the best Shark vacuums have an 'EdgeDetect' feature where the vacuum will apparently boost suction just on the relevant side of the floorhead when it approaches the edge of a room.

I'm a little skeptical about how this would even work – is it possible to offer different suction levels within one floorhead? But even putting that aside it feels a bit like overkill. Things like a narrow floorhead border that can get right up close to a room edge, are far more important.

In general, I don't think automatic suction adjustment is strictly necessary, but if you are going to opt for this, adjustment based on floor type is going to make the biggest difference to your cleaning routine.

The Dyson PencilVac is the most unusual looking vacuum I've seen. It's also one of the most genuinely innovative. The USP here is that all the insides have been shrunk down so they fit entirely within the handle – which itself is just 1.5 inches / under 4cm in diameter. This makes it ultra-compact and very lightweight.

It also boasts an odd-looking floorhead, with four cone-shaped, entirely soft rollers. The tapering shape of the rollers is designed to be better at tackling long hair – the strands should make their way towards the narrow end, where they can drop off in a clump, ready to be vacuumed up.

There are plenty of cool-sounding features here, but what's it like to actually use? How does it compare to the rest of the best Dyson vacuums on the market? I've been testing one out at home for a couple of weeks – you'll have to sit tight for my full review, but here's my take so far...

1. It's incredibly nimble and light

The PencilVac really is a dream to maneuver. It feels very light in the hand, and pivots like a dream. You feel like you can really fling it around in a way that's not possible with traditional stick vacuums. Because the two pairs of rollers rotate in opposite directions, you can attack dirt from either side of the floorhead.

The wand can lie completely flat to the ground for cleaning right under furniture, and if you take the floorhead off and add a detail tool it's also pretty good for clearing the cobwebs in your coving, no matter how high your ceilings are.

2. The grip takes a bit of getting used to

There's no handle here... or perhaps there's only handle, if you want to think of it that way. Either way, the grip is different to that of a traditional vacuum. You hold the PencilVac more like a broom, except it's wider and heavier than a broom handle would be.

I got used to this new grip pretty quickly and didn't find it a hindrance, but I do think it's less secure to hold than a traditional vacuum handle would be. If you were considering the PencilVac as a lightweight option because you have mobility or motor issues, that's worth knowing.

3. It works great on hard floors

Based on my early tests, the suction (which is much less powerful than the rest of the lineup) is ample for clearing dust and pet hair from hard floors. I've been using it on the big tiles in my kitchen, and it's ideal for this. However, the soft rollers combined with this lower suction mean it's not well-suited to carpet.

4. The battery life might be an issue

At a maximum of 30 minutes per charge – dropping to 20 if you use the Med suction mode – the PencilVac isn't really for whole-home cleans. It's enough to do a kitchen and a couple of bathrooms, though, so if that's all the hard flooring in your home then you're golden. I think Dyson probably envisages this one as being for speedy cleanups rather than lengthy sessions.

5. That angled floorhead is annoying

While in general I really like the new Fluffycones floorhead – and not just because it appears to float across the floor in a snazzy, space-age kind of way – the fact that the front edge comes to a slight point is not ideal. It means it can't sit flush to the edge of a wall.

Thankfully, the side edges can do this, so if you go in from the side you can still get a thorough edge clean. Still, this isn't always possible, and I'd have preferred to be able to approach from any angle.

A not-straight front edge was also an issue with the All Floors Cones Sense floorhead that accompanies Dyson's latest flagship – the V16 Piston Animal – was one of my big complaints with that machine.

If you do decide the Dyson PencilVac is the vacuum for you, it's already available to buy direct from Dyson in the UK and Australia, and it costs £429.99 / AU$949. US pricing and release date are TBC.

• 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.

It used to be that vacuum cleaners had one suction setting, plus perhaps a Boost mode that you activated manually when you needed to clear really tricky, ingrained dirt. Nowadays, it's increasingly common to see an 'auto' mode, where the vacuum itself decides exactly how much suction is required for any given area, and adjusts accordingly.

As the author of TechRadar's best cordless vacuums guide, I've tested numerous options – from models with no automation to speak of right up to vacuums that can detect a whole range of different environmental factors. So is automatic suction adjustment worth it? Here's my take...

What kind of automation do you mean?

At the simplest level, a vacuum might be able to distinguish between carpet and hard flooring. This is a useful automation, because carpet (where the dirt is settled within the fibers) always needs a bit more suction than a hard floor (where it just sits on top of the surface).

At the next level is dirt detection. Some vacuums can tell how clean the floor is, and amp up suction when they detect more particles in need of cleaning up. The best Dyson vacuums go a step further and also measure the size of said particles.

There are further brand-specific offerings. Some Shark vacuums have the ability to sense when they're approaching the edge of a room – a typical hotspot for dust. They'll then amp up suction to clear any particles that have gathered there.

Some high-end Samsung vacuums go in deeper on floor type, and can apparently sense everything from carpet, hard floor, and mats, to long-pile carpet and corners. They'll then adjust both brushroll speed and suction power for an efficient clean.

Does it actually work?

Yes, to a greater or lesser extent. On every vacuum I've tested that has an Auto mode – even cheap models like the Dreame R20 – I've been able to hear the suction amping up and down when I've driven the vacuum from a carpeted area to a hard floor area, or into a pile of tea or oats as part of a suction test. If there's a pool of debris I've placed there, I have noticed it might take a second for the resulting suction boost to kick in.

How precise the dirt sensing is, is another thing. In general use the dirt isn't visible, so I'm just taking it on good faith that any ramp up in suction power is indeed the result of more dust on the floor.

The brand I'm most convinced by is Dyson. The Dyson vacuums with auto-adjustment also have a screen that displays, in real time via a colorful moving bar graph on screen, the number and size of particles being sucked up by the wand. It'll then give you a little summary at the end. That feels like the closest thing to proof of accuracy in this area.

Other brands tend to use a color-changing ring or icons to announce they've spotted some dirt, but nothing more precise than that. In fact, sometimes making sense of the color-coding is a riddle in itself, but that's another article.

Aside from dirt detection, I will say that Shark's edge-detecting on models has been reliable in my experience, but Samsung's AI-powered specific environment sensing has been more hit-and-miss (see my Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra review for more on that).

It's worth noting, too, that these vacuums will also typically have a Min mode and a Max mode alongside the Auto option. That might just be to satisfy customer expectations, but if you're confident in your Auto performance, surely that's the only mode anyone would ever need?

Will it make my floors cleaner?

On its own, I'm not sure it will. Things like outright suction power and floorhead design are far more important in determining how well a vacuum will clean.

I recently ran a group test of a whole load of cordless vacuums, using each model's Medium or Auto mode as the default for the cleaning tests. The top scorer in terms of cleaning was the Shark PowerDetect Cordless, followed by the Dyson Gen5detect (both of which have Auto modes), but the Dyson V8 Cyclone (which has no Auto mode) came a close third. Plus, the three least effective cleaners also had Auto modes.

Based on my experiences, a great Med suction mode can clean just as effectively as an Auto mode, or sometimes even better. But that's not to say automatic adjustment doesn't have its benefits...

So what are the benefits?

Benefit #1 is ease of use. Having the vacuum switch modes for you just makes the cleaning process that bit smoother – and especially if your home has a mix of hard floor and carpet (as most people's do). Now I'm used to vacuums with Auto modes, having to manually adjust suction feels complicated and annoying.

Generally, I'll default to just cleaning with the Med mode most of the time, which is what I'm willing to bet most people are also doing. In that case, maybe you aren't ending up with the most thorough clean, because there will be situations where Boost is needed, and it's not being deployed.

Benefit #2 is battery maximization. By only using extra suction when it's strictly needed, you'll eke more runtime out of your machine. That's less of an issue these days, where battery capacities are higher and runtimes generally quite generous, but it's still good to make the most of it.

Dreame has been pushing boundaries in the robot vacuum space for a while now. One of its robvacs has tiny little feet that launch it over tall room thresholds, plus a retractable navigation puck that lets it sneak under low furniture. In its most recent launch, the brand has focused its attention on improving the mop setup. And it hasn't done it by half-measures. In TechRadar's Dreame Matrix10 Ultra review, our tester called it "probably the most advanced hybrid robot floor cleaner [he'd] ever reviewed".

The Matrix10 uses dual, spinning mop pads to mop floors. Nothing new so far (although, for the record, that is my preferred robovac mop style – in my experience testing today's best robot vacuums, it tends to deliver a more thorough clean than a D-shaped pad, and have fewer irritating issues than a roller mop... but maybe that's a separate article). What is new is that Dreame has decided that one pair of mop pads isn't enough.

Every other bot I'm aware of uses the same mop to clean anywhere you ask it to. You might wash the pad(s) manually when its done, or the dock might be smart enough to take care of that for you, but the cloth that's being used to clean your bathroom is the same as the one that's being used to clean your kitchen.

Dreame has deemed this unacceptable, so the Matrix10 Ultra comes with three sets of mop pads. What's more, each pair has a different design, suited to a slightly different kind of mopping task.

One set has nylon bristle strips amongst the softer loops, to deep-clean especially dirty floors and tackle grease. One set is thicker and more absorbent, for areas where there might be water spillages on the floor – such as in your bathroom. And then there's a general-purpose set for everything else.

A hands-free helper

'What am I meant to do, swap over out the mop pads manually?' I hear you ask. No, no, no. This is meant to be a hands-free helper, so Dreame has built you your own mop-dispensing dock.

The spare pads slot into the back of the door, and a little trolley picks up the appropriate set for the task at hand and delivers it to the bottom of the robot vacuum's hutch area. The bot reverses in and picks them up, using magnetic connections. It's rather like a vending machine for mop pads, or a jukebox if you prefer.

That's just the start of it, though. If you're going to have different mop pads, why not also have different cleaning solutions? Here there are three: a general-purpose one, another that's specialized for tackling pet odors, and another for wooden floors (which need delicate treatment). Again, the dock handles the dispensing for you – the three solutions are hidden inside and the machine will add the correct one to the bot's cleaning reservoir as required.

Oh, and on top of that the dock will still clean your mop pads for you, using hot water to cut through any grease and grime, and dry them with hot air, so each set is fresh, clean and ready to be called on at all times.

Is it necessary? I'm on the fence. I wouldn't use a bathroom-cleaning cloth to also wipe down my kitchen surfaces, but when I test wet-and-dry vacuums I will happily use the same roller on any of the floors that are in need of a mop.

I can see the benefit for those concerned about cross-contamination though, or anyone with particularly challenging mopping needs (let's say you're house-training a puppy, for instance, and it's still at the 'sometimes pees on the floor' stage).

The intricacy of the mopping setup does mean the Dreame Matrix10 Ultra won't be for everyone. It'll be overkill for owners of small homes – who would probably have to rule it out based on the proportions of the dock anyway (it's about the size of an under-counter fridge). However, if you have complex mopping needs, lots of different hard flooring areas, or even a small commercial space that needs a serious robovac to stay on top of the upkeep, it could be a game-changer.

Shark PowerPro Cordless vacuum: two-minute review

The Shark PowerPro Cordless is a capable, no-nonsense stick vacuum that prioritizes consistent performance and everyday value over flashy extras. It’s one of the most affordable cordless models we've tested, yet it comes with very few compromises where it matters. And while its build isn’t premium, it's not a barebones vacuum either: one of the key selling points is automatic surface detection, which adjusts power as you move from carpet to hard flooring. It's a very strong contender for TechRadar's best budget vacuums guide.

Despite the budget price, you also get hallmark Shark touches like an anti-hair wrap brushroll, a flexible wand for reaching under furniture, plus a floorhead with built-in LEDs that illuminate dust and dark corners. Taken together, these features – borrowed from pricier models in Shark’s line-up – make the PowerPro feel like a far more rounded tool than its price might suggest.

That’s not to say it’s flawless. In places, the no-frills build betrays its budget status. It all clicks together with solidity, but there are some plastic components that cheapen the experience – particularly the boost trigger.

The appeal here lies in the PowerPro’s stripped-back convenience. You’re getting a functional, reliable vacuum with a handful of well-executed features that are genuinely useful in everyday use.

The interface is foolproof: there are no modes to select. Instead, the Floor Detect head automatically chooses the right setting based on the surface you’re cleaning. All you have to think about is using the Boost trigger at your fingertips. It won't offer dirt detection or edge detection (as found on the best Shark vacuums in the lineup), but this floor-based adjustment is useful nonetheless.

In use, the PowerPro is balanced and maneuverable. The floorhead moves easily over different surfaces, while the hinged wand unlatches to give you flexible reach beneath beds and sofas. Switch to a handheld configuration and the PowerPro is impressively lightweight. It’s slightly bulky for tackling tighter spaces like car footwells, but the crevice attachments help to hit nooks and crannies.

While not as powerful as the Shark PowerDetect cordless, the PowerPro performed impressively well in my cleaning tests. Suction was strong on carpeted floors, lifting both visible debris and ingrained dust without repeated passes. It also handled fine dust and heavier particles on hard floors, though Boost mode was useful for picking up larger pieces. One caveat is that the brush bar sits inset within the floorhead, which means it can struggle to get right into edges along skirting boards.

Battery life is decent, too. Although there's no battery-maximizing Eco mode, in Auto mode I achieved a very decent 40 minute average when cleaning a combination of carpeted and hard flooring. At around 3 hours, the PowerPro is relatively quick to recharge, too. Because the power plugs directly into the removable battery, you could enlist a backup battery if you wanted to extend runtimes.

The Shark PowerPro isn’t the most stylish or advanced stick vacuum on the market, but it might be the best cordless vacuum for budget-conscious shoppers. But with consistently strong performance, good battery life and a few thoughtful features, it’s a strong choice for households who need a no-fuss solution for busting dust. Robust enough for daily use, the PowerPro offers excellent overall value.

Shark PowerPro IZ380UK review: price & availability

• List price: $329.99 / £249.99 / AU$399.99
• Launch date: 2025
• Availability: US, UK, AU

The Shark PowerPro launched in early 2025, and is widely available from Shark and various third-party retailers. At list price, the standard model costs $329.99 in the US, £249.99 in the UK and AU$399.99 in Australia. That puts this model towards the bottom of the mid-range bracket, but at time of writing it's heavily discounted in all territories.

Based on price history, it looks like discounts are fairly common, and you shouldn't have too much trouble picking up the PowerPro for closer to $200 / £180 / AU$300 – which is firmly in TechRadar's budget price bracket, despite it offering several features found on Shark’s pricier models.

There are a few bundle options around with different tools included (for example, the 'Pet' version has a mini motorized cleaner head for furniture), as well as a more advanced 'Flex Reveal' version in some territories. For this review, I tested the IZ380UK version, which ships with crevice and upholstery tools, in addition to the standard floorhead.

Based on the current discounts, the PowerPro is one of the most affordable Shark cordless vacuums, and I think its priced well for what it delivers. As a simple, effective cordless vacuum with a streamlined but useful featureset, it offers excellent value for money in its class.

• Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5

Shark PowerPro specs

Shark PowerPro Cordless vacuum review: design

• No-frills construction feels plasticky but sturdy
• Flexible wand and bright floorhead LEDs
• No wall mount, but locking floorhead helps it lean steady

The Shark PowerPro follows a practical design philosophy. It doesn’t pretend to be a premium vacuum, but still includes several thoughtful touches that elevate it above basic alternatives. It’s not an ugly unit either, although Shark has focused on functional choices rather than aesthetic refinement.

Out of the box, the PowerPro feels solid enough for daily use. Everything clicks together with a reassuring snap. That said, the construction leans heavily on plastics. Parts like the boost trigger and dustbin release latches feel hollow, while there’s some flex and creak in the casing, giving a clear indication of where costs have been saved. These don’t affect performance, but they do contribute to a less premium impression than pricier Shark models.

The PowerPro follows a familiar cordless stick design. There’s a tidily packaged handheld unit that attaches to a motorized floorhead at the base. Shark’s useful 'MultiFLEX / Flexology' wand is also part of the setup. A latched hinge in the middle allows it to bend, letting you reach more easily beneath furniture without crouching. It’s a feature usually found on Shark’s more expensive cordless models, so it’s a welcome presence at this price point.

The main unit is very lightweight, and while the wand and floorhead is less so, with that attached it still sits at the lighter end of the stick vacuum market.

The simple handle design isn’t exactly ergonomic, but it’s comfortable enough to maneuver in general use, thanks in part to the lightness of the main unit. It’s slightly too bulky for very tight spaces like car footwells, but the included crevice and upholstery tools help to maximize reach. The accessory set included with the classic model is modest, but it covers most essential tasks around the house.

Controls are deliberately minimal. Because the Floor Detect head automatically adjusts suction based on whether you’re tackling carpet or hard floors, there are no settings to toggle through. There’s just a power button and the boost trigger at the tip of your index finger. Three illuminated icons on top of the handheld unit show which mode is active, while three more on the battery show the charge level. This is less accurate than a digital readout, a feature not commonly found at this price.

At ground level, built-in LEDs illuminate dust and debris on darker surfaces. In contrast to more expensive Shark models like the Shark Detect IW4621KT, these headlights aren’t reactive depending on how well-lit the area is. They’re simply on whenever the vacuum is running, which will be perfectly fine for most users.

At 0.7L, the dustbin slightly smaller than average, although it fills less quickly than you’d expect. The design of the dustbin itself is slightly unusual. To empty it, you press a latch to remove the entire bin from the handheld unit, before releasing the bottom door via another button. This adds an extra step compared to vacuums with direct drop-bottom bins, but it does help to reduce accidental spillage.

Charging the PowerPro isn’t as neat as it could be. The position of the charging port on top of the battery pack means that the cable trails up and over the handheld unit. It would be more natural if the port were positioned beneath it, but this is a necessary compromise to make the battery removable. The pay-off is that you can disconnect the cell to charge it, unlocking the option to keep several back-up batteries ready to swap in.

The PowerPro doesn’t include a wall mount or charging dock, which you’d expect to receive with a more expensive model. Instead, you’ll need to lean it up against a wall when you need a pause in cleaning. The unit can’t stand upright on its own at full height, but the floorhead can at least lock at 90 degrees, to stop it rolling away from the wall.

The forward-bending wand also enables you to fold the unit completely in half and lock it that way for more compact storage. These are neat practical touches for a model sold without a stand.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Shark PowerPro IZ380UK review: performance

• Solid debris pick-up on carpets and hard floors
• Brushroll misses edges
• Automatic adjustment based on floor type works well

Performance is where the Shark PowerPro sets itself apart from other budget stick vacuums. On test, it consistently demonstrated effective debris pick-up, removing both surface-level and embedded dirt from carpet with just a single forward-and-back pass.

The Floor Detect head does much of the heavy lifting here. As you move the PowerPro from hard floor to carpet and vice versa, it automatically adjusts the power to suit the surface. The system is quick to respond to changes, with no lag to speak of. Suction is noticeably stronger on carpet, where the floorhead feels like it’s really pulling up dirt.

As a result, the PowerPro performed very well in my carpet tests. Tackling the fine, dry contents of a teabag sprinkled on a medium-pile carpet, the Shark PowerPro collected almost everything in its path with a single pass. The remnants were tidied up on the return sweep. It also dealt well with larger debris. 30g of oats were removed cleanly enough, with little in the way of snow-ploughing or scattering. This is an area where many budget cordless vacuums falter.

The PowerPro didn’t just grab visible debris, either: it also pulled up ingrained dust. After a week of regular use, the bin was still filling with fine grey dust and fluff during my tests, highlighting how effectively the PowerPro can lift deep-set dirt that other vacuums have left behind.

It’s also a strong performer on hard flooring. Fine tea disappeared cleanly from kitchen vinyl, as did drill dust. Standard suction was enough to collect heavier particles like oats, though switching to boost mode did speed things up.

Unlike some vacuums, the PowerPro generally didn’t push debris around or scatter it on hard floors. For the best performance, however, you might want to consider upgrading to a Shark PowerDetect Cordless, which has an extra flap added to the floorhead that specifically enables it to clear large particles on the reverse stroke.

The boost trigger deserves a special mention. While designed as a temporary power uplift rather than an always-on mode, it provides a genuinely significant increase in suction. I found it especially useful for tackling stubborn debris in carpet fibers and lifting heavier crumbs on hard floors. Running in Boost mode does cut battery life considerably, but for targeted use, it’s a welcome addition.

Edge performance is one area where the PowerPro shows some limitations. The brushroll is inset slightly within the floorhead, which means the suction window doesn’t reach right up to the bottom of cabinets and furniture.

When I scattered tea and oats along a skirting board, a thin strip remained even after a high-powered pass. This is a limitation of the head design rather than the power, and it means you’ll need to use the crevice tool for spotless edges.

The Floor Detect head features Shark’s anti-hair wrap head, with built-in rubber fins designed to stop strands from tangling around the brush bar. Over several weeks of running the PowerPro across carpets where longer human hair had been shed naturally, it worked very well.

The brushroll stayed broadly free from tangles and I didn’t need to cut away any wrapped strands, which is something many cheaper sticks struggle with. It’s another feature typically found on Shark’s pricier models that works just as effectively here.

Noise is well-controlled, too. Those rubber fins produce a low rumble on carpet as they whizz around inside the floorhead, while the handheld unit generates a relatively modest whine that only becomes pronounced when Boost mode is active.

To my ears, the PowerPro is quieter than other cordless vacuums I’ve tested. It’s not exactly hushed, but it avoids the harsh, high-pitched tones common among budget sticks. This makes it a better choice for households where noise sensitivity is a factor.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Shark PowerPro review: battery

• No Eco mode, average of 40 mins in Auto
• Boost mode reduces battery life to <15 minutes
• Battery removable, and can be charged independently

Shark quotes the PowerPro's battery life at 50 minutes. In reality, run-time varies a fair bit based on what and where you vacuum. Cleaning carpets is more power-hungry than hard floors, for example, while liberal use of the boost trigger will put a serious dent in the performance figures.

Unlike other Shark vacuums, the PowerPro doesn’t have an low-powered Eco setting. Because of this, you can’t force it to be more frugal by disabling the Floor Detect mode. Instead, it will always assess the surface it’s running over and adjust power accordingly.

As a result, you’ll get longer battery life if your home has hard floors throughout, versus one that’s clad primarily with carpet. My own home has an even balance of the two, meaning the numbers I achieved in my tests should be fairly representative of real-world performance across different surfaces.

Over several runs, I consistently netted between 35 and 45 minutes from full to flat. Taking the average as 40 minutes, that unsurprisingly comes in lower than the official number. It also puts the PowerPro a step below the best cordless vacuums when it comes to longevity – although do bear in mind that the given runtimes will almost always be for the Eco mode.

For me, 40 minutes felt like a healthy amount of time for a single stint and a competitive number for the price category. It’s certainly enough to cover a single-story home and have some charge left in the tank.

The more modest capacity also gives the PowerPro a shorter charge time than other models. Shark says it takes “approximately 3 hours” to fully charge the IZ380UK, which proved an accurate figure in my experience. While that’s hardly instantaneous, many vacuums take significantly longer.

Using Boost mode does have a considerable effect on battery life. Keeping my finger held on the trigger brought the number down to around 15 minutes. That's actually a strong runtime for a Boost mode – but it still reflects the fact that it’s intended to be used as a brief uplift for tougher debris, rather than an always-on solution for high-powered cleaning.

The PowerPro also benefits from a removable battery. The cell itself can be charged while detached from the vacuum. This means you can extend runtime by keeping a second back-up battery charged, ready to swap in when the first one runs flat.

• Battery life score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Shark PowerPro Cordless vacuum?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Shark PowerPro Cordless vacuum

• Used as my main vacuum cleaner for a month
• Tested across hard and carpeted floors at home
• Conducted standardized tests for debris pick-up

I tested the Shark PowerPro IZ380UK over a period of several weeks. I used it as my main vacuum cleaner in my own home, which has a mix of both carpeted and hard surfaces. Before running any formal tests, I used the PowerPro for ordinary daily cleaning to get an understanding of its general performance, noise levels, maneuverability and battery life.

I then moved on to running the PowerPro through TechRadar’s standard vacuum testing protocol. To assess fine dust pick-up, I sprinkled the contents of a dry teabag on both carpet and hard flooring, then passed over the area with the PowerPro on its standard setting. For a trial with larger debris, I repeated the process with a bag of oats. I only switched to Boost mode if the floorhead failed to collect everything on the first pass.

To test edge performance, I distributed tea and oats along skirting boards then checked how much was left behind when I ran the floorhead flush along them. I also evaluated hair pick-up by running the anti-hair wrap brushroll over areas of carpet home to longer strands, to see whether any tangled around the brush bar.

I measured battery life first by charging the vacuum to full, then running it continuously across a mix of surfaces until it powered down. I then charged it fully again to confirm the recharge time, before repeating the process to get an accurate average of battery life. I also ran similar trials using boost mode to verify the higher-powered run-time.

Finally, In tested the included crevice and upholstery tools on furniture, stairs and inside a car footwell to evaluate how effectively they picked up dirt, as well as the balance and reach of the unit as a handheld tool. Throughout my tests, I also paid attention to functionality and ease of use, especially when it came to regular actions in real-world situations, like emptying the bin.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed November 2025

Roborock F25 Ultra: two-minute review

The Roborock F25 Ultra is a premium cordless upright wet-and-dry cleaner that seeks to outshine the competition with its three USPs: a sanitizing steam function, grease-busting hot water mopping and adjustable power-assisted wheels.

And outshine the competition it does: this is the best wet-and-dry vacuum I've tested. On test, I found the steam function excelled at lifting dried grime and killing bacteria, while the hot-water mopping dissolved sticky kitchen spills with ease. Powerful suction makes it an exceedingly dab hand at sucking up liquid and debris spills like cereal, porridge, soup and wine. There's a built-in floor cleaning fluid tank for even dispensing, too.

Although rather heavy, the power-assisted wheels make the F25 Ultra super-easy to drive, and you can even hook up the companion app, lie it down and remote-control it under low-slung furniture if you desire. Once you're finished cleaning, a thorough self-cleaning mode takes care of the majority of maintenance. All the user has to do is periodically empty the contents of its dirty water tank into the toilet bowl.

While I would have preferred a full-width roller for true edge cleaning, the F25 Ultra is an excellent performer in all disciplines. Whether all this state-of-the-art tech is worth the asking price is open to debate but I'm personally very much smitten.

Roborock F25 Ultra review: price & availability

• List price: $599.99 / AU$1,499
• Launched: Fall 2025
• Availability: US and Australia

The Roborock F25 Ultra was unveiled at IFA in September 2025, and is available to buy in the US and Australia. At time of writing, the Roborock F25 Ultra isn't available in the UK or Europe but I suspect it'll be launched this side of the Atlantic in due course.

At full price, it costs $799.99 / AU$1,499 – although I'm not sure it'll be sold at that price very often, because while I've been writing this review I've seen it for $599.99 and $549.99 in the US, and AU$899 in Australia. It's available to purchase direct from Roborock as well as via a range of third-party retailers, including Amazon.

That's quite a slice of cash for a hard floor cleaner given that you can find something similar without the bells and whistles for substantially less, including Roborock's base-level F25 LT which comes with the bare essentials like standard mopping and a slightly lower suction power of 20,000Pa.

Nevertheless, if you want a true state-of-the-art hard floor cleaner that covers all bases from sucking up spills to hot water mopping and hygienic steaming, the F25 Ultra is most definitely worth splashing out on.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Roborock F25 Ultra specs

Roborock F25 Ultra review: design

• Hot water mopping and new steam function
• Power-assisted wheels and the ability to remote control via an app
• LED headlamps, and can lie flat to the ground

I always get a bit excited whenever Roborock announces a new product (this brand makes some of the very best robot vacuums I've tested) and, believe me, this new addition to its F25 range of hard floor cleaners is definitely cause for a spot of childlike jumping up and down.

But it wasn't always like this. I remember Roborock's first attempt at making a hard floor cleaner. It was called the Dyad and it wasn't great, it must be said, mostly because it was cumbersome, difficult to maneuver, and it couldn't stand up on its own. I'm sure the latest range of Dyads have improved but I still can't see them holding a candle to the newer F25 range.

I've already tried out the Roborock F25 ACE, but this newer model excites me even more because it comes with a 356F / 180C steam function and hot-mopping feature. These are a godsend for blitzing ingrained stains that most hard floor cleaners' standard mopping functions may have trouble removing.

While it's difficult to muster up much enthusiasm about the styling of most wet-and-dry cleaners, for my money the models in the F25 range are the best lookers I've laid eyes on in a long time. Nevertheless, it's what goes on beneath the skin that matters most and in this regard the F25 Ultra trounces much of the opposition by dint of its three main USPs: the aforementioned steam function, the newly added hot mopping option and its adjustable power-assisted wheels.

But before I discuss these in detail, let's take a closer look at the design, starting with the floorhead. While the F25 Ultra's 720ml dirty water tank is housed on the main body like most wet-and-dry models, its fresh water reservoir is positioned lower down on top of the brushhead housing, and this not only lowers the weight on the handle while providing instant line-of-sight to its water level, it also reduces the body's overall profile which means it can be lowered parallel with the floor for reaching deep under low-slung furnishings like sofas and beds. In fact, there's a tiny wheel behind the handle section for this purpose, but more on that in a moment.

The 870ml clean water reservoir features two sealed fillers, one for fresh water and a much smaller one for adding the contents of Roborock's supplied 200ml bottle of floor cleaning solution. Both liquids are mixed automatically during cleaning and you'll be pleased to learn that the floor solution lasts for many cleaning sessions. To fill the fresh water tank, simply grab its rose-gold handle while pressing on a latch behind to lift it off its plinth.

The F25 Ultra's floorhead measures 10.5in / 26.6cm in width. However, the cloth roller itself measures 9.8in / 25cm with 0.4in / 1cm of space at one outer edge and 0.2in / 0.6cm at the other. That's par for the course for most models of this nature, but I recently reviewed a Eureka RapidWash 730 that uses a split roller that runs the full width of the housing, even protruding a couple of millimeters beyond the housing on one side. I'd like to see other manufacturers adopt this innovative approach because it allows for cleaning right to the very edge.

According to the product blurb, the F25 Ultra's brush housing is equipped with 32 outlets for heating the water to 187F / 86C as it hits the roller, and six steam outlets delivering a volume of 2,000mg/min at a whopping 356F / 180C. The roller itself exerts a force of 33 Newtons – equivalent to 7.4 lbs / 3.36kg of deep scrub-ability – while a pair of ‘jaw scrapers' behind the roller help keep the floor streak-free and the roller tangle-free. The floorhead also has a set of bright LEDs that emit a purple hue for cleaning the darker recesses of a home.

The F25 Ultra comes with four main cleaning modes – Sponge, Auto, Steam and Hot Water. All modes are accessed via the mode button positioned on the main handle, along with the on/off button and another button for selecting the self cleaning function when the unit is placed in the charging dock.

Although confusingly named, Sponge mode is for sucking up large liquid and debris-based spills so you don't have to get down on hands and knees with a handful of paper towels. This single suction task is one of the main reasons why these wet-and-dry machines are so popular. Spilt bowl of cereal or bowl of soup? Check. Small water leak around the sink? Check. Dog sick in the kitchen? Check. You get the gist.

In Auto mode, the F25 Ultra uses a sensor to detect dirt and automatically adjust cleaning intensity to clear it. This mode leaves only a thin veneer of dampness in its wake and is the best option for light day-to-day mopping duties. But when the going gets tough, you also have the option of either hot water mopping or, for deep down germ-killing cleanliness, the power of steam.

In fact, you can tell that the machine is steaming because there's a plume of the stuff wafting up from the front like some special dry ice effect at a rock concert. According to Roborock, this steam function is also suitable for use on wooden flooring and I second that because I detected no tell-tale signs of damage on my floors.

If you find pushing and pulling vacuum cleaners around a bit of a workout, you'll love this model's adjustable power-assisted wheels. With a brushless motor in each wheel and some AI-enhanced tech to govern it all, Roborock's SlideTech 2.0 system functions like a power-assisted electric bicycle. As soon as you push or pull the cleaner, the wheels instantly provide a level of self-propulsion that feels extremely natural while making the unit feel really light in the hand.

The adjustable power assistance also applies to the turns, giving the F25 Ultra the ability to effortlessly glide around furniture and walls with 70-degree steering. And unlike its predecessor, the F25 ACE, the motorized wheels are disengaged the moment you stand it up.

Couple this dextrous motorized ability with the wherewithal to remotely control the F25 Ultra via the excellent Roborock app and you have a hard floor cleaner that you can quite literally drive under the entire length of a super king bed by lowering the handle to the floor and steering it using the app's virtual joysticks.

Whenever you have finished a task, simply place the unit into its square tub-shaped dock and tap the self-clean button on the vac's handlebar to automatically engage the cleaning process which washes the roller and areas around it with hot water at temperatures between 194F and 356F (90C to 180C) before drying the roller with hot air at a substantial 203F / 95C. When it's finished cleaning, chuck the contents of the F25 Ultra's dirty water tank into the toilet bowl.

The Roborock F25 Ultra weighs 11.46 lbs / 5.2kg which is about average for a hard floor cleaner. While it's light enough for most able bods to haul up a flight of stairs, a carrying handle on the rear wouldn't have gone amiss.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Roborock F25 Ultra review: performance

• Stupendous suction power sucks up solids and liquids easily
• Groundbreaking steam function clears even dried stains
• Very easy to push, pull and maneuver

I tested this model in a number of disciplines. Firstly, I used it as a bog-standard mop on my engineered wooden flooring and was pleasantly surprised by how little water it left behind – just a thin perfectly uniform film with no streaking or signs of missed areas.

Some models I've tested have had a habit of leaving a small pool of water around the roller when turning the unit off. But, like the Eureka SpeedWash 730, this model gave a quick blast of suction just before it switched itself and I have no pools of water to report. I'm happy with that.

My second test was using the Sponge mode to collect a nasty spill using a variety of wet and dry ingredients, including oats, ketchup, milk, a crushed biscuit and an egg for extra grunginess. Cleaning up something as disgusting as this the conventional way involves a pile of paper towels and a pair of Marigolds. But not with this gunk swallower, which I would say performed better than any model of this nature that I've so far reviewed. It quite literally sucked up every last vestige of the mess without leaving any sign that anything was there.

All I had to do was unclip the dirty water tank and empty its revolting contents into the toilet. Hint: there's a recessed yellow handle on top of the firm-fitting dirty water tank that's designed to release the lid. If you try to force the lid off, there's a very good chance of spilling everything all over your legs.

For my third test I switched it to hot water mopping and it took about a minute for the roller to feel warm. While I was a bit nervous of using this mode for too long on my wooden floor (hot water seeps more easily), I was mightily impressed by the results when I tested it on some ingrained stains left behind by the dogs.

My final test used the new steam mopping feature on two patches of dried soy sauce stains on my bathroom's tiled floor, but they may as well have been wet because the combination of steam and the fast-spinning roller obliterated both stains in a single pass.

It's good to know that, according to Roborock, the F25 Ultra's steam function is wooden floor-friendly. My floors are made from engineered wood and I've seen no evidence of any harm after using this model's steam function. (As an aside: the act of mopping wooden floors can leave them looking tired and a bit dull, but I've started using Bona Wood Floor Gloss Finish, which works a treat to counter any dryness and leaves a beautiful sheen. Here's more on how to clean a hardwood floor, if you're looking for some general guidance).

The Roborock F25 Ultra's self-cleaning system automatically washes the roller mop in hot water followed by an efficient drying sequence using wafts of hot air to keep odors and mildew at bay.

In terms of battery usage, Roborock states a running time in Auto mode of 'up to 60 minutes'. I sadly don't have the floor space to have kept it running in Auto mode till the battery ran out or my wooden floors would have been soaked and possibly damaged. However, I did test both the hot water and steam modes which use a lot more battery power and the hot water function gave me 20 minutes of mopping while the steam function continued to operate for another five minutes. I call that a very decent set of stats and more than enough time to cover three or four average-sized rooms using a mix of all three cleaning functions.

• Performance score: 5 out of 5

Should you buy the Roborock F25 Ultra?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Roborock F25 Ultra: alternatives to consider

How I tested the Roborock F25 Ultra

I knew what to expect with the F25 Ultra since I reviewed its stablemate, the F25 ACE, earlier this year. Hence putting it all together and setting it up was a breeze.

The first thing I did was let it charge, before taking it for a spin in the kitchen to see how well it performed at general light-duty mopping. I then tried out the hot water mopping function on some dog stains followed by my main suction test using both liquids and solids. Finally, I tried out the steam function to see how well it removed a couple of dried soy sauce stains.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed November 2025

Shark Freestyle Max: two-minute review

The Shark Freestyle Max is not your average upright vacuum. It's far lighter and more streamlined, and it's cordless too. After its launch in October 2025, I tested it out to see how it compares to both the best upright vacuums on the market and the best cordless vacuums.

In terms of suction power, I was very impressed. I used this vacuum in my 1600-square-foot home and it did a great job at cleaning fine materials and large debris from both hard floors and carpet-like rugs. It picked up everything in a single pass and got right up close to the edges of rooms, too.

The design is very basic but effective – you use your foot to press down on a big button on the floorhead to turn the machine on and off and switch modes. Charging happens via a dock, but this is about as compact as you can imagine – smaller than even the footprint of the vacuum itself. It's also incredibly affordable – pricing is lower than some of the best cheap vacuums on the market, but the suction power is up there with far pricier stick vacuums.

There are a couple of significant potential drawbacks. Firstly: battery life. The battery doesn't last longer than 20 minutes in hard floor mode and less than 12 minutes in carpet mode. That wasn't enough for me to clean my house in a single go without stopping to recharge (at least recharge is relatively quick at three hours). Secondly: the Freestyle Max is for use on floors only. There are no detail tools, and nor is there a flexible hose that enables you to use the vacuum to clean furniture, stairs, or up high.

If you can handle those drawbacks and are looking for a simple vacuum that packs the power of an upright but without the weight and bulk, the Freestyle Max is a great choice. Keep reading to get deeper insight into its pros and cons.

Shark Freestyle Max review: price & availability

• List price: $199.99 / £149 / AU$249.99
• Launched: October 2025
• Available: US, UK, AU

The Shark Freestyle Max launched in October 2025, and at list price in the US it costs $199.99, though it's often on sale – at time of writing, it was down to $149.99.

There's an almost-identical model in the UK, minus the headlamps, which costs £149.99 but was discounted to £99 at time of writing. Shark doesn't seem to have decided whether to call it the Freestyle Pro or Freestyle Max, so look at the product code (SV2000UK) to make sure you're getting the right one. The AU model doesn't have headlamps either, and costs AU$249.99 at list price.

It's a budget buy on the wider market, and with the typical discount, it's well priced, considering the strong suction power and the shorter battery life.

Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5

• Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5

Shark Freestyle Max specs

Shark Freestyle Max review: design

• Extremely lightweight for an upright, and cordless
• Generous dust cup, foot-press button operation, and two suction modes
• Basic but effective in design

Shark set out with the intent to create a more compact and lightweight upright vacuum, and it did just that with the Shark Freestyle Max. Aesthetics wise, the vacuum is white and gray with a modern sleek design.

The vacuum is very lightweight, clocking in 6.6 lbs / 3kg, which would be fairly light for a stick vacuum, let alone an upright. Unlike other vacuums, the button to change between the two suction modes is found on top of the vacuum head.

To shift between the two modes, you press the button with your foot, and a blue or green light indicates which mode you're in. Look extremely closely and you'll see an icon to indicate that the more powerful 'green' should be used on carpet, whereas the lower-powered 'blue' is for hard flooring.

The vacuum locks in place so it can stand up on its own. Although the vacuum can't lean back 180 degrees, it comes very close. If I had to guess, I'd say the vacuum leans to about 160 degrees, which is not quite as nimble as a stick vacuum, but still very decent. The US version also has a headlight on the front of the vacuum head to help users see in dim spaces. This isn't included on the UK or Australian versions.

The 0.7-quart / 0.7L dust cup can be removed from the vacuum pod and emptied with a lid release button. A debris screen and filter are located inside the dustbin. There are no additional accessories, nor a flexible tube that would allow you to break down the vacuum and use it to clean windowsills or in the corners of ceilings, à la something like the Shark Stratos Upright.

Rather unusually, there's a dock for charging. This is smaller than even the footprint of the vacuum, but a simple plug-in setup would probably be more convenient.

Setup took only a few minutes. I just had to click the wand into the vacuum pod, and the vacuum pod onto the floor nozzle. From there, I charged the vacuum, and it was ready to go.

• Design score: 3.5 out of 5

Shark Freestyle Max review: performance

• Very powerful hard floor and carpet suction, with excellent edge cleaning
• Picks up fine materials in a single pass
• Maneuverable for an upright but not as nimble as a stick vacuum

From the get-go, I was impressed with the Shark Freestyle Max Cordless Upright Vacuum, especially in terms of suction power. It may be a simple vacuum without smart features or app integration, but it did a great job cleaning fine material – like flour – and larger items – like crumbs and leaves. In fact, no matter if I used the bare floor or the carpet mode, it only took a single pass on rugs and hard floors for the vacuum to pick up all material, be it dirt or hair.

I tested both the front edge and edge cleaning of the vacuum and was very happy with the results. It cleans right to the edge. Unfortunately, if I tried to vacuum in reverse, larger debris like coffee grinds got stuck behind the wheels. It was better to do a forward pass over a mess for quick and efficient cleaning.

I've tested many vacuums over the years, and the Shark Freestyle Max Cordless Upright Vacuum feels a lot more powerful than others. With some vacuums, I need to use a Max or a Turbo mode to pick up large debris. The Freestyle Max isn't outfitted with those types of modes, but thankfully, you don't need them. The suction power of this vacuum outshone many cordless stick vacuums that I've tested in the past.

While not as powerful as bulkier, corded uprights, it's right up there with the priciest cordless stick vacuums when it comes to power. TechRadar's Home Editor Ruth tested the UK version side-by-side with the Dyson Gen5detect and found the cleaning power comparable with that model – all the more impressive considering that vacuum costs five times the price.

The compromise here is that because of the higher suction power, the battery on this vacuum doesn't last very long. I discuss more about the battery in the battery section, but for reference, I wasn't able to clean my entire house switching between bare floor and carpet modes.

I love that the Shark Freestyle Max Cordless Upright Vacuum is outfitted with a headlight, as it made it easier to see dust and dirt in low lit areas. If only the vacuum paused when locked upright. In terms of sound, the hard floor mode has a dB rating of 79. I measured an 83 dB rating during carpet mode. In my opinion, the vacuum isn't any louder than most.

The only other thing I should note is that the vacuum felt a little stiff in terms of maneuverability. Turning the vacuum left or right was not as smooth as I would have liked. While it's nimbler than your average upright vacuum, it's not as maneuverable as most stick vacuums I've used. At least it's lightweight, the vacuum head fits in relatively tight spaces, and it can lean back to about 160 degrees, making it easy to reach under my bed and low furniture.

Maintenance doesn't take long to complete. When the dust cup was full, I removed it from the vacuum pod and placed it over a trash can. Then I pressed the 'lid release' catch and the dust and dirt emptied. I was able to keep my hands clean. The debris screen and the filter – both located in the dust cup – need to be occasionally removed and washed with water, before air drying for 24 hours.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Shark Freestyle Max review: battery life

• 11 mins in Carpet mode; 21 mins in Hard floor mode
• Takes about 3 hours and 20 mins for the battery to fully recharge
• Battery not removable or replaceable

The battery life of the Shark Freestyle Max Cordless Upright Vacuum depends on which mode is being used. In higher-powered carpet mode, the battery lasted almost 11 and a half minutes, and in hard floor mode, 21 minutes.

Since I have both hard floors and rugs in my 1,600-square-foot house, I tested how long the battery lasted when switching between modes. I was able to clean my bare floors in 15 minutes. Then I switched to carpet mode to vacuum my rugs. The battery lasted only three more minutes, which was not enough time to fully vacuum one of my large rugs. The battery took about three hours and 20 minutes to fully charge. I let it charge for an hour, which gave it enough juice to finish vacuuming my rugs.

The Shark Freestyle Max Cordless Upright Vacuum's battery life is far shorter than most cordless stick vacuums – many models can last up to a full hour in their lowest-powered mode these days, and it's rare to see a maximum runtime shorter than 40 minutes. This model won't fit the bill for those with bigger homes or lots of carpet. However, I see it as a strong choice for apartments, small homes, or anyone who just like having a vacuum to do short bursts of cleaning.

One final black mark against Shark here is that the battery isn't removable or swappable, as is the case with most good modern cordless vacuums. That means once the batteries wears out, you'll have to throw the whole machine away.

• Battery life score: 2 out of 5

Should you buy the Shark Freestyle Max?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Shark Freestyle Max

I tested the Shark Freestyle Max Cordless Upright Vacuum for a week in my 1,600-square-foot home, using it to vacuum my hardwood and laminate floors and two large rugs. Everything from how well it suctioned debris to the length of battery life and ease of movement was tested and considered when writing this review.

The UK version was also tested on-team in the TechRadar offices, where it was used on hard floor, mid-pile carpet and deep-pile carpet, and the suction power was compared to that of a premium Dyson stick vacuum.

Read more about how we test vacuum cleaners

• First reviewed November 2025

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

• New Amber Silk color for the Airwrap and other Dyson haircare gadgets
• Combines copper, champagne pink, and hints of burgundy
• It's a limited edition, available to buy now

Bold and bright are the watchwords for many of Dyson's products, but recently the brand has been going down a subtler, more elegant route in its haircare range. It's in that vein that we now have 'Amber Silk', a new limited edition colorway available on the Airwrap and Dyson's other haircare gadgets.

It's being marketed as a festive colorway, but this is a far cry from gaudy red and green. Think less 'Santa's grotto' and more 'expensive drinks party'. Amber Silk has a matte metallic finish and combines three subdued tones, each inspired by a different element of the festive season.

The main color is 'warm copper', an orangey shade inspired by "the ember glow of fires" and – less obviously – "the enduring beauty of the season". This is paired with 'pale pink champagne', a sort of dusky pink with obvious festive connections. Finally, continuing on the booze theme, there are mulled wine-inspired 'toasty burgundy' accents on the buttons and switches.

While I do love the tropical blue and orange of my own Airwrap, I can't help but be won over by Dyson's newer, classier color options. At the start of the year, the brand debuted Jasper Plum and Red Velvet & Gold themes – the latter of which is perhaps more obviously festive than the new Amber Silk, but that's by the by. Since then, more options have been added for some stylers, and all of them are firmly in the 'elegant and muted' color camp.

Dyson makes some of the very best hair styling tools on the market, but they come with a high price tag. The subtler color options do feel more premium than the totally tropical tones that came before, and perhaps fit their intended audience a little better.

You can pick up the Amber Silk colorway across most of Dyson's haircare gadgets, including the Airwrap i.d. and its brand new, more powerful sibling, the Airwrap Co-anda2x, the Airstrait wet-to-straight straighteners, and the Supersonic Nural and Supersonic r hair dryers. It's widely available – take a look in the Dyson US, Dyson UK or Dyson Australia stores.

Although it's described as a limited edition, I suspect it'll stick around a while if it proves popular – the previous limited edition colors launched in January and are still available to buy.