Dyson V15 vs Gen5 Detect: 7 Upgrades, Worth the Money?
By Naila Syifa
Updated August 2024
Dyson Gen5 Detect is currently the latest and most advanced cordless vacuum from Dyson. It offers improvements upon the Dyson V15 Detect in several key areas, but are the upgrades significant and worth the extra investment? Let's dive in and compare the Dyson Gen5 and V15 to see what key differences set them apart!
Key Takeaways
Dyson Gen5 offers 7 improvements over the Dyson V15 Detect: a new motor, 16% more suction power, 10 minutes longer runtime, a virus-trapping HEPA filter, a new display interface that better guides cleaning, a single-click power button instead of a continuously held trigger, and an optional Outsize model for larger bin and wider cleaning head. However, the Gen5 is heavier and is reported to be noisier than the V15.
Dyson V15 Detect
Powerful & Intelligent Cleaning
✓ Dyson Hyperdymium Motor
✓ 240 AW Suction
✓ Dust Illumination
✓ LCD with Particle Count
Dyson Gen5 Detect
Most Advanced Cleaning
✓ Gen5 Hyperdymium Motor
✓ 280 AW Suction
✓ HEPA Filtration
✓ LCD with Particle Count & Guide Bars
#1 Design & Display
Dyson Gen5 Detect
Dyson Gen5 retains the overall design and appearance of its predecessor V15 Detect, featuring a convertible stick/handheld design, a 0.77 L bin with a shoot-and-point emptying mechanism, and an LCD screen that displays the mode, remaining runtime, and real-time performance data. It's just that the Gen5 is heavier and some users report it to be slightly noisier during operation compared to the Dyson V15 Detect.
Both the Dyson V15 and Gen5 Detect feature a piezo sensor, which counts the size and number of each particle collected and then displays this detailed data on the screen. However, both vacuums are different in how they present this data on the display.
Dyson V15 Detect
Dyson V15 shows the particle count in 4 vertical bars (yellow, orange, pink, and purple), with each bar representing a different particle size range. The bar grows as you pick up more particles of that size, providing a real-time visual breakdown of the total debris collected.
In the Gen5 Detect, the total particle count for each size range is displayed as a number on the screen at the end of your cleaning session. During the cleaning process, what's displayed are 4 horizontal bars representing different particle size ranges.
These bars grow and shrink as you clean, and they turn blue when the volume is high, white when the volume is medium, and green when the volume is low. Blue bars are an indication that you should keep cleaning that spot, while green bars are like a 'green light' for you to move on. Such a dynamic display interface is not only more intuitive and user-friendly but also better guides the cleaning process.
Dyson Gen5 Detect
Dyson Gen5 Detect also features a single-button power control. When the power button, located on top of the screen, is pressed once, the vacuum turns on and remains powered until the button is pressed again to turn it off. The Dyson V15 Detect, meanwhile, requires continuously holding down the trigger to keep the vacuum powered on. While it is power-efficient in that the vacuum only runs when the trigger is held, it can be more tiring for the user's hand during longer cleaning sessions.
Another thing to be taken into consideration is that the Dyson Gen5 is also available in the Outsize variant, offering a 150% bigger bin and 25% wider cleaner head than the standard Dyson Gen5 Detect. It can be an option for users who have larger homes or need to clean for longer periods without emptying the bin.
#2 Features
Dyson Gen5 Detect
Dyson Gen5 and V15 Detect offer two interchangeable cleaning heads: the Digital Motorbar cleaner head that de-tangles hair and adjusts suction power based on different floor types, and the Fluffy Optic cleaner head that provides illumination to reveal hidden dust and dirt on hard floors.
Both vacuums have 3 cleaning modes: Eco mode for maximum runtime, Auto mode that automatically adjusts suction power based on the level of dirt collected, and Boost mode for maximum suction power. When a non-motorized tool (like a crevice tool) is attached, the Auto mode will be replaced by Medium mode, which provides a balance of suction power and runtime.
The difference in cleaning performance between the two comes down to the difference in the motor. Dyson Gen5 Detect is equipped with the newer Gen5 Hyperdymium motor, which generates up to 280 AW suction power. That is 16% more than the 240 AW suction power of the Dyson V15 Detect, which is powered by the older-generation Hyperdymium motor.
While both vacuums have 14 cyclones that generate up to 100,000g of centrifugal force to capture fine dust, the Dyson Gen5 Detect is also equipped with a virus-trapping HEPA filter that captures 99.99% of particles as small as 0.1 microns. The same HEPA filtration is also offered by the Dyson V15 Detect Absolute, but the standard V15 Detect variant only offers whole-machine filtration that captures 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns.
#3 Battery
Dyson V15 Detect
Dyson Gen5 Detect also offers an improvement in terms of battery. At 70 minutes of runtime in the Eco mode, the Gen5 Detect provides 10 minutes more runtime than the Dyson V15 Detect's 60 minutes, so you can clean for longer without interruption. Note that the actual runtime may vary depending on the settings, dust level, floor type, or attachments used.
Dyson V15 vs Gen5 Detect
Final Thoughts
Dyson Gen5 Detect
Overall the Dyson Gen5 offers at least 7 improvements over the Dyson V15 Detect.
1. Dyson Gen5 has a Gen5 Hyperdymium motor compared to the standard Hyperdymium motor in the V15
2. Dyson Gen5 boasts 280 AW suction power, which is 16% more powerful than the 240 AW suction power of the V15
3. Dyson Gen5 has 70 minutes of runtime, which is 10 minutes longer than the 60 minutes runtime of the V15
4. Dyson Gen5 has a HEPA filter that traps 0.1 µm particles, including viruses, while the filtration system of the V15 traps 0.3 µm particles, excluding viruses
5. Dyson Gen5's display does not only display the total particles collected but also provides more dynamic color bars that guide the cleaning process. Dyson V15 doesn't display guiding bars but only the total particle count in different size ranges.
6. Dyson Gen5 has a single-click button power control instead of the continuously held trigger on the V15.
7. Dyson Gen5 is available in an Outsize variant with a 150% larger bin and 25% wider cleaner head for larger homes or longer cleaning sessions.
In conclusion, the upgrades in the Dyson Gen5 Detect over the V15 Detect appear to be significant and worth the extra investment for users who value the improved suction power, runtime, filtration, and user-friendly interface. However, if the higher price tag is a concern, the Dyson V15 Detect still offers excellent cleaning performance and many of the same core features at a lower cost.
If you like to read more about Dyson cordless vacuums, check out our other relevant guides here:
Dyson V11 vs V12
Dyson V11 vs V15
Dyson V12 vs V15
Dyson Gen5 Detect vs Absolute
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