I tested the V12 Detect Slim- Dyson's most powerful, lightweight vacuum

29 February 2024 , 16:34

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The new Dyson V12 Detect Slim

I've been testing Dyson's latest compact cordless vacuum cleaner, the V12 Detect Slim Absolute, and it's been remarkable to see how far cleaning technology has come.

The V12 Detect Slim bundles in all the latest gadgets Dyson has developed, including its clever "Piezo sensor", which I'll come back to in a moment, but one of its best features is its physical size and weight.

As its name might suggest, it's very slim. The main unit itself feels nice in the hand, balanced well against the long tube that attaches to an array of included accessories, and there's a comprehensive display giving you information about the mode you're in, how much battery power you have left, and it gives you a basic indication of how long your battery might last in each mode.

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The battery, incidentally, is said to be good for up to 60 minutes, and it's "fade-free" which means the motor won't slow down and you won't lose suction as it nears empty.

It's really the bulkiest bit of the main unit, because everything else feels so compact and, er... Slim.

Its light weight is one of the V12's best features

What's also slim is the waste container. It's easily opened and emptied, but because of the size of the cyclone that sits within the container there's only a 0.35 litre capacity, so you might find you're emptying it quite often if you're doing a deep clean.

But that's really where the issues end. The accessories it comes with include a rotating cleaner for hard floors called a "fluffy optic", and there's a carpet-cleaning head that automatically detangles pet hair.

There's also a brush nozzle, which you'd expect to find, along with the all-important crevice tool. Both of these can be fitted straight to the body of the vacuum if you want to shorten it to squeeze into tight places, like a car interior, for example.

A small waste container is one of the few downsides of the Detect Slim

But there's more. depending on how much you pay for your V12, you can get a choice of a bundle of accessories, and these can include a Hair Screw tool, which is basically a small rotating head, conical in shape, that's specifically designed for dog hair. Ideal for a bed, for example. But also handy on car seats, I've found.

So let me explain how the Piezo sensor works. Because this is where it gets really clever. Dyson has created a technology that scans the floor you're working on, and it detects dirt and dust particles by illuminating them, and then it constantly adjusts its filtration system to make sure it's picking them up.

This remarkable system provides you with constant reports of how well it's performing, by plotting a graph on the display. It's an interesting thing to follow, but you soon find yourself ignoring it and just trusting the process.

A graph constantly shows you what particles are being sucked up

The more you use the V12 the more neat features you spot. Anyone who has used one of the previous iterations of the cordless vacuums will remember the trigger control that you have to keep pressed to run the vacuum. This has gone from the V12, and it's been replaced with a much more useful on/off button on the top of the unit.

It is, then, an incredibly competent and powerful device, which just shows what Dyson is capable of when it comes to designing clever cleaning tech. It's their most powerful cordless vacuum, but also their lightest.

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And that light weight really has been the stand-out feature for me. It weighs just 2.2kg, which is significantly lighter than Dyson's flagship vacuum, the V15. The fact that it's slim matters less, to be honest, and it just results in an annoyingly small waste bin.

Lots of accessories are available

But in just about every other way, the V12 Slim Detect is a top performer. Go for the Absolute version if you have pets, you won't regret that, even though it adds £100 to the price, it comes with plenty of useful accessories.

The price, incidentally, is currently £429.99, including a £50 saving with a deal that's on right now. If you want more accessories, there's a £529 option. Here's one at Curry's. Although we did find one with the complete accessory pack priced at £499 from Donaghy Brothers, which seems like a really good deal.

Compare prices to the V15, which starts at £599 (if you catch a £100 discount offer), and it's arguably the best model to go for. It's just as powerful, but lighter and smaller.

Packing so much power into such a lightweight frame has made the V12 stand out in the Dyson line up as it is, but bundling in the trick technology and and offering a few really useful accessories makes it one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners out there. If not the best full stop.

Gareth Butterfield