Dyson stick vacuum cleaners: Suction, specs, and accessories compared

Dyson currently has three Gen5 models available, the Detect, Outsize Absolute, and Outsize Complete. They all have an estimated 70 minute run time on the lowest setting and HEPA filtering, but then they all divert off in their own directions.

Detect comes with the Fluffy Optic cleaner head that has a green laser to help you see more dirt and debris, the Outsize has a 1.9L dust bin, and the Absolute has both of these features but less accessories.

Here are how the three compare;

The Complete will get you the most bang for your buck, provided you're okay with a smaller dustbin. On the other hand, if you want a larger compartment you'll be better off parting with the extra $50 and going for the Complete package. Not only do you get the freestanding Floor Dok (read floor dock), but you also get that little bit extra suction power.

There are four V8 models to choose from, that all have the same battery life and 115 air watt suction power. Once again we see the differences creep in when it comes to accessories and HEPA filtering.

The original V8 is now out of stock, but when you could get it it came with three extra accessories and a 0.54L bin volume. The Origin Extra also has the same bin volume and three accessories, although some of these are different to the V8. Rather than the Hair Screw Tool, you'll get the Mini Soft Dusting Brush. 

After that comes just the Extra, which has four accessories including the Hair Screw Tool plus a Low Reach Adaptor. This low reach adaptor lets the device bend at a 90 degree angle so you can get underneath furniture without bending over.

Finally there is the V8 Absolute with HEPA filtering, which also comes with four accessories, but subs out the Adaptor for an extra Fluffy Cleaner Head.

Unsurprisingly, the most expensive option - V8 Absolute - will get you the most versatile cleaning experience. For those looking to spend less, and who don't have pets roaming around, the V8 Origin Extra is worth considering. While the Hair Screw Tool is nice to have, in our testing we found that it didn't work that well against animal fur, and forgoing it can save you $150.

Pickings start to slim down around the V10 range, with only two options for Cyclone series. Both the V10 and the V10 Absolute have the 60 minds battery life, 150AW of suction, and a 0.77L bin volume. Once again the two are seperated only by the included accessories.

The standard V10 has a Crevice and a Combo tool, while the Absolute has the Hair Screw Tool and the Fluffy Cleaner Head as well.

Decision making is a bit easier across this range. If you have hard floors then the Fluffy cleaner head will be worth having, but if your home is primarily carpet then you can save yourself some money and go for the OG V10.

For some reason the V11 didn't get the same treatment as its siblings - there is but one model available, and it is entirely outside of Dyson's usual protocols.

The V11 Advanced has 200AW of suction, 60 mins battery life, an LCD screen, and three attachments for the $1,199 price tag. This makes is more powerful than the V10 Cyclone series, but you don't have the option to tack on extra accessories.

Here is what the price will get you;

With the V12 family came the Detect and the Slim series, made for a more granular look at your floors without any extra weight. There are two options to choose from here, either the Absolute or the Complete.

The Detect feature comes in the form of the Fluffy Optic brush head which uses a beam of green light to surface microscopic dust. When we tested the V12 Detect Slim it triggered my morbid curiosity, and consequently resulted in some shockingly clean floors. Both have 150AW, which is a bit less power than previous models, and small 0.35L dustbins - that is the trade-off for the slim design. After that the differences lay in accessories and HEPA filtering.

When it comes to the V12 range, the upgrade to the Complete package is worth the $50. For that you'll get HEPA filtering and the Floor Dok which is a more renter friendly storage option.

The hero feature of the Omni-glide is Dyson's omnidirectional cleaner head. Made for hard floors it uses two microfibre rollers to pick up debris, and has a 360 degree swivel to make it easier to turn tight corners. This same swivel head lets the vacuum fold down flat so you can get underneath furniture without the flexibile adaptor we saw back in the V8 models. We see this same technology pop back up in the Wash G1 - Dyson's first fancy mop.

There is only one option in the Omni-glide, and apart from its flexibility it is a hard sell. The device only has 20 minutes of battery life, a 0.2L tank, and just 50AW of power. It also has a whole other set of accessories from the rest of the team - apart from the Fluffy head cleaner, it has a combination crevice and dusting tool, and a mini motorised tool for smaller surfaces.