Dyson Gen5detect stick vacuum review

Dyson is on a roll with new products… its latest stick vac is the Dyson Gen5detect. With a more colourful new look, the same basic design with a few updates, plus laser targeting… you could call this the X-Wing fighter of vacuums. I recently got my hands on one of these vacuums on loan from Dyson to test and review in my home for about two weeks. In this hands-on review I’ll talk about some of the new attachments and innovations in this particular version, what sets it apart from other recent Dyson vacuum offerings, how well it cleans and how long it runs for, and if overall I think it’s a wise investment for your home.

What is Dyson Gen5detect?

Dyson’s Gen5detect is a compact, cordless, laser-sighted stick vacuum that’s designed to be a more light and portable option, since it’s smaller than the Gen5 OUtsize. This version weighs about 7 pounds and is made for “heavy duty performance”, according to Dyson.

My hands-on video review

It has a modestly sized dustbin and comes with several cleaning heads, which we’ll get to, and it has a removable rechargeable battery with up to 60 minutes of runtime.
Comparing it to the V12 Slim, you can see the Gen5detect is a bit bigger overall.

Gen5detect (top) and V12 Slim (below).

What’s in the box?

In the box you get a lot of attachments; there’s the main vacuum handle with integrated dustbin and built in lifetime washable HEPA filter, plus a small screen is also built into the back to show a battery countdown timer, and different cleaning modes as well as a list of particles being sucked into the filter, similar to Dyson’s purifiers.

There are three main cleaning heads, and several accessories:

Detangling Motorbar cleaning head

You could call this the main vacuum head, and while it’s the same size in width as the other head (below) it’s a bit bigger in diameter. It’s able to automatically adjust power on different floor types, meaning you can deep clean between carpet and hard floor without having to change accessories. Plus it has special de-tangling properties. You’ll see what are known as Hair Removal Vanes that from my previous experience reviewing Dyson vacuums, are very effective at combing any hair out of the brushes.

Laser Slim Fluffy cleaner head

Clockwise from left: main motorbar head, hair screw tool, laser slim fluffy head.

If Jarjar Binks got on your nerves, maybe George Lucas could adopt Laser Slim Fluffy into the Star Wars Universe. With its Astronaut-meets-puppy dog name, this brush sounds fun to use, and it is, because it has the lasers.

The brush is padded and fluffy, and it’s made specifically for wood and tile floors, because those furry rollers can trap finer particles of dust thanks thanks in part to the fluff and anti-static fibres.

Let’s get to the lasers…When powered on, the head shoots out a horizontal green laser light that shines across floors, and reflects off particles so you can see them better. More on how this works in a minute…

Hair screw tool

The hair screw tool is made for homes with pets and long haired folks. The small cone-shaped brush bar not only better picks up long hair or pet hair, but its shape is made to prevent hair, thread, and fibres from wrapping around the roller and creating tangles. Hair will magically work its way off the brush and into the dustbin.

Hidden Crevice tool and brush

A very cool new feature of this vacuum is the hidden crevice tool with brush. Dyson has built the crevice tool to live inside the extension tube so it’s always with you. You just press the release button on the tube and slide the tube off. This is actually a pretty genius design trick and it means one less accessory to misplace.

Other attachments

Dyson includes other attachments and accessories including a Combination Tool with brush and some mounting hardware.

All the parts (including the filter) are washable

Battery life and charging

The battery life on this vacuum is pretty good; you should get 70 minutes of run time on a charge (up from the V12’s 60 minutes). Fully charging one of the batteries will take a lengthy 4.5 hours, and that hasn’t been improved on since the V12.

Your battery life is displayed on the rear screen when the vacuum is running.

Continuous power button

Dyson has been playing around with its power button configuration. While earlier models used a trigger that you needed to pull and hold the entire time you’re cleaning, newer models are using a continuous power button.

I love the idea of continuous power since it does make vacuuming easier, but I don’t like the new location of the button or its size. It’s a small button on the very back of the vacuum. Dyson moved it from the V12 Slim, where it was larger and on the side of the bin. It’s still it’s awkward to push, and you need another hand to engage it. I’m still waiting for a simple locking trigger.

Filtration data

Another feature that makes a return is the data you get about what your vacuum is picking up. On the rear info screen you can see a count and analysis of the size of dust particles that are coming in via Dyson’s filtration system. Dyson says the filter traps 99.99% of microscopic particles and allergens as small as 0.3 microns.

Cleaning with Dyson Gen5detect

Dyson has designed this vacuum to be used a both a stick vacuum for flors and as a handheld for smaller areas or the car, since all the attachments plug into the bottom of the extension tube or right into the dustbin.

The accessories and brush/roller heads click in and out easily with no pulling or tugging.

I tested the vacuum out in my home and ran it through a series of tests. I used it around the house whenever I needed to vacuum to see how easy it was to carry and how effective it was at general household cleaning. I also created several specific cleaning tests for it where I spells different size things like flour, oatmeal, rice, and crackers on both carpet and hard floors.

Vacuuming on carpet

The Dyson Gen5detect vacuumed all the surfaces of my home really well: it definitely powers dirt out of carpets and it gets rid of pet hair well.

On carpet it was extremely good at vacuuming up each of my test spells, getting pretty much 100% of the debris in a single pass.

It wowed my hubby when he finally decided to vacuum his office.  I also used the hair screw tool to vacuum a dog bed… and one dog’s favourite chair.

In the review video you can see the before…with lots of hair stuck to the fabric. Just a few runs with the Gen5Detect and I was impressed with how well it worked. Same story with the hair screw tool conquering the dog hair that accumulates on the stairs… and no hair all tangled up in the brush after all that.

Dyson vacuum stops on flat rugs?

One thing I did find with my Dysons is that on flat rugs , they strangely stop spinning. I think that these lighter rugs get pulled up into the rollers a bit and stall the cleaning head.

I spent some time looking into this and it seems if you adjust the small lever on the front of the main motorbar vaccum head, that can prevent it from stalling out. It worked for me!

Auto mode is helpful

Do you use the vacuum in auto mode, it will automatically adjust it suction depending on how dirty the area is, and if you’re vacuuming on carpet or hardwood floors. This feature works really well and means you can get more cleaning done in fewer passes.

Vacuuming on hard floors

On hard floors, it easily pulls up pet hair, crumbs, lint and dust. The cleaner head is also small enough to fit under kick plates in the kitchen and can slip under things like sofas and beds easily too.

Does the Dyson Laser vacuum work?

The Laser Slim Fluffy cleaner head does a great job at finding and lighting up all kinds of dirt on the floor. It’s actually kind of shocking that you can look at your floor and think it’s pretty clean, then you hit it with the laser light and realize you’re living in a pig sty.

The laser does an amazing job of illuminating dirt I definitely could not see. It cuts across the floor’s surface at an oblique angle which is perfect for making dirt specks and even tiny dust puffs light up like beacons. It really makes hard-to-spot dirt easy to see, both in low light and bright rooms.

The Hair Screw tool also worked outstandingly well. After using it on a dog bed, furniture, and then even testing it on carpet, the conical brush has absolutely zero hair wrapped around it.

Emptying the bin

One of the nice features about the Dyson Gen5detect that carries over from other Dyson vacuums is the ‘point and shoot’ bin emptying feature. After detaching your tools, the lever gets a push to flip open the bottom of the dustbin, and all the dirt falls right into the garbage.

Overall review: Dyson Gen5detect

Overall, Dyson Gen5detect is easily the best compact stick vacuum you can buy.

When it comes to the pros: it has powerful suction, has automatically adjustable suction, and you get all the cleaning tools you need in the box. I also love the new hidden crevice tool and brush.

The runtime has been improved and the laser sighting works wonders on floors, plus the new Hair Screw Tool is genius for homes with pets and long haired humans. And when it comes to the cleaning power and suction it’s dynamite.

So what are the downsides? The biggest cons for me are the power button size and placement and it does take half a day to recharge. Also, another downside I hear about is the price and yes, it is expensive.

Dyson vacuums will cost you top dollar because Dyson invests a lot into its vacuums. I have reviewed possibly up to a dozen Dyson products and I can say they are all extremely long lasting and durable, they work well, and they’re the kind of device you’re probably own for most of your lifetime.

If you need a stick vacuum with the power of an upright, plus the power to transform to a handheld, I can absolutely recommend the Dyson Gen5detect for you.
Dyson Gen5detect sells for about $1199CAD/$949USD. You can get it from Dyson.

I’m excited to continue to get my hands on Dyson’s new products including their new purifiers, two robot vacuums and hair tools too. On the top of my list are the new Dyson Submarine, which should launch in the fall 2023, and the VisNav robot which apparently has twice the suction of any other robot vacuum.