The Dyson V16 Piston (and its wet-cleaning Submarine sibling) just hit the scene. It is Dyson’s stickiest stick vacuum yet. It dethroned the Gen5Detect. That model held the “most powerful” title since 2013. The new V16 boasts 315 air watts. Compare that to the Gen5’s 262 AW. It’s a big jump.
But power isn’t everything.
I tested the Submarine version. It comes with a wet cleaner head. The unit features a new “All Floor Cones Sense” cleaner head. This head adapts to soft and hard floors. It worked well in my home. But is newer always better? Not necessarily. The V16 is great. But it is pricey. And the older Gen5Detect still hangs tough. If you just want a Dyson vacuum, you can save money elsewhere. Only buy this if you want the add-ons.
How the All Floor Cones Sense Head Works
The V16 arrives five years after the V15 Detect. That is an eternity in tech years. The “Animal” name? That’s the pet-hair screw tool. It tackles the hair problem.
The real innovation is the All Floor Cones Sense head. It detects surface changes in about one second. Switch from hard floor to rug? The vacuum reacts instantly.
There is feedback built-in. You will see a green dust light on hard floors. On soft floors, suction audibly increases. It is a neat trick. Did it always outperform the old Motorbar head? No. In my testing, the results were mixed.
You can control these modes via the LCD screen. The silver button cycles through Eco, Auto, and Boost. Auto adjusts based on the debris and floor type. The V16 is the only new summer model (alongside the V10 and V8 drops) with that screen.
Dyson also added convenience elsewhere. There are two built-in crevice tools. One sits on the motor. The other on the wand. They are shorter than the main attachment. But you don’t have to dig through a bin to find them. Handy for quick spills.
The dust bin has a compactor tool. It pushes debris down. It helped. I still had to yank out fluff by hand sometimes. Docking stations for self-emptying are coming later this year. They will cost extra. There is a red release lever on the tube, too. Pull it to drop the head without bending. I liked that.
Performance: Raw Power vs. Real World Results
315 AW sounds impressive. It is. But did it outperform the rest of the lineup? Not always.
An early V16 model I tested clogged. The current version did not. I am glad.
The suction was strong. It handled thick rugs and bedroom carpets well. Even after vacuuming the week before, the V16 filled up with dust and hair after two small bedrooms and some stairs. That is decent capacity for the size.
But here is the catch. The cheaper Gen5Detect performed equally well. In some cases, better.
I tested the V16 with sand. It struggled on a thinner rug. It caught less than half the sand. On a thicker rug, it pushed sand into a pile ahead of itself. It did the same thing with cat litter on vinyl planks. A second pass caught it all. But for an expensive machine? I want it right on the first try.
Cheaper vacuums like the Shark PowerDetect Speed ($200 range) handled that sand without issue.
The included Fluffy Optic head is nice. But the All Floor Cones Sense works on hard floors too. You can stick to one head for the whole house. The quick-release tube makes swapping easy anyway.
The Submarine Wet Mopping Experience
The Submarine version adds a wet cleaning head. It costs $120 more. If you need to mop, it is worth it. I was skeptical. I was wrong.
The LCD screen changes when you attach the wet head. You get Basic and Max modes. Basic was plenty for dirty LVP floors. The unit pulls itself forward. Similar to the Dyson Clean+Wash. It makes pushing effortless.
It handled various stains with a few passes. Stubborn spots needed more work. Likely because the roller wasn’t fully saturated yet.
Before you start, roll the head back and forth for 10-20 seconds. Look for consistent water trails. That means it’s ready. I recommend pre-vacuuming with the Fluffy Optic head. The wet head’s debris tray is small. Pre-cleaning keeps the mess manageable.
The tray is fully plastic. Good choice. My old WashG1 had mesh that grew mold. Plastic is easier to clean. After mopping, keep the head flat until you remove the trays. Lift the debris part. Dump the gray water. Do it over a sink or toilet.
Should You Buy the Dyson V16?
If you want the absolute best Dyson stick vacuum, this is it. In comparison testing, it scored high. But you get a better experience with the Gen5Detect and save cash. Neither Dyson model crushed a cheaper Shark in side-by-side sand tests. That makes the splurge harder to justify.
However, if you want the mop head and the future docking station, the V16 makes sense. The Submarine will cost around $1,100 total with those add-ons.
At that price? You could buy a robot vacuum. Dyson even has a Spot+Scrub AI model. It does the same job for just $100 more. And it does it without you lifting a finger.
The V16 is powerful. The HEPA filtration is strong. Good for allergies. The ability to mop and vacuum is novel. But I’m not sold on the price.
If you love the technology, buy it. If you want efficiency without the manual labor? Go robot.
The V16 is impressive. But it leaves you wondering if you really need to hold the wand yourself. Or if the future is just better left to the robots.
