Dyson V15 Submarine Review: Wet and Dry Cordless Vacuum Worth It?

Cleaning your floors used to mean grabbing two separate tools. You pulled out a vacuum for dust. Then you carried out a mop and bucket for spills. Dyson wants to end that hassle with one machine.

The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine combines a powerful cordless stick vacuum with a wet mopping head. It promises to vacuum dry debris and wash hard floors in a single pass. That sounds bold, especially for a vacuum that costs over a thousand dollars.

I spent weeks testing this machine on hardwood, tile, carpet, and stubborn kitchen spills. This review breaks down the real performance, the smart features, and the small flaws you should know. Keep reading to learn if the V15 Submarine deserves a spot in your closet.

In a Nutshell: Quick Takeaways Before You Buy

Here is the short version for shoppers who want the facts fast.

• All in one cleaner: The V15s Submarine vacuums dry messes and washes hard floors with three swappable cleaner heads in one machine.
• Strong suction power: It delivers up to 240 air watts of suction, which testers measured as more than double the cordless average.
• Smart laser detection: A green laser on the Fluffy Optic head reveals tiny dust that you cannot see with the naked eye.
• Long battery life: You get up to 60 minutes of runtime on Eco mode with the included swappable battery.
• Piezo sensor counts dust: A built in sensor displays particle counts on the LCD screen so you know when a spot is clean.
• Premium price tag: The Submarine sits at the top of the cordless market with a list price near $1,049, which makes alternatives worth considering.

Now let me walk you through every part of this vacuum in detail.

What Makes the Dyson V15s Submarine Different

The V15s Submarine is the first Dyson cordless vacuum with a true wet mopping head. Earlier V15 models only handled dry debris. This new model adds the Submarine wet roller head that washes sealed hard floors.

The wet head holds clean water in one tank and dirty water in another. It releases a thin film of water onto a microfiber roller. The roller scrubs the floor while the dirty water gets squeezed into a separate chamber.

This separation matters. Older wet mops push dirty water around the floor. The Submarine pulls dirty water away from the surface, so each pass uses fresh water.

You also get two dry cleaner heads in the box. One is the Fluffy Optic head for hard floors with a green laser. The other is the Digital Motorbar for carpets and rugs. Switching heads takes a few seconds.

The vacuum body looks similar to the V15 Detect. The yellow accents are brighter, and the LCD screen still shows particle counts and remaining runtime. The total package gives you one machine that replaces a vacuum, a dust mop, and a wet mop.

Unboxing and What You Get in the Box

The V15s Submarine arrives in a tall Dyson box with foam inserts. Inside, you will find the main vacuum body, the wand, three cleaner heads, and a wall dock. Dyson also includes a charger and a small set of tool attachments.

The combination tool covers crevices and dusting. The hair screw tool grabs pet hair from soft furniture. There is also a stubborn dirt brush for baked on messes.

Setting up the vacuum takes about ten minutes. You snap the dock to the wall with screws. Then you place the vacuum on the dock and plug in the charger. The first full charge takes around four and a half hours.

One thing I liked: the Submarine head sits on its own small tray to drain after use. You should never store a wet roller while it is still soaked. The tray catches drips while the roller dries.

The user guide is short but clear. Dyson explains every head, every tool, and every button without confusing jargon. New owners can start cleaning the same day the box arrives.

Vacuum Performance on Hard Floors

The Fluffy Optic head is the star of hard floor cleaning. A bright green laser shines forward and lights up dust that you cannot normally see. Once you turn the laser on, you cannot unsee how much dust your floors hide.

The soft roller picks up fine flour, sand, oats, and cereal with ease. I tested a quarter cup of spilled coffee grounds, and the vacuum lifted every single particle in one pass. No streaks, no scattered debris, no need to repeat the area.

The piezo sensor counts dust particles as you clean. The LCD screen shows live counts in four size categories. When the counts drop to zero, you know the floor is truly clean.

Suction stays strong on Auto mode. The vacuum increases power when it detects more dust and drops power when the floor is clean. This saves battery life without losing performance.

The only weak spot is hair wrapping. Long human hair can still tangle around the brush bar over time, even though Dyson redesigned the bristles. A quick cleaning every few weeks keeps the head spinning smoothly.

Vacuum Performance on Carpet

The Digital Motorbar head handles carpets, rugs, and large area mats. The brush bar has stiff nylon bristles and conical anti tangle teeth. These teeth force long hair off the brush and into the bin.

On low pile carpet, the Submarine pulls embedded dirt from deep in the fibers. I tested with a teaspoon of baking soda pressed into a rug, and the vacuum cleared 99 percent in two passes. That is excellent for a cordless model.

High pile carpet is harder to clean with any cordless vacuum. The Submarine still does well, though it pushes a bit on thick shag. Boost mode helps when carpets are very dirty, but it drains the battery faster.

Pet owners will like the anti tangle design. I tested with a handful of dog hair pressed into a rug, and the brush bar pulled it all into the bin without tangling once. That is a huge time saver for homes with shedding pets.

The vacuum body sits balanced in your hand even at full power. Your wrist will not get tired during a quick cleanup. For long sessions on big carpets, you may feel some strain, since the V15s weighs about 7.8 pounds with the wand attached.

The Submarine Wet Roller Head Explained

The Submarine head is where this vacuum earns its name. It looks like a small barrel with a soft microfiber roller on the bottom. Inside, two tanks hold clean and dirty water separately.

You fill the clean water tank with tap water. The head releases a thin, controlled stream of water onto the roller as you push it forward. The wet roller scrubs the floor without flooding it.

Here is the smart part. A plate behind the roller squeezes used water into a sealed dirty tank. The floor dries within minutes because only a small amount of water touches the surface at any time.

I cleaned dried orange juice, coffee splashes, and muddy footprints on tile. The Submarine removed every mess in one or two passes without leaving streaks. It will not scrub baked on stains that have sat for weeks, but it handles daily messes with ease.

The dirty water tank is sealed with rubber gaskets. You can carry it to the sink without dripping. Cleaning the head after use takes about two minutes if you rinse the roller and empty both tanks right away.

Battery Life and Charging Times

Battery life is one of the best features on this vacuum. The swappable battery delivers up to 60 minutes of runtime on Eco mode. That is enough for most homes to be cleaned on one charge.

Auto mode gives you around 40 to 45 minutes in real use. Boost mode drops to about 10 minutes because the motor runs at full strength. Most cleaning sessions will mix Auto with short Boost bursts on dirty spots.

The swappable design is a big upgrade. If you need more time, you can buy a second battery and swap it in seconds. No more waiting hours to finish the basement.

Charging takes about four and a half hours from empty. The wall dock charges the battery while it sits on the vacuum. You can also remove the battery and charge it on a counter or shelf.

The LCD screen counts down remaining minutes in real time. That removes the guesswork from cordless cleaning. You know exactly when to switch modes or grab a second battery.

Top 3 Alternatives for Dyson V15 Submarine

If the Dyson V15s Submarine feels too expensive, these three machines give you most of the experience for less money.

The Shark PowerDetect brings strong suction and floor detection at a lower price. The Tineco Floor One S5 focuses on wet dry cleaning for hard floors only. The LG CordZero A9 offers two batteries in the box for very long runtime. Each of these models trades a few Dyson features for a friendlier price tag.

Smart Features and the LCD Display

The LCD screen on the back of the vacuum is the brain of the machine. It shows live data while you clean. The screen displays current power mode, remaining runtime, and dust particle counts.

The particle counter is more than a gimmick. It tells you when an area is finished. You stop guessing and start trusting the data.

The screen also warns you about blockages. If something gets stuck in the wand, a small animation shows you where to look. That saves you from taking the whole vacuum apart.

You can scroll through menus with a small toggle button. The menus include filter status, performance reports, and language settings. The display is bright enough to read in dim hallways.

The piezo sensor sits behind the bin. It vibrates when dust hits it and counts each particle by size. This level of feedback is unique to high end Dyson models. Cheaper vacuums simply do not offer this kind of insight.

Emptying the Bin and Cleaning the Filter

The bin on the V15s Submarine holds about 0.2 gallons of dry debris. That is enough for several rooms before you need to empty it. The point and shoot release sends dust straight into a trash bag with no touching.

You pull a red lever, and a plunger pushes the dust out. No hands ever enter the bin. This is one of my favorite Dyson features, especially for allergy sufferers.

The HEPA filter sits at the top of the vacuum. Dyson says the filter captures particles as small as 0.1 microns. You should rinse the filter once a month under cold water and let it dry for 24 hours.

The filter is easy to remove. You twist it counterclockwise, lift it out, and rinse. No tools needed. Buying a new filter every year keeps the suction strong.

The wet head needs more care. You should rinse the roller after every use and empty the dirty water tank right away. Letting dirty water sit will create odors and stain the roller.

Build Quality and Design

The V15s Submarine feels solid in the hand. The plastic is thick, and the joints feel tight. The trigger is comfortable to hold for long sessions because Dyson kept the same lock on switch from earlier models.

You no longer need to squeeze the trigger the whole time. Push a small button, and the vacuum runs on its own. This single change makes Dyson vacuums far more comfortable to use.

The wand and heads click into place with a satisfying snap. Nothing wobbles or feels loose, even after months of use. The wall dock is sturdy and holds the vacuum securely.

The vacuum weighs about 7.8 pounds in full stick form. That is heavier than some competitors, but the weight balances well over the head. Most users do not feel the weight during normal cleaning.

The yellow and nickel color scheme looks modern. Some people find it too bold, while others love how easy it is to spot in a closet. Dyson does not offer other color options for the Submarine model.

Real World Use in a Family Home

I tested the V15s Submarine in a home with two dogs, three children, and a mix of hardwood, tile, and carpet. The vacuum handled every mess from cereal on the kitchen floor to mud in the entryway. It earned a permanent spot in our main closet.

The Submarine head shined during breakfast cleanups. Splashed milk and sticky jelly came up in a single pass. I no longer pulled out paper towels and a separate spray bottle.

For pet hair on the couch, the hair screw tool worked better than any vacuum I have used. The cone shaped brush pulled hair off the cushions without tangling once. My couch looked new again after one cleaning session.

The laser head changed how I think about clean floors. Floors I thought were spotless turned out to hide thousands of dust particles. Once you see the laser, you can never go back to vacuums without one.

The only annoyance is storage. The Submarine head and the dry heads take up space, and the dock only holds one head at a time. You will need a small shelf or basket for the spare heads.

Pros and Cons of the Dyson V15s Submarine

Every vacuum has strengths and weaknesses. Here is the honest breakdown after weeks of testing.

The pros include very strong suction, a true wet dry design, a smart laser head, a particle counter, a swappable battery, and a HEPA filter. The build quality and accessories also feel premium from start to finish.

The cons include a very high price, a heavy stick form, a small dry bin, and a wet head that needs cleaning after every use. The Submarine head also does not scrub baked on or dried messes well.

Who should buy it? Homes with mixed flooring, families with kids or pets, and anyone who wants the latest cleaning technology will love this machine.

Who should skip it? Renters with small apartments, people who only have carpet, or shoppers on a tight budget. The standard V15 Detect or a Shark model will save you hundreds of dollars in those cases.

The Submarine is a luxury tool. It does its job better than almost any single machine on the market. The price is the only thing holding it back from being a clear winner for everyone.

Final Verdict: Is the Dyson V15s Submarine Worth It

The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is the most complete cordless cleaning tool I have ever tested. It vacuums dry messes with class leading power. It washes hard floors with smart water control. It tells you exactly how clean your home is using real data.

The price is steep at over a thousand dollars. But you are paying for three machines in one body. A separate cordless vacuum, a hard floor mop, and a wet vacuum would cost about the same combined.

If you have the budget and want the best, the V15s Submarine is a smart buy. Mixed flooring homes will get the most value. Carpet only homes will not need the wet head and should look at the standard V15 Detect instead.

I recommend this vacuum to anyone who wants one tool for every floor type. The learning curve is small. The performance is high. The cleaning time saved adds up fast.

After weeks of use, my older vacuum and my old mop stayed in the closet. The Submarine replaced both. That alone tells you how good this machine really is.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the Dyson V15s Submarine vacuum and mop at the same time?

No, the V15s Submarine does not vacuum and mop in the same pass. You swap the dry head for the wet Submarine head when you want to wash floors. The wet head only mops; it does not vacuum dry debris at the same time.

Does the Submarine head work on carpet?

The wet Submarine head is only for sealed hard floors like tile, vinyl, and finished hardwood. Never use it on carpet or rugs. Use the Digital Motorbar head for carpets and the Fluffy Optic head for dry hard floor cleaning.

How long does the battery last on the V15s Submarine?

The battery lasts up to 60 minutes on Eco mode with no powered attachment. Auto mode delivers around 40 to 45 minutes. Boost mode drops to about 10 minutes of high power suction.

Can you replace the battery on the V15s Submarine?

Yes, the battery is fully swappable. You can buy a second battery from Dyson and switch them in seconds. This is a big upgrade over older Dyson models with fixed batteries.

Is the Dyson V15s Submarine worth the price?

It depends on your home and budget. Homes with mixed flooring and pets get the most value. Carpet only homes or budget shoppers should look at the standard V15 Detect or alternatives like the Shark PowerDetect or Tineco Floor One.

How do you clean the Submarine wet head?

Empty the dirty water tank after every use. Rinse the microfiber roller under warm water. Place the roller on the included tray to air dry for several hours. Cleaning takes about two minutes total.

Does the laser on the Fluffy Optic head really help?

Yes, the green laser reveals fine dust that is hard to see in normal light. You will catch dust you would otherwise miss. Most users say the laser is one of the best features on any Dyson vacuum.

Last update on 2026-06-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API