On trial: Dyson’s v15s Detect Submarine

I didn’t need the Met Office to tell me it’s been the wettest winter since records began. My kitchen floor could have confirmed that. With the menagerie of animals on our small-holding requiring constant attention, it’s been a daily battle to hold back the tide of dirt dragged in by the dog, the children, the accidentally hatched chicks who had to be overwintered indoors (don’t ask) and the occasional goat (I refer you to my previous brackets).

So I genuinely couldn’t be more motivated to put Dyson’s latest invention, the v15s Detect Submarine - a vacuum that mops no less - through its paces.

I’m no stranger to the charms of Dyson’s floor sweeping technology. Last year I road-tested and fell in love with the Gen5detect with it's Fluffy Optic cleaning head that lights your way as you vacuum. The Detect Submarine comes with the same high-tech heads and functionality as the Gen5detect, but also features the Submarine Wet Roller Head - a soft microfibre roller and a self-contained water reservoir that not only picks up dry debris but also handles wet cleaning, dispensing water directly onto the roller for efficient mopping.

What’s so smart about this system is that it sucks up particles as you mop, so there’s no need for sweeping or vacuuming first. What’s more, it leaves the floor so much drier than a mop and bucket which is great on my teak wood floors and means I’m not slopping about in wet socks as I wait for the kitchen floor to dry.

I also love it for speed cleaning before guests arrive or when a wet dog/chick/goat pads across a freshly mopped floor, both scenarios that would, in the past, have left me wild with frustration.

Should the Fluffy Optic head’s light not be providing you with enough data on how clean your floors are becoming, the Submarine has an LCD screen that literally counts the particles you are sucking up, from the chunky dust you can see, to the microscopic particles you can’t. It also shows you which power mode you are in, with eco, medium, and boost on offer as well as auto which uses the piezo sensor to assess how grimy your floors are and adjust the motor’s speed accordingly (permanent boost mode for me, then).

On eco mode you’ll get 60 minutes of fade-free floor cleaning on a single charge and it takes about 4.5 hours to re-up, although this model has a removable battery so smart cookies can invest in a spare.

As with all Dyson handhelds, its bagless technology means you simply open and empty the bin once it’s full and clean the filter under running water once every month or so depending on use. The Submarine Wet Roller Head will need rinsing every time it’s used as will the cassette that catches the dirty water, but this isn’t tricky or time-consuming.

Look, I’m not going to tell you that £800 for a vacuum (even one that mops) isn’t a hefty investment, but I can tell you that the Submarine delivers on its promised performance. And if having a flawlessly clean floor is directly related to your state of mind - as it is with mine, this emotional support appliance is worth every penny.

★★★★★