Dyson Gen5Detect Review – Their latest vacuum reeks of innovation

Dyson’s latest top of the line vacuum isn’t just a new model, it doesn’t just have better suction and a few new features. There’s something innovative about this thing from top to bottom.

Gone is the V series naming, after many years it’s time for something new, so with the launch of a new motor (the Gen5), this model carries that name, though I don’t know how they differentiate year to year if the Gen 5 is going to serve a few years in the model range. But we’ll worry about that next year.

That new motor is tiny, but spins at up to 135,000 RPM – that’s way beyond the red-line of a race car – and like nine times an F1 car!

The shorter shaft on the Gen5 motor plus some more design and engineering around it makes the whole thing more compact, and ensures maximum power and efficiency.

While many vacuums now, even far cheaper ones, have HEPA filters, Dyson doesn’t use that term. Because the Gen5 has a HEPA filter, but Dyson reckon that many vacuums with HEPA filters still allow particles out of the system, where as the Dyson Gen5 Detect has HEPA filtration, referring to the whole system. It’s a nuance, but for people suffering allergies – could be a massive deal.

While we’re up the brainy end of the unit, the handle, the screen on the back of the device still shows particle counts and inside the device still detects high levels of debris and increases the speed accordingly. But now, instead of the graphs of particle counts moving up, they now move down. A simple thing, but it allows you to really quickly and easily see if you’ve cleaned up. Look down and see colour, there’s still particles there. See all grey lines – you’re nailing it.

Oh and the handle, has no trigger. Yep, while on all previous models you’d hold the trigger to keep the power on, Dyson has gone back to the old ball vacuum concept of power it on and go. Power it off when done. Similar on many competitor models, but I suspect Dyson has moved this way with better batteries, battery efficiency and less use of MAX MODE by users now relying on the machine to decide how fast it should run.

I found the button to be strangely placed, requiring a second hand to operate while you hold the unit, and while that sounds ridiculous, it’s just a huge break from the norm so if this is your second or third Dyson stick – be warned, it takes some getting used to.

The Party trick that I think deserves the Dyson engineering award for 2022 (which I’m sure goes to the Gen5 motor creator, but seriously, hear me out), is the vacuum shaft. You know, the barrel of the vacuum is there, and you plug the long shaft with the spinning vacuum head in for your normal cleaning. Then when you want to do up high or a corner edge, you go back to where you keep the Dyson, grab that long pointy but smaller shaft attachment and plug that in. No more! On the Gen5Detect Absolute, there’s a new red button, which when pressed, releases the main shaft and spinning head, and exposed a smaller shaft inside. Complete with retractable brush head. Seriously, I can’t use my older Dyson models ever again.

And finally, the Laser light on the hard floor head is now brighter, lighting up far more area, picking up dust easier on the eye, and working far better in brighter lit rooms.

That’s a much needed incremental improvement which tops off the Dyson Gen5Detect.

I love it, but at $1,499 it’s pricey and I get that. But, if you know you know. It’s really that simple.