Dyson is synonymous with innovation and perfection. The pursuit of James Dyson, British inventor and the brains behind the brand, to transform vacuum cleaners simplified hundreds and thousands of lives, and in style. Taking up the challenge of making your households clean(er), Dyson has delivered some great machines, and now it has come up with yet another one — Dyson V12 Detect Slim. Surely, the name gives some hints of what the new vacuum cleaner is capable of, but you'll just be scratching the surface.
Dyson V12 Detect Slim stands out with its unique design, but it's what inside those cordless machines truly make up for your buck's worth. Let's dive deeper into what's inside the V12 Detect Slim and if it's worth considering.
Highlights
Price: ₹55,900
New Laser Slim Fluffy cleaner head
11 Cyclones
150AW suction power
0.35L bin
4 hours charge time
Weighs 2.2kg
Attachments
- Laser Slim Fluffy cleaner head for hard floors
- Direct Drive Cleaner Head for all floors
- Hair Screw Tool
- Combi Tool
- Crevice Tool
- Soft Dusting Brush
- Stubborn Dust Brush
Design and ease of use
As the name suggests, this new Dyson machine is slimmer and that's in comparison to the V12 Detect. The overall aesthetics of the Dyson V12 Detect Slim are much in line with the company's signature design. There are a few changes that are different in the V12 Detect Slim — some are useful, some not so much.
The biggest change (for the better) is the removal of the trigger, which is standard in all Dyson vacuum cleaners. The V12 Detect Slim gets rid of it for a more prominent red button on top of the barrel. Although you'll need your other hand to power the machine on and the rest is taken care of, it's still better than having to keep holding down the trigger the entire cleaning performance. This design change drastically reduced wrist fatigue. But the one-hand use case is challenged in this case, since you'll need your other hand to power on or off the machine.
Another notable change in design is the reduced bin size attached to the machine. The bin capacity on the V12 Detect Slim is 0.35L, which is same as the Omniglide model making the new machine slimmer, lighter and handier. We found the lightweight design to be greatly helpful in manoeuvrability, especially in the higher parts of the home. In order to empty the bin, the mechanism remains unchanged from previously models, where you just push the red lever down. But we still noticed Dyson hasn't done much to keep our hands clean in the process. Having a pair of gloves can be handy to remove dust, fur or hair out thoroughly.
The V12 Detect Slim still gets an LCD screen on top, which is in direct line of sight making it easy to read essential information like remaining battery, data on the kind of dust collected in real time, and the mode you are running the machine in. The real-time display of the dust collected surely adds the geek-factor to the machine, one that we were thoroughly impressed with but it's not like we were eager to know those details after every cleaning session. The colour codes used for different dust particles makes it easy to understand once you get used to them. Coloured bars count particles in the millions as they're picked up.
The V12 Detect Slim doesn't get its own stand, but the holder can be drilled into the wall and the machine gets mounted on it comfortably. Then there are the attachments, which we will discuss in detail under "performance."
Performance
Dyson V12 Detect Slim is more than capable of taking care of your pristine cleanliness needs. The Laser Slim Fluffy cleaning head is clearly the USP here and by all means our favourite piece of hardware. The suction power in the V12 Detect Slim will pick up those invisible dust mites, dead skin cells, pollen and mould spores right off the floor.
Like the previous models, the V12 Detect Slim has three modes, Eco, Auto and Boost. While the Eco mode will be sufficient for everyday cleaning, but when we alternated between days, the Auto mode came in extremely handy. We rarely used the Boost mode, which would increase the suction power to its highest capability, taking a toll at the battery. Our sincere advice would be to use Auto mode for your regular use.
Why Auto mode, you ask? Well, it will automatically adjust the suction power depending on how much dust it detects. The machine is able to monitor the level of dust being collected 15,000 times per second, which in turn helps adjust the suction. This is made possible with the piezo sensor, which even enables increased battery - not by much though.
We tested the V12 Detect Slim with various cleaning heads, mostly the Laser Slim Fluffy, Direct Drive Cleaner Head and Hair Screw Tool. With auto mode, the V12 Detect Slim was able to achieve absolute cleanliness on all types of floors. To our surprise, even the Eco mode was more than capable of delivering satisfactory cleanliness.
Speaking of the Laser Slim Fluffy head, we loved the execution. The fact that Dyson went through over 500 iterations just to get the laser right goes on to show the company's commitment to attention to detail. In a demo, we were shown the laser was approximately the size of a Rubik's cube but the final iteration sat comfortably on the tip of the pinky finger. The laser is also pointed in the perfect direction, just so you are able to see the dust. Low-light setting is ideal to use the laser head, we found it to be casting its powerful green light even with the lights on. In case you're worried the laser light is eating up from the precious battery, fret not. It's barely taking up any battery, perhaps a second or two worth if we must put it in figures. It is well worth the trade.
Now, there's a notion that lasers are dangerous when pointed at eyes. Rest assured, the one on the V12 Detect Slim is totally safe. In fact, Class 1 – the safest there is in all conditions.
Another interesting cleaning head is the Hair Screw tool, which may look weird but it is anything but that. If you look closely, the conical brush bar is designed in such a way that the hair (pet hair, or human locks) spiral out into the tiny bin and then it gets sucked into the main bin. The engineering of this cleaning head may now seem simple, but it is brilliantly executed. For some reason, we couldn't help but wonder if the inspiration behind it is grandmothers who would twirl the fallen hair after combing and dispose of it. We were able to use it for small spaces, sofas, cushions and beds. That's one way to solve the hair-fall problem.
For a 1,100 sq.ft. flat, the V12 Detect Slim perfectly blended in. After the first cleaning session, the follow-up ones were easier. We didn't find the bin size to be a problem, in fact the reduced weight and better weight distribution was worth sacrificing the bin size.
During our review time, we tested the machine for various cleaning purposes and with extensive use for over a week, the filter required cleaning. Usually, with regular use, you will not be prompted to clean the filter for about a month. The procedure is a simple wash and dry, but for 24 hours, before clipping the filter back in. This was done after the LCD screen prompted to clean the filter, along with complete instructions on how to do so, which we found extremely useful. That's one of the great things about Dyson vacuum cleaners, the instructions are clear and right on the tiny display, which avoids any hassles.
Battery
Going cord-free is a boon, but it has its own perils. The battery life on wireless vacuum cleaners needs major revamp. The V12 Detect Slim can last an hour and no more if you use the machine with Eco mode. Switch it to Auto, and we found the battery life to drop by 10-15 minutes. In case of Boost mode, the battery took a dive to less than 30 minutes. Luckily, the Eco mode is best suited for your daily use and the Auto mode is more your taste if you don't like to put too much mind to the task of cleaning.
Dyson gives the option to attach a second battery pack, which will add more run-time. But you can easily make do without a spare battery. But what we really find worth improving upon is the charge time. We had to charge the machine overnight or test our patience while waiting for it to be recharged mid-way cleaning. It takes four hours to fully charge the V12 Detect Slim, once drained. It would be so cool if Dyson could come with a way to rapidly charge the vacuum cleaner, even if it is to spare a few minutes so you can finish cleaning that carpet. Until then, better planning or taking breaks between cleaning is the way forward.
Verdict
Dyson V12 Detect Slim is a brilliant piece of hardware, one that will leave you thoroughly impressed. But it costs dearly, making it a luxury to own rather than a need. But if you look at from the point whether it is justified or not, we'd say go for it if you can afford it.
Dyson V12 Detect Slim packs a whole bunch of tech upgrades, which is Dyson's legacy - for which the company hasn't hesitated to invest in billions. There is no doubt the V12 Detect Slim has powerful cleaning capabilities, there are many other features to look forward to. The V12 Detect Slim has the advantage of easy manoeuvrability, the Laser Slim Fluffy tool is a great asset, and the piezo sensor surely works wonders.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to handle | Pricey |
| Laser Slim Fluffy head is cool | Need true no-touch bin emptying |
| Single power button | Bin size |
| Hair screw tool is handy | |
| Dyson brand value |
