Dyson V12 Detect Slim review | Best all round cordless vacuum in 2022? | In-depth testing

The Dyson V12 Detect Slim Absolute cordless vacuum cleaner might just persuade you to ditch your corded model. It has up to 60 minute of run time in Eco mode, adaptive suction power based on a piezo sensor that counts and displays a graph of what’s been sucked up on the colour LCD display and a generous assortment of accessories including a super efficient motorised head with a laser beam to help you find dirt.
I’ll run through all its features and fully test its performance to see if it’s the right cordless vacuum for you.
If you want to skip forward or back at any time in this video, please use the chapter markers KZbin creates from the timestamps down below and in the pinned comment.
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I bought mine from the Dyson eBay store - looked like new so might be worth checking what they've got:
ebay.us/44Xal9
As an Amazon affiliate, I get a small commission from purchases made via any Amazon links.
Amazon link:
Dyson V12 Detect Slim Absolute: geni.us/IFcM
Written article: thetechnologyman.com
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You can find most of the recent tech I've reviewed recently all in one place on my Amazon page. I also have a list some of my recommended tech and my current camera equipment for filming:
UK: amazon.co.uk/shop/thetechnolog...
US: amazon.com/shop/thetechnologyman
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Epidemic Sound:
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Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
0:39 Overview. Dyson model variants
1:31 What comes in the box
2:05 How to charge, dock inc installation and flimsy build quality
2:41 Charging, battery etc
3:06 Swapping attachments. Motorised head compatibility
3:33 Build quality vacuum & accessories, weight (vs V15)
3:59 3D printed wall bracket for storing accessories
4:13 Power button (vs trigger on other models)
4:34 Settings button change power level Eco, Medium (or Auto with powered heads), Boost modes
4:53 LCD display: remaining time and particle count graph
5:26 Accessing advanced settings menu
5:58 Emptying and cleaning 0.35 L bin. Cleaning filter
6:40 150 air watts of power using 11 cyclones. Air Watts compared to Watts. Power compared to V15 model
7:05 Useful suction test - to compare against mains powered Henry vacuum
8:18 Soft roller with laser on hard floors. Auto suction demo
9:04 Soft roller test on hard floors
9:20 Motorbar head test on hard floors
9:42 Motorbar head for carpets, vacuum ease of use cf corded, performance on thick and thin carpets. Some hair does get tangled with this head but easy to clean
10:21 Covert to handheld vacuum quickly and easily. Cleaning car
11:02 And using soft dusting brush for office
11:12 Battery life
11:32 Small bin - enough for 3 bed house. But will need emptying after each clean
12:00 Battery guarantee only 2 years liek rest of machine. Discuss using for DIY tasks under guarantee
12:48 Noise measurements vs Henry
13:06 Conclusions
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Vacuum Wars useful suction video: • Which Vacuum Has the M...
3D printer accessory mount: www.printables.com/model/1276...
#dyson #dysonvacuum #cordlessvacuum #vacuumcleaner

[@sproglode]

One of the best videos I have seen on KZbin. Well shot, presented and produced. I bought the same unit one week ago, ordered a spare battery (very useful) and am extremely pleased with the device, its balance in one hand and the tools included.

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Thank you - too kind! A spare battery is a great idea. I've got a spare filter which is also useful - while waiting for the other one to dry!

[@viralspacewitch9500]

Excellent, practical and detailed review. Just what I needed the day before I go to get my V12. Keep up the great work. Thank you!

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Great thanks - let me know what you think of it when it arrives!

[@pizzaprosciutto914]

I just came across your channel, and not only I really liked your useful, organized and well-presented review but I am also impressed by your high response rate in the comment section. My compliments to you! :)

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Thank you - very kind of your to say! And glad you've found my content helpful :).

[@jessie-tg7lc]

I just purchased the V12. Very thorough review, thank you for your hard work 🙌🏼

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Great glad the video helped - enjoy the Dyson!

[@kristjanwashere]

Great video! Very informative, thanks!

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Great glad it helped!

[@jeevanrao2294]

Very helpful review!! I’ve just subscribed.

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Glad the video helped and thanks for the support!

[@vman2kay]

I bought a refurb from Dyson a few years back, only because their outlet store had a 30 day buy it and try it guarantee, which would allow me to return for free it if I didn't think it was good enough. As you might imagine, as soon as I got it (a V7) I got rid of my corded vacuum and never looked back. For household use it's one of the best. I do hope Dyson don't keep making newer parts not interchangeable as that is a feature to stick with them, rather than getting rid of all your old attachments that are powered. Either way it's been a good buy and well worth it for me.

[@TheTechnologyMan]

I have found parts difficult to get hold of - was after a spare filter but gave up!

[@kristofferrer]

this is a great review

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Thank you - glad you liked it!

[@ExeCodger]

Thanks for the informative and well presented review. I've just purchased the V12 from Dyson direct as there was an offer, my first cordless vacuum. What a difference in lightweight ease of use compared to my aging Dyson DC04, which has given sterling service for more than a decade but at 10kg it's increasingly unwieldy as I get older. The only issue I've noticed so far is in tight areas where the V12 housing prevents you reaching with the brush/crevice tool, whereas the DC04 with the hose and tool does the job.

[@TheTechnologyMan]

No problem glad it helped!

[@DougWolfe]

I just purchased the V12 last week and frankly didn't know precisely what all the attachments were for, so went looking on the net. That's how I stumbled upon your very helpful overview here. Prior to the V12, I had a Dyson canister vacuum and a Roomba. I still have both but likely won't ever use the Dyson canister again, as I find the V12 suction to be much better and less bother because of its mobility. Still use the Roomba of course. One thing: I decided to buy a stand for the V12 off Amazon (the Dyson Dok is not made for the V12) as I wasn't a fan of putting holes in the wall for the attachements. Plus, I might not like where I've placed it and would want to move it to another wall. The stand allows me to place it wherever I need it.

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Good tip on the stand - could be useful!

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Would you consider switching to a cordless vacuum if you haven’t already? Would this model make your shortlist? Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 0:39 Overview. Dyson model variants 1:31 What comes in the box 2:05 How to charge, dock inc installation and flimsy build quality 2:41 Charging, battery etc 3:06 Swapping attachments. Motorised head compatibility 3:33 Build quality vacuum & accessories, weight (vs V15) 3:59 3D printed wall bracket for storing accessories 4:13 Power button (vs trigger on other models) 4:34 Settings button change power level Eco, Medium (or Auto with powered heads), Boost modes 4:53 LCD display: remaining time and particle count graph 5:26 Accessing advanced settings menu 5:58 Emptying and cleaning 0.35 L bin. Cleaning filter 6:40 150 air watts of power using 11 cyclones. Air Watts compared to Watts. Power compared to V15 model 7:05 Useful suction test - to compare against mains powered Henry vacuum 8:18 Soft roller with laser on hard floors. Auto suction demo 9:04 Soft roller test on hard floors 9:20 Motorbar head test on hard floors 9:42 Motorbar head for carpets, vacuum ease of use cf corded, performance on thick and thin carpets. Some hair does get tangled with this head but easy to clean 10:21 Covert to handheld vacuum quickly and easily. Cleaning car 11:02 And using soft dusting brush for office 11:12 Battery life 11:32 Small bin - enough for 3 bed house. But will need emptying after each clean 12:00 Battery guarantee only 2 years liek rest of machine. Discuss using for DIY tasks under guarantee 12:48 Noise measurements vs Henry 13:06 Conclusions

[@johanamercado9032]

Awesome review! Please review the Roomba® s9 & the Roomba Combo® j9+ Auto-Fill Robot Vacuum and Mop

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Thank you - and thanks for the suggestions will look into them!

[@lahonymanor2927]

It's great for hard floors and low pile rugs/caroets but I won't be ditching my SEBO Felix anytime soon as I have a lot of carpets and I didn't feel this Dyson cleaned my carpets as well as my SEBO plug in machine. But the technology Nd design of V12 is very nice.

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Thanks for the info on the Sebo. I only compared it to a Henry - a popular vacuum in the UK and it fared well.

[@georgefreemantel517]

Thank you, that was really informative and exceptionally well presented. I am about to take the plunge into cordless vaccuums but torn between this and the Miele HX2. Any intention to review that model?

[@TheTechnologyMan]

No problem glad it helped! Sorry I've not tried the Miele - thanks for the suggestion!

[@alanboiii]

I've just ordered this, got it on sale for 399 so I'm very pleased, looks like it ticks all the boxes for my 2 bedroom flat. Every room bar one bedroom is hard floor, looks great for the car, on/off switch is a great change and, because its lightweight and has a cool green laser, i can even get my daughter to hoover her room!!! Win win win. 🙂

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Great price!

[@alanboiii]

@@TheTechnologyMan well after waiting in all day for it, it finally arrived, charged it up aaaand it nothing. ☹️ it doesn't work, fully charged to 100%, push the button and nothing, so I'm going to have to make enquiries, probably return it and wait for another. 😕

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Did you resolve the issue - faulty battery / charger?

[@alanboiii]

No, I've sent it back this morning, should have a replacement by early next week. 🤞

[@alanboiii]

Got my replacement, absolutely love it, everything about it is perfect for my requirements. Weight, battery life, bin size, attachments and so on. Looks gorgeous and the lack of trigger is just brilliant. I just need a docking stand now, so it can stand proudly on display. 👍👍

[@YingTey]

Thanks for this very in-depth review. Here in Germany, there are different packages on offer based on the accessories that come with it, like you mentioned. Do you think the combi tool brush tool for both furniture and polster would be good enough or has the extra soft brush tool proven to be more effective...? I could see myself vacuuming a lot of shelves, piano, etc... But the extra soft brush tool doesn't come with the cheaper package here...

[@TheTechnologyMan]

No problem I'm glad it helped! The soft dusting brush would be no good for furntiture - the combi brush is better. And the motorised screw tool even better!

[@jean-claudevijt4695]

The soft roller with laser on hard floors works well in the dark. Now I love to clean in the dark. 🤣

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Yes me too!

[@bstabar]

Very informative, detailed and perfect review. I bought mine one week ago and the battery of that take just 2:30 hours time to charge. Do you think it’s defect? Thanks advanced. Keep up the great work👍

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Thanks glad it helped! As long as you're getting spec'd runtimes I wouldn't worry too much.

[@skyfall2097]

Great review. Thank you! Trying to decide between v10 / v12 / v15. Does the v12 not come with the anti-tangle main head that the v15 does? Seems to only include the screw head?

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Thanks! Yes the head is similar but the V15's head has the gates so you can adjust for carpet and solid floors. They both have the same anti-tangle feature as far as I know - but the included hair screw head will work better for that.

[@adventuresofbunnyandrubywe1093]

Hi, brilliant video… I got my v12 just a few days ago…so far so good👌🏽I keep getting debris in the top part of the bin… way above the max line…. Am I meant to keep an eye that it doesn’t go over the max line( which is oddly just about a quarter capacity of the bin according to the printed line) or could there be a problem?

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Thanks! Yes debris does get past the rubber flap - I just pull it out with my fingers!

[@blcjck8121]

Thank you for this great review. I just bought the V12 and I'm really happy with it so far. My initial concern was battery life, but paired with a Roborock robot vacuum which handles most of the floor area, it seems my fears were unfounded. The V12 (or any decent cordless I imagine) is just great for hard to reach places, stairs and other areas were a corded/canister vacuum is just a chore to use. I think I'll need to get a couple of the avaliable accessories, as my variant didn't come with all of them.

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Thanks glad the review helped! Yes I find battery fine for my use - especially since it stores on the charger so is always ready for use.

[@SusanneGeert]

Hope it's okay that I ask since I am considering getting a Dyson V12 for our home (150 m2 = 1600 square feet / all wood and tiled floors). I am uncertain if the battery power is enough - it says up to 60 minutes but in real situations will often be less than that, I know. What is your experience - would I be able to vacuum our house of 150 m2 (1600 square feet) in your opinion? Also, can you just get a second battery to swop if needed (do you know if they are pricy)? Another concern - os the head too small to replace a regular plug-in vacuum cleaner - in your opinion? Thanks a lot in advance ;-)

[@blcjck8121]

@@SusanneGeert No worries. Yes it's swappable just like any battery powered drill etc. I'd definitely say get another battery (around €85), that's me living in a house of 120 m2, with my robot doing most of the large surfaces. Real life battery is more like 30-40 minutes on medium, which I find myself turning up to max at times, and then it's suddenly only 5 minutes. This is mostly when cleaning other surfaces that require more suction power, besides floors and stairs that's primarily done using the motorized cleaner heads, running on medium/auto. I still have a regular plug-in (that I don't use very often though) because cordless Dysons, however good for everyday use, cannot replace the consistency and suction power of the former. That's just IMHO ofc.

[@SusanneGeert]

Thanks for a great review. I am considering getting a Dyson V12 for our home (150 m2 = 1600 square feet / all wood and tiled floors). I am uncertain if the battery power is enough - it says up to 60 minutes but in real situations will often be less than that, I know. What is your experience - would I be able to vacuum our house of 150 m2 (1600 square feet) in your opinion? Also, can you just get a second battery to swop if needed (do you know if they are pricy)? Another concern - os the head too small to replace a regular plug-in vacuum cleaner - in your opinion? Thanks a lot in advance ;-)

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Thanks! I don't get 60 minutes in real use. Yes you can get a second battery and just swap as needed.

[@zoranmitrovic]

Thank you for review! It's great! Can I get a link for nifty wall mount for 3d printer? tnx ;)

[@TheTechnologyMan]

No problem: www.printables.com/model/127623-dyson-accessory-wall-bracket-v7-v8-v10-v11-v15-too/files (added to description too)

[@muxxor9492]

Would you be able to measure how far out from the wall the V12 Slim protrudes when wall mounted? If you don't have it wall mounted, could you please rest it against the wall and measure how far the main body sticks out. Thanks, I can't find these dimensions on the Dyson site.

[@TheTechnologyMan]

It's around 25cm from the wall.

[@chrisiden]

Since we brought our cordless Dyson our large plug-in Miele vacuum hasn’t come out of the cupboard in months

[@TheTechnologyMan]

😊

[@zureai]

Oh you will need your reliable Miele once the Dyson breaks lol

[@angelajanebowes]

Hi many thanks for sharing this review 🙏 Do you know if the V12 will also clean deep pile (inc shag pile) rugs reasonably well please?

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Hi no problem glad it helped! As long as your package includes the motorised head it works really well. I can run over my mains Henry vac and then the Dyson and the Dyson still picks up way more.

[@angelajanebowes]

Oh that’s great, in that case think I’ll go for it 👍 thanks so much for taking the time to reply, very kind of you, I really appreciate it 😊

[@kimim2702]

I’ve had my V12 for about a month and love it. With three larger dogs, fur accumulates quickly. I now vacuum 2-3 times per week with the lightweight V12, rather than every two weeks with my heavy canister vac, and the house stays so much cleaner. (I do need to empty the canister about three times when vacuuming the whole house.). I actually enjoy vacuuming now! Thank you for your thorough review.

[@TheTechnologyMan]

@@kimim2702 No problem glad it helped!

[@DrPositive1]

I have a V8 Dyson and I’m thinking about getting the V12 Dyson absolute but how much better is the V12 compare to my V8 absolute? I also have disability and mobility issues and wonder wether the upgrade is worth it and easier to use as I live in one bedroom flat mostly carpet 😀

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Sorry I've not compared it to the V8 directly, but the motor head on the V12 on carpets as very impressive.

[@GOLFADDICT65]

i am trying to decide between the V12 / V15 / GEN 5.........have a 2300 sq ft house ..mostly hardwood floors except one room is carpeted then a few area rugs.......like the thought of being able to clean upper corners of the walls.....here in Canada the V12 is 899 V15 is 999 and the Gen 5 is 1199....all in Canadian funds....which do you think we would be happy with ? we are 58 years old and bodies are getting old and sore...lol..... thx cheers

[@TheTechnologyMan]

I think you'd find the V12's capacity on the small side - so I'd probably go for the V15 if funds allow.

[@HI-if2dr]

Between the Dyson v10 absolute+ & dyson v12 slim which would you recommend? Overall?

[@TheTechnologyMan]

I wanted something compact for cleaning the car - the V10 is bigger - but that might be an advantage to you!

[@Ghost-sz7uo]

do you find yourself emptying the bin out often since it's so small??

[@TheTechnologyMan]

I need to empty it after each session - but then I would prefer to do that anyway so I don't get any bad odours!

[@Ohlukei]

the tools connectors feel a bit loose, often not fitting tight and the dust gun mechanism for emptying the dust bin is a real disaster. 👀

[@TheTechnologyMan]

I know what you mean but in use I haven’t had any issues.

[@user-pl9kk9rf7g]

Fab vaccum

[@TheTechnologyMan]

It is pretty good!

[@morganfransson5174]

can I put it in the charger even if they have more than 20% left, to keep the battery power further on (if you know what I mean?)

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Yes you can quite happily top up Li-ion batteries. They have no memory.

[@morganfransson5174]

@@TheTechnologyMan do you unplug the charger at night?

[@heatherschoenke7966]

How is the battery life on the v12 slim compared to the v10 cyclone animal?!!!!

[@TheTechnologyMan]

Hi sorry I don't have the V10 to compare it to but looking at the specs they're pretty similar.

[@familyfun6167]

Compared to shark the price is soooo different. We have the shark I think a little over 100 usa dollars Best Buy now we have the v12 like 700 bucks use best buy but I’m not impressed but I’m still not sure if I understand the v12 all the way either. I hug the dock. I used 2.5 inch drywall screws not what they offer just me it’s way more study this way. And hit stud wow😢

[@TheTechnologyMan]

There's no ignoring the price - and the build quality isn't in line with the price IMO unfortunately. Still they do a good job if you look after them.

[@gregdrew2221]

This hoover is good at picking up dust and dirt, but for the price, it's not worth your money. The charge is terrible, and at most does 36 mins on a good day on normal power, put it on boost and it does 5 minutes, absolutely pointless. The digital technology and dust counter clearly are too much for the kind of battery this machine comes with. We've had it 4 days and it's going back, avoid this like the plague.

[@TheTechnologyMan]

It is expensive I agree - but I do find it has enough charge for a quick clean of an average sized house. I rarely need boost - perhaps when using the crevice tool, or in the car. But each to their own!

[@liyakatliyakat576]

@@TheTechnologyMan açıkçası fiyat çok pahallı bir arkadaşımda v 12 yi denedim v 15 stokta yoktu vede v 12 bile hafif sayılmazdı ancak çok çabuk şarjı bitti acaba v15 tede şarj bu kadar çabuk mu bitiyor orta modda denedik sadece ve şarj çok kısa sürede bitti v 12 mi tavsiye edersiniz 15 mi ?

[@zureai]

Well the Auto or Eco mode should be enough... even for cleaning a car. The boost option is only meant for the annoying stuff you cant seem the vacuum and not for prolonged use.