Review: I Tried The New Dyson V12s Detect Slim Submarine Wet-And-Dry Vacuum Priced At $1,449
Is it worth the buy?
By Michelle Lee SM -
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Like many urbanites with a busy lifestyle, appliances that can get my house clean with less effort are sure to grab my attention. So I was pretty chuffed when Dyson announced that it has elevated its home cleaning game with its first wet-and-dry vacuum — the V12s Detect Slim Submarine.
The promise: You get a gadget that washes hard floors, illuminates dirt, and sucks hair up without it getting tangled, all in one machine. It also comes with additional handy tools for all-around cleaning.
The Dyson V12s Detect Slim Submarine Complete set is at $1,449. Photo: The Singapore Women's Weekly
But like most of Dyson's products, it also means you'll have to shell out bigger bucks. This newcomer to the brand's stable is priced from $1,299 to $1,449 (for the complete set with extra cleaning tools and accessories).
Is it worth the buy? Here's our take.
The Dyson V12s Detect Slim Submarine cordless vacuum cleaner is available on Dyson's website and at Dyson Demo stores.
Kiss goodbye to lugging buckets of water around the house or dipping the mop into the same pail of dirty water, with Dyson's new Submarine roller head. Engineered for use on hard floors (no, you can't use it on your carpet) such as tiles, vinyl, and wooden floors, it comes with a water tank that holds 300ml of water.
And yes, that's enough to cover 110sq m of floor space (or the equivalent of a five-room HDB flat), leaving a thin, evenly distributed film of water that dries in a matter of minutes. No more slippery floors, especially with young kids around. It's also pretty easy to manoeuvre, sliding easily under chairs and sofas.
Whilst not necessary for cleaning performance, according to Dyson, the more persnickety of us can still combine diluted cleaning detergent with the wet roller head. If you decide to use detergent, refer to the manufacturer's guide on the recommended dilution. Just don't use solely detergent (aka using it neat) in the clean water tank.
We tried it out with soya milk on the floor, and it took all but two passes with the roller head to leave the floor spotless. Where does the waste go? Water and debris are extracted from the roller into the separate 360ml waste tray (with no dirt or debris transferred back onto the floor), which sits directly behind the wet roller. This can be emptied when you're done cleaning.
Speaking of which, cleaning the gadget is a cinch, too. The roller head and tank can easily be removed and rinsed with soap or detergent.
Images: First pass of the wet roller on the left image, and second pass on the right.
The Fluffy Optic attachment is made for regular vacuuming and comes with Dyson's Laser Detect technology. If you aren't yet acquainted with the tech, a green light is emitted, which illuminates dust that's usually hard to see.
If nothing, it makes vacuuming extra satisfying (and might I say, pretty fun) watching all that dust disappear. The LCD screen also displays the removing, sizing, and counting of microscopic dust for tangible proof of a deep clean.
At the same time, the $1,449 model also comes with a HEPA filtration system that Dyson promises to capture 99.99 per cent of particles as small as 0.1 microns, to expel cleaner air. The $1,299 model has a regular filtration system that captures 99.99 per cent of particles as small as 0.3 microns.
My long mane means I constantly have to deal with strands of hair everywhere. The Detangling Screw Tool's made for folks like me, or for pet owners. Designed for use on mattresses, pet beds, upholstery, and stairs, it has an anti-tangle conical brush bar that smoothly spirals hair — yours and your furkids' — off and into the bin.
The Hair Screw Tool has also been engineered for deep cleaning and sucking up dust from areas where it’s usually not visible, like your mattress or sofa. It came in particularly handy for my full-height fabric bedhead, pulling fine dust into the canister.
Carpets add welcoming warmth and texture to a space but can also harbour all sorts of nasties, from crumbs dropped by the kids to pet hairs and other debris (read: allergens).
Switch to the Motorbar cleaner head for your carpet cleaning routine. A motor inside the brush bar drives stiff nylon bristles into the carpet to remove deeply-embedded dust, and automatically de-tangles hair as you clean.
Note: The exclusive Dyson Motorbar cleaner head is included with the Dyson V12s Detect Slim Submarine Complete set ($1,449) when you buy direct from Dyson.