Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine Review: Powerful but Pricey

Dyson's newest headliner is here: the Dyson V16 Piston Animal, along with a Submarine version that includes a wet cleaner head. The V16 is now Dyson’s most powerful stick vacuum, unseating the Gen5Detect ($840), which held that title since 2023. This new model reports 315 air-watts (AW) of power, which is a big step up from the Gen5's 262 AW. The latest update also includes a new style of cleaner head designed for vacuuming both soft and hard floors—the All Floor Cones Sense cleaner head—which expertly tackled all floor types and debris during my testing. But is newer and more powerful always better? While the Dyson V16 is an all-around great vacuum, I’m not sold on that being the case.

With the new cleaner head, the Submarine variant for mopping, and compatibility with the docking station that's due out later this year, the V16 has better add-on options than any other vacuum from the brand. But the older Gen5Detect still holds up against the V16—and will cost you much less. Ultimately, the V16 Piston Animal is the vacuum to get if you really want the add-ons. But if you just want a great Dyson vacuum , there are plenty of cheaper options.

The Dyson V16 Piston Animal (and its Submarine variant, the model I'm testing) arrives five years after the previous model in its line, the V15 Detect . The V16’s “Animal” designation—a term long associated with Dyson—refers to the Piston’s specialized hair-screw attachment for cleaning pet hair. Its biggest change, though, is its new All Floor Cones Sense cleaner head that adapts to different types of flooring, responding in about a second when you switch from hard floors to carpet or a rug.