Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine review

Dyson’s introduced a new generation of stick vacuum to its popular line-up. The Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine includes several welcome features not seen in previous models. 

Not all of the innovations are unique to Dyson machines, but the hair detangling feature is a welcome new addition. We borrowed a production-ready model to see how well it picked up debris, and how easy it was to use. 

What’s in the box?

Stay tuned for our full review in the new year, when we put it through our full test alongside other stick vacuums from brands such as LG, Shark, Samsung and more.

The V16 Piston Animal Submarine comes with:

• All Floor Cones Sense cleaner head (designed for both hard floors and carpet)
• Submarine 2.0 wet roller head (to wash floors)
• Built-in crevice tools (in handheld mode as well as on the main wand)
• Wall dock (requires installation)
• Hair screw tool 2.0 (for awkward places)
• Combi tool (ideal for cars)
• Charger and swappable battery
• Additional longer crevice tool 

There is a version sold that does not come with the Submarine 2.0 attachment, and a variation with a standing dock.

Additional accessories are available but they’ll all add to the base cost of the vacuum. These include:

• Deep-cleaning kit for furniture ($139)
• Car cleaning kit ($99)
• Pet grooming kit to suck up loose hairs and dander from your dog ($139)
• Extended reach kit for narrow spaces ($79)
• Detail cleaning kit ($99)
• Floor Dok ($139), a dock for your vacuum and up to five attachments.

At a later date, the V16 Piston Animal will launch with a hands-free, self-emptying docking station as an option (joining rival brands including Samsung, LG and Shark, which have already offered this feature for some time). The 3.0L bag claims to hold up to 60 days of dust.

It remains to be seen whether any additional cleaning heads (such as a fluffy, dedicated hard-floor head) will be available.

Suction modes

The V16 Piston Animal is supplied with one main cleaning head for your floors, designed for both hard surfaces and carpet. In auto mode, both the suction and brush bar speed adjusts depending on the surface it detects. 

There’s also a low-power eco mode to maximise battery life (suitable for light cleans) and a full boost mode for well-trafficked areas that need a deeper clean.

Dust compactor bin

New to the V16 is a CleanCompactor dust bin, that lets you manually squash dust down using a lever. This helps increase the bin capacity, saving you from having to empty it as often. 

Dyson claims this can hold up to 30 days of dust and debris. We measured the bin’s capacity at 0.4L, but because of the compacting feature Dyson says the bin holds three times the dust, and states its capacity as 1.3L. 

In reality that really depends on how dirty your house is, and whether you’ve got the type of dirt that can actually be compacted in this way (for example, the sand we scatter on carpet in our dirt pick-up test can’t be compacted down).

This dust-squashing feature isn’t a Dyson original; it’s a standard feature of LG”s stick vac line-up for example. But it is a welcome one, and does a good job of squishing down the dirt which in turn makes it easier and less messy to dispose of when using the bin’s eject mechanism.

HEPA filter

The Dyson V16 has a washable HEPA filter that screws into the back of the unit.

Dust illumination

A green laser-like light illuminates virtually invisible hard floor dust in darker areas, which has become a standard Dyson feature for some years (people must like looking at how much dust they’ve got!). 

Our expert Adrian liked this visual guide, and for people who like stats, the LCD display shows how many large, medium and small particles are being collected during every clean.

How well does it clean?

Dyson claims the V16 Piston’s motor is “50% more power dense than its predecessor”, and while we can’t verify this, we generally find that the vacuum’s design plays an important part when it comes to measuring performance, rather than manufacturers’ claims about suction or motor power.

Our expert Adrian Lini put the Dyson V16 Piston Animal through our regular test lab process on both hard floors and carpet.

While the V16 Piston Animal has an automatic mode that can adjust suction and brush speed according to the surface it’s on, our test method involves putting the machines on their maximum settings to give them the best chance. In boost mode, the Dyson ramps up the cyclonic power, so that’s what we tested it on.

Hard floor performance

For hard floors, we found that it did suck up large particles quickly, including potting mix and cornflakes, even though the opening is quite small. For finer flour, it did an excellent job. 

Overall, Adrian rated it very good on hard floors (generally, all the models we recommend are very good to excellent at this task).

Carpet performance

When it came to thorough carpet cleaning, however, the V16 Piston Animal was somewhat disappointing. While our sand pick-up test is, admittedly, tough, there are plenty of cheaper models that perform better. 

Overall, the Dyson only rated ‘good’ for this, compared to ‘excellent’ for the previous model, the Dyson V15s Detect. It was even worse for a ‘”quick’” clean, only scoring OK for this. 

Adrian believes this subpar performance could be attributed to the design of the cleaning head: there’s a small strip of plastic separating the two conical brush bars, which means it misses a few bits as it’s passing over the debris. We found that happened also for pet hair, when individual strands were left behind as a strip on the carpet.

Corners and edges

Corner and edge cleaning was rated as ‘”good’” although you’ll need to line the side of the brush head up to the wall to get right against it. There is a slight angular design at the long end of the brush head (to accommodate the conical brush bars), meaning it can’t go flush against the wall.

MyDyson app

The V16 joins the growing list of app-connected models. There was one software update required during our test period, which involved about half an hour’s worth of downloading the update and transferring it via Bluetooth to the main machine. 

We aren’t sure exactly what the update involved and it would have been helpful if there was information about any potential enhancements or bug-fixes.

Although you can use the vacuum without an app, the app lets you set a few things that aren’t available in the on-board settings. This includes letting you customise brush speed settings including automatic (depending on floor type), low or high. You can also choose on, off or auto for the dust illumination feature via the app.

There is also information about when the app was last used and for how long, and some tutorials regarding troubleshooting and maintenance.

Hair removal test

One standout feature for this vacuum is how the conical cleaning head rollers are designed to detangle hair, so it won’t get stuck around your brush bar. 

This is a common issue with many vacuums, requiring you to cut long hairs off with scissors which is a messy process.

To test the feature, we scattered one gram of long, synthetic hair on a hard floor. Results were excellent, with no visible hair around the brush head.

We are now looking to introduce a long hair pickup test for stick vacuums in the future to see how well other models fare.

How easy is it to use?

At 3.4kg, the vacuum is a little on the heavy side compared to many other models we’ve tested. 

The large battery makes it heavier to hold at the top and it could feel a little imbalanced. People with weak hands or arthritis may find it difficult to use in handheld mode. Over time, it could get tiring to manouevre, especially over carpet.

You won’t need to hold your hand on the trigger constantly: Dyson’s gone the way of most rivals, and the machine is operated by an on/off switch. This is convenient for longer cleans.

It was rated ‘excellent’ for getting under low furniture, but the head did move from side-to-side, making it a little harder to clean back and forth when leaning down.

We did not test the special ‘extended reach kit’ for tighter spaces which would have eliminated the need to bend down as it adds a 90 degree ‘hinge’ to the wand, letting you reach tighter spots – this is another $79.

Detaching the cleaning head is easy from a standing position with one foot on the head to stabilise it. This is an improvement on other models as you won’t need to bend down. It felt a little stiff removing the wand from the cleaning bin for emptying, with some effort required. 

Emptying the dirt after it’s been compacted worked well, as there’s a skirt that pushes the dirt out without you having to reach in with your hand to grab stray bits of hair or dust.

Maintenance

The LCD display told us when there were blockages (and where to check for them), and gives you information about battery charge levels and run time. Washing the HEPA filter regularly is also recommended, and the app will let you know your filter’s condition.

Submarine 2.0 wet roller head

The ’Submarine’ part of the V16 Piston Animal Submarine is its wet roller head attachment, an ‘upgraded’ version of the original. The attachment does not use the machine’s suction, and instead uses the fluffy roller to wash and clean your floors, with the dirty water extracted as it goes. 

The original Submarine scored poorly for cleaning when we tested it, and the main difference with version 2.0 is a boost mode that puts more water onto the floor to tackle tough stains – this will use up the water more quickly.

The tank is relatively small, just 300mL (the same as the original version). In comparison, many dedicated hard floor cleaners have at least twice this capacity.

We didn’t do an official test on this head. Initial impressions are that it’s OK for light liquid stains, but doesn’t seem to be suitable for dried-on stains, requiring multiple passes, even in boost mode.

There’s no self-cleaning function for the roller either, and it can be a lot of effort washing the roller manually after every clean (which is recommended) and emptying debris from the tray. It’s not as effective as a dedicated hard floor cleaner, or even a steam mop.

Is the Dyson v16 Piston Animal worth it?

If you’ve already got a V15 or Gen5Detect model that works fine, there is no need to upgrade. And if you’re in the market for a Dyson stick vac, there are often some good deals around for older models at a fraction of the price.

If you do want to take the plunge, the V16 is a decent, solidly-built vacuum with some handy touches to make cleaning easier and less tedious. But we don’t think the Submarine cleaning head is worth it. There’s a version that comes without the head ($1349), which offers better value.

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Kim Gilmour

Kim Gilmour is a Senior project officer. She manages a range of product tests such as coffee machines, stick vacuums, bassinets, high chairs and ovens, which are all tested in our in-house labs. Kim’s work gives people access to robust, independent advice and helps consumers make informed decisions about their purchases. Her work also helps to keep manufacturers in check, by regularly exposing product flaws which can result in better and safer products. Prior to CHOICE, Kim spent 16 years working as a technology journalist in Sydney and London. With several years as a senior researcher/writer at our UK sister organisation, Which? Kim has authored how-to technology books such as Spotify for Dummies and Digital Photography for the Older and Wiser. Kim has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) from Charles Sturt University. LinkedIn

Kim Gilmour is a Senior project officer. She manages a range of product tests such as coffee machines, stick vacuums, bassinets, high chairs and ovens, which are all tested in our in-house labs. Kim’s work gives people access to robust, independent advice and helps consumers make informed decisions about their purchases. Her work also helps to keep manufacturers in check, by regularly exposing product flaws which can result in better and safer products. Prior to CHOICE, Kim spent 16 years working as a technology journalist in Sydney and London. With several years as a senior researcher/writer at our UK sister organisation, Which? Kim has authored how-to technology books such as Spotify for Dummies and Digital Photography for the Older and Wiser. Kim has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) from Charles Sturt University. LinkedIn