Home / Home & cleaning / Cordless vacuums / Compare
Dyson V12 Detect Slim vs Dyson V15 Detect vs Dyson V8
The Dyson V15 Detect edges it for most homes.
The verdict in 10 seconds
The Dyson V12 Detect Slim suits you if
- You live in a smaller home or apartment with mostly hard floors
- You want something light enough to carry up stairs and into the car
- You have pets that shed on the couch and other upholstery
May not suit you if
- Your home is mostly thick or deep-pile carpet
- You'd rather not empty the bin during every cleaning session
- Long-term durability is your top priority
The Dyson V15 Detect suits you if
- You have pets or long hair in the house and want floors and furniture cleared quickly
- Your home mixes hard floors and rugs, and you like seeing exactly where the dust is
- You want one premium vacuum for floors, stairs, the car and allergy-friendly filtration
May not suit you if
- You want a budget-friendly vacuum, or the best cleaning for the money
- Holding a trigger for a long time or lifting a top-heavy machine overhead tires your hands or arms
- Your home is mostly deep carpet, or you need long runs at full power without swapping batteries
The Dyson V8 suits you if
- You live in an apartment or a smaller home
- You have pets or carpets and rugs to keep hair-free
- You want something light for quick cleanups, stairs and the car
May not suit you if
- You have a large home to clean in one go
- You mostly have hard floors with bigger crumbs and spills
- You want auto-adjusting suction, a screen or a swappable battery
The short version
The Dyson V15 Detect is the stronger all-rounder of the three. The Dyson V12 Detect Slim is still the better fit if you live in a smaller home or apartment with mostly hard floors. The Dyson V8 is still the better fit if you live in an apartment or a smaller home.
We researched 24 expert reviews, analyzed 248,966 owner ratings and comments across 17 sources for the three, and cross-checked them into one verdict, so you don't have to.
See the evidence
The scoreboardProduct Review score 78 vs 83 vs 66 · reliability 58 vs 71 vs 42
| Dyson V12 Detect Slim | Dyson V15 Detect | Dyson V8 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product Review score | 78 | 83 | 66 |
| Experts | 81 | 85 | 69 |
| Owners | 84 | 86 | 75 |
| Reliability | 58 | 71 | 42 |
| Report problems | 17% | 12% | 23% |
| Evidence | 8 reviews · 507 comments | 10 reviews · 566 comments | 6 reviews · 524 comments |
| Typical price | $500–$650 | $700–$750 | $350–$520 |
● marks the better number on each row.
Experts vs ownersExperts 81 vs 85 vs 69 · Owners 84 vs 86 vs 75
Dyson V12 Detect Slim
Dyson V15 Detect
Dyson V8
How we reached each verdictThe numbers behind each model's score
Dyson V12 Detect Slim
Seven of 8 expert sources tested the V12 Detect Slim hands-on, and they broadly agree it is a light, maneuverable vacuum that excels on hard floors, with an expert score of 81. Owners are positive too (owner score 84 from 507 comments): 45% praise the light weight and 36% the suction, while 16% complain about the small bin. Reliability is the weak spot, scoring 58, with 17% of owner comments mentioning failures and 5% describing a unit that broke or died. Retail ratings are strong overall (87 from 33,118 votes, with 21,772 five-star ratings), but smaller retailer listings average only 3.79 stars across 126 ratings, and battery opinions are split almost evenly (12% negative vs 11% positive).
Dyson V15 Detect
All 10 hands-on expert reviewers rate the V15 Detect a strong cleaner, and 42% of 566 owner comments praise its suction, so the core verdict is well supported. Its laser dust-revealing head wins over 8 of 10 reviewers, though Consumer Reports calls it of limited value. The recurring catches are price, cited by 6 reviewers, and a hold-down trigger with no lock, flagged by 5. Durability is the thinner part of the evidence: reliability scores 71, 12% of owner comments mention failures, and only one reviewer reports long-term use, nearly two years, with no performance drop.
Dyson V8
All 6 expert reviewers used the V8 hands-on, and owner evidence is deep: 524 comments, 485 of them first-hand. Owners mostly like it. 40% praise its suction and 25% mention how light it is, but battery opinions split: 23% are positive and 17% are negative. 5 of 6 experts flag short runtime, especially in the roughly seven-minute max mode. 4 of 6 say it pushes larger debris on hard floors. The weak spot is reliability, which scores 42. 23% of owner comments mention failures and 6% say the unit broke or died. Consumer Reports' results are paywalled, so the expert view effectively rests on 5 detailed reviews.
Where each one falls shortThe most common complaints
Dyson V12 Detect Slim
- Very small bin needs frequent emptying
- Weaker on carpets, especially deep pile
- Boost mode drains the battery in under ten minutes
Dyson V15 Detect
- Expensive compared with rivals
- Trigger must be held down the whole time, causing hand fatigue
- Heavy in the hand, and the battery drains fast on max power
Dyson V8
- Short battery life, especially on max power, and slow charging
- Pushes larger debris around on hard floors
- Reliability concerns and a small dust bin
Quick answers
Which is better, the Dyson V12 Detect Slim or the Dyson V15 Detect or the Dyson V8?
The Dyson V15 Detect, for most homes. The Dyson V12 Detect Slim is the better fit if you live in a smaller home or apartment with mostly hard floors. The Dyson V8 is the better fit if you live in an apartment or a smaller home.
Based on: Product Review score 78 vs 83 vs 66.Which is more reliable?
The Dyson V15 Detect. It's the least likely of the three to give you trouble.
Based on: Reliability 58 vs 71 vs 42; problems mentioned by 17% vs 12% vs 23% of owners.Which is easier to live with day to day?
It's a draw. Day to day, the three are about as satisfying.
Based on: Owners score 84 vs 86 vs 75, from ratings and comments.Which is cheaper?
The Dyson V8 usually costs less.
Based on: Typical prices: Dyson V12 Detect Slim $500–$650; Dyson V15 Detect $700–$750; Dyson V8 $350–$520.As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It never changes a score.