Okay, Dyson, you win. Up until recently, I was under the impression that I did a pretty good job keeping the floors of my small NYC apartment spotless. I sweep nearly every day, mop at least once a week, and wipe down my counter tops every night (seriously), so what mess could I possibly be missing? Turns out, more than I could imagine. 

Time and time again, I’ve heard my friends and coworkers talk about the non-hyperbolic “life-changing” cleaning powers of Dyson vacuums, but I haven’t been convinced of their necessity in my life until now. So, what changed? Well, I got my hands on the V12 Detect Slim ($550—it’s currently on sale!), the newest addition to the family of Dyson vacuums. Launched in June, it’s considered to be the brand’s most compact and powerful devices to date. 

Dyson V12 Detect Slim — $550.00

Originally $650, now $550

So, what makes this model so different from the existing Dyson lineup? In addition to being smaller than previous models, the V12 Detect Slim uses a combination of laser illumination (hence its name) and new de-tangling brush technology to help clean every surface in your home. For example, the Laser Slim Fluffy Cleaner attachment tool detects microscopic dust particles like a blacklight, so you can better spot debris while you’re running over surfaces. Additionally, the other four attachments can deep clean everything from your dog’s bed to your mattress. They include: the Hair Screw tool (for picking up pet hair), the Combination tool (for easy dusting and switching between tasks), the Motorbar cleaner head (for de-tangling hair and sweeping multiple surfaces), and the Crevice tool (for hard-to-reach places). 

Oh, and bye-bye trigger button. Instead of pressing down continually to keep the power on, just one touch will do. The on-and-off switch allows you to keep your hands free and have more mobility as you move in between tasks.

Keep in mind, runtime is only 60 minutes, but each of the three cleaning modes adjusts the amount of suction and power based as you clean to reduce energy and optimize cleaning. And for those curious about just how dirty your home might actually be, the vacuum shows you a graph of the different type of allergens and dust particles getting sucked up in real-time per second.

First impressions

Once I got all the tools and attachments out of the box, the assembly took less than five minutes. After that, the main hurdle was charging the battery, which takes up to four hours, so be sure to prepare your cleaning tasks ahead of time. However, it lasts for up to a full hour, which is longer than what even most existing Dyson vacuums offer. 

The first thing I noticed was how strong the suction was. I had purposely cleaned my floor beforehand, and wondered if there would be anything that the vacuum would even pick up. Apparently my floors are way more gross than I thought (keeping me humble, Dyson!). The entire canister was filled with all kinds of particles, dust, and debris within 10 minutes, which you can see below. 

Additionally, I appreciate how truly slim the vacuum is. At just 5.2 pounds, the V12 Detect Slim is among the lightest in the Dyson lineup. In fact, it’s 24 percent lighter than the Dyson V15 Detect, and has a significantly smaller canister to match. However, this didn’t take away from its suction performance.  You still get the signature Dyson power, just in a more compact size. Plus, it comes with a handy wall mount to dock the vacuum when you’re done, so you can keep it out sight and out of mind.  

And lastly, I loved how well the vacuum picked up knots of hair and larger particles without incident. For example, a few times I unexpectedly ran over a tiny piece of plastic debris and this didn’t cause the vacuum to jam, which is not something that my previous cordless vacuums were able to navigate well. The main reason for the smooth clean-up is the Motorbar cleaner tool. It’s the most versatile  and notable of the attachments, thanks to  specially-designed hair removal vanes. These are small polycarbonate teeth that help keep hair and other particles from wrapping around and tangling the brush as you mow over the floor. 

Plus, the Slim Fluffy cleaner head expertly navigating under the couch, TV stand (and other narrower, harder-to-reach areas that have previously gone unattended to), thanks to the nylon and anti-static carbon fiber filaments that pick up dust and dirt with ease. It’s also just designed to squeeze into those trickier spaces.

Final thoughts

The vacuum not only did a stellar job at cleaning my studio floors, but it was incredibly easy to navigate around my apartment.  As mentioned above, it’s smaller and much lighter compared to other Dyson models, so it’s easier to change tasks, and far easier to store in my limited NYC apartment space. And while I understand $650 is a steep investment, its versatility and power is simply unmatched. I’ve used for the V12 Detect Slim for just over a month and my apartment has never looked cleaner. And cleaning itself has never felt so effortless.

Want to be the first to hear about the latest (and greatest) SHOP product drops, custom collections, discounts, and more? Sign up to have the intel delivered straight to your inbox.