I tested the Dyson V12 Detect Slim Absolute - it’s ideal if you’re willing to trade a larger dust bin for a lighter weight

It’s fair to say that I’ve become a Dyson convert throughout my product testing career. While I used to believe this big-name brand was overpriced and over-hyped, I’ve quickly realised that higher prices typically translate to higher quality, better suction power, superior design, and progressive engineering. So, I was intrigued to find out whether the Dyson V12 Detect Slim Absolute would follow the crowd.

The Dyson V12 doesn’t look all that dissimilar from the other models in the best vacuum cleaners guides. But Dyson claims that the Dyson V12 is its most powerful, lightweight cordless vacuum cleaner - supposedly offering the same star quality but at a fraction of the weight (2.2kg, to be exact).

So, I put the Dyson V12 through its paces in my three-bedroom house, testing everything from the weight of the machine to the suction power and the accessories. And while it impressed me in many ways, it does have its drawbacks.

Dyson V12 Detect Slim Absolute product specs

• Weight: 2.2kg
• Max. run time: 60 minutes
• Bin volume: 0.35L
• Charge time: 4 hours
• Modes: Auto Mode, Eco Mode, Boost Mode
• In the box: Fluffy Optic™ cleaner head, Motorbar™ cleaner head, crevice tool, combination tool, docking station, charger (as I received the model with extra accessories, I also received a hair screw tool, mini soft dusting brush, and a wand clip)
• RRP: £499.99 or £549.99 with extra accessories

Unboxing, setting up and first impressions

As it’s hailed as Dyson’s lightest cordless vacuum, I wasn't surprised that the box was extremely lightweight. All in all, the gross weight of the Dyson V12 Slim Detect Absolute (which I’ll call the Dyson V12 from now on for the sake of my fingers) AND all of the packaging weighed just 5.96kg.

Considering the fact that some vacuum cleaners - including the Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner, which I used to own before switching to the Dyson V8 Absolute - is heavier than that without packaging, this impressed me.

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Upon opening the box, all of the components were neatly packed either in a cardboard shell or wrapped in paper. All of it could be recycled, so major eco-friendly points there.

And with all of the components out of the box, I was once again struck by how lightweight everything was. But while they didn’t have a lot of weight to them, they didn’t feel cheap. Everything felt good quality, and I particularly liked how slim the main unit (which houses the dust canister, buttons, and LCD screen) was - especially after recently testing the Halo Capsule X, a bagged cordless vacuum that had a rather bulky main unit. But I guess that’s where the V12 Detect Slim Absolute gets its name.

My only concern when I looked at the machine was that the dust canister looked quite small. At 0.35L, it is incredibly small compared to other cordless competitors on the market, which generally offer a dust bin capacity of 0.7- 0.8 litres. So, I was eager to see how it’d fare in my three-bedroom house, home to a shedding dog (Barney) and a shedding human (me).

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As is often the case with Dyson vacuums, assembling the Dyson V12 was easy peasy. While you can use the Quick Start guide to ensure you’re doing the right thing, it’s fairly self-explanatory.

Sleek and slim, the Dyson V12 isn’t hugely different from the other cordless Dysons on the market in terms of appearance or size, but there were a few little touches that I appreciated - from the vacuum name on the connector hose to the gold, purple, and red accents we’ve come to associate with this brand.

I was also excited to see that the V12 has a power button rather than a trigger button like older models. I struggle with this when using my Dyson V8 Absolute, and while I know there’s a Dyson trigger hack to solve this, it was good to see that the brand has solved one of the problems that has annoyed customers for a while.

Using the Dyson V12 Detect Slim Absolute

With everything assembled and in place, I was ready to use the Dyson V12 for the first time. In preparation for this, I hadn't vacuumed my home for a few days to test the product thoroughly.

To give context, I live in a three-bedroom terraced property with hard flooring downstairs - laminate in the dining room and living room (with a couple of rugs, too), tiles in the kitchen, and tiles in the bathroom (yes, having a bathroom downstairs is a Victorian quirk I absolutely hate). The three bedrooms upstairs are fully carpeted.

As I assembled the Dyson V12 downstairs, I decided to use the Fluffy Optic cleaner head first. This has been specifically designed for hard floors and features a precisely angled blade of light, supposedly to reveal twice the amount of invisible dust on hard floors. I hadn’t experienced this with a vacuum cleaner before, so I was intrigued to see whether it picked up the dust and dander that comes with living with pets.

Amazingly, the laser worked wonders in the darker corners of my home, showing (quite scarily) the huge amount of dust lingering near my TV unit and towards the edges of my skirting boards. However, I would say that the laser light is fairly redundant in larger, brighter areas of the home - I couldn’t see much when I pushed the vacuum around my larger dining room. You do have the option to turn this laser light off, though.

In terms of pickup, the Dyson V12’s suction power was impressive, and the clever piezo sensor (which continuously sizes and counts dust particles) automatically adjusted the suction power when it needed to - telling me that the corners of my room and the black tiles in my bathroom were hiding a shocking amount of dust and needed some extra juice.

Some areas of my bathroom, in particular, needed some extra suction power on top of the automatic adjustment, so I switched to ‘Boost’ mode a few times - but this is easy enough to do by pressing the silver button on the LCD screen.

Talking about the LCD screen, a timer and infographics come up while you’re vacuuming, too. If I’m honest, the infographics didn’t mean a lot to me, nor did I really care that much about them - but if you love to see the science and the specifics behind vacuuming, this could be a nice touch.

Then, I wanted to use the Motorbar cleaner head, which is meant to feature strudy nylon bristles to help get deep into carpets and remove even the most-ground-in dirt. I used this on my rugs downstairs first, and it was clear that the suction power worked magic - but the impressive suction power is also this vacuum's downfall.

Although the hard floor roller hadn’t picked up too much dirt and debris, the dust bin had completely filled up by the time I’d vacuumed the two large rugs downstairs. Admittedly, these are the worst offenders for dog hair and human hair buildup, but it was still disappointing.

Instead, I had to empty the bin before tackling my carpeted stairs and the upstairs of my home. But heading up, it was hard not to be impressed by the suction power and I really did feel as though the Dyson V12 was getting into every nook and cranny of my loop pile carpet.

As expected though, the small dust capacity couldn’t really hold up to the amount of debris and hair upstairs (my dog has free reign of the whole house). While it did manage the whole upstairs without needing to be emptied, I like to be able to vacuum my whole house without having to empty the dustbin more than once.

All in all, though, the Motorbar cleaner did impress me. Not only did it remain completely tangle-free (no mean feat considering the amount of hair in the dust bin afterwards), but you can also use it on both carpets and hard flooring. It also does the job fairly well on hard flooring, too, but I always found myself leaning more towards the fluffy head as I preferred the results during my testing process.

Using the attachments

As I’m constantly on the lookout for new machines to rival some of the best vacuums for pet hair, thanks to my very fluffy cocker spaniel, I appreciated the addition of the accessories that came with the V12 and was eager to try them out.

Crevice tool

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Although I had high hopes for the crevice tool, I must admit that I was a little disappointed. As always, I used it in the crevices of my sofa - and while it picked up larger crumbs and stones (not sure how they got there), it really struggled with the hair.

I do think the material of my sofa underneath the cushions doesn’t help as it’s a silk-like material, but other vacuum cleaners - including the V8 I own - have managed much better pick-up in the past.

Combination tool

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A great test of a vacuum cleaner’s combination tool in my house is using it on the velvet sofa bed in my office/spare room/junk room. My dog uses it as his bed while I’m working, and saying it gets covered in dirt and hair is an understatement. But anyone who has ever tried to get hair out of a velvet sofa will know it’s not easy.

This combination tool made light work of this though, and one pass picked up every last speck of dirt and every stray hair. It even left some very aesthetically pleasing vacuum lines on there.

Hair screw tool

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To test out the hair screw tool, I used it on my dog’s bed, which is covered in a lot of invisible hair. By the time I’d finished, his bed looked noticeably cleaner, and I could hear the debris falling into the dust bin, so I knew it was doing its job properly.

Then, I gave it a whirl on my carpeted stairs to really get into the treads. Again, it seemed to do what it was meant to, and using the handheld machine to vacuum my incredibly steep stairs is a godsend.

Mini soft dusting brush

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I’m often at a loss for how to use the mini soft dusting brush, but I’ve recently discovered that this tool is ideal for dusting the top of door frames. So, that’s what I did for this test - and I assume that it did a good job. I’m a bit too short to be sure.

I also used this tool to regularly dust my computer keyboard, which gets a lot of use and probably harbours a lot of dust and dead skin cells. It was hard to visually see a difference, but that’s because it rarely looks dirty in the first place.

Cleaning and maintenance

One of the things that I loved about the V12 was that it seemed very clean. Sometimes, I find that vacuum cleaners spread dust by shooting it up into the air while cleaning the floors. But as the V12 boasts a fully-sealed HEPA filtration filter that traps 99.97% of particles and supposedly only expels clean air into the home, I didn’t find this to be too much of an issue.

Of course, emptying a Dyson vacuum cleaner is a different story. Although I do appreciate the ejection mechanism of cordless vacuum cleaners (you just pull at the red toggle over a bin, and the debris falls in by its own accord), there’s no denying that this hands-free method is still a messy business. That’s one of the reasons why those with allergies may find vacuum cleaners with bags better.

Every time I emptied the V12 - which was a bit more than I’d like thanks to the small bin capacity - I could feel the dust enter my nostrils, and it often made me sneeze. This is something I’m used to with my V8, but it’s still a fairly unpleasant experience and something you need to consider if you’re sensitive to allergens and dust. Plus, I sometimes had to get my hands in the bin to pull out the hair stuck around the inner cyclone - which wasn’t all that pleasant.

In terms of battery life, I found that the V12 did exactly what it offered - both in terms of run time and the charging time, the latter of which is around 3-4 hours.

The run time was around 60 minutes in eco mode, about 30-35 minutes in auto mode, and about 10 minutes in boost mode. This was more than enough time for my small three-bedroom home, but I think it would also be ample for a larger home, too - unless your home is particularly dirty and requires that extra boost.

It’s also very easy to know when your battery life is running out. One nifty little feature I loved was that the vacuum seemed to give a little ‘shake’ when the battery was running low. But for a more detailed indicator of battery life, you just need to look at the LCD screen - and timings will even change based on the mode you’re in.

So, if you’re in auto mode but want to move up to boost mode, the timing will automatically change to show you how much longer you can stay in boost mode before needing to charge again.

It’s also worth noting that the Dyson V12 also comes with a docking station for the wall. As I already have a docking station on the wall for my V8, I did hope that they would be interchangeable and I wouldn’t have to go drilling anymore holes - but they weren’t. So, for the sake of testing, I charged the V12 on the floor instead. This wasn’t a problem for me, but maybe something to think about if you want to hide your vacuum cleaner.

Although I haven’t reached this point yet, the Dyson instruction manual also says that the LCD screen will remind you when it’s time to clean the Dyson filter. Apparently, this should happen once a month, but it may change depending on how much you use it.

How does it rate online?

The Dyson V12 Detect Slim Absolute rates extremely well online, with an average of 4.6 stars out of 5 from 5915 reviews at the time of writing. Plus, 75% of reviewers would recommend this cordless vacuum to a friend.

On the positive side, customers have praised the machine for its weight (well, lack of it) and the impressive suction power of the vacuum. They also love the automatic suction function, which offers a fuss-free cleaning of their home.

However, there are some negatives - especially when it comes to the dust bin capacity. For some, the capacity just wasn’t big enough for their homes and their needs, and they found themselves having to empty it more than they’d like.

How does it compare to similar models?

Although the Ideal Home team has yet to test the Dyson V10 or Dyson V11, I have personally tested the Dyson V8 and the Head of Reviews, Mille Fender, tested the Dyson V15 Detect Absolute. So, it’s easy to compare it to similar models on both sides of the price spectrum.

However, it’s safe to say that I’m a little biased, as I loved the V8 so much after testing that I decided to switch out my newer Shark vacuum with this golden oldie. Personally, I love the powerful simplicity of the V8, as it’s a no-frills-attached vacuum cleaner that does exactly what it says on the tin - it vacuums without the fuss. In fact, it doesn’t even have an LCD screen or LED headlights.

However, this is where the V12 trumps the V8, as the modern additions make it ideal for those who prefer all of the gadgets, gizmos, and infographics. In terms of the dustbin capacity, however, the V8 wins (which is another reason why I love it so much).

You can also read a full breakdown of how the V12 differs from the V15 here, but it’s clear to see that the V15 is a far superior vacuum on paper.

For starters, the V12's dustbin capacity of 0.35 litres compared to the V15's impressive 0.77 litre capacity means that the V15 is more accessible for homes of all sizes. Plus, the Dyson V15 boasts 250 AW of fade-free suction, while the V12 only offers 150 AW (air watt, the unit of measurement used across the board for vacuum suction).

On the other hand, the lightweight nature of the V12 makes it a better choice for those with dexterity concerns or a lot of stairs in their home.

Should you buy the Dyson V12 Detect Slim Absolute?

All in all, the Dyson V12 Detect Slim Absolute does what it’s set out to do. It’s extremely lightweight, very intelligent, offers that classic Dyson style, and is relatively affordable (compared to newer Dyson models, that is). However, the small dust bin capacity is a major drawback that could be a sacrifice too far for some people.

For that reason, I think the Dyson V12 would suit small home dwellers or those who have the patience to empty it regularly, but I found this to be too irritating for my three-bedroom home.

However, I did enjoy using the V12 and the laser light is something that is a major selling point.

About this review, and the reviewer

Lauren Bradbury

Lauren is a freelance contributor who typically reviews larger home appliances. She’s put countless vacuums (and even electric mops) through their paces, testing everything from their ease of assembly to their pickup power.

Currently, she’s on a mission to find a vacuum cleaner that will tackle all of the hair her fluffy cocker spaniel leaves in his wake.

You can find more information on how we review products at Ideal Home here. For this review, the Dyson V12 Detect Slim Absolute was tested by Lauren, a freelance contributor who lives in a small Victorian terraced house in Kent with her husband and dog.

Over the course of three weeks, she swapped her usual vacuum cleaner (a Dyson V8 Absolute) for the Dyson V12 to see how it dealt with everyday dust and debris, as well as the dirty paws and muddy shoes synonymous with the autumn months. She also tested all of the attachments and accessories to determine whether this specific vacuum cleaner was worth the price tag.

Dyson sent Lauren this vacuum to review, but this in no way impacted her fair and impartial review process. She has shared her own experiences with the Dyson V12 while also thinking about the positives and potential pitfalls others may encounter in their own homes.

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