Dyson V16 Piston Animal Review: A New Flagship Cordless Vacuum

Introduction

Dyson has long been a dominant name in the cordless vacuum category, and the V16 Piston Animal is the company’s latest flagship successor to the highly regarded V15. This review covers both the standard V16 Piston Animal and the V16 Piston Animal Submarine, which adds Dyson’s wet cleaning head for hard floors. Both models were purchased and tested through a full series of cleaning, battery, and filtration evaluations.

The two V16 models are essentially the same vacuum, with virtually identical performance, features, and specifications. The one real difference is that the Submarine version includes Dyson’s wet cleaning head. Both models come with a newly designed primary cleaner head called the all floor cones cleaner head, which uses dual brush rolls designed to resist hair tangles and improve hair pickup. It is also the first Dyson combo head to feature the company’s green laser illumination system, which shines in front of the vacuum and reveals dust and fine particles on hard floors in a surprisingly dramatic way.

The package also includes Dyson’s dedicated soft roller cleaner head for hard floors, which has had the same green laser for a few generations and remains one of Dyson’s best hard floor tools. A motorized upholstery tool with Dyson’s cone-shaped anti-tangle design, a crevice tool, a wall-mounted charging dock, and the charging adapter round out the included accessories.

Design and Key Features

The V16’s design builds on Dyson’s established cordless formula while introducing several meaningful refinements. The new all floor cones head has an adjustable gate with two settings: a wide open setting and a more restricted one that tightens the seal for certain hard floor situations and for carpets. This flexibility makes the head competent on both surfaces, which is why it became the preferred head for general use, especially when moving frequently between floor types.

The only minor catch is that on its most restrictive gate setting, the head created more drag on thicker carpets than expected. The medium setting gave the best balance of cleaning and maneuverability.

The redesigned dust bin is another standout feature. It has a generous, above average capacity, but the real highlight is the new two-stage emptying mechanism. It still uses Dyson’s familiar trombone style ejection, but a secondary lever lets you compact debris deeper into the bin so you can clean longer before emptying. It also scrapes debris off the interior walls during emptying, which keeps the inside much cleaner over time.

Cleaning Performance

The V16 performed exceptionally well in virtually all cleaning tests on both hard floors and carpets. In the carpet deep clean test, where sand is embedded into medium pile carpet and the bin is weighed before and after a set number of passes on max power, it earned a perfect 100%. That is well above the 93% cordless average and one of the best results seen. It also got a perfect score in the crevice pickup test, indicating excellent suction and air flow where it counts.

On hard floors, the dedicated soft roller head was really great to use. The combination of the soft roller and the laser illumination makes it highly effective, and the laser shows fine dust that would probably never be noticed otherwise. It had no trouble with everything from hair and fine dust to larger debris, impressing in both studio testing and real world use around the house.

Both V16 models delivered excellent suction and air flow numbers, easily ranking among the strongest cordless vacuums tested, with above average results in both sealed and unsealed suction. In usable suction at the head and in head air flow, the V16 clearly outperformed Shark’s flagship cordless. Interestingly, the V16 actually posted slightly lower sealed suction than some previous Dyson models, which might sound like a step backwards, but probably is not. Past a certain point, more sealed suction does not meaningfully improve cleaning, and it can make a vacuum harder to push on carpet and louder overall. The V16 still has more than enough power for amazing results while feeling noticeably quieter and easier to use.

Battery Life and Display

Battery life is another major strength. Dyson rates the V16 for up to 70 minutes on its lowest power setting, which is well above the roughly 45 minute average. In testing, as much as 24 minutes was measured in max mode with a cleaner head attached, which is impressive given how much power it produces.

The V16 also has Dyson’s automatic suction adjustment, which boosts power and brush roll speed when it detects more debris and eases off when it is not needed, optimizing both cleaning and battery life. The battery is removable, so extras can be purchased for more runtime.

The V16 has one of the best battery displays on the market. Its real-time digital screen shows exactly how much runtime remains based on the attachment and power mode in use. The display does more than just track the battery. Using Dyson’s onboard sensors, it shows real-time particle data as you clean. On a dirty carpet, you can actually watch the particle counts climb as it picks up more debris.

Filtration and Ease of Use

Filtration is another big pro. The V16 has a fully sealed HEPA system, meaning it pairs a true HEPA filter with precise seals throughout the machine, so dirty air stays contained instead of leaking back into the room. In a fog test designed to catch leaks in the filtration system, the V16 passed perfectly with no visible fog.

Ease of use is a strong area, though the story is a little nuanced. On paper, the handle is still heavier than the average cordless vacuum tested and heavier than Shark’s flagship. But it is noticeably lighter than previous Dyson models. More importantly, it feels lighter in actual use, likely thanks to improved weight distribution and a better center of gravity. The V16 simply feels much more nimble than earlier generations, which is especially noticeable during above floor cleaning when holding the vacuum’s weight in your hand.

On attachments, Dyson continues to do amazing work. The motorized upholstery tool is one of the favorites, handling furniture, stairs, and pet hair really well with an anti-tangle design that keeps hair from wrapping around the brush. Both the base of the handheld unit and the end of the wand now have a small protrusion, which addresses a long-standing annoyance. There is always debris too large for the cleaner head, or a baseboard, ledge, shelf, or corner you want to quickly hit, and this feature handles small jobs without swapping attachments.

The Submarine Wet Cleaning Head

The headline feature of the Submarine version is Dyson’s new Submarine 2.0 cleaner head, which turns the V16 into a hard floor mopping machine. You fill the integrated clean water tank, attach the head, and the V16 automatically recognizes it and lets you choose a standard or higher water flow setting. As you clean, water is dispensed onto the roller to keep it damp.

What is different from popular vacuum mop combos is that the Dyson keeps the entire wet cleaning system inside the head itself. Dyson’s argument is that many competing systems get unsanitary over time because dirty water and debris are pulled up through internal tubing and pumps before reaching a dirty water tank. Even with a self-cleaning cycle, it is hard to know that everything inside is truly clean. With the Submarine, dirty water never travels up the wand.

As for performance, the Submarine head tested surprisingly well. In the dried-on stain mopping test, where stains are allowed to dry before being cleaned and scored on how quickly they are removed, it delivered an above average overall result. What is really impressive is that those results were measured against dedicated hard floor cleaning machines. Evaluated purely as a hard floor cleaner, it would place ahead of most dedicated hard floor cleaning products tested, and it even outperformed both of Dyson’s own dedicated cleaners, including the Wash G1 and Dyson’s newer hygiene focused model.

In real world use, it left floors looking clean and handled routine mopping well. It does work best on floors that have already been vacuumed since it is not great at loose debris while mopping.

Things to Consider Before Buying

As much as the dedicated fluffy soft roller for hard floors and the all floor cones head for mixed use are appreciated, there is still no true all-in-one head that combines a soft roller and a traditional brush roll in one attachment. If your home is mostly hard floors with a few scattered rugs, you still have to physically swap heads for the best performance on each surface. That gets old, and many users will just leave the combo head on rather than stop to change attachments every time they hit a rug.

There are also mixed feelings about the new all floor cones head. Dyson clearly designed it with hair tangle prevention in mind, and it does fine there, but the redesign may not have been necessary since previous heads had already handled hair extremely well. In a 14-inch hair tangle test, it actually scored slightly below some previous Dyson models and a touch below the average. It is still far better than any head without anti-tangle tech, but it looks like a slight step back in this one area.

The rest of the cons are about the Submarine head, and most stem from that self-contained design. Keeping everything in the head is a smart, more hygienic choice, but there are trade-offs. The biggest is that the Submarine is not really built to vacuum and mop at the same time the way dedicated vacuum mop combos are. It can pick up very small particles while mopping, but you should not expect it to handle normal debris. In testing, when a little catnip was scattered on the floor, the head consistently pushed it forward rather than collecting it. It works best as a true second step: vacuum thoroughly first with one of the standard heads, then switch to the Submarine for mopping. Approached that way, it performs really well. But if you are expecting a one-step vacuum and mop solution, this will disappoint you.

There is also the matter of dirty water. Because the wet cleaning system lives in the head, there is an internal dirty water compartment, and it is not sealed the way a traditional dirty water tank is. Once you finish mopping, if you tilt the head too far or turn it upside down, dirty water can spill out. It is just not meant to be stored or carried at extreme angles. The best practice is to remove it carefully, keep it level, carry it straight to a sink, and empty and clean it before storage.

That leads to maintenance. Dyson’s approach is one of the more sanitary systems out there since every part is accessible, but it is not low maintenance. There is no self-cleaning cycle, and it is not something you can just park on a dock and forget. To avoid odors and residue, you really do need to rinse the mop components after every session. That is a non-negotiable part of ownership if you want to keep it performing at a high level.

Buying Advice

After all the testing was done and the scores were added up, the Dyson V16 Submarine earned the number one position on the best cordless vacuum rankings, knocking off the Dyson V15, which had held that top spot for quite a while. The standard V16 also ranked really high, continuing Dyson’s strong presence at the top of the category.

In our view, the V16 is a big step up from the Gen 5 Detect with adjustments to usability, attachments, battery management, and overall design that make it a more polished product. It does have a few limitations. Larger debris can be a challenge, and you will need to do some manual cleanup after you are done, but for what it is designed to do, it works really well.

The Dyson V16 Submarine is, in our opinion, the best cordless vacuum currently available. It combines exceptional cleaning performance, excellent filtration, strong battery life, useful technology, and a versatile attachment package into one of the most capable cordless systems tested. Of course, like a lot of Dyson products, it does come at a premium price, so comparing the latest scores, features, and pricing is the best way to make sure you are getting the right value for your needs.

Conclusion

The Dyson V16 Piston Animal and the V16 Piston Animal Submarine represent a meaningful step forward in the cordless vacuum category. The standard V16 delivers outstanding cleaning performance, excellent battery life, and thoughtful design refinements, while the Submarine version adds a genuinely capable wet cleaning head that outperforms many dedicated hard floor cleaners.

The main trade-offs are the premium price, the need to swap heads for different floor types, and the maintenance required for the Submarine head. But for those who want one of the most capable cordless systems available, the V16 is a compelling choice.