Dyson now has two wet vacuum cleaners for use on hard flooring. But they couldn’t be more different. We’ve tested out both the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine and the Dyson WashG1, and can give you an expert opinion on what they do, as well as their strengths and weaknesses, so you can choose the right one for you.
You can get more detailed information on both floor cleaners in our dedicated reviews of the Dyson V15s Submarine and the Dyson WashG1 .
To see how they stack up against our other top recommendations, and to see more affordable options, have a look at our round-up of the best wet and dry vacuum cleaners . And to find the best Dyson for you, browse our Dyson cordless vacuums chart .
Key reason to buy
WashG1
It’s a dedicated hard floor cleaner that will vacuum and mop in one go, cutting hard floor cleaning time in half.
V15s Detect Submarine
It’s a high-powered modular vacuum that will clean every part of your home.
What do you get when you buy?
Wash G1
The Wash G1 is a cordless, dedicated wet and dry vacuum. It can only be used on sealed, hard flooring but you won’t need to vacuum floors before using it, as you will with a traditional mop or with many motorised wet vacuums.
In other words, if you have a home with lots of sealed, hard flooring, including tiles, vinyl and laminate, you can use the WashG1 to vacuum and mop all in one go.
To be clear, it can’t be used as a carpet cleaner. And you’ll still need a second vacuum for any carpeted areas, rugs and unsealed floorboards, as well as upholstery, skirting boards and so on.
In the box, you’ll get:
- The WashG1 vacuum body, with 1-litre clean and 0.8-litre dirty water tanks
- Metal wand, with an LCD display, which you attach to the body of the vacuum
- Charging stand with drip tray
- Charger
Emma Rowley / Foundry
It’s a much simpler proposition than the Submarine, but it can only do one job.
V15s Detect Submarine
The V15s Submarine is a cordless, modular vacuum cleaner. Essentially, it’s the Dyson V15 Detect vacuum cleaner, with an additional wet cleaning head (the Submarine).
But it’s important to note that the V15s Submarine parts are not interchangeable with those of the V15 Detect. So, if you already have a V15 Detect, the Submarine head won’t be compatible with it.
In the box, you’ll get:
- Main vacuum cleaner body, with LCD display and a 0.76-litre/0.2-gallon dustbin
- Submarine Wet Roller head and drip tray
- Digital Motorbar cleaner head for carpets
- Fluffy Optic cleaner head for hard floors (with green laser)
- Hair Screw tool
- Crevice tool
- Combination tool
- Wand clip for accessories
- Charger
- Docking station
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
All this kit means that you can use the V15s Submarine for every cleaning job in your home: as a wet vacuum on sealed, hard flooring; as an ordinary vacuum on both hard flooring and carpet; and on upholstery, curtains, blinds and shelves.
Price and availability
In the UK, you can buy the WashG1 from Dyson for £599.99.
Meanwhile, the V15s Submarine is available from Dyson , John Lewis , Currys and other retailers for £799.99.
Obviously, neither is a budget-friendly model (although we do have recommendations for less pricey wet and dry vacuums ) but the Submarine will give you a whole-home cleaning system for £200 more.
On the other hand, the WashG1 offers a very fast and effective way to clean hard flooring.
The WashG1 is priced at $699.99 and you can buy it from Dyson .
Features and specs
It’s difficult to compare these two Dyson models by weight or accessories because they’re such completely different products.
For example, although the Submarine is lighter at 4.1kg than the WashG1 at 4.9kg, the WashG1’s weight is much less important.
It’s motorised, which makes it very manoeuvrable, and it bears its own weight on the floor. You’ll only need to lift it to carry it over carpet or rugs or up or down the stairs.
Meanwhile, the V15s Detect Submarine is fairly heavy for a cordless vacuum cleaner, although it’s also motorised in its wet cleaning mode.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Wash G1
- Weight: 4.9kg
- Runtime: up to 35 mins
- Coverage: up to 290sqm on a single tank
- Modes: three water levels and a MAX mode for spills
- Tank capacity: 1-litre clean water, 0.8 litre dirty water
- Tanks have screw-on lids, so there’s no danger of a spill
- Fast and effective, as it cleans in both directions
- Edge cleaning on one side
- Debris and dirty water are separated at the cleaning head, so there are fewer opportunities for clogs
- LCD display with countdown timer
- Self-cleaning mode
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
V15s Detect Submarine
- Weight: 4.9kg
- Runtime: up to 60 mins
- Coverage (in wet cleaning mode): 90sqm approx
- Swappable battery (but only one included with vacuum)
- Clean water tank: 300ml (dirty water is collected in a trench in the base)
- Hard floor vacuuming with green laser to illuminate hair and dust
- LCD display with countdown timer and particulate count
- Hair Screw tool for upholstery
Downsides
No product is perfect. Here are the downsides we discovered when testing out these cleaners.
WashG1
- Can’t steam or sanitise: the WashG1 can’t be used with bleach or very hot water, so it won’t be able to sanitise your floors. You can, however, use it with a small amount of detergent if needed.
- Rollers need to be replaced after 25 hours of cleaning, and it’s expensive to do so. A replacement sets costs £45 from Dyson .
- Although the edge cleaning is effective, the WashG1 can’t clean right into corners.
- Emptying the dirty water tank is easy, and the rollers auto-clean – but you’ll have to empty the debris filter by hand, and it’s an unpleasant job.
V15s Detect Submarine
- Like the Wash G1, it can’t steam or sanitise. The Submarine can’t be used with bleach or very hot water, so it won’t be able to sanitise your floors. You can use it with a small amount of detergent if needed.
- It’s heavier than many other stick vacuums.
- The drain trench isn’t sealed, so it can leak when full.
- The trigger is back! While some Dyson models (such as the Gen5detect ) have ditched the trigger, the Submarine has not. That means you’ll need to keep pressure on it all the time you’re using it, which adds a bit more strain to cleaning.
Verdict
The Dyson V15s Submarine and the WashG1 are very different cleaners, for different types of homes.
If you have a an even mix of carpets and hard flooring, or predominantly carpets, the Submarine offers a cleaning head for all surfaces. Read our review of the Submarine to find out more.
If your home has all, or almost all, hard, sealed flooring, and you spend a lot of time mopping or knowing you should be mopping, the WashG1 will help you get through your cleaning in half the time. Check out our WashG1 review for more detail on its use.
Author: Emma Rowley, Deputy Editor, Tech Advisor
Tech Advisor’s Deputy Editor, Emma has been a journalist and copywriter for over 20 years and has been testing and writing about home tech and appliances for seven years. She tries out every appliance she writes about at home, and aims to recommend time- and energy-saving products that will last.
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