Dyson V12s Detect Slim Submarine review

In short, if you already have the V12 Detect Slim, there’s really not much reason to get the V12s unless you want the Submarine head. Because here’s the kicker; the Submarine head will simply not work with the older V12. Both are simply not compatible with the other – the V12 reported that its airway is blocked when I tried to. It’s also the reason why Dyson has not made the Submarine head available separately, but I wonder if this was solvable by way of a firmware update? But alas, unlike its air purifier range and even the new 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum cleaner that can be connected to the Internet and update its firmware, Dyson has chosen to not build such a feature into the cordless vacuum cleaners – yet.

Anyway, I digress. How does the Submarine perform?

The Submarine – essentially consisting of a wet roller head, a water tank and a waste tray – is developed to address an array of cleaning challenges, from semi-dry spills to the daily mopping of hard floors. Yet, during a period of my testing with it (which also meant cleaning the house more than usual in the name of ‘test’), a design quirk emerged: the unsealed waste tray potentially leads to spills as it fills. To prevent this, I developed a level of “finesse” when mopping – no hard swerving and no knocking of the Submarine to objects or furniture. But this level of focus is hard work, and does make the traditional, albeit more laborious, way of mopping more stress-free.

This is compounded by the LED display’s limitation, which only indicates clean water levels, leaving users guessing about the volume of dirty water collected. The V12s is simply powering the Submarine and does nothing intelligent with it. Moreover, as the wet roller continues cleaning, I discovered that at some point it can start to leave water streaks, which is especially obvious if you have white marble floors like my home. I’ve learnt to live with it and to be fair, I am not too bothered by it after a while – the Submarine keeps my floor clean, and any dirt or dried-on stains were easily cleaned. In short, it gets the job done and well. I also realised I’m saving a lot more water with the Submarine too, as compared to traditional mopping methods.

Cleaning the Submarine is easy and hassle-free too. Simply slide the water tank out of the head to top up more water. The roller head can easily slide out of its placement and be washed under running water and with your hands (no, you cannot dunk it into your washing machine).

My review unit, the Dyson V12s Detect Slim Submarine Complete, has an original SRP of $1,399 (while the standard edition goes for S$1,299) and that could be hard to stomach if you already are an original V12 owner. But Dyson does do plenty of promotions for their products, and the same model was available for $1,049 during the 11.11 promo. At the time of re-publishing this article, the standard edition is going for just S$999. This is a pretty attractive price point, and I would recommend the V12s in a heartbeat, especially for first-time Dyson buyers or for owners of older models who want a single-solution wet and dry vacuum cleaner. For existing V12 owners, perhaps it’s more prudent to wait for the next Submarine update.

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