Dyson Just Released Its Most Powerful (and Expensive) Vacuum Ever—Is It Worth It?
Updated: Apr. 08, 2024
Is Dyson's most powerful and expensive cordless vacuum the ultimate cleaning gadget? Our Dyson Gen5outsize review put it to the test.
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For three decades and counting Dyson has designed some of the most innovative vacuum cleaners and hair tools on the market. Recently, the brand added to its lineup of the best Dyson vacuum cleaners with the Dyson Gen5outsize, its biggest, most powerful and feature-heavy cordless vacuum cleaner to date. The next-level cleaning device comes with one of the most expensive price tags at just over $1,000, so we had to do our own Dyson Gen5outsize review.
Over the years I’ve tested out endless vacuum cleaners from some of the best vacuum brands including Dyson, Shark, LG and iRobot. I was eager to get my hands on this premiere cleaning gadget. Is the highly hyped vacuum worth investing in? I put it to the ultimate test to find out.
What is the Dyson Gen5outsize?
The Dyson Gen5outsize hit the market in June 2023 alongside its base model, the Gen5detect, which retails for $100 less. Marketed as the “most powerful cordless vacuums,” these models are made with the fifth generation of Dyson’s Hyperdymium motor. The motor is incredibly fast and powerful. It spins at up to 135,000 rpm (revolutions per minute). The vacuum also boasts an unrivaled 280 air watts of powerful suction.
To give you an idea of how powerful that is: Think nine times faster than a Formula One engine. The Gen5outsize also comes with basically every Dyson vacuum accessory you need to clean your home, car and any other space. In the car world, it’s the equivalent of a fully loaded, souped-up sports car.
Of course, for my Dyson Gen5outsize review, I was eager to get my hands on this prestige vacuum cleaner. It arrived in a giant box and ample protective packaging. Upon pulling it out of the package I was immediately impressed by its sleek, luxurious, high-end look and feel. While I knew prior to receiving the vacuum that it was Dyson’s largest cordless vacuum, I was still fascinated by the rather substantial size of the body and even the attachment heads.
But once I took all the accessories out of the box, assembled it and turned it on, the magic really began.
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Dyson Gen5outsize
The Dyson Gen5outsize is the most powerful cordless vacuum made with the fifth generation of Dyson's Hyperdymium motor.
Dyson Gen5outsize product features
The Dyson Gen5outsize comes with a variety of cleaning attachments, including a Digital Motorbar cleaner head, a Fluffy Optic cleaner head that illuminates nearly invisible dust in a bright green light, a hair screw tool, a combination tool with a wide nozzle and brush and also a two-foot-long wand with a built-in dusting and crevice tool. Each of the tools easily attaches to the body of the convertible vacuum, which works as both a stick vacuum and a handheld. Other items in the box include a two-prong charger, a wall-mounted dock and an extra battery, offering up to 70 minutes of additional cleaning time.
With all those options, the vacuum is quite hefty and large. Weighing over 8 pounds, you can feel how powerful the motor and suction are upon the first stroke. The vacuum also has a next-level advanced filtration system, capturing 99.9% of particles. Because of the illuminating green light, you can actually see some of them.
Another impressive feature that I noticed in my Dyson Gen5outsize review is the on/off button. It sounds basic but this feature isn’t on most cordless vacuums. Most require you to continuously hold down the trigger.
- Powered by a Hyperdymium motor, spinning at up to 135,000 rpm, or nine times faster than a Formula One engine
- Impressive suction at 280 watts
- Equipped with Dyson’s advanced filtration system that captures 99.9% of viruses and particles as small as 0.1 microns
- Comes with an extra plug-in battery, offering a total of up to 140 minutes of run time
- Weighs 8.59 pounds
- An on/off button eliminates the need to keep your finger continuously on the trigger
- Comes with a Fluffy Optic head, which really illuminates microscopic dust to the naked eye
- Two-year warranty on battery, parts and labor
How we tested it
I am pretty much the perfect vacuum cleaner tester. I live in a 6,000-square-foot old home with carpet, hardwood and tile flooring, which I share with two big dogs, a cat and two children. Dust, debris, pet hair, dried-up slime, crumbs and other unmentionables regularly end up on the floor.
I started my testing by charging each battery, using the plug to charge the vacuum equipped with a battery and the additional battery charger for the other.
Cleaning modes
Once charged, I took a moment to check out the tech-savvy LCD-colored screen. It offers lots of information including remaining battery life, the cleaning mode and even a graph of dust particle levels (Microscopic, Fine, Medium, and Coarse) that changes as you clean. There is also the red power button, enabling you to turn the vacuum on and off, and a silver button to switch your cleaning mode.
While you can manually change the cleaning modes, I initially used the Medium/Auto setting. This allowed Dyson’s famous technology to intelligently adapt power as I worked my way through rooms with both hard flooring and carpet. I also tested it manually in Eco mode for hard surfaces and Turbo in areas that needed extra suction, like an area rug with remnants of dried-up slime. However, I found that it was pretty unnecessary to manually switch modes most of the time. The vacuum adapted quite seamlessly on its own.
Obviously, the pros of using the Eco or Auto modes is that the battery will last a lot longer. In turbo mode, you might only get 15 minutes of charge. The good news is that I rarely need to switch to the latter because the medium setting is powerful enough.
Dust detector
Here’s what I love about this vacuum: It makes it incredibly easy to identify dust. First, the Fluffy Optic head is next-level helpful for exposing nearly impossible-to-see culprits, like light pet hair on carpet or dust on hardwood. I was shocked by what I saw on my seemingly clean (ish!) floors when they lit up the lime green light, and even more surprised when all of it disappeared with a single swipe. While the dust particle graph might sound like an over-the-top feature, it is actually quite helpful.
Because it changes in real time you can conclusively determine whether you have cleaned all of the microscopic particles in an area by watching the bars shoot up and descend. So you basically have a two-fold system for eliminating dust.
Battery life
My biggest issue with most cordless vacuum cleaners is the battery life. Prior to testing for my Dyson Gen5outsize review, I struggled to find a model that could clean my home on a single charge. While many of them claim long battery lives you have to read the fine print. Generally, the battery life represents how long it will last in the least powerful setting. So if you are vacuuming carpet, for example, you will get less cleaning time per charge. On my combination floors, it ran for about half the time—around 35 minutes per battery or 70 in all, which is longer than most.
Attachments
I also tested the vacuum as a handheld for my Dyson Gen5outsize review. I used the hair screw tool to tackle the daunting task of cleaning pet fur off my sofas, then moved on to the combination tool, which comes with a wide nozzle and brush, using it to clean my coffee table (again, more dried slime), window sills, bookshelves and other items in desperate need of dusting. The crevice tool, stored within the wand, made cleaning corners, cracks, crevices and other hard-to-penetrate areas easy while in handheld mode.
Another thing I love about the Gen5outsize is how easy it is to empty the canister bin. After removing any attachments you simply lift the red bin release lever, holding the bin over a trash can. The debris effortlessly falls into the can.
My biggest complaint about the vacuum definitely centers around its weight: It’s quite heavy. While that doesn’t really impact floor cleanings, when used as a hand cleaner it might not be so comfortable. But that’s the price you pay for an insanely powerful motor.
Pros
- A powerhouse vacuum cleaner with ample suction
- Unparalleled battery life
- Comes with lots of useful accessories
- Fluffy optic head offers next-level microscopic dust detection
- Sleek-looking
- Equipped with a continuous power button
Cons
- Heavy
- Expensive
FAQ
What is the difference between Dyson Gen5detect and Gen5outsize?
Dyson released the Gen5detect and Gen5outsize on the same day. The models are practically identical in features, but there are just a few major differences. The first is that the less expensive model comes with a single battery pack for up to 70 minutes of continuous clean time, while the Gen5outsize comes with two, doubling the potential clean time.
The second is the bin size, with the Gen5outsize offering 150% more space. The Gen5outsize also offers a 25% wider cleaning head over the Gen5detect. The final major difference is the price, with the Gen5detect retailing for $950 and the Gen5outsize $1,050.
Which one is right for you? Apartment or small home dwellers will likely find the Gen5detect sufficient for their needs. However, pet owners or anyone with a large home or family should consider investing the extra $100. To put it in perspective, replacement batteries for the model retail for $130, so that alone is a selling point for me.
What other reviewers had to say
While the Dyson Gen5outsize is relatively new, it has amassed an average 4.6-star rating on Amazon.
Five-star reviewer, Justin M. says purchasing this vacuum was well worth it. “This beast is a lot better [than] the V8. I have three dogs and two cats and vacuum almost every day. It is a large vacuum but very easy to empty and very functional.”
Another longtime Dyson devotee, Matt B. calls the green light feature for tile/hardwood floors “life-changing” because it “allows me to see things I have never seen.” adding, “I have owned Dysons for years and was skeptical about the price, but it is 100% worth every penny.” The biggest reviewer complaint is the weight. However, this wasn’t a deal-breaker for most of the five-star reviews.
Product comparison
Dyson’s V15, which previously served as the brand’s most innovative cordless vacuum, is the closest comparison to the Gen5outsize. The top-of-the-line model, the V15 Detect Absolute, retails for $750, $300 less than the Gen5outsize. It comes with similar accessories, including the older version of the Fluffy Optic head, combination and hair screw tools, a Digital Motorbar cleaner head, a docking station and a charger. The vacuum comes with a single battery, offering up to 60 minutes of clean time, 10 minutes less than the detect and 80 less than the Gen5outsize.
It also boasts 125,00 rpm, 10,000 less than the Gen5 models. Other similar premiere cordless vacuums include the Tineco Pure One S15 Smart Vacuum, retailing for $500, a favorite of pet owners with its zero-tangle brush. However, it offers just 40 minutes of run time.
Another competitor is the Samsung Bespoke Jet AI, retailing for $1,000. It is equipped with nearly identical suction power (up to 280AW) and up to 100 minutes of run time on a single battery with a sleek, contemporary look.
Shark, Dyson’s more wallet-friendly competitor, offers another higher-end model, the Vertex Pro, retailing for around $500. While powerful and big, many reviewers complain it’s not a viable option for pet owners, as hair tends to get stuck in the roller and clog up various spots.
Final verdict
Shopping for vacuum cleaners is similar to cars. It all boils down to how much you are willing to spend on top-of-the-line features. If you are willing to pony up top dollar for the best, most powerful and innovative model, the Dyson Gen5outsize or Gen5detect should be at the top of your list. The innovative dust sucker is as fun to use as a vacuum can be. It definitely shaves time off vacuuming the entire house. And, it’s the only vacuum you will need as it comes with ample accessories and cleaning heads and converts into a handheld.
While you can often score deals on Dyson vacuum cleaners, it is unlikely you will find a deep discount on the Gen5 models, as they have only been on the market for a few months. So, if you can’t imagine dropping $1k on a cleaning tool but still want a powerful gadget, look at less expensive alternatives.
Where to buy the Dyson Gen5outsize
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Dyson Gen5outsize
The Dyson Gen5outsize covers more floors with each pass and allows for more cleaning between bin emptying and charges.
The Dyson Gen5outsize retails for $1050 on the Dyson website, Amazon and Target and slightly less on Wayfair.
Originally Published: October 19, 2023
