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.
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 motorized 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-liter clean and 0.8-liter 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
Emma Rowley / Foundry
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-liter/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
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
All these accessories mean 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
The WashG1 isn’t yet available in the US, but we expect it to launch in September.
Meanwhile, the Submarine is priced at $949.99, and you can buy it from online retailers including Dyson, Best Buy and Amazon, which is offering a discount at the time of writing.
Obviously, neither is a budget-friendly model, but the Submarine will give you a whole-home cleaning system, while the WashG1 offers a very fast and effective way to clean hard flooring.
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 9 pounds than the WashG1 at 10.8 pounds, the WashG1’s weight is much less important.
It’s motorized, which makes it very maneuverable, 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 motorized in its wet cleaning mode.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Wash G1
- Weight: 9 pounds
- Runtime: up to 35 mins
- Coverage: up to 3,120 square feet on a single tank
- Modes: three water levels and a MAX mode for spills
- Tank capacity: 1-liter clean water, 0.8 liter 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
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
V15s Detect Submarine
- Weight: 10.8 pounds
- Runtime: up to 60 mins
- Coverage (in wet cleaning mode): 968 square feet (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 sanitize: the WashG1 can’t be used with bleach or very hot water, so it won’t be able to sanitize 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.
- 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 sanitize. The Submarine can’t be used with bleach or very hot water, so it won’t be able to sanitize 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.
This feature was originally published on Tech Advisor, our sibling site.
