At a glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Powerful suction
- Effective anti-tangle rollers
- Good features and accessories
Cons
- Smart features seem unnecessary
- Pointed cleaning head creates work
- Compactor bin doesn’t work well with pet hair
Our Verdict
Like all Dyson flagship cordless vacuums, the V16 Piston Animal is powerful and well-engineered. But it doesn’t feel like an essential upgrade. Yes, it has some excellent features for homes struggling with pet fur. But some other new features either don’t add much or are a bit of a nuisance. Households without pets can save money and opt for the excellent Gen5detect or V15s Submarine instead, as these models have now come down in price.
Price When Reviewed
This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined
Best Pricing Today
Price When Reviewed
Not yet available in the US
Best Prices Today: Dyson V16 Piston Animal
To coordinate with this year’s IFA, Dyson unveiled a raft of new devices with planned launch dates well into 2026.
Chief among them was the gleaming new V16 Piston Animal, the latest in an illustrious line of cordless vacuums stretching back to the V8, which made its debut in 2016.
The V16 Piston Animal takes over from 2023’s Gen5detect as Dyson’s current flagship but it has a key feature in common with last year’s V15s Detect Submarine.
That’s the fact that it comes in two forms: the Piston Animal and the Piston Animal Submarine. Buy the latter and it comes with the Submarine 2.0 wet roller head for mopping. That means you’ll get a whole-home cleaning system that can tackle vacuuming and mopping.
But you’ll pay for the privilege: the wet and dry model currently costs a whopping £899.99, while the dry only is priced at £749.99. That’s actually less than the Gen5detect at launch.
The problem is that the cost of living crisis has bitten hard – and as the high-quality Gen5detect is now available for under £600, does the V16 Piston Animal do enough to justify the extra spend?
Design and Build
- Anti-tangle conical rollers on floorhead
- 1.3-litre compacting bin
- Pointed floor head means more manoeuvring
There are two models of the V16 Piston available – the Animal and the Animal Submarine. We’re testing the former model: it’s a dry vacuum only, and as the Animal part of the name suggests, it’s optimised for homes with pets.
If you have pets who shed fluff and fur all over your home, that’s a genuine reason to opt for this model, as the main floor cleaning head has anti-tangle conical rollers that resist hair wrap.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
This cleaning head is optimised for both carpets and hard flooring, a nice feature as you don’t need to change the head between rooms or when you come to a rug. It also features Dyson’s green LED illumination, which makes it much easier to spot and target hair and crumbs – so much so that I’ve taken to vacuuming in the dark.
As with all new Dyson products, the kit is neatly boxed in all-recyclable cardboard packaging, which is something we love to see.
I’ve generally been critical of Dyson’s wild colourways for the simple reason that I don’t want my vacuum cleaner to be the most eye-catching thing in my home. But I have to say that the copper and black colourway of the Piston (albeit with red and purple accents) is really quite attractive.
In terms of accessories, you’ll also get the hair screw tool, which is designed to remove pet hair from upholstery, stairs and pet beds. There’s also a classic crevice tool, and a redesigned combi tool with a soft brush that’s ideal for dusting.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
But there are two more tools built into the Piston. Pop the wand off from the vacuum cleaner body, or remove the tool from the end of the wand, and you’ll find inline nozzles for quick cleaning jobs.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
I didn’t find these hugely useful and much preferred the inline tool on the Gen5detect, which has a brush for dusting.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Still, it’s a decent number of tools that cover all types of cleaning around the home. I did miss a low-reach adaptor tool – which helps you vacuum under sofas, as the Piston can’t quite lie flat, and on top of high shelves – but you can buy one separately for £35 (see it on Argos).
The Piston’s other big design innovation is its “CleanCompaktor” bin. It’s already larger than the bin on most Dyson models at 1.3 litres, but it also compresses dust and dirt so it can hold up to a month’s debris. This goes some way to bringing Dyson’s flagship cleaner in line with the Samsung Bespoke Jet AI, which comes with an auto-empty dock.
Most importantly, there’s no trigger that you need to hold down to operate the vacuum
