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Dyson Gen5detect vs Gen5outsize Cordless Vacuums: Which One is Better?

The Dyson Gen5detect and Gen5outsize cordless vacuums represent Dyson’s most advanced cordless vacuums yet, and their performance shows they are among Dyson’s best cordless vacuums available. We were really impressed after thoroughly testing and comparing them both this week. 

UPDATE JUNE 2025: Congratulations to the Dyson Gen5 Detect for winning our Best Cordless Vacuum Battery and Best Cordless Vacuum Performance awards for 2025!

Dyson Gen5detect

Dyson Gen5detect Cordless Vacuum Cleaner at the Vacuum Wars Studio
$949.99 $999.99

Price as of August 5, 2025

Dyson Gen5outsize

Dyson Gen5 Outsize Cordless Vacuum Cleaner at the Vacuum Wars Studio
$1,035.00 $1,099.99

Price as of August 5, 2025

However, because there are so many similarities between the two, we thought it would be best to do one combined review and comparison to save time and point out where they differ along the way. This will help you decide which one of these, if any, is right for you. So, let’s get started.

Close-up of two Dyson cleaner heads, both with Fluffy Optic rollers, highlighting the laser dust illumination feature on the right.
Comparing Fluffy Optic heads. ยฉ Vacuum W

Price

Both of these vacuums sell at the top end of the price spectrum, though the Gen5outsize costs about 10 percent more than the Gen5detect.

RELATED: See our Dyson V15 Submarine Review!

Similarities

Starting with the features that they have in common, the Get5detect and Gen5outsize come with a very similar attachment set, which we’ll talk more about later. They both use the same fifth generation of the Hyperdymium motor and have Dyson’s new HEPA filter media, which filters smaller particles than previous generations, making their already top-of-the-line sealed filtration systems even better.

Side-by-side view of Dyson Gen5 vacuum units undergoing whole-machine HEPA seal tests using LED-500 particle generators connected to both vacuums.
Testing the Gen5outsize (top) and Gen5detect (bottom) whole machine HEPA filtration seal. ยฉ Vacuum Wars

They both have the same incredible electronic suite, mostly based around the internal particle counter, making their auto suction adjustment feature possible. So, when it’s on auto mode, it will adjust the suction power automatically up or down based on how dirty the floor is, which optimizes the performance.

…because the roller is so good at dusting floors, it really seems like our hard floors have never been this clean.

They both have an LCD screen that shows alerts as well as real-time battery life numbers, which change depending on which attachment you’re using and which power level you’re on. It’s extremely useful.

Close-up of a Dyson vacuum LCD screen showing 37:23 remaining battery time; the user takes handwritten notes during the run-time test.
Recording battery run time. ยฉ Vacuum Wars

It also shows on the screen in real-time the number and size of particles that you are vacuuming up, something we don’t find particularly useful, but since they already have a particle counter installed in the vacuum, you might as well get the most use out of it.

They both now have an on/off button instead of a trigger like on previous Dyson cordless models. We think we prefer the on/off button. The pro is that you don’t have to hold the trigger down constantly.

The only con we can think of is that we were more likely to keep the vacuum running when moving from room to room, which is a little bit more wasteful of battery life.

Two Dyson vacuum batteries are shown side by side, highlighting their identical design; One is for the Gen5detect and the other is for Gen5outsize.
Both the Gen5detect vs Gen5outsize use the same battery. ยฉ Vacuum Wars

Battery

Speaking of battery life, they use the exact same battery, which Dyson now rates at 70 minutes on low power for both, which is one of, if not the best, battery specs in the industry, given their power output. The Gen5outsize does come with an extra battery and an extra charger which is why they double the battery life numbers in that case.

Fluffy OpticMotorbarHair ScrewCombo Brush
Low Power75 min60 min75 min74 min
Med / Auto45 min24 min45 min39 min
High16 min13 min16 min7 min
Battery life numbers are based on display readout and may not be perfectly accurate.

Attachments

Moving on to the attachments, the tool set will vary slightly depending on where you buy it, but they both include, for example, the motorized screw tool, which is an upholstery cleaner designed not to get tangled with pretty much anything. It’s well-designed and does work extremely well.

The Get5detect and Gen5outsize come with a combo brush tool, one of our favorite suction-only attachments, mainly because you can use the longer bristles for dusting.

User vacuuming dust off a carved wooden table using a flexible hose attachment with a Dyson vacuum brush tool.
Cleaning using the Dusting Brush and a sold-separately flexible hose. ยฉ Vacuum Wars

Though we will say that using these Dysons for handheld tasks is not easy because there’s so much weight on your wrist, and it’s just awkward. This is why we recommend getting a hose attachment, usually sold separately, with these Dysons so that you can actually make use of that excellent dusting brush.

They also have a new feature: a built-in brush and crevice combo tool that you can access by pushing two red buttons on the wand. The idea is that you no longer have to carry around attachments for quick handheld jobs.

Two Dyson cordless vacuums. The Gen5detect with a purple wand and the Gen5outsize with a blue wand, positioned side by side on the floor for testing, with a background wall full of upright vacuums.
The Gen5outsize (blue) and Gen5detect (purple) in the Vacuum Wars studio. ยฉ Vacuum Wars

Floor Heads

The Gen5detect and Gen5outsize come with two different floor heads, the Digital Motorbar and the Fluffy Optic Cleaner Head.

Dyson Fluffy Optic cleaner head illuminating a dusty section of dark hardwood flooring under furniture with a green laser light beam.
Testing the Fluffy Optic Cleaner Head. ยฉ Vacuum Wars

The Fluffy Optic Head with a little green laser on it is a much more interesting feature than we’ve previously given Dyson credit for. We think it might be because the light is brighter than it was on the V15 Detect that we’re noticing it more. 

In any case, it’s not simply that the light shines on the debris; it’s the specialized angle of the laser that makes the dust show up the way it does. And we have to say, we’ve never believed that our floors were as dirty as this feature revealed them to be.

Close-up of Dyson Fluffy Optic cleaner head approaching a pile of fine brown debris on hardwood flooring, with green laser illumination visible on the left.
Evaluating the cleaning of fine debris on hard floors. ยฉ Vacuum Wars

And because the roller is so good at dusting floors, it really seems like our hard floors have never been this clean. The one downside is that if you are a clean freak, it will probably make you a little crazy. 

The Outsize model comes with a much larger version of the Digital Motorbar called the Digital Motorbar XL, and it’s one of the big differences between the two that really matter, and it’s also a good time to move on to performance.

Gen5detect vs Gen5outsize: Specs and Test Results

Gen5detectGen5outsizeAverage
Unsealed Suction (Max) *2.48 kpa1.74 kpa0.67 kpa
Carpet Deep Clean Test *1009692
Max Battery Run Time70 min70 min46 min
Included Batteries12
Charge Time4.5 hr4.5 hr
Suction Power262 AW250 AW
HEPA FiltrationYesYes
Bin Capacity750mL1900mL
Weight7.7 lb8.6 lb
L x W x H9.8″ x 10.9″ x 50.2″11.4″ x 12.6″ x 50″
Price$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Where to BuyAmazonAmazon
* Vacuum Wars’ independent test results.

Performance Tests

The idea, of course, is that by having a wider floor head, you can cover more area with fewer passes. While that’s true, we found that the larger width did seem to negatively affect its performance, presumably because the suction on the Motorbar XL is distributed over a larger area and so is less concentrated.

So, it didn’t do as well with things like the unsealed suction test, where we measure how much real-world suction is available at the head.

A Dyson vacuum head is sealed on a test rig connected to a REED suction gauge during suction performance testing.
Measuring suction. ยฉ Vacuum Wars

It still performed significantly better than average but wasn’t as good in that respect as the Gen5detect. We suspect the head is the problem on the Outsize because our sealed suction test results show both versions have the same suction power at the base, which is way above average, by the way.

The larger head on the Outsize probably also contributed to it performing a little worse on our carpet deep clean test as well. But again, these numbers are much better than average.

Dyson Gen5detect vacuum with purple wand using the Digital Motorbar head on a patterned area rug, highlighting its performance on soft flooring.
Real-World testing the Digital Motorbar cleaning head on carpet. ยฉ Vacuum Wars

As far as surface debris pickup, both floorheads performed as good as you would expect a Dyson to perform. The Digital Motorbars, which, as we said, are able to vacuum both hard floors and carpets, and the soft rollers, which are made for hard floors but can be used on very light-duty jobs on carpets, did exceptionally well with fine to extra large debris, even piles of debris and pet hair. Really, they are very good with hard floors, no matter what you’re trying to pick up.

Suction Power vs Previous Dyson Models

Using Dyson’s official AW (airwatts) specs, the two new Dyson Gen5 cordless models both outpace their predecessors’ suction. The Gen5detect is the most powerful at 262 AW, closely followed by the Gen5outsize at 250 AW. The Gen5detect has 9% more AW than the V15 Detect, 42% more than the V11 and 75% more than the V12 Detect Slim.

The Gen5outsize is also more powerful, just to a slightly lesser degree. The new Outsize model has 25% more AW than the V11, 67% more than the V12 Detect Slim and 4% more than the V15 Detect.

Hair Tests

They both have active hair removal systems on the Digital Motorbar head, which uses little plastic comb-like structures which remove the hair as you vacuum. We tested this with 7 and 14-inch hair, and it performed almost perfectly. And it really should cut down on the need for regular maintenance.

Both Dyson vacuums placed side by side on a white background, clearly showing the size difference in dust bins between Gen5detect and Gen5outsize.
Dyson Gen5detect and Gen5outsize side-by-side. ยฉ Vacuum Wars

Bin Size

The Outsize has a much bigger bin that can hold 1900 milliliters compared to only 750 on the Gen5detect. But it comes at the cost of being both heavier and less ergonomic overall.

Dyson Gen5detect vacuum is displayed fully assembled with Fluffy Optic head and LCD screen, on a wooden table with a background of various vacuums.
Our pick: the Dyson Gen5detect. ยฉ Vacuum Wars

Our Conclusion

Both of these products represent the state of the art in cordless vacuum technology. However, the lighter weight, better performance on the regular-sized head, and cheaper price put the Gen5detect in the top spot over the Gen5outsize. And it’s the first time in a long time that we decided to keep a cordless vacuum as our primary vacuum at our house.

Dyson Gen5 Detect at the Vacuum Wars Studio


Crowned Vacuumโ€ฏWarsโ€™ 2025 Bestโ€ฏPerformance and Bestโ€ฏBatteryโ€ฏCordlessโ€ฏVacuum, the Dyson Gen5detect couples the brandโ€™s fifthโ€‘generation Hyperdymium motorโ€”our airflow champโ€”with a jumbo, highโ€‘efficiency power pack that delivered classโ€‘leading runtimes across every power level in testing. An onboard particle sensor and greenโ€‘laser Fluffyโ€ฏOptic head reveal and react to hidden dust in real time, automatically boosting suction while the LCD screen tracks battery, mode, and particle counts. Two premium floorheads (Fluffyโ€ฏOptic for hard floors and Motorbar for all surfaces), the motorized Hair Screw tool, and a fully sealed HEPA system make quick work of fine dust, pet hair, and embedded grit, earning perfect marks in deepโ€‘clean and filtration tests. A new pushโ€‘button power switch replaces Dysonโ€™s old trigger for easier roomโ€‘toโ€‘room use, and while the 5โ€‘lb handle is heavier than most, the payoff is unmatched battery endurance and raw cleaning muscleโ€”proof that Dysonโ€™s flagship still sets the cordless benchmark. See additional info

$949.99 $999.99

Price as of August 5, 2025

Automations: Auto Suction Adjustment

Cleaning Heads & Attachments: Soft Roller | Active Hair Removal | Motorized Handheld Brush

Battery & Charging Features: Detachable Battery

Lighting & Display: LED Lights | Laser Light | LCD Screen | Digital Battery Life Display | Particle Collection Display

ScoresDyson Gen5 DetectAverage Cordless Vacuum Tested
Vacuum Wars Overall4.42

3.3

Performance4.74

3.15

Hard Floor3.70

2.3

Carpet4.56

3.73

Features3.87

2.19

Battery4.67

3.39

Attachments1.66

1.68

Official Battery Life: 70 Minutes
Handle Weight: 2258gr
Noise Level: 84db
Dust Bin Capacity: 750ml

What is the difference between the Gen5detect and Gen5outsize?

Dyson’s Gen5detect and Gen5outsize are more similar than different. The significant differences are that the Gen5outsize’s dust bin is 1.5 times larger, and it comes with an extra battery, which doubles its run time to 140 minutes. Also, the Gen5outsize’s Digital Motorbar cleaning head is 25% wider, it has slightly less suction, and it weighs almost a full pound more.

Vacuum Wars independently buys and tests every vacuum and floorcare product we reviewโ€”providing unbiased, data-driven insights so you can make informed buying decisions and find the right technology for your home. Read more about how we test cordless vacuums.

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Christopher White

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Christopher White CEO
Christopher White is the CEO of Vacuum Wars, the premier YouTube channel dedicated to vacuum cleaner reviews. Over the past eight years, Vacuum Wars has become a trusted resource, meticulously reviewing hundreds of robot vacuums, cordless vacuums, carpet cleaners, and various floor care products. Known for their comprehensive in-house testing, Vacuum Wars has built one of the most extensive databases of vacuum cleaner metrics available. Under Christopherโ€™s leadership, the channel has maintained a strict no-sponsorship policy, ensuring that all reviews remain unbiased and trustworthy. This dedication to integrity has garnered a loyal following of over 300,000 subscribers who rely on their expert advice. Christopher is also a recognized authority on robot vacuums, boasting one of the largest private collections of these devices worldwide. Learn more.

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