Are you considering spending your money on the Dyson V16 Piston Animal or the Dyson Gen5detect? I’m here to help you. I tested the two side by side to find out which vacuum is easier to use, which offers the longest battery life, and ultimately, which offers the best cleaning performance.
The Gen5detect is the older of the two models; It launched in Australia in 2022 and entered the US and UK markets the following year. It can detect the amount and size of particles sucked in and display this information on the screen while cleaning. For detailed information, see our Dyson Gen5detect review.
Based on the specifications, the V16 Piston Animal is the best Dyson vacuum cleaner you can buy. At the time of writing, this is Dyson’s latest model (due out in September 2025) and offers most of the features of the Gen5detect, with added extras like built-in dust compression and an unusual new floor head. Find out more in my Dyson V16 Piston Animal review.
Overall, I think the Gen5detect is the better choice, but that’s almost entirely because I didn’t get along well with the V16’s new ground head. Although technically less powerful, the old vacuum performed better in my suction tests and tackled fine and large particles more effectively than the V16.
The V16’s All Floors Cones Sense floor head is slightly tapered at the front, which is frustrating when cleaning the edges of rooms, especially if it’s not accessible from the side. It’s worth noting that this design is said to be best for removing very long hair – I found that the floor heads on the V16 and Gen5detect work perfectly on my armpit hair. However, if you have very long locks, the V16 may be worth considering.
The V16 floor head is a deal breaker for me, which is a shame, because otherwise it’s probably the best option. The dust compression is really useful, the vacuum is easier to empty than the Gen5detect and offers longer run times in boost mode.
This is the short version. Read on for an in-depth look at the Dyson Gen5detect vs V16 Piston Animal comparison so you can determine which cordless vacuum cleaner is best for your needs.
Dyson V16 Piston Animal vs Gen5detect Specs
Dyson V16 vs Gen5detect: price and value for money
- At list price, the V16 starts at: US TBC / £749.99 / AU$1,349
- At list price, Gen5detect starts from: $1,049.99 / £769.99 / AU$1,549
- V16 is cheaper at list price, but Gen5detect is more likely to receive discounts
If you buy directly from Dyson, the V16 Piston Animal is available for a list price of €/$. Not currently available in the US; It is expected to go on sale sometime in 2026, at which time the list price will be announced. The Gen5detect costs from // .
The fact that Dyson’s latest version costs less than its predecessor is unusual, except that US pricing is yet to be confirmed. The Gen5detect may not be fresh out of the oven, but that works in its favor since you’re more likely to get discounts.
Dyson coupon codes are rare, but Dyson deals appear semi-annually. For example, at the time of writing, Gen5detect was available cheaper in the UK for £160 and in Australia for AU$454.
I’m not saying it’s a good deal, but Dyson goes some way to justifying these exorbitant prices. Both vacuums are extremely well built and have features you won’t find anywhere else. While the V16 may look and feel a little more premium due to the cleaning performance, I would put my own money into the Gen5detect.
If I’m honest, I’d go with the model before the Gen5detect: the Dyson V15 Detect. Find out exactly how this model compares in my Dyson V15 Detect vs. article. Gen5detect.
Dyson Gen5detect vs V15: Design
- Both are high-end vacuum cleaners with dust sensors and information screens.
- The V16 features powder compression and quick release tools.
- Gen5 features a general ground head and a fluffy ground head; The V16 has a newly designed floor nozzle
The V16 Piston Animal and Gen5detect look very similar, but the newer model includes a number of interesting updates.
My favorite is the dust container lever that compresses all the air out of the dirt to make room for more. Dyson says the dustbin has a capacity of 1.3 litres, but that’s definitely after grinding, because at first glance it’s noticeably smaller than the Gen5detect’s bin, which has a claimed capacity of 0.77 litres.
You can also operate lever V16 to remove all dust from the container when emptying it. This works wonders and means minimal finger intervention is required. You may have noticed that the Gen5detect also has a lever, but make no mistake: it’s a much lower lever.
It is simply part of the vacuum mechanism and simply pushes the outer casing forward to promote removal of dirt. It’s good, but not as efficient as the V16 setup.
The entire interior has been reorganized in the latest model to offer more power: the V16 has 315 AW compared to the 280 AW of the Gen5detect. (This doesn’t necessarily translate into better cleaning performance; I’ll get to that in a moment.) In terms of weight, the two models are similar: the body of the vacuum, without wand or tool attached, weighs 4.93 lbs/2.24 kg for the V16 and 4.75 lbs/2.16 kg for the Gen5detect.
There are some other differences when configuring the tool. Dyson has added a red sleeve to the V16 Piston Animal wand that presses to release the tool at the end of the wand.
The main area of the Tools home page is vertical, so you can click to create a new area even while standing. All the joints seem a little stiff and the new configuration means the V16 isn’t compatible with older Dyson machines, but it can still be useful for those who struggle to bend.
If you choose Gen5detect, you will receive two floor heads as standard: the Digital Motorbar head and the Digital Fluffy floor head. The first is suitable for any type of floor, while the second is designed specifically for hard floors and has a built-in laser to illuminate dirt that would otherwise go unnoticed.
With the V16 you get a single floor header – a new design that offers a combination of the previous two floor headers while adding some additional details. It can be used on any type of floor and it also has a laser, here in the center and not on one side. It also features conical rollers instead of regular tube-shaped rollers, apparently to prevent hair from tangling.
There are also many similarities between the Gen5detect and the V16 Piston Animal. Both have buttons to turn the suction power on and off and allow you to switch between modes (Eco, Auto and Boost).
Both have a useful screen for displaying information, including everyday statistics, such as the remaining battery power, and more interesting numbers, such as the number of particles of each size that the vacuum cleaner has collected. The V16’s display is a little more logical and has a traffic light system to show the pollution level.
Dyson Gen5detect vs V16 Piston Animal: Performance
- The V16 officially has more power, but Gen5detect performed better in the test
- V16 dust compaction very effective, but poorly designed ground head
- Similar run times in Eco mode, but the V16 lasts longer in boost mode
Officially, the V16 Piston Animal is the more powerful of the two vacuums, but it was the Gen5detect that shined in my side-by-side cleaning tests. Below you can see how both vacuums deal with oatmeal and tea spills in automatic mode.
(I clipped the section showing Gen5detect followed by the V16 Piston Animal. You can see the full video, including the V15 Detect results on the left, in this suction comparison.)
The Gen5detect was better at picking up large particles without pushing them around or sending them away, and it was also better at removing fine particles, I think because the V16’s floor head has a section in the middle where nothing is picked up.
It is worth noting that both are excellent cleaners on the market in general. The V16 has an advanced automatic mode where it adjusts not only the suction power but also the brush speed depending on the cleaning situation.
Overall, I prefer the ground heads on the Gen5detect over the V16. Not only is the Digital Motorbar Floor Head a better cleaner (as shown above), but it’s also much better at cleaning the edges of the room. The V16’s All Floors Cones Sense floor head enters the floor at a small point on the front, meaning you’ll have to clean the edges of rooms from the side, and if you can’t enter from the side, you’re in for a world of hurt.
The idea behind tapered curlers is that they are most effective on long hair. I didn’t have any problems with my hair (up to my armpits) getting tangled around the All Floors Cones Sense rollers, but I didn’t have that problem with the Digital Motorbar floor head either. If you have extremely long hair and find that most modern anti-tangle floor heads aren’t up to par, the V16 may be worth trying.
There are other areas where the V16 wins. The dirt eject/dust compressor lever makes emptying the tank easier and requires less frequent emptying than when using the Gen5detect. The quick-release bracelet allows for easy tool changes without bending over, and real-time dirt notifications are more logical with its traffic light-inspired color coding.
In terms of autonomy, both promise 70 minutes in Eco mode. However, the V16 lasts much longer in boost mode; I managed to clean sofas and carpets in just under 17 minutes, compared to just 8 minutes on a carpet with Gen5detect (admittedly, Gen5 lasted longer when I used Boost on a hard floor).
