Cordless vacuum cleaners put to the test: How good is the Dyson V16 Piston Animal?

The V16 Piston Animal is Dyson's most powerful cordless vacuum cleaner to date, featuring a multifunctional floor nozzle and other practical innovations. In practical testing, it impressed in many areas but also revealed some unexpected weaknesses.

When Dyson unveils a new cordless vacuum cleaner, expectations are as high as the price tag. With the V16 Piston Animal, the added factor is that it's not only the most powerful of its kind to date, but also boasts a completely new floor nozzle. ntv.de tested the basic version, which costs just under €850, and also tried out the wet brush roller, which costs around €150.

The design of this high-quality vacuum cleaner isn't entirely new; it still looks like a typical Dyson. This includes the stylish color scheme of black combined with copper, red, and purple.

The basic design remains unchanged. It consists of a motor-filter-dust container unit to which the extension tube with various attachments is connected. The replaceable battery is located on the pistol grip, which makes the 3.4 kg vacuum cleaner comfortable to hold.

The V16 Piston Animal is assembled and ready to use in no time. You can connect it to the Dyson app on your smartphone during setup, but this isn't really necessary. The app only allows you to adjust a few settings that are also available directly on the vacuum cleaner. You can also watch video tutorials.

The app is only important for updates. Currently, the application offers the option to activate automatic task recognition, which apparently optimizes suction power adjustment. However, in practice, hardly any difference compared to the standard automatic setting could be observed.

Easy to use

The current operating mode and the estimated remaining runtime are displayed on a small color screen on the top of the V16 Piston Animal. The suction power and the particle sizes and quantities being picked up are also shown there – a nice feature, but actually unnecessary. More important are potential error messages and update notifications.

Above the display is an on/off switch, and below it a button to switch between Eco and automatic modes, as well as maximum performance. These buttons would perhaps be better placed on the handle, as they could then be reached with the thumb. As it is, you have to use your free hand.

The Dyson V16 Piston Animal comes in its basic configuration for €850 and includes a floor nozzle for carpets and hard floors, a crevice tool, a combination brush and wide nozzle, and a hair nozzle for upholstery, car seats, etc. The package also includes a wall mount for the vacuum cleaner, two attachments, and a charger.

Conical rollers for hairy tasks

The nozzles with rotating brush rollers are particularly interesting. The rollers are conical and taper outwards. This design is intended not only to effectively pick up hair but also to transport it to the suction tube without tangling. Because this is often necessary, especially with four-legged companions, the new Dyson model bears the name "Animal."

The vacuum cleaner largely lived up to its claims in the test. Shorter hairs didn't get caught at all, and longer ones only occasionally needed to be removed manually. This is quickly done by simply pulling off the brush rollers.

Easy cleaning

Cleaning the base unit is just as straightforward. To empty the 1.3-liter dust container, simply detach the extension tube, hold it with the opening facing downwards over the trash can, and unlock the container lid with a button on the handle.

The clever part is that a sliding mechanism allows you to empty the contents almost completely without knocking. This function can also be used while vacuuming to compress the contents if you don't want to go to the trash can in between. To clean the internal pre-filters and the container, simply pull it off.

The HEPA filter is just as easy to access: simply unscrew the top cover with the display and pull it out. You can then tap it out and wash it. After it has air-dried, you can put it back in.

Integrated crevice nozzles and "remote trigger"

When you detach the extension tube, you'll see a short nozzle that automatically transforms the Dyson V16 Piston Animal into a handheld vacuum. Similarly, a crevice tool appears when you remove the brush roller attachment. And you don't even have to bend down: there's a new red ring on the top of the tube that you simply press down to unlock it.

So far, so good; the vacuum cleaner has performed well in the practical test up to this point. But how well does it clean floors? Dyson specifies a suction power of 315 Air Watts (AW). AW is a value for the amount of air a vacuum cleaner moves per minute. However, this doesn't tell you how strong the suction is at the nozzle.

Strong suction power

The Dyson V16 Piston Animal also delivers its power to the floor. In practical testing, it ran in automatic mode with only a few exceptions involving particularly stubborn dirt. The floor type and its degree of soiling detection worked flawlessly.

On hard floors, the vacuum cleaner left virtually nothing behind in the test; it even removed sand from deep cracks between old floorboards. A bright, green LED light, which can be set to switch on and off automatically, indicates where vacuuming is needed.

Dyson's new vacuum cleaner also proved to be very maneuverable and easy to control. It can even be rotated completely sideways to vacuum under low furniture. However, the relatively thick nozzle proved problematic in testing. It didn't fit under old cabinets and dressers, which pose no problem for slimmer floor nozzles from other manufacturers.

The floor nozzle has a shape defect.

Furthermore, the slight delta shape of the attachment is not suitable for cleaning edges from the front. If you can't reach the sides, you're left with no option but to use the crevice tool for the cleanup.

Additional steps are required due to the design with two separate rollers. A strip of dirt remains between them. This is true even when the two skirts are lowered using the slider on the front to increase suction power.

While only heavy dirt such as sand remains on hard floors due to the separate rollers, fine dust also remains in the narrow strip on carpets.

Otherwise, the Dyson V16 Piston Animal performed exceptionally well on this surface. No other vacuum cleaner tested by ntv.de has cleaned carpets better.

He even pulled damp coffee grounds out of the fibers. He can't be blamed for the remaining brown discoloration; the tester should have thought about that beforehand.

Good wet brush roller

ntv.de also tested the wet brush roller, which costs around 150 euros. It operates at two moisture levels, which are selected using the button below the display. With cleaning solution in the water, the mop attachment proved very effective on light soiling; it even removed dried-on coffee stains.

The mop attachment is also easy to disassemble and clean. However, as with other vacuum mops, frequent use is limited because the brush roller needs to be washed and then left to air dry for several hours each time.

The runtimes achieved are pleasing. When vacuuming only smooth floors in Eco mode, the vacuum cleaner lasts up to 70 minutes. In our test, it achieved 35 to 45 minutes in automatic mode. You should only use maximum power in emergencies, as the battery then runs out in just over ten minutes. If you have a larger apartment, a spare battery is practical, but also expensive. For the predecessor model, the V15, it costs €129.

Conclusion

The new Dyson vacuum cleaner impresses with its high suction power, which effectively cleans even carpets. Handling is exceptionally well-designed thanks to extras such as integrated crevice tools, a remote release for locking the handle, and a dust ejector. And as the name suggests, the V16 Piston Animal handles pet hair with ease.

The fact that you don't have to change the floor nozzle for different surfaces is also practical. However, the thick attachment doesn't fit under low furniture, it doesn't clean edges from the front, and there's a gap between the rollers.

Perhaps Dyson will release alternative floor nozzles. Currently, however, there's no solution to the problems, as attachments from previous models are incompatible, according to the manufacturer. This makes it difficult to consider whether you want to shell out at least €850 for the V16 Piston Animal.