Dyson V12 vs Dyson V15: Which is Better? Here’s Our Editor’s Side-by-Side Comparison

As I mentioned in my full PureWow100 review: The Dyson V15 is like the Swiss Army knife of vacuums—it does everything, and it does it well. I went five full days without vacuuming my apartment—shedding hair with my roommate, letting dust collect in the corners, basically creating the worst-case scenario—and then unleashed the V15. On my hardwood floors, I ran the Fluffy Optic cleaner head three times, watching the green laser beam illuminate every dust particle I’d been stepping over all week. The LCD screen logged it, ticking up particle counts in real-time. (I actually stopped mid-clean to marvel at how much dust I’d been living with—equal parts satisfying and terrifying.)

But the V15’s Digital Motorbar head with DLS™ technology is what truly made it stand out on carpets. It doesn’t just spin like the V12’s standard Motorbar—it actually senses brush-bar resistance and adjusts suction automatically. I could feel it kick into high gear on dirtier patches of my low-pile rug, then ease off once the section was clean. That adaptive suction, paired with its powerful 230 air watt (AW)-motor, cut my cleaning time in half. After four passes, I never once had to go over the same section twice, and the before-and-after difference was shocking: it pulled out dirt I didn’t know was there and hair that was deeply embedded into fibers.

As for versatility: I was able to switch it to handheld mode with the hair screw tool and light pipe crevice tool to tackle hair under chairs, sofa edges and even between kitchen appliances. Swapping attachments mid-clean was seamless—and the anti-tangle design meant long strands (my constant battle) didn’t wrap around the brush. The V15 also comes with extra tools the V12 lacks, like the stubborn dirt brush and soft dusting brush, which made it easier to tackle delicate surfaces and high-traffic rugs. And with the larger bin capacity (0.20 gallons vs. the V12’s 0.09), I could finish a full apartment clean without pausing to empty.

Finally, the battery life lived up to its promise. In Eco mode, I clocked close to the full 68 minutes, even with deep cleaning sessions. The LCD’s countdown timer also meant I was never surprised when it was time to recharge. The only downsides? The 4.5-hour recharge time, which is longer compared to the V12’s 3.5-hour turnaround. And of course, at nearly seven pounds, it’s noticeably heavier. But for me, the added sturdiness actually gave it more stability when I was lifting it overhead or pushing it under furniture.

• Suction Power: 20/20
• Maneuverability: 19/20
• Functionality: 20/20
• Weight: 18/20
• Value: 19/20

TOTAL: 96/100

Dana didn’t hold back when she tested the V12 in her 1,250-square-foot home. The first thing she noticed was the weight: “This thing is 5.2 pounds (versus 6.8 pounds on the V15), and it’s LIGHTWEIGHT for sure. Seriously, it’s like using a mini-chihuahua to clean with.” That one-and-a-half-pound difference made it noticeably easier to use—especially since it has a push-button power button that stays on for the entire clean. (The V15 requires you to hold down the trigger the entire time.)

To that end, while the V12’s 150 AW of suction is less powerful than its counterpart’s, it still offers plenty of power: “The suction is so strong that I had to make sure heavier bits of debris were out of the way,” Dana says. “The vacuum would even pick up a penny.” Her shedding wool carpet also looked freshly groomed after a single pass: “It sucks up even just-loosened fibers before they become little dust bunnies.” Not to mention that she clocked a full hour of runtime, noting, “The battery lasts longer than the V15, which needs charging after 50 minutes…the V12 only takes 3.5 hours of charging for a full one-hour cleaning session.” That faster turnaround is a win compared to the V15’s 4.5-hour recharge time. 

But maneuverability was what won Dana over. The ultra-slim design is engineered with crevices, corners and cars in mind: “Not only is it lightweight, but the cleaning heads also attach to the main air pipe in a way that allows you to flatten the device. It can easily glide under a couch, a chair or bed that has only four inches of clearance…no more moving heavy furniture to access the floor to the back of it.” She also notes that the ball-shaped hinge and handheld conversion make it especially handy in smaller areas: “Duh, this isn’t called ‘Slim’ for nothing, the heads are 9.8 inches, so easy to wedge in corners. Again, the mini chihuahua heft here makes me less hesitant to do a quick run over a room or use the combination tool to vacuum out the car.”

Still, the main tradeoff came with the smaller 0.09-gallon bin—half the size of the V15’s. “On a deep clean, I had to empty the dustbin twice in a room,” she admitted. Even during weekly cleans, “I have to empty the bin after every two rooms.” And while Dyson advertises the design as hands-free, Dana pointed out that longer fibers tended to stick: “My wool rug’s and dog’s shedding means that there’s a lot of longer fibers that get caught at the top of the plastic bin area, so I have to reach in there to pull it out.” Add in the fact that the V12 skips a few of the extra attachments bundled with the V15 (like the stubborn dirt brush), where the model prioritizes portability and ease of use over max power and capacity. That said, Dana summed it up best: “For such a graceful and lightweight design, it’s sturdy enough to be my few-times-a-week household go-to cleaner.”

• Suction Power: 18/20
• Maneuverability: 19/20
• Functionality: 19/20
• Weight: 20/20
• Value: 18/20

TOTAL: 94/100