Gone are the days where we had to rely on huge, bulky vacuum cleaners to keep our homes clean. Now, engineering wizards have designed motors that can fit inside slim cordless sticks, which are powerful enough to pull dirt from deep within our floors.
The best example of this is the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, which is discounted by an enormous $300 in Dyson's extended holiday sale. It's the lightest vacuum in Dyson's market-leading 'Detect' series, and can banish dust, dirt and hair from floors in seconds.
Dyson has kicked off the Black Friday sale season early, and with an offer this huge on one of our all-time best vacuums, we're in for a treat.
The Dyson V12 Detect Slim is as Powerful as The Big, Corded Vacuums
The Dyson V12 Detect Slim is the best lightweight vacuum we've ever reviewed. In many ways, this is what it was designed to be: A slimmer, lighter version of Dyson's best, the Dyson V15 Detect, with those same market-leading features packaged into a smaller cordless stick.
But don't be fooled that a slim vacuum can't clean like your bulky, corded one. I tested this cordless vacuum on hard floors, rugs, and thick carpets, then used it in my home for over a year – and it never failed to clean a mess in one or two passes.
If you ever find yourself going over the same spot of carpet again and again while your vacuum struggles to pick up the dirt, it's probably time to switch, and this Dyson will immediately solve that issue while freeing up heaps of storage space.
The V12 Detect Slim used to be the primary vacuum in my home, and it was small enough to stash in a closet or under my bed, storing the vacuum out of sight but still within reach. And weighing just 5.22lbs, it can easily be carried upstairs and from room to room with one hand.
And really, that's where my love of cordless vacuums stems from. It's so easy to grab it and clean whenever you see a mess, and as someone with suspected ADHD, this actually helps me clean. It removes any barriers to cleaning, like taking a heavy appliance out of a closet, then having to plug it in around the house.
Instead, I can clean in seconds, and as the V12 Detect Slim is so thorough, every cleaning session is swift.
What's more, it has a green laser that reveals invisible dust – genuinely. I thought it sounded like a gimmick, but what appears to be a spotless floor will suddenly be full of dust and debris particles once the green light shines on it, as you can see in my video, taken during testing, below:
I've tested vacuums from Shark, Miele, Dreame and more that have tried to recreate this game-changing feature, and none have succeeded. Surprisingly, the only one that's come close is the budget-friendly Ultenic U16 Flex, but it doesn't vacuum as well.
The V12 Detect Slim also has floor sensors that identify what surface you're vacuuming and how dirty it is. This means that – in less than a second – it can automatically up the suction power when needed, then return it to a less intense level to save battery life.
There's even a particle counter that measures how much you've picked up during a cleaning session, down to the individual particle size. This isn't an essential vacuum feature, but it is useful to know there's nothing left to vacuum, like when vacuuming a mattress or upholstery.
More to Shop
While you're looking for cleaning upgrades, here's a selection of other outstanding vacuums from the 82 we've tested.
All prices correct at time of publication.
The V11 is also on offer for $30 less than the V12 Detect Slim right now, and it has higher suction, making it one of the most powerful cordless vacuums we've tested. It doesn't have any of the smart features – the green laser, floor sensors, and particle count – but performs slightly better as a cleaner.
Read more in my full Dyson V11 review.
The V12 Detect Slim used to be my household's main vacuum until I upgraded to the V15 Detect. It has all the same dust-revealing smart features, but with higher suction power (240 air watts compared to the V12 Detect Slim's 150), and a larger dustbin. It's our favorite vacuum on test.
Read more in my five-star Dyson V15 Detect review.
Even discounted Dysons can still be too expensive, but luckily, our favorite cordless vacuum from Shark is on offer for just $299.99. It's more user-friendly than Dysons, bending at the wand to reach under furniture, and with a dual brushroll floorhead that can pass from carpet to hard floor seamlessly.
Read more in our full Shark PowerDetect Cordless review.
With a light that reveals dust and floor sensors that adapt suction power, the Dreame R20 is one of the closest alternatives to Dyson vacuums we've tested, and it's currently on offer at a rare, sub-$200 price.
Read more in my full Dreame R20 review.
If your home has no carpets or rugs, you can save $100s by choosing this budget vacuum. Its suction is high enough to leave hard floors spotless, and it has the most Dyson-like green laser we've ever seen.
Read more in my full Ultenic U16 Flex review.
Bulky, corded vacuums still have their merit, especially for messy homes. The Shark POWERDETECT has the highest suction of any vacuum we've tested, and is perfect for large homes thanks to its spacious dustbin and wide floorhead.
Read more in our five-star Shark POWERDETECT Upright review.
For more affordable cleaning excellence, see which vacuums top our list of the best Dyson alternatives.
