The Dyson V12 Detect Slim is one of my favorite vacuums. For such a slim, lightweight cordless stick, I never expected it to be so brilliant at vacuuming every type of mess, even when pulling hair from carpets.
I say this as a professional vacuum tester who's reviewed 28 vacuums for Homes & Gardens. After testing it, I continued to use it as the primary vacuum in my home for more than a year, and it never let me down when making my floors spotless.
After testing all but one of Dyson's offerings, the V12 Detect Slim is easily one of the best Dyson vacuums available, especially at this rare Black Friday price. I'd act fast before it's gone.
Why the Dyson V12 Detect Slim is one of our all-time favorites
The Dyson V12 Detect Slim is one of the best vacuums we've tested, out of the 82 we've put through their paces. I threw all sorts at it – flour, sugar, cereal, dust, dirt, pet hair – and the V12 Detect Slim never struggled to pick it up in one or two passes.
It's currently discounted down to a price I've only ever seen during big sale events such as Black Friday, which happens after Thanksgiving, making it a great deal to grab right now.
Usually, a cordless vacuum comes with a sacrifice in suction power compared to its corded counterparts, but thanks to Dyson's cyclone engineering and robust floorheads, it works just as well, without having to lug a hefty machine around.
And as it's one of Dyson's flagship 'Detect' vacuums, it comes with a suite of smart features to make cleaning easier. The most notable is the green laser that reveals dust you can't normally see. This is not a gimmick whatsoever; it genuinely reveals so much on your floors that it's almost alarming.
It also has floor sensors to make sure it's performing at the optimal suction power at all times. If you're vacuuming carpet or a dirty spot, it ups the suction, but when cleaning hardwood floors, it lowers it to preserve battery life as high suction isn't needed.
It's a small touch but one that saves you from fiddling with settings, meaning you can deep clean your home in less time, with the convenience of a slim, light, cordless stick that takes up minimal storage space.
The Dyson V12 Detect Slim is available for $499.98 at QVC.
More to shop
The V12 Detect Slim is one of the best cordless vacuums we've tested, but there are plenty more I'll happily recommend.
All prices were correct at time of publication.
I only stopped using the Dyson V12 Detect Slim as the main vacuum in my home once I got my hands on the V15 Detect. It has the same dust-revealing tech, but stronger (flawless) suction and a larger dustbin, making it the most effective floor cleaner we've ever tested.
Read more in my full Dyson V15 Detect review.
For a little cheaper than the Dyson V12 Detect Slim deal, you can grab the Dyson V11, another stand-out vacuum from our tests. It actually has higher suction (and therefore better performance) than the V12 Detect Slim, but it doesn't have the floor sensors or dust-revealing laser that can make cleaning easier.
Read more in my full Dyson V11 review.
The Shark Cordless PowerDetect is also at a 'Black Friday Sale' price at QVC. Instead of the Dyson vacuums' two floorheads, the Shark uses one floorhead with two brushrolls, so you can pass between carpets and hard floors without swapping anything out. It's also $100 cheaper than the Dysons on offer, and comes with a dock that charges, empties, and cleans the vacuum before uses.
Read more in our full Shark PowerDetect Cordless review.
Taking pages from Dyson's book, the Dreame R20 also has a laser that reveals dust, adaptive suction, and dedicated floorheads for each floor type. It's one of the best Dyson alternatives, it's just not quite as good as the Dysons.
Read more in my full Dreame R20 review.
Like the Dreame, the Levoit LVAC-300 offers similar features to the Dysons and Sharks we love, just not to the same effect. That's why it costs $100s cheaper.
Read more in my full Levoit LVAC-300 review.
The Ultenic U16 Flex is the most affordable vacuum I'll recommend – but only if you have hard floors. It doesn't do the best job on carpet, but is powerful enough to handle dust, debris and hair from smooth floors such as hardwood and vinyl.
Read more in my full Ultenic U16 Flex review.
Next, see why we rate the best vacuums for pet hair so highly after our tests, for fur-free floors and furniture.
