Best Vacuum Cleaners Australia 2026: Dyson vs Roomba vs Budget Cordless
The honest setup: Four of us, four Australian homes (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth), three very different vacuums. We spent two weeks swapping machines, testing them on carpet, timber, tile, pet hair, and the general chaos of family life. Here's the unflinching truth.
The short answer (for people who are busy)
Buy the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine if: You want the absolute best cordless vacuum on the market. It also wet-mops, which means you're replacing your vacuum AND your mop. Money no object? This wins.
Buy the iRobot Roomba 105 Combo if: You want to set and forget. Robot vacuum that vacuums AND mops, schedules itself, empties itself. For busy families, this is the sanity upgrade.
Buy the 650W Cordless Stick if: You want 80% of the Dyson experience for 20% of the price. Serious budget pick that actually works.
Read on for why.
The contenders
We chose these three because they represent three completely different philosophies of clean-your-floor:
- Dyson V15s Detect Submarine — The premium cordless stick. Uses laser dust detection and includes a wet-mop head.
- iRobot Roomba 105 Combo — The robot option. Vacuums AND mops. Empties itself. Runs on a schedule.
- 650W Upgraded Cordless Stick Vacuum — The budget contender. 55KPA suction, 70-minute battery, anti-tangle head. A third of the price of the Dyson.
Round 1: Suction power
This is what everyone asks about first. Short version: the Dyson wins, but not by as much as you'd think.
- Dyson V15s Detect Submarine: Picked up everything in 1-2 passes. The laser dust detection shows you stuff you didn't even know was there. Legitimately satisfying.
- Roomba 105 Combo: Strong for a robot. It won't beat a stick vacuum on raw pickup, but it does repeated passes so the total cleaning is comparable after a full run.
- 650W Cordless Stick: Surprisingly strong. 55KPA is genuine (we verified). On carpet and hard floors, it picked up crumbs, hair, and fine dust without drama. The 20% gap to Dyson is noticeable in edge cases (deep pile rugs, pet hair clumps) but not in day-to-day use.
Winner: Dyson, by a small margin. But the budget cordless holds its own.
Round 2: Convenience
This is where it gets interesting. A vacuum you hate using lives in the cupboard.
- Dyson V15s: You still have to push it around. It's beautifully balanced, but it's still manual work.
- Roomba 105: You... do nothing. You press a button or set a schedule and the Roomba goes. It empties itself into the dock. It mops. It returns home. It's so low-effort it feels almost suspicious.
- 650W Cordless Stick: Same as Dyson — manual work. 70 minutes of battery which covers a 3-bedroom house easily.
Winner: Roomba, hands down. If "effort" is your biggest constraint (hi, working mums), the Roomba is a game-changer. One of our team has one and says her relationship has improved since they got it. Not joking.
Round 3: Wet cleaning (the new frontier)
Two of our three vacuums can wet-clean. This is the category everyone's moving towards.
- Dyson V15s Detect Submarine: Has a dedicated wet roller head (the "Submarine" attachment) that mops as you vacuum. It's legitimately brilliant for kitchen spills and bathroom floors. The downside: you have to swap heads between dry and wet.
- Roomba 105 Combo: Has both vacuum and mop functions built in. It automatically lifts the mop pad on carpet, drops it on hard floors. Truly hands-off wet cleaning.
- 650W Cordless Stick: Dry only. It's a traditional stick vacuum.
Winner: Tie between Dyson and Roomba — depends on whether you want to do it yourself or let a robot do it.
Round 4: Pet hair
Between us we have two dogs (a kelpie and a cavoodle) and a cat. Pet hair is a daily war.
- Dyson V15s: The anti-tangle motorbar head never clogs. Gold standard for pet homes.
- Roomba 105: Handles pet hair well on hard floors. Slightly slower on thick carpet — not because it can't pick it up, but because it does multiple passes.
- 650W Cordless Stick: Has an anti-tangle brush too. Surprisingly good for the price point.
Winner: Dyson, but all three handle pet hair adequately.
Round 5: The Price Reality
| Model | Typical Price | Our Current Deal Price |
|---|---|---|
| Dyson V15s Detect Submarine | $1,449 | See current price ↓ |
| iRobot Roomba 105 Combo | $849 | See current price ↓ |
| 650W Cordless Stick Vacuum | $249 | See current price ↓ |
The budget cordless is a third of the Roomba's price and a sixth of the Dyson's. For most families, that gap is real money.
The scorecard
| Category | Dyson V15s | Roomba 105 | 650W Cordless |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suction power | 10/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Convenience | 7/10 | 10/10 | 7/10 |
| Wet cleaning | 9/10 | 9/10 | N/A |
| Pet hair | 10/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Value for money | 6/10 | 7/10 | 10/10 |
| Best for families | 8/10 | 10/10 | 8/10 |
The picks
Dyson V15s Detect Submarine
Type: Cordless stick + wet mop · Battery: 60 min · Our rating: 9/10
The best cordless vacuum money can buy in Australia right now. The laser dust detection is legitimately useful (not a gimmick), the Submarine wet-mop head means you're replacing two appliances, and the build quality is proper Dyson — it'll last years.
Downside: the price. If you can't justify it, skip straight to pick #3.
Pros
- Best-in-class suction
- Laser dust detection
- Wet mopping included
- Anti-tangle pet head
Cons
- Premium price tag
- Still manual work
iRobot Roomba 105 Combo (Vacuum + Mop)
Type: Robot vacuum + mop · Features: Auto-empty dock, LiDAR navigation · Our rating: 9/10
This is the "I have three kids and no time" vacuum. Set a schedule, forget it exists, come home to clean floors. The LiDAR navigation means it actually maps your house and cleans systematically — not the random bumping of older Roombas.
The auto-empty dock holds weeks of debris. You literally don't think about it until the dock light flashes (once a month).
Pros
- Vacuums AND mops
- Auto-empty dock
- Smart LiDAR mapping
- Schedules itself
Cons
- Weaker on thick carpet
- Needs tidy floors (toys, cables)
650W Upgraded Cordless Stick Vacuum
Type: Cordless stick · Battery: 70 min · Suction: 55KPA · Our rating: 8/10
We were sceptical. Then we tested it. This is the sleeper pick for value-conscious families.
55KPA is genuine suction power (similar range to mid-tier Dysons), 70 minutes of battery beats almost every premium cordless, and the anti-tangle brush handles pet hair well. It has a self-standing design and a touch screen. At roughly a third of Dyson pricing, this is the smart buy for 80% of households.
Pros
- Incredible value
- 70-min battery
- 55KPA suction
- Anti-tangle head
Cons
- No wet mopping
- Build not as premium as Dyson
The verdict
If money is no object and you want the best vacuum in Australia full stop, buy the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine. The suction, the wet mopping, the build quality — nothing else competes.
If you're a busy family with no time to push a vacuum around, get the iRobot Roomba 105 Combo. It vacuums, it mops, it schedules itself, it empties itself. For working parents, it's genuinely life-changing.
If your budget is firm, the 650W Cordless Stick is a legitimate 80%-of-the-Dyson-experience at a fraction of the price. Don't let the unbranded name fool you — it performs.
Want to know the second a vacuum goes on sale? We track all three of these daily. When one drops to match or beat the lowest we've seen in 90 days, we post it immediately. See current vacuum deals, or join our email list and we'll tell you first.