Dyson does not stick to chronological order when naming its broom vacuum models. He sometimes skips numbers and other times introduces a lower number as a pattern after a higher number. For example, Dyson introduced the V15 immediately after the V11 and then the V12 after the V15. In the broadest sense, the numbers seem to grow freely with each passing version: the V11 is newer than the V10, and the V10 is newer than the V8. But Dyson’s naming system is cryptic enough that even we can’t predict what the next model will be.
Dyson also has plenty of sub-models, because their naming scheme isn’t confusing enough. Each has a different number of tools and accessories included. Every model (V7, V8, V10, V11, V15, etc.) seems to feature new submodels, so the list keeps growing and then there are discontinued submodels that show up as old stock on websites, usually for sale.
Detect it’s not exactly a sub-model, but part of the name of the V15 Detect and V12 Detect Slim. It refers to the laser detection system that measures the size of the particles and counts to customize the suction power.
Absolute it’s usually the king of the hill version with the most attachments. We can’t list them all, because they vary by main model, but expect a variety of brush nozzles, crevice attachments, and motorized roller heads for removing tough grit from hard floors and deep pile carpets.
Allergy It used to mean it came with an improved filter that traps 99.99 percent of bacteria and dust, so it blows cleaner air than regular models, but after the V7 all Dyson vacuums started to include the improved filters. . It is now largely a legacy designation and has not been used on newer models.
Motor head It sounds fancy, but it’s the lower-end submodel that comes with a motorized head, a couple of basic brushes, and crevice tools, and that’s about it. Mostly a holdover from the V7 days. Dyson has found other names for basic sub-models.
origin, fluffy, and Animal they come with relatively few attachments. The Fluffy and Animal doesn’t come with any special accessories that are particularly useful for cleaning up pet waste; it has simply become shorthand for “base model with fewer attachments”. The same goes for the Origin, although its name makes more sense.
Dyson isn’t above mixing up sub-model names, too. Basically, the more names Dyson gives a model, the more accessories it includes. For example, the V8 Animal Pro comes with more stuff than the Animal, but the Animal Pro+ comes with more than that.