Home>Vacuums>Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine Wet Roller Head Review
Last Updated: September 9, 2026
6.2/10
Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine Wet Roller Head Review
IS THE DYSON V16 PISTON ANIMAL SUBMARINE WET ROLLER HEAD WORTH IT?
✓ Why Dad Likes It
The V16 cordless vacuum it comes with is excellent
Large battery has about 75 minutes of run time
Fine for everyday light mopping and small spills
Built like a Dyson — if you love the brand, the engineering won't disappoint
− What To Know
No suction at all through the wet head — it just scrapes
Took several passes on light mud, and it left a muddy track behind
You wash and dry the roller by hand every time or it'll stink
Mopping is slow, and this is a very expensive way to mop
BOTTOM LINE: Is the Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine Wet Roller Head Just a Dad Approved?
It IS NOT Just a Dad Approved. The Submarine mopping head is not Just A Dad Approved. Be clear on what I'm saying no to: the V16 Piston Animal cordless vacuum that comes with it is an extremely good vacuum and I do approve of that separately. It's the wet head that misses. There's no suction through it whatsoever — it wets a roller and depends on a scraper — and on light mud it took several passes on max water and still left a muddy track. Mopping with it is slow, and afterward you're washing the roller by hand and setting it out to dry or it'll start to stink. It's hard to beat the machines that have real suction, water tanks, and a dock that washes and dries the roller for you. For everyday light mopping it's OK. For mopping in general, just get the Dreame H12 Pro.
Watch the Real-World Testing
From My YouTube Channel
More Videos On This Robot
🏆3-Month Real World Test Score6.2/10
Carpet Cleaning Performance
5/10
Hard Floor Cleaning Performance
5/10
Long Hair / Pet Test
4/10
Battery & Run Time
10/10
Ease of Use & Features
7/10
Score Summary6.2
Real World Testing Results
🐾
HAIR & PET TEST
No suction through the wet head, so hair stays on the floor entirely.
💧
CLEANING TEST
Light mud took several passes on max water, leaving a muddy track behind.
⚠️
EASE OF USE TEST
Simple to run and self-pulling, but mopping speed is slow overall.
⚙️
MAINTENANCE REALITY TEST
Hand-wash the roller yourself, and clean carefully around an electrical area.
Product Specifications
Full Technical Breakdown
About
Model
Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine Wet Roller Head
Price
Premium
Power
Cordless
Design
Does not lie flat · No power-assist wheels, though the spinning roller gives it a bit of self-propelled pull · No LED on the wet head
Cleaning Modes
Two water levels — low water and max water
Sensors / Display
The vacuum's screen shows the wet mode — no dirt sensor on the mop head
Details
Hot-Air Dry
No
Hot-Water Wash
No — it doesn't wash the roller at all; you do that by hand
Filter
HEPA
Dry Time
No drying — you dry the roller yourself, and it needs to dry fully or it will get an odor
Other
Water sprays the roller; a scraper pulls dirt into the dirty-water tank. 300 ml clean tank covers ~1,180 sq ft. Lower tank rinses fine—no electronics there. The motor above can't get wet and doesn't move, making cleanup around it awkward. Sold with the V16 Piston Animal Submarine vacuum and dry cleaner heads
Who Is It For?
Buyer Fit
Buy It If
You want the V16 cordless vacuum and see the wet head as a bonus
You only ever deal with small spills and light everyday mopping
You're a Dyson household and want it all on one machine
You want a monster battery on the vacuuming side
Skip It If
You want a real mopping machine — get the Dreame H12 Pro
You've got mud, big messes or anything dried on
You don't want to hand-wash and dry a roller every time
You've got pets or long hair on the floor
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This is the part that surprises people. There's no suction that comes through this head at all — that opening is simply there to power the roller. You fill the tank with water (Dyson doesn't really call for any solution), it sprays water onto the mop roller as it spins, and a scraper pulls the dirt off into a dirty-water tank. That's the whole system. So when the wet head is on, your very powerful cordless vacuum isn't doing any vacuuming — you're relying on a spinning wet roller and a scraper. Compare that to a machine like the Roborock F25 GT: built-in suction that pulls the dirty water off the floor, a dock that washes the roller, and hot air that dries it.
Cleaning Performance
The Light Mud Test
I put some light mud down on hardwood. Turn it on with the head attached and it reads wet; you get two levels, not-so-wet and max, and I went to max. You want to let the roller spin a bit first so it soaks up water before you start. Even on max, it took several passes on that mess. And here's the thing I didn't expect: it left a muddy track behind it. That's not good. It will get the floor clean eventually, but eventually is doing a lot of work in that sentence, and mopping with it is slow.
Hair & Pet
This is a fail for the same structural reason. With no suction through the wet head, there's nothing pulling hair up off the floor. If hair is what you're fighting, the wet head isn't the tool.
Ease of Use
In fairness, it's easy to use — that's where its 7 comes from. You click the head on, pick your water level, and go. The roller's spin gives it a bit of a self-propelled feel, so it pulls along easily. There's no learning curve at all. The problem isn't complexity, it's pace: mopping with it takes longer than it should because you're going over the same spots.
Maintenance Reality
Cleanup is rather simple, but it takes a little time and it's all on you. Slide the head out carefully, take the roller off, and wash it yourself. Empty the dirty-water tank and rinse it — there's nothing electrical in that bottom section, so that part's fine to get wet. What's awkward is the area right above it: that's where the electrical connection is, so you can't get it wet, but it's exactly the spot that needs cleaning, and it doesn't move out of the way. Then the roller has to dry, and it has to dry fully — in the sun or somewhere with air — or these things start to stink. That's a hassle you don't have with a machine that washes and hot-air-dries its own roller in a dock.
Battery & Runtime
This is the one category where it scored a perfect 10, and it deserves it — around 75 minutes of run time. That's a genuinely excellent battery, and it's part of why the vacuum side of this package is so good. It's just not enough to rescue the mopping.
What I'd Buy Instead
For mopping, just get the Dreame H12 Pro. It has real suction that pulls the dirty water off your floor, a dock that self-cleans, and it costs a fraction of this. The Roborock F25 GT is another strong pick with a dock that washes and hot-air-dries the roller. One more note: this is the exact same Submarine head design used on the Dyson PencilWash, and I didn't approve of that one either — for the same reason. No suction.
Is It Worth It?
As a mop, no. For everyday light mopping and small spills it'll be OK, and if you're buying the V16 Piston Animal anyway because you want a top-tier cordless vacuum, treat the wet head as a bonus and don't count on it for real floor cleaning. But if mopping is the job you're trying to solve, this isn't the machine — buy a dedicated wet/dry mop with suction and a self-cleaning dock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Buyer Questions
Is the Dyson V16 Submarine worth buying for mopping?+
No — the mopping head is a Skip It at 6.2 out of 10. It has no suction, it took several passes on light mud and left a muddy track, mopping is slow, and you hand-wash and dry the roller every time. For everyday light spills it's fine, but for real mopping buy a dedicated wet/dry mop.
Is the V16 cordless vacuum itself any good?+
Yes, very. The V16 Piston Animal cordless vacuum that comes in this package is an extremely good vacuum and it earned my approval on its own — I've got a separate review of it. If you love Dyson products you won't be disappointed by the vacuum. It's the Submarine wet head I'm saying no to.
Does the Submarine head have suction?+
No, none at all. The opening on that head is blocked off and only carries power down to the roller. Water sprays onto the spinning roller and a scraper pulls the dirt off into the dirty-water tank. So while the wet head is attached, you have no vacuuming happening — which is exactly why it struggles on a real mess.
Do you have to clean the roller by hand?+
Yes, every time. It doesn't wash the roller and there's no hot-air drying, so you pull the roller, wash it in the sink and set it out to dry fully — in the sun or somewhere with good airflow. If you skip that, it'll develop an odor. There's also an electrical area near the motor that can't get wet but still needs wiping around, which makes it fiddly.
What should I buy instead for mopping?+
The Dreame H12 Pro is my straight answer — real suction, a self-cleaning dock, and a fraction of the price. The Roborock F25 GT is another good one, with a dock that washes and hot-air-dries the roller. Machines built for this job pull the dirty water off your floor instead of scraping it around.
About Tom Shelton
Tom Shelton
Tom Shelton is the creator of Just A Dad Approved. He tests robot vacuums, home products, and everyday gear in real homes so shoppers can see what actually works before spending money.
