Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+

Great suction, but blows more away out the back, heats up room temperature and when emptying it’s had to close barrel you think is closed then try to put it back and explode creating more mess Is hard to navigate Show details

Just about close to perfect – UPDATE April 2023: If you encounter suction loss on this vacuum, read my update at the end. For those who are in a hurry, here is the executive summary: The Good - The suction is phenomenal. - It goes around corners easily. - Should you manage to make it fall on its side, it automatically rolls itself into the upright position again (see… Read more

video). - Emptying the barrel is amazingly easy, quick and clean (well, mostly). - There are no filters. Hence no replacing, washing or checking filters anymore. - The turbo head works really well on a relatively thick carpet. - The hard floor attachment reaches narrow (height restricted) gaps like under a couch (see video). - Attachments click on an off easily (on can be a bit of a fiddle). - The handle, extension tube and heads are pleasantly light weight. - It is quiet (for a vacuum cleaner). - Folds away neatly into a small space.

The Wishlist

Only a few minors go here: - For a right-handed person, the power button is on the wrong side of the vacuum cleaner. - Power and cord re-coil buttons are too small for easily being operated “by foot”. - I also question the durability of those buttons. (Photo attached). - Taking the turbo brush head apart for cleaning is easy enough but needs a quick release system. - Power cord could be longer.

Overall it is truly well thought through and a marvel of engineering.

If you are really interested in me rambling on about this vacuum cleaner, be my guest, read on.

+++++++++++++++++ Background:

We have a history of bad choices with vacuum cleaners I hate to admit. The pre-previous one we bought used on Gumtree and there is no nice way to say this, it was in terrible condition. We got ripped off.

After a few years using it and regretting the purchase every time we took it out of the cupboard, we decided to go for a new one. A new one, new as in not used. After plenty of research, we decided on a model that was one of the top-rated ones on Choice Magazine. It was quite a bit less expensive than the ones in the Dyson fleet and we went for it.

A few days into it though we realised that we had made yet another vacuum cleaner related mistake. The vacuum performed brilliantly on hard floors, but was absolutely pathetic, close to unusable on carpet (no matter what setting we used on the head or what suction level we chose). It had no power head (power heads have a rotating brush in them that is powered by a little electric motor) and no turbo head (the brush in a turbo head is powered by the air flow, hence turbo heads are lighter, have fewer parts that can break and don’t need to worry about getting electricity all the way to the head, but the energy to rotate the brush takes away energy from the air flow and hence reduces suction). Cleaning a slightly ticker carpet was so difficult that we decided to keep the much-hated predecessor after all and use that for carpets.

We have a small house but two huge vacuum cleaners. Neither one we like – go figure. (We actually have tree vacuum cleaners because we bought a cordless Dyson stick for quick clean-up jobs since we did not like the other two – go figure even more. That cordless Dyson by the way is a beauty, but that is for another review).

Major renovations are about to start for us and for a while now I secretly found myself planning for a new vacuum cleaner in the ‘new house’. Stroke of luck that the new Dyson arrived at our doorstep, courtesy of Productreview. I could not wait to give this one a go, we had heard and read amazing things about the Dysons (and already really liked using our Dyson stick).

+++++++++++++++++ First Things First:

First thing I noticed was that it comes with a plethora of attachments. Second thing I noticed was that the spartanic cartoon style instructions are good at explaining the blatantly obvious, but pretty much useless in explaining anything else and what all the different attachments are designed for. I am not that much a fan of attachments anyway. They are nice when you take them out of the box, you then use a few times while you are still in the honeymoon period with your new vacuum, but after a while they are banished to a lonely existence in a cupboard somewhere and they hardly ever see the light of day again.

Dyson tries to solve this by being able to attach some of the attachments to an attachment that attaches to the upper end of the handle where the handle attaches to the hose (if you manage to decipher the drawings on how to do that). Nice try, but for starters that only holds a few of the attachments and secondly adds considerable weight to the handle, exactly where it matters most – where you hold it.

+++++++++++++++++ Using it:

Once you start using the Dyson, things start to impress immediately. For a vacuum it is pleasantly quiet and I particularly like is that the high-pitched frequency in the sound earlier Dysons made is gone. That dentist drill frequency used to get to me, despite the fact that it was my neighbour who had a Dyson, not me (yes, I am weird when it comes to annoying sounds, I know that).

The suction this machine produces is impressive for sure and has enough grunt to give some of it away for powering the turbo head. Should you for some reason feel the need to reduce suction, there is a lever on the handle you can pull like a gun trigger and a little hole opens releasing some of the suction allowing you to get free of whatever curtain or other unfortunate piece you managed to get caught on.

The Turbo Brush Head works really well and can be taken apart to clean out things like long hair (I have three daughters, a wife and a cat, all with long hair. It’s just our dog and me with short hair, but both of us seem to shed a lot of our hair though (me especially as of lately …). While it is easy enough to take the turbo head apart for cleaning the brush, the process still requires a large screw driver or a coin to twist the locking mechanism. Cleaning the brush is also ok, but there are a few groves that hair gets twisted around and its hard to get it off. Its all ok as I said, but some sort of quick release system there would be great to have.

So, the carpet problem is solved for us - finally. But wait, there is more. The hard floor head is an engineering marvel. In combination with the equally ingenious handle and hose coupling to the handle, the whole assembly can duck so close to the ground that it reaches under our lounge room suite. Clearance: 7.4 cm(!).

I am starting to praise all sorts of deities out there, but mostly the engineers involved. You only appreciate how awesome this is when you realise that I will never have to take the three-piece-7-seat-all-bloody-attached-to-a-bloody-corner-piece lounge suite apart again and lift the unpleasantly heavy individual modules up while someone else takes a bloody eternity to vacuum up the last little bit of fluff that has managed to accumulate under there since the last time we did this exercise. It is great to see when engineers work on a problem and find an elegant solution. Check out the video I made of it.

Emptying all the hair and dust out is usually an unpleasant experience, let's face it. At least we have moved on from those terrible dust bags. Remember the tag line promoting the bagless vacuum cleaners? You will never have to empty or change a dust bag again – that one? Or, it does not lose suction when the bag is full, because there is no bag. That one too.

The problem I have with this kind of advertising though is that it gets interpreted by some (I have heard, via rumours, the grape vine really and it is definitely not happening in our family) as ‘great, that vacuum cleaner never has to be emptied again’. Its close, you see, but there is a slight difference.

Now that I got this little dig out of the way, let me explain that this latest evolution of the Dyson makes the emptying process about as pleasant, or better, little unpleasant as possible. The whole canister comes off with the press of a button. Then there is a single red button to press which causes the (still closed) canister to slip down by say 15 or 20 cm away from the central cone inside. Brilliant, no more stuff getting caught between the central cone and the outside wall of the canister (like on my cordless Dyson). Press that red button one more time and the bottom lid opens up and the collected hair/dust mixture comes out. No shaking, no poking with a knife or chop stick, no banging on the side, nothing. Just whoosh – done.

When done, push it all back up, push the lid closed and slide the canister back on the base unit and it slides back in place by itself, sends a confirmatory click your way and its ready for action again. Once you master that ‘press the red button twice’ routine, you sure must be in adoration of the brains working at Dyson. I attached a video showing how easy it is to detach and re-attach the dust canister.

And while I am praising the ingenuity of the design, the vacuum is cone shaped when you look at it from the top, which allows it to follow you around corners without getting caught or stuck. The best and most impressive bit however comes when you somehow manage to pull it in a weird angle and it somehow ends up on its side. Never mind, just stop pulling and watch in admiration how that little helper of yours magically rolls itself back into an upright position. I love that so much, I had to make a video of it and attach it to this review.

+++++++++++++++++ Any Improvements?

Well, my biggest gripe with the design is that for a right-handed person, the power button is on the wrong side of the vacuum cleaner. You have the cleaner on your right hand side pulling it along and should you for some reason need to quickly turn it off, it would be nice to have the power button on the left hand side of the vacuum cleaner (were you are standing) and not on the other side making you walk around. I know, it’s a little thing, but I thought I mention it. Maybe someone at Dyson reads this … So guys, swap the power button location with the cord re-coil release.

While I am at those buttons, they are too small. Let’s face it, hardly anyone bends down to operate those, you just use your foot. That leads to a lack of dexterity and a much bigger, easier to step on power button would be most welcome. I also question the durability of those buttons. They look like a break waiting to happen especially when operated “by foot”. (Photo attached). It feels like in that area the designers who make things look good outvoted the engineers who make thinks work.

Lastly, another minor point I would like to make is that I feel the power cord could be a bit longer.

+++++++++++++++++ Summary

With a distance the best vacuum I have ever owned. It is well engineered and thought through. You still have to vacuum, that chore does not go away, but with this Dyson at least you have a great product assisting you which makes it so much easier and a little less annoying a task. +++++++++++++++++

April 2023 Update:

Somehow I felt like the suction of the vacuum was not as good any more as it used to be. Turns out the comment section for this vacuum on the Dyson web site is chocker block full of people complaining about the same issue. Each one of those comments gets answered by Dyson telling the commenter to get in touch with Dyson.

So here is what happened with mine:

A loss of suction is of course hard to determine, because how do you measure the suction in the first place and how do you know that it is now less than when you bought it?

One giveaway for me was that the turbo head brush was just not spinning very fast any more. I remember it sounding like a jet engine and spinning impressively fast when the vacuum was new, and that at some stage was just not happening any more. That can of course have two totally different reasons, one being the suction having dropped, the other being the rotating brush is not freely rotating any more due to - well whatever reason (bearing, blockage ...).

Turns out in my case BOTH causes came together.

I suggest the first thing you do is check whether your suction hose has any blockage in it (as per the trouble shooting guide on the Dyson web page). Blowing through it I can promise you does not tell you whether a constraint is in the hose or not. Take the hose off on both ends and look through it. Then take the hard extension that attaches to the head and check that. Most importantly, take the hard plastic U-turn bit (where the handle is attached) and check that one out. I uploaded a picture. It is the part on the left that I am talking about.

In my case, that was the culprit. A piece of cardboard had gotten stuck in the U-turn part and a massive amount of hair and fluff had accumulated over time around that stuck cardboard. It was not easy to clean out by the way, I used a bent wire coat hanger and freed it all up.

The different was huge as you can imagine, but my turbo brush still was not spinning fast enough. Youtube to the rescue. Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxuzpi9DFIQ. If for some reason this link does not work, search for "Dyson Vacuum Turbine head Teardown and Clean".

Most importantly, read the comments in the video because they explain how to get past the point where the presenter in that video actually got stock. The part he holds at around 07:00 in the video needs to be opened further (and he did not manage to get in there). The trick is that the little cork twisty bit does in fact come off when you take the screw that is INSIDE the cork screw bit out. Look at the picture I uploaded.

Once that screw is out, you will find that a hair and dust mixture has accumulated in that bearing despite it being a sealed unit. Clean it out, put it all back together and it will all be as new.

You will need a T8 and a T10 screw driver - and admittedly, that is not in everybody's kitchen drawer.

There is always the alternative that you swing by a Dyson Service Centre (in Sydney they are in Taren Point). I have done that twice in the past and every time I was very happy with the service they gave me (free both time despite being way out of warranty). I think they also offer a pickup service, just ask.

I hope this helps solve some of the frustration I see accumulating in here. Good luck with it. Love this vacuum - again.

Don't buy into the Dyson hype – The suction levels on the vacuum are poor - refer video. On timber floors it won't pick up anything larger than a grain of rice on first sweep. I have to pick up multiple items by hand as it's faster than moving the vacuum head back and forth again and again. The on/off and cord retractor buttons seem to be fagile, however in fairness I could be… Read more

wrong. But their size and placement make it difficult to use anything but hands. When emptying the vacuum it has opened unexpectedly on multiple occasions, dumping dust on clean floors. And its quite difficult to get the bottom door of the dust receptacle to stay closed. It's truly awful!

This is the epitome of vacuuming – So my new vacuum arrived, a Dyson Cinetic Big Ball, Animal+. Excitedly, like a little kid at Christmas, I opened it and went through the parts and read the instructions. I will say the instructions So, let's start at the instructions. Mostly pictorial, but some very important information is printed. Initially, I had a few issues figuring out… Read more

some of the pieces, but with some click and play, and a good read over a cuppa I had it sorted.

I will say up front, I have previously written a review for another brand of vacuum cleaner (Hoover), and honestly, that set a very high bar to beat, so the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ really had to achieve.

Now being the owner of a long haired German Shepherd, I have needed a quality vacuum, which was able to handle pet hair. My old vacuum has been doing a pretty good job to date.

First impressions, I felt the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ looked like it would fall over at the first glance, but surprise, surprise, Dyson have taken care of this. The Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ cleverly rights itself if it is knocked over. This intrigued me, so a quick bit of research told me, Dyson had identified and addressed this. So, does the vacuum right itself if it is knocked on its side? Yes, yes it does. Now remember, I mention owning a German Shepherd? Well, he is not a fan of vacuum cleaners, like most dogs, he finds knocking the vacuum over a game, so in the past, I have had to right the vacuum, turn it off wait for the vacuum to release the blocker and start again. Well, no more! The Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ certainly does stand back up, if knocked over.

Another bug bear I have had with the old vacuum, is cleaning the rotating brushes. Oh did I not mention the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ has pneumatic powered brushes? It does. Now initially I was concerned, having had to get a screwdriver out, wrestle with a toothed belt, clean the hair off, then wrestle the brush back in. Well, no need to struggle with that anymore, a simple unscrewing of a single end cap and the brush simply slides out from the side. The usual clean and a simple slide in and re-screw the end cap. So much simpler!

Next the actual setting up and use. Set up is simple, the extension wand is brilliant, shortening to a great length to store it away, yet lengthens to the perfect length even for me, at 6' 2". The hose connector to the vacuum unit is a simple slide in affair. Removal later in y press a button. I can see this being so much easier for anyone with arthritis in their hands. A very well thought out design.

So, how is the suction? Considering I am comparing it to a top of the range Hoover, that I have used for 3 years, and it is slowly losing suction . . .

The suction on the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ is exceptional. With the brush scrubbing the deep seated crud out of the carpet. Then it hit me. The brush head is perfect. It doesn't have an inch of plastic hanging over the corners and edges, so you can get right up to the skirting board. That has been a major annoyances with the Hoover over the years.

I finished the lounge room, which I had deliberately not vacuum for a week. It came up looking great. As I have a wood heater, I had some dust from that, some bits of charcoal and splinters of wood near the heater. Nothing but clean carpet was left behind. The brush seemed to get right into the fibres. The suction, which never wavered was amazing. I then emptied the clear bin. I was surprised to see not only all the usual dirt and bits, but this mass of extremely fine material came out. I have had similar with the Hoover, but never this much and when it was a lot in the Hoover, the suction stated suffering. So a good shake and tap and the worst empties, on to the rest of the house. The Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ made short work of all the carpeted areas.

I turned my attentions to the 'attachments'. The hard floor head worked a treat in the kitchen. It is so flat I was able to get under my stove! Now that is a treat.

In addition there is a combination (they can be separated if you desire) crevice and brush unit. The brush very handily stores itself part way up the crevice tool, but slides down with the press of a button to the end, to utilise the brush itself. The crevice tool itself outshines every other crevice tool I have used in my 51 years. It is more than double the length of all the others I have used. The places it can reach are just incredible.

I then spied the pet brush. Yes, a dedicated brush, with metal wire teeth, which are great for the thicker coated dogs, oh hang on, I have one of those. This can be attached to the vacuum and as you brush, it vacuums away the hair. I haven't tried that on my best friend yet, but I think with a little time and patience, we may get to use that too.

Cleaning the vacuum. Everybody wants to know how do you empty the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+. It is a simple one touch, press of a button to remove clear bin from the vacuum. Then holding the handle, you press yet another button which then opens the bottom, dropping all the dirt into your bin.

The fine dust intrigued me, so a little research and I discovered the Dyson Cinetic system oscillates at 5000rpm, to ensure the super fine dust that the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ picks up goes into the clear bin, not into a filter. I did notice that you can actually fully remove the clear bin for cleaning, if you so desire.

The next piece of amazement was the articulation. From the handle to the tool, there is so much articulation that you can rotate easily to get under tables and the like.

Simpler things. The cord is a very generous 6.6m, with a total work distance from t he power point over 10m! I only need to plug in once in the hallway and I can do the whole house.

So overall, is this the next big thing in vacuum cleaners? No filters to clean or replace. Easy emptying bin. Self righting, if knocked over. The tools! The simplicity of the unit from the one touch, hygienic, emptying to the so simple to remove, clean and replace brush. Yes, the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ takes vacuuming to a new level.

I have put the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ through its paces, it has never lost suction. Setup is a breeze, pack up is just as easy.

The 6.6m cord, the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ fulfils every wantand need for cleaning your carpet.

I was impressed with the Hoover but it takes a definite backseat to the new Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ vacuum. It promised so much, and surely delivered on every one of them.

As a vacuum cleaner for a household with pets, the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ will ensure you have deep cleaned carpets and furnishings. You can even vacuum the dog or cat. I don't know of any other vacuum that will do that.

The more I use it, the more I like the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+, finding I am able to finish the vacuuming in a lot less time, being able to get to more places, more easily.

If you are looking for a top quality, powerful, no-loss suction vacuum for your home, then the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ is one you should definitely buy.

Am I comparing apples to oranges? – NB The review below starts from the time of initial unboxing/assembly and progresses through time. ********INIATIAL ASSESSMENT******** Hi folks, I arrived home yesterday to find the dyson had been delivered. I unpackaged it, assembled it and put it to use for the first time last night. Based on the assembly, first use's and first emptying of the… Read more

waste, I don't feel it's a value for money purchase. I think it's a failure as a pet owners vacuum which is what it's marketed purpose is and not the best value for money as a vacuum cleaner solely. I will update this once I've had it for longer but this is just about my first impressions. I do wonder if I'm not comparing apples to oranges though because our 6yo vacuum is an upright, anti allergen with hepa, foam and other filters etc. ***************Assembly*************** Assembly wasn't difficult although instructions were unclear as the pictured parts weren't labelled. In point of fact the instructions were purely pictorial and even the parts in the diagrams were unlabelled thus I've had to apply educated guesswork on one accessory and at this stage am baffled by the waste chamber. I think I'll have to do some youtube homework to figure it out. *****************Pet's******************* I think that "Guesswork accessory" is to be a pet grooming brush, after all, it's meant to be a vacuum cleaner that's focused on animals and pet hair etc, that's a fact implied by the products name. This grooming brush is basically a wire brush that attaches to the vacuum. I wouldn't like to use it on our dogs, if the machine noise didn't disturb them (which it will) I'm sure a wire brush would, it's not a gentle brush, more suited to cleaning rust off our bbq plate lol. Of course I could be wrong, it may not be a grooming brush but that comes back to the poor instructions that lack labelling...It is quieter than our other vacuum but it's still loud enough to disturb our pets. A big part of indoor pets is the occasional leak on the carpet and this isn't a wet/dry vacuum, dyson have completely missed that mark. ******************Carpet**************** The main carpet cleaning head with the horizontally rotating brush grabs a hold of the carpet with a lot of grip. I'm sure that it manipulates the carpet's pile and weave to release lots of dirt, pet hair, fluff, flock etc to be vacuumed up but it grabs with such force that it makes moving the vacuum head over the carpets difficult, my wife's observation after using it in the bedroom (carpet) was that she thought it was physically harder than it should be and she was right. She commented that if our teenage nephews & nieces were to use it, the wand/pipes might actually break because of the force required to move it across the carpet. Maybe with a little use the brushes will wear in and won't be so grabby but atm she is dead right. Vacuuming the carpet is way harder than it should be. Because of this I don't think it's suitable for the elderly or disabled whom intend to use it on carpet. *********Other floor surfaces************ Our home has carpet, wood, linoleum and tile surfaces, so a good assortment. I haven't used it on our other floor surfaces,nor to clean our car yet but will update in about a weeks time after I have. **********Multi level buildings*********** I think this vacuum technology is ideal for going up/down stairs and things because it is very stable, it's hard to cause it to tip, when it does it self-rights itself, that feature is great but I'd be looking at other dyson's with this technology. ***********Waste storage*************** Yep this has baggless technology and this is where I really have to emphasise that I've only used it for one night and am still working it out. This is just my first impressions. This cyclonic dust chamber is a bit of a conundrum to me at this time because it has a max' fill line but also has a raisable height chamber and I haven't worked this out at all. Like many baggless vacuum cleaners it's waste chamber has waste hatches for emptying on both the top and bottom. My first thought was that this raisable top was like a plunger to push the waste out the bottom hatch but I quickly reached the conclusion this's not the case because open this hatch and gravity does the job without plunging. I again point out a complete lack of information in the instructions. ******************Innovation*********** I believe dyson to be the industry leader in innovation and that what's innovative in dyson today will be standard across the industry in 10 years time. The amount of great ideas with this vacuum is incredible. From dyson's original cyclonic auction, the extendable wand, the crevice tool with built in adjustable brush, the hard surface floor head that goes vertical as well as horizontal for cleaning walls, skirting boards etc, the smaller head with twin horizontal, contra-rotating brushes instead of one with a single axis, rotating brush and the list goes on.... ********Value for money************** This is why I don't think this is value for money, I think your paying for these innovations, patents etc instead of getting what a consumer is really after which is a vacuum cleaner that does the job well or better than others.

*****Saturday 14/09/2019 update****** This is excellent on hard floors! Nb. I changed from the brush roller head to the hard floor head, also it heats up the ambient air less than our upright vacuum which is a big deal for us in our outback locale and probably doesn't even rate a mention in most populated areas of Australia lol. The carpet head is grabbing less now but only showing a slight improvement in this arena, it's still a workout exercise to vacuum our carpets areas. It's been used enough for a "wearing in" phase to be be over for the most part. I haven't used it in to do our car yet but am actually looking forward to doing it as I'm anticipating great results with the mini head and its twin horizontal, contra rotational brushes, they should really work the cars carpet. Coming back to the reply from dyson, I still think it's poor to make the assembly & instruction manual redundant by telling their customers to find the answers online. They should be in the box, in full, in the first place. What inspired this comment was again trying to understand the waste chamber's maximum fill line (as per instructions) and I'm including a photo of the instructions with regard to this. Also a note of commonsense, dust etc settles so that it's flat, what's the idea of marking a max fill line that's at an angle?! To accurately read the waste level one has to remove the chamber or tip the vacuum at an angle. ***********Video Review**************** It's said that one picture is worth a thousand words. Attached is a youtube video review for you folks to put pictures to my written words. *********Final Review Summary********* This vacuum is aimed at pet owners. That's implied in the name and it's from an indoor pet's owner's perspective this review is coming from.

My finding is that it's disappointing. In my experience with it it was difficult to use, had cheap, inadequate fittings with both the stowage point for the wand to the main body and the fastening latch on the dust/waste container. The mechanism for the waste container is needlessly complex.

On hard surfaces it was excellent but on carpeted floors it was poor.

One picture is worth a thousand words and with that in mind I've made and attached a new youtube video of my final findings. I can only attach one video to this review which I've changed to be the above mentioned video. If you are interested in the first video of the vacuum then follow the channel links back on YouTube. https://youtu.be/EQntktn8GC0

This is one powerful vacuum cleaner! – We all have heard about Dyson and its vacuum cleaners. We have also seen them stand out with their bright colours and we know of their reputation as being at the top end of the vacuum cleaner market. Are they worth the hype? Going by the results of this particular vacuum cleaner, I would say yes. First impression of this vacuum cleaner is that it… Read more

appears very plastic. Everything is made of plastic, including the wand (or tube, depending on what some people call it) which on many other vacuum cleaners is often metal. It is, however, robust plastic that is thick but at the same time not heavy. Perhaps the only weakness is the on/off and cord retraction switches, which are relatively small lever type switches. They appear a little light in their construction giving the impression that they might one day break – you need to be aware of this and not press them too hard with your foot.

What I must say is that this vacuum cleaner has a deceivingly powerful suction. It is not until you compare it to other reputable vacuum cleaners that you realise how good it cleans. I say “deceivingly” because the turbo head is very easy to push around, giving the impression that it is not sucking as much as some other vacuum cleaners, but is actually extracting a lot of fine dust and dirt that those other vacuum cleaners cannot do. I have used the vacuum cleaner on tiled surfaces, carpets and furniture. It works great on all these surfaces, but its real point of difference is how well it can extract dust and dirt from carpets and rugs. I have made a video of the Dyson immediately following up on another good brand vacuum cleaner and the results are impressive, and makes you wonder how much dust we have been living amongst before the Dyson. The video is attached to this review.

The big ball refers to the fact that the vacuum cleaner body is mainly round – this gives it the ability to correct itself if it is dragged over – conventional vacuum cleaners have a tendency to flip over if yanked sideways or too hard, requiring you to pick it up to correct it. In all my usage of the Dyson vacuum cleaner, it has corrected itself every time, albeit, tipping over was not a common occurrence.

The vacuum cleaner does squeak a little when moved around. It also feels a little unstable/unsteady when pressing the switches – however, it only moves slightly but does not tip over.

The vacuum cleaner is a relatively simplistic unit that is plug in and go – there are no adjustable power settings like some vacuum cleaners, which to be honest, I could never be bothered with adjusting anyway. The instructions supplied with the vacuum cleaner are easy to follow, with diagrams using green ticks and red crosses. It clearly shows the main functions, how to assemble and operate the unit, how to check for blockages, how to open the turbo head and emptying the bin. It also covers the usual safety topics.

The vacuum cleaner is well thought out and practical. The standard tool attachments are located on the wand. Therefore, there is no need to keep these tools separate or have to open compartments to access them as some vacuum cleaners do. This is a great idea from Dyson as I have often misplaced the tool attachments of previous vacuum cleaners, leading to frustration and time wasting.

There are several other tool attachments provided as well – these include a hard floor attachment which replaces the turbo head attachment. Being the Animal+ package, there is also a smaller turbo head, which is great on furniture, couches, fabric on chairs and can remove hair and fur without tangling. If it does tangle it is very easy to remove – however, I have not experienced any tangles yet. There is also a pet brush attachment which consists of a wire pet brush suitable for brushing pets with a longer coat. The brush has a spring-loaded safety plate protecting the brush by allowing only enough wire brush to be exposed as needed as well as assisting in the removal of pet fur for the brush. The wire brush works well and is a great idea if you want to eliminate loose pet fur in your home resulting from pet grooming.

Dyson have thought of the little details as well. For example the plug on the cord has a plastic ring on the cord head which absorbs impact when retracting the cord – without it there is a tendency to stretch out the cord, eventually exposing the wires at the plug – a common problem I have experienced with other vacuum cleaners.

The handle also has a conveniently placed pull ring, which allows you to easily release the suction if you have pulled up a rug or curtain. The vacuum cleaner also appears to have a built-in bypass when its suction becomes stuck on something, preventing it from blowing up (or at least sound like it is going to blow up). Usage of the pull ring will release the suction in those cases anyway.

All components that detach or extend are done so by using push buttons which are all red and easily seen. All connections are good and are clearly audible with noticeable clicks.

The barrel is very easy to remove from the unit for emptying. You press one button to remove it from the unit and then only one more button to empty the barrel. Everything easily comes out of the barrel. If required, it is easy to brush away any remaining dust as the internal filter (which is metal) is very accessible. It should be noted that the barrel is clear plastic so you can see how full it is, or what it is that you may have vacuumed up by accident. There is a line on the barrel which indicates the maximum level in the barrel – this is often hard to measure against as some of the lighter particles become suspended – but because it is so easy to empty and clear, you are likely to empty it more often, rather than wait for it to fill.

The turbo head attachment is a great feature of this vacuum cleaner. Not only is it easy to push around, it can also allow the wand to lay completely flat and straight – some vacuum cleaners can lay flat but often do so with the head attachment on an angle. The versatility of the Dyson turbo head allows it to easily go under furniture, beds are other hard to reach places that often need a good clean.

The turbo head is also easily disassembled to clean out hair or other entanglements. The removal of the brush is simply done by opening the head with the turn of a large screw – there is no need for a screwdriver, as you can conveniently use a coin, key or other common household item to do so. The head is also clear so you can see whether it needs to be removed for a clean. The turbo head and hard floor attachments are hard plastic and can damage furniture, skirting and walls it hit too hard. These attachments would have benefited with some soft rubber, felt or other material for protection – perhaps something Dyson can add to its future models.

This is a great vacuum cleaner which lives up to the Dyson mantra. It is powerful, does not suffer from any loss of suction and there are no bags to buy and change. Unlike some of the other bagless vacuum cleaners out there, there are no filters that clog or need cleaning to maintain suction. What is also great is that it does not exhaust or blow out any dust or odours.

It literally does what Dyson states – that is, no loss of suction. This vacuum cleaner can extract dust and dirt that other vacuums cleaners can’t, in a well thought out and practical unit.

A struggle to use – I bought this vacuum just over 12mo ago with such high hopes being a Dyson. We wanted a powerhead since we have long haired dogs. The hair tangles badly around the roller (need to use scissors to remove) but there is no loss of suction. Bonus. Im on my 3rd roller brush since the brushes wear out and no longer brushes my carpet to pick up the dog… Read more

hair. Replaced under extended warranty though. Bonus. The roller balls fell off the wand after collecting hair that there was no way for me to access to remove. The entire head was replaced under warranty. Bonus. The cannister holds heaps of dirt but over time is an effort to get shut after cleaning and once or twice removing it from the machine to empty has resulted in a giant mess and more vacuuming. Bonus. The suction is amazing. The best yet, right up there with my previous Shark. Picks up everything, even leaves the dogs walk in. Although sometimes the roller pushes some items away and you have to chase them and put the vacuum head right over then to pick them up. And the downfall of having a powerhead that can't turn off its that you suck up anything with a pile and can't move despite having a suction reduction trigger. To vacuum mats I need to take the powerhead off and just use the nozzle. Bonus. The machine itself is heavy to lug around, doesn't turn well and has sometimes driven me to tears, esp when I bumped and chipped our freshly painted wall tugging it in frustration to get it to move. Bonus. Trying to clean cobwebs off the ceiling or dust from vent covers is also an ordeal. The hose is simply not long enough nor flexible enough. Just love that the machine rights itself. Bonus. Well, we're going to try yet another vacuum to see if we can find something else that actually suits what it's marketed for. I don't recommend this machine if you have long haired dogs (or kids) or any carpeted surfaces.

A very well made, high performing vac that's worth a look if you want mains power - and can use all the accessories – Pros - Excellent performance, quality build and finish, comfortable and efficient to use, large capacity dust collector, wide collection of attachments that work well if you have a use for them... Cons - ... but up the already premium pricing unnecessarily if you don't. On/off switch on the small side and potentially fragile for tapping with your… Read more

foot, hard floor head is missing the retaining notch to hold the wand and hose upright on the vacuum itself, reasonably heavy to drag around the house, two-year warranty seems stingy.

Bottom Line - A well-made, great performing unit that's worthy of its price if you need a regular mains powered vacuum cleaner over a wide variety of surfaces and furniture - but a cordless unit might be a more convenient option if you don't need endless run time.

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The Cinetic Big Ball range is Dyson's current take on their well-known - some might say iconic - cyclone-style bagless/filterless barrel vacuum cleaners. The Animal+ model is an up-spec'd offering with an emphasis on dealing with pet hair, hence the extra accessories and the corresponding higher price.

By way of comparisons... my current vac is a Karcher WP3.5 P Premium, which is actually a bagged workshop/tool vac that also pulls domestic duties in a small apartment with carpet and some linoleum. My girlfriend has a 5-year old Dyson cordless stick vacuum, and also a generic bagless barrel vac that ironically gave up the ghost during the review period. Both get used on a mix of carpet and timber floors.

My last dalliance with a premium ($500+) vacuum cleaner was with an Electrolux Z series, a product so bad I literally had to take it out into a paddock and shoot it to settle my collective frustrations after three years of constant issues. Hence ever since, I've been a tad cynical of whether Dyson and the like can honestly justify such prices.

Fittingly, the Big Ball Animal+ comes in a rather big box, with the vacuum itself and the myriad of attachments tightly but well packed and protected within. Everything is plastic, other than the inner mesh filter and the motor itself. Normally this would be a negative, especially for the wand where plastic tube sections on cheaper vacs are notorious for collapsing under heavy use, but the Dyson wand is heavily built and feels reassuringly stiff. The dominant metallic dark grey colour scheme is punctuated with highlights of a rather eye-catching metallic purple-blue plastic which is typical Dyson. I'm not sure such aesthetics matter on an otherwise mundane domestic appliance, but at least Dyson can't be accused of putting out an under-done product. This is readily apparent when fitting the various components together, which all click together with an impressive level of ease and precision not typical of most domestic appliances.

The included instructions are sparse and pictorial, but I had little issue assembling everything including the neat brush/nozzle attachment holding arrangement on the wand without them. The only head-scratcher was a small tube-connector section that wouldn't fit anywhere... I later discovered it is an adaptor to use the Big Ball wand with older Dyson accessories. I would have been really impressed if this or another included adaptor would have allowed us to use the Big Ball accessories with our older Dyson cordless stick vac, but alas...

The Cinetic Big Ball lacks some of the fancy features seen on other pricier vacuum cleaners, like On/Off and power controls on the wand which was a highly convenient and favoured feature of my old vac. It's also worth noting that both of the included turbine cleaner head attachments are driven by the vacuum's suction, rather than electrically driven by a separate motor. Initially I considered this something of a lesser design choice, figuring it would result in both a less powerful brush action and less overall suction, but in use it is surprisingly hard to stall out the brush heads on anything under than loose rugs. It also bodes well for long term reliability, as it takes a potential (and likely) failure point out of the equation.

I'd question the sanity of anyone who refers to vacuuming as a pleasure - regardless of how good a vac you've got for the job - but in use the Cinetic Big Ball definitely works well and helps to take some of the tedium and frustration out of domestic duties. Using the larger, carbon fibre turbine-cleaner head on carpet, the suction is ferocious and makes quick work of typically soiled floor coverings. As a test, I ran the Big Ball over the carpets in my to-be-vacated apartment that had already been vacuumed the evening before with my other vac. Within a few seconds the dust collector was swirling with new-found muck the other vac had failed to lift. Impressive.

Dyson's unique swivelling wand handle works well, and combined with the freely articulating head joint, getting in underneath chairs, beds and the like is pleasingly effortless. The main unit itself rolls around easily and, yes, does indeed right itself if you manage to tip if over. My partner did however feel that it was a bit heavy to drag around, compared to her cordless stick unit she usually uses - more on this later.

One thing I did notice is noise. The unit itself is pretty quiet with the hard floor head and other basic attachments, but with the turbine cleaner head connected, the racket increases significantly. It's not quite a jet engine in your living room, but don't be expecting to vacuum like a ninja with the turbine accessories.

On the plus side, the turbine cleaner does do a surprisingly good job of not entangling itself with hair, thread and the like, which was a huge issue with my last rotating brush-head cleaner. Realising this can be a problem, Dyson, to their credit, have made disassembling the head to access and clean the brush a simple, tool-free affair.

The smaller tangle-free brush head uses a pair of horizontal spinning brushes that don't have a same tendency to rip up at loose rugs or materials, and I found this head was quite effective on more delicate coverings like chair bases and cushions.

The stair tool, narrow nozzle and soft brush tools are all quite standard affairs and work much as you'd expect. However, I found the way the latter two - the combination tool in Dyson parlance - work together and mount onto the main wand rather useful. Locating these tools on the wand seemed a bit weird at first, but actually having them at hand means you do tend to use them a lot more. Because Dyson use a click-connect system rather than typical taper-fit pipe sections to join the hose, wand and head together, swapping over heads is fast, typically taking only 10 seconds or so to swap in the combination tool. Because the combination tool adjusts from narrow nozzle to brush mode with just a simple slide of the brush unit up and down the nozzle, it's perfectly convenient to go swap over on the fly and vac off architraves, picture frames and cobwebs from the corners of the ceiling while working your way across a floor. A very simple idea, but well executed.

One simple missed opportunity, however, was that while the turbine head has a locating notch to lock it into the unit and keep everything in order when not in use, the non-turbine hard floor head doesn't. Because our house is mostly hard floors though, this means that head tends to live on the unit most of the time and wont hold itself onto the vacuums body - all for the sake of a little bit of extra plastic.

Lastly, the box includes the Grooming Tool, and presumably this is where the Cinetic Big Ball gets its Animal+ suffix from. Essentially, it's a fine-wire slicker brush with a hose attachment, and while the concept is sound, I had to laugh the moment I saw it because I'm not sure if anyone at Dyson has ever done the stats on pets versus vacuum cleaner tolerance! We have no less than 6 cats in this household and none were even vaguely interested in being in the same room as a running vacuum cleaner, let alone being groomed with a brush attached to one. As such, I couldn't really test it. I'm sure there are some very well behaved, very patient Golden Retrievers and the like out there who'd probably tolerate the tool and for their owners, not dealing with the masses of hair that results afterwards would be great, but I have to say I'm not entirely convinced this particular tool is going to get much use for most owners. Fortunately, the rest of the tools suck up pet hair perfectly well.

Emptying the dust collector is easy enough; one button releases the unit itself and a slider opens the base while running a scoop over the filter mesh so that, in theory, everything falls out over an open bin without you having to touch the muck yourself. I say 'in theory' because invariably a few tuffs of hair and dust bunnies manage to hold on to the metal mesh and need to be pulled out by hand. But it works well and thanks to its reasonably large capacity you won't have to do it after every use. Being a Dyson of course the unit is entirely filter-free, though do note if you want long term reliability, it is necessary to pull apart the Cinetic unit and give the nozzles a thorough clean a couple of times a year to maintain performance and prevent the motor potentially burning itself out.

Overall the vacuum cleaner works very well and serious complaints are hard to come by. I did wish the retractable cord was a bit longer to save the whole unplug-re-plug rigmarole when moving around the hose. I'm also a little concerned about the long-term durability of the power and cord-retract buttons; the plastic is reasonably thick but they're surprisingly small for a vacuum cleaner and look more designed for a finger press than the usual foot nudge.

I'm also of the opinion that a two-year warranty is a bit lean for a premium appliance like this. I'm told that once upon a time Dyson's had lifetime warranties, but a 10- or even five-year warranty would help to justify the cost of such an investment, given so many people talk of their Dysons lasting 10 years or longer.

When I started reviewing the Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ its retail price was a rather hefty $899, but since then it appears retail prices are now $749, which I think is actually quite good value given the quality of the unit, the breadth of the included accessories, the great ergonomics and the overall performance. I'm not really sold on the Grooming Tool and do wonder if the lesser Big Ball packages that retail around the $500 mark aren't perhaps a better value proposition though... unless of course you do actually have a happy, stone-deaf Golden Retriever who loves to be brushed.

That aside, we've been thoroughly impressed with the Big Ball (what a name for a vac) and my only reservation in recommending it wholeheartedly has absolutely nothing to do with the vacuum itself, but simply whether a cordless stick unit around the same price isn't a better option for at least some people? We tend to vacuum only a couple of rooms at a time and my partner's older Dyson V6 offers better grab-and-go convenience. The new cordless vacs at similar price points to the Cinetic Big Ball offer heaps of power and far longer run times these days too, so depending on the size of your house, you could possibly do the lot within one charge. Lack of weight, plugging into power and not having to manage multiple connected parts helps offset the need to empty the smaller dust collector more often.

But, if you do have a big house full of dirty carpet and pet hair, and desire all the mains-driven power you can get in a more traditional vacuum cleaner design, the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ is well recommended and definitely worthy of your consideration.

Great Vacuum- until the NON EXISTENT FILTER needs replacing – The vacuum itself has been fantastic on hard floors with pet hair- until yesterday when the filter the vacuum is advertised as NOT HAVING has decided its full. Google searches later, I found a great video on replacing the post assembly filter that supposedly does not exist, however because I brought with product care I will need to get this done… Read more

through a supplier to not void the warranty. My issue here is not so much the filter, but instead Dysons false advertising with the product itself, plus the absolute bother and cost to get the filter replaced every 12 months- had I have known this was the case I would have spent $850 On a vacuum that didn't have the long term costs involved.

Dyson doesn't live up to the hype – First few times I had no complaints using this unit on tiled and carpeted areas in my new home but then the suction was average. Sent back to Dyson twice for service only to be told there is no issues. I have persevered but I certainly wouldn't rush to purchase another Dyson ever. A simple task of vacuuming a rug becomes an issue where you have to go over several times to pick up fluff etc. Very disappointing Show details

I believe in dyson and this is dissapointing – After 10 years our much loved Dyson died and we decided to get us another Dyson as a replacement. First time when I tried this new one with standard brush head it comes with I seriously tought something was wrong with the suction. I kept checking all the connections and the hose but everything was fine...brush spins so some suction is definitely… Read more

there but it simply is not enough suction guys, and I mean almost no suction at all to the point that there are small DRY crumbs on the laminated floor/tiles and brush just moves it (does not suck at all!!!). Today I found myself pushing crumbs to the wall and then having to remove the head/brush and vacuming directly with the hose opening....that kind of poor suction is not reasonable to come with this rather pricey machine. After having 5 days of hope and thinking that some magic will happen I am at the point of crying now as 5 days in and I am stuck with 2 useless Dyson vacum cleaners.

In having said this on a positive note the tiny hair brush was great to remove cat hair from the outside couch but is not even close replacement for regular size brush as one would have to vacuum 3-4 times longer to cover the same surface area as with the regular brush/head.

UPDATE: Vacum has been returned to dyson due to above fault as has been requested, it looked clean on return, no papework of work carried out was received. Suction issue still same. Plus one of the brushes was not returned. Annoyed, yes. Dissapointed, yes. Dyson customers have an expectation that is why we choose to spend our money there and to receive a brand new item that is very much bellow expectation without any paperwork/explanation is just not ok.

It's good but not great – Pros: It looks flash. It has reasonable suction. It's not too noisy. It has no bags. It has a lot of accessories. Cons: Power cord is too short (true off all 3 powered dysons I already own). The new plastic finish on the wand and accessories is smooth and slippery - cheap feeling. The diameter of the wand handle is too small for myself… Read more

and felt like I was holding on to a broom handle. The previous generation Dysons had a much more ergonomic handle design. I'm a male and actually found my hands cramped after five or 10 minutes due to how small the handle felt.

The head doesn't "steer" so for example if cleaning under the bed and you twist a handle left or right they had just flops around and doesn't actually steer.

The on off and retract buttons are awful and my partner also immediately said are they going to snap off? Even if they don't they are kind of hard to hit with your feet and require you to bend over and press with your hand.

The motorised brush head on my carpet skipped when you pull the wand back towards you, pushing forward was ok but as you pull the wand back it actually hops across the carpet. The rental house I'm in has brand new carpets and it is a carpet with no pile effectively so very smooth and yet the head hopped across every single time.

I have two Dalmatians which shed more than you can imagine and this vacuum even with the motorised brush head didn't do a very good job of pulling the fur out and required many many passes.

The release tab for the canister is absolutely awful and reminds me of my V6 animal cordless Dyson which has a similar system and is also absolutely awful. I have two Dyson DC23 which have a very simple and effective canister release with a nice big button an adult male can actually use. The DC23 also actually has decent sized handles that an adult male hand can hold comfortably.

I also have an issue with my dogs tearing stuff up whether it be papers or bits of sponge or whatever the most recent bit of Destruction is and I found it the smallest solid object gets stuck in the Dyson canister causing suction to stop, this meant that I actually walked around the house and picked all the larger pieces by hand before being able to vacuum the floor which defeats the purpose of having a powerful vacuum.

I hate to say it Dyson but I'm just not that impressed with your products anymore - 10 years ago I was but I feel like you're making very flashy looking vacuums without very good function.

For the record I currently own two Dyson DC23's one Dyson ball upright and the Dyson V6 animal cordless. (both dc23s are dead, the upright works and the V6 animal now works after buying a new super expensive battery only after a year of use.

6 months ago I bought a Miele compact cat and dog vac and have never owned a more powerful vacuum cleaner with simpler and more effective design. It's more powerful and has better accessories and does a far better job of cleaning my dog fur up. The downsides of the Miele are only that I have to replace the bags at a cost of about $5 each and the fact that it looks like a cheap $99 vac even though the performance is better than anything else I've owned in the past 20 years.

Ambassador review: it's great ! Just like the last one – I was sent this new Dyson Animal+ to review. Conveniently, I already own the previous Dyson Animal model, which may be useful for those who may already own one and are wondering what has changed. I was quite excited to do the comparison, knowing full well it would either be very interesting or it wouldn't be very different at all and that very… Read more

much turned out to the be case.

Aside from the purple, faux-anodised coloration, the product appears almost exactly the same, on first impression. The differences are very few and far in between and the only one I can detect is that the power and cord retraction buttons are slightly larger - that's it. The following is identical: cord length, attachments, stick length/size and the bin is a mirror image of it's previous model, also.

For those who have not used a Dyson before and have been deterred by the price-point, I don't blame you in the slightest. Make no mistake, this is a pricey unit at around $750. That said, given the service life of our previous model (over 3 years now), I would absolutely buy another. If it broke within a year then that would be a deal breaker. In a nutshell, the Dyson Barrel vacuums are very, very good. I live in an apartment - all carpet. It's a never-ending challenge to keep our carpets clean and I when I got my first Dyson I was extremely happy with the performance - I still am, which is why I am also very please with the performance of this new model.

As a comparison, there is little to no difference in performance between the two. I can't be sure, but I believe the new model is slightly (and mean, very slightly) more quite than the old, but that could be an old vs new thing. I did note that both models use the same "turbine floor tool" (aka - the big brush head that moves and whines, but cleans exceptionally well). This tool is generally great, although our older model now occasionally makes very high pitch, irritating whining sounds when being moved backwards and forwards. I'm not sure if that's due to material suck in the rollers (I have tried cleaning them out) or if it's just that there is a design issue. Given there is zero visible evidence of change on this attachment, I would expect this new model to also have this flaw as time goes on. The other slight irritation is that, in order to remove the spinning brush from this workhorse adapter (because hair will get caught in it), you need a 10 cent coin or something similar to remove the cover on the side of the unit. I would very much like to see a change here that is tool free if possible.

Likewise, the bin on both models are indistinguishable, visually, bar superficial colouration. In my experience, this will be generally a good thing - but expect two issues: albeit rarely, you will pop out the bin and it will open unexpectedly. This largely points to incorrect re-installation after cleaning, however, it's not just that. Once you empty the bin (and yes, expect to have to put you hand into the bin to remove jammed up carpet fibre and bits and bobs) the challenge begins to secure the bottom of the bin back onto itself. I often find myself having make multiple attempts at this primarily due to the rubber seals not evenly locking onto the plastic circumference of the bin. All the while, exceptionally fine dust particles are spreading around and getting up your nose and causing wonderful sneezing - it's the price you pay for a vaccum that literally sucks up the finest crud from your carpets - and, it's a price I pay gladly. That said, there is room for improvement in the bin design and I would also like to see improvement in caching the finest of the dust so it doesn't get a chance to aerosolise around the room. The only way to get it out to get the bin multiple hard whacks - which really doesn't help your cause for preventing a dust storm.

Overall, I would love to give this a 5 but I know that Dyson can do better and I expect that they certainly will as product development evolves. That said, I would rate this vacuum above all others I have used in the past and I would buy one again.

Perfect for those with carpet and shedding pets – I was very excited to receive this unit for testing from productreview as 1) I have two kids and a dog who sheds HUGE amounts of fur year-round, and so we use our vacuum daily, and 2) I've never had the opportunity to use what could be considered a higher-range vacuum cleaner. As soon as I received the box I set to work on unpacking and… Read more

assembling the unit straight away. Assembly was pretty straight-forward and after having a look at all the parts, it was easy to get everything together; I didn't need to consult the manual. One of the first things I noticed was how solid and slick all the parts feel. I like the way everything neatly and easily clicks together, and swapping one attachment for another proved to be quick and simple. The cord is also very long -- much longer than on other vacuums I've owned -- and in my smallish three bedroom house I'm able to vaccum the loungeroom, three bedrooms and kitchen before having to switch plugs, which is pretty awesome and feels like a massive time saver.

We don't have carpet in our house (although we do have a couple of large rugs; more on that later) and so I was mainly using the hard floor brush attachment. The unit glides smoothly along the floor, rights ITSELF if it gets knocked over, and picks up dirt, dust and fur easily. I've found the design also makes it easier to avoid accidentally picking up larger debris which might inadvertently clog your vacuum, so that was a nice plus for me as I tend to do that quite a bit.

I did notice that when emptying the vacuum of dirt the contents look somewhat different to what I'm accustomed to. There appeared to be a lot of finer, almost dust-like, dirt there which makes me feel as if I'm getting a deeper clean on the floors.

We also have two long rugs leading from the living room to the kitchen and trying to vacuum the dirt and dog hair from the (black) rugs using our older Kmart vacuum has been a bit of a nightmare; our dog has light fur and it really sticks. Using our other vacuum cleaner on the rugs, it just won't budge on the fur. With the Dyson, I was SO impressed by the carpet attachment (on a side note, please don't stick your fingers anywhere near the head while using the carpet attachment; it really hurts!) on the rug. Picking up the dirt and dog hairs, which really cling, was an absolute breeze and left our rugs looking as good as new.

If you don't have a shedding pet, and don't use your vacuum all that often, a lower range vacuum would probably do the trick for you. If you're a daily user like me, have carpet and heavily shedding pets, this could be a really solid investment for you. I was left so impressed by the performance of this vaccum on our rugs and if clinging pet hair around the house is an ongoing issue for you, I'd definitely consider looking into this vaccum as an option; it doesn't disappoint!

Sturdy and reliable vacuum with good suction – I was very excited to upgrade my existing Dyson V6 Slim cordless to this model because I was slowly loosing patience with the short 20 minute runtime of the V6 Vs 3 hour charge. So I felt that going to a corded vacuum would be a massive improvement. I have to say I was really pleasantly surprised. The number of attachments and heads that come… Read more

with this is just phenomenal (compared to the couple that came with the V6). Dyson have really made a vacuum that suits everyone, there's a head for carpet (my primary usage), hard floors, animal dander/ hair, a regular long piece, a stair piece and also a few others so it feels like value for money.

Setting it up was straight forward and as a previous Dyson user I had no issues, the tube has an extension at the bottom which allows further reach of up to around 50cm - this is great as I have a bad back and I don't like spending a lot of time bending over (vacuuming with back straight). So I got very excited to plug it in and see the difference, as presumably this would have more umph as the power is from the mains rather than battery. And it definitely lived up to this expectation. Testing out the suction in motion appeared to be stronger than my V6 and the sound was nicer - more deeper than a whining, higher pitched noise. I love the 'ball' feature, it actually works, my hubby tried kicking it a few times and it kept rolling back. One other thing I like about this compared to my V6 is that it doesn't have a filter. Recently my V6 started pulsing, where it would only suction for a few seconds then stop and re-start. I had no idea what was going on, so I went on YouTube and realised that the filter needed cleaning - did this and it started working as normal. So it's nice this doesn't have a filter so avoiding this issue.

My two gripes with the machine however, is the weight and bulky-ness. It is fairly heavy to lug around the house over a carpet and carrying it by hand is a bit tedious. It's also fairly bulky compared to my V6 which is just a stick and can be stored easily, this one has to have a dedicated space, so it's not ideal if you're tight for space.

On the whole I am pleased with this vacuum. It gives a fresh clean of the carpets and it is easy to empty and holds more dust than its predecessors. If they could make a 'light' version of it I would be over the moon.

A solid performer that apartment owners would love – Disclaimer: I am a Productreview.com.au Ambassador and will be reviewing the unit provided to me by Dyson. Let me set the scene for you. We are what you’d call a house proud family. We regularly vacuum, disinfect and tidy. We live in a large three-bedroom with both tiling and carpeted areas. We also have a three-year-old boy who, typical of… Read more

three-year-old boys, is not so house proud.

Our current vacuum cleaner is a Miele barrel vacuum that we purchased about 2 years ago. This is our second Miele and we’ve always found them to be very solid performers. We also have a small Dyson handheld but only use this for spot cleans due to the limited battery and waste capacity. My wife works in retail and has access to the previous Dyson Animal model at work, so I had the opportunity to compare and see where the Animal+ improves.

So now that we’ve established that I’m no stranger to vacuums, I think it’s important to establish what questions I had of the Animal+, what my expectations were and the kinds of performance criteria I would be evaluating:

• How does it perform in real world scenarios? • Is the build quality up to scratch? • What improvement (if any) had they made from the previous model? • How often would I need to empty the dust cylinder? • Is it the unit easy to clean/maintain? • Is the ball shape effective? • Does it represent good value for money?

+++ What is the Animal+? +++ The Animal+ is a barrel vacuum cleaner, not an upright vacuum cleaner like most of the Dyson range. Dyson are more well known for their stick and handheld vacuums, rather than the barrel variety.

This is a very contemporary looking product and is almost entirely made from polycarbonate plastic, with only key components such as the motor and filters being constructed from metal. This is obviously to reduce weight where possible. The vacuum is mostly slate/grey with internals coloured electric blue and the outside furnished with the occasional red highlight. Very space age! The dust containment cylinder is clear plastic to provide visibility. It’s a uniquely “Dyson” design that you would not mistake for anything else.

The Animal+ is mains powered, while most Dyson’s are rechargeable battery powered. Dyson’s development strategy is now focused on moving all their vacuum cleaners to re-chargeable battery power, so I’m keen to see where this leads the Cinetic Ball range in future. I must confess that I prefer mains power vacuums, as I’m always concerned about running out of power halfway through a clean. We’ve experienced this with our Animal handheld as the human side of us only thinks about charging the unit when it does dead.

+++ What’s in the box? +++ The Animal + came packed in a cardboard box about the size you’d expect for a full-sized vacuum cleaner. One of the first thing I noticed was that the contents are secured in the box by recycled cardboard instead of foam. Kudos to Dyson, as this is a substantially cleaner, more responsible option than polystyrene and certainly made disposal easier than usual.

In the box you get:

• the Animal+ vacuum cleaner • an articulated plastic wand • a polyethylene hose • a tapered nozzle attachment to get into nooks and crannies • a small brush head • a full-sized hard floor brush head • a full-sized motorised carpet brush head • a nearly useless cryptic instruction manual • a holder for attaching the smaller brush and nozzle to the wand.

+++ First impressions? +++ Once I'd assembled the product, a few things jumped out at me straight away:

• The wand was plastic, instead of the metal wands I’ve been used to on units such as the Miele. While it was certainly lighter, it remained to be seen how sturdy the construction as and how it would stand up to years of punishment. • There is a convenient flip switch button on the side of the removable dust cylinder (like our Dyson handheld) that makes emptying the cylinder into the rubbish easy. • The wand has 360-degree articulation allowing the user to adjust the wand based on height or change the angle that you wish to use the head/attachment at. It also means packing the product away takes less space. • Instead of the usual slide window you get on most wands to reduce suction, the Animal+ has a handy little lever that can be flipped up when you’re vacuuming mats or curtains. • The power and cord rewind buttons are conveniently located and can easily be foot operated but looked incredibly flimsy. • Although the Animal+ is mostly polycarbonate, it does have just enough weight to feel solid, but was significantly lighter than typical barrel vacuum cleaners like the Miele. I'm a pretty big guy, so I like a bit of heft in my appliances. • While I had somewhere to store the small brush and nozzle, because of the Animal+ design there is nowhere to store everything else (unlike the Miele)

+++ How does it perform? +++ Let's face it. We don't buy vacuum cleaners because they match the decor. It's all about suction power and usability.

Because of the ball shape, the Animal+ is very manoeuvrable and doesn’t get stuck on skirting, door frames of furniture due. This was a a big plus for me as the Miele occasionally get caught up.

The dust cylinder is easily removed when you need to empty the vacuum and does not require any disassembly. You simply remove it, hold it over a bin, flip the switch and dump the contents. My son is not exactly careful with his toys, so the clear view into the barrel makes it easy to spot stray bits of LEGO if they are accidently sucked up.

I had the chance to use the Animal+ three times during the evaluation period. I decided to do a baseline test with the previous model Animal about 4 days before my first Animal+ test. I followed this up with another test of the Animal+ about a week later and finally three weeks later (as we’d been away).

During the first use, the Animal+ sucked up noticeably more dust than the previous Animal would have at the same period and arguably more than the Miele. I had not used the Animal V1 before and I thought it was a little more cumbersome than the Miele. Remember, I’d only vacuumed four days earlier, so I wasn’t expecting much, but the Animal+ appeared to suck up particles from deep in the carpet pile. Hard floor performance was on par as it was mostly dust and crumbs in the kitchen area.

The second use was the most telling as the carpet had approximately eight days of punishment from our three-year-old son. It’s here when I realised how much dust and dirt the Animal+ was capturing as I needed to empty the cylinder twice during the clean. As describer earlier, it’s an easy enough process but I’d probably like a little more capacity to be honest. Small issue though as I can hardly complain about seeing all those allergens and nasties being removed from our carpets.

The third time was a bit of a moot test, as we’d been away for a while and the house did not cop the same level of abuse as it would typically. That being said, the Animal+ still sucked up an impressive amount of dust.

The ball shape had me worried at first, but true to their word, when knocked over it seemed to right itself without too much intervention. I was pleasantly surprised as I was expecting to have to keep picking it up.

I’m also a big fan of the powered head. It was almost effortless pushing it across the carpet and with the cleaning performance delivered good bang for buck. I was not as tired as I was after cleaning the whole house with the Miele. Although Dyson

+++ In conclusion +++ The Dyson Animal+ is a well-constructed, attractive appliance. It is well suited for those in apartments as its ball shape adapts well to tight spaces and storage room is reduced thanks to the articulated wand. Performance exceeded my expectations on both hard and carpeted surfaces and surprisingly, it slightly outperformed our existing Miele barrel vacuum overall.

There were however a couple of (hopefully) minor build quality concerns particularly around the on/off switch and a lack of options for storing accessories. The most glaringly obvious issue for me, however, was that the Animal+ provides no way to adjust suction power. It was either off or going flat out. While the flip switch on the wand gave you some control, I’d expect a $750 vacuum to offer this, although I’ll concede that this might be due to the way that the Cinetic system operates.

Overall though, the Animal+ is a very solid performer. While it is not cheap, you get what you pay for and I would certainly recommend it to others.

Pros + The thoughtful, environmentally conscious packaging + Performance is on par with our existing Miele bagged vacuum on hard floors + Slightly better on carpeted floors than the Miele thanks to the powered head + Attractive design and a quality feel + The unique ball shape makes the Animal+ exceptionally easy to manoeuvre + Very easy to clean/empty the dust cylinder + It’s bagless, so more responsible and cheaper to maintain + The articulation in the wand is useful and a step up from anything I’ve used + The accessory holder attached to the wand is very convenient + Overall build quality appears to be quite good with a few exceptions + It takes up less storage space than our existing Miele + The accessories are relatively easy to clean + You can easily see the contents of the dust cylinder, which is great for spotting valuables + A definite performance improvement over the previous Animal model + The hose is now detachable Cons - The $749 price tag is hefty, but you’ll save on bags in the long run - No variable speed suction/power control - Woeful instructions consisting almost entirely of language free diagrams - Much noisier than expected (significantly louder than the Miele) - The on/off switch looks like it could break with a stern glance - Nowhere to store the myriad of accessories - The dust cylinder could stand to be 20-25% bigger - Still a little unconvinced about the plastic wand (time will tell)

Highly recommended for homes with fur-babies! – Review Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ Vacuum Cleaner Introduction This my first my first review, and first time with a Dyson so naturally I was keen to experience one of these for the first time. It was a bit of an anti-climax when it arrived as I had hurt my back a couple of days earlier. So as keen as I was to test it out, I was worried about… Read more

being able to actually use it! Anyway, a little background. Our house is two storey, tiled living downstairs and carpeted bedrooms upstairs. We have two VERY cute but VERY fluffy Ragdoll cats that have the run of the house. Well behaved but nevertheless the house requires vacuuming every couple of days. The gray carpet particularly as their white fur sticks out! Our current vacuum cleaner is a ducted system, so the motor, etc is in the garage and we have a hose for upstairs and a hose for downstairs to save traipsing it up and down. If you’ve ever used a ducted vacuum, the hoses are much longer than non-ducted vacuum cleaners so you can get to every corner. So what I was keen to know is: • How effective is the Dyson in cleaning carpet, picking up the cat fur, etc..? • How easy is it to use and clean? • Is it worth it? What is it? The actual model is the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ vacuum cleaner. It’s what you would call a barrel vacuum cleaner as distinct from an upright vacuum cleaner. It’s also mains powered. I mention this as I understand Dyson are moving to have all their vacuum cleaners to re-chargeable battery powered. My preference would always be a mains powered vacuum cleaner even though you’re dragging the cord around, however I appreciate the benefits of battery power too – as long as it’s charged and lasts as log as the cleaning job at hand! It is a fully polycarbonate construction. The filters in the dustbin look metallic and of course the motor is metal. Like a lot of appliances these days, the box it comes in is cardboard and all the bits and pieces are wrapped in clear plastic. The contents are secured in the box by cardboard rather than polystyrene foam which is nice, and much better for the environment as cardboard is easily recyclable. I know we don’t often consider the packaging appliances come in and you don’t know that until you open the box, but I’m glad Dyson have considered that as well.

What’s in the box? What you’d expect…the vacuum cleaner, wand, hose, crevice tool and brush head as well as a caddy for attaching the crevice tool and brush to the wand. I like vacuum cleaners that have their attachments stored with the vacuum cleaner in a convenient way. As a side note, we once owned a vacuum cleaner that stored all these minor brushes and crevice tool under the lid around the dust bag. This was convenient, but if you wanted to use the crevice tool, because it was under the lid where the dust bag was, it was always covered in a fine dust so your hands got dirty using it! Not good design. The Dyson also came with two brush heads; a hard floor brush head and what I would call a motorised head for carpets. This one had a rotating brush inside for picking up fluff – ideal for cat fur I’m hoping?? The Dyson also came with an instruction booklet. It’s a bit like those instruction manuals you get with anything you buy from Ikea that needs some assembly. It’s mostly diagrams rather than written words about how all the components fit together, but it’s vacuum cleaner so its not that hard to work out where everything goes! Although there was one part that appeared to be a join of some sort. It looked like it was meant to join the carpet tool with the hardfloor tool but that didn’t make sense to me, so it’s still in the box! Apart from the usual warnings about keeping away from water, not a toy for children ,etc.. there was an item about not using the cleaner to vacuum ash or fine dust from drilling. I’m wondering if this is something to do with the filter not being able to remove this? Anyway, I did some research and apparently because of the way the cyclonic system works, it relies on the density of the dust particles relative to mass of the air suspending it and these fine particles attach themselves to the HEPA filters and thus blocking them very quickly. Blocked filters can cause motor burnout; so you’ve been told! Note: the practice of vacuuming ash with ANY vacuum cleaner is NOT recommended apparently. I wonder if this is also because some people are stupid enough to vacuum hot ash? First Impressions I recall when the Dysons first came out, they were quite unique in the market with their cyclonic cleaning system which also drove their looks. Since then, several other manufacturers have copied aspects of this design, yet Dyson continue to be easily recognised. For an appliance, it’s quite attractive and modern looking if you’re into that sort of thing. This model is mostly gray polycarbonate, the section housing the motor is electric blue with some red accents inside, with the dustbin cylinder is clear plastic so you can tell when it needs emptying. The dust cylinder is easily removed for emptying without having to remove the hose which is great – it’s actually the whole motor and dustbin assembly but it’s very easy to remove/replace.

And the little button on the side of the dust cylinder opens the bottom for the rubbish to fall into the bin. The on/off switch is red and foot operable; as well as the cord rewind button. And although the whole body of the vacuum cleaner is a polycarbonate, it’s enough weight to feel solid but not too heavy to feel cumbersome. As I mentioned, I had a sore back when this arrived so was concerned how difficult this would be unpacking and setting up, as well as usability with said sore back. The wand is plastic, and extendable, as well as the brush heads so these need to be sturdy as we all know the treatment we give vacuum cleaners. (How many times I’ve accidently whacked the brushhead into the skirting or chair leg over the years.) I would imagine replacement parts are not cheap and my expectation of an appliance in this price range and reputation is that it should last many years. I’ve used barrel vacuum cleaners before with plastic two-piece wands that feel very flimsy. The wand on the Dyson does not – it feels very solid which I like and gives me some confidence that it is well made and should last the rigors of family life. In use I found there’s no need to push the vacuum cleaner to make it clean effectively – just let it do its thing. As I mentioned earlier, minor tools are stored in a little caddy that clips to the wand which is convenient, but even with these attached, the handle is nice and light. I noticed a little lever in the hand grip which you lift up with your finger. The purpose of this is to reduce suction when cleaning curtains, etc. Another well thought out touch. So as you’re probably thinking…so far I’m quite impressed. Using the Dyson This thing sucks…after all it is a vacuum cleaner! My testing was over a period of 4 weeks on hard floors and carpeted floors. Practically speaking the brush head for hard floors was much more suited to what it was designed for than the motorised head, even though the later was stated to be suitable for all floor types. The hard floor brush swivelled up and down to go under furniture and also sideways, whereas the motorised brush head swivelled in any direction so was highly manoeuvrable. This was fine for the job and picked up everything on the tiled floor easily. Both brushheads made it really easy to get right under furniture as the brushhead and wand could be laid out in a linear line to get right down low. I’ve never experienced a vacuum cleaner that could do that. It meant that I could right to the back of couches, cabinets, etc.. The other thing I liked about the Dyson was the rotating brush head did all the work; I just had to move it back and forth across the carpet. The brush would lift the carpet pile and pick up the surface lint, while the suction would remove the dirt from deep in the carpet pile. So, with my sore back I could manage vacuuming relatively easy without putting undue strain on my back. When I tried the motorised head on the tiled floor; while if picked up fluff with ease, it mostly pushed larger bits out of the way. For example, the cats often bring small twigs or leaves inside and when they use their litter tray, some of the litter gets on the floor. The motorised head tended to move these around rather than vacuum them up. I think this was the rotating brushes ‘flicking’ them away rather than lifting them up into the head then then up the hose. You can lift the suction trigger in the handgrip to reduce suction and therefore the spin of the brush, but then it wasn’t as effective in vacuuming. And then it was onto the carpet upstairs! Now remember we have two white ragdoll cats. You where they’ve been by the tufts of white fur on the carpet. Wow, does this thing pick it up! The rotating brush inside the head makes this really easy; just back and forth over the carpet a couple of times and the fur is gone. Most of it ends up in the dust cylinder and some wrapped around the brush, along with hair and threads, etc, etc.. What impressed me the most was how much dirt was picked up by the Dyson. You know how well it’s doing by the volume of dirt you can see in the clear dust bin – quite scary actually. We’ve been in this house for around eight years and the carpet was new then. As I mentioned we have a ducted vacuum system and the carpet upstairs gets vacuumed at least once a week. We also have a no shoes policy in the house. Now, the first time I used the Dyson, I was amazed how much dirt it picked up. The rotating brushes lift the carpet pile which means the dirt is more easily sucked up. Our ducted vacuum does not do this. As I was testing the Dyson, I noticed that carpeted areas while still picking up cat fur, the dust cylinder did not have as much dust in it. So what the Dyson was doing was picking up years of dust from the base of our carpet that the ducted vacuum left behind. This was the thing that impressed me the most. Ease of Cleaning One of the earlier benefits promised by the Dyson was no dust bags (cloth or paper) and therefore less mess and easy cleaning and it lived up to that. Push a button on the carry handle and the motor/dustbin cylinder detaches. There’s no need to detatch the hose an just clips back into postion.

Then hold it over your rubbish bin, press the little red button and the lid opens and the dust falls out. The instructions said you could wash this out as well when it got very dirty. I imagine I would do this every few months to keep everything working in top condition. The rotating brushhead is also easy to clean. As expected, hair, cotton, etc gets wrapped around the brush so cleaning this was a matter of using a coin to release the end of the brush head, slide out the brush and unpick the stuff wrapped around. Using a pair of scissors parallel to the brush and cut what’s wrapped around the brush made this a simple process too.   Storage As I mentioned earlier, the power cord is retractable, the wand collapses and expands, and the accessories attach to the handle via what I call a caddy. For storage you can leave everything as is and collapse the wand which then slides via a little clip onto the main unit. You’re still going to need some space in your cupboard to store this thing. If you prefer, it’s easy to detach the hose and wand and hang these inside a cupboard as the connectors have a little red button you push and each piece just slides out and detaches. Noise Look, it’s a vacuum cleaner and it makes a noise. It’s not as quiet as our ducted system because the motor is in the garage. Comparing to other vacuum cleaners I’ve used it’s no better, and no worse. Conclusion and recommendation I really liked the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball. It lived up to the hype and did an excellent job of removing cat fur from the carpet as well as cleaning deep down into the carpet pile as well. And at the end of the day, that’s exactly what you want from a vacuum cleaner. What I liked: • Great cleaning results on all floor surfaces • Very easy to use and keep clean • Handy storage location of secondary cleaning tools • Nice design touches and environmentally friendly packaging What I didn’t like: • Noisier than a ducted system but on par with other vacuum cleaners • Expensive, but you get what you pay for. Would I buy one: Yes!

Most disappointing product I’ve ever bought – When my old Dyson needed replacing I didn’t hesitate to replace it with another. However, this has proved to be a very disappointing and frustrating choice- so much so that I felt compelled to submit a review for the first time. Although it works well enough in hard floors and us easy to clean I find it useless on carpets where it all it does is… Read more

‘blow’ rather than actually suck especially when it comes to fluff or heavier pieces of dirt. In the end I have to vacuum a very large carpet area with the ‘stick’’ attachment. The carpets never really look clean. I don’t look forward to vacuuming and find it very frustrating. Even when it does suck it may come after repeated attempts of trying to pick up the same item of dust / dirt and then mostly blows it back out. Yes Dyson I have checked for blockages.

Bit of a mixed bag – As a product ambassador, we DO get very excited to try out new products, however, our standards are very high because we are fussy and usually by top notch home electrical equipment and as such, want to be impressed before we start jumping up and down with excitement. This is our 3rd Dyson. Why? 2 Reasons, really. It seems to be the market leader… Read more

when it comes to bagless technology and our first one is a really old model. Still works, but not the greatest thing since sliced bread, as it was our first Dyson purchase and we bought a relatively inexpensive model (if indeed you can put that term in the same sentence as the brand name...?) the 2nd Dyson is one of those fancy sticks that charges on the wall in our laundry and you can grab it and quickly vacuum up any unfortunate bits and pieces from our 10yr old or young dog, which IS a small inside dog. Anyway, where was I...? Oh yes, the Cinetic Big Ball Animal has some very clever features compared to our old machine. To start, I noticed it was much easier to manoeuvre and the suction was better. We have nice carpet upstairs that kinda looked clean, but as soon as I ran the Dyson over and did just one Bedroom, 1/3 of the cannister was full with hair, dust and God only knows what. (Don't tell my Mum.) The power cord is a decent length and the whole thing is ergonomically designed, so it's fun to use. Any negatives? Well yeah. It's not that quiet, it takes up a lot of space when stored and there is not even a nice drawstring bag supplied for storing the 3927293 gizmos that come with it. The power lever is tricky and not the best shape in the best position to operate, but overall, these are very small gripes and the quality of the cleaning including the super powerful suction and overall ease of operation by far outweighs them. Is it the perfect unit? Nope. But it's better and more convenient than anything else I have seen or used in recent memory. Dyson is on the expensive end, but then there's hardly any competition that has all of those features rolled into one.

Mostly good but some area for improvement – This is a review from your average household user, so I wont go into the technical side about the vacuum. We have an antic vacuum cleaner that still uses bag, which is a nightmare to purchase and replace all the time. We also have a bag less stick vacuum that does the job easily but has a very short battery life and takes forever to recharge. … Read more

We were very excited to start using one of the latest Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+, which looks very fashionable and high tech. It was well packed in the box. There were so many parts, which we did not know what they were for. The instruction booklet was really useless as it has hardly any information inside. For someone who had not used this type of vacuum cleaner before, it was a bit overwhelming. Had to call up the Dyson support and had them emailed me further information about how to extend the hand held stick and what are the different replacement parts were used for. This would have been a problem for someone who is perhaps older and does not use Internet. The instruction booklet should provide sufficient information for all new users.

Here are the points about my experience of using this particular product:

Pros: • Well know brand, support help desk available to assist • Bag less • No dirty filter to wash or replace • Smart looking • Great suction- it has picked up so much more dust / dirty than other vacuum. It was surprise to see how much it has picked up from a surface I thought was fairly clean • The carbon fiber turbine cleaner head and other parts allows easy maneuvers, which is great to get into the corners or tight space, as it turns as you move around the corner • The ball barrel design allows the vacuum to stay upright, even when you accidentally toppled it over, it will get upright on its own • Different tools that you can use for different surface

Cons: • Loud • Expensive • Too many parts scattered around, hard to store. It would also be good if the main handheld stick can be attached / clipped onto the vacuum for a neat storage. As now I have to lean it against the wall in the corner and it sometimes still falls over • Because I have different floor surfaces, carpets, wood floor, tiles and Eva mats. It was a hassle having to change the heads, as the suction on the carbon fiber turbine cleaner head was too powerful to use on the Eva mats that it actually gets stuck. While the handheld stick vacuum I have can be used on all different floor surface • The on/off button is very small and in an angle that is hard to use your foot to step on. It looks quite fragile and I was worried that if I accidentally step too hard it would break. It was easier to turn it on and off by hand, but that means bending down all the time. It would be handy to have a on/off switch at the hand held area, however I am not sure if this is possible from a technical point of view • The swivel hard floor tool was hard to use, as it does not stay flat on the surface. It keeps flipping back and fourth when you use it. You almost better off using it in one stroke direction rather than going forward and back as you usually would when vacuuming for it to stay flat to the surface

Conclusion: I am definitely happy with the strong suction and how easy it is to empty the canister with the press of the button. However with such a high price tag, hope it will live up to its promise of not loosing the strong suction or break down easily. This is something that will require time to find out.

A Great Vacuum But With Mixed Feelings – Opening the Dyson gives you an impression of quality and attention to not using Styrofoam which is always good for the environment and the packing down the delivery box. All the plastics have a quality feel and look with the iridescent canister top looking really special. Everything is included with the Animal + that you could want for for the… Read more

average pet owner as well as a dog brush that seems like a good idea, only if your furry friend is not afraid or excited by the sound of the vac. My pet couldn't sit still long enough to have any real use from this. I have mixed flooring in my home being carpet in the bedrooms and tiles throughout the main part of the house. I previously had the DC54 and have experienced the previous version of the Cinetic Big Ball and so have had the opertunity to see the areas where the Dyson engineers have mad some mistakes and over engineered some areas and under engineered others. The DC54 had better tracking and ability to be pulled around corners due to the front V shaped sled front wheel assembly , I find this unit is really had to pull around a door jam due to the shape just in front of the dust canister. Although the new unit can self right perfectly fine, I would prefer the better tracking ability of the previous model. The articulated handle is a perfect example of over engineering for no good reason. the previous handle was just fine in all situations and now the extra weight just adds to the fatigue in the wrist area we didn't experience before. I even find some instances that the telescoping handle part near the hand piece is working against me and is quite annoying. Maybe some people like to vacuum the ceiling every time they vacuum ... I don't ? Not that the previous version was any problem when vacuuming things up high. The dust bin is greatly improved and was needed and there was lots of reviews in this area. I did find that they had made some effort to remove the cup part of the canister door to provide a flat surface for dust to fall into the bin when emptying, but I feel that somehow this has changed the dynamic of the airflow in the canister encouraging hair and dust to group up on the metal dust shield in the center of the canister rather than pushing the dust down to the base of the canister like my previous cinetic big ball. This made it a bit of a pain to pull pet hair from the silver grill when emptying. The only other thing they have missed is the flimsy little clip that holds the lid on , quite often the latch on the previous version would come loose and if you don't grab the bin from both ends the bin opens itself all over the vacuum. My Mum also has the same previous version of the cinetic big ball vacuum and I have had to go and clean up the mess for her on several occasions...lucky I have an extra vacuum on hand to clean up the Dyson mess. Even though inspecting this part of the vacuum shows no real change to the design, maybe they have strengthened the plastic used as over the last month this hasn't happened to me yet? I just feel there should have been some sort of a positive locking mechanism for the lid rather than this small clip that seems to just hold on. Of the attachments offered, they all operate as intended although I wish there more bristles added to the combined crevice soft brush tool, the sparse amount on the tool doesn't stand up to heavy cleaning tasks like car cleaning and the like. There is an additional car cleaning kit avalible and maybe this solves thte problem although at this price point I wouldn't expect I would need to rush out and by additional attachments. The turbine head for carpet is a standout and gives a great deep clean that I don't think could be matched by the competitors. the design is easy to clean and works great every time. The hard floor tool is a bit of a hit and miss as it does have the tendency to push sand and other items around the floor rather than sucking them up. This takes some getting used to but its not a deal breaker. There are some extra things added to this unit that were not needed but the issues above are the main ones. There is no figures published about filtration and this is a bit of a downfall if you are an asthma sufferer, not that emptying any bag less vacuum over a bin is good for anyone with allergy issues . I feel there are some extra work to be done on the bin design and the handle, as well as publishing the filtration expectation of the unit. After saying all this, I would recommend the unit to people who are aware of the issues around bag-less vacuums in general.

Excellent vacuum, really sucks! – As a Product Ambassador, full disclosure this product was provided by Dyson for my full review. As with all my reviews, I'm concise, fair and most importantly, unbiased. I believe in letting others know what they may be getting with their hard earned money. The good, the bad and the ugly. I've found extremely long reviews, people may skim, too… Read more

short and they don't get enough info. I hope this will help you make that decision to purchase.

Having not been a biggest fan of Dyson in the past, this Cinetic Big Ball Animal + was surprising, in a good way!

First it includes many, many attachments, far more than any other canister vacuum I've owned. Each has a different purpose and some even have a dual purpose which is a great space saving detail. Now there is no where to store all the attachments which is why I've deducted 1/4 of a star. While they all work well, they can be easily lost unless you keep everything in a bag near the vacuum. There is one clip that you can attach two tools to, and this attaches on the main "wand". Suction was excellent and it was surprisingly quiet from what I remember what Dysons were of the past. It's quite lightweight and easily manoeuvres around anywhere and a nifty feature is if it topples over it automatically tips back to the proper position. A cool feature which I will attach video.

While over all quality is quite good, there is quite a lot of rather thin plastic which make me wonder long term durability. This subtracts 1/2 star as the main wand is plastic where many in this price class are metal tubes.

I do love how it empties now, as it's a quick easy affair with rubber "squeegees" that cleans off the main part inside the dust. With an older Dyson cordless, lint and such sticks quite badly to this and you need to manually brush it off. So this new way is excellent. The cord is long reaching and it's easy to clean with minimal changing of a power point. The brush heads for both carpet and bare floors work great, using mostly the hard floor tool. I also tried out the nifty dog brush tool which allows you to brush your dogs and all the hair is vacuumed up! Great feature, but still a bit scary for some dogs who don't like the vacuum to start, but my got used to it quite quickly. Gets quite warm after extended use but this seems to be normal for all vacuums now-a-days. I wish there were a place to slip the wand/pole onto the canister itself, especially at the price but not a major issue. Overall an amazing vacuum and bested all my expectations by far. The final 1/4 of a star is due to the lack of clear instructions and the inability to change a filter/wash it. Granted it's stated as a lifetime, but still would like the option to change if I wanted.

Nearly a perfect vacuum cleaner. It's lightweight for what it is. Easily glides over any surface. Loses no suction regardless of how full the dust bin is. Every attachment under the sun including my favourite "pet brush" which you can brush you pet and all the hair is whisked away. It "self rights" itself if knocked over. The only detractors are all plastic build, plastic tube/wand,. Non replace -able filter (though the filtration is above excellent, no odours from the pups at all!). Easy to lose small attachments, would have been great if a reusable bag was provided. Also lack of instructions. Granted for someone my age, nearly 40, not so much of an issue. But someone perhaps a bit more elderly will wonder several things that I have bene able to quickly google and youtube.

Extremely impressed and has renewed my trust in Dyson.

Well done Dyson.

It is growing on me – This vacuum cleaner was provided to me at no charge for the purpose of this review, under the ProductReview Product Ambassador scheme. This is my unbiased assessment of the machine. First Impressions First impressions are a mixed bag – Gaudy colour scheme; extendable wand is thick grey plastic, looks cheap and flexes in use; on-off switch and … Read more

cord rewind button are small and look flimsy; on the positive side, there are a lot of extra tools included; the hose now detaches easily from the machine, unlike older Dysons. The instruction book is woeful – hardly any text, just cryptic pictures where it is sometimes not clear what point they are trying to illustrate. There are a good assortment of accessories in the box, but no mention of them in the instruction manual.

Energy Efficiency The Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ is certainly a powerful vacuum cleaner. Its most impressive attribute is how effectively it cleans most surfaces. It achieves this using 1300 watts of power, which makes it at the lower end of current model corded vacuum cleaners for power consumption.

I live in a solar powered house not connected to the grid, so power consumption of appliances is always an issue for me. Over the last few years it seems that many manufacturers have been increasing the power consumption of their vacuum cleaners, with many machines using over 2000 watts. It seems to be all about being able to market a bigger wattage number, as if more watts equals better cleaning. This is completely unnecessary, a well designed vacuum cleaner with efficient technology doesn’t need to chew this much energy. I am glad to see that Dyson have avoided the “watts race” and fitted a motor that consumes a modest 1300 watts.

It bothers me however that Dyson doesn’t fit a variable speed control for the motor, it is either flat out or off. My old Miele vac has a variable speed control and can be set to use anything from 300 watts to 1600 watts depending on the task being done. With the Dyson, if the standard suction is too powerful, all you can do is pull a trigger in the handle to weaken the suction. This works by providing a controlled “leak” in the handle, thus weakening the suction at the nozzle. The motor continues at full power which is a waste of energy. This is a very expensive vacuum cleaner and if you buy one, you have paid enough to demand variable power control. It simply should have it.

In use The on-off switch is small and high up, and mounted close in to the carry handle. It is not always easy to switch it on using your foot, kind of awkward. Same goes for the cord rewind button. I can see why. The buttons have been designed so that if the ball vac rolls over, the buttons won’t be triggered or broken by the fall. It seems to work better if you bend down and work the buttons with your fingers. They also look rather flimsy to use with your feet. Next impression is the noise – this is a loud vacuum cleaner. I don’t have a proper sound measuring equipment, so I downloaded a sound meter app to my phone and compared several vacuum cleaners. (I have a collection of vintage vacuum cleaners, and a couple of modern ones.) The noisiest was an old Hoover Concept One from the 1980s, at 74 dB. The quietest is my previous “daily driver” vac, a Miele s526 cat and dog, at 62 to 64dB. The Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal+ was 70 to 72 dB with the floor tools. The Kirby upright was the same figure, but the Dyson seemed more irritating, a whistling scream compared to the Kirby’s low growl. The Dyson was more bothersome on hard floors, on carpet it seemed quieter, though the phone app showed the same reading. It isn’t terrible by any means, I have seen cheapo machines that are truly hard on the ears and the Dyson is way better than that. But again, it is an expensive machine and should be quieter. Miele shows it is possible.

Dyson advertise that this machine has a “reach” of 10.75 metres. - from the power point to the end of the hose and fittings. Mine doesn’t – with the floor tool it is just under 10 metres, which is still pretty good. I measured with the wand fully extended and even added the longest accessory (crevice tool) and it was still about 10.3 metres. I reckon the hose needs to be longer by at least half a metre. A full metre more would be fantastic. I am reasonably tall and I use a technique I was taught many years ago, where I hold the hose handle in one hand, pull the hose across behind me to the other hand, hose then goes back to the machine. This encourages standing with a good posture and means you work the hose wand back and forth with one hand, and pull the vac along using the other hand. With the shortish hose of the Dyson, the machine seems to be “nipping at my heels” too often. Also when vacuuming around fiddly furniture (I have 2 comfy chairs and each has a separate foot stool) it is easier with a long hose as the floor tool can be manoevred amongst the furniture legs with the vac body well out of the way.

I don’t like the hose handle. The hose attaches to the wand through an amazingly complicated plastic piece – it swivels side to side, swivels in and out, and has a plastic loop handle on top. The loop handle is made in two pieces and there is a hard seam where they join, they don’t fit together very smoothly and it doesn’t feel comfortable in the hand. The complication is so unnecessary – I don’t think it works any better than a simple curved hose handle. My old Electrolux Solamatic from the 1970s has a simple aluminium tube hose handle with a soft plastic sleeve around it that is comfortable to hold and much simpler.

The dirt canister has a red line marked “max” to show how much dirt you should allow to build up before emptying it. Trouble is, it seems most of the time, the dirt doesn’t sit evenly below the line, but collects a bit below and some above the line. Often it is entirely above the line. (see photo.) So it makes it a bit unclear how long you can vacuum before emptying – I look at the mesh screen inside above the red line – if the mesh screen is getting obstructed, I empty the vac. Having said that, I do like the bagless idea. It is the first bagless vac I have owned and so far, so good.

The ball vac idea, where the vacuum cleaner rights itself if it falls over, is clever. But the front wheel doesn’t swivel, it is a fixed roller. If you try to pivot the vac sideways, it might do what you want or sometimes the front roller wheel digs in and drags and shudders as you turn it round. I borrowed an old Dyson DC08 (pre-ball) vac from a friend to compare. I noticed how much easier the DC08 turns tight around, because its front wheel swivels.

Performance Getting dirt off surfaces is what vacuum cleaners are all about. The Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal + excels. I will go into more detail about the individual accessories and tools, but overall I must say that this vac did a great job. Even tasks that I thought would trip it up were cleaned to a very high standard. That is the most important factor. A vac can be stylish, quiet and packed with features, but if it doesn’t clean well, it is a dud. I don’t think the Dyson is stylish, it is not quiet enough, and has its irritations, but boy, it really cleans.

The tools: Turbo Floor Brush – We have a wood heater and I expected that bits of bark and twigs from firewood would quickly clog the whirling turbo blades in the turbo tool. It never blocked at all and after a good look I can see why. Unlike any other turbo tool I have seen, the Dyson one has two separate airflow paths. Dirt doesn’t pass through the spinning turbo, it goes straight down the hose, while there is a separate airflow through a small grille at the side of the tool, through the turbo blades and up the suction hose. This is a great advance, as no dirt going through the turbo fan means no blockages of the fan, and no grit getting to bearings to cause wear. It is a very clever design, the best turbo brush I have ever seen. Mu only criticism is the turbo brush isn’t as good as my Kirby upright vac at standing up flattened carpet pile. I think the bristles are a bit too soft, firmer bristles would make it even better at resurrecting flattened carpet. (though carpet wear might increase?) This tool can clip to the body of the vac to stand up in storage.

Non-Tangle Turbo Tool – Good at removing cat hair from Casper’s chair and basket, though some remained. It is incredibly noisy – measured at 77 dB on my phone. A really unpleasant scream. If you could turn the vacuum cleaner motor to a slower setting, this tool might not be so noisy. But you can’t.

Hard Floors Tool – Oh dear. It works well doing what is designed for, and sits nice and low so it goes easily under furniture and the edges are quite low, so it can even get under the front edge of my stove. (My Miele can’t.) The problem comes when you try to use it on some other surface that has a bit of friction. When I vac the tiled floor in my lounge room, I also run the floor tool over the foot stools and the door mats. With the Miele this works fine. With the Dyson hard floor tool, it rolls over forwards and backwards, flopping back and forth hardly ever sitting flat on its bristles. Useless. This tool needs a re-design. My friend’s old Dyson DC08 has a dual floor tool you can retract the bristles, and it worked fine doing the same task, bristles in or out. One room in our house still has a bare concrete floor, no tiles fitted yet and the hard floor tool flops over on the coarse concrete too. This tool does NOT have the required fitting to clip to the body of the vac for storage. It should have, a silly omission.

Stair Tool – most manufacturers call this the upholstery tool. It looks cheap, a very basic small tool good for cleaning out the car but the strong suction means you have to pull the “less suction” trigger on the handle or you can barely move the tool over any surface. I have timber stairs and would never use this hard plastic tool on them. Some other manufacturers provide a clip-on set of bristles for this type of tool but not Dyson. It needs them and would then be quite good. (see photo.)

The ball vac just fits on my stairs by the way. If the stair treads were any shorter, the ball vac would tumble down the stairs. My Miele can sit up on end to create a tiny footprint, but the Dyson can’t do that. As is, it does work on my stairs. I use the hard floor tool, not the "stair" tool.

Animal grooming tool – if I tried to use this on my cat, I think he would put me in hospital. I haven’t used it so I won’t rate it.

Crevice tool with slide-down dusting device works well. Bristles on dusting device are a bit sparse.

Adaptor for old Dyson accessories – I was impressed that Dyson provided an adaptor so you can use accessories from older Dyson models. I tried to use it with some tools from my friend’s DC08. They don’t fit. Not even close.

HEPA filter. This vac is advertised as having “no filters to wash or replace.” This is generally understood to mean it doesn’t have filters, only the patented cyclone and cinetic technologies. In fact it does have a filter, a large HEPA filter deep inside the ball that filters the air before releasing to the room. I phoned Dyson and asked about this, and was told the internal filter should last the life of the machine and will never need to be changed. So it indeed has no filters "to wash or replace.” but I am uncomfortable about this. If a user mistreats the Dyson over a long time (some people misuse their appliances, it’s a fact of life) then they may clog the HEPA filter much faster than imagined by Dyson’s designers. If the user doesn’t understand that there is a HEPA filter inside that could be easily replaced by a technician and this would restore good function to the vac, then they may assume that the vac is “worn out’ and discard it. I’d prefer that either, the machine really had NO filters, or that they had an easily washed out final filter like Dysons of old.

Limitations of use.

There are pictures in the instruction manual to show that you can’t vacuum up plaster dust, ash or rubble. Also a yellow sticker on the vac says the same (hidden behind the dirt canister, see photo.) I am in two minds about this. It seems silly that a vacuum cleaner costing several hundred dollars can’t vacuum up a bit of ash or plaster dust. Is this a limitation of the cinetic cyclone technology? On the other hand, I do know of people who have used conventional household bagged vacs to clean up large amounts of plaster dust and wrecked the vac by plugging all filters with fine dust, restricting air flow till the motor cooks. Maybe it is a simple fact that you need a “garage vac” for this type of use. Maybe Dyson are just being open and upfront about this. But I have never before seen a manual for a vacuum cleaner that shows a diagram of a cordless drill producing a small amount of plaster dust and showing a red cross through it, saying not to use the vac to clean up the dust. I asked Dyson customer care about this, as I have a wood heater and when emptying the ash, a small amount of spillage is inevitable. They said that I should sweep up any spilt ash, and then I could vacuum up what the broom didn’t pick up. That is what I will do.

End of Life I have found something impressive in the user manual. There is a section on disposal - when the Dyson has finally carked it, hopefully after many years of service. You can package the unit up, post it back to Dyson head office in Australia, and they will ensure that it is recycled correctly. They point out that not every component is recyclable, it depends what facilities are available in Australia at the time. Dyson will also pay your postage cost to send it back - it is a Reply Paid address. (Dyson We Recycle.) This is commendable product stewardship, good on Dyson for taking this initiative. (Which I reckon should be mandatory for all appliances.)

Conclusion

This is a very good vacuum cleaner for sure. I like that I won’t have to buy bags for it. I think some of the accessories are underwhelming and should be redesigned or replaced with something else from the Dyson lineup. This review probably comes across as a bit negative, but I am just trying to show it thoroughly, warts and all. The more I use it, the more I like it.

I like using this vac a lot, well designed, great manoeuvrability – This is an Ambassador Review which means I was given the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal + free in exchange for writing this review regardless of if the review was good or bad. Upfront: I like using this vac a lot, well designed, great manoeuvrability and easiest vac I have used. Only has a couple of minor flaws. If over many years this machine… Read more

proves to be reliable and robust I’d give it an extra half star so it would be 4.5 instead of 4. Having used this vac in my home for 3 weeks for FREE and gotten to know it, AND had I been in the market for a new vac now, this would be the one that I would buy.

Details: I have owned and used a variety of vacuums, including barrel and uprights and I do appreciate clever sensible functional design. I found this Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal + to be very easy to operate and manoeuvrability is exceptional. The instructions are a bit cryptic but if you are smart enough to appreciate this machine then you should find operation is not that difficult to figure out. If you’re an idiot then perhaps you should avoid it because the instructions are very poor.

I am impressed with the easy steerage of the large beater head on carpet, hard floors (cork) and tiles. This head is very low profile which meant I could vac all under my very low king bed and around those fiddly low edges of Ikea Billy book cases with ease.

I like the option to store two attachments on the extendable wand for handy use. The crevice tool with the slide down brush is very useful. The hard floor head is a breeze to steer with a super low profile and the flexible joint at the hose handle is a brilliant idea.

The instructions show emptying the bag-less dirt canister into a BAG, doh! Thought this was dumb so I was emptying straight into wheelie bin, but was not comfortable with this approach either. Then realised I could empty directly into my backyard compost bin for a truly environmental result. Yeah! Usually it takes a couple of operations of the emptying mechanism to achieve complete removal of all the dirt. Sometimes long human hair catches in the metal mesh filter with a clump of dirt attached so I need to manually pull that from the dirt container. Not a big issue as this is a small price to pay for not buying dirt bags. I don’t see how Dyson could avoid this problem with a bag-less system anyway.

I’ve had a couple of mishaps with the dirt container not latching closed properly after emptying causing dirt to spill out after next use when removing from ball. After emptying you need to ensure you place the container on a firm surface and push down firmly on handle until it all clicks together otherwise the bottom latch does not engage fully. See photos.

I have an indoor Burmese cat and fur pickup seems to be very good. I have used the larger beater head on material covered lounge chair and it removed stubborn fur that other vacs can’t touch. Cupboard storage is a little awkward because the wand stands at an angle rather then vertical if using the slot on the ball. So I have to leave the wand lean against the wall in the cupboard. Miele barrel vacs stand vertically and the slot on the side for the wand makes them ideally compact and convenient for storage. So Dyson, you need to rethink the dumb angle thing.

I think the cord should have been 2 metres longer as it is just a tad short for my needs. The on/off switch and the cord retraction button worry me because they look to be a vulnerable design and if mistreated could possibly break off. So I use extra care around those switches to ensure I don’t break them. Dyson would have been better off using a flush type paddle idea like Miele which is virtually unbreakable.

Corded Big Ball vs Cordless V10? Why is better and why? – The Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal is a great, solid vacuum cleaner for the whole home. I own a Dyson V10 Absoulte+, so my initial impressions will firstly cover the Big Ball on its own, and then compare it to the Dyson V10. Out of the box, the Big Ball looks fantastic. It cleans the carpet excellently, and because it runs through the power point,… Read more

the power and suction are great. The normal head does a good job at my thick wool carpet, and for the corners, the corner attachment is more than enough. My carpet is really thick, and the Dyson has no trouble with it. The power cord… is long. I don’t know exactly how long it is, and even though I have lots of power points around the home to use, I don’t often need to change plugs because the power cord is long enough for me to cover a couple of rooms at times. For example, my upstairs, which has 4 rooms, I only need two power plugs to cover the whole area. It’s also quite intuitive with an easy press of the button to automatically re-coil back into place. That’s a feature that is well done. It’s also not very heavy to roll/drag around the house, despite looking like it may be. It’s very well designed in this way. Comparing to the cordless versions, specifically the V10: Let start with where I love this Big Ball. Firstly, it’s bigger the V10’s bin. Much bigger. For a thorough clean of my upstairs, I only need to empty the bin/cannister twice – once in the middle of the clean, once at the end. With the V10, I will need to empty it at least once per room, so that equates to at least five times in total, most of the time. Secondly, it’s quick and so easy to detach the bin from the vacuum. A simple press of a button, and it’s off. No need to detach the stick like the cordless. Thirdly, the mechanism to release the rubbish is nice and easy. This is always a thing I don’t like about Dyson’s – that the bin is so hard and annoying to empty, and it can get messy with dust flying everywhere. The Big Ball’s mechanism is easy to use, that none of this happens. A simple push down (not too much different from the V10, mind you), but it’s just so much better. Doesn’t get stuck, everything empties so easily, and clicks back into place so easily as well. Now, the Big Ball is though much bulkier to drag around the house. The V10 is a grab and go. Vacuum here, vacuum there, without much trouble. The Big Ball needs to be lugged around in a way, though as I stated before, that’s not hard and it doesn’t feel heavy to move. In a way, when vacuuming forwards and backwards, it’s actually easier with the Big Ball because you aren’t holding the battery (and essentially the whole weight of the vacuum) like you need to for the stick vacuum. Also, you don’t need to constantly be holding onto the ‘on’ button like in the cordless as well. With the Big Ball, there’s a power on/off, and it will suck! The handle on the ball of the vacuum makes it easy to pick up and put down. What you do need to worry about is the cord, and also the vacuum stick, which can be a bit annoying when using it around the home. It can obviously just get in the way. This is just a fact of having a corded vacuum though, it’s just a bit more inconvenient. Not a huge issue at all, but obviously, a difference compared to no cords of the V10. So, what is does lack, compared to the V10, is the convenience and flexibility of use. For example, I can easily vacuum the top of the cupboards, or the corners of the desk with the V10 – it’s much more time consuming with the Big Ball. I can literally make the V10 into a tiny handheld vaccum. It’s not very easy cleaning high places / hard to get to places with the Big Ball – I need to find an appropriate power point and see if I can leave the Big Ball on something stable while I twist the vacuum in a way to hopefully be able to position it to vacuum where I want to clean. The changeable height of the vacuum stick of the Big Ball is a massive plus. I can set it to my height, and go on vacuuming. My wife likes it a bit shorter to suit her vacuuming style and height – that’s achieved in 3 seconds with a press of the button – nice! The V10, it’s only one height and that’s it. You need to deal with it. This small height change can make a difference when you are bending over vacuuming the entire house. Suction – This is where the Big Ball wins out. Massive suction power for an unlimited time. More than the power of the V10 on max, which can only run for a few minutes. It cleans the thick carpet extremely well – not that the V10 doesn’t, but I think the Big Ball picks up more and just does a better job. Also, I’ll often need to charge the V10 once around two thirds of the way through vacuuming my house, which is quite annoying. Filters – Advantage Big Ball, because it doesn’t have any filters to wash. The V10’s has a filter you’ll need to wash and air dry. It’s extremely quick and easy to do though, but it still has to be done. As for the attachments, I won’t go into these too much, because I mainly just use the carpet and hardwood cleaners for each vacuum, which both do their jobs. The great thing is that each of them come with heaps of attachments to use, as needed. What is really disappointing though, is that the attachments are not interchangeable between the vacuums. Which is quite crappy for machines that do cost relatively quite a bit of money! Maybe there are adaptors out there, but the quick-release adaptor that comes with the Big Ball certainly does not work with any of the V10 attachments, and the V10 doesn’t come with any adaptor. Storage – both are quite easy to store. I don’t have major trouble with either, though The Big Ball is slightly bigger and just can’t really be put there in the wardrobe. The V10 though, can. But ideally, you’ll want somewhere where you can stand it up, with a power plug, so it can charge at the same time. You don’t need a power plug where you store the Big Ball, for obvious reasons. In a vacuum, an extremely good vacuum cleaner. Four, even four and a half stars out of five if I’m judging it on it’s own. Compared to the Dyson V10, it’s still very good. In my opinion, the cordless is just that bit easier to use overall, with more convenience and flexibility, despite less power, and worst bin capacity and mechanism

My first Dyson, very happy – We’ve had this vacuum cleaner for a month now and have been very happy overall. I’ve included some pictures of some of the included accessories I talk about with the names of the tools (I found these names online on various websites, so I hope they’re correct) Pros - All the accessories click together easily. The connections are great, this was a… Read more

pet peeve of mine with my previous vacuum, but these accessories click together and come apart without any effort. Just a click of a button which is great for setup and storage - All the moving bits are incredibly flexible. I’m finding that I can manoeuvre the heads with virtually no effort and get into spaces I would previously have not bothered trying to vacuum. I honestly love how well everything moves, it prevents awkward twisting and trying to reposition myself to come from a different angle. I found this particularly helpful when vacuuming the inside of the car with the Mini Tangle-Free Turbine tool, and in the narrow gaps between cabinets with the Articulating Hard Floor tool. - Super easy to empty, just a matter of pushing a button twice. The first time pushes all the hair dust etc down off the filters into the main compartment, the second time opens the latch and releases the compartment contents - The Mini Tangle-Free Turbine tool does seem to pick up dog hair well. I’m really impressed with how well it cleans car mats, seats and seat covers. I do sometimes have to go over an area a few times to get it all, but I would expect that anyway. - I think the Grooming tool is a great idea. I don’t know how well it picks up hair, as my dogs don’t like the sound of the vacuum cleaner so they won’t let me get close enough to them to try it on their hair. They were uncertain but happy enough for me to brush them briefly with the tool, but once I turned the vacuum cleaner on the noise was too much for them - The quick release Articulated Handle is very comfortable to hold, and I like the easy to use switch that briefly reduces suction when the head grabs hold of a rug etc. It is also incredibly flexible, making use of the heads easier - We were amazed how clean the dogs winter jacket came up after using the Carbon Fibre Turbine Cleaner Head to slowly move over it’s surface. I’m sure it’s the deepest clean it’s had in a long time - The Quick Release Combination tool is great to use, the brush slides and locks into place both at the end of the nozzle and back at the base where it is out of the way when using the long nozzle to clean in narrow spaces. Both worked really well cleaning the car. I particularly love the soft bristles for getting all the fine dust that gets on the dashboard, around the gearstick etc without any effort, plus it’s gentle enough to trust on new leather and the cars’ touch screen - The power cord length and mobility of the main vacuum are just as I’d expect, moves easily around tiles and carpet without tipping over

Cons - I cannot understand why there is no information on what each of the accessories/tools are for. I searched the Dyson website, scoured the Internet and re-checked the packaging 10 times expecting to find something. I even contacted Dyson to ask for information, expecting there must be a pamphlet that would give details of all of the included tools, but there wasn’t. The person who helped me on the phone had made up a basic Excel file for his own reference on what some of the tools are for, so he sent me that which I thought was lovely of him. But Dyson really should include a pamphlet, have a downloadable file, or something on the box that tells you what each tool is for and what they should and shouldn’t be used for. eg. Could the rotating heads potentially damage timber flooring? Mention is made in the instructions that the rotating head may damage some carpets, but gives no description of which types are most likely to be affected. I’ve spent hours googling info that should have been included, or at least been on their website. Even just providing the names of each tool on the box would have made it so much easier to figure out what each tool was for. - The spinning components of the Mini Tangle-Free Turbine tool and the Carbon Fibre Turbine Cleaner head are very loud. I find that I have to put on headphones/earmuffs when using the Mini Tangle-Free Turbine tool, as it’s just too loud otherwise, especially in a small space like the car - The Carbon Fibre Turbine Cleaner tool seems quite good on carpet, but is annoying if you’re trying to clean up anything larger than dust on a hard surface like tiles. It seems that the rotating bristles often kick larger objects out from under the head rather than sucking them up (I noticed this with dry mud and grass that had been walked in on the bottom of someone’s shoes) - The individual plastic wrapping around each accessory.. I know Dyson are not alone on this, most products these days use far too much plastic, but would have been nice if this wasn’t the case

At the end of the day, I am very pleased with this vacuum cleaner and would be happy to recommend it to others. To me, the pros definitely outweigh the few cons. Though I do think Dyson needs to provide basic information on each of the heads, how to use them correctly and what you should and shouldn’t use them for.