5 stars

My husband and I researched and discussed this vacuum for a long time. After our 7th belt in 3 years split on the Hoover, we knew it was time for something different. We have 2 labs and 2 kids, and I was AMAZED at what came out of my carpet on the very first go. At first I was not excited about the canister feature - we had a canister before the Hoover, and it was such a pain to empty, because it was so small, and I could tell it wasn't getting even close to really cleaning the hairy stairs - yuck. This canister system is soooo much better, and much easier to dump and clean. We have an off-white colored carpet, and the dogs had really managed to dull it over the years - the color is different now - back to normal. I am amazed that we were not deathly ill with all the yuck that came up out of our carpet, and we relatively clean people. So, don't let the bad reviews get to you - it is huge, and can be a little intimidating, but once you figure it all out, it is AWESOME. Our stairs look fabulous, and I didn't break a sweat vacuuming them. Yippee.

4 stars

I was ecstatic about receiving this vacuum as a mom's day gift. Believe it or not, it took me 30 minutes to figure out how to properly assemble everything because the pictures were so vague. Originally, I had thought I was missing the detailed instructions, but when I attempted to download them from the website, they just opened up to more diagrams. I checked out instructions for other models and they were perfectly clear and easy to understand. Hmmm...
Anyway, after I got it together, I first vacuumed a room with my old dirt devil. After vacuuming with the Dyson, I was able to pick up a little more dog hair, but TONS of dust/dander. I have allergies, so this was a huge breakthrough in the cleanliness of my house. The air actually seems to smell cleaner now.

Cons -
1. Because the suction is so strong, the hose is not as easy to extend to vacuum up the stairs. Additionally, my one pup misses being vacummed with the brush attachment on the old vacuum. Would never in a million years even try to do it with this one. Believe me when I say it could cause major harm to animals!
2. This thing is HEAVY, so if you have to carry it from one level to the next, be prepared.
3. The vacuum only seems to pick up what it is hovering over, so larger items such as houseplant leaves or cereal that don't actually fit under, do not get sucked up.
4. The instructions were confusing for the attachments, since the attachments don't "snap" together, they just fit together.

1 stars

I had this vacuum 6 days and while I was pulling the vacuum back (during vacuuming) I touched the corner of my leather chair and it ripped a big gouge out of it. When open, while pulling back it has sharp corners (it's the part that when closed sits over the wheels). I called Dyson and also sent pictures. They told me that it wasn't their problem. They said they don't have a flaw in the design. If there is no flaw, why is it ripping my chair? I've been vacuuming for 35 years and yes, we occasionally will hit our furniture but I have never had anything like this happen before. While I was waiting for their response, I taped cotton over the sharp corners. This is not a normal thing you should have to do.
As for how it worked, yes it picked up well on carpet, but not so great on bare floors or rugs. The attachment piece came out easy but is awkward to use and the hose really pulls against you. I could of let these problems go but not when the company won't stand behind their product. They won't even pay to have my chair patched (as opposed to a new side for my chair). I took it back today and I want everyone to know they're not worth the money and the Dyson company are apparently people who don't care about their customers.

5 stars

After being disappointed with many other vacuums (Hoover, etc.) I am thrilled with my Dyson Animal. Three cats, a dog, and three long-haired girls in the house create lots of stuff to clean up. The Dyson gets all the dirt and hair up easily, and the canister is easy to dump into the trash can without touching any dirty bags. And it's clear, so you can see exactly what's been picked up. The only problem is having to cut hair off the brushes when it gets wrapped around - but this takes just a minute with scissors and would happen with any vacuum. Expensive, but worth the money. I expect to use this vacuum for many years.

5 stars

I have only owned mine for 2 months but it is incredible. I have 3 children under the age of 10 and a german shep. This machine is not only able to keep up with them but also able to keep up with being used 1 to 2x a day. Thank goodness for my vaccuum. I recommend this vaccuum to anyone with kids, animals or high traffic areas with it's high suction and durability quality and ease of removing the occassional sock that might try to clog it up.

5 stars

We had to get a new vacuum cleaner after getting our puppy. The vacuum we had just seemed to push the hair around the carpet. Did not really want to spend that much, but after getting it home and trying it out right away we were amazed!!! 2 years now and still running great. Yes the handle is a little bit of a pain but you get used to it. The reviews that said that it is poorly made and not worth the money have just maybe been very unlucky. The last thing I will say is that using the hose, vacuum the hair etc off the wheels and main broom cover after every use. It only takes a few seconds and will prevent pet hair from binding things up.

5 stars

This vacuum does a great job. I had a heavy old Kirby I got for free as a hand me down and have hated it for years. I have wanted the Dyson Animal for years - I have two friends with dogs and boys (just like me) and swear by it. The Animal is a bit heavy, but my Kirby was worse. The Animal is easier to push and use than the Kirby.

I expected to pick up a lot of dog hair (I have a black lab) but the amount of dust it removed from my carpets just amazed me. I went over the entire house 3 times now and pick up less dust each time. I have noticed the amount of dust and dog hair floating around and landing on stuff has been greatly reduced and everything looks and feels cleaner. The attachments worked great for cleaning my lampshades, underneath cushions, etc.

My husband cannot stop raving about how clean the house is, and my boys (teenagers) think it is fun to use. I have never been a fan of housework, but this makes me look way better than I am. It is amazing!

5 stars

BUY THIS VACUUM! We could have made sweaters for an entire family from the dog hair we vacuumed up in the carpeted parts of our tiny ranch-style house. It feels clean to me for the first time. The best feature is the very easy-to-access wand that doesn't require extra parts. The only negative is that it leaves lines that make the carpet look more like it was raked than vacuumed. Small price to pay. Hope it keeps working this well!

5 stars

I have always wanted a Dyson but kind of talked myself out of it every time because they are sooo expensive. I have twins who were born extremely premature so I decided it was time to give it a try. I have an area rug in my living room that gets vacuumed EVERY day. I vacuumed it with my old vacuum, going over it very slow and thoroughly. I then got out my new Dyson. I was seriously grossed out. I got almost a half cup of dust and dog hair out of the rug. I'm not even going to mention how much I got out of the rest of the rooms in my house!

It works great on hardwood floors. My entire house is hardwood floors except the bedrooms. The hose is great and easy to use!

One thing that Dyson doesn't mention in their instruction guide is that when you first turn the vacuum on, suction is coming from the hose. In order for it to come out the bottom with the spinny thing you have to tip it back. This took me like an hour to figure out! (sad I know) Once you figure that out its an awesome vacuum! I have had no problems with loss of suction or anything else!

4 stars

My husband and I have three shepherd mixes from the pound. Having a vacuum that works has become the single most important factor in the cleanliness of our home. I run the sweeper every single day. Still, I took the black tee shirts out of the dryer and immediately stored them in zip lock bags until I wore them because there was so much ambient dog hair in our house. The Dyson gets up a phenomenal amount of dog hair and it doesn't leave any dust or dirt in the air while it does it. I don't know how long it will continue to work this well. But our house feels worlds cleaner than it did before.