Dyson Ball Animal 3 Upright Vacuum, Corded, 290AW, De-tangling Motorbar Cleaner Head for All Floors, 3 Suction Modes

Let me just start by saying I poured over a ton of reviews of different Dyson models before buying, and on finally deciding on this one (Animal 3), was *hoping* the negative reviews weren’t huge red flags. I’ll get specific with my skepticism in this review as it would’ve helped me when shopping. The listing I purchased from was for Animal 2, Animal 3, and Animal 3 Extra models, and comparing basically ALL reviews for the 3 models, I chose Animal 3 and I’m glad I did.First: the bad reviews stating this vacuum won’t go on thick carpet ALMOST had me convinced not to buy it. Even Dysons site has multiple bad reviews stating the same, more bad than good on their own website! I’m happy to report I have zero issue with this with my shaggy, thick, plush carpets. If it’s on either of the carpet settings it moves just fine. Adjust your vacuum and go.I’d had a ball Dyson in the past, and I didn’t love it. This was another hesitation. The swivel/ball mechanism on my previous one was loose and flowy, but this meant the thing would curve around just when I was trying to push it straight. This Animal 3 does not do that. It’s a bit tighter, it stays straight but is easy to curve when you want.My previous Dyson also toppled over anytime I was tugging at the hose and this one, probably because it’s a little heavier, stays up even when the hose is really extended and being jostled around.PROS: excellent suction, it moves well. I really like how it gets all the way to the edge when you run the side of the vacuum head along the baseboard, not leaving a 1/2 inch gap like my last vacuum. So far I’m really stoked about how the rotating brush clears hair in this Animal 3-we only have one shorthair cat, but I have long hair and so does my daughter, and between the two of us shedding, I’ve done my fair share of cutting the tons of hair that was wrapped around the vacuum beater bar with a utility knife and yanking it out with previous vacuums! So far I have vacuumed my entire house a few times with this Dyson and not a single hair wrapped around the bar in the vacuum head.To my extreme surprise, I LOVE the little stair tool!! Vacuuming carpeted stairs has been the bane of my existence for years (that’s only a slight exaggeration) and this little tool that looks like it should be meant for hard floors does a killer job picking up all the dirt and bits, while fluffing the carpet nicely, including the carpeted edge and the little vertical part under each step where it fits in just right (the wand even swivels at the end of the hose so you can change your angle with ease while vacuuming your steps). Finally, I’m not lifting a heavy upright vacuum in a ridiculous way and hurting my back to make the stairs look nice!! So far I’m very pleased with this vacuum especially considering my hesitation about buying another Dyson after not really liking my old one. If things change, I will definitely update this review. Not many cons to this vacuum…but…CONS: it’s kinda heavy, but not much different than my last vacuum (a Hoover windtunnel) or my previous Dyson. The weight is not a huge issue for me.The plastic parts that seem very breakable are disappointing in such a pricy vacuum. The hooks to wrap the cord look like they could snap, and worse, the thin plastic mechanism that extends down the tank and opens the lower flap to empty it seems very delicate and if that breaks, it could be a real PITA. For several hundred dollars I would hope things would be more durable, but I was aware of this complaint going in—and this is why I give it just below 5 stars. When I have the hose wand out and am putting it back in, it’s a little sticky at the very last part of sliding it back into place at the top of the vacuum. Sometimes it really does NOT want to slide into place, and I have to use a little force. A couple of times it went right in easily. I’m unsure if this is just an issue with my unit or an issue with other Animal 3’s.I don’t like how there’s not a release to tilt the vacuum, and that you must just *crack* the sucker down to tilt it and start vacuuming. However this on Animal 3, that is easier to do and not nearly as harsh of a crack as the Dyson I had before.All in all, I was extremely skeptical buying this vacuum and I’m quite thrilled at how much I like using it and how well it works. Especially vacuuming my stairs, it is really a game changer!

I’ve had several Dyson cordless stick vacs and liked them. But my most recent, cheap upright vac just fell apart, it wasn’t up to my 2 Aussies and 3 cats, I guess. Some of my Aussie rescue friends recommended this Dyson Animal, so why not? I’m pretty self-sufficient, but didn’t find the assembly instructions to be the greatest. But I did it. The wand is supposed to slide inside the hose! The tool attachment falls off whenever the canister is removed, poor design.This vac is heavy. But it moves easily enough if you get the suction mode set properly. It has a ton of suck. But what looks like a large canister is mostly filters, so I have to empty it pretty often. Nothing new there, I have lots of hair and dirt. It has a really long cord, which I like bc I can plug it into one central outlet and do the entire floor.My biggest shedding dog doesn’t mind being vacuumed and the pet hair attachment actually works! But I brush him first outside with his regular rake first and finish him up with the Dyson. Voila!This vac doesn’t stay “clicked” into its upright mode for just moving it around, not sure what I am doing wrong. Makes it harder to push when getting it out or putting it away. Shouldn’t be that hard, seems to me. Another design flaw, I fear. But something like that and the tool attachments should have been resolved years ago, seems to me, this design has been around for years.

TLDR — Powerful, effective, and actually gets the job done in a house with two large dogs that shed year-round. Lots of useful attachments along with upholstery hose. Does not tangle, easy to assemble. Large canister capacity. Quieter than you'd think. Heavier than cordless.PURCHASED MODEL:Dyson Ball Animal 3 ExtraMY HOME2 large dogs that shed year round: Golden Retriever and Dalmatian. Golden leaves hair balls all around the house, with hairs that embed into rugs that tangle and collect in all the nooks and crannies of a vacuum easily. Dalmatian's short hairs are like spikes, and will stick to all cloth furniture.WHY I BOUGHT THIS VACUUMI have used many vacuums in the past, including ORECK commercial vacuums, cordless Dyson V8, Roomba, and most recently a Shark Pet Premium (IZ363HT) cordless. These vacuums were either too weak, gets tangled easily with hair and fur, or collect dirt and grime buildup easily. I was tired of never feeling that the house was really clean after using these vacuums, and their performance continued to diminish over time because of these issues. I finally decided that it was time to invest in something that would get the job done and would last me over a long period of time.ASSEMBLYThe assembly process for this vacuum was so extremely easy. There are only 3 main pieces to assemble: (1) The floor roller head to the bottom of the machine, (2) the main vacuum handle that you'll use to drive the machine, and (3) the telescoping wand into the upholstery hose. I was up and running within minutes of receiving the vacuum. Components snap into each other without the need for any tools, which also means that it is easy to disassemble components for any needed cleaning or maintenance. The included washable filters are easy to access, which is a huge plus with animals as they need to be washed regularly to prevent that doggy/animal smell that old, under-maintained vacuums have.SUCTION POWER & NOISEYour mind will be blown by how powerful and effective this vacuum is. The Dyson Ball Animal has the most powerful suction amongst all of Dyson's current products, and its suction power is comparable to my 6 horsepower shop vac, which is great for cleaning up big messes but lacks the floor roller attachment for rugs. As a test, I vacuumed my main living room rug with my Shark cordless pet vac, and then ran over it again with the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra — and it still picked up a full canister of pet hair and dust. That said, the suction is almost too powerful. Be careful with fragile or old rugs, because it can potentially damage it if you don't have it on the right setting. When in doubt, keep the floor roller on the furthest setting for the highest-pile rugs and disable the roller, which you can do with a push of a button. For such a powerful vacuum, the noise level is surprisingly manageable compared to many other, less powerful machines. The only time it gets super loud is when using the "Tangle-Free Turbine Tool" attachment with the spinning detangling rollers, as the rollers make extra noise.HAIR DETANGLINGThe Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra has a large, adjustable floor roller (for different surface types) with a built-in comb that keeps hair from tangling, and IT WORKS. Between all the hair left by people and pets around the house, this vacuum stayed completely tangle-free; I have not once had to clean off the roller in nearly a full month of use.CORD OPERATION, WEIGHT & MANEUVERABILITYAfter using cordless for so long, I thought switching back to a corded vacuum would be a pain. This was not the case, thanks to the Dyson's extra long 32.8ft cord. The vacuum itself is on the heavier side if you are used to cordless vacs, coming in at 17.3lbs. The design of This isn't really an issue especially with its 13ft upholstery hose. If you need to get into tight spaces with the hose, you can easily detach the telescopic handle and use the vacuum attachments directly with the hose. An additional benefit of having this long, built-in hose is that it makes it easy to keep the vacuum itself clean. The hose automatically activates when the vacuum is fully upright. The roller ball makes it easy to drive the vacuum, and unlike older generations of Dyson's Ball vacuums, the turning is tighter and more controlled, preventing the machine from unwanted turning when you are driving it forward. When lifting the vacuum, you may be tempted to use the main handle on top, but you'll have a much easier time if you use the handle on the canister towards the middle of the unit.CANISTER EMPTYING VS BAGGEDThere is a compromise here—bagged vacuums are obviously easier and cleaner to empty compared to canisters, but it also means that you cannot operate the vacuum if you run out of bags or if the bag is beyond capacity. Emptying canister vacuums can release some dust, but it also means that you are never going to be stuck without a bag, and there is no ongoing cost to operate the machine. To minimize the spread of dust when emptying the canister, I like to empty into a tall, lined trash bin which allows me to lower the canister more deeply into the bin before opening the hatch.CONSThis is one of the most effective and reliable vacuums out there, if you use it properly and maintain it regularly like you should with any machinery. That said, a few things that could be improved are:- At this price point, I would have expected better storage options for all the included attachments. The Ball Animal 3 Extra comes with 4 attachments, but only one tool holder that goes onto the vacuum. This means you have to find a place to organize and store your attachments separate from the vacuum, potentially making them less accessible during your cleaning job.- There are tiny tiny rollers at the bottom of the floor roller attachment, which will have a tendency to pick up hair that gets tangled. This is going to be the case with just about any vacuum out there, but all it takes is checking it after every other use to pull out the few hairs that might have gotten caught. Easy.- Like I mentioned above, the suction can be too powerful, which means you'll need a little extra muscle power sometimes when using it on upholstery to move the hose along, and you'll want to be careful around old or fragile rugs- The upholstery hose wants to stay condensed, so using it when the vacuum is new may take a bit of extra muscleCONCLUSIONThe Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra is undoubtedly one of the best performing vacuums I have used for housework. It's the right purchase if you have the budget and prefer to invest in long-term equipment vs. spending half the price for something you'll have to replace in a few years, which will end up being more costly to you. If you are in the market for a new vacuum that cleans effectively, this is it!