Dyson Ball Animal 2: The Top Choice for Pet Hair Cleaning

While this product’s name might reveal the manufacturers’ intention in highlighting its functions in households with pets, it is built with reliable suction power to work on multiple floors. Since pet hair seems to be one of the biggest challenges a vacuum cleaner can face, vacuum experts usually use pet hair as a benchmark to talk about a vacuum's abilities.

The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a high-tech vacuum cleaner with outstanding performance. But is it worth the hefty investment? Our review will take you through all the nuts and bolts of this machine. Now, why not read on so you can answer the question posed above yourself?

Dyson’s Cyclone Technology

Dyson vacuums have been trusted for years. Power and efficiency were two critical points of differentiation when we asked customers about their opinions on this brand. With the patented cyclone technology, Dyson machines have impressive suction power, which has stood the test of time.

But what is so unique about a cyclonic vacuum? This technology allows air to flow more efficiently through 14 cyclone motors, which are arranged around the center of the vacuum. When the cyclones motors contract, airflow is accelerated from 45mph to 120mph to create a potent force that even captures microscopic particles.

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Dyson’s Ball technology

The patented Ball technology is the key to the maneuverability of this Dyson Ball Animal 2. Since most of the core components such as the motor are housed within the ball, the center of gravity is lowered, thus increasing the stability.

The ball rotates in all directions, and steers smoothly, which means it requires less work from the users. So far, Dyson is the only corded vacuum cleaner that has a central steering mechanism for better control. 

Thanks to this break-through technology, you can glide around obstacles with just a twist of the wrist. Gone are the days when you have to push back and forth to clean a particular spot around corners or furniture.

Less time spent on cleaning chores means that you have more time to enjoy life — no more exhausting weekends to sweat with heavy-duty cleaning tasks. Technology has radically altered different aspects of our lives, and there is no exception when it comes to home appliances.

Pros and cons

Dyson Ball Animal 2 is an upright vacuum cleaner with enormous suction power to ensure perfect cleaning of pet hair, carpeted and bare floors. However, this device's weight makes it a little heavy to push around despite Dyson’s innovative ball technology. You can take a look at the list below  for more details of its pros and cons.

Pros

• Powerful suction

• Sturdy look & feel

• Easy to maintain

• Tangle-free turbine attachment

• Large & self-adjusting cleaner head

• Suction power: 270 air watts

• Washable filter

• Powerful brush roll motor

• 35-foot power cord, which can reach 50 feet max

• 13.7 feet hose

• Whole machine HEPA filtration

• Set up is quick and simple

• Five years warranty program

Cons

• Has a large price tag

• Heavy

• Not a quiet machine

• The ball unit is inconvenient to get under low furniture

• Too many attachments

Dyson Ball Animal 2

Key features

Dimensions and weight

The machine is 42.13’’ tall, 15.35” long, and 13.39’’ wide. The nozzle’s width is 13.3’’, making the Dyson Ball Animal 2 a perfect model for various cleaning tasks.

It weighs 17.5 pounds, which is 2 pounds heavier than the Dyson Multi Floor 2 and 2 pounds lighter than the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball. If you’ve read Dyson Ball multi floor reviews before, you’re probably aware of this minor weight difference.

Since this vacuum is not lightweight, it is probably not ideal for the homes of the elderly or children. Also, frail or unfit users might find it challenging to push this machine along in a large house.

If you have more than two flights of stairs or are living in a large house with three bedrooms, you might find this beast a burden. So scroll down till the end of this Dyson Ball Animal 2 Review for more suitable alternatives.

Suction power

Dyson Ball Animal 2 cleans your multiple floors with an incredible suction power of 306 air watts. Dyson claimed that this is the most powerful vacuum, and customers’ feedback on various retailers' sites and forums have backed this up.

For comparison, Dyson V11, which is the latest and most robust corded vacuum, operates at 185 watts. Dyson Multi Floor 2 - a great alternative to Dyson Ball Animal 2 - has 250 watts on max mode.

Design and ergonomics

Dyson Ball Animal 2 has a sleek and modern design in a combination of grey and purple. The canister is transparent, allowing you to see how much dirt and debris you have vacuumed up. Its well-known Advanced Radial Root Cyclones system is also see-through, which gives you a futuristic vibe that can hardly be found in other vacuums available on the market.

Some of you might wonder if the transparent and plastic components of the machine are sturdy enough. If you are in this group of people, then fret not! Appearance is sometimes deceptive. They are relatively sturdy and can withstand high levels of corrosion.

The machine is undoubtedly designed with utility in mind as there is space to store different attachments on its body while they are not in use. We find this on-unit storage space super convenient as you do not have to find separate spots to store them.

Also, it saves your time searching for the right accessories. More importantly, you can avoid misplacing or losing these tools. If you have used a few other vacuum models before, you know how costly it can be to purchase new replacement tools.

Although we love the convenience of the built-in storage for accessories, this feature seems to make the Dyson Ball Animal 2 a top-heavy machine. As a result, it is a bit shaky while moving around those tight corners of the house. However, its cord is 35-foot long, which is very impressive compared to other models.

Extension wand combined with a hose

A unique combination of the wand and hose gives users the flexibility to reach awkwardly high or hidden spots, like those behind furniture or ceilings. When you connect the tube with the 35-foot cord, the total reach of this vacuum is 50 feet, making it one of the most flexible vacuums.

Simply leave the base of your Dyson vacuum at the first step of the stairs, now you can walk with a light wand in hand to clean up the spider webs on your ceilings with little efforts.

Whole-system HEPA filter

Dyson Ball Animal 2 has a HEPA level filtration system. HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air as defined by the US Department of Energy. It refers to vacuums with a pleated mechanical air filter. This type of filter can remove 99.97% of bacteria, pollen, and particles of 0.3 microns in size.

A whole-system or whole-machine HEPA filter means that your vacuum is fully sealed. It ensures that allergens and bacteria are kept inside the machine to keep your space clean and dust-free.

So if you are allergic to pollen or pet dander, you can rest assured that you now live in a clean space after vacuuming your house with the Dyson Ball Animal 2.

This feature of your Dyson is especially beneficial for family members with respiratory-related diseases such as asthma, pneumonia, or COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). In fact, the machine is certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

Ease of use

User experience is one of the most important factors that we consider for all of our product reviews. So this Dyson Ball Animal 2 Review will also evaluate how convenient it is for users to clean their house with this vacuum.

Dyson Ball Animal 2 is easy to switch between different floor types. It automatically adjusts the suction, depending on the heights of different surfaces, as the active base plate raises and lowers to seal in suction. The self-adjusting cleaner head is combined with a sturdy, motorized brush bar to effectively clean dirt throughout your home.

When it comes to the ease of cleaning stairs, Dyson Ball Animal 2 excels in many tests. It is easy to maneuver thanks to the innovative ball technology. However, its weight, as briefly mentioned above, is among the biggest cons for households with lots of stairs.

This upright vacuum cleaner from Dyson is a little loud. Its peak noise level is at 78 dB. Therefore, we would not recommend using this vacuum when your family, especially your newborn, is sleeping.

Pet owners might all know that our furry friends are sensitive to loud noises. You might have noticed that they hide in the bathtub or cower under the table when there are fireworks or during thunderstorms.

If you are pet lovers, you might want to adjust the suction level of your Dyson vacuum to relieve your best companions from their fretfulness. Alternatively, you can create a confined space for them with toys, meals, and blankets while you are vacuuming the house.

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Performance

Hard floors

The vacuum cleans very well on bare floors. The machine is a real powerhouse as it picks up all sorts of hair and dust effortlessly. Its powerful suction, combined with the active base place, helps to suck up different debris types with ease.

Carpeted floors

The device’s cleaning performance on the carpet is relatively good. On low-pile and high-pile carpets, its cleaner head drives deep into carpet fibers to pull up all kinds of debris like cereals, lentils, fruit loops, road grit, cat litter, ground-in dirt, and even pet hair. However, it might struggle with larger crumbs or debris.

Pet hair

Despite some concerns in terms of size, there is no denying the Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a real beast for pet hair. It excels with exceptional performance in multi-pet homes. Even if your carpeted and hard floors might look clean, this vacuum will still pick up hair hidden deep in your carpet fibers.

Cat owners might have known that their hair is thin, long, and it sticks to the leather surfaces of your furniture. So arm yourself with a high-performing machine-like the Dyson Ball Animal 2 that will leave your house hair-free. All in all, we would give the highest marks for this machine in this respect. 

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Maintenance

Maintaining Dyson Ball Animal 2 is not a challenge as long as you know how to do it. Dyson usually provides its customers with a user guide, which details out the whole cleaning process. However, if you find it confusing, then perhaps our specific yet simple tips below would be of great help.

We will show you how to clean the most critical parts of the machine in this Dyson Ball Animal 2 Review, starting from the filter. 

Empty the bin and clean the filter

Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a bagless vacuum, so there is no disposable bag, which is a big plus, as you can save your money on buying new bags. The bin capacity is 0.55 gallons (~2.08 liters), which is quite large compared to its competitors.

If you have a few rooms to vacuum and share your space with a few pets, this machine filter’s size lets you vacuum your entire house before worrying about emptying it.

Dyson Ball Animal 2’s bin Via: Amazon

Emptying the bin is relatively straightforward. All you need to do is carry your Dyson over to the trash can, press the red button, and tap the bottom lid.

The filter inside the canister is very easy to take off. Simply pull the little tab in purple, and take the filter out, wash it under cold water. You can give it a good soak or squeeze it if you need to. The critical point here is to get rid of dust any debris from this filter before putting it back.

One important detail that we always remind our customers in our product reviews is to let the filter completely dry. Otherwise, damp filters can suck water into the motor and might damage your vacuum. So leave your filter aside for at least 24 years to let it dry.

If you are using a Dyson Multi Floor Upright Vacuum, the bin and filter emptying and cleaning process is similar, since the difference in terms of structure and features of these two machines is negligible.

Clean the brush roll

The brush roll is one of the tools that can get blocked quickly due to accumulated hair. So we would recommend you clean it regularly.

Firstly, you will need to pull two sides of its latch, and it will come right off. Secondly, pull two tabs at two ends, and they will come off very quickly. Thirdly, use scissors to cut the hair stuck inside the roll and pull them out.

Before putting the brush roll back into the vacuum, we would advise you to check the hole that connects the turn and the vacuum to see if there is any blockage. If it is clear, then you can just plug the roll back in.

Check the hose

Simply press the purple button on the hose to release its extended part. Now you will need to look inside the pipe to see if there are any blockages. Besides that, you can also do a visual inspection for any breaks in the see-through hose because it can cause a loss of suction.

While checking the hose is an easy task to perform, it makes a massive difference to your vacuum’s performance. In case you accidentally vacuumed wet debris that unfortunately got stuck inside the hose, it is best to replace rather than washing it with water.

Accessories

While the V-series vacuums of Dyson provide customers with a large number of accessories, its Ball Animal 2 comes with only a few attachments. However, they are all crucial tools, making a wide range of different cleaning tasks, from light-duty to heavy-duty, more manageable.

• • Tangle-Free Turbine tool

This tool is one of the most outstanding features that helps this machine to stand out from the crowd. The Dyson Multi Floor Plus and the Dyson Ball Animal 2 might have almost the same design and functions, but this tangle-free turbine tool is unique to the latter only.

It is uniquely designed to collect pet hair with ease. With counter-rotating brush heads, it extracts pet hair from the couch and other upholstered furniture, which is where your four-legged friends snuggle all day long.

This tangle-free turbine attachment is, true to its name, does not entangle since it has no brush bar for hair to wrap around. Instead, there are two disks with bristles on the underside to grab the hair. When the drives spin thanks to its strong suction power, the bristles pick up hair.

Gone are the days when you have to spend time removing hair wound up on the brush head. The tangle-free turbine tool of the Dyson Ball Animal 2 undeniably makes it one of the best timesaving vacuum cleaners that all homeowners would need.

• • Stair tool

Stair tool is, true to its name, a non-motorized suction tool with a wide mouth that is primarily designed to use for vacuuming stairs. This accessory can also clean upholstery, mattress, or other delicate fabric surfaces.

• • Turbine tool

The turbine tool is also called the motorized brush roll. It is dedicated to more heavy-duty handheld cleaning jobs, which you do not have to worry too much about protecting the fabric.

• • Combination tool

The combination tool serves as a duster, a crevice tool, and a small stair tool. Thanks to its excellent flexibility, this multifunctional attachment is beneficial,  when you need to vacuum the stairs or clean up the hard-to-reach areas and awkward spots such as spider webs or fans.

Alternative

Dyson Light Ball - Same functions but considerably lighter 

Dyson Light Ball Via: Amazon

If you are keen on a vacuum cleaner with outstanding suction power and maneuverability like the Dyson Ball Animal 2, but its weight puts you off, the Dyson Light Ball is a great alternative.

This machine is engineered for homes with pets but weighs around 15 pounds (~6.9 kgs), which is 2 pounds lighter than Dyson Ball Animal 2. If you have lots of stairs in the house, then this vacuum is probably worth your consideration.

Suppose you are wondering whether you would need to sacrifice this weight difference for the functions, then fret not! Dyson used the same Radial Root Cyclone technology for this machine to capture microscopic dust across multiple floor types.

Moreover, it has three suction modes to suit the needs of your tasks: to clean up deep pile carpets, large debris, and to pick up Max mode for ground-in dirt.

The Dyson Light Ball’s cord cable is 31 feet (equivalent to ~ 9.5 meters). For a corded vacuum, this length is perfect compared to its competitors on the market. What is more, its wand is transparent plastic, so if there are any blockages, you can easily see it. Even though this is just a minor detail, it can make a big difference to your everyday use.

Dyson Multi Floor 2 - Somewhat similar upright vacuum but slightly smaller and lighter 

Dyson Multi Floor 2 Via: Amazon

If Dyson Ball Animal 2’s unparalleled suction impressed you, but its high price does not, then the Dyson Multi Floor 2 is a more budget-friendly option. This machine is basically more compact and slightly more affordable, making it more accessible for a broader range of customers of varied needs.

Dyson Multi Floor has the same iconic bowling-ball look of the Dyson Ball series, but it comes in gold. The machine’s maximum suction power is 245 watts, giving it more than enough capacity to handle vacuuming tasks on bare floors, low and medium-pile carpets.

This golden sibling of Dyson Ball Animal 2 also has a self-adjusting cleaning head and a whole-machine HEPA filtration. Like its bigger brother, Dyson Multi Floor includes a built-in wand that can be instantly released.

Its weight is 15.6 pounds, dustbin capacity is 0.4 gallons, and the vacuum has a 31-foot power cord to give you an operating radius of 47 feet. So you will get most of what Animal 2 offers but in a more lightweight machine. Isn’t it worth careful consideration?

Dyson Cinetic Big Ball - Somewhat similar machine but requires less maintenance

Dyson Cinetic Big Ball  Via: Amazon

If Dyson is your favorite vacuum brand, but you’re a little bit tired of the hassle of bags replacing or filters cleaning, Dyson Big Ball Cinetic is your machine. Since this vacuum does not have any filters or bags to change, users are released from the maintenance.

Is there anything else that you need to know about this high-end device? It has an active base-place, which automatically adjusts the height of its cleaner head to seal in suction while vacuuming different floor types and picking up even the smallest particles that are not visible to naked eyes.

Its bagless dust bin is also easy to empty. Additionally, its transparent canister lets you see how full it is while vacuuming. Last but not least, the HEPA filter of this machine does not need to be washed or replaced.

Dyson Cinetic Big Ball is the only machine with class-leading suction power but does not have filters to wash. It is undeniably designed to make your vacuuming experience much more enjoyable.

Conclusion

Dyson has been loved by customers worldwide as the company builds and renovates its vacuums around customers' needs. The patented cyclone technology is an example. It was developed to tackle frequent suction loss issues.

Similarly, the patented ball technology was introduced to reduce the awkward maneuvering experience that is common when vacuum users try to turn corners or edges.

Despite a few concerns regarding weight, Dyson Ball Animal 2 has immense suction power. There are virtually no surfaces or pet hair that can not be effectively clean. In short, we find that the pros of this vacuum outweigh the cons.

We hope our above Dyson Ball Animal 2 Review has provided you with useful information to decide whether this high-end vacuum is the right choice. If budget is not your concern, it is a wise investment that would last for years to come.