Dyson DC15 Animal - The perfect vacuum for pet owners!

This is by far the best vacuum for pet owners or anyone who has problems with dust or fine dirt particles.

We have gone through many vacuum cleaners over the years, most dying out, others just losing their suction, but we definitely found a winner with the Dyson DC15 Animal. I couldn't believe how much more it picks up over my old Hoover that basically bit the dust. With
two cats and three kids, I have to vacuum often, between cat fur and crumbs, let alone the fine dirt that gets tracked in, there always seems to be something that needs to be cleaned up.

The Animal

Looks - If you're looking for a vacuum that will fit your decor, I think you're out of luck with the vacuums out there today, this includes this one. The purple color won't really match anyone's decor, but that's not what I look for in a vacuum cleaner anyways. It
has a futuristic, almost robotic look to it, especially with the ball. The large clear bin allows you to see how much dirt you've picked up and there is no more guessing on when you need to empty it.

Size - The machine is large, 44.09" high, 13.66" wide and 18.54" deep, but don't let the size fool you, surprisingly this almost 20 pound vacuum is very easy to maneuver and use thanks to the ball technology.

The Ball - I found the ball technology to be quite interesting and wondered why no one had ever thought of it before. The Ball allows you to maneuver around furniture with ease, no more having to move the coffee table to vacuum, instead you just move the vacuum with ease around the legs and it will pick up those tiny pieces of dirt,
crumbs, etc. that like to collect right at the edge.

Lifetime HEPA Filter - With the new technology (Root8), less air goes through the filter, making it last a long time. I'm not sure about the "Lifetime" claim, but we've used this machine for almost a year and it works just as well as it did the first time.

The Bin - The large clear bin is a snap to empty, no more getting your hands dirty emptying the bin. To empty the bin, just take it out, hold over your trash and push a button, it's that simple, no more mess.

Edge Cleaning - The edge cleaning with this machine is great, I've always found with other machines that I've had to still use the attachments to get the edges really clean, not so with the Animal. The trick is to go slowly along the edges and it will pick everything up, no more extra work!

Brush Bar Control - This machine has it where you can turn off the beat bar with a touch of a button when vacuuming your delicate rugs or hardwood floors. Another neat feature is that if it picks up a large string from the edge of a carpet or similar item, it will automatically turn the beater off so it won't damage anything.

No Belts! - The brush bar is motorized, constantly pushing and sweeping stuff into the airflow of the machine for better pick up, this negates the need for belts, which we were always seeming to have to replace in our old Hoover.

Telescopic Reach - With the telescopic wand feature, you can reach high places with ease. Just pull up the telescopic pole, detach the handle from the machine and you're ready to go. Now you can get that dust in the corners on the ceiling with ease, no more having to use a chair to reach it. The telescopic reach part of the machine is also what you put the attachments on, like the standard edge cleaner, mattress tool, etc. The wand does take getting used to when you are used to just the standard hose with attachments, but it works well.

Easy to Clean - Just wipe down with a damp cloth and you're done. If you wait too long between wiping it down you might have to rub a little harder, especially if you've picked up anything damp in the bin. I usually give it a good wipe down once a month unless I notice a lot of dust build up.

Attachments

You still have your standard edge cleaning attachment that comes with basically every vacuum cleaner, one thing about this attachment is the holes on the sides, they supposedly help dislodge dirt and dust caught in the carpet to help make sure you're getting everything.

Mini Turbine Head - This tool is for getting into small spaces where your vacuum won't go. The beater bar on it works exactly like the regular beater bar on the machine, you can turn it off or on. It's also good for couches and chairs, picking up cat fur that our
cats just love to leave on the furniture.

Low Reach Floor Tool - This tool is great for getting under couches and chairs, that your standard vacuum cannot reach. No more having to move the entire couch to vacuum out all those dust bunnies under there.

Carpet Cleaning Kit - I thought this was a nice addition, but it made sense when this particular model is directed at pet owners. It comes with a bag of Zorb powder, Zorb attachment and Dyzolv spray. The powder is supposed to help freshen your carpet (absorb odors) and
the spray is for spills and stains. Both are easy to use and do work quite well.

Sounds neat, but did it work?

I have to say that this machine works perfectly for us. We got the Animal when our Hoover decided to lose a vast amount of suction while I was vacuuming, I got part of the living room done and then it just didn't want to pick anything up. When we brought the Animal home, I first decided to use it on the area that I had previously vacuumed with the Hoover before it lost the suction. I was amazed at the amount of dirt this vacuum pulled from the carpet! The Hoover must have been doing a poor job for a while with the amount of dirt it picked up. Once I did a thorough vacuuming of the living room, I had emptied the bin three times, that's how much dirt was buried in the
carpet, yuck! I also noticed that while I didn't notice any offensive or musty odors, the room smelled fresher, obviously from getting rid of all that dirt.

The kids rooms were next, not a lot of dirt in the carpet, but a lot of dust and cat fur got picked up in those rooms. It also won't suck up Lego's, it might pick up the small ones, but then it'll just make a lot of noise while it's spinning around with the beater bar, you'll have to turn it off and then the little Lego will fall out and then
you can continue.

I also tried it on our kitchen chairs, they are fabric and the cats just love to curl up on them and the couch, the little turbine tool worked perfectly on them and it only took a few minutes and all the cat fur was gone, it also picked up quite a bit of dirt too.

Now, onto the edges of your carpet. I just love the edge cleaning feature on the Animal! I always hated vacuuming along the edges and then having to use attachments to get them really clean. No more of that with the Animal, just get it right up against the edge
and move the vacuum slowly and it will pick up even the smallest pieces of lint, fur, paper, etc. that are right along the edges of your walls.

Another plus about this machine is the long cord, I didn't measure it myself, but Dyson's site says it's 37 feet, this cord allows you vacuum larger areas without having to keep unplugging the plug and moving it to reach different areas. I can do the living room, dining room and half of the hallway in one try. With my Hoover, I could only get the living room and about half of the dining room.

The only complaint I have about this machine is getting shocked from time to time by static. Being metal and sturdy plastic may give it it's futuristic look, but if you have a lot of static, expect to be shocked from time to time by the wand when you're vacuuming. It's not a big deal, more annoying, but not enough to take away from what the machine offers.

Conclusion

I definitely recommend the Dyson DC15 Animal to anyone with pets or those who have a lot of blowing dirt or dust, this is the vacuum to have.

While it may have a hefty price compared to other vacuums out there, it is well worth the cost because it doesn't lose suction like other vacuums do and it will keep your carpets cleaner than other vacuums out there.

For those that suffer from allergies like I do, this helps make sure that you're getting all that dust up from the carpet and furniture. I'm not saying you won't sneeze anymore, because I still sneeze from time to time, but this definitely helps eliminate some of allergens in your carpet and furniture.

If you're looking for a vacuum, I definitely suggest you take a look at the Dyson DC15 Animal, you won't be disappointed, especially if you have pets.