The Dyson Ball Animal 3, a brand new upright vacuum from the model, is specifically designed to sort out the distinctive challenges of a multi-pet family.
Not all vacuums are capable of deal with giant quantities of pet hair and dander. Nonetheless, Dyson vacuums are recognized for his or her highly effective suction and high-quality filtration –each interesting traits when you have pets.
Along with the model’s ‘Radial Root Cyclone’ expertise, which delivers constant suction and optimizes airflow to seize mud and allergens, the Ball Animal 3 additionally has a newly designed cleaner head with ‘hair removing vanes’ to stop lengthy hair from getting wrapped across the brushroll. Plus, its whole-machine filtration system is ready to seize 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns and hold mud, grime, and pet dander out of your private home.
It sounds nice, however is that this new upright mannequin from Dyson one of many greatest vacuums for pets? I put it to the check over the course of a number of weeks to seek out out if it’s a worthwhile improve to your residence. Right here’s what I discovered.
Camryn Rabideau
Camryn Rabideau is a contract author and product reviewer who has been testing residence items, together with cleansing instruments, for a number of years. She examined the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Vacuum from her small homestead in Rhode Island. Because the proprietor of two canines and a cat, she’s all the time on the lookout for the perfect merchandise to assist hold her residence (at the least considerably) freed from pet hair.
Who will love the Dyson Ball Animal 3?
The Dyson Ball Animal 3 is particularly engineered for households with pets, and it has a number of options that make it well-suited for dealing with pet hair and dander – as an illustration, the brand new tangle-resistant brushroll. Due to its giant measurement and corded design, it’s greatest fitted to extra thorough cleansing jobs, versus selecting up small on a regular basis messes, and I discovered it performs particularly effectively on rugs, making it a helpful device for households with plenty of carpeting.
Dyson Ball Animal 3: Specs
(Picture credit score: Dyson)
- Energy: 290 AW
- Bin capability: 1.7 L
- Bin type: Bagless
- Weight: 17.3 kilos
- Wire size: 50 toes (35 toes twine with a 15 toes hose)
- Settings: 3
- Dimensions: 42.2 x 15.5 x 11.02 inches
- Cleansing path width: 11.02 inches
- Filter: Entire-machine filtration
- Equipment: Stair device, mixture device, device holder
- RRP: $399.99
Dyson Ball Animal 3: design
Dyson Ball Animal 3 out of the field
(Picture credit score: Camryn Rabideau)
Immediately, I observed that the Dyson Ball Animal 3 is a big, heavy vacuum. It weighs round 17 kilos, and it’s pretty cumbersome to tote round the home. When transferring it between rooms, I usually opted to roll it as an alternative of selecting it up, and it’s positively cumbersome to hold up and down the steps. Because of this, it’s most likely not your best option for these with mobility limitations or houses with a number of flooring.
The suction adjuster is is positioned on the highest of the cleaner head.
(Picture credit score: Camryn Rabideau)
To show the Dyson on, there’s a big pink button on the entrance of the deal with, and there’s a second button that turns the brushroll on/off – useful should you’re sucking up cat litter or one other materials that’s simply scattered round. The one different management on the vacuum is the suction adjuster, which for some motive is positioned on the highest of the cleaner head. That is inconvenient, as you must cease and “park” the vacuum to stroll round and alter the suction energy as you progress from carpeting to exhausting flooring. I typically needed to cease and regulate the vacuum a number of occasions whereas cleansing the downstairs space of my residence.
The “Ball” design is meant for simpler maneuverability
(Picture credit score: Camryn Rabideau)
This vacuum has Dyson’s signature “ball” design – therefore its identify – which makes it fairly simple to maneuver round obstacles and into corners of your private home. I like that the stabilizing wheels on the underside of the vacuum routinely launch whenever you tilt the physique again, making it simple to start out transferring. Different fashions, such because the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum, require you to carry the bottom together with your foot to unlock the physique from its parked place.
A more in-depth have a look at the hair removing vanes
(Picture credit score: Camryn Rabideau)
The Ball Animal 3 additionally has a newly designed brush head, often known as the de-tangling Motorbar, and is extra aligned with the cleaner heads on the Dyson cordless vary. Along with the stiff, dense nylon bristles that agitate and take away grime from carpets and flooring, it incorporates ‘hair removing vanes’ to stop lengthy hair from getting wrapped across the brush roll. It is engineered with angled bristles that comply with a spiraling helix design emigrate hair alongside the comb bar, from left to proper.
What’s the Dyson Ball Animal 3 like to make use of?
The Dyson Ball Animal 3 out of the field
(Picture credit score: Camryn Rabideau)
Unboxing the Dyson Ball Animal 3
The Dyson Ball Animal 3 arrived in a tall, slim field, and far to my shock, there was no plastic wrapping or styrofoam inside, simply strategically positioned cardboard cutouts. Many manufacturers nonetheless use a surplus of plastic of their packaging, so it was actually refreshing to see that Dyson is taking a extra sustainable strategy.
The vacuum solely has a number of items to place collectively, and whereas I used to be capable of connect the cleaner head to the physique with none points, I did get confused whereas making an attempt to place the wand part collectively. I ended up needing to seek the advice of the person guide for directions, and admittedly, the instructions weren’t that useful. There are only a few easy diagrams with none textual content. Finally, I discovered that the wand goes into the hose, and also you then slide the wand into place on the again of the vacuum. All-in-all, meeting took me round 10 minutes, after which the vacuum was prepared to make use of.
(Picture credit score: Camryn Rabideau)
On Carpets
Immediately, it was clear to me that the Dyson Ball Animal 3 was designed with carpeting in thoughts. I’ve a number of space rugs in my residence—principally to maintain the animals from scratching up the hardwood flooring—and the Dyson does an unbelievable job pulling grime and canine hair out of the fibers. I used it on the low-pile rug in my eating room, and although I assumed the floor was fairly clear, the highly effective suction of the vacuum pulled out a disturbing quantity of hair that was hiding underneath the floor. The dense nylon bristles are perfect for this job, driving deep into the carpet to agitate grime and dander, and the cleaner head’s hair removing vanes saved lengthy strands of hair from getting wrapped across the brushroll.
I’ll say that it’s vital to decide on the best suction setting whenever you’re cleansing carpets with this vacuum. In case you have the suction on too excessive, the vacuum will basically suction itself proper to the ground, making it nearly inconceivable to push throughout your carpeting—a lesson I discovered the exhausting manner.
(Picture credit score: Camryn Rabideau)
On Exhausting Flooring
Whereas carpeting is the place this vacuum shines, it nonetheless does an excellent job on exhausting flooring. After I vacuumed the hardwood flooring in my kitchen, the Dyson was really capable of pull particles out from between the floorboards, and I used to be happy with how simple it was to maneuver into corners and round obstacles.
Nonetheless, I do want the vacuum had headlights or different grime detection mechanisms—as an illustration, the model’s cordless stick vacuums have a laser grime detection function that I completely love. These options assist illuminate grime and pet hair on exhausting flooring, and I’ve all the time discovered them useful when cleansing.
(Picture credit score: Camryn Rabideau)
On Stairs
As a result of my canines run up and down the steps a number of occasions a day, I usually must vacuum hair off the staircase at the least twice every week. I used to be excited to see if the Dyson would excel on this space because of its extending hose, however sadly, it fell flat. The model claims that the hose extends to as much as 15 toes, however the issue is that when you flip the suction on, the hose shrinks again on itself. I ended up wrestling to maintain the hose prolonged far sufficient to succeed in up the steps, and total, it was an uncomfortable expertise and I wasn’t capable of attain the highest few steps of the staircase.
I additionally used the vacuum’s hose and wand combo to mud baseboard heaters round the home, and this labored higher, as I didn’t want the hose to be stretched out as a lot. The mixture device did a fantastic job capturing mud off totally different surfaces, and the wand was additionally lengthy sufficient to comfortably suck cobwebs out of the corners of the ceiling.
(Picture credit score: Camryn Rabideau)
Cleansing and Upkeep
I usually needed to empty the Dyson’s dustbin after cleansing one or two rooms in my home, and it’s fast and straightforward to do. There’s a pink button that releases the dustbin from the vacuum, and then you definitely merely press it once more to open the underside and permit the particles to fall into the trash. I by no means had any points with hair or different particles getting caught within the dustbin, although I did be taught to place the bin so far as doable into the trash can—in any other case, mud and grime can puff out into the room as you empty it.
Upkeep for the Dyson Ball Animal 3 is minimal. The model recommends cleansing its two washable filters as soon as a month to keep up optimum suction, and whenever you do that, you might also need to test for blockages within the cleaner head, instruments and essential physique of the vacuum. That’s all the upkeep required to maintain the machine working correctly, and it’s backed by a 5-year guarantee.
Storage
The Dyson Ball Animal 3 is a pretty big vacuum, and it doesn’t fold up or break down for storage, which means it would doubtless take up fairly a little bit of area in a closet or different storage space. The excellent news is that it comes with a device clip that means that you can retailer each equipment proper on the facet of the vacuum in order that they’ll all the time be proper at hand. The vacuum additionally contains a twine wrap on the again of the machine for the facility cable.
How does the Dyson Ball Animal 3 price on-line?
This new Dyson Ball mannequin was launched in summer season 2022, so it nonetheless solely has a modest quantity of on-line opinions. On the Finest Purchase web site (opens in new tab), the vacuum has a mean 4.7-star score primarily based on round 160 opinions, and most reviewers reward the vacuum’s highly effective suction and anti-tangle cleaner head. (It’s value noting that most of the opinions had been gathered by Finest Purchase’s Tech Insider Community (opens in new tab) program, which offers free merchandise to members in alternate for trustworthy opinions.)
Amongst those that weren’t completely happy with the vacuum, among the frequent complaints had been that the suction is just too sturdy, making it troublesome to push and that the hose and wand are cumbersome and awkward to make use of.
How does the Dyson Ball Animal 3 evaluate to different fashions?
If you’d like extra versatility, there are two different variations of this identical vacuum—the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Additional (opens in new tab) for $499.99 and the Dys (opens in new tab)o (opens in new tab)n Ball Animal 3 Full (opens in new tab) for $549.99—that include further instruments and equipment. The Additional contains the “tangle-free turbine device” (a motorized accent for cleansing upholstery) and the model’s new pet groom device, which is actually a canine brush that attaches to the vacuum to make grooming much less messy. The Full mannequin contains each these instruments, in addition to much more equipment, together with a smooth dusting brush, mattress device, and extra.
We’ve additionally examined its predecessor the Dyson Ball Animal 2, and the brand new mannequin options a number of notable upgrades from the earlier model. Most notably, the cleaner head has been redesigned to stop pet hair from getting tangled across the brushroll, and it now options adjustable suction. Nonetheless, past these modifications, the 2 vacuums are just about the identical in design and options.
We additionally lately examined the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum, which is an identical upright mannequin when it comes to measurement and value. Whereas the 2 fashions ship comparable suction, the Stratos is simpler to make use of on stairs or different hard-to-reach areas because of its LiftAway design. Nonetheless, the Stratos has a smaller dustbin that must be emptied extra regularly whereas cleansing.
Do you have to purchase the Dyson Ball Animal 3?
(Picture credit score: Camryn Rabideau)
Essentially the most fundamental model of the Dyson Ball Animal 3 retails for $399.99, which is kind of costly as upright vacuums go. It positively affords superior suction energy in comparison with cheaper fashions, and when you have plenty of carpeting in your house, you gained’t be upset within the Dyson’s sheer cleansing energy. The vacuum does a fantastic job dealing with pet hair, digging it deep from rugs and stopping lengthy strands from getting wrapped across the brushroll, and whereas it’s heavy, it’s simple to maneuver round your private home because of its swiveling ball base.
Nonetheless, should you’re on the lookout for a flexible vacuum that makes it simple to wash stairs and different hard-to-reach areas in your house, this won’t be your best option. The Dyson’s hose could be a bit unwieldy, and it’s not probably the most handy choice for fast cleansing duties. Plus, the bottom mannequin of this vacuum solely comes with two attachments—a crevice/dusting mixture device and a stair device—and if you’d like further equipment, you’ll must shell out much more for the Additional or Full fashions.
