Dyson - V11 Animal Cordless Vacuum - Purple/Nickel

When I heard that Dyson was going to stop developing their standard plug in / stand-up vacuums, I scoffed at the idea that they would ever get a cordless vacuum to work 1/2 as well as a Dyson Ball and they would have to pry my Ball - Animal 2 from my cold, dead hands! (I even bought some spare parts for it just in case they stopped production as well as development!) Having used the V11 Animal for a little over a week now, I think I might actually give up my Dyson Ball pretty willingly; the V11 is that good. I am a neat freak and I have cleaning devices all over the house (vacuums, steam mops, etc). I have been a Dyson fan since my first Dyson stand-up sucked up a full canister of junk from what I thought was a completely clean floor. I purchased one of the first cordless vacs when they came out, and while I was impressed at the power of it at the time, I never considered it a primary vacuum. I replaced my old cordless stick vac a few years ago with the V6 Absolute and while it was a dramatic improvement on my original stick vacuum, it still was in no way a threat to my stand up Dyson. I primarily used my V6 on the tile floors in my house (about half of my flooring in a 3000 sq/ft house) and some of the smaller rugs. I have two rooms downstairs with carpet, the library and my office, and there is probably about 400 sq/ft of vacuum area when you account for the furniture. For giggles, I thought I would try out the V11 and its new high torgue cleaner head (which seems to me like a bulked up version of the one from my V6). Having charged it all night to ensure a full battery, I gave it a go. The V11 stunned me with the power it had and how easy and fast it was to vacuum those spaces. I didn't have to switch plugs (because those two rooms are on different sides of the house), I didn't have to deal with the cord, and on its normal 'Auto' mode, it made the nice vacuum lines on the floor that I'm always looking for and it filled the bin with a remarkable amount of junk. I decided to keep going and do the remainder of the floors downstairs which are mostly tile with a few rugs and the the new cleaning head and Auto mode did a great job adjusting the suction and power depending on the floor type. I was also pleasantly surprised that the V11 is actually quieter than my V6, but that is mostly because I had to operate the V6 on turbo mode to get it to clean the way I wanted. The only drawback I found from this test was that the bin was completely full by the time I finished the floors downstairs, I'm attaching a picture of the bin from after the two carpeted rooms and the tile floors filled it the rest of the way. It was easy to empty though with a satisfying 'shotgun pump' action. This is far nicer and secure than the canister dump on the V6, though you do have to detach the tube or attachment from the front to make it work which you didn't have to do on the older models. I then went on to do the upstairs, which is mostly carpet, and it was again super easy since I didn't have to switch plugs multiple times but I did have to empty the bin twice (each time involving a trip downstairs to the garbage). It did a great job and I was extremely impressed. If Dyson could only find a way to have this amount of suction with a larger bin, this thing would be a no-brainer. I will say though that while the entire device is not nearly as heavy as my Dyson Ball, the fact that all the weight is mostly in your hand vs. on the floor takes a bit getting used to. It's more of a balance thing than a weight issue, at least for me. Another feature that I really like is the equipment caddy that now attaches to the extension tube when you are floor cleaning. Rather than stuffing the crevice tool and the combination tool heads in my pockets, they are both right there in easy reach and I can have the compact motorized head with me in my pocket. The caddy is super solid and doesn't slip or rotate around the tube (picture below). All-in-all, I am extremely impressed with the power and flexibility of the V11. I'm still on the fence on whether or not to get rid of my Dyson Ball vacuum but I'm thinking it is probably going to go. In the past Dyson has said that their V-Series of cordless vacuums could replace your corded ones, but now I actually believe them. Oh, I almost forgot, battery life! By the end of my vacuuming of the entire house using only Auto mode, I still had one segment of the battery indicator left (out of three). I have no idea what percentage of capacity it actually has left but it is good to know I can do the entire house in Auto mode with a complete charge. I guess with the upgraded model it actually give you a digital readout of the battery power on the back of the device but I didn't really need that feature. I would not hesitate to recommend the Dyson V11 Animal for anyone with a house smaller than mine, especially if they have the same makeup of carpet vs. tile/hardwood/linoleum. If you have all carpet of a larger house than me, then it is a real toss-up. The V11 will have all the power you need suction wise but perhaps not battery wise. Also, the repeated trips to empty the bin may offset the usefulness of the cordless feature.

Pros: * Amazing suction - as good as our prior Dyson canister. * Great battery life - up to 60 minutes on a charge is more than enough for typical use between charges. * Quiet - seems a lot quieter than our prior v8 model. * Versatile - tools that are both useful and easy to use. Cons: * Powerhead is a bit heavy after prolonged handheld use. * Need to remove all attachments (including stick) to empty. I’ll try not to repeat anything that you can easily find in the user’s manual or Dyson web site and instead focus on stuff that you might only experience after using this update to the always-improving line of Dyson cordless vacuums. First the basics. The suction on this thing is amazing. I have owned quite a few prior Dyson models and the cordless ones always gave up a bit of the suction in favor of being cordless. This one is the first time I’m regularly reaching for my cordless vac instead of the corded one because it’s just that good. The dust bin is still quite a bit smaller than a typical full-size corded vacuum, but poor suction is no longer a reason to skip the cordless. The battery life is projected at around an hour of use with no motorized tools. If you’re doing the floors like you would with a corded vac, you’ll most likely be using the motorhead and thus get less than 60 minutes, but it’s still more than enough for a typical home or apartment. If you’re just doing touch up work around the house or car; 60 minutes of use is a lot. Prior models were not necessarily noisy, but this one is noticeably less loud. It also makes this really interesting sound when spinning down. I feel like I’m vacuuming with a pocket-sized muffled jet turbine. The wall bracket that was introduced in the last model (v10) is more of a drop-in charger rather than the prior ones that you had to maneuver up and down in a spring-loaded contraption. Now you just drop it in or lift it up - much easier! There’s even a nice status LED on both sides of the vac that indicate when its charging plus the full 3-segment battery level meter on the back (top when wall mounted). On to the new stuff - this particular model has a simple function display on the back of the powerhead. It has a indicators for when there might be a blockage, when the filter is removed and the battery level as indicated by 3 battery segments. There is also a single button to select the power mode; “Eco” for basic use and prolonged battery life, “Boost” for more power at the expense of battery life, and “Auto” where it figures out how much power you might need based on the suction demand at the moment. The motorhead tool has a mechanical switch with 3 settings as well; low, auto and high, to adjust the suction and power when doing floors. There’s a nice bracket that attaches to the tube and provides convenient storage for two tools such as the crevice and the brush tools. You can’t easily carry all of the tools like this, but having 3 tools on-hand is a nice feature. Putting my “nit-picky” hat on, there are really only two small complaints I have about this awesome vacuum; the first is that the powerhead (the handheld part) is a tad heavy to hold in one hand if you’re not resting its weight on the stick and the motorhead doing floors. If you’re just holding it in one hand to vacuum drapes or car seats, etc.., it can get a tad heavy after a while. The second is that you have to remove all tools including the tube to empty the dust bin because the dust bin opens in that direction. While this isn’t a huge deal, it does slow you down a bit if you need to empty the dust bin while in the middle of doing a larger job. Overall, the two small nits I mention above are far from deal breakers. This vacuum does its job admirably with great suction, great battery life, convenient features, and as-expected Dyson quality. You may find other cordless vacuums that claim to be “as good” for less money, but it is highly doubtful any of them can truly match the power, versatility and quality of this Dyson.

This is my first Dyson product, but I have heard the great reputation of the company and know others that praise their products. My rating being based on all factors, is docked one star for some minor details that do not represent any flaws in the device itself...in short the vacuum is great! My main complaint has to do with the dock and attachments. Dock Mounting: The included drywall mounting anchor are barely adequate. It is a typical low weight drywall fastener requiring a 7/32 bit (not stated anywhere) and a hammer to properly insert. That style while rated for holding the weight of the vacuum itself for sure, is not going to hold up to the constant docking and removal, the down force of making sure it seats properly will eventually pull the fasteners out of the wall. In my week of testing has this happened, NO, but experience tells me otherwise. I recommend either a toggle-bolt style anchor or Zip-It equivalent style anchor. The included fasteners tend to strip out the drywall and the backing plate will come loose. The included anchor also works with concrete/brick/block walls where as my recommendations do not. At the cost though, we are talking pennies so just included a better drywall anchor as an option. Attachments: The vacuum has a clip that will hold two of the attachments on board, and the dock has a further 2 spots to hold attachments, however, I found it frustrating that only one configuration exists to allow all attachments to be stored. Like I said this is definitely minor, but when a company prides itself in its innovation and testing (just watch their videos) and assumes a level of superiority over other products, I will hold it to the standard it says it has. The ONLY configuration that works is where the largest (and most used) floor head is attached to the dock and the fine bristle head (not combo unit) is attached next to it, leaving the upholstery head attached to the vacuum itself and the other attachments mounted to the extension pole clip. I just find that irritating as the most used part cannot be left on the device and keep all the other attachments neatly stored. A secondary complaint has to do with the included documentation or rather the lack of proper battery care instructions. This is becoming a major concern for me as ALL (yes ALL) products I have reviewed lately while extensively warn against the dangers of batteries and what will void a warranty, yet it never gives full detailed instruction for battery care. This device never actually states if the vacuum can be left docked past the charging time, one would assume so, but it doesn't actually state it, it does however state that if not being used for extended periods of time that it should be removed from the docking station. So what is Dyson's definition of "extended periods of time"? One week, one month, multiple months? That being said, you probably won't run into that problem in your normal routine because you will be using it a lot! Trigger: I get the design here is to give the maximum battery life per use, however, I question that when you start and stop using the head attachment as their is about 2-3 second delay before the attachment gets up to full speed. Also, for larger jobs like continuous floor space or car cleaning that may have your arm at awkward angles, it would be nice to have a trigger lock. And that is where the negatives end! It's a short list. My main intended use was for the dreaded carpeted stairs. I've dealt with corded handheld options, vacuums with extremely long extension tubes, battery-operated versions, and none have ever really cleaned the carpets and to the point where it is was pointless to even try. WELL NOT ANYMORE! This Dyson V11 sucks! But in the truest definition of the word. I have two small indoor dogs and have been living in my current home around 6.5 years, and it was a little embarrassing how much dirt and dog hair it picked up. I had to empty the bin half way through the task. Battery Run Time: I cannot say if it hit the claimed 60* min run time or not. However, I did manage to clean 150sqft of kitchen tile floor space (Eco), tested it out on about 20sqft of carpet (Eco), cleaned the stairs as mentioned (Boost), and cleaned a Honda Odyssey after a road trip (Eco) with said two dogs before the battery alerted me I was done. That's quite a few tasks completed on one charge, requiring bin cleaning 4 times. Oh and cleaned a sectional sofa twice (Eco). Always using either the larger floor attachment or the smaller roller attachment, both which use battery power to turn the heads, which is a huge plus to the suction based ones which are all but pointless. I would highly recommend this product as a spot cleaner, stair cleaner, household shop vac replacement (not for wet use), car interior cleaner, baseboard/crown molding cleaner, couch cleaner, etc. I would NOT get rid of you regular vacuum unless you are in smaller living space. The carpet cleaning will require Boost to get a good clean. With a 3.5 hour charge time in between fully depleted and fully charged, I'll need to space out my cleaning duties either by morning/evening or by days. This vac is going to get a lot of use and the construction and durability is solid for sure. The power is equivalent to a standard vacuum. Dumping the dust bin is an absolute cinch and a cleanable reusable filter is great. Accessing the bristle head in the rollers is also easy, so getting rid of tangled hair will be simple. Highly recommend doing it too, if not once it gets thick enough it will rob you of battery life by causing the bristle motor to work harder and vac motor to work harder. I think you will enjoy this greatly if you know what you will be using it for ahead of time, whole home cleaning, maybe if you space out timing, but as a do-it-all spot/specialty cleaner...DEFINITELY!

If you’ve wanted a cordless vacuum or have been intrigued by them, but have had concerns with battery life, the wait is over. My first Dyson product was the V8 animal that I still have and use on a regular basis and after two years it’s still an awesome vacuum. When I first got it my concerns were the short battery life on high and the non replaceable battery. The battery after two years hasn’t been an issue like I thought it would be and it still holds a charge the same as day one. The Dyson V8 has enough suction on the low setting for carpets that you don’t need the high setting most of the time except for the really tough stuff. Dyson hit a solid double maybe a triple with the V8, with the V11 its a Grand Slam! To start off, the new power head and auto mode is a game changer. When you go from hardwood/tile to carpet, it automatically switches and increases the suction. This is very noticeable, this thing has some major suction in the auto mode to where I never felt the need to use Boost. For most bathroom mats don’t use anything except Eco mode, it’s just to powerful. The three modes are Eco, Auto and Boost. I was able to completely vacuum a 3000sf house with most of the base boards and the steps with still one bar left on the battery in Auto mode. A nice addition to the V11 is the addition of a two piece tool holder that attaches to the tube. This little addition is a welcome add on that I missed on the V8. All of the attachments from the V8 work with the V11 which is nice. The future is cord free and Dyson is in a solid potion to lead it with this Vacuum, it really is that good. I was skeptical when I first got the V8, but two years later I can say it has been an awesome vacuum. I’ll keep my V8 for light task but the V11 is now the King of the house. I was skeptical if the V8 at the time was worth the steep price, with the V11 there’s no such concern. This thing is worth every penny and then some! From Bluetooth headphones to power tools to vacuums, its time to cut the cord, and for Vacuums the Dyson V11 is the current King, Bar None!

Dyson has been very successful in developing a brand that is highly regarded as innovative and cutting edge by the public. The Dyson SV14 V11 Animal cordless stick-type vacuum continues that reputation. I’ve owned an older DC35 since 2009. It had worn out its third battery and after ten years of service I decided it was time to see what the newest Dyson cordless stick-type vacuum had to offer. The newest model SV14 V11 shows that Dyson has improved every feature of this category of vacuum and has added a few more. To make a performance comparison I used my old DC35 to clean a throw rug at our back door as thoroughly as I could and then went over the same rug immediately with the new V11. It picked up an amazing amount of sand, dust, pollen and fibers that the DC35 had left behind just minutes before. Features: - A 25.2-volt battery and a new brushless digital DC motor in the upper section delivers twice the suction of any other cordless vacuum according to the Dyson literature. My personal results seem to back that claim up. - The Cleaner Head that rides on the floor or carpet, also has a high-torque motor but rather than run continuously at its highest speed and power, the head is computer controlled. When the V11 senses carpeting, it adds power to the Cleaner Head and upper vacuum motor to maintain brush RPM and increase the suction to lift the dirt from deep within the carpet. When it senses that the Cleaner Head is back on a hard floor surface, the power is reduced to appropriate levels. This constant sensing and adjustment ensures the cleanest floors possible with the lowest amount of battery drain. When the Cleaner Head moves back over the hard floor, you can hear the power decrease. - The upper power head contains a final stage hepa type filter that prevents fine dust particles from escaping the Dust Bin during operation. - The Dyson SV14 V11 has a large 0.2 gallon Dust Bin. When you want to empty the bin over a trash can, pushing one lever ejects the dust and dirt effectively with a shot-gun-pump-action-like mechanism. My older Dyson required banging the collection bin on the trash can to get the dust out. That sometime resulted in some of the dirt falling to the floor. - The V11 comes with several attachments both powered and unpowered to clean difficult spaces like stairs, chairs and automobile upholstery. - The stiff rotating bristles in the Cleaner Head combined with the very high suction force, clean carpeted stairs so well that it lifts the dirt filled crushed carpet in those high traffic areas and re-fluffs the fibers to refresh the flattened out high traffic areas of the carpet. PROS: - A much improved (compared to my old Dyson) on-off trigger is far more comfortable to use. - Automatic load sensing and variable power output extend battery life. - The configuration of the power brushes and Cleaner Head has been changed so that the head pushes forward through heavy carpet much easier than earlier Dyson models. - The ball-swivel head allows the vacuum to be easily maneuvered around corners and obstacles. - Includes a wall mounted charging station with necessary screws and brackets to mount the entire V11 and SOME of the vacuum accessories when they are not in use. - Vacuums various floor surfaces VERY well. CONS: - The extra power comes with extra weight. My old DC35 weighed 5 lbs. while the V11 weighs 6.5 lbs. - The V11 come with 4 extra head attachments, but the charging station only has mounting points for 2 of those attachments. There is a plastic clamp to mount two extra attachments to the main down-tube, but that makes the entire vacuum heavier and more awkward to use. That means 2 of the 4 attachments will wind up in a drawer someplace and may be forgotten.

This vacuum is so versatile and has many attachments. I purchased a stand on Amazon. Don’t know why I waited so long to get one, it’s a game changer. I have the regular Dyson, which I moved upstairs.

Overall the Dyson V11 is a great vacuum. Great suction, seamless transition between hardwood floor and carpets. The load sensor can determine the different floor type and increase suction power. This is a bigger unit than previous models. Because its bigger, it is hard to clean tight corners or small spaces like the driver side of a car or under a sofa/bed. Older models have the trash bin perpendicular to suction head. The Dyson V11 has the trash bin parallel to the suction head making the unit feel like a space gun. A bulky space gun. There is one unique feature that has nothing to do with the performance. After pulling the trigger there is a distinct “Boing” sound that’s kind of funny. That sounds is worth testing out the unit. You will get a kick out of it.

This was my first time trying Dyson cordless vacuum and I simply loved it! It was very easy to assemble.The red buttons on attachments are very helpful. I live in a 2 bedroom apartment so I was able to vacuum without running out of battery. Auto mode is fantastic! I was really impressed that it automatically adapts from hardwood to carpet and other surfaces as needed. It came with a wall mount but no place to storage the other accessories. I guess you just have to put them in a different location. It is also very easy to empty the canister. I think it might be a little bulky if I want to vacuum the carpet in my car, but no big deal. Overall, I’m very impressed and would highly recommend the Dyson Animal V11!