- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Our Verdict
- Video
- Test Results
- Differences
- Compared to others
- Discussions
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a great overall upright vacuum that has outstanding performance on bare floors and carpets. It cleans hair extremely well on any type of surface and does a great job with large and small debris. It comes with a pet grooming tool that you can use to groom your pet and vacuum the hair at the same time, which is useful if your pet isn't afraid of the vacuum. It also comes with a good selection of tools and brushes, such as a turbo brush, a crevice tool, and an upholstery tool. Unfortunately, it has a mediocre build quality and the pieces are difficult to put together when you first buy the vacuum. On the upside, it has good maneuverability, it's fairly easy to maintain, and it has a good dirt compartment.
Our Verdict
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is impressive to use on bare floors. It doesn't have many issues cleaning any type of debris on bare floors and the rotating head gives it good maneuverability. It has a good dirt compartment and a good range. It's also fairly easy to maintain but it has mediocre overall build quality.
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Amazing performance on bare floors.
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Good maneuverability.
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The dirt compartment is a good size.
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Mediocre build quality.
Impressive for use on low-pile carpet. The Dyson Ball Animal 2 picks up almost all large debris and most hair on this type of surface, and it does a great job of sucking up small debris. It doesn't have a power adjustment setting but you can turn the brushroll on and the head has a surface type adjustment feature. It's fairly easy to maintain and the dirt compartment is a good size.
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Outstanding on carpets.
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Good maneuverability.
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The dirt compartment is a good size.
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Mediocre build quality.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is impressive if you want to use it on high-pile carpet. On this type of carpet, it cleans all hair, an excellent amount of large debris, and a good amount of small debris. It's easy to maneuver around the room and it has a good-sized dirt compartment. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a power adjustment setting to increase its power on high-pile carpet.
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Outstanding on carpets.
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Good maneuverability.
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The dirt compartment is a good size.
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Mediocre build quality.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is an excellent vacuum to clean pet hair with. It has no trouble cleaning hair on any surface and it has a turbo brush to help vacuum on couches. It also comes with a pet grooming tool that you could use to groom your pet. Unfortunately, the vacuum has a mediocre build quality.
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Pet grooming tool.
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Amazing performance on bare floors.
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Outstanding on carpets.
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Mediocre build quality.
Mediocre for use on stairs. The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is an upright vacuum so it's bulky and heavy to carry up and down the stairs. If you choose to use it on steps, it has outstanding performance on bare floors and carpets so it doesn't have any problem cleaning hair or debris. It also comes with a turbo brush and it has a good range.
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Amazing performance on bare floors.
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Outstanding on carpets.
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Mediocre build quality.
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Bulky to use on stairs.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 isn't designed to be used in cars.
- 8.3 Bare Floor
- 8.3 Low-Pile Carpet
- 8.3 High-Pile Carpet
- 8.6 Pets
- 6.0 Stairs
- 6.6 Cars
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Video
Test Results
The Animal 2 has a mediocre build quality. It's mainly made out of plastic with the wand made out of lightweight metal. However, the entire vacuum doesn't feel very sturdy overall. The transparent plastic on the dirt compartment feels like it could break if dropped and the ball is flimsy as it moves a bit when the vacuum is in an upright position. Out-of-the-box, there are a lot of parts that need assembly and unlike some other Dyson vacuums, the parts don't have an easy-clip mechanism, making it a bit difficult to put together or remove parts. If you're looking for a corded upright vacuum with a much sturdier build, consider the Miele Dynamic U1 PowerLine.
The Animal 2 is somewhat easy to maintain and there aren't many parts that need maintenance.
- Dirt compartment: The dirt compartment is easy to take apart and you can empty it without dirtying your hands. You just need to pull it from the top with the handle and it empties from the bottom.
- Brushroll: You can't remove the brushroll from the main head, but if you unclip the base plate on the underneath of the head, you can remove any tangled hairs.
- Pre-motor filter: The pre-motor filter is located in the dirt compartment and it's easy to take out. Dyson suggests to wash it with water once a month, and you have to let it dry for 24 hours before using it again.
- Post-motor filter: The post-motor filter is located in the ball and you have to unscrew the side of the ball with your hands to take it out. Like the pre-filter, it should be washed with water once a month.
If the filters are well-maintained, they don't need to be replaced. However, like any other vacuum, if you don't properly maintain the filters, they may need to be replaced eventually.
The Animal 2 has okay storage capability. It stays upright on its own but takes up a good amount of space. There's on-board storage for a few tools but not all of them, which is disappointing.
The dirt compartment has a good size and there's a line indicating when it's full.
- Vacuum ball/body
- Dirt compartment
- Wand
- Hose
- Vacuum head
- Turbo brush
- Soft bristle brush
- Hard bristle brush
- Crevice tool
- Upholstery tool
- Hard floor tool
- Pet tool
- Pre-motor filter
- User guide
The Ball Animal 2 has a good range. The cord is very long and you can likely bring the vacuum to another room without changing plugs, depending on the size of the rooms.
The Ball Animal 2 has decent portability. It's heavier than the similarly-sized BISSELL PowerForce Helix, but the carrying handle makes transporting it to another floor easier.
The Ball Animal 2 doesn't have a battery.
The Ball Animal 2 has a few extra features. The head adjusts itself to adapt to any floor type. There's an on/off button near the handle for the brushroll. When the vacuum is in an upright position, the suction doesn't come through the main head, but rather the hose on the body. You need to place the vacuum at an angle for the suction to go through the main head.
The Ball Animal 2 Total Clean comes with quite a few tools. The soft bristle brush is attached to the crevice tool, which can be placed on the on-board storage along with the upholstery tool, but not all tools fit on the on-board. Unlike the BISSELL CleanView Swivel Pet, this vacuum also comes with a pet grooming tool. Note that there's a variant of this vacuum sold with fewer tools.
You can also use this vacuum with the wand and hose, but the vacuum has to be in an upright position for the suction to go through the wand. If you want an upright vacuum that can be used in a handheld mode, check out the Shark Navigator Lift-Away.
The Animal 2 has amazing performance on bare floors. It picks up all hair and small debris like rice. Unlike the BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Plus or Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal Canister, it's able to pick up most large debris like cereal. However, some cereal can still get stuck underneath the head. The vacuum maintains its performance as the dirt compartment gets filled though, which is great.
The Ball Animal 2 has outstanding performance on low-pile carpet. With the brushroll turned on, it sucks up most large debris like sand and hair, and its performance is consistent as the dirt compartment fills. It struggles just a bit with smaller debris like baking soda, but it's still able to suck up most of it.
Excellent performance on high-pile carpet. The automatic surface type adjustment helps it clean on this carpet and it has no problem with hair. Like on low-pile carpet, it's better at cleaning large debris than small debris.
Good maneuverability. Since the vacuum is quite big, it's harder to use in tight spaces, but the ball makes it easy to move around. To clean under tables and couches, you need to attach the floor tool, and for furniture, either the turbo or crevice tools are a good choice. The tools are a bit difficult to remove/put on since they don't have an easy-clip mechanism like other Dyson vacuums. The vacuum struggles on rugs as the tassels get stuck and the vacuum doesn't clean the rug.
Differences Between Sizes and Variants
We tested the Dyson Ball Animal 2 Total Clean but there are two versions of the vacuum that you can buy with different parts included, which are listed below. Besides the tools and brushes, we expect our results to be valid for the other variant.
| Model Name | Included Tools | Notes |
| Dyson Ball Animal 2 Total Clean | Turbo brush, soft bristle brush, hard bristle brush, crevice tool, upholstery tool, hard floor tool, pet tool | |
| Dyson Ball Animal 2 | Turbo brush, soft bristle brush, crevice tool, upholstery tool |
If someone comes across an Animal 2 that's different from ours, let us know in the discussions and we'll update our review.
Compared to other vacuums
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is one of the best vacuums we've tested in terms of cleaning performance. It performs exceptionally well on all surface types, and even though it's on the bulky side and not very portable, most people should be happy with it. Also see our recommendations for the best vacuums, the best upright vacuums, and the best vacuums for pet hair.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a better vacuum for cleaning floors while the Dyson V11 Animal is more versatile. The Ball Animal 2 is an upright vacuum with outstanding performance on bare floors and carpets. It also has a bigger dirt compartment and it comes with a pet grooming tool. The V11 is a cordless stick vacuum so you're not limited by a cord in terms of its range. You can also use it as a handheld vacuum, which is useful to vacuum stairs or inside cars.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a better vacuum for all surface types than the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal. The Ball Animal 2 has a better performance with pet hair, as well as both small and large debris. As it's a bulky upright vacuum, it isn't suited for cleaning cars and you may have a harder time cleaning stairs, especially when compared to the range and maneuverability of the Cinetic Big Ball Animal.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a better overall upright vacuum than the BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Plus. The Dyson has a longer range, and it requires less maintenance and with almost no recurring costs. It has a better performance on all surface types too, and it also comes with a pet grooming tool, which is nice for pet owners.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a bit better overall than the Shark APEX Upright Vacuum. The Dyson performs much better on carpet, it's easier to move around, and it's easier to maintain too. The Shark performs better on bare floors, it has a bigger dirt compartment, and since it can also be used as a handheld vacuum, it's better-suited to use on stairs or to vacuum inside cars.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is better for most uses than the Shark Navigator Lift-Away. Both vacuums perform similarly on bare floors but the Dyson has much better performance on carpet. It's also easier to maneuver, it comes with more tools and brushes, and it has a much better range. On the other hand, since the Shark can be used in a handheld configuration, it's better-suited to clean stairs and cars.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is better than the Hoover WindTunnel 2 Whole House Rewind for any type of use. It performs much better on bare floors and it has outstanding performance on carpet. Despite also being an upright vacuum, the Dyson is easier to maneuver because of its rotating head. However, the Hoover is easier to maintain and it has a slightly bigger dirt compartment.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a better overall vacuum than the BISSELL CleanView Swivel Pet. The Dyson cleans all surface types better, it has an anti-allergy filter, it's easier to maintain, and there are virtually no recurring costs. It also has a better range, a pet grooming tool, and it's significantly easier to maneuver.
The Shark APEX UpLight is better for the most part than the Dyson Ball Animal 2. The Shark has better performance on bare floors, it's more portable, and it feels better built. However, the Dyson cleans better on carpet and has a bigger dirt compartment.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 and Miele Dynamic U1 PowerLine are very similarly-performing upright vacuums. The Dyson employs a bagless design with a HEPA filter, so it has virtually no recurring costs and can filter out allergens more effectively. It's also lighter and consequently easier to carry around and maneuver in tight spots. That said, the Miele is much better-built, easier to maintain, and has a much larger dirt compartment.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is better overall than the Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away Upright. It has outstanding performance on any surface, it has good maneuverability, a longer range, and it's easier to maintain. The Shark can be used as a handheld vacuum so it's a better choice to clean stairs and cars with.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a better overall upright vacuum than the BISSELL PowerForce Helix. The Dyson has a better performance on all surface types, it's significantly more maneuverable, it's easier to maintain, and it has virtually no recurring costs. It also has a longer range and it comes with more tools and brushes. However, the BISSELL is lighter and it has a slightly bigger dirt compartment.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is better for most use cases then the BISSELL Featherweight Stick 2033. The Dyson is a corded upright with a substantially longer range, far more accessories and cleaning peripherals, and substantially better cleaning performance across all surface types. The BISSELL, however, is easier to maintain and carry around by virtue of its lighter, simpler design. It's also slightly better at picking up pet hair.
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