The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a bagless upright vacuum. It's one of the few corded models offered by Dyson, a manufacturer best known for its cordless stick models. It's fairly feature-packed, with a floorhead that can self-adjust its height, an extensive array of attachments, and an allergen-sealed dirt compartment.
Our Verdict
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 delivers good performance on bare floors. It can clean various types of debris on bare floors without issue and comes with a wide assortment of tools and accessories. Its bagless design and washable filters result in a near-total lack of recurring costs. Its large dirt compartment can make it tricky to clean under tables and couches, but its ball-shaped wheel and pivoting head still make it relatively maneuverable. It's also fairly easy to maintain but has mediocre overall build quality.
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Amazing performance on bare floors.
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Decent maneuverability.
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Spacious dirt compartment.
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Long range.
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Mediocre build quality.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a great choice for cleaning low-pile carpet. It picks up solid debris without difficulty and clears most hair on this type of surface, even as its dirt compartment fills up. It's fairly easy to maintain, and the dirt compartment is spacious, too, so it won't need emptying very often. Its bagless design and washable filters also minimize recurring costs.
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Outstanding on carpets.
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Decent maneuverability.
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Spacious dirt compartment.
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Long range.
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Mediocre build quality.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is impressively well-suited to cleaning high-pile carpet. On this type of carpet, it's effective in clearing away pet hair and solid debris, though it can be hard to push on high-pile carpet due to its strong suction force. It doesn't have a power adjustment setting, but its vacuum head automatically changes height to suit different floor types.
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Outstanding on carpets.
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Spacious dirt compartment.
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Long range.
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Mediocre build quality.
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Hard to maneuver on thick carpeting.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a great choice for dealing with pet hair. 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 dedicated pet grooming tool and has an allergen-trapping HEPA filter. Unfortunately, the build quality is unimpressive.
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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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Whole machine filtration.
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Mediocre build quality.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is mediocre for use on stairs. While you can unlatch its wand from its main body to clean stair steps, its upright design is still very bulky and quite heavy to carry up and down stairs. Thankfully, it has outstanding performance on bare floors and carpets, so it doesn't have any problem cleaning hair and small or large debris. It also comes with a turbo brush and has a long power cord and hose, enabling you to clean far away from any electrical outlets.
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Amazing performance on bare floors.
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Outstanding on carpets.
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Long range.
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Mediocre build quality.
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Bulky design.
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No dedicated handheld configuration.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is an upright vacuum and isn't designed for use in cars.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a poor fit for workshop cleaning, though that isn't its intended use. It has little trouble clearing away household debris, but heavier debris like metal or wood shavings could damage its internals. It also can't be used to suck up liquid spills.
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Amazing performance on bare floors.
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Mediocre build quality.
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Can't be used for cleaning liquid spills.
- 7.7 Bare Floor
- 8.1 Low-Pile Carpet
- 8.1 High-Pile Carpet
- 8.1 Pets
- 6.4 Stairs
- 6.9 Cars
- 5.5 Workshop
- Updated Nov 11, 2022: We've updated this review to Test Bench 1.1, which includes a broad range of new testing procedures to measure stain and water-clearing performance, suction power, crevice cleaning performance, noise levels, and air filtration performance. We've also updated our pet hair pickup performance tests on floors and on furniturebare floors as well as low and high-pile carpet have been updated too, not to mention our method of scoring user maintenance requirements, recurring costs, dirt compartment sizing, and suitability for the 'Workshop' usage section.
- Updated Aug 16, 2022: This vacuum's suction force has been retested with a more accurate manometer. The test results for the 'Maximum Suction' and 'Normal Suction' fields have been updated. All relevant scores and text have been updated.
- Updated Jul 29, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated Mar 18, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Jun 16, 2021: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Mar 23, 2021: Lowered 'Maneuverability' score of vacuum due to its high suction force, which makes it difficult to push around on high-pile carpet.
- Updated Jul 06, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Jul 06, 2020: Early access published.
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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 a great option if your main concern in a vacuum is raw performance; it does an excellent job of clearing away debris on a wide range of surfaces. However, its cheap build quality, bulky design, and propensity for getting tangled on thicker carpets make it somewhat uncomfortable to use for extended periods. Its successor, the Dyson Ball Animal 3, represents a significant step up in terms of everyday usability, largely thanks to its redesigned floorhead; it offers three distinct surface settings that you can choose manually, making it a lot easier to maneuver on surfaces like high-pile carpet.
If you're looking for an alternative, 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 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 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 helpful to vacuum stairs or inside cars.
The Dyson V8 and Dyson Ball Animal 2 are differently-designed vacuums with strengths and weaknesses. You can use the V8 far away from an electrical outlet, thanks to its cordless design. It's also far more maneuverable and a lot easier to pick up and carry or store. Meanwhile, the Ball Animal 2 is a corded upright with an automatic surface-type adjustment feature. It delivers superior performance on low and high-pile carpet.
The Dyson Cyclone V10 and Dyson Ball Animal 2 are differently-designed vacuums intended for distinct uses, meaning one might be a better fit for you, depending on your exact needs. The cordless stick/handheld V10 is much lighter and is a lot more maneuverable. It's also easier to assemble or attach different tools thanks to the use of easy-clip mechanisms. Conversely, the Ball Animal 2 has a virtually indefinite runtime, fewer parts that need regular cleaning, and a vacuum head that automatically changes height to suit different surface types.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a bit better overall than the Shark APEX Upright. The Dyson performs much better on carpet, is easier to move around, and it's easier to maintain. The Shark performs better on bare floors, has a bigger dirt compartment, and since you can also use it as a handheld vacuum, is better suited to use on stairs or to vacuum inside cars.
The Dyson Ball Animal 3 is a notable improvement over the Dyson Ball Animal 2. The two vacuums are similar in design, but the Animal 3's updated floorhead makes all the difference. Unlike the Animal 2, it can be detached from the vacuum and has a removable brushroll, making it easier to clean. The Animal 3's floorhead also has anti-tangle vanes that are effective in minimizing hair wraps, and it offers three levels of surface adjustment, resulting in improved performance and suction force across a wide range of surfaces. In contrast, the Animal 2 has a self-adjusting floorhead that doesn't allow you to manually select a surface setting, which makes it slightly harder to maneuver on uneven floors.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a better vacuum for all surface types than the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball. 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 V15 Detect and Dyson Ball Animal 2 are designed to suit different uses, and one may suit you better than the other, depending on your needs. The Ball Animal 2 is a corded upright with a theoretically indefinite runtime. It has a bigger dirt compartment, fewer parts that need regular cleaning, and a dedicated pet grooming tool. Meanwhile, the V15 Detect is a cordless stick/handheld vacuum that's far more compact, easier to maneuver, and comes with a wider assortment of tools, including a fluffy brushroll head with a laser light to help you see small debris. Both vacuums can be difficult to maneuver on some carpets or rugs due to their strong suction force.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a better overall vacuum than the BISSELL CleanView Swivel. 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 Dyson Ball Animal 2 is better for most uses than the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Speed. Both vacuums perform similarly on bare floors, but the Dyson has a better performance on carpet. It's also easier to maneuver, comes with more tools and brushes, and has a much better range. However, since you can use the Shark in a handheld configuration, it's better suited for cleaning stairs and cars.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a better vacuum than the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe NV360. The Dyson is less demanding in terms of maintenance, has a longer power cord and vacuum hose, comes with more tools and accessories, and delivers superior performance on all surface types. Meanwhile, the Shark is a little lighter, and you can use it in a semi-handheld configuration by removing its wand from its body and carrying around its dirt compartment.
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 better overall than the Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away Upright. It has outstanding performance on any surface, a longer range, and it's easier to maintain. You can use the Shark as a handheld vacuum, menaing it's a better choice to clean stairs and cars with.
The Miele Classic C1 and Dyson Ball Animal 2 are differently-designed corded vacuums for different uses. The Miele is a bagged canister vacuum, yielding superior air filtration performance and a cleaner means of debris disposal, though this variant of the C1 doesn't have a HEPA-rated filter. The Miele is also better built, easier to maintain, and more maneuverable in cluttered rooms. It delivers slightly better performance on bare floors too. Meanwhile, the Dyson is a bagless upright that incurs virtually no recurring costs. It clears more debris on carpeted surfaces, comes with more attachments, including a dedicated pet grooming tool, and has a power cord that's nearly twice as long as that of the Miele.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 and BISSELL CrossWave Pet Pro are differently-designed vacuums for different uses. The Dyson is a more conventional bagless upright that incurs minimal recurring costs, has a larger dustbin, a longer range, and has better performance across all surface types. You can also use it in a semi-handheld configuration and comes with a few extra attachments. Meanwhile, the BISSELL is a hybrid vacuum mop that's much more effective in dealing with stains and can clean liquid spills. It also feels better built than the Dyson.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a better upright vacuum than the BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser Turbo. The Dyson has a longer range, requires less maintenance, and has almost no recurring costs. It has a better performance on all surface types and comes with a pet grooming tool, which is nice for pet owners.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 and Dyson Outsize are differently designed vacuums that suit different uses. The Ball Animal 2 is a corded upright vacuum that delivers better performance on low and high-pile carpet. It's also easier to maintain and has a virtually unlimited runtime courtesy of its corded design, though the Outsize has a long overall battery life if you keep its second battery charged. The Outsize feels slightly better built, is easier to store, has a larger dirt compartment, and has a virtually unlimited range. Both vacuums are hard to maneuver on high-pile carpet due to their high suction force.
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 is a better upright vacuum than the BISSELL PowerForce Helix. The Dyson has a better performance on all surface types, it's more maneuverable, it's easier to maintain, and it has virtually no recurring costs. It has a longer range and comes with more tools and brushes. However, the BISSELL is lighter and has a slightly bigger dirt compartment.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 and the Eureka FloorRover are both excellent options for cleaning pet hair, though the Dyson has a couple of advantages. The Dyson is slightly easier to maintain and has no recurring costs, while the Eureka has a HEPA filter that needs replacing on occasion. The Dyson is a bit more maneuverable overall, but its strong suction force can make it harder to move around on carpets.
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. The Miele is much better built, easier to maintain, and has a much larger dirt compartment.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a better upright vacuum than the Sanitaire PROFESSIONAL Upright. The Dyson has a better build quality with virtually no recurring costs, thanks to its bagless design. It has better maneuverability and comes with a lot of tools and brushes too. It even offers significantly better performance on all surface types. However, the Sanitaire vacuum is easier to maintain.
Video
Test Results
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 doesn't feel especially well-built. Its mainly plastic body creaks and flexes slightly while it's in use. The ball-shaped wheels are rather flimsy-feeling, and they move 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 most other Dyson vacuums, like the Dyson Outsize, the parts don't have an easy-clip mechanism, making it a bit difficult to put together or remove them.
The Dyson Animal 2 is somewhat easy to maintain, and there aren't many parts that need regular cleaning.
- Dirt compartment: The dirt compartment can be pulled from the top of the vacuum with the handle. It opens from the bottom, and you should empty it over a trashcan once it fills up. While most debris is dropped out instantly, you might want to wipe out any stuck-on debris by hand or with a rag.
- Brushroll: You can't remove the brushroll from the main head, but if you need to access it to clear any hair wraps or stuck-on debris, you can unclip the base plate on the underside of the head for easier access.
- Pre-motor filter: The pre-motor filter is located in the dirt compartment and can be unclipped from the lid and pulled out. The manufacturer recommends washing it under water once a month, and you have to let it dry for 24 hours before using it again.
- Post-motor HEPA 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, you should wash it with water once a month and left to dry for at least 24 hours before reinstalling it.
The Dyson Animal 2 incurs virtually no recurring costs. If the filters are well-maintained, they don't need replacing. However, like any other vacuum, if you don't properly maintain the filters, they may need to be replaced eventually.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is decently easy to store. It stays upright on its own but is still quite bulky. Thankfully, there's onboard storage for a few tools, but you can't fit its floor attachment, its pet grooming tool, the turbo brush, or the hard bristle brush in the tool storage slots.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2's dirt compartment is large and is made of clear plastic, allowing you to check roughly how much room is remaining at a glance. It has a bigger capacity than similar upright vacuums like the BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser Turbo.
- Dyson Ball Animal 2 vacuum 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 Dyson Ball Animal 2 has a good range. The cord is very long, so you can clean large or faraway rooms without swapping outlets. Its hose is also pretty long, making it easier to clean on top shelves or behind furniture when used in its semi-handheld configuration.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is decently portable. It's heavier than the similarly-sized BISSELL PowerForce Helix or even hybrid mop vacuums like the BISSELL CrossWave Pet Pro. However, the carrying handle makes transporting it to another floor easier.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 has a few extra features. The head automatically changes height to suit different surfaces, and you can stop the rotation of the brushroll with an on/off button near the handle. However, unlike the Dyson Ball Animal 3, you can't change surface settings manually. If you want suction to go through the vacuum wand instead of its floorhead, you'll have to lock the vacuum into an upright position.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 Total Clean comes with quite a few tools. The soft bristle can be slid over the crevice tool, allowing you to swap between cleaning tight corners and delicate surfaces. There's also a turbo brush for clearing messes on fabric, a hard bristle brush for dislodging stuck-on dirt, and an extension wand for reaching far-away areas. Unlike the BISSELL CleanView Swivel, 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 you can use in a handheld mode, check out the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Speed.
The Dyson Animal 2 has amazing performance on bare floors. It picks up small debris like rice without difficulty. Unlike the BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser Turbo or Dyson Cinetic Big Ball, it can also suck up a fantastic amount of bulky debris like cereal, though some material can get stuck underneath the head. The vacuum maintains its performance as the dirt compartment gets filled, which is great when dealing with several large messes.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 has outstanding performance on low-pile carpet. With the brushroll turned on, it sucks up most large debris like sand with minimal effort. You may need to make another pass to fully clear fine debris like baking soda, but its performance in this respect is still excellent.
The Dyson Ball Animal delivers superb performance on high-pile carpet. The automatic surface type adjustment helps it clean on this carpet, though it does form a very tight seal with this kind of surface, making it quite hard to push around. It does an excellent job of clearing large debris like sand as well as fine material like baking soda, significantly outperforming other uprights like the Sanitaire PROFESSIONAL Upright in terms of debris pickup.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 does a fantastic job of handling pet hair on a wide variety of surfaces. Its brushroll isn't too hard to clean, though it isn't designed to be completely removed from the vacuum, making it a little harder to clear away any tangled hair.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 has okay suction performance. Its floorhead doesn't generate as tight a seal against the contact surface as the manually adjustable Dyson Ball Animal 3. It results in lower suction power at its floorhead in comparison and inferior, though still good, deep-cleaning performance.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a noisy vacuum. It's loud enough to drown out nearby conversation while running.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 has decent 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 you can use either the turbo brush or crevice tools to clean on furniture. The tools are difficult to remove or attach since they don't have an easy-clip mechanism like other Dyson vacuums, like the Dyson V15 Detect. Also, its strong suction force can make it a hassle to push around on carpets. It can even drag around some lighter rugs, and rug tassels get caught in the vacuum head.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 does a fantastic job of dealing with pet hair on furniture when used with its miniature turbo brush attachment.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 does a good job of sealing in fine particles. Its on-board HEPA filter and sealed body allow it to capture most allergens like dust or pet dander.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 does a good job of dealing with debris in cracks and crevices. Its self-adjusting floorhead can generate a pretty tight seal with most floors, allowing it to draw away debris in shallower cracks, though you might need to use the dedicated crevice tool for cleaning deeper cracks.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 does a terrible job of dealing with stains, but that isn't overly surprising given the fact it lacks any dedicated stain-clearing capability, like a mopping function.
