Dyson V11 Animal Vacuum Review

The Dyson V11 Animal's build quality is just okay. The design looks nice, but aside from the wand, which is made of lightweight metal, it's almost entirely made of plastic that doesn't feel extremely sturdy. The see-through plastic parts feel particularly fragile like they could break if dropped or knocked against something hard.

On the upside, the controls are easily accessible on top of the vacuum. There's also a grippy rubber strip near the top of the handle, which helps prevent it from sliding and falling over when you lean it against a wall. Assembling it is quick and easy, and it has a button you can push to quickly unclip a tool or brush.

This vacuum is decently easy to maintain. It has a few parts that should be removed and maintained regularly, but they're all easy to access. There's a light on the handle that indicates when something is blocking the vacuum and one for when the filter needs cleaning or isn't properly installed.

• Dirt compartment: You need to remove the wand before you empty the dirt compartment. It can be emptied over a garbage can or wiped with a damp cloth if necessary.
• Filter: Wash once a month, or when the filter indicator lights up.
• Lint screen: This part is located inside the dirt compartment. You should clean dust and debris from it as-needed.
• Brushroll: Hair tends to wrap around the main brushroll and needs to be removed every once in a while by hand or with scissors.

The Dyson V11 Animal has virtually no recurring costs, which is excellent. Just like the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal Canister and Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute, there are no bags to replace. The filter also is expected to last the lifetime of your product as long as it's well-maintained. If any parts do break or need replacement, you can purchase them directly on Dyson's website.

The Dyson V11 is impressively easy to store. Its tall and narrow design helps it fit in tight spaces like a small broom closet. Unlike the Dyson V8 Animal, this vacuum can store up to two brushes or tools on the vacuum directly without increasing its footprint very much. It also comes with a docking station that has a couple of extra spots to store more tools, which is convenient.

Update 08/24/2020: We've retested the dirt compartment volume using our methodology instead of using the manufacturer specs. The dirt compartment's score has been updated to reflect this change.

The Dyson V11 has an adequate dirt compartment. It's a bit small, so it tends to need emptying fairly frequently, but there's an indicator to let you know when it's full. If you want another vacuum with a bigger dirt compartment, check out the Dyson Ball Animal 2.

• Dyson V11 Animal vacuum
• Dirt compartment
• Lint/dust screen
• Filter
• Main vacuum head
• Wand
• Vacuum User Guide
• Various tools and brushes
  • Dusting brush
  • Upholstery brush
  • Turbo brush
  • Crevice tool
  • Tool holder
• Docking station
  • Installation manual
  • 4 screws
  • Charger

Since it's cordless, the Dyson V11 Animal has practically unlimited range, as long as it has battery life remaining and room left in its dirt compartment.

The Dyson V11 Animal is quite portable. The vacuum itself doesn't weigh very much overall. However, used in its stick configuration, it feels heavier in your hand than most vacuums of this type that we've tested. On the upside, it has a carrying handle for more comfortable use in handheld mode.

This vacuum's battery performance is okay. If you use it in its handheld mode set to 'Eco' mode, its least powerful setting, it can provide well over an hour of continuous use. However, the battery can be depleted in less than 10 minutes when it's used as a stick vacuum in 'Boost' mode, the most powerful setting, so you need to work quickly if you have a big mess to deal with. Unlike the Dyson Outsize Absolute+, it doesn't have a second battery that you can charge and swap in to extend its overall runtime. If you don't want to worry about battery life at all, check out a corded stick/handheld vacuum like the Shark Rocket Ultra-Light.

The Dyson V11 has a few features to make your cleaning experience easier, like automatically adjusting its power level based on its required performance. You can also adjust the main vacuum head's suction to accommodate for different surface types, but you have to do it manually via a small slider on the head.

This cordless vacuum comes with quite a few different tools and brushes to help you get the job done. One of the brushes has retractable bristles, so it can be used for dusting or on upholstery. The Dyson V11 Torque Drive variant comes with an additional soft brush for delicate surfaces and fabrics. Although there isn't technically an extension wand, you can attach any tool to the end of the main wand for added reach.

You can use the Dyson V11 as either a stick vacuum or in handheld mode by detaching the wand.

Update 08/24/2020: We've retested the Dyson V11 Animal's bare floor performance using the new dirt compartment volume measurements. While the scoring of this box hasn't changed, the large debris results have been updated.

This vacuum has excellent bare floor performance. Even with the dirt compartment full, it still performs almost as well as it does when it's empty. It doesn't suck up large debris like cereal as well as it does with small debris like rice, but it does an outstanding job with pet hair.

If you want a similar vacuum with much better performance on bare floors, consider the Shark APEX UpLight or the LG CordZero A9 Ultimate.

Update 08/24/2020: We've retested the Dyson V11 Animal's low-pile carpet performance using the new dirt compartment volume measurements. While the scoring of this box hasn't changed, the small and large debris results have been updated.

This vacuum performs very well on low-pile carpet. It doesn't manage to catch as much debris as it does on bare floors but still does remarkably well with pet hair. It does a better job with large debris like sand than with small debris like baking soda. It also performs quite consistently regardless of how much debris is in the dirt compartment. If you're looking for a cordless vacuum that's even more effective on low-pile carpet, however, take a look at the Shark ION P50 Upright.

Update 08/24/2020: We have retested the Dyson V11 Animal's high-pile carpet performance using the new dirt compartment volume measurements. While the scoring of this box hasn't changed, the small debris results have been updated.

The Dyson V11 has great high-pile carpet performance. While it doesn't manage to get as much debris as it does on bare floors or low-pile carpet, it still manages to do an impressive job thanks to the agitation provided by the brush roll. Like with low-pile carpet, it catches larger debris like sand better than smaller debris like baking soda but still excels with pet hair. Even though the performance decreases a bit as the dirt compartment fills up with large debris, it still does a decent job even when it's full. You may want to consider the Dyson V15 Detect if you're looking for a cordless stick vacuum with superior performance on this surface type.

The Dyson V11 Animal has good maneuverability. Used in its stick configuration, it feels a little heavy in your hand, but its slim design makes it easy to maneuver. However, the top of the handle is a bit bulky, so you need to crouch down to clean under low furniture like couches and coffee tables. The handheld configuration makes it very easy to clean furniture. However, unlike the Miele Triflex HX1, it doesn't have an automatic brushroll shutoff feature, so it's likely to get stuck on rug tassels. Thankfully, you shouldn't have any issues on a thicker rug or around cables.

The Dyson V11 Animal has no automation features.