The Dyson V8 Animal is a lightweight stick vacuum that you can also use in a handheld configuration. Although it has a plasticky build, it's fairly easy to maintain, it comes with several cleaning tools and brushes, and it has virtually no recurring costs, which is great for long-term use. As it's also a cordless vacuum, it's very portable and it has an unlimited range, as long as it still has battery life left. However, its battery performance is just adequate and it can take a while for it to fully charge up. On the upside, it has little trouble cleaning on bare floors. It also does an excellent job on low-pile carpet, and while it struggles a bit more to pick up small and large debris on high-pile carpet, it still does a very good job overall.
The Dyson V8 Animal is great for bare floors. It's able to pick up small debris and pet hair quite easily, even as the dirt compartment fills. While it can also pick up most large debris, it may push some debris to the side or backward. Although it has an only okay build quality, it's fairly easy to maintain.
The Dyson V8 Animal is very good for low-pile carpet. It easily picks up pet hair but struggles a bit more with small and large debris. It doesn't lose suction as the dirt compartment fills up though. That being said, it has an only okay build quality and its plastic dirt compartment feels a bit fragile. On the upside, it's fairly easy to maintain.
The Dyson V8 Animal is good for high-pile carpet. While it's able to easily pick up pet hair, it has a slightly more difficult time picking up small and large debris. It can still pick up a decent amount of large debris, and it picks up a good amount of small debris. The vacuum's performance stays the same as the dirt compartment fills, and it's fairly easy to maintain. However, its build quality is just okay and the dirt compartment seems a bit fragile.
The Dyson V8 Animal is outstanding for cleaning pet hair. It can easily pick up pet hair on all surface types but its plasticky build quality is just okay. Like other vacuums, hair can also wrap around the main brushroll, and you need to remove it with your hands or by using scissors.
The Dyson V8 Animal is outstanding for cleaning stairs. As this is a cordless vacuum, it's very portable and it has an unlimited range, which is well-suited for cleaning steps. It also has a very good performance on all surface types. However, it has an okay build quality and it feels like its dirt compartment could break if dropped.
The Dyson V8 Animal is excellent for cleaning cars. This cordless vacuum has an unlimited range, provided it still has battery life, and it can also be reconfigured into a handheld design which is great for more narrow or tight spaces. There's also a crevice tool to help you get in-between your seats and the door.
The Dyson V8 Animal has an only okay build quality. It's mostly made up of plastic except for its lightweight metal handle, but it isn't the most sturdy in design. While the dustbin is clear so you can see when it's full and you can easily remove the compartment to empty it, it feels like it could break if dropped. Luckily, it's very intuitive to assemble or disassemble as there's a simple push button to unclip parts. Still, if you want a cordless stick/handheld vacuum that feels sturdier, consider the Shark Vertex Lightweight Cordless.
This vacuum is somewhat fairly easy to maintain. While there are several parts that need maintenance, each part is easy to access.
You must air dry any part that's washed with water for 24 hours before using it again.
The Dyson V8 Animal vacuum has virtually no recurring costs, which is outstanding. Just like other Dyson vacuums such as the Dyson V11 Animal and Dyson V7 Animal, there aren't any bags to replace. The filter is also expected to last the lifetime of the vacuum as long as you maintain it. That being said, if any of the parts break or you need to replace them, they can be purchased directly from Dyson's website.
The Dyson V8 Animal is okay to store. It has a wall rack station that can hold up your vacuum when not in use. The wall rack station also has room to hold two tools, but it's not enough for all the included tools and brushes.
The Dyson V8 Animal has a reasonably-sized dirt compartment. It's quite small, which is to be expected, and it needs to be emptied fairly frequently. Luckily, there's an indicator to let you know when the compartment's full.
The Dyson V8 Animal is a cordless vacuum, which gives you unlimited range, as long as you have battery life or room left in the dirt compartment. If you're looking for a comparable stick/handheld vacuum with a corded design, consider the Shark Vertex UltraLight Corded.
The Dyson V8 Animal is very portable. This vacuum is lighter than the Dyson V11 Animal, and it doesn't feel very heavy in your hand. It also has a carrying handle so you can bring the vacuum up and down stairs.
This vacuum's battery performance is alright. While the battery doesn't last long at all when used on 'MAX' mode if you switch it to its less power-intensive 'Powerful Suction' mode, it should be able to get you through cleaning a few rooms. If you're looking for a cordless stick/handheld vacuum with a better battery performance, consider the LG CordZero A9 Ultimate.
The Dyson V8 Animal has a limited amount of extra features that can make life easier. It has a rotating head, which can help you maneuver around the room and it also has two power settings to switch between, but that's about it. Consider the JASHEN V16 if you're looking for a stick/handheld vacuum with more bells and whistles, as it has a headlight to help you see it dark areas as well as an easy on/off switch.
This vacuum comes with a few tools to better suit your cleaning needs. There's a hard bristle brush that retracts to become an upholstery brush. Unlike the Shark Rocket Pet Pro, there's also a unique 180-degree extension tool to help you clean hard-to-reach places. You can clip all the tools to the wand or the vacuum. If you're looking for a similar Dyson-brand vacuum with even more tools and brushes, check out the Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute.
This vacuum has an outstanding performance on bare floors. It's able to pick up pet hair and small debris like rice easily. While it also cleans up large debris like cereal, it can unfortunately launch large pieces backward and to the sides.
The Dyson V8 Animal vacuum is excellent for low-pile carpet. It can clean up pet hair without a problem. It can also pick up most small or large debris consistently, even as the dirt compartment fills. However, small debris like sand can get stuck in the small half-circle wheel of the motorhead ball.
The Dyson V8 Animal is very good on high-pile carpet. While it can clean up all pet hair, it struggles a bit more with small and large debris. It doesn't lose much suction when the dirt compartment gets full, which is nice if you're cleaning up big messes. Just like on low-pile carpet, fine debris like sand can get stuck in the small half-circle wheel of the motorhead ball. If you want something similar that's better on high-pile carpet, check out the Dyson V7 Animal.
This vacuum has good maneuverability. Its slim size makes it easy to maneuver around the house. While it doesn't have any onboard tool storage, it comes with a variety of tools that can help you clean different items. That being said, if you need to clean low places like under a couch or table, you need to crouch to properly reach this area. This vacuum also picks up tassels on a rug, even if you're on the lowest setting. However, it doesn't have a problem with electrical cords.
The Dyson V8 Animal also comes in several other variants with a different amount of brushes and tools included. They also have different wand colors, but we expect our results to be valid for these variants as well.
Model Name | Parts Included | Wand Color | Notes |
Dyson V8 Animal | Motorhead, mini motorhead, soft dusting brush, combination tool, crevice tool | Titanium | |
Dyson V8 Animal Pro+ | Motorhead, mini motorhead, soft dusting brush, combination tool, crevice tool, up top adaptor, low reach adapter | Blue | Includes a charger |
Dyson V8 Absolute | Soft roller cleaner head, direct drive cleaner head, mini motorized tool, mini soft dusting brush, combination tool, crevice tool, stubborn dirt brush, up top adaptor, mattress tool | Iron | Includes a charger |
Dyson V8 Absolute Pro | Soft roller cleaner head, direct drive cleaner head, mini motorized tool, mini soft dusting brush, combination tool, crevice tool | Yellow | Includes a charger |
If someone comes across a V8 that's different from ours, let us know in the discussions and we'll update our review.
The Dyson V8 Animal is a stick/handheld vacuum that can be reconfigured into a handheld vacuum. Like other Dyson vacuums, it has virtually no recurring costs and it comes with a variety of tools and brushes. Its performance on low and high pile carpets is similarly great as the Dyson V7 Animal and Dyson V11 Animal. While it also has a great performance on bare floors, Shark's stick/handheld vacuums such as the Shark ION F80 are a bit better on this surface type.
The Dyson V8 Animal is a somewhat better stick/handheld vacuum than the Dyson V11 Animal. While both vacuums have a very similar design, the V8 does a better job on bare floors as well as low-pile carpet. However, the V11 is easier to maintain, it has on-board tool storage, and its dirt compartment is bigger. It also performs better on high-pile carpet and its maximum battery life is more than the V8.
Although both vacuums are similarly matched in performance, the Dyson V8 Animal is much better for cleaning bare floors than the Dyson V7. The V8 can pick up more large debris, it has a significantly better performing battery, and it comes with a unique 180-degree brush, which is good for cleaning hard-to-reach places. That being said, the Dyson V7 is a bit better at cleaning high-pile carpet, its dirt compartment is bigger, and it's much easier to maintain.
The Dyson V8 Animal and the Shark Rocket Pet Pro are similarly performing vacuums. The Dyson is more portable, and it comes with more tools and brushes including a unique 180-degree extension tool that's designed to help you clean hard-to-reach areas. The Shark is better at cleaning bare floors, feels slightly better built, has a shorter charge time, and is significantly more maneuverable.
The Dyson V8 Animal and the Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute are very similar stick/handheld vacuums with a few minor differences. While these two vacuums are very similarly matched in terms of their performance on bare floors as well as carpet, the V8 Animal is a bit lighter and easier to maintain. However, the Cyclone V10 Absolute comes with more tools and brushes. Its battery charge time is a lot less too and its dirt compartment, while small, can hold slightly more than the V8 Animal.
The Dyson V8 Animal is a better vacuum for most scenarios than the JASHEN V16. The Dyson delivers stronger performance on all surface types, especially in regards to large debris. It's also lighter and easier to carry around, and more maneuverable too. However, the JASHEN has a longer minimum battery life and recharges slightly faster.
The Dyson V8 Animal is a better stick/handheld vacuum than the LG CordZero A9 Ultimate. The Dyson is easier to maintain and has virtually no recurring costs. It comes with more tools and brushes and its performance on low as well as high-pile carpet is better. However, the LG comes with two swappable batteries. Its performance on bare floors is better, too.
The Dyson V8 Animal is slightly more versatile than the Shark Vertex Lightweight Cordless. The Dyson is significantly lighter, comes with more accessories, and performs better on low and high-pile carpet. That said, the Shark is better-built, more maneuverable, and charges much faster, though its overall battery life is quite similar.
The Dyson V8 Animal is a much better stick/handheld vacuum for those with pets than the Shark ION F80. The Dyson has an anti-allergy filter (HEPA), pretty much no recurring costs, it comes with more tools and brushes, and it's lighter. It's able to clean up pet hair on all surface-types too. However, the Shark is more maneuverable, it has better performance overall on bare floors, and it has a significantly better battery performance.
The Dyson V8 Animal is a better stick/handheld vacuum for cleaning low and high-pile carpet than the Shark Rocket Ultra-Light. The Dyson has an anti-allergy filter (HEPA), it's easier to store, and it's cordless, so it has an unlimited range as long as it still has battery life left. You can also adjust its power level, which is nice. However, the Shark performs better on bare floors, and it's easier to maintain as well.
The Dyson V8 Animal and Shark Vertex UltraLight Corded have different advantages. The cordless Dyson is lighter and has an effectively unlimited range and lower recurring costs. It also delivers slightly better performance on all surface types. However, the Shark feels better-built and has a slightly more spacious dirt compartment. Its corded design yields a practically indefinite runtime with no need to wait for a battery to recharge.
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