- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Our Verdict
- Test Results
- Differences
- Compared To Others
- Deals
- Discussions
The Dyson V8 Animal is a cordless stick/handheld vacuum. It has two different suction modes and does a great job on carpet, especially low-pile carpets, and it clears both large and small debris from bare floors with relative ease. As its name suggests, it's also a fantastic vacuum for cleaning up pet hair. It's highly maneuverable, and you can easily reconfigure it into a handheld vacuum for spot cleaning and furniture. That said, its battery life is just okay, and it takes a long time to recharge. It also has several parts that require regular maintenance, but on the upside, it has few recurring costs as long as you regularly clean its filters.
Our Verdict
The Dyson V8 Animal is impressive on bare floors. It's easy to maneuver and has no issue picking up pet hair or small debris. It does a good job sucking up large debris, but its spinning brushroll can also sometimes scatter larger debris. It also has many parts that need regular maintenance, but recurring costs are minimal.
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Picks up pet hair on all surface types.
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Virtually no recurring costs.
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Good maneuverability.
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Only okay build quality.
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Small dirt compartment.
The Dyson V8 Animal is great for low-pile carpet. It easily picks up pet hair but struggles a bit more with fine and large debris. It also maintains consistent suction even as its dirt compartment fills up. However, its build quality is just okay, and its plastic dirt compartment feels a bit fragile. While it has many parts that need regular maintenance, they're easy to access, and recurring costs are low.
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Picks up pet hair on all surface types.
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Picks up most small and large debris.
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Virtually no recurring costs.
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Only okay build quality.
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Small dirt compartment.
The Dyson V8 Animal is good for high-pile carpets. While it easily cleans pet hair, you may need to go over an area more than once to pick up fine debris. That said, the vacuum's performance stays consistent as the dirt compartment fills. It's somewhat easy to maintain, but many parts need regular cleaning, and overall, it has a plasticky build quality.
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Picks up pet hair on all surface types.
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Picks up a good amount of small and large debris.
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Virtually no recurring costs.
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Only okay build quality.
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Small dirt compartment.
The Dyson V8 Animal is a superb choice for cleaning up after pets. It easily cleans pet hair from any surface type and has a removable brushroll, making it easier to cut away any tangled hair. It's not the most sturdy-feeling vacuum, but it comes with a turbo brush, which helps clean pet hair from fabric-covered furniture, and it has an allergen-trapping HEPA filter.
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Picks up pet hair on all surface types.
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Virtually no recurring costs.
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Only okay build quality.
The Dyson V8 Animal is fantastic for cleaning stairs. It's portable and cordless, so you don't need to worry about swapping outlets, and it performs well on all surface types. You can easily reconfigure it into a handheld vacuum for corners and tight spots. However, it has a plasticky build quality, with some parts that feel quite fragile.
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Virtually no recurring costs.
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Can be reconfigured as a handheld vacuum.
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Only okay build quality.
The Dyson V8 Animal is excellent for cleaning cars. It does an excellent job of clearing debris from low-pile carpets. Its cordless design makes it easy to clean cars away from a power outlet. You can also reconfigure it into a handheld vacuum and still use any attachments, including a crevice tool for narrow areas and a turbo brush for dislodging dirt from fabric-covered furniture. However, its build quality and battery life are just okay, and it lacks onboard storage for all of its tools.
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Virtually no recurring costs.
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Can be reconfigured as a handheld vacuum.
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Only okay build quality.
- 8.4 Bare Floor
- 8.0 Low-Pile Carpet
- 7.7 High-Pile Carpet
- 9.2 Pets
- 9.0 Stairs
- 8.6 Cars
- Updated Aug 18, 2021: Corrected input error in the 'Depth' field of the 'Storing' section.
- Updated Aug 05, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Jul 24, 2020: Early access published.
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Test Results
The Dyson V8 Animal feels fairly well-built. It looks good, but aside from its lightweight metal wand, it's entirely made of plastic and doesn't feel especially sturdy. The dirt compartment is made of see-through plastic and feels particularly fragile, as though it could break if dropped. On the plus side, it's really easy to assemble and take apart since its parts clip together.
This vacuum is somewhat easy to maintain. Several parts need regular maintenance, but they're easy to access.
- Dirt compartment: The dirt compartment is fairly small and needs frequent emptying. Unfortunately, debris can spread while you're emptying it.
- Pre-filter: The pre-filter can be pulled out from the top of the vacuum. It needs to be washed once a month with cold water.
- Post filter (HEPA): You can twist the HEPA filter off the back of the vacuum. It also needs to be washed once a month with cold water.
- Lint screen: Depending on your usage, you need to brush off any debris on the lint screen inside the dirt compartment, as necessary.
- Motorized head and tool: When necessary, you can clean the motorized vacuum head by removing debris or tangled hair.
- Turbo brush: Just like the motorized head, you have to remove debris and tangled hair from the turbo brush when necessary.
Any part that you wash with water should be allowed to dry thoroughly for at least 24 hours before being reinstalled in the vacuum.
The Dyson V8 Animal vacuum incurs virtually no recurring costs. Just like other Dyson vacuums like the Dyson V11 Animal and Dyson V7 Animal, it uses a bagless design, so you don't need to worry about buying dirtbags. You shouldn't have to replace the filters as long as they're properly maintained. However, if any part breaks or gets lost, you can buy replacements directly from the manufacturer's website.
Update 08/18/2021: Following the reception of community feedback regarding the vacuum's dimensions, its depth was remeasured. The score for this section has been updated.
The Dyson V8 Animal is okay to store. It has a wall rack station that holds it upright when it's not in use. However, the rack station only has onboard storage for two tools.
The Dyson V8 Animal has a reasonably-sized dirt compartment. It's small, which is expected for a lightweight stick/handheld vacuum, so you need to empty it fairly frequently. Luckily, it's made of clear plastic with a max fill line, so you can easily see when it needs emptying.
- Dyson V8 Animal vacuum
- Dirt compartment
- Lint/dust screen
- Cyclone
- Motorized vacuum head
- Wand
- Pre-motor filter
- Post-motor (HEPA) filter
- Vacuum User Guide
- Various tools and brushes
- Brushroll
- Soft dusting brush
- Upholstery and hard bristle brush tool
- Turbo brush
- Crevice tool
- Tool holder
- 180 degree pivot extender tool
- Docking station
- Installation manual
- Screws
- Charger
The Dyson V8 Animal's range is limited only by its remaining battery life and the room left in its 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. Its handle makes it easy to carry from room to room or upstairs.
This vacuum's battery performance is alright. The battery depletes in less than 10 minutes if you set the vacuum to its 'MAX' suction setting. If you use the standard suction power setting, it provides just over 40 minutes of continuous use, which should be enough to get you through a few rooms, depending on your usage habits. That said, it takes a fairly long time to recharge once depleted. If you're looking for a cordless stick/handheld vacuum with better battery performance, consider the LG CordZero A9 Ultimate.
The Dyson V8 Animal doesn't have too many extra quality-of-life features. It has a rotating head, which helps it maneuver around obstacles, and you can manually choose between two suction power settings. 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 in dark areas as well as an easy on/off switch.
The Dyson V8 Animal comes with a few tools and brushes that can help with different cleaning jobs. There's a combination tool with a retractable soft-bristle brush and a wide nozzle that helps pick up bulky material. 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 body itself when using it in its handheld configuration. If you're looking for a similar Dyson-brand vacuum with even more tools and brushes, check out the Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute.
You can reconfigure the Dyson V8 as a handheld vacuum by removing its wand.
This vacuum has a fantastic performance on bare floors. It can easily pick up pet hair and small debris like rice. While it also cleans up large debris like cereal, unfortunately, some of it can get launched to the sides or backward by the vacuum's spinning brushroll.
The Dyson V8 Animal vacuum is excellent for low-pile carpet. It cleans up pet hair without issue. It also picks up both small and large debris consistently, even as the dirt compartment fills. However, small debris like sand can get stuck in the small half-circle wheel of its floorhead.
The Dyson V8 performs well on high-pile carpets. It easily cleans pet hair but isn't as effective at cleaning other types of debris like sand or baking soda, so it may take more than one pass to properly clean these surfaces. Like on low-pile carpets, finer debris like sand can get stuck in the small half-circle wheel of its vacuum head. On the plus side, the vacuum doesn't lose much suction as its dirt compartment fills. If you want something similar with better performance on high-pile carpet, check out the Dyson V7 Animal.
The Dyson V8 Animal has good maneuverability. Its slim size and rotating head make it easy to maneuver in tight areas and around obstacles. It comes with tools and brushes that help clean furniture, stairs, or other tight spots but lacks onboard storage, which is a little inconvenient. Also, you may need to crouch down to properly clean under low furniture like couches and coffee tables. The vacuum also tends to get stuck on rug tassels, but fortunately, it can push electric cords out of the way without much trouble.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
In North America, the Dyson V8 comes in two different variants, the Animal and the Absolute. The only difference between the two is that the Absolute comes with a soft roller vacuum head for bare floors, but otherwise, we expect them to perform similarly.
| Model Name | Tools Included | Wand Color |
| Dyson V8 Animal | Direct drive cleaner head, mini motorized tool, mini soft dusting brush, combination tool, crevice tool | Titanium |
| Dyson V8 Absolute | Soft roller cleaner head, direct drive cleaner head, mini motorized tool, mini soft dusting brush, combination tool, crevice tool | Yellow |
Let us know if you come across a Dyson V8 that's different from ours, and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Vacuums
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 good variety of tools and brushes. It performs well on carpets and does a fantastic job on bare floors, although its motorized brushroll can scatter larger debris. Getting the variant with the soft roller cleaner head may minimize this.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best cordless stick vacuums, the best lightweight vacuums, and the best car vacuums.
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.
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 takes a lot less time to charge, and its dirt compartment, while small, can hold slightly more than the V8 Animal.
The Dyson V8 Animal is a better vacuum than the Dyson Omni-glide. The V8 Animal delivers significantly better performance on bare surfaces, and its dirt compartment is much bigger. On the other hand, the Omni-glide is much more maneuverable and is easier to maintain. However, while it easily clears smaller debris like rice from bare surfaces, its overall performance on that surface type is mediocre. It's also not intended for cleaning carpets.
The Dyson V8 Animal is better for most uses than the Dyson V7 Animal. The V8 performs far better on bare floors, where it clears large debris like cereal with much less difficulty. It also has a longer maximum runtime and has a battery life indicator to let you know how roughly how much charge is left. The V8 also comes with a unique 180-degree brush, which is good for cleaning hard-to-reach places. That said, the Dyson V7 is a bit better at cleaning fine debris, such as baking soda, from high-pile carpet.
The Dyson V15 Detect is slightly better overall than the Dyson V8 Animal. The V15 has a slightly bigger dirt compartment, a surface-type adjustment feature, lasts longer on a single charge, and clears debris more effectively on all surface types. Meanwhile, the V8 is easier to pick up and carry and has fewer parts that require regular maintenance.
The Dyson V8 Animal and Samsung Jet 90 Complete are fairly evenly-matched overall, but one may still be a better fit for your needs. The Dyson has fewer parts that need to be regularly cleaned, incurs virtually no recurring costs, and does a better job of sucking up fine debris like baking soda on low-pile carpet. Meanwhile, the Samsung charges faster and has a longer max battery life, though that can vary in the real world. It also comes with two swappable brushrolls, one meant for bare floors and the other for carpets, and outperforms the Dyson on both bare floors and high-pile carpet. The Samsung also has a bigger dirt compartment which doesn't need to be emptied as often.
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 and the Shark Rocket Pet Pro with MultiFlex IZ163H 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 is slightly better than the LG CordZero A9 A916BM. The Dyson incurs virtually no recurring costs, has fewer parts that require regular maintenance, weighs a little less, and performs better on low-pile carpet. Meanwhile, the LG comes with a second battery that gives it a much longer total runtime and clears more debris on high-pile carpet.
The Dyson V8 Animal and the Shark Vertex Pro are both cordless stick vacuums that offer similar performance overall. The Shark is a little lighter and easier to maneuver, and it has a larger dirt compartment. It also performs a bit better on high-pile carpets. That said, the Dyson comes with more accessories and tools, and it performs better on low-pile carpets.
The Dyson V8 Animal and Miele Triflex HX1 each have their own advantages, so one may suit you better than the other depending on your needs. The Dyson incurs virtually no recurring costs, has a bigger dustbin, comes with more tools and brushes, and is a little more effective on low-pile carpet. Conversely, the Miele has a more configurable three-in-one design that allows you to use it as a handheld, stick, or upright vacuum. It also feels better-built, is easier to maintain, can be maneuvered with less difficulty, and has an automatic surface type adjustment feature that allows it to speed up, slow down, or even stop the brushroll if it detects that something is tangled in it.
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 slightly better than the Dyson Outsize Absolute+. The V8 has fewer parts that require regular maintenance, is notably lighter and easier to maneuver, and delivers better performance on bare floors and low-pile carpet. Meanwhile, the Outsize has a larger dirt compartment that shouldn't need to be emptied as often, comes with more tools and accessories, including a wand clip, and performs better on high-pile carpet. It also comes with a second battery, allowing you to quickly swap one out if you run out of charge and virtually doubling the vacuum's total runtime.
The Dyson V8 Animal is better than the Tineco PURE ONE X Tango. The Dyson has less demanding maintenance requirements, incurs virtually no recurring costs, has a larger-capacity dustbin, is easier to maneuver, and delivers significantly better performance on low and high-pile carpets. It also uses a removable, replaceable battery, though the Tineco charges faster and has a longer runtime. The Tineco also has an automatic suction power adjustment feature.
The Dyson V8 Animal and Dyson Ball Animal 2 are differently-designed vacuums with their own strengths and weaknesses. The V8 Animal can be used far away from an electrical outlet by virtue of 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 Cinetic Big Ball Animal Canister and the Dyson V8 Animal are different types of vacuums, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The Cinetic is a corded canister vacuum with a larger dirt compartment and easier maintenance requirements and more maneuverability. Meanwhile, the V8 Animal is a cordless stick vacuum that's more portable and can be reconfigured into a handheld for more versatility. It also performs better on most surface types, but its battery life is somewhat limited.
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 is a better vacuum than the Shark Wandvac System WS620 for most uses. The Dyson has a bigger dirt compartment and is equipped with an allergen-trapping HEPA filter. It also has a significantly better performance on bare floors. Nevertheless, the Shark is more effective at clearing debris like sand from high-pile carpets.
The Dyson V8 Animal and the Wyze Cordless Vacuum each have their advantages, so one may suit you better than the other depending on your needs. The Dyson comes with more tools and brushes in the box and delivers better performance on bare floors and low-pile carpet. Meanwhile, the Wyze has a longer battery life and performs better on high-pile carpets. Its main floorhead also has headlights to help you see what you're cleaning under chairs or couches.
The Dyson V8 Animal is better overall than the BISSELL Adapt Ion Pet. While the BISSELL is more lightweight and maneuverable, the Dyson has a bigger dirt compartment, longer battery life with a shorter recharge time, performs better on all surface types, and comes with more tools and accessories.
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 slightly better than the Shark Anti-Allergen Pet Power. The Dyson is more portable, incurs virtually no recurring costs, and comes with a few more tools and accessories, including a removable primary brushroll and a motorized turbo brush. It also delivers superior performance on bare floors and low-pile carpet. Conversely, the Shark is better built and offers better overall battery performance.
The Dyson V8 Animal and Shark Vertex UltraLight Corded have different advantages. The cordless Dyson is lighter, 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.
The Dyson V8 Animal is better overall than the Dyson Micro 1.5kg. While the Micro is lighter and more portable, it's not meant for use on carpets, making the V8 considerably more versatile. The V8 also has a larger dirt compartment, requiring less frequent emptying.
The Dyson V8 Animal and the Black+Decker dustbuster AdvancedClean+ Pet are different vacuum types. The Black+Decker is a handheld vacuum that's mostly suitable for spot cleaning. The Dyson, on the other hand, offers more versatile performance since it can be configured as both a stick vacuum and a handheld vacuum. It performs better on most surface types and also has fewer recurring costs.
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 and the Roborock H6 Adapt are very similar vacuums. They're both easy to maneuver and have similarly sized dirt compartments. Both are versatile across different surface types, but the Dyson performs a little better on bare floors and low-pile carpets, while the Roborock is a bit better on high-pile carpets. The Roborock has more quality-of-life features, including an LED display and a carpet detection feature, but it can also struggle with bulky debris like cereal.