Dyson V8 Animal Vacuum Review

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.

• Dirt compartment: The dirt compartment is fairly small and needs frequent emptying. Unfortunately, debris can spread while you're emptying it.
• Filter A: This filter needs to be washed once a month with cold water.
• Filter B (HEPA): The HEPA filter also needs to be washed once a month with cold water.
• Lint screen: Depending on your usage, you need to clean this screen when necessary by removing the lint from it.
• Motorized head and tool: When necessary, you can clean the motorized head and tool by removing debris or tangled hair.
• Turbo brush: Just like the motorized head and toll, you have to remove debris and tangled hair from the turbo brush when necessary.

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.

• Dyson V8 Animal vacuum
• Dirt compartment
• Lint/dust screen
• Filter
• Main 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 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.

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

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.

This vacuum has no automation features.