Dyson Ball Animal Multifloor
Dyson
Every hair-covered sofa cushion, every carpet that seems to swallow crumbs whole, every staircase nobody wants to vacuum — these are the daily battles a household vacuum is actually judged on, not the marketing copy. The Dyson Ball Animal Multifloor Corded Upright Vacuum Cleaner enters that fight with a deliberately old-school approach: no battery, no runtime countdown, no docking station. Just a machine that stays running for as long as the socket allows, built specifically for homes where pet hair, long hair, and mixed flooring make cordless suction feel like it's constantly running out of steam.
This is a vacuum designed around one central trade-off. You give up the freedom of going cordless, and in return you get suction that never fades as a battery drains, a bin that doesn't need emptying every ten minutes, and a de-tangling system aimed squarely at the mess that pets and long-haired households generate. Whether that trade-off makes sense for your home is what the rest of this review sets out to answer.
Design and Build: The Ball, the Bulk, and What It Means Day to Day
The signature feature of this vacuum is impossible to miss: a large spherical ball sits at the base instead of conventional wheels, acting as the pivot point the whole machine rotates around. In principle, this makes tight turns around furniture legs and doorframes far easier than wrestling a rigid-wheeled upright — you tilt the handle and the ball lets the body swing rather than forcing you to reposition the whole unit.
Standing at just over a metre tall and 28cm wide, this is a substantial piece of equipment rather than something you'll want to store behind a door in a small flat. It's built for a utility room, a cupboard under the stairs, or a garage — somewhere with enough clearance for its footprint. At 7.4kg, it's also noticeably heavier than the stick vacuums most households have shifted toward over the past decade, and that weight is a real factor in daily use, not just a spec on a page. Reviewers who've tested this exact model report that carrying it up and down stairs is a genuine effort, and pushing it across thick carpet requires more shoulder and arm strength than you'd expect from a domestic appliance. If you're not particularly strong, or you have a lot of stairs to navigate with it, this is worth sitting with before you commit.
On the plus side, that heft translates into a machine that feels solidly engineered rather than flimsy — nothing about it feels like it will crack or flex under normal use, and Dyson backs that build quality with a five-year manufacturer's guarantee, one of the more generous warranty periods in the vacuum market.
The Telescopic Handle and Extension Hose
Beyond the main upright unit, a telescopic handle and a flexible hose extend the vacuum's reach well past the floor. The hose runs to roughly 4.2 metres and stretches to around 8.4 metres when needed, giving you enough slack to tackle stairs, curtains, car interiors, or ceiling cobwebs without dragging the whole body of the vacuum along with you. The telescopic handle itself rotates in three directions, which Dyson designed specifically to reduce strain when cleaning up high or down low — useful in theory, though independent testing of this exact model found the hose stiffer and less flexible than expected, meaning it takes some effort to stretch to its full reach, and stairs in particular can feel like an awkward, two-handed job rather than a quick pass.
Core Cleaning Performance: What the Motorbar and Suction Modes Actually Deliver
At the heart of this vacuum is Dyson's Motorbar cleaner head, a motorised brush bar designed to agitate deep into carpet fibres while sealing suction against hard floors to stop air — and the dirt riding on it — from escaping around the edges of the head. In practical terms, that means one head genuinely transitions between carpet and hard flooring rather than requiring you to swap attachments every time you cross from a rug onto tile.
Underpinning that suction is Dyson's Radial Root Cyclone technology, a system of multiple small cyclones that separate dust and debris from the airflow before it reaches the filter. The stated advantage — and one that independent testing of this exact model backs up — is that suction stays consistent from the first minute of cleaning through to the last, rather than tailing off as the bin fills, which is a common complaint with cheaper cyclonic vacuums.
You're not locked into one suction level either. Three selectable modes let you match power to the surface:
- Deep pile carpets — maximum agitation and suction for carpets with thick, dense fibres
- Medium pile and large debris — a balanced setting for everyday carpet and bigger particles like cereal or litter
- Short pile, hard floors, and ground-in dirt — reduced brush aggression to avoid scattering debris across smooth surfaces
Real-world testing of this specific model found the carpet performance genuinely excellent — a single pass was enough to clear flour and porridge oats from carpet in controlled tests, and the machine noticeably filled its bin even on carpets that were vacuumed just days earlier, pulling embedded dust and fibres that lighter machines routinely miss. Hard floor performance was more mixed: fine debris like flour required a couple of extra passes to fully clear, and the review found that leaving the motorised brush bar running on hard floors could actually scatter larger debris rather than collecting it, meaning you'll get the best results by switching the brush off for tile, laminate, or wood and relying on suction alone.
One trade-off worth flagging plainly: this suction comes at a noise cost. Independent decibel testing of this exact model recorded sound levels around 81dB during use — noticeably louder than most vacuums, closer to a busy blender than background hum. If you're vacuuming while someone's on a call in the next room, or you're sensitive to loud appliances, this is a real consideration, not a minor footnote.
De-Tangling Technology: The Real Selling Point for Pet and Long-Hair Households
The feature that most clearly separates this model from a generic upright is its approach to hair. Long hair and pet fur are notorious for wrapping tightly around a spinning brush bar until you're forced to grab scissors and cut it free — a maintenance chore that puts a lot of people off motorised brush heads entirely.
Dyson's de-tangling Motorbar is designed to prevent that build-up from happening in the first place, automatically lifting strands off the brush bar as it spins and sending them straight into the bin rather than letting them wind tighter with every rotation. Independent testing that specifically put this to the test with multiple long-haired dogs — including a heavily shedding Labrador — confirmed the brush head lived up to that promise, coming away with no wrapped hair needing to be cut free after repeated full-home cleans.
Complementing the main head is the included Tangle-free turbine tool, a smaller attachment with counter-rotating brush heads specifically built for upholstery, car interiors, and pet beds rather than open floor space. This is the tool to reach for on sofas, cushions, and any fabric surface where hair tends to embed itself rather than sit loosely on top. In hands-on testing, this attachment was singled out as genuinely excellent on upholstery — filling almost entirely with pet hair after working through several sofas and a pet bed, without any of the tangling that plagues cheaper equivalents.
If you don't share your home with pets or particularly long hair, this entire category of feature becomes largely irrelevant to you — which matters when weighing this model against cheaper Dyson uprights that skip de-tangling technology altogether in favour of a lower price point.
Filtration and Hygiene
The vacuum uses a sealed, whole-machine filtration approach rather than a single filter positioned just before the exhaust. Dirty air passes through multiple stages before being released back into the room, which is specifically aimed at reducing the fine dust and allergens that escape from lower-quality vacuums during use. In practice, this makes the machine a reasonable option for households with allergy sufferers, though — as with any filtered appliance — performance depends on the filters actually being maintained. Dyson recommends washing both the main filter and a second filter housed inside the ball itself roughly once a month, and each needs a full day to air dry afterwards before being refitted. It's a manageable routine, but one that's easy to let slide if you're not in the habit of it, and skipping it will gradually reduce suction and filtration performance over time.
The 1.8-litre dustbin is on the generous side for an upright, meaning you're not making a trip to the bin after every single cleaning session — testing of this model found that even a fairly light, twice-weekly carpet clean in a section of the house filled the bin roughly halfway, so a full multi-room clean, especially in a home with pets, will typically fill it close to capacity in one go. Emptying is a hands-free, single-button operation: a release catch drops the contents straight into your bin without you needing to touch the compacted debris.
Power, Performance Consistency, and Life Without a Battery
There's no runtime clock on this vacuum, and that's the entire point of choosing a corded model over a cordless one. The 730-watt motor draws power directly from the mains, meaning suction stays at full strength for the entire duration of a clean — there's no gradual drop-off as a battery empties, and no mid-clean dash to a charging dock because you underestimated how long the job would take. For anyone who's ever run out of battery halfway through vacuuming a whole house on a cordless stick vacuum, this is the specific frustration this machine is built to eliminate.
The trade-off is the cord itself, and it's not a small one. At roughly 10.2 metres, the cable is long enough to cover multiple rooms from a single socket, which is genuinely useful for larger homes. But independent testing consistently flagged the cord as one of the most irritating parts of using the vacuum day to day — it has to be manually wound around two clips on the back of the machine after every use, there's no automatic rewind, and the cable itself has a habit of getting underfoot or catching on furniture mid-clean. If you've become used to the total freedom of a cordless vacuum, re-adapting to working around a cable — and unplugging and replugging as you move between rooms — is a genuine adjustment, not a trivial one.
Who This Vacuum Is Actually For
This machine makes the most sense for a fairly specific type of household, and being honest about that upfront will save you a wasted purchase.
It's a strong fit if you:
- Have shedding pets, long hair in the household, or both, and want a floor head that won't need hair cut out of it every few weeks
- Live in a larger home with mixed flooring — carpet, tile, wood — where a single versatile head saves you switching machines
- Prefer never worrying about battery life mid-clean, especially for thorough, whole-house cleaning sessions rather than quick top-ups
- Have somewhere spacious to store an upright vacuum, such as a utility room or garage
- Are reasonably fit and comfortable manoeuvring a heavier appliance, including up and down stairs if needed
It's probably not the right choice if you:
- Live in a small flat or have limited storage for a tall, bulky machine
- Have mobility limitations, back problems, or simply prefer a lightweight vacuum — several owners specifically found the weight difficult to manage
- Do frequent quick clean-ups rather than occasional deep cleans, where a lighter cordless stick vacuum is far more convenient
- Are noise-sensitive or clean at times when a loud appliance would be disruptive to others in the home
- Want to avoid cord management entirely and have grown used to cordless freedom
How It Stacks Up Against the Alternatives
| Factor | This Corded Upright | Typical Cordless Stick Vacuum | Typical Cheaper Corded Upright |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaning duration | Unlimited — runs as long as it's plugged in | Limited by battery, often needing recharge mid-clean in larger homes | Unlimited, same as this model |
| Suction consistency | Stays constant throughout use | Gradually weakens as battery depletes | Varies widely by brand and price point |
| Weight and manoeuvrability | Heavier; more effort to carry and push | Significantly lighter and easier to carry, especially on stairs | Often comparable in weight |
| Pet hair and long hair handling | Purpose-built de-tangling brush bar and turbine tool | Varies; many models still tangle without anti-hair-wrap tech | Usually lacks dedicated de-tangling design |
| Storage footprint | Large; needs dedicated space | Compact, often wall-mounted | Similarly bulky |
| Noise level | Notably loud during operation | Generally quieter | Varies, often comparable |
| Bin capacity | Large (1.8L), fewer emptying interruptions | Small, frequent emptying required | Varies |
The honest takeaway from this comparison is that no single format wins outright — it's a genuine trade-off between raw, uninterrupted cleaning power and everyday convenience. If your priority is finishing a whole-house clean without a battery warning interrupting you, this model's corded design is a real advantage. If your priority is picking the vacuum up one-handed and doing a five-minute tidy of the kitchen floor, a cordless stick will serve you better on a daily basis.
Strengths and Weaknesses, Honestly
The genuine strength of this vacuum is carpet performance combined with hair handling — it's difficult to find a household task this machine doesn't handle well once it's actually running, particularly if pet hair or long human hair is a recurring frustration in your home. The suction holds up consistently from the start of a clean to the end, the bin is large enough to avoid constant interruptions, and the five-year guarantee signals a level of confidence in long-term durability that cheaper machines simply don't offer.
Set against that, the honest weaknesses are physical rather than functional. This is a heavy, bulky machine that asks more of the person pushing it than most modern vacuums do, and that weight becomes especially noticeable on stairs or when lifting it to carry between floors. The extension hose, while a useful idea on paper, proved stiffer and less cooperative in practice than you'd want from a premium-priced appliance. And the noise level is genuinely high enough that it's worth factoring into your decision if you're sensitive to loud machinery or clean at times when others in the house don't want to be disturbed. None of these are dealbreakers on their own, but together they mean this vacuum rewards a specific kind of household far more than it does a general one.
Final Verdict
If you're weighing this against a cordless stick vacuum purely because cordless is trendy, stop and think about how you actually clean. For anyone doing thorough, whole-house cleaning sessions rather than quick daily top-ups — especially in a home with pets, long hair, or a mix of carpet and hard flooring — the Dyson Ball Animal Multifloor earns its keep. The de-tangling technology genuinely solves the hair-wrap problem that plagues cheaper motorised brush heads, the suction doesn't fade partway through a clean, and the five-year guarantee is a meaningful signal of built-to-last engineering.
Where it asks more of you is in the physical handling — the weight, the stiff hose, and the manual cord winding are real, everyday frictions rather than minor quirks, and they matter more if you have a lot of stairs or limited upper-body strength. Go in with clear eyes about that trade-off, and this is a genuinely capable, long-term vacuum purchase rather than an impulse buy you'll regret.
What People Say
187 commentsNew Dyson vacuum
I bought this approx a month ago. It said on the product details in line that it was a light cleaner. It is the opposite, very heavy so lifting it up and down the stairs is not really possible for my age, 61. I also found all the brush parts on accessories were soft. I could have done with a hard small brush for the stairs cleaning.
Apart from that the suction is very good and does the job picking up cat hairs from my carpet although it was hard to push on the deep pile setting which is what was needed for my carpets.
In one way I was pleased, in another way I was disappointed.
It took some working out putting the vacuum together when it arrived as the pictures were hard to fathom without wording and the instructions in the other booklet were not easy and very small writing. Taking the extension off and replacing after use is also something to get used to and the hose is very stiff and will need some stretching to get the length they said it would reach to.
Overall I was disappointed and expected more for the price and an easier use of the product for how much it cost. Quite expensive for something I may not use often and I’m thinking of buying a lighter vacuum to do the jobs and with parts I require eg hard brush parts.
The demonstration on the internet should explain more about the parts. Glad I didn’t buy the more expensive Dyson! And it isn’t very quiet.
Dyson has great cleaning ability
I bought this Dyson model because argos had just dropped the price and my wife swears by them. I personally would sooner have a shark vacuum cleaner as they are very good and the build quality is far superior to a Dyson.
I would have given the Dyson five stars if the build quality was better as it just feels so flimsy. There are parts on the Dyson that you know will eventually break off which is fine if the Dyson guarantee covers it, but knowing what manufacturers in general are like they would probably say that it was miss use. When using the Dyson it feels rickety, although it is very easy to use and manuver when in use. The dust container is flimsy and fiddly to put back on, and I myself would not use this to carry the cleaner as it feels loose when it is attached to the cleaner so I use the main handle.
As far as the suction goes and its cleaning ability I would give it TEN STARS! as it cleans very effectively,
it's just the build quality that lets it down, and the fact that it is over priced. It's a very good design but it just needs to be more ridged and less flimsy
Nice tools, good suction, overall a good Vacuum
I bought this a few weeks ago. I had a Dyson a long time ago, which was good but when it needed replacing Dysons had become mega expensive.So I opted for Vax, which ive had a few of now. Pros and cons to both. I miss the light which I had on the vax this was a great function, also the vax could get under furniture easy. The ball on this makes it a bit more difficult. I like the stair tool with the brush rollers on it, this is good and the suction so far is also good. When you pick it up by the handle above the bin collection, it feels a bit cheap and like it might break, so I pick it up using both handling points, even though it should be fine. Overall its doing the job well enough and the lead is much better positioned than the vax which we use to an over. I find removing the hose clunky compared to the vax, but prefer the way the tools clip into the vacuum on the Dyson.
It's a Dyson
So happy with this Dyson Animal Ball. Bought it to replace my 20 year old Dyson that broke. This one didn't disappoint and does what you expect of a Dyson. Picks up everything, probably better than my old one did. Like the way that you can store the tools on the cleaner (like my old one did); however am disappointed that there is no storage available for the tool that enables you to vacuum underneath furniture (which I use all the time) and the long reach dusting tool (haven't used yet). Seeing as you cannot choose which tools to attach to the vacuum a separate bag to store them in neatly would be good (as certain carpet cleaner manufacturers provide for their accessories). It is a little heavier than my old one and I am having to get used to the ball technology, but apart from that I cannot fault it at present. Just hope that it lasts as long as my old one did.
Cleans well but not worth it - way overcomplicated
I broke my Dyson boycott to spend a lot of money on this hoover following my last one (which I bought from Tesco for £35 and it lasted me 10 years).
It has a lot of different suckers which are designed to be stored on the hoover (they snap on and off), but they just fall off while you are using the hoover.
Also, there is a long pole for hoovering the ceiling (who does this?) which is available if you take the cap off the top where the handle is, but don't be so keen as it's difficult to put back!
Just feels like a luxurious bowl of tasty jelly that has melted and is now in a puddle all over the floor (between the cord that doesn't store back into the hoover and all the snap-on parts that do not stay on the hoover.
You're better buying a cheaper one.
Glad I Came Back to Dyson!
I’ve always used Dyson vacuums, but I decided to try a Shark for a change. Unfortunately, it just didn’t have the same suction power, and I found myself going over the same spots multiple times to get the same results. It was frustrating and time-consuming.
I decided to go back to Dyson, and I’m so glad I did! The suction is far superior, making vacuuming quicker and more efficient. I can’t believe I ever doubted it! Definitely worth the money for the performance.
That said, I’ve noticed a couple of design changes that feel clunkier than my old model, like the extendable pole, which isn’t as smooth to use. But overall, I’m really pleased—nothing beats a Dyson for power and convenience!
Dyson Ball Animal Multifloor Corded Upright Vacuum
I have had a couple of highly recommend Shark pet hoovers prior to buying the dyson, which i bought after reading lots of reviews and reading comparison sites. The shark hoovers didn't last long and the pet attachments broke within a few weeks therefore decided to shop around. The Dyson has good suction and gets rid of dog hairs brilliantly. The multiple attachments are great and hoovers the dog's bed perfectly. The hoover is great for the stairs and all surfaces but i find it too heavy and cumbersome to maneuver. When trying to use the long hose with an attachment, it can get tangled up and the hoover can almost topple over. Overall, it is a good hoover but far too heavy.
Great Vacuum Cleaner - Best we’ve had
We always had a plug in vacuum prior to 2024.
Then we decided we needed a newer, lighter vacuum cleaner.
A good idea in principle but we made the big mistake of buying a rechargeable cordless machine that was feckless.
We put up with it for nigh on 2 years and it decided to start playing up - thank goddess.
Anyway we bought the Dyson and let me assure you that although not cheap, if you have a furry pet, it is absolutely money well spent.
I’d recommend this machine to anyone and everyone it really does do a fantastic job.
Well done Dyson keep up the good work.
Well done Argos for stocking what I hope is a mainstay of your catalogue.
GREAT BIT OF KIT - worth every penny
Glides beautifully
I do like Dyson hoovers. I previously had a Dyson Ball multi-floor and it lasted me years. Now I have upgraded and it’s brilliant. It has a longer electric cable so no need to swap power points, a longer reach hose with handle I might add for ease of doing the stairs and getting those dangling cobwebs. With the bigger capacity bin I’m not having to empty as much during the hoovering process, I have animals so the amount of hair and fur that’s accumulated is quite high. The additional attachments fit nice a securely to the hoover body perfect space saving design.
It is a little heavy but once powered up it glides effortlessly. I do recommend using this product.
Very happy with my purchase
Brought this as my Dc 14 was getting tired and had been and still is working 13 years later . I have to admit I was shocked at what my old hoover was leaving behind compared to this model . I'm I going to talk about all the attachments etc ....No , I'm a 50 + year old bloke that has no other interest other than if it does a good job or not , and it does it does a really good job . The only thing I would say is if it wasn't on a offer I would have brought the same model but the one that comes with only two attachments as I can't see that the extra 3 attachments are worth the extra ton.
Exactly what I needed
I purchased this Dyson after doing a lot of online research. Apart from the fantastic quality and 5 year warranty, my experience of Dyson customer service has always been excellent.
The Dyson itself has great suction. The brush bar gets all the dirt, dust and hair from all different floor types. I thought my carpets were pretty clean as I vacuum them daily with a cordless handheld. After using this Dyson the bucket was full of dust and fluff. I was amazed.
The only downside might be that it’s quite heavy. It’s fine for me but I’d imagine an elderly person might struggle a bit.
This Sucker Nearly Swallowed My Carpet!
Have recently needed to replace our old upright. We have a cordless vacuum cleaner but we really needed something with more oomph to tackle the heavier jobs.
This Dyson is superb. As well as weighing less than our old upright the cleaning power is phenomenal.
The hardest part was putting the thing together but, having managed that, we now have a manoeuvrable machine with handy on-board tools for just about every job in the house.
A tip for any future users: Get used to the brush head settings first because this Dyson nearly ripped the carpet from the grippers.
Ok
My last dyson lasted just shy of 10years so i was obviously going to go for another dyson. I now have a dog so i chose this one. Filters much easier to clean.
The suction is fab but time will tell. I have had issues with the pole not wanting to dismantle back down and also find the pole generally more difficult then my previous, its a two handed job because of the pivot red section.
Also the roller ball stand collapses when i just want to wheel the hoover. So i have to carry it. So the hoover function i rate it but overall I preferred design of my older one.
Spectacular cleaning
I've not had a Dyson since the very early days. The latest ones are on a different planet. We've recently acquired 2 rescue dogs and they've been shedding a fair bit. The Dyson had its first go at a carpet just after we'd vacuumed it with the older vacuum cleaner. We couldn't believe how much dust and dog hair came out, and the carpet looked new. It's far less noisy than the older Dysons and the cleaning performance is off the scale. Minus points for the awkward wand, which is a bit too long. We'll see how the plastics hold up, but so far all looks good.
Don’t get it, you will be disgusted
Having had the V8 cordless for several years now I thought it was time the carpets had a stronger vacuum clean, we vacuumed the whole house top to bottom with the V8, grabbed this machine and set to the carpets again wondering how much more we would see picked up. One bedroom and it was half full… yuck. The V8 is relegated to clean up and car duty!
As a 2nd test I shampooed one room with the Bessel Pet Pro, let it dry for a couple of days and hit it with the Dyson… again so much more dust pulled out the carpet than with the shampoo machine.
Good vacuum
Very happy with this vacuum. Gone back to a corded cleaner having had 2 cordless ones in the past. The suction is great but there are several things I am not so happy with. It is extremely heavy. The adjustment button for floor/carpet cleaner is on the base and is a real pain having to alternate between. Would be better on the handle The flex hose is very rigid and the vacuum falls over easily when trying to vacuum the stairs. Only minor details but overall very pleased with product. Not suitable for everyone due to the weight of it.
Its Alot alot QUITER!!!
This Dyson hoover, i am really really pleased with the quiteness, its that QUIET that you can be having a conversation with someone whilst hoovering!!
..Now whether it gets louder in time (which i doubt, hopefully), that only time will tell..
Overall its a good machine, with great suction power, and deep cleaning, made my carpet look so clean on its first trial, it looked almost new!
This is my 3rd Dyson in 18 years!! I wont be using any other Brand! DYSON HOOVERS HAVE TO BE THE BEST ON THE PLANET!!!!!!😊
Mixed feelings
I bought this some weeks ago, and I'm generally fairly pleased. It has good suction power and works well on hard surfaces as well as carpet. That said, it's a bit heavy, easy to overbalance when using the attachments and a bit of a nuisance to swap between using the main vacuum cleaner and the attachments. In addition, there's no setting suitable for light mats and the pipe which connects the attachments to the vacuum cleaner started off very stiff, although it is loosening a little now, after a lot of use.
Great kit
I had a Dyson that my eldest son bought many years ago, and being a keen DIY person and always see if I can repair any item that stopped working, well my Dyson motor went and I was so impressed with the product ie the plastic body was flexible it was an easy fix and changed a few more bit as I didn’t want to let it go because my son passed away and I found it hard to let it go lasted about 25 yrs. so I purchased another and Argos was a very good price So it was a win Win … so my son’s memory lives on….
Dyson Upright
This is an absolute great machine for thorough cleaning and easy use for versatile cleaning on various surfaces. The tools that come with this are really good and help do the job quicker as they are carried around with the machine. The additional power head is really useful for stairs and leaves nothing behind. The extra head captures all the dirt and fluff on hard floors. Excellent value for money and my only negative is the weight when pushing around is slightly heavier than expected.
