The bottom line: As you may have guessed from the name, the Dyson V6 Animal is a powerful, portable vacuum for getting animal hair out of your carpet.
It picks up minute particles of dust that many other cleaners miss, and, according to Dyson, it’s peerless in dealing with pet hair.
It's a step lower in price than its V8 alternative, but also comes with a limited battery life – anyone used to a corded vacuum or with too much floor to clean in 20 minutes might find the charging a pain.
Overall, the Dyson V6 Animal is well worth considering if you have pets, or if you are an allergy sufferer in need of a new handheld vacuum cleaner.
Pros: Easy to handle, and adept at picking up pet hair
Cons: Charge lasts only 20 minutes
Dyson V6 Animal: Everything you need to know
The Dyson V6 Animal is ordinarily right at the top of the price range for cordless vacuum cleaners, but has the premium cleaning power and convenience to back it up.
The V6 motor ensures powerful performance on carpets and hard floors, with reviewers especially amazed by all the tiny particles of invisible dirt it managed to find, but its real big seller is how it deals with pet hair – that is to say, very well, especially with the help of the motorised mini tool.
Long-pile carpets could be an issue, though, although using the boost mode for especially shaggy rugs may solve this. Beware of the impact of the super-power boost mode on the battery life though, as it's been noted that constant use can take it down to just six minutes.
Battery life and charging time
On its default mode, you can, according to Dyson, get 20 minutes of cleaning out of the Dyson V6 Animal, about half of that claimed by competitor cordless vacuum the Gtech Air Ram.
This is enough charge for a single go-over in a small to medium-sized house, and ample for quick top-up cleans, but if you have an especially large home, you might find this a barrier to a really thorough clean. That said, its 21.6V battery charges in its neat wall-mounted docking station (which doubles up as a clever storage solution) in 3.5 hours, so there’s nothing to stop you coming back to it later in the day.
Ease of use
At 2.21 kg, the Animal V6 shouldn't be a chore to carry around the house, quite a rare attribute for any vacuum cleaner. That weight means it won’t put a strain on wrists or elbows while cleaning high up, or on backs while carrying. On its standard suction mode, it should have enough power to clean in a single pass on less ingrained dirt, and the varied range of attachments, including crevice tool and combination tools, mean you can get into those hard-to-reach places including car upholstery and stairs.
Settled on the Dyson V6 Animal as your next vacuum cleaner? Check out our deals summary further up the page. If that shorter battery life is a deal-breaker, you might want to consider the Gtech Air Ram or Dyson V8, both of which we’ve weighed up here.
