Curious about the Dyson Ball Animal 3? We were, so we bought one and got to work putting it through various evaluations over a few weeks. It has actually been a while since this manufacturer released an upright vacuum, so we were interested in how it would perform compared to the previous Animal (and hoped Dyson had addressed some of that model’s issues). In this Dyson Animal 3 review, we’ll cover the pros, cons, and key features to help you make an informed decision about the upright vacuum.
We are impressed by the Dyson Ball Animal 3‘s performance. Particularly effective on carpeted floors, this vacuum offers strong suction and airflow, paired with an innovative brushroll design that allows you to toggle it on or off depending on the surface. The vacuum is relatively lightweight, enhancing its maneuverability for cleaning large spaces or navigating stairs. Features like the “Lift Off” capability for above-floor cleaning and the extended wand add to its versatility. Additionally, the sealed filtration system and thoughtful attachments, including a turbo brush, make it a compelling choice within its price range, especially for homes with a lot of carpeting. See additional info
Price as of July 5, 2025
Cleaning Heads: Swivel Head | Anti Tangle
Attachments*: Combination Tool | Stair Tool
Air Filtration: Whole Machine Filtration
| Scores | Dyson Ball Animal 3 | Average Upright Vacuum Tested |
|---|---|---|
| Vacuum Wars Overall | 4.89 | 2.66 |
| Performance | 4.85 | 2.84 |
| Features | 2.82 | 1.70 |
| Hard Floor | 4.70 | 2.98 |
| Carpet | 4.72 | 3.10 |
| Attachments | 4.70 | 2.96 |
| Specs | Dyson Ball Animal 3 | Average Upright Vacuum Tested |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 17.3 lb | 15.27 lb |
| Dust Bin Capacity | 1.6 l | 2.56 l |
| Cord Length | 30 ft | 30.54 ft |
| In the Box*: Combination Tool | Stair Tool | ||
Spoiler: The upgrades and new features engineered into the Dyson Animal 3 were well worth the wait!
Dyson Animal 3 upright vacuum
If you’re buying a corded upright from Dyson today, then you’re buying a Dyson Ball Animal (official) or simply Dyson Animal for short. What we’re reviewing today is the successor to the Animal 2 model, clearly denoted by the 3 in its name. It’s nice that Dyson sequentially numbered its releases here (which can’t be said with, oh, say the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, which came out after the Dyson V15.)
Variations of the Dyson Animal 3
The Dyson Animal 3 is available in three package options. The one we purchased for review is simply the Dyson Animal 3. The other two models are the Dyson Animal 3 Extra and the Dyson Animal 3 Complete.
The differences between the three models are slight variations in color and the different accessories each comes with. The Extra model has more attachments than the standard model, and the Complete model has the most. As the number of attachments increases, so too does the price.
Chart: Dyson Ball Animal 3 model differences
| Dyson Ball Animal 3 | Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra | Dyson Ball Animal 3 Complete | |
| Color | Nickel | Copper | Gold |
| Stair tool | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Combination tool | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tangle-free turbine tool | No | Yes | Yes |
| Pet groom tool | No | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-angle brush tool | No | No | Yes |
| Carbon fiber soft dusting brush | No | No | Yes |
| Articulating hard floor tool | No | No | Yes |
| Mattress tool | No | No | Yes |
| Tool bag | No | No | Yes |
Unboxing and setup
As we unboxed and assembled our Animal 3, we noticed that some features had remained from previous generations. The ball design has carried over, as did Dyson’s whole-machine HEPA filtration and the same super-long, 15-foot hose and wand design.
In the box *
* See the chart above for accessories in other Ball Animal 3 packages.
Assembly is like any other vacuum. The vacuum became ready to use in just a few short minutes after clicking a few pieces together.
Premium upright shopping? Also check out our review of the Shark Stratos Upright, another high-end upright worth consideration!
Some people like the visual design of the Ball, and others aren’t as fond of it. The design is an award-winning one, with a predecessor winning a Good Design Award, but that was several years ago. Regardless, we’re not here to talk about its looks, just how it performs.
Performance and evaluation results
Where performance is concerned, we’ll lead with suction and make our way through everything our evaluations revealed.
Suction
Another carryover from the previous model, the Animal 2, is lots and lots of suction. That previous model actually had the most raw suction we had ever measured in an upright vacuum cleaner.
In our evaluations, the Dyson Animal 3 had almost identical suction and airflow numbers to the Animal 2. One area where the newer model showed improvement was in our usable or unsealed suction assessment.
| Dyson Ball Animal 3 | Dyson Ball Animal 2 | Average Upright | |
| Suction at Hose | 114” | 106” | 80” |
| Airflow at Hose | 84 cfm | 88 cfm | 79 cfm |
| Usable Suction | 2.94 kpa | 1.09 kpa | 0.48 kpa |
| Usable Suction (gates open) | 0.95 kpa | – | – |
The results above are from Vacuum Wars’ independent testing, not from the manufacturer.
How the third iteration of the Animal achieved its far better-than-average scores largely comes down to Dyson’s improvements to its head design.
We believe improvements to the cleaning head are the real star of the show for this upright vacuum, in more ways than one. We’ll discuss the head design further throughout our review.
Vacuuming hard floors, rugs, and carpet
The Dyson Animal 3 did great in all of our evaluations. It put all of its power to good use in our Crevice Pickup and Carpet Deep Clean assessment, both requiring strong suction to achieve high scores.
We were impressed when comparing this upright model with previous ones. In all of our various assessments, it was much better with hard floor pickup (good enough to be on our list of best vacuums for tile floors). And while it performed great on hard floors, it really excelled on carpets and rugs.
It was like the best of both worlds: with the Dyson Animal 3, you get a vacuum with the ability to handle larger debris while still getting top-notch carpet deep cleaning performance on that same setting.
Features of the Dyson Animal 3
The various packages offered by Dyson have the same long list of features. Here are just a few that stood out, starting with that new cleaning head.
Better cleaner head
Dyson’s all-new cleaner head design is the star of the show. In fact, we think this new head is the main thing that sets it apart from previous Dyson uprights.
If you have an older upright model, the first thing you may notice is the Animal 3’s smaller cleaning path width. We actually prefer this, as it gives you more options when maneuvering in tight spaces
It’s also the first time Dyson has included adjustable gates on the front of the head, at least in a U.S. upright vacuum model. We found this made it so much better for larger debris pickup on hard floors, rugs, and carpet.
Being able to use the vacuum with the gates opened or closed makes a big difference. The Ball Animal 3’s new head design makes it a more valuable and versatile upright vacuum and even eliminates some deal breakers we had with previous versions.
Check out our Dyson Ball Animal 3 vs Shark Vertex Upright head-to-head comparision!
For example, the Animal 2, which had a fixed height, would get bogged down and stall out on particularly thick carpet and rugs. But with the gates open, when testing those same carpets and rugs, the Animal 3 glides on them with no trouble at all.
Gated design head and suction
When you vacuum with gates all the way open, as we did above, you tend to sacrifice a lot in terms of suction and airflow at the head. However, interestingly, in the usable suction assessment, we found that Animal 3 had the same amount of suction at the head with its gates open as Animal 2 did on its only setting.
It was like the best of both worlds: with the Dyson Animal 3, you get a vacuum with the ability to handle larger debris while still getting top-notch carpet deep cleaning performance on that same setting.
Running it on its lowest setting on carpets, however, may cause it to bog down and be hard to push. Dyson suggests running it on its lowest setting for ground-in dirt on low-pile carpets or for hard floors only.
Whole-machine filtration
Like previous models, the Animal 3 has Dyson’s whole-machine HEPA filtration system. The system can trap particles down to 0.3 microns, which is just about as good as it gets in the vacuum world.
This level of filtration is usually only seen on premium upright vacuums, and it does make a difference. Machines without HEPA-level filtration often exhaust those smaller particles back into the room they were captured from, either through ineffective seals or the vacuum’s exhaust.
Active hair removal system
Another big upgrade on the cleaner head is the active hair removal system, which we first saw on the Dyson V15 cordless floor head. The idea is that it kind of combs out the hair and reduces hair tangles as you vacuum. Dyson calls them Hair Removal Vanes.
We evaluated them with 7 and 14-inch human hair in separate assessments, and they had virtually no brushroll tangles. This is a pretty big deal – it performed much better than previous Dyson uprights, which were basically magnets for hair.
Large, hygienic bin
The Animal 3’s bin size is 1.7L, which puts it in between those on the Multi Floor 2 at 0.84L and the Animal 2 at 2.4L.
It also features the same one-touch, Dyson hygienic bin emptying design used in those models.
Ergonomics
The Animal 3 has definitely improved in terms of ergonomics. The ball design concept features an accurate swivel system, making it generally easy to maneuver.
Another small change that we appreciated was that Dyson narrowed the width of the cleaning head from the previous models. This makes it easier to get the Ball Animal 3 in and out of tight spaces, even making areas previously inaccessible somewhere it can clean.
When comparing this Dyson upright with previous Ball models, we were impressed. In all of our various evaluations, it was much better with hard floor pickup. And while it performed great on hard floors, carpets and rugs is where it really shined.
Weight is a shortcoming
If there is a negative aspect regarding ergonomics, it could be the upright’s weight. The Animal 3 weighs in at just about the same weight as the Animal 2. We consider it to be kind of heavy, but it’s a premium vacuum designed for top-tier power, so we can’t really have it both ways.
50’ cleaning range
The total reach of the Ball Animal 3 is a full 50 feet. That range is achieved through an improved 35-foot cord and a fully extended hose. This long range may reduce the need to lug the vacuum upstairs or make it easier to clean awkward or hard-to-reach places. Previous Ball models had 30-foot cords.
Value of the Dyson Animal 3
Dyson vacuums are generally expensive. But with the Animal 3, what you get in return is an excellent upright vacuum with a long, 5-year warranty. We were more than happy with the model we purchased, which was the standard or base model.
We recommend the standard model if you don’t have a specific need for the attachments and accessories that come with the pricier models. It’s the exact same vacuum cleaner, just without specialty accessories.
Dyson Animal 3 Review: Recommendation
It’s been a few years since Dyson released a new upright, and after putting this one through all kinds of evaluations, we think the upgrades and new features on the Dyson Animal 3 were well worth the wait.
In our opinion, the person who would benefit the most from this vacuum would be someone with 50% or more carpets in their home. While we believe the Dyson Ball Animal 3 is the best Dyson upright vacuum yet for hard floors, its carpet performance is where it really outshines its competition.
We also think it’s the best Dyson yet for pet owners, thanks to its HEPA filtration, which effectively keeps pet dander to a minimum, and its new anti-hair tangle features.
The Dyson Animal 3 is available for purchase online, including at the retailer(s) below.
Specs
| Vacuum type | Corded Upright Vacuum |
| Max suction | 290 AW |
| Dustbin capacity | 1.7L / 1.8 qt |
| Cord length | 35 ft |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 15.5” x 11.0” x 42.2” |
| Weight | 17.3 lb |
| Colors | Nickel, Copper and Gold |
| Warranty | 5 years |
