Customer Reviews

Dyson DC16 Animal Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

We have two small dogs, three cats, three litter boxes, and three bedrooms with carpet. Everything else is hard wood.

I read the reviews here with caution, and debated long before purchasing this product. I looked at what I would be using it for, and didn't think I would need it for much more than six minutes at a time. We also have the Dyson Animal Upright vacuum, so for anything that would require more than six minutes of work, it's not a hassle to haul the big guy out. (And whoa - does that work! Wow.)

Two of the litter boxes are in my "office" (one of the carpeted bedrooms), so I keep this little guy in here, plugged in next to one of the boxes. Every so often, I use it for about a minute to vacuum up any stray crystals, whether they are near the box or elsewhere in the office. When I notice that the hallways have some dust/cat hair building up along the edges, I use this little guy for about thirty seconds and with the crevice tool and the hallways are dust free. The suction is so powerful that you finish your task in what seems like 1/10 of the time if you were using a Dust Buster instead. Same goes for other areas of the apartment. If I see a little dust in the corner, I bring out the little guy. I think that I've used it about one hundred times since purchasing it a month ago, and love it. Couldn't be happier. And the apartment is a lot cleaner. Knowing that I don't have to haul out the larger unit with the cord that needs to be unwrapped, plugged in, then wrapped up when finished, motivates me to be more proactive. (I need a nudge in that direction when it comes to cleaning.)

No other portable/cordless has the power that this has, and the turbo brush on the Dyson (on all Dysons) actually works, whereas every so-called turbo brush I've encountered on lesser vacuum cleaners (Hoover and Bissell) never did. The turbo brush spins powerfully, the suction is fantastic, and it picks up EVERYTHING. Well, not as much of EVERYTHING as the upright, but this little guy blew me away.

The other nice thing about it is that many of the other Dyson attachments (that I bought in addition to what came with the upright) fit this product, making it that much more versatile.

It's expensive, but if I accidentally drop kicked it off the porch tomorrow and it shattered on the cement below, I'd buy a new one immediately. (Of course, I don't plan on drop kicking it any time in the near future.)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR PET OWNERS.

Yes, the battery only lasts 6 minutes. This is widely advertised and shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who buys the Dyson handheld. It was actually a feature that kept me from purchasing it until I started thinking about how I clean. I'm kind of glad I did wait to buy one, since I really like the new attachment for the Animal version.

I own a Dyson upright, the Animal version with the brush that moves with air flow. The problem with that one, though, is that the brush often stops moving if it's dealing with too much fur. This handheld unit actually powers the motorized brush, so it just keep going. It does a great job on the dog beds, the couch, and our recliner. Plus, the brush comes out easily for cleaning. Love that.

I try to regularly bring out the big vacuum to clean house and suck up fur and dirt. But I know that doing so means I'm in for an actual cleaning session, something I don't always have time for. So I end up passing by the fur drifts, thinking I'll get to it "later", when I have more time. Here's why I actually enjoy the 6-minute battery life on the handheld. You know all those organizational articles you read that says to set a timer for 10 minutes, start cleaning, and just stop when the timer goes off? That's how I use the Dyson. I know I always have 6 minutes to spend on cleaning, even if I'm in a hurry. So I'll grab it, stick an attachment on, and start sucking up fur and dirt. I just keep going until the battery stops. Then I empty it, put it away, and go on with my day. Little by little, things get cleaned, cat litter gets collected, chairs get de-furred, and I don't stress that I'm spending too much time on it.

The Root 6 isn't as heavy as I thought it would be, so I can easily use it one-handed. The canister is easy to empty, although I can't do that one-handed. It does take some pressure on the switch to get the bottom cover to open. And it has awesome suction, as one would expect from a Dyson. It is quite pricey, but it was a splurge I made in an effort to keep my house clean, 6 minutes at a time.

I see most of the negative reviews on here have to do with the 6 minute battery life on the DC16. Let me tell you my experience with this handheld vac from Dyson. I always like to have a handheld vacuum around for small little cleanups and I've used endless models throughout my life. Their fates are always the same: they work OK for a few months and then get so clogged and run down that the only appropriate place to keep them is in the garbage can. These kinds of subpar vacuums would certainly NEED a battery life of much more than 6 minutes because their power was so minimal it would simply be impossible to get anything done otherwise.

I have seen this DC16 and DC16 Animal in stores for a little while and I was hesitant to purchase it due to my past experiences with handhelds, even though I have a Dyson DC07 and it's been going strong for 5+ years. One day, when we were really in need to buying a new handheld, I decided to just take the chance and get this DC16 Animal top-of-the-line, sleek as hell little bad boy.

When I took it home and was reading the directions, I actually laughed my a$$ off at the part where it talked about a 6 minute battery life. I thought that was the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard & I was ready to return it within the next couple weeks if it didn't perform adequately.

I mostly use these handheld vacuums to clean up stray kitty litter sand around the cat box, for little spills in the kitchen, etc. We usually sweep first and then vacuum everything up. Let me tell you, the first time I used this vacuum I knew there was no way I was going to return it. The power of the suction in this thing puts every worthless handheld I've ever used to SHAME. I would suck up the mess & even clean the entire cat mat, making it free of sand with such ease...I was completely floored by it.

It quickly became clear to me that the battery life was totally insignificant. For what I use the DC16 for, I have never even come close to draining 1/3 of the battery life because it is simply so efficient there is no need to make multiple passes. The fact that it is trigger activated also adds to the efficiency without wasting the battery life needlessly.

Now, keep in mind, this is just my review which is mentioning how I use this vacuum. If you are the type of person who wants to use this DC16 to dust every single hard surface, take all the animal hair off of your sheets and comforter, clean the entire kitchen floor & vacuum the entire interior of your car, I'll tell you right now not to waste your money. This is a handheld vacuum that's meant to do SMALL jobs. If it's used in this capacity, I find it hard to believe the 6 minute battery life will ever be an issue. My belief is that if you need more than 6 minutes to do the job, then it should have been done with a big model Dyson or another upright vacuum.

This was the second Dyson product I ever purchased and I love it so much that I just ordered the DC23 Canister Vacuum for the rest of the house. This may be the most expensive handheld out there but I wouldn't simply buy something for a ridiculous reason like the fact that it's "expensive". This is a piece of engineering art and it is worth every single penny. I'm knocking on wood but I would be really shocked if this vacuum didn't last 7-10 years. With other handhelds, they would break on me after 12-18 months...at $40-$100 a piece, you can clearly see the winner from an economic point of view.

I really respect Dyson because they are not just hype. They may be a bit pricey sometimes but their quality is simply second to none.

I hope this review helps you make up your mind. The DC16 may not be for everyone but I couldn't imagine going back my previous nightmare life of endless disappointments by Dyson's so called "competitors".

I've persisted over the years in buying handheld vacuum after another and always been disappointed, they simply cannot seem to do a decent job. I gave in and gave the Dyson model a try, simply because of their stellar reputation with the larger vacuums. I am delighted! I charged it up and tried it out on the rug in my office, a wool rug that frustrates me with its tendency to accumulate pet hair. Even though I had to empty the little canister time after time, it was worth it to see all that hair come out!

6 minutes is a short time to have this kind of power but to have a handheld vacuum that is actually functional is worth the frequent recharge. After all, if I have a bigger job I can use my regular vacuum!

I have been plagued by chasing animal hair for as long as I remember. I even chose my upholstery, rugs and sweaters to minimize the visual impact, since daily vacuuming has never been part of my routine. Over the years, I have certainly tried various strategies -- handheld vacs, brushes -- but nothing came close to eliminating the problem. My household vac has a tremendous upholstery attachment, so I have relied on it, and lived with the ubiquitous animal hair in between whole-house cleanings.

Last month, I decided to give the DysonDC16 a try. And am I glad I did! Six minutes is plenty of time to give the couch a once-over, touch up a rug, or even stay on top of the dried mud in the car. If you have a larger job, I suggest a larger vac, but if you simply want to keep your furniture from looking like a repository for animal hair, this is the ticket.

The Dyson DC16 Animal is a great vacuum. It cuts through pet hair on upholstery like nothing else I've ever used. The ergonomics are excellent; especially the way the power brush extends out from the body. This allows you to get into the crevices of the furniture.

My only disappointment is the battery life. Six minutes isn't a whole lot of time. However, if you move quickly you can get a lot done.

We've got two short-haired dogs. One of the reasons that we bought the breed is because of their "very little shedding." Surprise! Those little hairs are everywhere and they are very stubborn. I've purchased two hand vacuums and the Dyson upright previously. None of them has the power of the Dyson Animal Handheld. We are very happy with our purchase. It does the job and does it quickly. I would highly recommend this product!!!

i find new uses for this all the time...best vacuum ever...battery lasts longer than the jobs i use it for, so it never runs out...i highly recommend

I love this machine. Yes, it only works for 6 minutes at a clip. However, it sucks like the dickens for those 6 minutes. Rather have this than an ineffective machine that lasts longer. 6 minutes is enough to clean my whole staircase or complete several smaller tasks.

This thing is a bit overly designed and bulkier than it needs to be but it has great suction power. It easly removed cat hair from bedding and does a great job cleaning my keyboard.

Only complaints are short battery/charge duration(6min of use) and the size weight of the thing. If it were lighter, less bulky and included a plugin adaptor, it would be perfect.