A second pass usually secures a clean sweep and we decided for a small oats spill such as that we’d be using the Max mode anyway. Needless to say, ramp up the V7 to Max power, and the suction is fantastic and all particles were cleaned up in a single pass. READ NEXT: Dyson V8 Absolute review: Still the best cordless vacuum? Dyson V7 Animal review: Price and competition For comparison, we measured the V8 at 75dB on Max power. As decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale, that 10dB difference is huge. Dyson vacuums are engineered to capture and contain household dirt and pet hair – even the microscopic pet dander you can't see. Having used the Direct Drive floorhead and the Mini Motorised Tool on previous Animal iterations of Dyson’s handhelds, we knew furball tumbleweed and pet hairs ground into the carpet didn’t stand a chance.

We’ve been big fans of Dyson’s V6 and then V8 models, and the V7 Animal simply builds on the versatility and convenience of the breed. Performance is just as good with the same superb design, fabulous engineering, ideal pet-hair tools, and excellent features throughout. The V7 simply trades a little suction power for longer run-times than its siblings, and lighter weight than the flagship V8. Polycarbonate hair removal vanes inside the Motorbar™ cleaner head lift tangled strands from the brush bar, sending them straight to the bin.I finally traded up from V7 (which didn’t need replacing and still going strong so I gave to my mother) as I had different needs as I now have disabilities. The lightness of it is great . The bin I find so much easier to empty as the bin no longer comes off with the open hatch :-)." On normal power mode a few more passes were required to fully deep-clean the carpet, and there were noticeable grains of the heavier carpet-cleaning powder deep in the pile. A good mains cleaner (or the V7 on Max) will do a better job of deep-cleaning deeper-pile carpets, but with a little and often approach, normal power proved fine for daily dust, debris and pet-hair cleaning. Upgraded from a v10 to a v15. Glad I did! You won’t be disappointed. Long battery life, great suction, extra features like the light etc. all make this a great cordless vac".

The main floorhead’s fairly soft-bristled brush make it safe for use on softwood hard floor steps, but you might find the larger dusting tools even easier if you’re cleaning simple dust, dirt and pet hairs. Next-day scheduled delivery may not be available during peak times. Instead, you can choose the next available slot. We apologise for any inconvenience.

The new Dyson Gen5detect is a top-of-the-line vacuum cleaner that has exceeded all of my expectations. With its powerful suction and advanced features, this machine has made cleaning my home a breeze." Counts and sizes dust particles - automatically increasing suction power when more dust is identified. For cordless versatility and effective cleaning results all round, we just can’t fault the V7 Animal. The V7 Animal also comes with Dyson’s latest Soft Dusting Brush tool. This is an even better shape for dusting shelves and high-up surfaces than the main 2-in-1 tool, and features very soft bristles for delicate cleaning. My keyboard has never looked so crumb-free.

All Dyson cordless vacuums have long lasting energy-dense batteries to clean here, there and everywhere around your home. Maximum run time is achieved in eco mode on hard floors. Heading around the house with the Direct Drive floorhead attached, we cleaned for a near textbook 30mins 30secs on average from a single charge on normal power. Several test sessions on various floor surfaces resulted in very little variation – from hard floors (31 minutes) to carpet pile so deep that you could loose a tribe of pigmies in it (29.5 minutes). The V7 Animal certainly isn’t short of tools; it has five of them plus the tube. They clip on and off the cleaner with ease, are robust, well designed and very effective at their dedicated task. As with all Dyson handheld cleaners, the power is offered in two stages – normal and Max – and is selected with a slide switch on top. Run-times for the V7 Animal are promised at 30 minutes and 6 minutes respectively.

Fill your filter(s) with warm tap water. Cover the open ends with your hands and shake firmly to remove the dirt. Repeat until the water runs clear and then firmly shake the filter to remove all excess water.