Dyson DC28 Animal Review

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 Avg. consumer rating = 87/100 

The Dyson DC28 Animal is another Dyson machine made for households with pets.  On average it gets very good consumer ratings.  There are occasional grumblings – mostly related to the machine's weight, but consumers are generally thrilled with this unit’s powerful suction and ability to remove pet hair from almost all surfaces.  This vacuum does not evoke many middle of the road reviews.  Most love it but some don’t.

Gathering consumer data on the Dyson DC28 Animal is fairly easy as this upright appears on many large retail sites and there have been many, many consumer comments.  A review of comments on several quality sites has indicated the following common vacuum likes and dislikes:

PROS
- Very powerful suction
- Four push-button height settings
- Good at vacuuming up pet hair
- Washable HEPA filter (easy to wash and re-insert)
- Dirt canister is easy to empty
- Good on both carpet and bare floors
- Long 35 foot power cord

CONS
- Heavy
- Expensive
- Can be hard to maneuver for some
- Only room for 2 tools in on board tool storage

Consumer ratings for the Dyson DC28 Animal are provided in the table below and indicate, for the most part, significant satisfaction with the machine.  In this case the outlier seems to be Amazon where reviews are a little lower than the average.

Features
Like all of the Dyson “Animal” models the DC28 Animal is designed for homes with pets.   It uses Dysons famous root cyclone technology to deliver very powerful suction and ensure that clogging of filters is limited.  The vacuum is powered by a 12 amp motor and marketed as delivering 235 airwatts of power.  This is higher than many other Dyson uprights.

The DC28 comes with something called Airmuscle technology which is effectively a system (a pneumatic actuator) that raises or lowers the vacuum head to provide an optimum distance from the floor surface.  Fingertip controls allow you to choose the flooring type.  A number of consumers have indicated that the system works quite well and it almost seems to “grip” whatever surface it is applies to.  The brushbar can also be turned on for carpet cleaning or off for the cleaning of hard/delicate surfaces.  Some vacuums have no brushbar and this limits their effectiveness on carpet while others have a brushbar that cannot be turned off.

The DC28 Animal comes with HEPA filtration and it is certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America as asthma and allergy friendly.  HEPA filtration will remove 99.97% of all particles with a diameter of 0.3 microns or larger from the airflow.  This typically includes most allergens such as pet dander, dust, pollens, etc.  The HEPA filter on the DC28 is washable so there is no need to be buying filters. 

The purchasing of consumables on this unit is kept to a minimum as it is bagless (no bags to buy, just a dirt canister to empty) and the filters are washable.  The dirt canister has a large volume of 0.61 gallons.  The highly rated DC25 has a dirt canister of 0.31 gallons and this is one of the major complaints regarding the DC25.  Dyson beefed up the volume for the DC28.  It also has a receptacle full indicator to let you know when you need to empty the canister.

Several attachments come with the DC28 Animal.  These include:
- A mini turbine head which is great for cleaning stairs, upholstery and other hard to reach areas (some consumers indicate they also use it for mattresses and cloth furniture),
- A flat-out tool which has a low profile and is very maneuverable.  It is great for getting under furniture.
- A stair tool
- A combination brush and crevice tool. 

On board tool storage is provided.  In addition, the DC28 comes with a quick draw telescopic wand that extends out to 16 feet. 

The power cord on the DC28 is a lengthy 35 feet.  It is non-retractable but the length is really quite good.  Many vacuum cleaners have frustratingly short cords.  Probably the area of greatest customer contention with this machine is the weight.  It weighs in at a hefty 20.6 lbs.  For some this is an issue and for others it is not.  This is a function of the user.  Some find this very hard to lug up the stairs while others indicate that it is not an issue to them.  

The cleaning path for this unit 13.5 inches (about average for an upright) and it comes with the usual Dyson 5 year warranty (parts and labor guaranteed by Dyson for 5 years).  The Dyson DC28 Animal comes in purple.