Review: The Dyson V11 for Pet Hair

Serena Faber Nelson Founder & Pet Lifestyle Writer

Pet lifestyle expert Serena Faber-Nelson is the founder of Pretty Fluffy. A contributor to Everyday with Rachael Ray, Modern Dog Magazine, Cesars Way and more; her modern, stylized take on DIY dog treats has seen her recipes viewed millions of times over.

Serena is the author of the go-to dog mom bible, Dog Mama, and the popular dog treat recipe book, Healthy Homemade Dog Treats.

When I was writing my latest book, Dog Mama: 200 Tips, Trends and How-To Secrets for Stylish Dog Owners, I interviewed a number of experts and influential dog mamas. When asked what was the one thing, as a dog mama, they couldn’t live without? Hands down, they nearly all said their Dyson vacuum.

I was luckily enough to take their latest and greatest cord free vacuum, the Dyson V11, for a spin to share my thoughts.

And I should mention, I didn’t receive a Dyson to keep for this review (which while it pains my floors greatly, it proves this review is completely unbiased).

RELATED: The Dyson Groom Tool for Dummies (& Scaredy Cat Pups!)

Review of the Dyson V11 for Pet Hair

Pros and cons: The Dyson for pet hair

For those of you that are yet to experience owning a hand stick Dyson vacuum, let me tell you the benefits are huge.

I have my old Dyson hand stick (still going strong after years of heavy use!) and I love how it’s easy to use for quick cleans up, but still powerful enough to really thoroughly clean and remove pet hair.

That said, there have been three major bug bears of mine with the previous versions of the Dyson hand stick vacuum:

1. The battery almost always dies if you try to use them to do more than one room.
2. Going from hardwood to carpeted floors required a complete change of head.
3. As a dog owner, the bin simply couldn’t contain much pet hair – requiring you to stop to empty it mid clean (which is super annoying!)

First world problems right? But still problems all the same.

And now for the great news? The Dyson V11 addresses all of these issues and more.

Why dog owners should get the Dyson V11

If you’ve been wondering what Dyson is best for pet hair, the reason I would recommend getting the Dyson V11 over previous models is due to these huge improvements:

• It is literally Dyson’s most powerful cord-free cleaner head ever. Stiff nylon bristles drive deep into carpet to remove ground-in dirt and pet hair. Soft, anti-static carbon fibre filaments capture dust and dander from hard floors and crevices.
• With the Dyson V11 you can easily switch between hard and carpeted floors without stopping. The Dynamic Load Sensor (DLS™) system intelligently detects brush bar resistance 360 times a second and automatically changes the motor speed between carpets and hard floors.
• It has a larger and improved battery which means you can vacuum for longer and clean in one go (and there’s a LCD screen showing how much battery life you have left too!). Hallelujah – this is a game changer. When you’re vacuuming up pet hair no-one wants the vacuum to die in the middle.
• The Dyson V11 has up to 40% bigger bins means less stopping when it fills up with pet hair; while the ‘point and shoot’ system makes emptying easy and hygienic.

What we loved:

• Super powerful Dyson vacuum – known for quality and performance.
• Cordless and fairly lightweight. The new battery makes it heavier than previous models, but still light enough to clean a a full size apartment without strain.
• Captures dust, hair and debris with no bags or filters – the bin now bigger so you don’t have to stop to empty it mid clean.
• Switches between hard and carpeted floors with no stopping.
• Larger battery and has three cleaning modes designed for a range of tasks. Auto – Intelligently adapts to different floor types. Boost mode – Engineered for quick, intensive cleaning. Eco Mode – Up to 60 minutes of run time, for longer cleans.
• Easy to manoeuvre and comes with 3 additional attachments for cleaning.
• Comes with all-mounted charging dock, ready to grab and go again.
• LCD screen shows battery life, blockages, and filter reminders. Three things that are the bane of existence for pet owners trying to vacuum.
• Exclusive gold colour, which doesn’t affect pet hair, but we love it anyway.

Best for:

• All dog owners with inside pets.
• Great for allergy sufferers – helps remove dander from the environment.
• House proud pet owners – quick and easy cleaning.
• Time poor pet owners – the ease of use and powerful performance removes dirt and pet hair in less time.
• Previous Dyson hand stick owners who are looking to upgrade – the Dyson V11 answers all your prayers!

Photography by Alexander Mayes Photography.