The Dyson V8 cordless vacuum is regarded as the finest cordless vacuum in the business. Its power, battery life and general ease of use puts it heads and shoulders over the rest of the competition. But what about the different versions of the Dyson V8? What is the difference? That’s why we put together this handy guide for the Dyson V8 Absolute vs V8 Animal. We are calling this The Battle of the best cordless vacuums because quite literally these are two of the finest cordless vacuums you can currently buy.
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Check out our review of the Dyson V8 Absolute. It is our number one rate cordless vacuum and in the running for our favorite overall vacuum.
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The Dyson V8 overall
The Dyson V8 was introduced in 2016 with great fanfare. Many of the shortcomings of the previous Dyson V6 were a thing of the past with this new model. The middling battery performance of the V6 (about 20 mins) was doubled to a whopping 40 minutes which put the V8 into “this is my only vacuum for the house” kind of territory. Indeed, after testing we found that many people could axe the central vac and corded models and go completely cordless now. These vacuums are that good. The Dyson V8 also added a much better dust bin release system which made it much easier to eject the waste in the vacuum when emptying it. On top of this, the V8 introduced a more straight forward battery indicator and a more powerful digital motor. Tests show that the V8’s direct drive motor system provide 75% better cleaning performance over the older Dyson V6.
But what is the difference between the flagship Dyson V8 Absolute and the Dyson V8 Animal? Read on!
Dyson V8 Absolute details
Dyson V8 Absolute Cordless Vacuum
5 used from $230.00
Features
- Cord free. Hassle free. Powerful suction, refer user manual for instructions
- Up to 40 minute's run time when using a non-motorized tool. Suction power (Max mode): 115 AW
- Lightweight and versatile, for easy home cleaning. Instant release trigger means battery power is only used while it’s cleaning. Requires charging for 4 hours minimum before first use
- Up to 30 minutes of fade free power with the soft roller cleaner head
- Direct drive cleaner head. Up to 8 minutes of fade free power (in Max mode). Drives stiff nylon bristles into carpets to capture deep down dirt
Dyson V8 Animal details
Dyson V8 Animal+ Cordfree Rechargeable Stick Vacuum
5 used from $249.99
Features
| Part Number | 2200022 |
Dyson V8 Absolute vs V8 Animal
Cleaning power
The motor included in both models is actually identical. The main powerhead boasts a 150% improvement over the V6 with the included brush bar. This power is honestly verging on comparable to other Dyson corded models!
Battery life
The battery included in the Dyson V8 Absolute is, again, identical to the V8 Animal. The previous Dyson V6 Animal only had a 20 minute battery life while both of the new V8’s have up to 40 minutes of charge. Even in turbo mode, the V8 can rune for up to 7 minutes.
HEPA filter
Both models include the identical HEPA filter design that captures allergens as you vacuum. So if you have allergies this is the vacuum for you.
Dust bin design of Dyson V8 Absolute VS V8 Animal
The new dust bin design on the V8’s
continues across both models. Dyson has made it much simpler to expel the contents of the dust bin without touching it with your bare hands. This was a major complaint against the V6.
Cleaning heads and attachments
This is where the Dyson V8 Absolute outperforms the V8 Animal. The V8 Absoluteincludes all of the same attachments as the Animal, but adds a second powered brush tool called the soft roller cleaning head. This head is perfect for those with hardwood floors or mixed flooring. If you only have carpet then you likely don’t need this head. You see, the design of the soft roller makes it much gentler on hard surfaces since bristles do not impact on the surface (like the main roller head).
Color and design (orange VS grey)
If you have some specific requirements for the aesthetics of the vacuum you may want to consider the color of the main tube on the V8 Absolute and V8 Animal. On the Absolute that tube is a bright orange color, while the Animal has a much more subdued grey/silver design. It’s not a huge deal, but if your vacuum is visible in the open I find the Animal’s grey to be a little more attractive.
Tip: Build you own Dyson V8 Absolute
I didn’t love the orange design on the V8 Absolute so ended up buying the V8 Animal and then purchasing the soft roller head after the fact. I just called Dyson and got them to ship the head to me separately. This way I have all of the benefits of the Dyson V8 Absolute without the somewhat flashy orange tube.
Check out the Dyson V8 Absolute and V8 Animal on Amazon:
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We have a little trick to get the best price on the Dyson V8 Absolute. Check it out here.
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