Dyson DC35 Animal: Ease of Use Demonstration

I recently went on a hunt for a vacuum or vacuums that would accommodate my hectic life.  The older I get, the shorter my days feel, and sometimes I find myself looking for an edge.  In this instance, I was looking for a vacuum that was cordless, light weight, and would get the job done.  If I needed to clean the stairs, I didn’t want to drag a machine behind me.  If I was cleaning the car, I didn’t want to have to go to the car wash or take the vacuum outside.  (something I’ve done with a 20 foot extension cord)  The journey I took before deciding on an (admittedly pricey) Dyson was a long one.  I’ll be covering that in a post in the near future.  Until then I’m sharing a series of real world tests I’ve done with it.  This one shows the ease of handling and use that it offers.  For what it’s worth, this is not a paid endorsement; this is just a humble CDN writer’s experience being shared with you.

Before I begin, I should make it clear that Dyson offers more than one handheld vacuum.  This video will focus on one of their higher tier offerings, the DC35 “Animal”.  This vacuum comes with several attachments (which I’ll cover in a future post), but most importantly, it’s one of the offerings that comes with a wall mount that both stores and charges the unit.  You’ll see this wall mount at the end of the video.  It definitely adds to the ease of use and storage factor.

In this demo, I operate a camera with one hand and the vacuum with the other.  Dyson claims the DC35 weighs less than 5lbs.  I haven’t weighed it, but I can tell you I filmed the entire video, and the camera was a bigger burden than the Dyson was.  Of course the Dyson does rest on the floor, and you have to give only minimal inputs to control it.  It feels more like you’re making suggestions to it than actually “handling” it.  So let’s see it in action. (please excuse some of the mess, entire rooms of the home are/were being rearranged)

Note that I did the whole job one-handed, including putting it back in its rack.  It’s truly easy to use.  If you have hand or wrist problems, though, you should be aware that there is no “on” or “off” switch.  You have to constantly apply pressure to the trigger.  As someone with a history of wrist problems, I expected to have trouble with it, but so far, it’s not been an issue.  Also, on an aesthetic note, I’ve since removed the charging cord from the wall mount.  In a closet or basement or garage, it’s fine, but in a high traffic living area, it can be an eyesore.

Note on the quality of the video:  Some people find so called “vertical videos” difficult to watch.  You can click on the video to watch it in full screen mode.  Pick either the 720 or the 1080 option, and the video should be easier to use.  The “vertical” method was chosen for this video, because it was the best way to control two devices at once and be able to show closeups of the Dyson in action.  An updated video in the more traditional “horizontal” manner is being considered for future use.