Dyson DC39 Animal Review

In the Box

Opening the box for the first time reveals that the Dyson is shipped in parts which fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Each part is protected by cardboard to ensure that it doesn't get damage in transit. In the box you will find 1 x DC39 Animal cylinder vacuum cleaner, 1 x Operating manual, 1 x Quick start guide, 1 x Triggerhead tool, 1 x Mini turbine head, 1 x Articulating hard floor tool, 1 x Combination tool, 1 x Stair tool, 1 x Product registration card, 1 x Free 5 year guarantee form (available in UK only)

Installing

While the prospect of putting the vac together is quite daunting, similar to the DC40 install the instructions are nicely set out in picture format and they are relatively easy to understand/follow. This really helped make the assembly less painful and each piece fits together with a reassuring click. In no time we had a completed vac which we were excited to fire up!

Excited does seem a strange word to use to describe our anticipation to get to grips with the DC39, but then again the vacuum does have a cool look about it with a snail like body and clear see-through plastic that allows you to witness the debris that the vacuum sucks up.

In Use

The vac has the same technology built-in as that of the DC40 so with their Radial Root Cyclone technology it means that more dust and dirt is collected and it doesn't loose suction.

The latter gives a constant powerful suction, which along with a high dust removal rating, the ability to capture particles down to 0.5 microns.

A hygienic bin emptying system (more on this later) means that Dyson’s range are the only vacuum cleaners approved by both the British Allergy Foundation and Service Allergie Suisse - which is great for people suffering with asthma or from allergies.

Testing

In use the Dyson DC39 differs heavily from the DC40 in that its compact in nature and the hose is fixed in length (rather than expandable).

It could be said to be a touch on the bulky side but Dyson have tried to combat the problem by allowing the hose handle to clip onto the vacs chassis while the hose itself wraps around the body – so it does help a touch with storage, though it still takes up more room than an up-right.

Most of the attachments are also fitted to the vac so it leaves less parts lying around – mind you the apploster/stair add-on is still stored separately. The hose handle does extend and retract which again helps with the problem of storage.

The mains power lead is also embedded within the vacuum and this provides a hefty amount of length so you can quite easily vac between several rooms without disconnecting from the mains. Additionally the mains cord zips back into the unit at a touch of a button.

POWER!

Using the vac for the first time does take some getting used to. The ball technology feels less intuitive than the DC40’s up-right design, as you are mainly dragging the vac with you (similar to the Henry style vacs). However unlike the aforementioned comparison the Dyson has yet to fall over and in terms of suction power the DC39 has this in buckets! Somehow it felt even more powerful than the DC40 and it managed to pick up a heck of a lot of dirt off the floor, even after the DC40 had been over the same spot!

We mentioned a short while ago that the manoeuvrability of the vac was less intuitive, well this is possibly the case when you are dragging the vac with you, but Dyson have cleverly added a small ball to the hose part to, which allows you the same freedom as the DC40.

Vacuuming on the stairs is also possible because the vac is quite light and can be carried up at the same time. However we still would have preferred the flexibility that the DC40 gave us.

However switching from hard floor to carpet and back again was effortless and the vac contains a manual switch to turn the rotating brushes on and off which was a great touch.

No Bags

Similar to all Dyson's the vac does not require a bag, so when the cylinder gets full you can take off the latter (mind you it takes a few goes to remove at first) and then press the quick release button to empty the contents.

Attachments

As we mentioned the box does come with several attachments and all of these ads to the functionality of the vac.

The stair attachment is especially useful and the minute brush attachment certainly makes cleaning the windowsill’s child’s play.

However like the DC40 the price may be a downside. You could argue that at £305 (from places like Amazon) the vac is a touch expensive. Yet the counter argument we gave on our last review stands the same, if you are an asthma sufferer or have allergies, you can't really put a price on a better, cleaner living environment.

In conclusion the DC39 may take up a touch more room in your house – its compact but the hose take up more space – and the manoeuvrability may be a little less intuitive than the DC40, but for sheer cleaning power this vacuum is immense! It’s also striking to look at and makes you want to vac! Something I would never have thought I would hear myself say or think out loud!

Summary

The Dyson DC39 has a Henry like persona which some people may not like, as you end up dragging the vac around the room with you, but its sheer power is immense and it can pick up a lot of dirt and micro debris that most vacs - we have used in the past - struggle to cope with. Again its pricey but if you are an asthma sufferer or have allergies, you can't really put a price on a better, cleaner living environment.