Dyson DC41 Animal Upright Vacuum

The stretch hose. It pulls hard against you when you use the tools, and stretched out away from the machine it can tug the whole DC41 Animal over. Keeping the vacuum close when you work on stairs or furniture helps, but it's a complaint that comes up again and again.

Often, yes. The DC41 Animal pulls a lot of fine dirt and pet hair out of carpet and off hard floors that earlier vacuums left behind. Its Radial Root Cyclone design keeps suction steady without bags, and the cyclones capture particles down to 0.5 microns.

Not once you're used to it. The DC41 Animal feels lighter than expected for a full-size upright, and the ball turns on the spot with a twist of the wrist. The steering takes a little practice at first, then it's easy to work around furniture.

It adjusts itself. The head lowers on hard floors for a tight seal, lifts the brush bar on delicate surfaces and rises on carpet to reach into different pile depths, so there's no switching modes by hand.

Dyson includes a 5-year parts and labor warranty when you buy from an authorized reseller. It's bagless, so the only regular jobs are emptying the bin and rinsing the filters.