Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal — Which Is Better?

The Dyson V6 Absolute vs Animal is a pretty valid argument. Especially seeing as they are both from the same series. So how much of a difference can there be between them, right?

Anyway, before we go right into discussing this and helping you sort through the seeming similarities and less apparent differences, let’s do a little bit of introduction.

Dyson is a pretty popular brand that has a number of lines of vacuum cleaners.

It is really common place for Dyson to release its cleaners in series. And one of those series is the V series.

The V series comprises a number of different vacuum cleaners, all with the cordless and bagless features. Now, in this V series, you have 4 mini-series: the V6, V7, V8 and the V10.

It is probably necessary that we point out here that each of the mini-series has a number of models under them.

And in fact, the V6 and V7 mini-series are further split into two mini-series: handheld cleaners and stick cleaners. Furthermore, both mini mini-series are split into models.

However, for the sake of this article, we’ll stick with the stick cleaner mini mini-series of the V6 as this is the category that both the Dyson V6 Absolute and the Dyson V6 Animal fall under.

So, if you are ready to solve the Dyson V6 Absolute vs Animal controversy (Ok, maybe it isn’t that deep), stick with us. (See what we did there? Stick cos we’re talking about stick vacuum cleaners? Yea, we’ve got jokes)

Comparison Overview — Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal

Overall Rating Of The Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal

Both the Absolute and the Animal are almost exactly alike. They have the exact same structure and the only way you can tell them apart is the color scheme that Dyson usually has going on.

They are so alike that they have almost the same dimensions and the Absolute is heavier than the Animal by only .1 pound.

They both use the same V6 motor, have the same run time and suction power and need to be charged for about 3 hours and 30 minutes.

The only two differences between these two, though, is the fact that the Absolute has HEPA filtration while the Animal doesn’t and the Absolute comes with a few more tools than the Animal.

You could check out a comparison of the older series here and here.

Price/Value Ratio — Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal

Both cleaners cost a bit and that is not exactly shocking, considering that they are both Dyson cleaners.

However, the Absolute is more expensive than the Animal, yet we consider it more value for money just because of that HEPA filtration.

Comparison Table — Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal

Dyson V6 Absolute

Dyson V6 Animal

Run Time Without Motorized Tool
20 minutes

20 minutes

Run Time With Motorized Tool

10 minutes

10 minutes

Motor Technology

V6 digital motor

V6 digital motor

Dimensions

9.8 by 8.2 by 46.4 inches

9.8 by 8.7 by 46.4 inches

Weight
5.1 pounds5 pounds

Charging Time
3 hours and 30 minutes3 hours and 30 minutes

Dustbin Capacity
0.4 liter0.4 liter

HEPA Filtration
YesNo

Suction In Max Mode
100 Airwatts100 Airwatts

Cleaning Tools

Direct drive cleaner head, combination tool, crevice tool, mini motorized tool, soft dusting brush and soft roller cleaner head.

Direct drive cleaner head, combination tool, crevice tool, mini motorized tool and soft dusting brush.

Which Is best Under What Circumstance? — Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal

Dyson V6 Absolute

Dyson V6 Animal


If you really need to take care of large debris, then the Dyson V6 Absolute is what you want to buy.

On the other hand, if you feel you don’t need the extra tool or feel you’ll be fine without the HEPA filtration tool, then you can go with the Animal.

We recommend getting the Absolute if you are usually predisposed to allergies. The reason is, the V6 Absolute features a HEPA filtration feature that captures allergens as it cleans.

Also, the Animal is the better option if you are looking to save a few bucks as it costs a bit less than the Absolute.

V6 Animal Review Video — Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal

Common Features — Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal

1. Structure

The Dyson V6 Absolute and the Dyson V6 Animal have the exact same structure.

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There is absolutely no difference in the way they look (except that they come in different colors) or in how the different parts are positioned.

Either of the cleaners can be basically divided into three parts: the head, the cleaner wand and the cleaning tool. Let’s look at the head.

Now by head, we refer to that part that houses such features as the handle, the dustbin and the connection point.

Furthermore, the handle is obviously the part you hold when wielding the cleaner. Now, the handle is even double important with both the V6 Absolute and the V6 Animal. Why?

It is basically because on the inside of the handle is the power button. Now, while making use of the cleaner, you have to consistently hold down the power button to power the cleaner.

Letting go of it automatically stops the cleaner from functioning.

And the reason Dyson decided that the cleaner will be powered this way is to preserve battery.

Since the cleaner only comes on when the power button is held down, it reduces any probability of accidental powering.

However, while this is a nice idea and it actually does solve that problem it creates another.

Seeing as you’ll have to hold down the button for the duration of your cleaning, which could be about 20 minutes, your finger could get really tired. And this is even worse for people with fragile fingers or arthritis.

Moving on from that, the connection point is simply that point where you are to connect either the cleaner wand or the cleaning tools.

It basically depends on whether you are trying to achieve the look and function of a stick cleaner or of a handheld one.

2. Dustbin

To discuss the dustbin, we’ll also kinda be looking at the handle. Now, directly opposite the power button is a lever for releasing the dustbin.

Once that lever is flicked up, the dustbin opens at the bottom and automatically lets go of its content.

This is, to a good extent, convenient. However, because the cyclones do not come up, you might have some debris stuck inside which you’ll have to remove with your fingers.

You could check this comparison between the V7 and the V6 or the one between the V6 and the V8 to see how Dyson has been able to take care of that little glitch.

Furthermore, there’s a bit of a difference between the dustbin of the Absolute and that of the Animal which we’ll get to later.

Additionally, the dustbin of both the Dyson V6 Absolute and the Dyson V6 Animal have the same carrying capacity of 0.4 liter.

While this might be enough for a quick clean, you might need to make a couple of trips to your trash can if you are doing a more intense cleaning.

3. Cleaning Tools

Direct Driver Cleaner Head

This is that large motorized head that is used to clean floors and floor coverings in general.

The direct driver cleaner head works best on hardwood floors but is also decent on carpets.

However, this cleaner head isn’t the best for taking care of large debris. And by large debris we are referring to anything larger than sand grains like cereal.

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The direct driver cleaner head might not clear up large debris and even if it does, it will definitely take more than one try.

Thankfully though, Dyson decided to come up with a solution to this. However, seeing as this solution comes with only one of the cleaners in our Dyson V6 Absolute vs Animal discuss, you’ll have to wait to find out.

Combination Tool

You’ve probably already guessed what this is. It is basically a combination of two cleaner heads, one of which is a small brush and the other a small suction tool.

The idea is not necessarily for you to use both at the same time but for you to be able to switch between both quickly.

Crevice Tool

This one is a suction tool too. However, it is crafted in such a way that it can reach into crevices, corners and generally hard to reach places.

Mini Motorized Tool

The mini motorized tool is basically a small version of the direct driver cleaner head, except that this one is specially adapted to be able to clear up delicate things like hair, fur and even yarn.

This one is usually attached directly to the connection point without the cleaner wand.

Soft Dusting Brush

This one is a bigger brush than what you have on the combination tool and is used for delicate dusting.

The bristles are quite soft and can be used for dusting things like window panes, keyboards and even screens without leaving marks.

A V6 Absolute Instruction Video — Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHTeAfuiq2Y

4. Mode Button

The mode button is positioned on the back of the head. Now, both the Dyson V6 Absolute and the Dyson V6 Animal offer two modes of operation: the normal mode and the max mode.

Pressing the mode button helps you switch between both modes.

Furthermore, while the normal mode offers 24 Airwatts of suction, you get up to 100 Airwatts on the max mode. And that is the basic difference between the normal and the max mode.

Additionally, just so you know, the increase in Airwatts means that there is more suction power which typically means that the cleaner performs at its best and is able to clear things up quicker.

However, this increase in Airwatts comes at a price which we’ll be discussing soon enough.

5. Battery

Without using any motorized tool, both the Dyson V6 Absolute and the Dyson V6 Animal offer up to 20 minutes of run time. However, if you add a motorized tool, you’re looking at half that time.

Now, remember when we talked about the price for the increase in suction power? Well, if you use either cleaner in max mode, with or without a motorized tool, you get only 6 minutes of run time.

Furthermore, charging either of the cleaners takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Which, if you think about it, is quite a long recovery time for something that last 20 minutes at the longest.

In all, we think it is safe to say that the battery is the weak link for both the Absolute and the Animal. Thankfully, there are other great things about both cleaners.

6. Docking Station

This is the feature that helps you properly store your cleaner. You’ll mount the docking station on the wall and you can hang your cleaner on it without having to disassemble it.

However, know that the docking station doesn’t have provision to house all the different cleaning tools.

You’ll basically just be able to hang the cleaner with whatever cleaning tool is attached to it and two other cleaning tools.

Furthermore, remember to place the docking station close to an electric socket.

The reason for this is so that you can charge the cleaner while it is hanging. So, you’ll basically plug the charger (which both cleaners come with) to the socket and connect it to your hanging cleaner.

So, we can say that the docking station doesn’t just allow for proper storage but also efficient charging of both the Dyson V6 Absolute and the Animal.

Another V6 Absolute Video — Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal

Unique Features — Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal

1. Dustbin

We’ve already mentioned that both cleaners have the exact same type of dustbin as regards structure, placement and even volume.

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However, the one thing they do not have in common is the HEPA filtration feature. And you’ll only get this with the Absolute model.

Now what does this feature do? It captures the allergen in the air and traps it in the dustbin so that the air that comes off the cleaner is supposedly purer than the air we breathe.

This is good news for people who are predisposed to allergies.

2. Soft Cleaner Roller Head

Now when we mentioned that Dyson had come up with a solution to the direct driver cleaner head’s ineptitude at clearing up debris, this was what we referred to.

The soft cleaner head is about the same size as the direct driver head but is specially designed to be able to clear up the large debris at the first go. This is a cleaning tool that only comes with the Dyson V6 Absolute model.

Unique Pros — Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal

Pros Of The Dyson V6 Absolute

  • It comes with the HEPA filtration feature that captures allergens in the air and traps them in the dustbin.
  • Also, the Dyson V6 Absolute comes with an extra cleaner head that should take care of large debris vs the V6 animal which does not.

Pros Of The Dyson V6 Animal

  • The Dyson V6 Animal is a bit more affordable vs the Absolute. And this is basically due to the fact that the Absolute comes with a number of extra features.

Unique Cons — Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal

Cons Of The Dyson V6 Absolute

  • The Dyson V6 Absolute costs a bit more vs the Animal. However, this is clearly because it comes with a number of extra features.

Cons Of The Dyson V6 Animal

  • The Dyson V6 Animal doesn’t come with any tool that can effectively take care of large debris.

Common Pros — Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal

Dyson V6 Absolute

Dyson V6 Animal

Flexibility
The Dyson V6 Absolute is a stick vacuum cleaner that can be easily transformed to a handheld cleaner by just adding the appropriate cleaning tool directly to the connection point.
Furthermore, the cleaner is flexible enough to reach beneath furniture and even high up on ceilings and walls.
Same as the V6 Absolute

Docking Station

We also like that they both come with a docking station each that makes for convenient storage and charging of the cleaners.
Same as the V6 Absolute

Plethora Of Tools

That the Dyson V6 Absolute comes with a number of different tools that are specialized for different cleaning needs is definitely a good think.

Same as the V6 Absolute. However, we should point out again that the Absolute comes with one tool that the Animal doesn’t; the soft roller cleaner head.

Another V6 Animal Video — Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal

Common Cons — Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal

Dyson V6 Absolute

Dyson V6 Animal

Direct Driver Cleaner Head
The direct driver cleaner head is not the best at clearing up large debris.
Thankfully, the Absolute model comes with an additional tool that should do the job just fine.

Same as the V6 Absolute without the additional tool for large debris.

Power Button

We concede that the idea of holding down the power button to power the cleaner actually goes a long way to conserving battery power.
However, it does make handling the cleaner kinda tiring for the fingers. Especially for people with fragile fingers or arthritis.

Same as the V6 Absolute.

Battery 

20 minutes of cleaning time without using a motorized tool may not be sufficient to do all the cleaning one needs to do.
Add to that the fact that the time is reduced to half when a motorized tool is used and even further to just 6 minutes on the max mode and things are tighter.

Same as the V6 Absolute.

Dustbin

The dustbin is convenient for handling the trashy aspect of things.
However, there’s still that possibility of using your fingers to manually dislodge some debris hiding inside.
You can check out our review of the Dyson V7 Animal Vacuum Cleaner to see what a more sanitary dustbin is about.

Same as the V6 Absolute.


What People Are Saying About The Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal

Dyson V6 Absolute

Dyson V6 Animal


It seems to be general consensus that the Dyson V6 Absolute is an effective tool. People like the fact that each of the cleaner heads does what it should.
The mini motorized tool looks to be a favorite for some people, especially those that are pet parents.
And the fact that there is a tool that was specifically added to take care of large debris seems to be the icing on the cake.

The Dyson V6 Animal also has its following seeing as it is quite effective too.
And while the direct driver might not be the best for large debris, it is actually quite good on hardwood floors (without the large debris, of course).

However, there are a number of complaints as regards the battery life and the fact that you have to continuously hold down the power button for the cleaner to continue to run.
There have also been a few complaints as regards the volume of the dustbin; apparently it is quite small.

However, there are also the battery life, power button and dustbin volume complaints with this one.

Our Take On The Dyson V6 Absolute Vs Animal

Dyson V6 Absolute

Dyson V6 Animal


We also do like the Dyson V6 Absolute Vacuum Cleaner and think it does a fine job. Maybe the dustbin could be more sanitary and the battery life could be longer, but it is still a fine cleaner to us.

We also like the Dyson V6 Animal Vacuum Cleaner. It works fine. Maybe not as fine as the Absolute but that is basically because it comes with fewer tools.

If you intend getting this then click here to get it right now.

We would actually pick the Absolute over the Animal just because of that tool that takes care of large debris. However, if you are looking to save a bit of money, click this to get the Animal.

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