Let me start by saying that I have a Persian cat. As a cat owner, I am aware of the shedding, but have had problems of cleaning up all the hair. My old Hoover just never lived up to the task. But the first time I ran the Dyson over the carpet (having just used the Hoover for comparison) I was truly shocked. The see through canister was 1/3 full! And here I thought my carpet was clean.

So I then went about the rest of my house trying it out. In each and every room, the Dyson always picked up more. But the most impressive display was when I vaccumed the stairs. In the past, this has involved struggling with a cleaner on the stairs that doesn’t quite fit so it is a juggling act to vaccum. One slip of my grip and the vaccum would tumble down the stairs. Oh… and let’s not forget the fun of lugging a vaccum cleaner (upright) on the stairs. But with the Dyson, the long hose reached my top stair while the Dyson itself sat on the main level of the house. The 17′ long hose was great. And with the attachment, even the stubborn cat hair came of the carpeted stairs.

Another feature that is impressive is being able to switch between using the rotating brush or turning it off. What this means is that I can now vacuum over my rugs (brush off) without ripping the fringe or damaging my vintage hooked rugs. Yet, the vacuum pulls enough suction to clean the rugs. Example: sucking up tracked kitty litter.

Clean up is also a snap. I no longer have to worry about bags or filters. I simply turn off the Dyson, press the switch near the handle and lift up the entire canister and walk it over to the trash. Pressing my finger on a hook and the base flips open allowing you to empty the canister without getting your hands dirty. Once the canister is empty, simply snap the lid back in place and return to the main unit (again, snap into place).

I do have to admit liking the fact that I can see exactly what the Dyson picks up. Believe me, you will be impressed the first time you vaccum and see the collection of hair, dust, and other tiny debris.

Oh, one other really nice feature: the attachments are attached to the unit itself. The exceptions being the one used to vaccum under things like couches or beds and the one for the stairs. It’s quite convenient to be able to reach down and snap the upholstery attachment without carrying it around in my pocket or remembering to bring it into the room I am cleaning. This also ensures that I not only clean the flooring, but also clean the upholstered furniture on a regular basis.

If it wasn’t for the fact that I have to occassionaly clean the rotating brush (which I couldn’t reach in my old Hoover) of hair (mine and the cat’s) this would be a 5-star review. But as far as sheer vaccum power, this is definitely a 5-star performer.