Dyson DC07 Animal Bagless Upright Cyclonic Vacuum Review

First of all, I should say a part of me winces every time I look at my Dyson DC07 vacuum cleaner.  First off, it's an absolutely ghastly sparkly purple:  Dyson must have cut a licensing agreement with Prince.  It has weird organic curves that makes it look like a refugee from the movie "Aliens".  When you're done using it, all the junk formerly in your carpet (presumably deposited there by you) is displayed for all to see in the clear compartment that traps the dirt.  Oh, and did I mention that I paid over $400 for it, perhaps twice what any vacuum should ever reasonably cost?

The negatives fade once I plug into the nearest socket and remember how to turn it on (more on that later).  Wielding this housecleaning juggernaut--believe it or not--imbues one with such a sense of power and control over one's environment that I actually don't let anyone else vacuum any more.  It's gone from a household chore to an exercise in he-man self-actualization, the perfect prop for a Tim Allen comedy routine.  This ugly beast is so hands-down the most effective machine I've seen that I've become a kind of Dyson zealot.  No tattoos yet, but I'm thinking about it.

I happened to run into the Dyson display in Costco.  At $430, I almost dismissed it out of hand; I was not particularly looking for a vacuum.  However, I did have a new baby, and I noticed the Dyson had a HEPA filter, which traps ultra-fine dust and can help prevent allergies, sinus irritation, etc., so I read on a bit.  The sales collateral was compelling, and I'd seen the quirky TV ads with the inventor, some odd Englishman who claimed "it just works better".  I appreciate clever design, so I figured, what the heck?  I'll try it out, and if it disappoints, return it within 30 days.

I got home and tried it out, and man, was I hooked.  We had just had the carpets steam-cleaned a few weeks earlier, and the amount of additional dirt the Dyson extracted floored me, especially the fine grit.  (The fact that everything is trapped in an easy-to-dump clear plastic cylinder is marketing genius:  you can see it work, even if it does demonstrate how grubby you are.)  One pass over any section of carpet with the Dyson seemed as effective as a half-dozen by any other vacuum.  Furthermore, I did notice after using it for a few weeks that the place was a lot less dusty, and the amount of dirt it pulled out of the carpet in subsequent uses was a lot less.

Not that I'm an expert in such matters, but the Dyson is so much better than other vacuums I've used that I can't even compare them.  That said, its design is a bit avant-garde, with the controls so cleverly integrated into the unit that I have to search for the power button occasionally.  Furthermore, I've accidentally triggered the dirt compartment to dump onto the rug after I vacuumed several times.  It has an extendable wand-and-hose assembly for stairs and shelves, which is handy.  The "Animal" version I have describes not its voracious appetite for grime, but the inclusion of a few attachments to handle pet hair.  I gave up trying to figure those out pretty quickly, and it's so good that you really don't need them.

As awkward as it may be for me to admit to my affair with a purple vacuum, I'm coming forward here and now and proclaiming my feelings to the world:  I . . . love . . .this thing.  As Ferris Bueller would say: "It is so choice.  If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."