The Dyson DC17 Absolute Animal is a bagless upright vacuum designed for homes with pets. It has a mini turbine head attachment that we really appreciate. This attachment cleans pet hair and other debris from upholstery, stairs, car interiors and Fluffy's favorite spots to lounge on the carpet. The turbine attachment works even better than we expected. It agitates, brushes and lifts long and short pet hair like a pro. It is an ideal size -- small enough to handle comfortably, yet large enough to cover trouble areas.

A "quick-draw" telescopic wand nests in the vacuum's handle. This is a great space-saving feature. Plus, we don't have to wrestle several feet of accordion-style tubing every time we want to use the attachments. We also like the DC17's low-reach floor tool. This handy tool allows us to reach under beds, couches and other furniture pieces. It can be used on carpets and bare floors, and we found it worked very well on both types of surfaces.

The vacuum's main head has edge brushes and a rotating brush head to lift carpets and give them a refreshed look. The rotating brushes can be turned off to use the DC17 on bare floors, so we don't need to worry about damaging the floors. What is one feature we really like? The DC17 has an automatic height adjustment and resets itself when going from carpets to bare floors -- a great convenience.

The Dyson DC17 is lightweight and a thoughtfully placed ergonomic handle makes it easy to carry from floor to floor or reposition when cleaning stairs. The Dyson uses a system it calls Level 3 Root Cyclone technology. It uses several small diameter cyclones to create greater suction. Dirt, dust and debris is collected in a view-through canister that is one of the easiest to empty we've ever encountered. It flips open at the bottom and spits out its contents without creating a dust storm. The Dyson DC17 uses a lifetime HEPA filter. The filter will need to be cleaned every few months, but there are no extra costs associated with buying more filters or bags.

We like the Dyson's durable construction and its impressive 5-year warranty. It powers through pet hair on carpets and clears bare floors of debris. Plus, it has a number of convenience features that make quick work of cleaning floors. Even when we thought carpets were clean, the DC17 was able to pull out dirt, dust and hidden debris -- we saw the proof in the view-through canister. We give the Dyson DC17 our highest marks based on performance, durability and the ability to clean multiple surfaces.


Pros: Use on carpets and bare floors, pet hair attachment
Cons: Price, no headlight

Warranty
5 years