Hoover Windtunnel 3 vs Dyson Animal 2 – It is a hard-fought battle to determine the winner as both are among the most well-known and highly powered upright vacuum cleaners on the market. But I give the winning ticket to the second one for some good reason.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is worth it and a great value for the money. This model scored nearly flawlessly in my cleaning tests. It is a heavy vacuum with good usability and maneuverability thanks to the 35-foot cord and Dyson Ball. It’s definitely one of my favorite uprights that I’ve tested.
The Hoover Windtunnel 3 can also clean multiple floor types effectively, from bare floors to carpets. The machine’s suction exceeded my expectations. In addition, it is equipped with an illuminating headlight, which its competitor lacks.
Hoover Windtunnel 3 vs Dyson Animal 2: Comparison Chart
Hoover Windtunnel 3 vs Dyson Animal 2: Differences
The Dyson Animal 2 wins the Hoover Windtunnel 3 with a score of 4 – 2. This former performs better on all types of surfaces and is effective at picking up pet hair. Moreover, it is easier to maneuver, has better reach, and features a larger dirt bin.
Cleaning Performance
The Winner: The Dyson Animal 2
Compatible Floor Type
Bare Floor
The Hoover WindTunnel 3 is decent on bare floors. It can gather hair on bare floors quite easily and suck up most small debris but isn’t work well with large debris. Fortunately, it doesn’t lose performance as its dirt cup fills.
On the flip side, the Dyson Ball Animal 2 performs well on bare floors. It can vacuum various types of debris without issue and is effective in removing pet hair.
Carpet
The WindTunnel 3 is decent for use on carpets. It removes a good amount of large and small debris but struggles a bit with pet hair. Meanwhile, the Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a great option for cleaning carpets. It sucks up solid debris without problems and picks up most pet hair on this type of surface, even as the dirt cup fills up.
Stairs
The WindTunnel 3 is not ideal for stairs. It’s bulky and has no rotating head, so it isn’t ideal for cleaning small, tight stairwells.
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is better for use on stairs. Its upright design is still bulky and somewhat heavy to carry up and down stairs, but you can detach its wand from the main body to vacuum stair steps.
Maneuverability
The WindTunnel 3 has disappointing maneuverability as it is heavy, and its head can’t rotate from side to side.
The Dyson Animal 2, on the other hand, has better maneuverability. It is quite big, making it harder to use in tight spaces, but it is easy to move around, thanks to the ball.
Design and Convenience
The Winner: The Dyson Animal 2
Dimension And Weight
The Dyson Animal 2 vacuum’s dimensions are 16.93 x 13.39 x 42.13 inches, and it weighs 17.20 lbs. Meanwhile, the Hoover Windtunnel 3 measures 16.5 x 12.5 x 34 inches and its weight is 18.1 lbs. So the first one is bulkier but lighter than the second one.
They aren’t small units, and they aren’t light, either. They might feel somewhat heavy to carry around when vacuuming, especially for the elderly. But I think it is just a slight drawback because there are very few old people in charge of cleaning the house, right?
Reach
The combination of the hose and extension wand gives the Dyson Animal 2 an additional 15 feet of reach. It is ideal for vacuuming high, behind/under furniture, or even cleaning stairs. You can leave the machine’s base at the base of the stairs and vacuum with its light wand in hand. Combined with the 35-foot cord, this machine has a total reach of 50 feet.
On the other hand, the Hoover Windtunnel 3 comes with a 30 ft power cord and a 12 ft hose, which gives you maximum mobility to clean a large space. It doesn’t offer the incredible reach of its rivals, but it still offers homeowners extra reach to clean every corner of their house without swapping outlets too often.
Utilities
The Winner: Tie.
Noise Level
| Hoover Windtunnel 3 | Dyson Animal 2 | |
| Bare Floor | 87.3 dBA | 81.4 dBA |
| Carpet | 85.2 dBA | 78.3 dBA |
Both Hoover Windtunnel 3 vs Dyson Animal 2 are not exactly quiet, but the noise level is tolerable. They are loud enough to drown out nearby conversations while operating, and I wouldn’t use them to clean my house early in the morning to avoid waking up my whole family.
Headlight
The Hoover Windtunnel 3 features an illuminating headlight, allowing users to spot hard-to-see dust and debris in dimly lit areas for better vacuuming results.
This feature seems redundant to many people as we can turn on the lights in our rooms or areas we want to clean. But this built-in headlight will come into play when vacuuming places with no lights or corners that the lights of our rooms cannot reach.
I still remember vacuuming my child’s bedroom, which had no lights, and I had to use my smartphone’s headlight. It was an unpleasant experience to keep my vacuum on the one hand and my phone on the other hand. So I always appreciate the vacuum’s headlights.
Height adjustment setting
The Hoover Windtunnel 3 allows you to adjust the brush head’s height, depending on the type of surface you want to vacuum. Its height control knob is conveniently located at the head of the machine.
This knob is labeled, so you’ll have no problem identifying which setting is right for your floor type. If you need to vacuum delicate surfaces, such as laminate floors, which are prone to scratches, turning off the brush roll is essential. If you are vacuuming carpeted areas, just turn it on.
As for the Dyson Animal 2, its head can automatically change height to suit different surfaces, which is a nifty feature if you have multiple carpet or floor types around your home. Moreover, you can stop the rotation of the brushroll with an on/off button near the handle.
Filters
The Winner: The Hoover Windtunnel 3
The Hoover Windtunnel 3 has three filters, including a washable pre-motor, a post-motor HEPA filter, and a carbon filter that cannot be washed.
The first filter is washable, as mentioned above, and it should be washed periodically and reused during the warranty period (five years).
The HEPA filter isn’t washable. Hence, if it is dirty, just take it out and gently tap it over your dustbin to remove debris and dirt. It also lasts for the length of the warranty period. The HEPA filter can trap up to 99.9% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, making it useful for users suffering from allergies or other respiratory-related diseases like asthma, pneumonia, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and pleural effusion.
The carbon filter, which is located underneath the HEPA filter, is also not washable and provides odor absorption. It is handy for pet owners, as our four-legged friends sometimes produce an irritating odor.
The Dyson Animal 2 features two filters: A pre-motor filter and a post-motor HEPA filter.
Its pre-motor filter is located in the dirt cup and can be removed from the lid and pulled out. According to the manufacturer, you should wash it once a month with clean water and let it dry for 24 hours before reusing it.
Its post-motor HEPA filter is located in the ball. Like the pre-filter, it should be washed with water once a month and left to dry for 24 hours before using it again.
While the Dyson Animal 2 incurs no recurring costs thanks to their washable filters, I give the nod to the Hoover Windtunnel 3 this round since it seems to be more efficient with the three filters.
Dust Bin
The Winner: The Dyson Animal 2
The Dyson Animal 2 has a larger clean dust bin, which is 0.55 gallons, while the Hoover Windtunnel 3 has a spacious 0.38-gallon dirt cup. The larger dust cup means you will find yourself emptying it less often, so the Dyson Animal 2 wins this category. But I think 0.38 gallons is big enough to vacuum without interruptions.
Hoover Windtunnel 3 vs Dyson Animal 2: Similarities
Warranty
Both of these models come with a 5-year warranty, meaning you can contact the dealers for their services whenever you want maintenance. If you need to replace the filters or buy additional tools, you can contact physical stores or the official online services of the company. Replacement tools are available on Amazon at reasonable prices.
Build Quality
I have been using these machines for a year. While they still work well, it’s too early to affirm they have good build quality. But according to many other users’ reviews, these vacuum cleaners can last six, even eight years with minimal maintenance.
Quick Rundown Of Dyson Ball Animal 2
- Strongest suction of any vacuum; Even more power for tough tasks
- Self adjusting cleaner head seals in suction across carpet, wood, vinyl, and tile floors
- Tangle free turbine tool, stair tool, combination tool included
- Whole machine filtration ensures that allergens are trapped inside the machine, not expelled back into the home.
- Hygienically empty the bin with the push of a button
Quick Rundown Of Hoover Windtunnel 3
- Hoover's best-cleaning bag less upright vacuum
- Quick Pass Brushroll - clean surface debris 2X faster without having to pass over the same area multiple times
- Wind Tunnel 3 Technology - 3 channels of suction to lift and remove surface debris and deep down embedded dirt
- 4-Position Height Adjustment - Easily adjust from deep carpet to hard floor surfaces for the best clean. Fast cleaning of surface areas, Extended cleaning reach
- Includes pivoting dusting tool, pet turbo tool, telescoping extension wand, and crevice tool. Conveniently empty debris with the push of a button, without getting your hands dirty
Product Video
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References:
- Dyson Ball Animal 2: https://www.dyson.com/vacuum-cleaners/uprights/ball-animal-2
- Hoover Windtunnel 3: https://hoover.com/products/windtunnel-3-high-performance-pet-upright-vacuum-2
Victor K. Giles is a leading consultant and expert in vacuum cleaner technology with over a decade of experience. As a mechanical engineering graduate in the University of Michigan, he specializes in product development, design optimization, and performance analysis. Victor collaborates with manufacturers and educates consumers, making her a sought-after guest speaker at industry events. His work has been featured in renowned publications, and he shares his expertise on his blog, “The Vacuum Teria”. Victor’s passion for cleaner, healthier living spaces drives his to help clients choose the best vacuum solutions for their needs.