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Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor Canister Vacuum Review

Derek Hales

Written By: Derek Hales

Updated on:

The Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor canister vacuum is no joke when it comes to suction power, versatility, and overall usability.

This vacuum is a strong performer all around, and with the extra cleaning tools included, the Big Ball canister makes moving from one mess to another easier.

A Self-Righting Canister Vacuum

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Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor Canister

The Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor Canister is a nice choice if you’re looking for a powerful vacuum that excels on carpeted floors. It can right itself back up if it topples over and is an overall solid choice for variable cleaning jobs.Check Price

Pros

  • Self-righting if it topples over
  • Lighter in-hand than traditional upright vacuums
  • Same 250 AW suction as the comparable Multi Floor 2 upright vacuum

Cons

  • Although lighter in-hand, this vacuum is a little heavy at over 17 pounds
  • Canister vacuums can be a little difficult to maneuver if you’re used to uprights or stick vacuums

Rather watch than read? We’ve got our Dyson Big Ball canister review video here:

YouTube video

Dyson Big Ball Canister Design

The design of the Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor Canister vacuum is similar to other canister vacuums in that it is a two-part vacuum.

Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor canister

In one part, there is the:

  • Cleaning head
  • Extension wand
  • Articulating handle

In another part, there is the:

  • Dust bin canister
  • Motor
  • Dyson ball base

These two parts are joined together by the flexible extension hose that transfers the dust and debris from the floor to the dust bin canister.

Dyson Big ball canister cord wrap

As you clean…

The canister itself toddles after you on its Ball base. If you hit an obstacle or for some other reason, the canister topples over, it is able to right itself back up and keep cleaning.

Dyson Canister Form Factor

In form, the Multi Floor canister vacuum has the round Dyson Ball base with the dust bin canister nestled into the Ball itself.

Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor power button

There is a long flexible hose and the rigid extension wand with articulating handle. At the end of the wand is the cleaning head.

In color, it looks quite similar to the Multi Floor upright vacuum in that it uses the same silver and golden yellow color scheme. Both vacuums have the same suction power and the same size dust bin capacity.

How does the Dyson Big Ball canister work?

The Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor canister vacuum offers strong suction, generating an impressive 250 AW of suction power.

Dyson Big Ball canister dust bin release

It has an 360 degree articulating handle that allows the flexible hose to rotate independently from the ridged extension wand and cleaning head.

This makes it a little easier to clean down low without having to bend over or clean up high without needing to step up on something.

Size & Dimensions

The Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor canister vacuum is a decently large size canister vacuum. It’s heavy, but not really any more than a full size Dyson upright, like the Dyson Animal 2.

How big is the vacuum?

The Dyson Multi Floor canister is:

  • 12.13” high
  • 15.71” long
  • 13.66” wide
  • 17.64 lbs.
Size and dimensions of the Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor canister vacuum

Compared to lightweight canister vacuums like the 11 lb. Bissell Zing it’s a much heavier vacuum, but with that extra weight also comes extra power and a larger dust bin capacity.

Compared to larger more hefty units, like the Miele Classic C1 (see our review here), the weights are within 1 pound of each other (16 lbs for the Miele and 17 lbs for the Dyson Multi Floor)

The included brushroll has a 12” wide cleaning path and comes with a 21’ cord. The cord combined with the flexible home and extension wand equals a total reach of 35’ from end to end.

Accessories and Parts

Regarding accessories, the Dyson Multi Floor 2 canister comes with a few useful tools including:

Crevice tool included with the Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor canister vacuum

CREVICE TOOL | The crevice tool is a slender cleaning tool that gives users the ability to get into the hard-to-reach nooks and crannies around your home.

Dusting Brush included with the Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor canister vacuum

DUSTING BRUSH | The dusting brush is a smaller tool that contains soft bristles along the cleaning end. These bristles can be used to dust more delicate surfaces, whle the suction from the vacuum collects the dust / debris.

Stair tool included with the Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor canister vacuum

STAIR TOOL | The stair tool is a type of wide-head nozzle that is designed to clean wider areas than the areas for a crevice tool. The stair tool makes it easy to snap on and push along the tread or riser of your stair.

Wand rotator tool included with the Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor canister vacuum

WAND ROTATOR TOOL | The wand rotator tool can be attached to the main connection point of the wand and hose, allowing users to change the angle of the wand, based on the style of cleaning they are trying to acomplish.

Dyson Canister Features

The Big Ball Multi Floor canister shares many design similarities with Dyson’s upright Multi Floor 2 vacuum cleaner.

Self Adjusting Cleaning Head

First and foremost, the Dyson Multi Floor Canister vacuum uses the same self-adjusting cleaning head as what you’ll see on the upright model.

Dyson Big Ball Canister cleaning cereal
Dyson Big Ball Canister cleaning cereal

Filtration System

Also like the Multi Floor upright, the canister vacuum uses the same patented 2-Tier Radial Root Cyclone technology. This system can filter out particles as small as 0.003 microns and is certified to be Asthma and Allergy Friendly.

Radial cyclones on the Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor canister vacuum
Radial cyclones on the Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor canister vacuum

Self-Righting Ball

One of the most unique features about the Big Ball canister vacuum is the self-righting Dyson Ball. As is the nature of any canister vacuum, you hold the cleaning head and hose and the canister rolls around behind you.

If you’ve used a canister vacuum before then you likely know that the canister can get into some trouble when you’re not looking, knocking into furniture or getting tangled up in obstacles.

With the Multi Floor canister, it has self-righting technology so when those topples happen, it can right itself back up and continue cleaning.

Cleaning Performance

Overall, the Dyson Big Ball Multi Flor canister vacuum performed well, but did struggle with cereal.

Overall

86%

Hardwood

71%

Low Carpet

99%

High Carpet

89%

Hardwood Floor Cleaning

The Dyson Big Ball multi floor canister vacuum hit a couple of bumps when being tested on the hardwood floor, but it was not terrible by any means.

Results:

Kitty litter and sugar were no match for this vacuum, however, rice and cereal did cause some issues during our tests.

Rice seemed to get pushed in the beginning, but was able to be sucked up on the pass backwards. Yet, this was not good enough for the vacuum to collect more than 81% of the rice.

Cereal was much worse, as only 3% of it was sucked up by the vacuum. Long story short, the vacuum was not able to roll over the cereal, which meant it was pushed forward and never cleaned up.

Cereal

3%

Kitty Litter

100%

Rice

81%

Sugar

100%

Hardwood floor cleaning tests against the Dyson Big Ball canister

After all was said and done, we did go back and test the cereal and rice with the hose itself, minus the multi floor cleaning head. This allowed us to apply direct suction on the rice and cereal, which was where we saw a much better performance from the Dyson Big Ball canister.

Both debris were cleaned up at a level of 100% when using the hose minus the cleaning head.

Low Pile Carpet Cleaning

The low pile carpet tests yielded a much better result than the hardwood floor tests. There were virtually no issues on the low pile carpets.

So, what waas the difference?

After completing the tests, it seemed that the difference boiled down to the debris sinking down into the carpet. By doing so, the Dyson Big Ball canister was able to roll over the debris and suck them up with ease.

Cereal

98%

Kitty Litter

100%

Rice

98%

Sugar

100%

Low pile carpet tests against the Dyson Big Ball canister vacuum

I was impressed with the Dyson’s ability to handle low pile carpets with such ease.

High Pile Carpet Cleaning

High pile was close to the low pile carpet, with regard to overall score, but there was one small hiccup along the way.

Breakdown:

The Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor canister vacuum flew through the rice, kitty litter, and suagr tests, cleaning up 100% of each debris.

On the downside, cereal became an issue again. That said, the vacuum was able to clean up 57% of the cereal, as compared to only 3% on the hardwood floor.

Cereal

57%

Kitty Litter

100%

Rice

100%

Sugar

100%

High pile carpet tests against the Dyson Big Ball canister vacuum

Once again, we were able to use just the hose on the cereal and remove 100% of the cereal. Therefore, it seems that using the hose for larger debris is more beneficial than the multi floor cleaning head.

Usability & Maneuverability

In terms of usability and maneuverability, the Dyson Multi Floor canister vacuum has a series of pros and cons. Overall, I would say this vacuum is very usable and easy to maneuver, especially once you get the hang of the tag-along canister portion.

Dyson Big Ball hose assembly

What about the weight?While the actual weight of this vacuum is heavier than most, it’s important to note that you are rarely lifting the entire canister vacuum. Generally you will only have the handle and extension wand in-hand which drastically decreased the weight in-hand.

The Self-Righting Ball

The self-righting ball is certainly one of the most unique features of this vacuum and for good reason. This feature is not common among canister vacuums and helps the canister to be less of a nuisance when cleaning.

The Dyson Big Ball canister has the ability to maneuver in several different ways
The Dyson Big Ball canister has the ability to maneuver in several different ways

Hygienic bin emptying

Another feature that helps with overall usability is the way that the dust bin empties. In some older model Dysons or other vacuum, brands entirely, dust, and debris can get caught in the dust bin and you have to basically pick the debris out of the bin.

Dyson Gig Ball dust bin

The design of the bin effectivley pushes debris out, which helps get more of the dirt / dust into the trash and less elsewhere.

Washable lifetime filter

The Dyson Multi Floor Big Ball canister vacuum has a washable lifetime filter which helps to keep maintenance costs down and is easy to tend to. 

Simply wash the filter in cold water and allow it to sit out for at least 24 hours to air dry.

Washable filter included with the Dyson Big Ball Canister vacuum

Washable filter included with the Dyson Big Ball Canister vacuumRELATED: Looking for more Dyson’s with washable filters? Check out the Dyson V8 and V10.

Dyson Canister Maintenance

The maintenance is pretty light for the Dyson Big Ball Canister. Main contributing factors to the easy maintenance include:

  • Washable lifetime filter
  • Bagless design
  • Corded design (so no battery replacement)

There aren’t really any routine replacements to worry about unless something breaks. Some maintenance tasks you can do to keep the Dyson canister running well includes the following:

  • Regularly empty the dust bin
  • Check the filter and wash as needed
  • Check the brushroll for any tangles or blockages

Regular maintenance of the Dyson Multi Floor vacuum will help it to run smoother and limit any unnecessary repairs on parts or accessories. If things do need replaced, you can generally find what you need on Dyson.com or from third party retailers like Amazon.com.

Is Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor Canister worth it?

All things considered, the Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor canister offers a great value. For most consumers the Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor canister is worth it.

The cleaning performance in addition to the versatility of this unit makes for one of the most impressive canister vacuums we have tested to date.

Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor Canister Vacuum

Throughout our cleaning tests, the Big Ball canister vacuum was able to plow through almost all of our debris tests with ease.

Although there were some hiccups along the way (mostly with cereal), the ability to quickly swap this unit’s cleaning mode makes it much more efficient when the standard cleaning head cannot get the job done.

As a canister, it is a corded vacuum, but this means no battery replacement needed and no need to worry about run time.

Vacuum for as long as you’d like!In the end, this Dyson canister vacuum falls right in line with all other Dyson vacuums we have tested.

Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor Canister Specifications

Below you’ll find a complete table listing the important facts and features about the Dyson Big Ball canister vacuum cleaner:

Specifications
TypeCanister
ManufacturerDyson
ModelMulti Floor
Length (inches)15.71"
Width (inches)13.66"
Weight17.64 pounds
Floor TypeAll
FilterWashable lifetime
Dust Bin1.6L
ControlSelf-Righting Base
Cleaning HeadSelf-Adjusting
CordlessNo - 21' cord
Suction Power250 AW
BaglessYes
ReturnsVaries by retailer
Warranty5-Year limited
PriceCheck Price

Who Should Buy the Dyson Big Ball Canister?

If you’re specifically looking for a canister vacuum, but don’t want to sacrifice maneuverability or suction power, it’s hard to beat the Dyson Multi Floor canister vacuum.

It rolls on a base designed around the Dyson Ball, can self-right itself, and has matched suction power to the Dyson Multi Floor 2 upright vacuum.

I would recommend the Dyson Big Ball if you’re looking for the following features in a canister vacuum: 

  • Want a self-righting canister: A vacuum that can do something for itself is always more convenient than having to do everything yourself. The Multi Floor canister can get itself upright if it falls over.
  • Want something for all floor types: Similar to the Multi Floor 2 upright, the Multi Floor canister is designed to clean all floor types and has a self-adjusting cleaning head. For cleaning hard-to-reach areas, the articulating handle makes it easy to clean under furniture or high above.
  • Want a strong performer: As noted above, the cleaning performance of this Dyson canister vacuum was solid overall. Several cleaning tools and extremely powerful suction combine for one of the best performers we have tested thus far. Larger debris can give the main cleaning head problems, but the various hose attachments can handle those debris.

For more information on the Dyson Big Ball Multi Floorcanister vacuum, see here.

Why did the Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor canister vacuum score the way it did?

  • Design – canister that can right itself is a major plus, combined with tons of accessories and usable feature set.
  • Performance – we do wish the cleaning head could handle large debris better, but overal performance was still strong.
  • Quality – feels as good as any Dyson we’ve tested.
  • Usability – lots of accessories, light in hand, good reach, retractable cord.
  • Value – Not cheap, but definitely among the best canisters on the market.
The Self-Righting Canister
  • Design - 95%
    95%
  • Performance - 86%
    86%
  • Quality - 95%
    95%
  • Usability - 95%
    95%
  • Value - 94%
    94%
93%

Summary

The Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor is a canister vacuum designed to give users a wide range of versatility and adaptability when cleaning. This unit offers a strong level of cleaning performance, as well as a variety of cleaning attachments that make moving from one project to another, much easier. Not a cheap vacuum, but still a solid value considering the overall performance, usability, and accessories.

About Derek Hales

Derek HalesDerek Hales is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ModernCastle.com. He has been featured in Fast Company, Reader's Digest, Business Insider, Realtor.com, She Knows, and other major publications. Derek has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University. Hales has been testing and reviewing products for the home since 2014.