Welcome to the new era of vacuuming – where everything you thought you knew about a power performer in a vacuum cleaner is flipped on its head and reconfigured. The Dyson PencilVac™ is leading the charge (and then some) when it comes to downsizing this everyday appliance. And in true technology leading innovation, upsizing performance at the same time.
Forget about needing an entire cupboard to house your lardy vacuum cleaner. The Dyson PencilVac is officially the world’s slimmest vacuum cleaner. So much so, that to the average user (like myself), it’s an indecipherable mystery as to where the motor has disappeared to. Turns out it’s been microsized down to a tiny 28mm (about the size of a 20 cent coin for reference) yet somehow still manages to pump out 140k of power with ease. If you’re a numbers person, prepare to be awed: the engine spins at up to 140,000RPM to generate 55AW of powerful suction – clearly each component is engineered to the micron.
The PencilVac has a total diameter of just 38mm (the same as some Dyson hair tools!), bringing new meaning to the word compact, and its svelte form makes it the perfect solution for RVers and homeowners who value streamlined design. Thanks to the magnetic attachment, it slots into its charger with ease and can discreetly be tucked away behind a door.
Of course, this sleekness comes with advantages other than the obvious storage and ease of use benefits – it’s also super lightweight (weighing in at just 1.8kg), so is endlessly comfortable to handle – especially when switching out the attachments. It’s the first time I’ve had the satisfaction of watching cobwebs disappear like magic from our high house ceilings – thanks to the rotating combi crevice tool with soft brush and being able to hold the slimline PencilVac above shoulder height without any discomfort. The soft brush is perfect for sweeping along the roofline (and also the top of curtain rails).
Back to the main player – the Fluffycones™ cleaner head. This really leads the vacuum cleaning innovation race. Made up of four cones in two brush bars, which rotate in opposite directions, although this might sound unexciting, it actually allows the cleaner head to ‘float’ across the floor – and the impeccable design ejects hair as it’s picked up, preventing it from wrapping or tangling around the brush bar. Remember the era of furiously trying to disentangle wads of hair from your vacuum? The next generation won’t ever have to experience this,.
This double brush bar also means the PencilVac cleans perfectly consistently whether you’re pushing it forwards or backwards. Another seemingly innocuous function, but it makes a huge difference when it comes to efficiency. And then (at the risk of seeming like a geek), there’s potentially my fave feature – the laser-like illumination both in front and behind the cleaning head. The extent to which these show up unsuspected dust is astonishing. I first tried the Dyson PencilVac in the evening and literally couldn’t believe the dust the lights highlighted – it also makes is wonderfully easy to see any missed spots or corners as you go.
Factor in the extreme rotation of the head and prepare for 100% satisfaction when it comes to navigating everything from curves to right angle corners. The design also allows it to lay flat on the ground so you can clean under low furniture with joyous ease.
The one area which had me slightly concerned was the narrow handle tube where all of the gobbled-up dirt and dust is stored. While I found it strangely satisfying to see this fill up, I admit to a small moment of anxiety before I figured out how to empty this narrow space. Just as I was starting to wonder if I had to stick the kitchen tongs down there to force the dirt out, I realised I had the solution at hand – check the instruction manual (or scan the QR code). Embarrassingly this serves only to show my lack of modern vacuum cleaner awareness and ages me to the era where manhandling the dust was ‘a thing’ we just endured. Turns out I had nothing to worry about – the Dyson R&D team rise to the occasion yet again. The conical system acts like a syringe – pushing the dirt out without you needing to touch, handle or inhale it.
A new filtration system is also at play here. Effectively it separates dust and debris from the airflow without causing filters to clog. The new Dyson two-stage linear dust separation system captures 99.99% of particles down to 0.3 microns2, so only cleaner air is expelled back into the home.
And just in case you’re not yet impressed – the Dyson PencilVac takes its place in history as the first cordless vacuum to connect to the MyDyson app where you can check on your filter health, find easy to use instructions/recommendations for care and usage, read battery life and install any software updates.
Like we said – welcome to the new era of vacuum cleaning!
