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We’ve been introduced to quite a few promising new vacuum cleaners over the past few months, including a handful of cordless stick vacuums snuck in with the big CES robot vacuum announcements. None of them could have prepared you for what the new Dyson PencilVac looks like.
The Feb. 3 release of the $599.99 PencilVac kicks off a string of long-awaited new Dyson vacuums slated for 2026. This launch is pretty huge news — prior to this, Dyson hadn’t released a new cordless vacuum since 2023, and even those weren’t overly groundbreaking. (We’ve seen what happens when a once-prestige brand gives up on innovating, à la The Fall of the House of iRobot.) So I jumped at the opportunity to test the PencilVac at home for a few days before launch. Considering that the PencilVac is somewhat a successor to my absolute favorite cordless vacuum of the past three years, you can imagine that the initial thoughts and early comparisons are already flowing.
The PencilVac is so thin that it could be stored under virtually any piece of furniture.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
Since 2022, I’ve been recommending the Dyson V12 Detect Slim nonstop for two main reasons: It’s incredibly lightweight, and the dust-illuminating laser completely changed the way I clean. The Dyson PencilVac weighs even less and has two lasers instead of one. Is unseating the GOAT really that simple?
Setting up the vacuum itself is incredibly easy because the PencilVac design is the definition of minimal. The box is compact and flat, and since it only comes with one attachment, you don’t have to dig around through a ton of packaging. Just click the motor, wand, and cleaning head together and find a spot near an outlet for the charging stand. It actually took longer to connect the PencilVac to WiFi and the Dyson app.
OK, I’m not a huge fan of being forced to use an app with an appliance just for the sake of using an app. But since the PencilVac’s screen is so tiny, I’m sure the app will come in handy for notifications about clogged airways or filter replacement.
Comparing the Dyson V12 Detect Slim (left) and PencilVac (right).
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
Four “Fluffycones” give the PencilVac an unbelievably smooth sweep.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
What’s special about the Dyson PencilVac?
The Dyson PencilVac is a stick vacuum in the most literal sense of the term. It’s legitimately shaped like a pencil and measures less than 1.5 inches around. The battery, motor, and dustbin are built into the wand, lying completely flush. There’s no main body with a handle or a trigger or anything. All controls can be found halfway down the wand. There’s one on/off button and one button to switch between three suction power modes on the screen. The screen also displays battery life with a countdown timer.
Without a big cylindrical dustbin or heavy battery pack, the PencilVac weighs in at less than four pounds. That’s more than a pound lighter than the V12 Detect Slim (that I already find incredibly ergonomic), and less than half of the weight of the heaviest Dyson stick vacuum.
Holding the PencilVac in the air doesn’t feel like a workout.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
The PencilVac can go as far back as I need it to in my Litter-Robot’s waste drawer slot.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
One of my first orders of business with the PencilVac was to vacuum the ceiling corners and any cobwebs that I’d previously been pretending weren’t there. Without the top-heaviness from a clunky dustbin, the PencilVac was comfortable to hold above my head with one hand. (I certainly can’t say the same for the 8.6-pound Dyson Gen5outsize that my mom has.)
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The wand doesn’t bend, so you’ll have to be awkwardly far away from certain nooks and crannies while you’re detailing them. But the long wand also makes it easy to keep up with dusty baseboards without kneeling down, and that’s huge news for my allergies and my back.
I’m definitely being normal about the double laser situation
The PencilVac also has two of my favorite Dyson feature ever, the dust-illuminating laser: One that lights the cleaning path ahead and one that lights the trail directly behind the cleaning head.
I’ve been religiously laser vacuuming since I got my V12 Detect Slim in 2023, so the concept of dual lasers is monumental to someone who can barely remember life B.L. (Before Laser). You truly have no concept of how much dust, dander, and hair accumulate on your floors within the span of a day. Barring any egregiously huge obvious crumbs, hardwood and tile always look pretty spotless to the naked eye… until the laser enlightens you. You can never go back after that.
I can easily see how much litter my cats tracked out of the bathroom.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
And this wasn’t even on the strongest power setting.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
I love that the double-headed laser provides a 360-degree view of the floor before and after you sweep it. After making a pass with my V12 Detect Slim, I’d often turn around to shine the laser where I just cleaned to make sure no minuscule stragglers would get stuck to my bare feet later. The double-headed laser shows you where the dirty spots are, then provides real-time proof of its debris pickup in the path behind it. The first PencilVac clean under my dresser and nightstand is going to be an all-timer — I can’t wait to meet what’s been living under there for months.
And cleaning gets even more granular from there. The PencilVac fluffy brush head can swivel the entire way around to hit the specific angle you need for any super niche spot, like between furniture and the wall.
Features I’m keeping an eye on: Dustbin practicality and carpet use
Emptying the PencilVac is slightly trickier than emptying a classic point-and-empty dustbin. You still hold it over the trash and click a button to release debris. But any veteran stick vacuum user knows that a piece of the dust bunny will inevitably need to be pulled out by hand. Since it’s so damn thin, I can already tell that the PencilVac dustbin and suction airway are going to be harder to keep clear. I realized that a water bottle sponge (one we will NOT be using to wash dishes) fits well enough to wipe out any fine hairs or dust stuck to the sides, but I’m not sure what to do when a wad of hair gets wrapped around up there.
The wand slides to push debris out the bottom.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
The PencilVac’s dustbin isn’t as easy to wipe out as a regular Dyson vacuum dustbin.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
At this point, it’s also hard to tell how worthwhile the PencilVac will be in homes that have a lot of carpeting. Dyson officially says that the four conical brush bars were designed to detangle hair, but will four fully fluffy brushrolls really work well on similarly fluffy carpet that’s covered in pet hair? Can a motor small enough to fit in the handle even generate enough power for sufficient carpet cleaning? I have two cats and a ton of rugs, so that’s what I’ll be investigating in the coming weeks.
The PencilVac is also one of the only Dyson stick vacuums in recent memory that doesn’t come with a mini motorized pet hair tool. It’s possible that thick influxes of fur could simply be too much for the small dustbin and filter to handle. Still, that’s another consideration for shoppers who are centering their vacuum purchase around pet hair pickup.
Similarly, since the battery has to be small enough to fit in a 1.5-inch diameter handle, it’s not that surprising that the PencilVac’s battery life isn’t great. It’s advertised as 30 minutes on one charge, and I definitely noticed it draining quickly in my first few days. Most of us probably don’t often vacuum nonstop for a full half hour anyway, but still something to keep in mind for larger homes.
The Dyson PencilVac is available to buy now for $599.99.
