Dyson's thinnest cordless vacuum is finally available in the US. Is it more than just a novelty?

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The shape of the cordless vacuum has changed as we know it with the launch of the Dyson PencilVac, an ultra-thin cordless vacuum for hard floors that is lightweight and highly maneuverable, giving new meaning to the term "stick vacuum." While it's been available in the UK for nearly a year, it's now making its US debut, with a launch price of $599.99.

Dyson is known for pushing boundaries across home and beauty to create vacuums, air purifiers, and hair dryers that consumers covet. As a home editor who's tested nearly every Dyson vacuum, I was eager to see how the brand's slimmest model would perform against its other offerings and the best vacuums the Business Insider reviews team has tested over the years. What's noteworthy about the PencilVac, according to Dyson, is that it has shrunk the motor to roughly the size of a quarter and can spin up to 140,000 rpm, its smallest and fastest yet. The battery, mechanical parts, filtration system, and dustbin are all contained within a 1.5-inch-thick pole.

After spending several days testing it, I appreciate the PencilVac's sleek design and effortless maneuverability. Still, I found notable limitations that make it better suited to specific households than as an all-purpose vacuum. Read on for my full review of the Dyson PencilVac.

A radically slim build

The PencilVac's defining feature is its ultra-thin, almost toy-like silhouette. My first thoughts upon unboxing it: It looked like a lightsaber, or the floor sweeper I used at my first restaurant job.

The setup involves snapping three parts together. The top handle holds the battery—and is also the heaviest piece — followed by a mid-section which houses the power controls with a tiny LCD screen placed just above a tubular dust bin at the bottom. These two pieces are flush with each other like a pipe. Then, the cleanerhead snaps into place, drastically shortening the distance between the cleanerhead and the dustbin.

Though tiny, the dustbin features a compression system that maximizes the amount of debris it can hold. In anticipation of receiving the PencilVac, I didn't vacuum for about a week, and I was able to sweep up across all my hard floors, about 600 square feet, without filling the bin even halfway.

That said, I immediately clocked that when getting acquainted with the machine, that once I detached the cleaner head from the body, I had to be careful to position it directly over my trash can, since the small gasket-style flap offers minimal protection against spillage. The emptying process requires two hands — one to eject the bin and another to push debris out like you're administering a syringe — and a second lever allows the bin to slide off the tube entirely, which is helpful if something gets stuck and provides access to the filter system.

The filtration system also differs from typical Dyson designs, with a visible mesh-style filter featuring red tabs and a long, narrow HEPA-style filter underneath, unlike the round cap-style filters at the head of the vacuums.

With the pencil-shaped design, I also noticed a lack of a clear ergonomic grip point. The handle area feels slick with no textured grip, and the holding position is unintuitive. You could hold higher by the battery, or lower down along the tube, closer to the controls, whichever is more comfortable for you.

Also excitingly, the PencilVac comes with a dock to house and charge the vacuum. It even has a space for the singular accessory (a crevice dusting brush combo tool). The floorhead charges through magnetized ports, meaning I don't need to reach for a charging cord. It's secure in the dock, but removing it takes effort. This is where I wish the plastic base were weighted or had more heft, so I wouldn't accidentally lift it when trying to reach for the vacuum; it requires a bit of a shimmy and a shake to remove.

A redesigned cleaner head

Dyson released an all-new cleaner head, dubbed the Fluffycones, that can clean in any direction. It comprises four soft-conical brush bars, each with a green laser at one end. Tiny wheels help the vacuum skate across the floor. The illumination lasers are one of my favorite innovations from Dyson, revealing dirt the naked eye can't see.

The vacuum also has a unique approach to combating hair wrap, which I'm frankly undecided on. The Fluffycones spiral any accumulated hair to the ends, and I see it spinning off. It's effective at reducing hair wrap around the brushroll, but it's not landing directly in the bin, but I had to pull the hair off the brush roll and vacuum over the clumps again to get them into the bin.

Cleaning with the Dyson PencilVac

The PencilVac can deliver up to 50 air watts, across three modes: eco, medium, and boost. Dyson claims the PencilVac can last up to 30 minutes on a single charge. My numbers were closer to 23 minutes on eco and around six minutes on boost. This information is displayed with a countdown timer on the handles small LCD screen. It's also quite quiet, measuring between 69 and 75 decibels, depending on setting.

When I ran it through some of the tests we use to evaluate the best cordless vacuums, and performance was mixed. It had no trouble picking up rice and most fine debris, including salt, though it left behind some microscopic particles that required a second pass. Larger debris was a problem. When I tested it with cereal, the vacuum pushed pieces forward, crunched others, and ultimately clogged the intake, forcing me to finish with another vacuum.

Though designed for hard floors, I gave the PencilVac a try on rugs and carpets too. On rugs, performance dropped off significantly. It barely picked up surface debris on a low-pile area rug and triggered an error message on mid-pile carpet

I do like that you can clean in almost any direction, with the laser-guided floorheads able to suction up debris on both forward and backward movements. It's also particularly strong at cleaning around edges, but only when approaching walls and baseboards from the side, not head-on. The vacuum is extremely responsive and swivel-heavy; it pivots with the smallest flick of the wrist. The Dyson PencilVac glides across floors with a sense of weightlessness.

Dyson's first vacuum to incorporate wifi

The first time I powered on the PencilVac, a QR code appeared on the screen prompting me to download the Dyson app. Pairing was seamless, but its usefulness feels limited. Primarily functioning as a digital manual, it offers setup and maintenance videos, along with basic tracking for battery percentage and recent cleaning sessions. The app also requires location data to receive updates, which feels unnecessary for a cordless stick vacuum and may be off-putting for privacy-conscious users. We've reached out to Dyson for clarification on how they store and use their customers' data.

Some other limitations

Despite its lightweight design, I did notice a feature that may make it less suitable for people with accessibility and mobility issues. Every time you empty the dustbin, you will need to reach down to separate the floor head. Unlike most stick vacuums, where a longer wand keeps the dustbin higher off the ground, the PencilVac's low bin placement means you'll have to bend down to detach and empty it.

I also don't see it as a great option for use as a handheld cleaner for cleaning countertops or upholstery, since the long handle requires you to keep a distance from your target. Though, it does make cleaning high up, like around my window trim, effortless. Notably absent is the mini-motorized tool often found in Dyson vacuums that is ideal for cleaning upholstery.

What are your other options?

The Dyson PencilVac showcases the brand's latest engineering, but it's a niche solution. If you want something lightweight and compact for hard floors, it may fit the bill, but Dyson offers more versatile options.

The Dyson V15 Detect remains my favorite Dyson vacuum overall, Though heavier to wield, it has stronger performance across floor types, up to 60 minutes of battery life, and intelligent suction adjustment. It was the first Dyson to incorporate the green laser. For a more affordable option, the Dyson V8 is a reliable entry-level model that can handle whole-home cleaning on a single charge for up to 40 minutes.

For hard floors specifically, wet-dry vacuums are also worth considering. Dyson's WashG1 combines mopping and debris pickup, though it requires more maintenance than a standard vacuum. If you're looking for a cheaper cordless option, I recommend the Tineco Floor One S7 Stretch Ultra, which includes self-cleaning brush rolls that wash and dry after each cleaning.

Should you buy the Dyson PencilVac?

The Dyson PencilVac is a small, yet mighty cordless vacuum for hard floors that stores compactly and is ideal for quick clean-ups. If you're eager to try out Dyson's latest technology and need something for light household cleaning, it could be the one for you.

Its pros include an ultra-slim, highly maneuverable design that cleans from any angle, decent runtime, strong suction, and convenient cradle-based charging for those looking to grab and go. It proved better for general cleaning but less effective at removing accumulated debris. However, the dustbin system could prove finicky for people with mobility issues; it struggled with large debris, and I'm still not sold on the usefulness of the wifi connectivity as a selling point. If you have a lot of area rugs, which most of us do, you'll likely still need another vacuum to fill in the gaps.