Dyson’s new PencilVac might be the weirdest-looking vacuum I’ve seen. There isn’t any seen motor or filter part, nor any apparent battery. It is only one lengthy deal with with an odd-looking floorhead on the backside. It appears to be like nothing like the remainder of one of the best Dyson vacuums available on the market. So what’s all of it about?
I had my first demo of the PencilVac a couple of months in the past, and for the previous few weeks I have been testing out a mannequin in my residence (listed here are my early ideas, when you’re ). Over that point I’ve had an opportunity to make sense of the progressive design – here is the way it all works.
The place are all of the mechanics?
Within the deal with! To make the PencilVac, Dyson developed a tiny new motor, measuring 1.1 inches / 2.8cm in diameter – which is about the identical width as a 2-euro coin. The battery is hidden on the prime finish of the deal with (it is detachable), as is the filter. The deal with itself is only one.5 inches / 3.8cm extensive, and the whole unit is impressively light-weight, too.
The place does all of the mud go?
At first look, it appears to be like very very similar to the PencilVac is lacking a dustbin – which might be an issue. The truth is, there is a bin; a really small one, hidden within the deal with alongside all the opposite mechanics.
With a capability of 0.08L, the bin is 10x smaller than the usual cordless stick vacuum mud cup, which generally is available in at 0.8L. And for many who may assume that this implies you will spend extra time on the bin emptying than truly vacuuming, Dyson has developed an progressive compression system that squishes the mess collectively utilizing air, to squeeze as a lot into that area as potential. Unusually, too, is that the mud particles sucked up by the vacuum appear to defy gravity and gather on the prime of the mud cup.
Why are the rollers cone-shaped?
Most vacuums characteristic single or twin parallel-edged rollers of their floorheads, however the rollers listed here are cone-shaped. And there are 4 of them. The idea right here is that the form is healthier for tackling lengthy hair: the strands make their manner down the cone to its pointy finish, the place they’re expelled in a neat clump and might be vacuumed away. It is the identical precept as Dyson’s Hair screw instrument.
Is it vital? I am unsure. Primarily based on my early exams it really works properly, though I’ve hardly ever encountered hair-wrap on any of Dyson’s trendy floorheads – and an unlucky knock-on impact is that the entrance aspect of the floorhead can also be angled, which suggests it could possibly’t get flush to a wall.
Why are the rollers all smooth?
The shaping is not the one uncommon factor about this vacuum’s rollers: they’re additionally coated in smooth material – there is not a bristle in sight. These conversant in Dyson’s newer lineup will know the rating: just like the Fluffy floorhead launched with the Dyson V15 Detect, this Fluffycones floorhead is healthier to be used on laborious flooring.
That smooth material is ready to get tremendous near the ground floor and whisk away mud and hair with out risking any scratches – plus, it is going to gently buff your flooring because it goes.
On this specific mannequin, the floorhead appears to be like and feels tremendous cool: it seems to drift throughout the ground. As well as, the 2 pairs of rollers right here rotate in reverse instructions, gathering mud from either side. Primarily based on my exams, the design works beautifully, effectively whisking mud into the suction path.
Is it truly highly effective?
Certainly such a tiny motor cannot generate that a lot suction? Within the context of the broader Dyson vary, that is appropriate. The PencilVac is able to delivering 55AW of energy. The weakest choices from the remainder of the vary can handle virtually twice that (100AW), whereas the most recent and priciest vacs will ship as much as 315AW.
Nevertheless, for laborious flooring that 55AW is definitely loads, as a result of all of the dust is sat proper on the floor. This vacuum is not constructed for deep cleans, neither is it appropriate to be used on carpet (suction-aside, you really want bristles within the floorhead to agitate carpet fibers to launch dust – a smooth curler is not going to chop it). Nonetheless, I’ve discovered it very environment friendly at clearing mud and hair from the massive tiles on my kitchen flooring.
At first, I assumed this is able to be an all-in-one form of prospect, as a result of the design of the mechanics do not lend themselves to being reconfigured. Nevertheless, Dyson has included a element instrument that may be swapped instead of the floorhead. So whereas it is not a handheld within the conventional format (as is the case with most different stick vacuums), you possibly can nonetheless use it to mud your baseboards.
The truth is, I’ve discovered it is particularly good at moving into awkward nooks, as a result of it is so streamlined. Plus, the PencilVac’s mild weight makes it an excellent possibility for tackling cobwebs in ceiling corners, with out experiencing arm ache.
The Dyson PencilVac is already available for purchase within the UK and Australia, and it prices £429.99 / AU$949. US pricing and launch date are TBC.
