I Tried Dyson’s Newest Vacuum, and It’s Perfect for My Small Apartment (It’s “Pencil-Thin!”)

Confession: I’ve never been very good about vacuuming regularly. I promised myself that I’d make it a daily practice when I moved into my current apartment (because I struggle to keep smaller spaces clean — the clutter, and therefore the dust, just accumulate so fast!), and I’ve made some improvements so far. But when I got the opportunity to test Dyson’s new PencilVac Fluffycones, I learned that it wasn’t the habit of vacuuming that was the problem (or me, thankfully) — it was my old vacuum. 

Dyson makes some of our editors’ favorite vacuums, air purifiers, and fans, so I knew the tech on the PencilVac would be impressive. And it is! It’s extremely powerful and lightweight. People are calling it the “world’s slimmest vacuum,” so it’s an excellent choice for small spaces. I’ve been eager to get my hands on it since I caught wind of its launch in Japan last year, and after using it for the past month and a half I can say that it doesn’t disappoint. 

With a name like PencilVac, I expected the vacuum to be thin, but I wasn’t prepared for just how slim it is IRL. It’s also shockingly lightweight, which makes me wonder how the engineers at Dyson managed to cram such advanced technology inside — like the Hyperdymium motor, Dyson’s fastest, which spins up to 140,000 rpm for a quick and powerful clean and gives you up to 30 minutes of uninterrupted suction. There’s even a countdown timer on the handle so you’ll always know how much juice you have left. 

The PencilVac’s Fluffycones head is unlike any other I’ve seen before. It features four fuzzy conical brush bars that sweep up ultrafine dust, dirt, and hair without tangling. And there’s a built-in light that illuminates every speck for the most thorough clean. What’s more, it swivels and steers in all directions, and cleans right to the edge. It even flattens to a height of just 3.7 inches, which makes it easier to squeeze under furniture and hard-to-reach areas. 

While most of Dyson’s vacuum cleaners feature wall-mounted charging bases, the PencilVac has a freestanding, magnetic charging dock, so there’s no need to drill any holes into the wall — a renter’s dream. The charging dock takes up very little space and makes the PencilVac easy to grab in a pinch.

The PencilVac is so lightweight and easy to maneuver that picking it up for a quick clean doesn’t feel like a whole to-do. It effortlessly glides over my apartment’s hardwood floors without feeling clunky and stiff, which makes me want to reach for it more often. And the results are noticeable; it sucks up dust and debris that I couldn’t see before (it’s truly shocking how much appears when illuminated by the vacuum’s light). The vacuum cleans so efficiently that I’m able to cover my small two-bedroom apartment without pausing to recharge. And I actually love that its battery life timer displays on the handle; it motivates me to get my cleaning done faster before time runs out! 

I’ve also been loving the crevice attachment for cleaning my baseboards and narrow gaps between furniture. I even use it to clean the molding around the doors in my apartment — which I’ve never touched before. 

You might be wondering, where’s the dust bin on such a slim vacuum? It’s in the 1.5-inch-wide handle — and it holds way more than you’d think. The PencilVac compresses all the dust, so it doesn’t skimp on capacity, and it has a syringe-like emptying system, so I don’t get hit with a dust cloud every time I empty the canister. 

Plus, as a renter who’s wary of drilling holes into the wall, I appreciate Dyson’s freestanding magnetic charging dock. It hardly takes up any space in my cramped spare room, and I could see it squeezing into a small hall closet, too. I also love that there’s a slot for the crevice attachment, so it’s always ready to go.

I will say, however, that the PencilVac is designed for hard floors only. It moves on top of flatweave rugs pretty decently, but struggles on fluffy, high-pile styles. And the suction just isn’t as effective on softer surfaces, so I still pull out my old vacuum to give my rugs a deeper clean. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s made keeping up with daily vacuuming so much easier. I never thought I’d say this, but I now clean my baseboards and door frames on a regular basis, too.  

If you’re a small-space dweller who’s eager to ditch bulky vacuums for good, the PencilVac is a dream come true. It’s lightweight, easy to maneuver, and delivers a powerful clean — basically everything I needed to make my vacuuming habit stick. And it’s particularly great for targeting out-of-reach areas without straining, thanks to its nimble design and crevice attachment. However, it performs best on hard floors, so I’d skip it if your home is wall-to-wall carpet. 

While I still keep my old vacuum around to maintain my rugs, I reach for the PencilVac almost daily. And once you have it in your space, I’m certain you will too. It’s also $150 off right now — right on time for a spring clean! 

Buy: Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones, $450 (normally $600)