Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones review: ultra-light hard-floor vacuum that won't replace main cleaner

In a review for The Guardian, Andy Shaw says the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones is a lightweight, hard-floor specialist priced at £429.99; it’s described as accessible and enjoyable to use but not a replacement for a regular vacuum cleaner, especially for carpets or large cleans (Dyson’s V16 Piston Animal is quoted at £749.99 for comparison).

Shaw describes the PencilVac as “pencil-like”: except for the floor head the device is built into a 940mm pole with a 40mm diameter, and contains the collection bin, motor, battery and controls. It weighs 1.8kg, sits in a free-standing charging dock rather than a wall mount, and stores the included attachment on the dock.

The floor head uses four “Fluffycones” arranged in a grid with opposing rotation front and back, plus tiny caster wheels, which the review says makes the head omnidirectional and easy to manoeuvre between chair legs and other obstacles. The cleaner has dust‑detecting lights on both front and back and a claimed dust capacity of 0.8 litres; Shaw says emptying is cleaner than previous Dysons thanks to a redesigned release action.

Shaw tested the PencilVac on measured spillages of flour, cat litter and pet hair using a single forward-and-back pass and weighing the bin before and after. Measured metrics in the review include suction at 21kPa and battery life of 23 minutes; quoted battery life is 30 minutes and quoted charge time 3hrs 30mins.

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