Dyson PencilVac (2026) review: Limited but helpful

The vacuum connects to the Dyson app, where you’ll find resources like how to empty the trash and wash the filter, but not much else. It can tell you how long your last cleaning session was, but there are no other details, so it’s not as interesting or useful as the data you get from a robot vacuum.

Thin face

Photo: Nina Farrell

Photo: Nina Farrell

The full name of this vacuum cleaner is the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones, and it is named after the four fluffy cones located inside the vacuum head. All previous Dyson stick vacuums have a Fluffy Optic cleaner head for cleaning hard floors. While both have a thin rotating bar, the Fluffycones have a conical shape that Dyson says will detangle and remove hair rather than getting hair stuck around. It detangled hair for me, but when I vacuumed larger chunks of hair from my bathroom floor (the place where a lot of stray hairs die on my hands with a hairbrush, comb, and towel), it actually gathered the hair into a ball and spit it back out a few times before finally sucking it into the trash.

Although the hair results weren’t great, I loved this vacuum for sucking up the cat litter that constantly hits my house. It did a great job with flour on hardwood floors and worked well with dry oats, but it would sometimes hit the oats instead of absorbing them right away. I was even able to quickly swipe it over the top of my carpet, but rolling back and forth on the carpet stopped the cones.

The head is designed to move in almost any direction. Cones make it easy to turn around, and bright green lights front and back help you spot any debris you might miss. With its small size that fits into awkward corners, the PencilVac finally allows me to clean up all the junk around the base of the toilet and sink. It’s part of what keeps me reaching for this vacuum over and over again, even after cleaning my robot vacuum the day before.

Forward momentum

Photo: Nina Farrell

Do I think this vacuum replaces Dyson’s current cordless options? No, but Dyson has other new vacuums planned that can do this. This vacuum has a specific design for a specific use: smaller homes with fully hardwood floors. There is access here too. This lightweight vacuum can be much easier to use for people with mobility and strength limitations. The magnetic charging base also makes it easy to store and access for a variety of people, whether they struggle with fine motor skills or can’t bend down and hold a vacuum.