Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones: The Slimmest Vacuum for Hard Floors

Dyson has excelled in creating a vacuum cleaner that's nimble and straightforward to use, particularly for hard floors. Yet, it's limited in scope, as this ultra-slim model struggles with carpets and larger messes. Using its attachments can be cumbersome due to its weight distribution, making it necessary to keep a more robust vacuum for thorough cleaning.

Reasons to Buy

• Excellent for light hard floor cleaning

• Lightweight and highly maneuverable

• One of the easiest vacuums to handle

• Exceptional edge cleaning capabilities

• Anti-tangle design

• Stylish and modern look

• Compact and easy to store

Reasons to Avoid

• Limited to small debris and dust

• Struggles with larger debris and clogs easily

• Requires manual removal of hair and threads

• Unbalanced when using handheld tools

• Average suction power

• Short battery duration

• Flimsy charging base

• Incompatible with carpet cleaning

• High price for its capabilities

Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones is a revolutionary step in vacuum technology, measuring just 1.5 inches wide, making it the slimmest vacuum available.

This unique design features a long handle, colorful conical floorhead, and a tube-like dustbin that compresses its contents effectively.

If you need a second vacuum for quick clean-ups on hard floors, especially in kitchens or upstairs, this model shines. However, it won't serve as a replacement for a primary vacuum because it cannot handle carpets, rugs, or substantial messes.

Quick Summary

As a daily cleaner for delicate hard floors, the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones excels. It's incredibly maneuverable, gliding effortlessly while sweeping up dust from every angle, which alters how you move while cleaning.

The integrated green light effectively illuminates hidden dust, and the four conical brushes are designed to pick up dust and small debris without tangling with hair.

However, this is where its strengths end. It functions best as a secondary vacuum and is not adept at managing large debris, extensive messes, or any upholstery cleaning.

Its striking design will appeal to those who value aesthetics in their appliances. With its charging base, it can be stored neatly, reducing clutter. For a more powerful vacuum that can handle various surfaces, consider alternatives like the Dyson V11 or the Shark PowerDetect Cordless.

Specifications for Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones

Design and Features of Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones

This sleek vacuum is an attractive choice for those who appreciate stylish appliances.

The vibrant red and purple cones set it apart from typical cordless vacuums, while its slim dustbin and handle design enhance its unique aesthetic. It fits well on its charging base, making it a great addition to your kitchen or bathroom.

The innovative Fluffycones ensure consistent contact with hard floors without needing strong suction, which is advantageous since the PencilVac Fluffycones offers lower suction power than most other Dyson models, measuring just 55 air watts at peak strength. For comparison, the Dyson V11, priced about $70 higher, provides 185 air watts.

To evaluate real-world performance, I use an anemometer to measure airflow, which indicates how effectively the vacuum draws in particles.

The PencilVac Fluffycones generates airflow of 9.8 miles per hour, while the Dyson V11 achieves 19.6 miles per hour. Even at the V11's lowest setting, it outperforms the PencilVac Fluffycones.

This difference explains why the V11 is designed for carpets, while the PencilVac Fluffycones is limited to hard floors. Dust and dirt do not penetrate hard surfaces, so high suction isn't necessary.

Instead, the conical brushes rotate quickly (140,000rpm), effectively collecting dust and hair. They clean efficiently in both directions and swivel 360 degrees for better maneuverability.

Hair strands tend to collect at the cone ends, allowing you to gather them easily without tangling.

The dustbin itself is the slimmest available, designed for air compaction to accommodate more debris than standard dustbins.

Additionally, it comes with a charging base that neatly stores the vacuum and its dual crevice and dusting brush attachment.

User Experience with Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones

This vacuum is remarkably agile, making it one of the most maneuverable models on the market.

It glides smoothly over surfaces, pivoting to clean from various angles, and its green light reveals hidden dust – a feature that enhances the cleaning experience and adapts to your movements.

It navigates tight spaces and obstacles easily, allowing for quick clean-up from any direction.

The green light, similar to that of the Dyson V15 Detect, illuminates both ways, uncovering dust that might otherwise go unnoticed.

It effectively picks up fine dust and small debris, but struggles with larger items or high volumes of dirt, which can lead to blockages. This limitation is significant for a vacuum meant for frequent use in homes.

This model is best suited for light daily cleaning tasks. I appreciate its ability to lean against walls without tipping over and the convenience of easily attaching and detaching tools.

A small display shows your current suction mode and battery life, plus alerts for any blockages:

The display flips depending on whether the vacuum is in use or on the charging base.

The charging base provides a practical way to store your vacuum, avoiding the need to lean it against walls or lay it flat during charging:

However, I found the charging base to be unstable and it doesn't always hold the vacuum securely.

A tube designed to hold the vacuum attachment can easily detach when you try to pull out the attachment, which became frustrating during use.

Nonetheless, it's preferable to storing attachments separately.

Noise levels are typical for cordless vacuums with stronger suction, ranging from 67.4 to 75.7 decibels.

Test 1: Fine Particles

I assessed the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones on wooden and linoleum floors using half a cup of flour and sugar to test its fine debris pickup capabilities.

In Eco mode, it captured most of the debris on the first pass, missing only some residue between wooden panels. Medium mode performed similarly.

Boost mode improved performance slightly, but significant residue remained, and the vacuum wobbled on wooden floors, unlike during tests on other surfaces. For homes with hardwood floors, I suggest considering the Dyson V12 Detect Slim.

Test 2: Larger Debris

I evaluated the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones with a cup of lentils and cereal to see how it handled typical kitchen spills and tracked-in dirt.

This model struggled significantly here; I couldn't effectively clean the mess. Other vacuums typically clear this in a few passes, but the narrow design of the PencilVac Fluffycones led to frequent blockages.

I encountered five instances where I had to manually clear debris from the inlet, and further attempts resulted in more blockages. It cannot manage larger debris, and even lentils caused issues because of the narrow dustbin opening.

For handling larger messes, a more robust vacuum with a wider inlet, like the Shark POWERDETECT Upright, is necessary.

Test 3: Pet Hair

I took the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones to a local animal shelter to test its effectiveness on pet hair and typical debris in a high-traffic area.

In Eco mode, it successfully picked up virtually all visible hair along with dirt and debris.

Its edge cleaning is impressive, but it requires manual removal of long strands like hair or thread, which can be an inconvenience.

While the green light helps reveal hidden hairs, the vacuum struggles with long threads or hair on low-pile carpets. It's unlikely to effectively dislodge trapped dirt, so I wouldn't rely on it for regular carpet cleaning. However, it might suffice for thinner rugs if you clean them regularly.

After using it in a meeting room filled with pet hair, I appreciated the PencilVac Fluffycones' ease of use on hard floors. It maneuvers easily and adapts to various cleaning angles, making it quicker to clean. Although it has limitations with larger messes, it serves well as a light daily cleaner.

Test 4: Attachments

The Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones comes with a single dual crevice tool and dusting brush attachment, which can extend or retract with a button.

Due to its design, the attachment connects far from the handle, making it somewhat challenging to vacuum close to your body.

While great for cleaning difficult areas like baseboards or shelves, it makes common tasks, like vacuuming stairs or dusting electronics, a bit cumbersome.

Setup and Maintenance for Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones

Setting up the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones is simple: attach the handle to the dustbin and clip on the floorhead. The charging base is ready to use, with an optional attachment holder for organized storage.

It's best to fully charge the battery before the first use. This took me 90 minutes, though it can take up to 3.5 hours from 0%.

I appreciate the long, thin dustbin design, which minimizes dust blowback when emptying, allowing for a cleaner experience.

Cleaning the filter is essential for maintaining peak performance. The filter detaches easily, and it's cleaned by tapping off excess dust and rinsing under cool water about once a month.

Comparing the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones

At a price of $599.99, the PencilVac Fluffycones is pricey. Most powerful cordless vacuums range from $300 to $600 and can handle both carpets and hard floors effectively.

The Dyson V11 is a prime example, outperforming the PencilVac Fluffycones in every category for roughly $659.99, though it often sells for as low as $449.99.

Alternatively, the Shark PowerDetect Cordless effectively cleans all surfaces and automatically adjusts its suction, costing $449.99, often discounted to around $299.99.

Both of these options outperform the PencilVac Fluffycones in terms of power, often at a lower cost, and can efficiently clean carpets and upholstery. The strength of the PencilVac Fluffycones lies in its maneuverability on hard floors, compact size, stylish appearance, and dual green laser for dust visibility.

Next, see our rankings of the best robot vacuums and top Dyson alternatives after extensive testing.