Dyson says that its new PencilVac is the slimmest cordless vacuum cleaner in the world, and by the looks of it, that sounds about right. It's also the company's most powerful model to date.
The PencilVac has a diameter of less than 1.5 in (3.8 cm), about the same as its Supersonic hair dryer. There's no large dustbin at the top of the handle like the company's other models. And the miniaturized motor fits in that slender pipe, and rotates at 140,000 RPM for powerful suction.
There's some clever tech at work in here. Unlike Dyson's heftier cordless cleaners that separate dust and debris using centrifugal force while allowing clean air through to the filters, Wired notes that the PencilVac funnels air and dust into a narrow tube at a high velocity through a two-stage filtration system. The airflow pushes fine particles through the mesh and onto a second filter, while larger bits go into the bin.
As the debris is forced up through the tube to the top of the dust chamber, it's compressed by that strong air flow, maximizing carrying capacity. That allows the compact bin to hold five times more dust and debris than its 0.08 liter capacity might indicate. This compressed waste is also easy to dispose of with minimal dust blooming out when you empty it into a trash can.
The PencilVac features two sets of conical brush bars with an assembly that can rotate 360 degrees, making for great maneuverability around furniture. The brush bars' conical shape prevents hair tangling around them, and actually encourages hair to roll off the bars and onto the floor in a ball that can be easily picked up.
This cleaner head also features dual lasers to make it easy to spot debris on the floor, and it magnetically attaches to a flat charging dock on the floor. You can expect a maximum of 30 minutes of use with the built-in battery in Eco mode; two higher-powered modes will go through more juice quickly. However, an accessory battery pack can keep you going for longer.
Given its capacity and battery life, the PencilVac will likely find more fans in smaller homes without wall-to-wall carpeting. It's currently available in Japan only, where it's priced at ¥84,920, which works out to US$590 (similar to the Dyson V15 Detect Absolute). It will arrive in Korea later on, and land in the US next year.
Sources: PR Times, Dyson Japan
