Dyson Launches PencilVac With Dual Lasers

Dyson’s newest cordless, the PencilVac, is the company’s boldest rethink of the stick vacuum in years—a $599.99 featherweight with a wand that’s actually pencil-thin and a cleaning head that projects two precision lasers. After several days of testing at home, it’s clear this model is designed to make dust visible, lighten the load, and revive Dyson’s reputation for meaningful vacuum innovation.

A Stick Vacuum That’s Literally a Stick in Shape

The PencilVac’s architecture moves the battery, motor, and dustbin into the wand itself, yielding a handle that measures under 1.5 inches around. The result is a unit that weighs under four pounds—more than a pound lighter than the Dyson V12 Detect Slim and less than half the heft of Dyson’s largest sticks. There’s no trigger; mid-wand buttons handle power and three suction modes, while a small screen shows a countdown of remaining runtime.

That weight shift matters. Overhead cleaning—ceiling corners, light fixtures, door frames—feels effortless because there’s no top-heavy canister pulling your wrist off balance. The long, non-bending wand also makes sweeping baseboards a stand-up task rather than a crouch-and-pray scenario, though tight angles still demand a bit of body English.

Two Lasers Change How You See Clean at Home

Dyson’s dust-illuminating laser was already a revelation; PencilVac doubles down with beams both ahead of and behind the fluffy head. The forward laser exposes micro-debris you’d swear wasn’t there, while the rear laser gives instant validation that the pass actually lifted them. On low-pile hardwood and tile, this 360-degree visibility is addictive—it turns routine sweeps into forensic cleaning.

There’s solid science behind the obsession. Indoor dust is a stew of fibers, skin flakes, and particulate matter that can harbor allergens, as organizations like the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and the EPA have noted. When you can see the fine stuff, you remove more of it, and PencilVac’s illumination encourages slower, more thorough passes where it counts.

Setup Is Simple, and the App Is Optional

The PencilVac ships in a slim box with one primary attachment and a compact charging stand. Assembly is click-and-go. Connecting to Wi-Fi and the Dyson app takes longer than setup itself; fortunately, the app is mostly for maintenance alerts like clogs and filter reminders. If you prefer a no-app life, the on-device display and physical buttons make that very doable.

Cleaning Head Details and Early Pickup Results

The fluffy head uses four conical brush bars that are designed to resist hair wraps and glide on hard floors. In testing, it maneuvered easily, swiveling deeply to trace along toe-kicks and under furniture edges. The twin lasers made it simple to spot crumbs hugging the wall and verify they were captured on the return stroke.

One limitation: the package does not include a mini motorized tool for upholstery or stairs. For pet owners, that’s notable. While the head handled scattered litter and light tumbleweeds fine, dense concentrations of fur may overwhelm the PencilVac’s small airway faster than on a larger Dyson.

Carpet Questions Still to Answer After Testing

The PencilVac’s compact motor and fluffy-centric design raise fair questions about deeper carpet cleaning. On rugs and runners, early impressions are good for surface lift and visibility. But for wall-to-wall carpet—especially in homes with pets—long-term tests will determine whether this slimmer system generates enough agitation to rival traditional brushroll designs on embedded debris.

Dustbin and Maintenance Trade-Offs to Consider

The integrated dustbin empties by pressing a release over the trash, but the ultra-thin airway means occasional manual assistance may be needed for clingy hair or compressed dust bunnies. A narrow bottle-brush-style tool helps wipe the walls clean. It’s a fair trade for the weight savings, yet meticulous users will want to build a quick-clean routine after each run.

Battery Life and Performance Modes Explained

Dyson lists up to 30 minutes on a charge. In mixed-mode use, the countdown timer sheds minutes quickly, which isn’t unusual given the small-diameter battery. Most apartments will be fine with strategic room-by-room bursts, but larger homes may want a second battery if Dyson offers one, or plan on a mid-clean recharge. The three suction modes help balance power and stamina; the lowest mode paired with the lasers is surprisingly effective on hard floors.

Verdict After the First Days of Real-World Use

The PencilVac feels like a reset for Dyson’s cordless line: radically lighter, brilliantly visible, and purpose-built for hard floors and quick daily sweeps. It’s not a do-everything monster—heavy pet fur, deep carpet, and large-home runtimes expose its constraints. But for users who clean frequently and value ergonomics and proof-of-pickup over brute-force suction, this is a compelling new flagship at $599.99.

If your home is mostly hardwood or tile, you value allergen awareness, and you want a vacuum that literally disappears in your hand, the PencilVac’s dual-laser approach is more than a gimmick—it’s a new way to see clean.