Dyson‘s new PencilVac is probably the weirdest-looking vacuum I’ve seen. There’s no visible motor or filter section, nor any obvious battery. It’s just one long handle with an odd-looking floorhead at the bottom. It looks nothing like the rest of the best Dyson vacuums on the market. So what’s it all about?

I had my first demo of the PencilVac a few months ago, and for the past few weeks I’ve been testing out a model in my home (here are my early thoughts, if you’re interested). Over that time I’ve had a chance to make sense of the innovative design – here’s how it all works.

Where are all the mechanics?

In the handle! To make the PencilVac, Dyson developed a tiny new motor, measuring 1.1 inches / 2.8cm in diameter – which is about the same width as a 2-euro coin. The battery is hidden at the top end of the handle (it’s removable), as is the filter. The handle itself is only 1.5 inches / 3.8cm wide, and the entire unit is impressively lightweight, too.

Where does all the dust go?

At first glance, it looks very much like the PencilVac is missing a dustbin – which would be a problem. In fact, there is a bin; a very small one, hidden in the handle alongside all the other mechanics.

With a capacity of 0.08L, the bin is 10x smaller than the standard cordless stick vacuum dust cup, which typically comes in at 0.8L. And for those who might think that this means you’ll spend more time at the bin emptying than actually vacuuming, Dyson has developed an innovative compression system that squishes the mess together using air, to squeeze as much into that space as possible. Unusually, too, is that the dust particles sucked up by the vacuum seem to defy gravity and collect at the top of the dust cup.

Why are the rollers cone-shaped?

Most vacuums feature single or dual parallel-edged rollers in their floorheads, but the rollers here are cone-shaped. And there are four of them. The theory here is that the shape is better for tackling long hair: the strands make their way down the cone to its pointy end, where they are expelled in a neat clump and can be vacuumed away. It’s the same principle as Dyson’s Hair screw tool.

Is it necessary? I’m not sure. Based on my early tests it works well, although I’ve rarely encountered hair-wrap on any of Dyson’s modern floorheads – and an unfortunate knock-on effect is that the front side of the floorhead is also angled, which means it can’t get flush to a wall.

Why are the rollers all soft?

The shaping isn’t the only unusual thing about this vacuum’s rollers: they’re also covered in soft fabric – there isn’t a bristle in sight. Those familiar with Dyson’s more recent lineup will know the score: similar to the Fluffy floorhead introduced with the Dyson V15 Detect, this Fluffycones floorhead is better for use on hard flooring.

That soft fabric is able to get super close to the floor surface and whisk away dust and hair without risking any scratches – plus, it will gently buff your floor as it goes.

In this particular model, the floorhead looks and feels super cool: it appears to float across the floor. In addition, the two pairs of rollers here rotate in opposite directions, gathering dust from both sides. Based on my tests, the design works superbly, efficiently whisking dust into the suction path.

Is it actually powerful?

Surely such a tiny motor can’t generate that much suction? In the context of the wider Dyson range, that’s correct. The PencilVac is capable of delivering 55AW of power. The weakest options from the rest of the range can manage almost twice that (100AW), while the newest and priciest vacs will deliver up to 315AW.

However, for hard flooring that 55AW is actually plenty, because all the dirt is sat right on the surface. This vacuum isn’t built for deep cleans, nor is it suitable for use on carpet (suction-aside, you really need bristles in the floorhead to agitate carpet fibers to release dirt – a soft roller isn’t going to cut it). Nevertheless, I’ve found it very efficient at clearing dust and hair from the large tiles on my kitchen floor.

At first, I assumed this would be an all-in-one kind of prospect, because the design of the mechanics don’t lend themselves to being reconfigured. However, Dyson has included a detail tool that can be swapped in place of the floorhead. So while it isn’t a handheld in the traditional format (as is the case with most other stick vacuums), you can still use it to dust your baseboards.

In fact, I’ve found it’s especially good at getting into awkward nooks, because it’s so streamlined. Plus, the PencilVac’s light weight makes it a great option for tackling cobwebs in ceiling corners, without experiencing arm ache.

The Dyson PencilVac is already available to buy in the UK and Australia, and it costs £429.99 / AU$949. US pricing and release date are TBC.

Ruth is TechRadar’s Homes Editor specializing in air (vacuum cleaners, fans, air purifiers), and hair (hair dryers, straighteners and stylers). She has been in consumer journalism since 2020, reviewing and writing about everything from outdoor kit to mattresses and wellness gadgets, with stints on Tom’s Guide and T3.