- Dyson has launched the PencilVac Fluffy after the Fluffycones version
- It has a parallel roller rather than a cone, otherwise the same ultra-compact vacuum design
- Currently only available in the US, it is significantly cheaper than the original
Dyson recently launched an almost impossibly compact new vacuum cleaner: the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones. It doesn’t look like an ordinary cordless vacuum cleaner because all the main components have been shrunk down and stored in the handle, which itself is the size of a broom handle.
I tested one and declared it a true feat of engineering and innovation. In fact, I was completely sold on this new design… except for one problem. Dyson has used conical rollers on the floor head instead of the standard parallel ones. The plastic trim then follows the shape of the cones, meaning the floor head comes to a small point in front.
The knock-on effect is that the PencilVac Fluffycones can’t sit flat against a wall unless you approach side-on, which isn’t always possible. It makes vacuuming the edges of rooms unnecessarily difficult, and tasks like cleaning the stairs – which this light, flexible vacuum cleaner would otherwise be perfect for – become a big hassle. It’s a problem I also had with the Dyson V16 Piston Animal, which has a similar cone-based floor head.
Imagine my delight when I saw an alternative on the dyson.com website, launched without fuss or fanfare: the Dyson Fluffy. It appears to be exactly the same as the PencilVac Fluffycone, except for the floor head. The cone-based head has been changed to one with a parallel roller.
The new floor head is similar to the Fluffy / Fluffy Optic floor head bundled with the Dyson V15 Detect and Gen5detect vacuums, but is possibly a bit more streamlined, as the name suggests: the Micro Fluffy cleaning head. Like the Fluffycones head, the roller is completely covered in soft, dense fibers designed to get right up close to your hard floors, sweeping away dust and polishing the surface clean without risking scratches.
Potential disadvantages
To me, the Micro Fluffy cleaning head looks like a clear winner of the two floor head options. It solves the problem with the edges of the room, and based on the specs, it’s also lighter.
The only thing I’m a little bummed about is that there don’t seem to be any laser headlights on this new version – in contrast, the FluffyCones have two, one mounted in the front and one in the back. These help illuminate lingering dust on hard surfaces to ensure you don’t miss anything. They also make cleaning so much more satisfying.
The original idea behind the use of cones is that any long hair that the vacuum cleaner encounters will make its way down to the small ends of the cones to be easily picked up. This works well, but I’ve also never had a problem with hair wrapping on the standard Fluffy floorhead on my V15 or Gen5detect. If you have Rapunzel-like locks, it might still be worth considering the FluffyCones version, but otherwise I’d say you’ll be fine with the Micro Fluffy option.
The Dyson PencilVac Fluffy is currently available to buy in the US directly from Dyson, but it’s not yet an option on the UK or Australian websites. It costs $449.99 – significantly cheaper than the Fluffycones version, which is listed at $599.99.
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