Dyson PencilVac Spiel
Dyson has released PencilVac in Japan, Singapore, and South Korea first. I thought it was an unusual choice from Dyson to release it in South Korea early, as the handheld vacuum market in Korea is quite different from, say, America, as the most common types of flooring is simply not carpet. Carpeted floors are rare here.
PencilVac, with the tools currently available in Korea, is not fit for carpeted floors or carpets. It’s for hard floors. The suction on the new vacuum is relatively weaker than the traditional handheld, so it relies heavily on the cleaner head (e.g. Fluffycones) to clean the floor. If you are wondering between the two option, either with or without Fluffycones, I highly recommend investing little more for the cones. Not only it eliminates the need to detangle hairs off regularly, the maintenance was much easier than the cleaner head.
If you were hoping to use the handheld as a hybrid machine between portable to day-to-day, ironically PencilVac isn’t equipped to handle portable situations yet. To explain why it is such a case, imagine yourself holding a big broom stick, like the ones a witch would fly on. That’s how unwieldy the actual vacuum is. There are places a broom stick would be too big to clean, like cleaning the top of the desk, and that is exactly the case with PencilVac. Unlike the traditional handheld which had a detachable wand, PencilVac has a fixed length. I believe it is a problem more tools can help in the long run.
Speaking of tools, and this is crucial for any potential buyers, you cannot charge PencilVac without a cleaner head — the charging contact is on the cleaner head. This is quite the nuisance as the filters and cleaner heads need regular maintenance with 24 hours minimum drying period; and during those times, the vacuum cannot be charged. I did contact Dyson Korea if they have them in stock, but alas, it’s not available yet. HEPA filters themselves dry much faster than the ones I’ve had on the traditional handhelds, as it is now more flat rectangular design than a cylindrical design. It’s the cones with the fluffy materials that are the problem. During Korea’s hot and humid Summer, it definitely takes longer than a full day to dry it.
All in all, I believe PencilVac would be a great complementary vacuum for robot vacuum owners. That’s what I was looking for. As the official tools and accessories aren’t in stock yet, I can’t use my go-to method of switching between the two HEPA filters yet — I know for certain I can buy them, it’s just so happened accessories for latest product hasn’t been imported yet. I still do hope Dyson would release more tools to make the machine more versatile, but as many Dyson products had it before, I presume third party manufacturers would be eager to make on if the official one doesn’t drop.